BY JOE MODIE
Now that former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has decided to give Kenyans a sneak peek of the shenanigans that obtain in the corridors of justice it is only fair that we indulge him and take an analytical look.
When Justice Juma Chitembwe decide to go pound for pound with Sonko, on KTN, on corruption allegations levelled against him, that night Sonko dropped another bombshell.
In the latest instalment, Sonko’s captures a telephone conversation between himself and Amana Saidi Jirani, the man claiming to be Justice Chitembwe’s brother.
During the KTN interview Chitembwe said that Jirani (he calls him Mwajirani) is not his brother but that they both hail from the same village in Kwale.
In this conversation Sonko seeks to know what lawyer Cecil Miller wants from Chitembwe. Jirani tells Sonko that Miller had been seeking Chitembwe’s help to access some money that had been awarded to his law firm, to the tune of sh53 million or thereabouts.
The money, we learn, has been held by the courts for a number of years, as the other party in the case had raised an objection. Miller was seeking help to get the money released.
We also learn that it is Justice Aggrey Muchelule who is handling the matter, thus Miller needed Jirani to intercede and put in a good to Chitambwe, who would then ask Muchelule to see to it that he (Miller) gets the money.
To sweeten the deal, Miller promised give Muchelule sh 7 million out of the sh53 million. Chitembwe stands to get sh1 million. Apparently Muchelule took up the matter and fixed the hearing date for beginning of July.
Later, according to Jirani, Chitembwe calls relaying Muchelule’s concerns. “Baadaye Mzee (Chitembwe) akanipigia simu,” says Jirani. “Akanambia kwani huyu mtoto (Miller) hana adabu…” Apparently, Muchelule was asking for a down payment of sh2 million so that ‘the job’ could commence.
The next conversation is between Miller and Jirani, where Miller seeks to know how Jirani has progressed in contacting Chitembwe.
From the conversation Miller is expressing frustration about the date fixed by Muchelule, apparently he wanted it sooner.
We also get to know, from Jirani, that Chitembwe, too, seeks a number of favours from Miller, who apparently is well connected at State House.
Chitembwe, probably with an eye to the Sonko appeal – seeking to stop the swearing in of Ann Kananu as Nairobi governor – wants to know if it is true that Sonko had reconciled with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Miller told Jirani that Sonko’s goose was cooked as far as his relationship with the Head of State was concerned.
“Hawa watu (State House people) hawawezi rudisha huyo jamaa (Sonko). Huyo jamaa hivyo anaambia watu ni kuwadanganya tu,” says Miller, who explains that what Sonko had been saying out there, to the effect that he had gotten back to the good books of the president, was not true.
Miller is also captured saying that he had allegedly told Chitembwe ‘watupilie hiyo mbali’. Could Miller have ‘advised’ Chitembwe to throw away Sonko’s petition?
The judge reportedly wants Miller to hook him up with higher ups at State House, specifically the president so that he (Chitembwe) knows exactly what the president wants, probably in reference to Sonko’s appeal.
Miller, in the conversation, promises to look into the issue.
The next recording is a video, the venue being Chitembwe’s home.
Here, the matter of Miller’s sh53 million is brought to the table. Chitembwe says he took up the matter with Muchelule, who he says allegedly ordered for the monies to be paid, but since Miller had not sent the sh2 million, he had ordered a stay of the release of the money.
Chitembwe says that Muchelule wanted a cut of sh5 million but that Miller wanted to pay after the money had been released. “I told him that Muchelule does not work that way; had it been me, I would have understood him,” added Chitembwe.
The question that now begs an answer is why Sonko was poking his nose into Miller/Muchelule matter, yet it had nothing with his appeal case. There can only be one answer: Sonko was looking for dirt to fix both Miller and Muchelule with.
Coming up: How Chitembwe and Muchelule were arrested. Keep it right here…