Vocal Mombasa politician picked by police over alleged assassination claims

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in Malindi on Tuesday, June 20 afternoon picked up vocal Kilifi County Woman Representative, Aisha Jumwa, for questioning over allegations that she threatened to kill her ex-supporter.

Jumwa was grilled for more than 30 minutes by the detectives after her former staunch supporter, Ezra Bidii, filed a report with the investigative authorities, claiming Jumwa was planning his assassination.

“Ezra claims that Jumwa vowed, at different campaign meetings, that she would ‘do away with him’ before embarking on ‘serious’ campaign. He fears for his life. He has since recorded a statement with us. We summoned Jumwa, who upon interrogation, admitted she knew Ezra. Jumwa said she fell out with Ezra, her former campaign workman, on the basis of his work ethic,” said Anthony Sunguuti, the Divisional Criminal Investigation Officer.

Speaking to Citizen Digital Tuesday, Jumwa, who was forced to call off her campaign at Kisumu Ndogo same day – following the summoning – has denied the allegations, urging the investigative agencies to conduct thorough probe into Ezra’s claims.

Jumwa says Ezra must produce compelling evidence that would implicate her (Jumwa) in the death threats for his claims to come across as valid.

“Being a charged political season, people shifting loyalty is not new. Furthermore, it is their legal right. To me, Ezra is a Malindi constituent, who has every right to throw his support behind a political formation that he approves of. I have urged the CID to thoroughly investigate Ezra’s claims because no one just wakes up one day and claim his life is danger without tabling credible evidence. So, Ezra should give the CID valid proof of his claims. He should tell the investigative authorities when the said assassination was slated to take place and how it was to be carried out,” said Jumwa.

Ezra alleges that Jumwa, an ODM candidate for Malindi parliamentary seat, threatened to kill her after he shifted loyalty to incumbent MP, Willy Mtengo, who will seek re-election as an independent candidate after being trounced by Jumwa in the ODM nomination; held in April this year.