National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga's sister Ruth Odinga has revealed that she was forced to go into hiding for days after Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko ordered their “immediate prosecution.”
Odinga, together with Kisumu Senator Fred Outa, stated that they had to vanish because Nyanza Regional Coordinator Wilson Njega had issued a “political directive” against them.
The two had been accused of organising a mob to attack electoral commission officials in Kisumu last week.
[caption caption="Kisumu Senator Fred Outa (left) and Former Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga at the Kisumu law court "]
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They appeared before a Kisumu court on Monday where Chief Magistrate Julius Ng’arng’ar released them on Sh500,000 personal bond each.
Ms Odinga and Mr Outa faced five charges including; entering an electoral centre without authority, obstructing an election officer from executing lawful duties and malicious damage of property.
Appearing before Magistrate Ng’arng’ar, the two were accused of stealing 94 plastic chairs and 11 tent stands valued at Sh92,000.
Jointly with others not before the court, they were also charged with entering an area designated for electoral purposes without authority.
Outa was independently charged with incitement to violence.
Mr Ng’arng’ar ordered Ms Odinga and Mr Outa to appear before the police on Tuesday as the officers investigate their case.
Moments after they secured their freedom, Mr Outa reiterated that the order for their arrest was not grounded in law.
“We decided to present ourselves before the court this time because we thought the right process had been followed to demand for our arrest,” he remarked.
He added that they were watching how things were unfolding and even passed outside the court a number of times.
“We were just here in Kisumu and were watching from a distance how things were unfolding. We even passed outside the court several times,” added Outa.
[caption caption="DPP Keriako Tobiko"]
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