I am not scared of arrest, says Midiwo

A defiant Joint Government Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo on Saturday dismissed claims by police that he gave false information to police about the alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Raila Odinga and said he is ready to face them in court.

Mr Midiwo said he is not scared of arrest or facing charges and insisted that he recorded accurate facts and gave adequate evidence which detectives should have used to unravel the allegations if they were honest and committed to their duty.

“My statement at CID headquarters is adequate enough …I’m not a police officer and cannot direct police on what to do,” said Mr Midiwo.

Publish statements

The ODM MP challenged police to publish his statements alongside others recorded by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Finance Minister Njeru Githae, Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. Sam Ongeri and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, if they are genuine, with their findings to charge him with falsehood.

In a telephone interview with the Sunday Nation from South Africa where he said he is attending to parliamentary business, Mr Midiwo said he will avail himself once he got official communication from police of the charges and would fight to the end, adding that it is imperative for Kenyans to know the truth.

“If what I said is not true, why did the government move swiftly to add Prime Minister 10 elite officers to his security?” he said.

Findings of police

The MP’s remarks came just a day after Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko ordered police to arrest him, saying he was satisfied with the findings of police over the sensational assassination plot claims by the Gem MP on April 7 at a funeral in Bondo district.

Prof Ongeri dismissed the claims saying his faith and profession form the pillar of his political leadership.

Speaking for Mr Kenyatta, spokesman Munyori Buku described the allegations as part of a scheme “to camouflage the biggest failure in Orange Democratic Movement-dictatorship and resistance to change.”

Mr Ruto urged Kenyans to treat the incident with the contempt it deserves.