A man found with two copies of the poison pen letter threatening Chief Justice Willy Mutunga is helping police in their investigations.
The man, identified as Victor Owuor, was allegedly found at a cybercafe in Kibera making copies of the letter. The police found two copies on him. They are are now questioning him as they try to establish the authors and source of the letter which has caused consternation.
The letter has been scanned and was circulating on social media since Wednesday when Justice Mutunga revealed receiving it. According to Mutunga, the letter which warned him and members of the judiciary of dire consequences if they delivered an 'adversarial' judgment in a case questioning the eligibility of Jubilee Alliance presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto.
The letter also threatened western Europe diplomats who have warned of 'consequences' if Kenyans elect the two.
Following the revelations, a special meeting of the national security advisory council met and directed the police and the director of Public Prosecutions to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
Head of the Civil Service Francis Kimemia who has been accused by Chief Justice Mutunga of 'intimidation' and who Cord Alliance presidential candidate Prime Minister Raila Odinga wants to resign for interference in the elections has since denied these allegations. Kimemia said he would not resign and was ready to face any investigations.
Yesterday, Uhuru claimed the revelation of the threats against Justice Mutunga and the claims that Kimemia and other government officials were involved in rigging were part of a propaganda scheme to destabilise the country after the general election.
Uhuru said the scheme is being propagated by the leaders within Cord with the assistance of some civil society organisations through what he described as "politics of propaganda, incitement and apportioning blame".
Uhuru claimed Cord was seeking to achieve its aims through skewed media reporting and biased analysis. He said all these schemes were being funded by foreign countries which he did not name.
"All these claims are part of a wider scheme of propaganda by our competitors and civil society groups. They want to destroy our country as happened in 2007. We know who is funding them. The ultimate aim is anyone's guess.It is aimed at destabilizing the country," said Uhuru when he met with Muslim leaders at the Sir Ali Sports Club in Ngara.
Uhuru said the claims by the Chief Justice about the threats he had received was part of this same propaganda. Her also denied claims by Cord Alliance that public servants were being intimidated into campaigning for Jubilee.
"All these claims on the threats, on (Francis) Kimemia and public servants is propaganda. Our competitors should let public servants do their work. We're not interested in Kimemia. We are not interested in public servants. We must stop propaganda if Kenya has to develop as a country,"he said and warned the country to export more of 'Cord propaganda' as the election date drew near.. "Ask them where it has all suddenly come from,” was his advise to the audience.
Uhuru was accompanied by Ruto, former Mvita MP Najib Balala, former nominated Amina Abdala, former Kamukunji MP Yusuf Abdi and TNA Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Ferdinand Waititu.
Ruto said it was not easy under the current constitutional dispensation for any one to intimidate any public servants to campaign for anyone.
"Those telling public servants to resign must know that they are Kenyans. They have rights and will be not be intimidated to support any group," he said.
On the threats on the life of the chief justice, Ruto urged the Cord leaders to account for the contents of the poison pen letter to Mutunga.
"Cord should explain about the contents of the letter because Mungiki leaders are in Cord. The government must also investigate where the threats and intimidation on the judiciary are coming from," Ruto said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Githu Muigai will formulate a policy setting out guidelines for international travel for all constitutional commissions and independent office holders.
“There have been considerations both sides; the chairmen and Independent office holders have been anxious that what we agree that is feasible, workable and legal and I am happy that we have arrived at a consensus without acrimony and rancor. I hope that this will put an end to the matter,” said Muigai after meeting with the chairpersons and independent office holders.
The guidelines will bring an end to the recent situation where a junior immigration officer at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport attempted to stop Justice Mutunga from traveling to Dar Es Salaam. The officer claimed he had received instructions from head of the civil service Francis Kimemia.
Yesterday, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang said he would not sanction the interdiction of the immigration officer as he was acting on instructions by Kimemia. The national security advisory committee had recommended that the officer be interdicted pending investigations into the incident.
Following yesterday's meeting with the AG, the commission chairpersons and other independent office holders agreed that they would be notifying the Cabinet Office whenever they were going to travel abroad. However, this would not mean they would be seeking the Cabinet Office's permission to make such foreign trips.
- The Star
