Press Release
Nairobi, 27 August 2012
For avoidance of doubt, we wish to communicate to members of the public generally as follows, regarding Mr. Miguna Miguna and his self-inflicted tribulations, as he allegedly tries to popularize his book in different parts of the country.
Mr. Miguna is the man who has recently published unfriendly propaganda against the Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The propaganda is packaged in the guise of a book that claims to seek to make Kenya a just society. This package is however nothing but a bundle of offensive and defamatory invective against the Prime Minister. Mr. Miguna has himself stated publicly that the objective of this polemic is to derail the Hon. Prime Minister’s Presidential campaign.
We want to state categorically that the PM’s supporters have been strongly advised, via public communication from the ODM Secretariat, to respect Mr. Miguna’s rights and freedom, even if he abuses that freedom to defame the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister occupies very key public office. He recognizes that citizens are entitled to genuinely interrogate his performance. But he also recognizes that there are those who will abuse freedom of expression to insult him and to hurt his good character. Such is the price of freedom and high office. The Prime Minister does not have to answer to everyone who makes wild claims against him. If he were to do this, he would spend all his active time answering back to wild claims, for there is no shortage of this from his detractors. That is why he has kept off the Miguna allegations.
In the event that anyone considers that there is substance in the wild allegations against the PM, there exist lawful and decent avenues of seeking redress, in public interest. However, since there is no substance, nobody is exploring use of such avenues. The PM and this Secretariat have therefore been content to allow Mr. Miguna to enjoy his freedom of expression, unfettered. We trust that genuine supporters of the PM and ODM have heeded this advice and are keeping away from Miguna and his frolics.
There have been pleas from strange quarters on “the need for the PM to speak out” against the apparent harassment that Mr. Miguna is coming up against out there. Mr. Miguna, his sponsors and those who seem to be harassing him are playing to a choreographed and orchestrated script. As has been stated by the ODM Secretariat, this is a sinister, offensive and lowly ploy. It is a wicked stratagem that seeks to depict the Prime Minister as someone who does not respect other people’s rights and freedoms. It is clear that it is sponsors of this ploy who are shouting loudest about this matter. It is well within their capacity to end the orchestrated “harassment” against their man.
SIGNED
B.O. Muluka
For the Raila Odinga for President Secretariat
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