Former Nominated Member of Parliament (MP) Oburu Odinga has been mentioned in a court case involving Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga.
Governor Rasanga has accused former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo of labelling him a "thief and a skunk" in a text message sent to Dr Odinga.
"I have the text message forwarded to me by Dr Oburu. Gumbo had sent him a text claiming I was a thief and a skunk. I have sued him before and will still sue until he learns his lesson," the Governor told High Court Judge Esther Maina.
Governor Rasanga was giving his testimony during the hearing of an election petition where Mr Gumbo has challenged Rasanga's win in the August 8 polls.
[caption caption="Former Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo (left) with former Kipkelion West MP Jackson Rop "]
[/caption]
Governor Rasanga further claimed that the text message had embarrassed him adding that Gumbo had refused to issue an apology.
"My lawyers had initially written to him for defamation. In the same abusive text he sent to Oburu, he also said I was a thief.
"I was the sitting Governor at the time these remarks were being made by Gumbo. My lawyers had instructed him to publicly withdraw these statements but he has since refused," Rasanga stated.
The Governor added that: "No amount of words can take away that humiliation."
In the petition, Mr Gumbo claimed the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) made sure he lost the gubernatorial seat by calling for a "six-piece" voting strategy.
Governor Rasanga responded to the claim arguing that it was null since Mr Gumbo had endorsed the same strategy in 2013.
"In fact in 2013, I did not campaign in Rarieda at all. Gumbo campaigned for me because it favoured him since we were in one camp.
"It is laughable that he told (this) court in his petition that we used the slogan to disadvantage him. In 2013, we both benefited from the slogan and he became MP while I scooped the top county seat," Rasanga argued.
[caption caption="Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga with NASA leader Raila Odinga"]
[/caption]
