Raila suspends top aide

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday suspended his advisor on coalition affairs Miguna Miguna over a controversy at the electoral commission.

A letter from the permanent secretary in the PM's office, Dr Mohamed Isahakia, said Mr Odinga had instructed that the advisor be suspended without pay until his case is fully investigated.

"I have been instructed by the Rt Hon Prime Minister that you be and are hereby suspended from performing your duties as the Advisor, Coalition Affairs, with immediate effect for gross misconduct," read Dr Isahakia's letter.

He is accused of refusing to sign Local Agreement forms despite "several appeals" harassment, intimidation and use of abusive language to colleagues and misrepresenting the Office of the Prime Minister.

"You are further required to hand over all Government properties under your custody to the Secretary Administration."

The electoral commission has been tipped in a controversy with claims of staff recruitment informed by tribalism and nepotism.

Mr Miguna last week published a column in The Star making similar claims against the commission.

On Wednesday, the IIEC recalled chief executive officer James Oswago from an overseas trip and suspended his personal assistant in a crackdown on a smear campaign targeting commissioners.

The IIEC also called in the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) to investigate allegations of nepotism, corruption and infighting.

Chairman Ahmed Isaack Hassan dismissed the allegations as “totally false” and political.

“We have operated this commission with utmost high standards and professionalism. We hired a human resource firm to do the recruitment. This is the first time that the electoral commission was even advertising for clerks. We have been very professional and transparent. That is the reason we find those allegations very malicious and just out to destroy us,” he said.

Mr Hassan said Mr Allan Odongo was suspended after articles painting the commission in bad light were found on his laptop.

“Some of the articles are word for word of what has been printed in a local paper’s opinion pages under a different byline. The other articles were due to be released in subsequent publications. The commission has since suspended the said officer pending further investigations,” the IIEC chairman said.