MP disowns taped remarks on 2007 polls, again

By Wahome Thuku

For the second time, Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru has denied having ever told the media that parliamentary elections in the area were rigged.

Bishop Wanjiru stood her ground even after more video clips in which she was captured making the remarks in December 2007 were played in court.

She said the footage produced in court by former Sports Minister Maina Kamanda did not show whether the rigging remarks were in reference to presidential, parliamentary or civic elections in Starehe.

The clips recorded during the elections have become a thorn in her flesh since Kamanda’s lawyer Kioko Kilukumi first played them in court.

The clip contains a television interview in which Wanjiru claimed the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) had rigged the Starehe elections and she demanded a repeat.

Denounced clip

The Bishop of Jesus is Alive Ministry allegedly gave the interview on December 28, 2007 outside Kenyatta International Conference Centre and at Kenya Polytechnic tallying centre.

The video also captured her saying she had written a protest letter to ECK over the rigging and had been summoned at KICC.

But the Housing Assistant Minister denied in court having ever made such remarks, until Kilukumi played the clip. The case was then adjourned to yesterday to allow her time to study a video clip that has caused ripples in an election petition filed against her.

The clips were played again yesterday morning to confirm that Wanjiru was specifically talking about rigging of parliamentary and not any other elections.

But her lawyer Chacha Odera said the media house that had allegedly aired the clips in its news bulletin had now denounced it.

He claimed other features had been superimposed on the footage and the court should not accept the evidence.

But Kilukumi said he had no intentions of producing the clips in court but was only playing them to refresh Wanjiru’s mind.

The dispute prompted presiding judge Kihara Kariuki to summon the lawyers into his chambers for private consultations.

There was a light moment when the video equipment failed to function in court. Judge Kihara then caused laughter when he asked lawyer Odera whether his client could offer prayers to jumpstart it.