Mwau seeks Govt help over drugs link

Kilome MP Harun Mwau wants to know whether the government will intervene in his bid to reverse the recent designation by the US as a drug trafficker.

Mr Mwau was last week listed by US President Barack Obama as a drug lord under the US Kingpin Act.

On Wednesday, the MP sought a ministerial statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking what the Government of Kenya can do to prevent the US Senate and House of Representatives from acting on a what he described as an erroneous information that has been forwarded to them.

Mr Mwau wants the minister for Foreign Affairs to clarify the circumstances that led the US President to designate him as a major drug trafficker and whether the action was fair and in line with the principle of respect for fundamental human rights and justice.

Noting that he was not consulted before the US took the action, Mr Mwau further wants to know whether any evidence was shared with President Kibaki and whether he was consulted and what the Government of Kenya can do to assist him from being punished by a foreign land.

“Can the Minister table evidence held against me by any person or authority or that would link me to any drug trafficking,” the member said.

Mr Mwau and a Kenyan businesswoman Naima Mohammed Nyakinyua joined the US list of top seven drug traffickers around the world with President Obama signing an executive order freezing all assets of the Kilome MP for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

The order was issued under the US Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act or the Kingpin Act and extended to the Kenyan businesswoman, who appeared before a Tanzanian court on drug trafficking charges last week.

In Parliament, Mr Mwau who has sued former US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger for publishing a report he said was injurious to him, sought to know whether the Government of Kenya will uphold his dignity as an MP and whether it will intervene to stop his being punished by a foreign law.

He questioned whether the same information that was shared with Parliament by Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti in February concerning his alleged involvement in trafficking alongside two other MPs was the same used to procure the US action.

“Can the Minister state whether the action was based on evidence by a rogue state officer,” he said.

Seeking the statement, the MP asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to table any evidence from the US showing that he has been involved in any drug trafficking in any part of the world.

“A person being designated as a significant foreign drug trafficker alludes that there already is evidence indicating the same,” he argued.

Noting that the Ministry is seized with the issue of drug trafficking on a continuous basis, the member asked the Minister to also table any correspondence with the US Embassy in Kenya and the US Government on the matters.

Mr Mwau and Ms Nyakinywa are also barred from entering the US. These sanctions also extend to family members or anyone who has benefitted from proceeds of the illegal trade.

His defamation case against Mr Ranneberger will be heard next month.