Lawyer Miguna Miguna has revived a controversial episode from Kenya’s 2007 presidential election, accusing Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka of betraying ODM leader Raila Odinga at a critical moment during the disputed polls.
In a statement reflecting on events that unfolded on December 29, 2007, Miguna claimed Onyonka attended a strategic meeting involving senior members of the ODM campaign at The Pentagon in Lavington, Nairobi.
According to Miguna, the meeting took place as political tensions intensified over the presidential election results, with Raila maintaining what he described as a significant lead over incumbent President Mwai Kibaki.
Miguna said Onyonka attended the meeting in his capacity as a newly elected ODM Member of Parliament. He alleged that shortly after the meeting ended, the politician left the venue in a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Miguna further claimed that about 30 minutes later, he and other ODM supporters encountered Onyonka's vehicle near State House as they travelled towards the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
The lawyer alleged that the group was heading to KICC as pressure mounted on the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) and its then chairman Samuel Kivuitu to announce the presidential results.
“We saw Onyonka’s Toyota Land Cruiser exiting the State House,” Miguna said, alleging that Onyonka smiled at them as he drove out of the State House compound.
Miguna described the incident as a betrayal of the ODM team, saying it shaped his subsequent view of the politician.
“Nineteen years later, I do not and cannot trust Richard Onyonka,” he stated, adding that he had similarly never trusted former Cabinet minister Kivutha Kibwana.
Miguna's remarks revisit one of the most contentious periods in Kenya's political history. The 2007 presidential election, pitting Kibaki against Raila, was followed by a prolonged dispute over the tallying and announcement of results.
The disputed outcome triggered a political crisis and violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
The crisis eventually ended through a power-sharing agreement that saw Raila become Prime Minister under Kibaki's presidency.
Miguna's account is a personal recollection and accusation, and does not by itself establish what Onyonka's purpose was at State House or whether he engaged in any activity against the ODM campaign.