I did not kill Muchai: Atwoli
What you need to know:
- Atwoli said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) should unmask the killers of his deputy to dispel rumours that differences pitting them could have led to the legislator’s death.
- He said knowing who was behind the murder in the wee hours of Saturday morning was key in serving justice to both the family, residents of Kabete constituency whom Muchai represented in Parliament as well as the whole country.
- Mr Atwoli revisited an incident in 2012 at the peak of campaigns when Muchai survived an attempt on his life next to his home along Kang’undo road.
Central Organisation of Trade Union (Cotu) secretary general Francis Atwoli on Saturday asked police to carry out thorough investigations to help allay rumours and suspicion over the death of Kabete MP George Muchai.
Atwoli said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) should unmask the killers of his deputy to dispel rumours that differences pitting them could have led to the legislator’s death.
He said knowing who was behind the murder in the wee hours of Saturday morning was key in serving justice to both the family, residents of Kabete constituency whom Muchai represented in Parliament as well as the whole country.
“The government must do a thorough probe to tell Kenyans who is behind his death. Anything short of this will only breed rumours,” he said at a press conference in his office in Nairobi.
And aware that some are likely to speculate that the frosty relationship with his late deputy could have culminated into the death, Mr Atwoli said: “He was never a threat to me or us at Cotu and the differences we had were very healthy for the trade union movement and based on issues at hand.”
“Despite our differences which are normal in life, he remained a friend and a colleague. Remember we grew up with George in Nairobi and had known each other for the last 50 years,” he stated.
TAKEN TO COURT
The late MP had taken Mr Atwoli to court claiming he was mismanaging the organisation.
Atwoli revisited an incident in 2012 at the peak of campaigns when Muchai survived an attempt on his life next to his home along Kang’undo road.
In the incident, he shot one of the attackers while the rest fled.
Then Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere promised to arrest the thugs although this never happened.
“In 2012, he had a similar incident when he was ambushed by assailants but he survived. The Interior cabinet secretary and the police must come clean on this,” he said.
The Cotu boss said sleuths must save the country the agony of speculation as is always the case whenever a prominent person dies.
“We have competent detectives who have helped other countries unravel such incidences and this is the time their services are required the most,” he said.
Elsewhere in Garissa, Majority leader in National Assembly Aden Duale has asked police to immediately investigate and apprehend the killers of the Kabete MP.
While sending his condolences to the family and friends of the departed lawmaker, the Garissa Township Mp said he will support a bill before the House sponsored by Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura that seek to probe deaths of prominent Kenyans.
In Nairobi, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said he had 'issued firm instructions to Security Agencies to move with maximum speed to ensure that those responsible for the murder of the MP and his aides are apprehended within the shortest time possible'.
Additional reporting by Abdimalik Hajir.
