Raila kicks out key aide

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s advisor on coalition affairs, Mr Miguna Miguna, was dramatically suspended from duty Thursday, accused of “gross misconduct”.One of the more powerful figures around the Prime Minister, Mr Miguna has been instrumental in shaping Mr Odinga’s position on constitutional review and relations with coalition partners.Suspended without pay, he was ordered by the permanent secretary in the PM’s office, Mr Mohamed Isahakia, to leave office immediately and hand over government property to the administration secretary, Mr Caroli Omondi.Mr Miguna, an abrasive lawyer, is accused of misrepresenting the Office of the Prime Minister, possibly a reference to his having aired strong views which may have embarrassed the PM.Mr Miguna, a regular commentator in the Star, has recently written stinging criticisms of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) in his column, particularly its chairman, Mr Isaack Hassan, whom he accused of unfairly taking all the credit for the commission’s good work so far.His suspension comes at a time when the IIEC is in uproar, unsettled by anonymously authored complaints which the commissioners characterise as a hate campaign but which raise troubling questions on corruption and nepotism.One of the anonymous complaints distributed to the media was published in the Star on Tuesday, apparently authored by a Mr Gikonyo Boaz.