Canada-based lawyer, Miguna Miguna, has unleashed a detailed dossier in his new book TREASON: The Case Against Tyrants and Renegades.
In the 450-pages book set for publication on December 20, 2018, Miguna gives vivid details of behind-the-scenes discussions that preceded the swearing-in ceremony of Raila Odinga on January 30, 2018.
The brief excerpts shared by the publisher provided an intriguing snippet on what transpired within NASA Coalition behind closed doors.
For instance, the controversial lawyer recounts that during the central committee discussions at the Ducit Hotel in Westlands, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho had strongly recommended that Raila's swearing-in be in Kilifi.
"He said that the Mijikenda were warriors, just like the Turkana, Pokot or Samburu, and that if the police or any other state security agents tried to disrupt the event in Kilifi, 'the Mijikenda would unleash hellfire on them'," Miguna writes.
On Sunday, December 9, 2017, Miguna was called to former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama's house where he allegedly spent the next five hours drafting Raila’s inaugural speech and finalised the oath, which were reviewed, corrected and approved by Muthama and Orengo.
About 3 pm, the three were driven out in Muthama’s old Mercedes Benz vehicles to businessman Jimmy Wanjigi’s Muthaiga mansion where they watched soccer, ate lunch and reminisced.
"After about fifteen minutes, Winnie arrived. She did not look happy. I soon realized that we were supposed to swear Raila in at Wanjigi’s house that afternoon.
"Raila Jr. and his NASA TV crew had arrived earlier and set up their equipment in a separate wing of Wanjigi’s palatial home.
"At 3:30 pm, Raila walked in, dressed in jeans, a casual shirt and sports jacket. He was on the phone," Miguna narrates.
He indicates that Raila served himself food from the buffet, poured himself a cup of tea and started eating as he watched Arsenal play soccer on TV.
"We all knew that when the Arsenal team was playing, Raila could not focus or hold any reasonable discussion outside cheering or criticizing the players. So, we waited for the game to end before engaging in any serious discussions.
Orengo then briefed Raila on the draft speech and oath and when Miguna handed him copies of both, which he glanced over quickly and made one minor correction.
Raila was reportedly still distracted and did not read the speech and ended up calling off the swearing-in ceremony infuriating those present.
When the ODM leader pointed at three suit bags inside his Toyota V8 vehicle as evidence that he came ready to be sworn in on December 9, his daughter Winnie differed.
"He is lying," she blurted, walking towards me. "He would never wear those suits for the swearing-in ceremony, or to any important function. That was a ruse. Dad never wanted to be sworn in…", Miguna quotes Winnie Odinga.
Miguna indicated that the swearing was to be conducted at a public space such as Uhuru Park in Nairobi or alternatively at a Kenyan Embassy in Ghana or Tanzania.
The second option was to hold it either in Kakamega, or Kilifi, or Mombasa but when Orengo approached President John Magufuli and the latter opposed the plans, Tanzania was eliminated as a potential venue.
"Magufuli believed that leadership was 'a gift from God' and that if God had not given Raila that gift, there was no reason to pursue our plans and that Raila should forget about being sworn in as The People’s President," he adds.
The lawyer recalls how, during the People’s Assembly rally in Homa Bay on January 27, Raila declared that on January 30 he would head to Uhuru Park and "take the Bible" urging NASA supporters to turn out in large numbers.
In a moving and powerful speech that saw sections of the crowd broke down and cry -literally, the ODM leader stated, "I will sacrifice myself on January 30 if that is what is needed for us to be liberated!"
During another meeting at Musalia Mudavadi’s Riverside secretariat between Raila, Orengo, Muthama, Wanjigi and Miguna, the lawyer was tasked by the ODM leader with convincing the ANC leader who had developed cold feet to support the course.
"We must separate those who represent the status quo and those who would like to transform it; between conservatives and progressive radicals…
"You see Miguna, I’m a conservative. I’m not a radical. I represent and value the status quo," Mudavadi had said, cutting Miguna off.
As Miguna tried to appeal to Mudavadi's instincts, he looked at the lawyer, Raila, Orengo and Wanjigi, before picking up a folder from his desk.
"'I’ve another meeting,' he said and left us in his office, never to return," Miguna details in the book which he terms as the facts and the truth prevailing over falsehoods and deception.
