How Kenyan politicians wriggle out of sticky situations – Nairobi News

What do you do when you have been caught red-handed complete with video evidence? Well, for Kenyan politicians, it is deny, deny, deny!

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja on Saturday morning seemed to apply the same principle when after being released from spending a night in police custody, tweeted that he was never arrested, a video of him in a cell and a police report notwithstanding.

But he is not the only politician who has played the deny card when they found themselves in sticky situations.

Nairobi News rounded up a few politicians who have made headlines because of this.

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja

According to a police report, Mr Sakaja was arrested after causing a scene at the ladies Lounge where he was found drinking alcohol past 1am with 10 others.

The report says that the first team of officers had told the senator to leave the social joint but he defied, leading to his arrest.

He was later released on Saturday morning and a few hours later tweeted, “Never been arrested. Won’t be. Show me an OB Number.”

Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero

Dr Kidero, made headlines in 2013 after he slapped former Nairobi Woman Representative Rachel Shebesh during an argument.

Shebesh confronted Kidero over the county employees’ strike, due to unpaid salaries.

As the argument ensued, Kidero slapped Shebesh and retreated back to his office at city hall. He later called a press conference and said he does not remember slapping anyone.

Former Makadara MP Rueben Ndolo

Mr Ndolo gave his then constituents odd advice on the then wars between them and Kenya Power, telling them that “Ukiona wao, weka tyre,” referring to the firm’s employees.

He was criticised for inciting his constituents to lynch the employees.

He, however, changed his statement saying that he meant, “Ukiona hao, weka tyre gari ipite.”

Meru Senator Mithika Linturi

Mr Linturi is in a rather ‘complicated’ situation. It is not yet clear who is innocent and who is guilty, maybe that is why both parties are spending thousands on lawyers, to prove what they already know.

The Senator is looking to divorce his estranged ex-wife Maryanne Kitany. And like all separations, it was a messy affair.

Mr Linturi through his lawyers taxed Ms Kitany to prove if they were indeed married. Ms Kitany came back prepared with evidence proving that indeed they once lived together.

But in an unexpected twist, the Senator denied ever living with Ms Kitany as his wife and claimed that she was just a guest at his house.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino

In November 2018, Owino and his Starehe counterpart Jaguar were on Wednesday forced to apologise in parliament for the scuffle they had in 2017.

During the apology making session, Babu Owino caused laughter when he claimed that he did not slap Jaguar but it is his (Jaguar’s) cheeks that brushed his hands.

“I did not slap Jaguar, his cheek moved toward my hand,” Owino said on the floor of the House. This forced the acting Speaker Moses Cheboi to demand that Mr Owino apologises afresh claiming that his first apology was only a joke.