Pressure continues to mount from various ends demanding the release of a flamboyant Kenyan businessman and politician who has been languishing at the Arusha Central Prison for the past three years.
Don Bosco Gichana – the man who donated to Raila Odinga the much-hyped multimillion hummer – has been awaiting the determination of a case in which he is charged with money laundering, an offence that is not bailable under Tanzania laws.
The 39-year old’s case has attracted interest from top political leaders, with Mr Odinga recently expressing that talks to have the politician released were at an advanced stage.
Mr Gichana is accused alongside Tanzanian lawyer Median Boastice Mwale, of conspiring with others to launder money between November 2009 and August 2010 in Nairobi, Arusha and Dar es Salaam.
The Kenyan businessman is also accused that within the same period and places, he deposited to Arusha forged US Treasury cheques amounting to Sh494 Million, charges they both deny.
In April 2013, Don was charged in the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court but was not allowed to respond to the charges because the court supposedly lacked the jurisdiction to preside over the case.
Later in October 2013, the Kisutu court withdrew charges against him with Tanzanian Authorities expressing they had no intentions of proceeding with the case and asked the court to drop the charges. Don was however re-arrested immediately and since then, the case has never been heard.
According to Nation report, his case has witnessed endless adjournments over claims that investigations are incomplete, frequent amendments of charge sheets by adding new counts, new persons enjoined every year and non-appearance without notice by prosecuting State attorneys on scheduled dates.
Mr Gichana is said to have imported the famous Red Hummer and donated it to Odinga for his campaigns during the run-up to the 2007 General Election.
The hummer is believed to have given immense visibility to Raila’s campaign, raising his opinion ratings significantly.
“The Hummer donation was the turning point in that particular campaign. It was such a master stroke because it gave Raila a lot of visibility and for the first time, his opinion ratings soared above 20 per cent,” stated Mr Robert Wafula Buke, who was a key member of Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign team.
The flamboyant businessman also set up the ODM’s youth wing – Young Kenyans for Raila – which traversed the country campaigning for Odinga.
Gichana generously donated to churches and community projects in his home county of Kisii, and residents have since been calling for his release.
