Kenya charges opposition figure present at Odinga ‘swearing in’ with treason

A Kenyan opposition politician was charged on Tuesday with
treason and unlawful assembly for his involvement in the symbolic
presidential “swearing in” of opposition leader Raila Odinga.

The charge sheet presented by police to the court in Kajiado
south of Nairobi said Miguna Miguna was being charged with “being
present and consenting to the administration of an oath to commit a
capital offence, namely treason”.

Miguna was also charged with “taking part in an unlawful
assembly” and “engaging in organised criminal activity”.

Miguna was arrested on Friday in a dawn raid on his home.

He was granted bail of 50,000 Kenyan shillings (500 dollars) but
has remained in police custody with his whereabouts unknown –
something Kenya’s lawyers’ association said breached his
rights.

A journalist at the court in Kajiado said Miguna had appeared at
Tuesday’s hearing.

“Once again the state is wilfully violating Miguna’s rights by
moving him without any notice to his lawyers or his family and, in
order to frustrate their access to him, to a court stationed
outside Nairobi,” Isaac Okero, president of the Law Society of
Kenya, told reporters.

An Odinga ally, Miguna declared himself a leader of the
opposition’s National Resistance Movement, which the government on
Wednesday declared a criminal group.

The government took three private television channels off the
air on Tuesday as they began to cover of the opposition
ceremony.

They remained off the air on Friday at 0730 GMT in spite of a
court order on Thursday that overturned the government-ordered
shutdown.

Odinga says the 2017 elections, won by President Uhuru Kenyatta,
were rigged. (Reuters/NAN)

A Kenyan opposition politician was charged on Tuesday with
treason and unlawful assembly for his involvement in the symbolic
presidential “swearing in” of opposition leader Raila
Odinga.

The charge sheet presented by police to the court in Kajiado
south of Nairobi said Miguna Miguna was being charged with “being
present and consenting to the administration of an oath to commit a
capital offence, namely treason”.

Miguna was also charged with “taking part in an unlawful
assembly” and “engaging in organised criminal activity”.

Miguna was arrested on Friday in a dawn raid on his home.

He was granted bail of 50,000 Kenyan shillings (500 dollars) but
has remained in police custody with his whereabouts unknown –
something Kenya’s lawyers’ association said breached his
rights.

A journalist at the court in Kajiado said Miguna had appeared at
Tuesday’s hearing.

“Once again the state is wilfully violating Miguna’s rights by
moving him without any notice to his lawyers or his family and, in
order to frustrate their access to him, to a court stationed
outside Nairobi,” Isaac Okero, president of the Law Society of
Kenya, told reporters.

An Odinga ally, Miguna declared himself a leader of the
opposition’s National Resistance Movement, which the government on
Wednesday declared a criminal group.

The government took three private television channels off the
air on Tuesday as they began to cover of the opposition
ceremony.

They remained off the air on Friday at 0730 GMT in spite of a
court order on Thursday that overturned the government-ordered
shutdown.

Odinga says the 2017 elections, won by President Uhuru Kenyatta,
were rigged. (Reuters/NAN)