Tag:

Okoth Obado

DP Ruto Buys An Umbrella For Ksh 20,000 In Migori

by Yahil Felix September 25, 2021

The deputy president William Ruto on Saturday took his campaign to Okoth Obados backyard. Residents thronged the area to witness the second in command and the politicians who accompanied him. While addressing a crowd on the roadside, he saw a woman identified as Mackline Otieno carrying an umbrella and he asked her if she could pass it to him.

Mackline quickly gave it to Ruto who was addressing the crowd on top of his vehicle. He in turn gave shillings 20,000 to the woman. In another incident, a man walking in crutches asked to be allowed to have a word with the deputy president. He got his surprise of the day when he was also given Ksh 20,0000.

Ruto also donated Ksh 2 million to boda boda saccos and small scale traders in the area. While addressing the residents, he blamed president Uhuru Kenyatta for frustrating his presidential bid, adding that his only hope now lies with ordinary Kenyans.

He criticized the government for failing to secure the economic welfare of Kenyans. He said that the work of the government is to make policies that ensure the youths are employed, or they can run their own business. Ruto pledged to allocate 120 million to support small scale traders across the country.

September 25, 2021 0 comment

Politics

Migori MCA Assaulted, Her Arm Broken Over Obado’s Impeachment

by Mustafa Juma September 23, 2020

written by Mustafa Juma

A member of Migori County Assembly was on Wednesday assaulted and her left arm broken as the assembly descended into chaos over the planned ouster of governor Okoth Obado.

The nominated MCA Mary Ogodo was attacked during a melee at the Migori county assembly ahead of the planned tabling of the impeachment motion against the County chief.

It forced sergeant-at-arms to run away with the mace, the symbol of power in the assembly, as they left members assaulting each other physically, verbally with bottles of water being thrown around.Ogodo was rushed to St Joseph Mission Hospital.

“She is in hospital, her left arm has been broken and she is receiving treatment. She can’t talk right now. She is in stable condition,” an aide told a local daily in a phone interview.

Tension started during the morning session as North Kanyamkago MCA George Omamba got orders from Migori High Court reinstating him as Deputy Speaker on Tuesday evening.

Omamba was impeached by his colleagues on May last year together with assembly clerk Tom Opere, with Bukira East MCA Mathews Chacha and Emmanuel Abala taking over in acting capacity amid court orders.

On Wednesday, trouble started as five pro-Obado MCAs led by Kaler MCA Thomas Akungo walked into the house which was in session and tried to disrupt the session as Omamba was still on the chair.

“The five MCAs were hiding in one of the offices in the assembly controlled by Obado’s relative before they made their way into the assembly and started creating chaos,” a staff said.

In the ensuing melee, the session was disrupted as Ogodo, who is said to be in support of the ouster, was attacked. She blamed Akungo for the melee.

Obado who spoke to a local daily on Tuesday September 22, 2020 revealed a new scheme that has now been employed by the Raila Odinga-led range party.

According to Obado, there are plans to use the police and investigative agencies to threaten ward representatives and county officials opposed to ODM’s plans to kick him out over graft and murder cases that the County chief is facing.

He went ahead to reveal details of a meeting that was held over the weekend in Kisii town where Migori Senator Ochillo Ayacko allegedly met MCAs to give them an ultimatum to either support the ouster or be ready to face the consequences.

Obado claimed that during the Kisii meeting chaired by Ayacko, a 10-point impeachment motion was drafted with the help of a former magistrate.

He further claimed his rivals plan to use the police to cause chaos in the Assembly so that they can interfere with voting in the event the motion is finally tabled. The impeachment, sanctioned by ODM days after he was charged with graft has stalled for two weeks, amid tension and anxiety in Migori.

September 23, 2020 0 comment

Politics

Obado Alleges More Dirty Intrigues ODM is Using in His Impeachment Plot

by Mustafa Juma September 23, 2020

written by Mustafa Juma

Embattled Migori County governor Okoth Obado has exposed more dirty intrigues the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is using in his impeachment plot.

Obado who spoke to a local daily on Tuesday September 22, 2020 revealed a new scheme that has now been employed by the Raila Odinga-led range party.

Obado claimed that during the Kisii meeting chaired by Ayacko, a 10-point impeachment motion was drafted with the help of a former magistrate.

However, Ayacko who unsuccessfully ran against Obado in 2017 dismissed Obado’s claims.

Ayacko said the governor should instead carry his own cross. He also said he was not aware of any such plan, and termed the claims idle curiosity.

September 23, 2020 0 comment

Politics

Photos: Heavy Police Presence in Migori as MCAs Resume Sitting Ahead of Obado Impeachment

by Mustafa Juma September 8, 2020

written by Mustafa Juma

There was a heavy police presence in Migori on Tuesday September 8, 2020 as Members of County Assembly resumed sittings with governor Okoth Obado’s impeachment being top on the agaenda.

The impeachment motion is expected to be in the Assembly order paper with a section of the ward reps holding they were ready for the process.

The ouster bid — initiated by the Orange Democratic Party– has been clouded with controversies with several MCAs, fearing for reprisals, allegedly fleeing the county.

They House is expected to begin its business as from 2:30pm.

Some of the MCAs have claimed the mission to kick out Obado may hit a dead end because of the sharp divisions among ODM MCAs, threats, intimidation and fears of a backlash from Migori residents.

The Jubilee MCAs are also torn over the ouster bid, with MCAs skipping a meeting organised in Kuria to rally them behind the ouster bid.

Tension has continued to rise in the county with the Assembly Speaker Boaz Okoth claiming his life is in danger after unknown people attacked him on Friday in his Kisumu house for allegedly hosting MCAs for a meeting.

The attack on the Speaker created a wave of tension in the County with fears of violence ahead of Obado’s ouster bid.

September 8, 2020 0 comment

Politics

Obado’s Impeachment Bid Takes a New Twist as MCAs Flee Migori Over Fear

by Mustafa Juma September 5, 2020

written by Mustafa Juma

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) bid to oust Migori governor Okoth Obado has taken a twist.

This is after a section of Migori Members of County Assembly allegedly fled the South Nyanza County over fear as tension continues to rise.

According to a report by one of the leading local dailies, a number of MCAs claimed the mission to kick out Obado may fail because of sharp divisions among Orange party MCAs, threats and intimidation as well as fears of a backlash from the residents.

With President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party plotting to join Raila Orange party in the ouster motion, a number of MCAs are said to have travelled out of Migori, with some claiming they were holding strategy meetings in Kisii, Kisumu and Nairobi in the wake of the developments.

Migori County Jubilee coordinator Mwita Nyangi on Friday September 4, 2020 asked Jubilee MCAs to support Obado’s ouster motion.

However, a section of Jubilee MCAs have refused to buy the idea. A section of them skipped a meeting organised in Kuria to rally them behind the ouster bid.

Yesterday, the Assembly’s minority whip Joseph Oyoo of Jubilee party dismissed attempts by the party to compel them to join ODM to oust Obado.

The Makario Ward MCA dismissed the party’s coordinator Mwita Nyangi who convened a meeting with other party officials from the county and said they would not support Obado ouster.

Several other MCAs claimed anonymously that the push to oust Obado was ill-informed and would not succeed.

There are fears that violence may erupt in the county should the leaders fronting for Obado’s ouster proceed with the move and table an impeachment motion against him.

Some MCAs claimed that the fear of violence erupting as a result of the planned exercise exceeds the wrath of the party should they fail to go against the party’s wishes.

One of the ODM MCAs said he had moved to Kisii to escape intense pressure at the county.

Muhuru MCA Hevron Mahira, who reported threats on his life on Wednesday said that he has moved to a safe place within the county.

He alleged that a few hours after reporting about threat on his life, he received more threats from a strange number for supporting the position of his party over Obado’s fate.

Do you think impeaching Obado will be a walk in the park?

September 5, 2020 0 comment

Politics

Massive Arrests Expected in Migori as ODM Unleashes New Strategy to Ensure Obado is Impeached

by Mustafa Juma September 3, 2020

written by Mustafa Juma

Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has come up with a new strategy to fight embattled Migori County governor Okoth Obado.

ODM in a statement signed by its chairman John Mbadi on Thursday afternoon revealed that it was going to furnish the government with the names of Obado’s allies who have been engaging in dirty deals at the County government.

The Orange party said it was going to forward the names of Migori County CECs, directors of various departments, contractors, Chief officers, MCAs, officials and suppliers who are currently involved in raising money and diverting public funds to bribe MCAs and finance violence in Migori.

ODM said that as soon as they forward the names, they will ensure that police arrest the said individuals so that law and order is maintained.

Party Statement on the impending impeachment of Migori Governor HE. Hon. Okoth Obado… dated Thursday 3rd September 2020. pic.twitter.com/WSCGbIaK2R
— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) September 3, 2020

Obado, a long-time friend of Deputy President William Ruto, has openly dared ODM leader Raila Odinga to bring on his impeachment motion, saying the party has no numbers to kick him out.

According to Obado, ODM placed MCAs in a closed meeting and intimidated them.

Obado is a long-time friend of DP Ruto dating from the time of the governor’s tenure at the defunct Kenya Sugar Board when Ruto was the Minister for Agriculture.

He has hosted the DP several times against ODM’s wishes, including shortly after he was released from prison on bail over the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Sharon Otieno. The case is ongoing.

Then, he alluded to ODM’s hand in his woes and asked his constituents to allow him to work with Ruto.

For the impeachment to sail through, the motion will need approval of at least 43 members in the house which has 57 MCAs.

ODM has 41 MCAs, seven are independent, Jubilee Party has three, Ford Kenya two while PPOK has one.

Out of the 37 ODM elected MCAs who attended the meeting, 14 refused to sign up for the impeachment bid and only 23 appended their signatures despite persuasion from the party’s top leadership.

Mbadi who chaired the meeting confirmed that 23 signed up but stated that only five refused.

Mbadi, speaking on Wednesday morning – said out of 41 ODM MCAs in Migori, four skipped the function with apology for being sick and 23 “willingly without any intimidation signed and agreed to the impeachment.”

September 3, 2020 0 comment

Crime & Investigations

Obado Freed on Cash Bail, Barred From Accessing Office

by Mustafa Juma August 31, 2020

written by Mustafa Juma

Migori County Governor Okoth Obado has been released on a Ksh8.7 million cash bail or Ksh20 million bond in Ksh73.4 million graft case.

Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi on Monday August 31, 2020 ordered that Obado be barred from accessing Migori County office until the case is concluded.

He directed that the governor be escorted to pick his belongings.

Chief Magistrate Lawrence: Gov. Obado to be escorted to pick personal stuff from Migori County office & barred from accessing office. All accused must surrender their passports. Accused persons will be blocked exist of the accused from the country unless authorized by this court pic.twitter.com/xRq0o7dgOR
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) August 31, 2020

Obado was arrested alongside his four children on August 26 after surrendering to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices in Kisii for questioning over the alleged embezzlement of public funds.

The accused denied all the counts of graft at the Migori county government on Friday when they were arraigned.

In today’s bail ruling, Obado and his children were ordered to deposit their passports in court.

While approving the arrest and prosecution of the suspects last week, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said the county chief irregularly received the money through his children from companies trading with the county.

This, according to Haji, happened between 2013/14 and 2016/17 financial years.

Investigations also showed that the companies belonged to persons closely related to Obado.

The companies are; Misoft Company Limited, Tarchdog Printers, Deltrack ICT services, Seletrack Consultants, Mactebac Contractors, Joyush Business, Swyfcon Engineering, Atinus Services, Kajulu business, Victorious Investment, Dolphins Softwares, Dankey Press and Pesulus Services.

The business proprietors are his three brothers: Jared Peter Kwaga, Patroba Ochanda and Joram Opala. The others were his mother, Penina Auma Otago and his sisters-in-law Christine Akinyi and Carolyne Onyango.

An audit trail showed that Ksh38.9 million was wired to his three children; Dan Okoth, Jerry Okoth, and Susan Okoth.

This money was used to pay for their school fees and daily upkeep. Some was also used to purchase two Toyota Land Cruiser V8.

August 31, 2020 0 comment

Crime & Investigations

Reprieve to Governor Obado as Court dismisses case

by Mustafa Juma July 19, 2019

written by Mustafa Juma

Migori County Governor Okoth Obado has been facing misfortunes since last year with various cases haunting him. His troubles began when his girlfriend Sharon Otieno, a Rongo University student was murdered, making Obado the main suspect in the murder case.

Before the case could end, detectives from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) were at his home in a graft case when they came across 8 guns in the home of the county chief, bring another case before him.

He has however been handed a reprieve after a Nairobi Court dismissed the firearms case before him.

The ruling comes after the investigations revealed that the county boss followed the right procedures in acquiring the firearms and he deserves security as he serves the people of his region.

In a presentation in court, the investigating officer confirmed to the court that the firearms confiscated from the governor was obtained through a legal means.

He also asked the court to take lawful action after the Governor’s arms were taken away. Magistrate Joyce Ngadani has since directed the government to ensure that the governor gets back his arms with immediate effect to allow him to perform his duties without any form of fear.

The prosecution was also warned against acquiring any information in the name of trying to incriminate the Governor following the decision of the court.

July 19, 2019 0 comment

Load More Posts