Miguna alleges conspiracy to kill him

By Peter Mutai and Beauttah Omanga

Roads minister Franklin Bett and Energy Assistant Minister Magerer Langat have recorded statements with the police over claims by Miguna Miguna that they were plotting to have him killed.

Mr Bett recorded his a Justus Burudi.

Bett, who was accompanied by his wife Alice, a Kericho-based lawyer, rubbished claims by the former adviser to Prime Minister Raila Odinga saying he haboured no grudge against Miguna to want to plot his elimination.

On Monday, Miguna declined to discuss the matter further saying he had already informed the police and he was standing by the text message.

Bett said he was shocked to learn about the alleged plot through a reporter of a local media house (not The Standard) who called him to get his comments on the matter after getting a short text message from Miguna.

Shocked

"I was in my Buret constituency attending a church service at Roret Catholic Church and I had switched off my mobile phone. But immediately after the service, I switched on my phone and I was shocked to see the SMS message," Bett said.

The minister said he called the media house to inquire about the text message and the source of the message, which the reporter (name withheld) had forwarded to him.

The minister narrated how he tried to call Miguna on his personal cell phone after the reporter told him that he was behind the message. Miguna, however, declined to pick his call.

The SMS read in part: "I’ve just been credibly informed of an ODM strategy meeting in Eldoret on Monday Sat Jan 14th from 5-9:15 pm, chaired by a minister discussed and resolved that "Miguna should be murdered."

The message further claimed that representatives of Bett and Langat, a Mr Kemboy, a Ms Lemusha and a prominent Eldoret physician, attended the purported meeting.

It continued: "But before that, a systematic scheme to malign and slander him in the media claiming that he suffers from personality disorder should be unleashed. One of the participants, whose conscience refused to go along with the scheme has disclosed the information to me."

Legal action

The SMS further said: "He (his informer) is very worried about my security and safety. I am, too. I appeal to the Government to take these seriously and take steps to protect me. Miguna Miguna."

Bett said Miguna’s intention was to malign him and his colleagues because they belong to ODM. The minister said he had instructed his lawyers to take legal action against Miguna and called on the police to speedily investigate the matter.

Bett also said that together with his colleague, they would raise the matter with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, adding that he would not leave Miguna to go scot-free over the issue.

"Let Miguna sort out his issues with his former boss as I was not competing with him for the post of adviser to the PM. He cannot continue issuing threats and (even) the other day he was threatening to release a dossier on the PM," he said.

Langat was due to record a statement of complaint against Miguna with the Rift Valley PCIO with a view of demanding that action be taken against Miguna.