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Kenya: Anxiety as Police Visit
Raila
The Nation (Nairobi)
28 January 2008
Samwel Kumba and Patrick Nzioka
Nairobi
There was anxiety at ODM leader Raila Odinga's Karen home after
people said to be police officers went there inquiring about his
whereabouts.
The alleged police officers are said to have gone to the home on
Saturday night and again on Sunday morning asking to see either Mr
Odinga or his wife Ida.
But the Odingas, who were present on both occasions, refused to
see the officers who talked to the guards and left.
Lang'ata OCPD Patrick Mang'oli denied sending his men to Mr
Odinga's home.
However, he said he had received a report that court servers had
gone to Mr Odinga's home to serve him with election petition
papers filed by his challenger for the Lang'ata seat, Mr Stanley
Livondo.
Police on routine duties in the area, he said, patrol the Karen
area including the court where Mr Odinga's home is.
"The claims that police officers went to Mr Odinga's home looking
for him are not true. The report I have is that people from the
courts went there to serve him with an election petition. It is
important also to know that we conduct patrols in the area all the
time," Mr Mang'oli said by telephone.
The guard at the main entrance to the court that is approximately
two kilometres from Mr Odinga's house said he had allowed police
officers Sunday morning to enter the court.
The guard, who did not give his name, said police regularly enter
the court as they patrol the area.
In the first incident, guards at the home said a Karen-based
police Land Cruiser arrived at Odinga's home shortly after 7
o'clock accompanied by two saloon cars with private registration
numbers and asked them if Mr Odinga was in.
The group came back a few minutes later inquiring whether Mr
Odinga, his wife or any family member had returned.
"They made the same inquiry hardly 20 minutes later. It was now
heading to 8 o'clock. We gave them the same answers," said the
guard.
Down-played issue
Speaking to the Nation that night at his home, Mr Odinga
down-played the issue, saying he suspects mischief from the
Government who could file a petition through the PNU opponent in
his Lang'ata constituency, Mr Livondo.
"I would not be surprised because I don't think this Government is
serious. I was surprised the other day (Thursday) when I was going
to meet Kofi Annan to find him (Livondo) in the VIP lift at
Harambee House. To me, that is a joke," said Mr Odinga.
"If they want to serve me, I am not afraid of that. The whole of
today I was in my office. The procedure is that you serve somebody
in his office. And if that person refuses, the law is clear the
summons can be published and the person would have been served.
But it cannot be brought to my house at night," he said.
Sunday morning when the Nation visited his home, Mr Odinga said he
had been told that some people had come to his house on Saturday
night to serve him with an election petition from Mr Livondo.
Another group, which he claimed included 10 police officers and
whose mission was not clear came to the house at 7.30 Sunday
morning. He repeated claims that the Government and Mr Livondo
might be involved in a conspiracy to trivialise the current crisis.
His wife Ida said those keen on serving Mr Odinga with an election
petition should do so in his office and not her private home,
saying they were instilling fear in the family. She had not
launched a formal complaint with the police, she said.
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