Mwau cleared of drug trade claims

Two MPs were on Wednesday publicly cleared of allegations of drug trafficking made in a US dossier early this year.

Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh told Parliament police had failed to find evidence linking Kilome MP John Harun Mwau and his Juja counterpart William Kabogo to the drug trade.

He said US President Barack Obama had not provided information on why two of its citizens were named among the world’s top drug traffickers.

Executive order

Mr Ojodeh told the House that despite official inquiries, Kenya had not received any information that pointed to Mr Mwau and businesswoman Naima Mohammed Nyakinyua as drug dealers.

President Obama signed an executive order under the US Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act in June naming the two Kenyans, among others.

Mr Ojodeh made the statement as he cleared the two MPs of allegations made against them in the dossier given to the Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority by former US ambassador Michael Ranneberger.

The dossier sought investigations against five MPs and Ms Nyakinyua.

He said that after months of investigations, “no evidence” had been found linking Mr Mwau to “contract killings, controlling shipments, human trafficking, corrupt involvement in government contracts and gun-running”.

Mr Mwau sought the statement from the government, describing the claims as “very grave because drug trafficking is a heinous accusation”.

The Kilome MP asked Mr Ojodeh to make sure that the Drug Enforcement Administration in the US hands over details of the real drug barons in Kenya.

Ms Martha Karua said the government should tell the country who the real drug barons were because as they were investigating, they ought to have discovered who was pulling the strings.