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Man who issued death threat to Tuju to remain in custody


An Eldoret businessman accused of threatening Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju will remain in custody until Friday, the court has ordered.

Mr Richard Aketch spent the weekend in custody.

The businessman’s lawyer Steve Kabita said the charges against his client were fictitious.

According to the prosecution, Mr Aketch sent a text to Mr Tuju on February 2 that read:

“Do not attempt to set foot in your motherland. You should carry an extra coffin.”

Meanwhile, Tuju was at the weekend forced to cut short his speech at a funeral in Rarieda, Siaya County, after he termed Raila Odinga’s swearing-in a mockery and inconsequential.

Cabinet Secretary nominee Raphael Tuju addresses mourners during the funeral service of Mama Rusalia Obong'o Ogego at Aram Village in Rarieda Constituency, Siaya County on February 3, 2017. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI
Cabinet Secretary nominee Raphael Tuju addresses mourners during the funeral service of Mama Rusalia Obong’o Ogego at Aram Village in Rarieda Constituency, Siaya County on February 3, 2017. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI

JEERED AND HECKLED

The mourners at the funeral of Rosalia Ogego, the mother of former ambassador to the United States Rateng’ Ogego, held in Aram village, turned hostile when Mr Tuju started attacking Mr Odinga for being “sworn-in” as the “people’s president”.

His sentiments rubbed the residents (who are mainly Mr Odinga’s supporters) the wrong way and they started jeering and heckling him.

The master of ceremony was forced to grab the microphone from Mr Tuju who was accompanied by a contingent of plainclothes and uniformed police officers.

He was later escorted from the home by police in more than 10 police Land-Cruisers to prevent youths who had lined up on the road from attacking him.

Mr Tuju served as Rarieda MP between 2002 and 2007, the period in which he also served as a Cabinet minister in the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition.