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Aisha Jumwa finds second political wind after prolonged legal trouble

A year ago, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Gender Aisha Jumwa was facing murder and graft charges that had tainted her name and threatened to end her political career.

Jumwa became a frequent guest in police cells at Port Police Station where she was detained for days on various occasions. She also made numerous appearances both in the High Court and Lower Court in Mombasa.

She was facing a Sh20 million graft case where she had been accused of making an illegal payment to a contractor from the constituency NG-CDF kitty. The case however collapsed due to 'lack of evidence'.

Matters became worse for Jumwa when she and her former bodyguard, some say lover, Geoffrey Okuto were charged in 2020 with the murder of Ngumbao Jola who was shot dead in 2019 in Ganda, Kilifi County.

Through it all, Jumwa maintained that the cases were a political witch hunt instigated by her choice to ditch Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) for then Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Nine lives

After getting trounced in the race for Malindi Governor, many expected that to mark the end for her political career given the heavy legal battles she was facing as well. But like the proverbial cat with nine lives, she emerged as a CS for Gender and Public Service when President Ruto announced his new Cabinet.

Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa Katana (right) and Geoffrey Okuto Otieno at a Mombasa Court in Mombasa County on Thursday 17th October 2019. Photo/Kelvin Karani

According to a probation report, Okuto was married to Judith Awinja in 2009 but the couple allegedly separated later. But the probation officer in his report indicated that Okuto lied about separating from his wife Judith Awinja with who they bore two children aged eight and five years old respectively.

The report indicated that Okuto's young family stays in a rental in Embakasi and was currently on the verge of eviction due to three months' rent arrears.

"The accused (Okuto) married Judith Awinja in 2009 whom he alleges to have separated from. It was however established this information is not true. He is a father of two children aged eight and five years old," read the pre-bail report.

"His family stays in a rental house in Embakasi and is currently on the verge of eviction due to three months' rent arrears," Makau's report read.

The report further said that Okuto's wife Awinja was aware of the fact that the accused was at first employed by Jumwa as her personal Assistant before their relationship mutated into a romantic relationship.

What next for Jumwa? Only time will tell.