How Raila Odinga's secret phone calls kept Pangani Six warm in cold and hard cells

CORD leader Raila Odinga on phone. PHOTO: FILE

NAIROBI: The six MPs held at Pangani police station used a mobile phone smuggled into their cell to keep in touch with CORD leader Raila Odinga.

Each of the male legislators — from CORD and Jubilee — spoke to Raila during the four days they were behind bars as they waited to be arraigned in court to answer to hate speech charges.

Eight politicians — Johnstone Muthama, Mohammed Junnet, Timothy Bosire, Moses Kuria, Kimani Ngunjiri, Ferdinand Waititu, Aisha Jumwa and Florence Mutua — were arrested on Tuesday and kept in the police cells until Friday when they were released on bond.

The male MPs were taken to Pangani police station while their female colleagues were held at Muthaiga.

Bosire said they used the smuggled phone to keep in touch with the outside world, but would hide the it every time they heard footsteps of a police officer.

“With the “Mulika Mwizi” phone, we managed to speak with our families, CORD leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula,” said the Kitutu Masaba MP. 

The phone they used was a cheap and unsophisticated.

“It helped us a lot,” said Bosire.

The three Jubilee MPs  — Kuria, Ngunjiri and Waititu — had cordial telephone chats with opposition leader Raila.

The Gatundu South MP and the opposition leader agreed they would have lunch when the legislator was out of custody, while Ngunjiri said he did not mind attending a rally attended by Raila to show the need for peaceful coexistence.

Kuria confirmed that they had a hearty conversation with Raila and agreed to meet.

“Raila requested if I could join him for a meal of fish once we are released. I accepted though with a minor condition — that he assures me my favourite vegetable ‘Osuga’ will be in plenty, which he committed himself to. I will hold him to his word,” he said.

“I spoke with him, more than once and we promised each other than we would interact more when I’m released.”

At Pangani, the six male politicians were forced to share a seven by ten feet cell with nothing but a bucket to be used for a call of nature.

Bosire said: “Inside Pangani, Junet came up with a formula for having the second shoe to visit the dangerously unhealthy toilets. He negotiated a common right shoe to be allowed in to be used a ‘pool shoe’ which he named ‘Shoe Number 10 because we were only allowed one shoe which also doubled as a pillow case.”

“Tired of karate fights every night with stubborn mosquitoes, my good friend from Machakos came up with a formula for converting a Nakumatt shopping bag into a mosquito net.”

Bosire explained that during the four days in custody, the three MPs from CORD and three from Jubilee had talks on IEBC and agreed on a number of issues that would be carried forward when the talks begin.

Senator Muthama described the four-day stint at Pangani as “pure torture, a nightmare that should be not meted on any suspect in police custody, even those facing the worst of capital offences”.

Bosire accused some people in the presidency of having a hand in their “incarceration” which he claimed was meant to kill their spirit. “The situation was very bad. You can imagine the six of us using one bucket for short and long call, though it did not worry me because my past is dotted with similar treatment. I do not understand what government wanted to achieve,” he said.

Jumwa said she wants the government to improve facilities that hold prisoners and suspects. “A lot of money is allocated for security in the country. We want part of this money to be used for rehabilitating the cells and making them fit for human habitation,” she said.

Ms Mutua said: “I can’t imagine what my male colleagues went through using a bucket in front of others. This infringes on human rights and decency. We need to know why some stations still use buckets as toilets. MPs should advocate for cells to have clean toilets.”

Unlike their male colleagues in Pangani, the Muthaiga two were allowed a change of clothes a day before their court appearance. She described the officers holding them as “so tense”.

 For the period they were in the cells, the six never had a shower, did not brush their teeth or even have a change of clothes until they were arraigned before a magistrate on Friday, when they were released on a bail.

The eight were arraigned in court on Friday where they denied the charges and were released on bail.

Fortunately for Woman Representatives Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi) and Florence Mutua (Busia), the police officers at Muthaiga Police Station were generous enough to provide them with a blanket to share during the cold nights.

Yesterday, Ms Mutua said she was not on the list of those wanted for hate speech.

“I had gone to join my colleagues in solidarity at CID headquarters when I heard about their arrest. Then I heard one lawyer say that an officer called ‘someone’ and said that Florence is here too and asked what they should do with me. I believe the other person ordered I be added on the arrest list,” she said.  

- Reports by Jacob Ng’etich, Protus Onyango, Grace Wekesa and Eric Abuga