A witness in the murder of ODM supporter Jola Ngumbao has recounted how former MP Aisha Jumwa allegedly pounced on him with heavy blows after storming the party’s strategy meeting in Malindi.
Michael Otieno said he was at the residence of Reuben Katana on October 15, 2019 where the party was training its agents ahead of the Ganda ward by-election when Jumwa stormed the homestead.
“A vehicle suddenly appeared. I saw Geoffrey Atieno Okuto alight from the land cruiser. Ms Jumwa and other ladies then followed,” the witness told High Court Judge Anne Ongi’injo.
This was after the prosecution said it had reviewed the evidence and established that Ms Jumwa was not involved in the murder of Mr Ngumbao.
On Tuesday, the witness led the court through how the former MP invaded the homestead, resulting in the killing of Mr Ngumbao.
Mr Otieno stated that the former MP, who is now the Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary, proceeded directly to the tent where election agents and other party officials were meeting after alighting from her vehicle.
The court was informed that Magarini MP Michael Kingi and several ward representatives were among the leaders present in the tent. Police were also present at the homestead.
Mr Otieno stated that security officers were standing approximately 70 meters away from where the meeting was taking place.
According to the witness, Jumwa's security attempted to hold her, but she forced her way inside the meeting, causing a scuffle.
The witness further stated that when Ms Jumwa alighted from her vehicle, she spoke with security agents, who appeared to advise her not to proceed to where the meeting was taking place.
“She went ahead boxing anybody on sight, her security attempted to restrain her but she continued misbehaving and insisting that the meeting will not take place,” said the witness who was being questioned by state counsel Bernard Ngiri.
The witness claimed that everyone there, including Mr Kingi, implored the former MP not to storm the meeting, but she couldn't listen.
"We even asked her why she was interfering with our meeting yet her camp had conducted their meeting peacefully without interference from us," the witness claimed.
Mr Otieno claimed that as leaders pleaded with Ms Jumwa not to disrupt the meeting, the former MP pounced on Ms Maureen Arawa with punches. Ms Maureen was with Mr Otieno.
The court was told that Ms Jumwa knew both of them since they had worked together when she was still active in the ODM party.
“When I asked Ms Jumwa why she was assaulting Ms Arawa, the former MP pounced on me as well, claiming that we were in her constituency, not Mr Odinga's. She threw blows at my face and chest," he told the court.
While this was going on, the witness stated that an unnamed man in Ms Jumwa's company brandished a lumber and threatened to beat everyone saying they were not in Mr Odinga’s constituency.
Mr Otieno stated that a participant in the ODM meeting then threw a chair at Ms Jumwa's bodyguard. Other participants hurled dust at Ms Jumwa's team.
“The officers started firing into the air. Ms Jumwa hit my right eye and chest. I ran to take cover in a house next to the scene. A person next to me was hit by a bullet and died,” he said.
Mr Otieno said he later discovered that the individual next to him who was injured by the stray gunshot was Mr Ngumbao.
The witness further stated that as the fracas continued, Mr Okuto returned to the vehicle and armed himself with a pistol.
“Mr Okuto was holding a pistol in his right hand though I did not see him firing. The officers who were around fired in the air to disperse the crowd,” clarified the witness.
After the incident, the witness said he boarded a vehicle belonging to one of the ODM MPs who was at the meeting and went to Malindi town at the party’s secretariat.
“I later went to the hospital to seek treatment and also assisted the deceased family,” he said.
The witness said he still went to Ganda ward on October 17 to monitor the polls. He recorded his statement with the police the following day.
