I had nothing to do with Chris Msando's murder: Moses Kuria

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria during a press conference at Parliament buildings, on the murder of the IEBC's ICT director Chris Msando, January 20, 2020. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Chris Msando went missing on the night of July 28, 2017, less than two weeks to a hot contest by Jubilee Party's President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Raila Odinga of the opposition's National Super Alliance (Nasa).
  • Mr Kuria issued a statement at Parliament Buildings on Monday, saying he had been unfairly linked to the murder, yet he was with Murang'a Woman Representative Sabina Chege on that day.
  • Mr Kuria said the Msando case should not take the same path as those of people like Dr Chrispine Odhiambo-Mbai, a former lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
  • He further urged Kenyans to be vigilant to prevent the country from sliding back into the era of dictatorship.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria wants an end to claims he was linked to the mysterious death of Mr Chris Msando, who served as the IEBC's ICT director.

Mr Kuria issued a statement at Parliament Buildings on Monday, saying he had been unfairly linked to the murder just before the General Election in 2017, "for just volunteering information".

“I have had to live with a barrage of innuendos and accusations over the death of Msando for more than two years now," he said.

"I must now say enough is enough. I really want to bring this matter to an end. Any further linkage of my name to the disappearance will be dealt with by the courts."

WHAT HAPPENED

Msando went missing on the night of July 28, 2017, less than two weeks to a hot contest by Jubilee Party's President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Raila Odinga of the opposition's National Super Alliance (Nasa).

He was found dead alongside Ms Carol Ngumbu, a woman it is claimed he was with on the night he went missing. Their bodies were found in Karura Forest after a two-day search.

With Kenya embracing ICT in voting and transmission of results across the country, the murder marked the beginning of questions into the credibility of the election, considering he had the passwords to servers belonging to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

True to this, Nasa filed a petition against Mr Kenyatta's re-election, which saw the Supreme Court cancel the results over credibility issues and order a fresh vote.

KURIA'S ACCOUNT

The MP, while explaining why Kenyans may have wrongly linked him to the death, said no human life is worth ending.

He said that on the weekend after news of Msando’s disappearance spread, with a picture of his vehicle widely circulated online, members of the public informed him of the presence of a similar car in Roysambu, Nairobi.

At the time, he said, he was at a function in Murang’a County with Woman Representative Sabina Chege.

Mr Kuria said he then called the Kasarani divisional police commander (OCPD), while still with Ms Chege, to inform him about the vehicle said to have been in his area of jurisdiction.

As a precautionary measure, he said, they waited for police to arrive and accompany them to the location he was given.

DCI SUMMONSES

The lawmaker said, however, that within 48 hours, he and Ms Chege were summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to record statements.

“What police should tell Kenyans is what they did with the investigation. It’s not fair to continue associating Sabina and I with this. We did what any reasonable leader would," he said.

He added: “No one is immune to, or happy with these kinds of accusations. I only volunteered information. I wonder why you, the media, the opposition and the civil society are not putting pressure on police to tell what they did with the investigation.”

POLICE STATE

Mr Kuria said the Msando case should not take the same path as those of people including Dr Chrispine Odhiambo-Mbai, a former lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

The MP further urged Kenyans to be vigilant to prevent the country from sliding back into the era of dictatorship.

“A police State must not be allowed to creep back. Rights are being taken away," he said.