Raila Odinga to be sued over swearing-in

Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria on Monday said he will sue NASA leader Raila Odinga for illegally taking an oath of presidency.

Mr. Kuria vowed to move to court on Wednesday, February 21 saying Odinga ought to have been charged with treason for holding a mock oathing ceremony.

“I will move to court on Wednesday to seek a declaration that the oath Raila Odinga took on January 30 is treasonable,” said Kuria.

He was speaking during the burial of the sister of Nyeri Woman Representative Rahab Mukami in Othaya, Nyeri.

The controversial lawmaker further chided the Judiciary for its perceived silence on the NASA oathing ceremony, despite the event going against a court order that declared Uhuru Kenyatta as the duly-elected president.

“We are being told to respect the Judiciary, yet while the court declared that President Kenyatta won the election, Raila Odinga was sworn contrary to a court order. If Chief Justice David Maraga has been waiting for someone to question him on this issue, then I have offered myself to do it,” said Kuria.

After the swearing-in of Mr. Odinga, the government declared a crackdown against facilitators and organisers of the controversial oath.

Nearly a month since the event, only lawyer Miguna Miguna and Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang – the two men who commissioned the oath – have been arraigned in court over the controversial ceremony held at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.

The two were charged with “being present and consenting to the administration of an oath to commit a capital offense namely treason contrary to section 59(a) of the penal code.”

Prior to the swearing in event, outgoing Attorney General Githu Muigai had warned Odinga that he would be charged with high treason – a crime punishable by death – should he take the oath.