M7's Kenyan Lawyer Robbed

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni's Kenyan lawyer in the presidential election petition, Dr John Khaminwa, lost all his petition documents when thugs raided his Karen residence within the city. Reuben Olita reports in Nairobi that Khaminwa, who returned from Kampala on Saturday after the hearing of the case filed by Col Kizza Besigye challenging Museveni election closed in Kampala, was not in the house at the time. He had flown to Mombasa to join his family for the Easter holiday. Khaminwa was the deputy lead counsel for the Museveni team lead by Dr. Joseph Byamugisha. He is due back in Uganda on Thursday for the judgement on Friday. His assistant, Oscar Igaida, told The New Vision that they did not suspect foul play but had left the matter to the relevant authorities to investigate and bring the culprits to book. The burglars broke through the window at 3:00am and made away with the petition documents, which had been delivered on Saturday morning by his fellow lawyer on the Museveni team, Eugene Wamalwa. "The burglars did not carry away any other thing apart from a few of Khaminwa's clothes and gas cylinders. They appeared to have been targeting the petition documents, which were still sealed," Igaida said. According to Igaida, two watchmen guarding the lawyer's posh residence narrated that they heard loud bangs and on rushing there to the side of the house discovered that the residence been broken into and the thugs had disappeared. Wamalwa, Igaida and the watchmen yesterday reported the robbery to Karen Police Station. Igaida urged the Police to thoroughly investigate the motive of the attack. "We cannot conclude that it was politically motivated but the truth will unravel itself," he said. Khaminwa was one of the 100 lawyers on Museveni's defence team. He is one of the best lawyers in post-independence Kenya, having handled many cases including that of Stephen Mwangi Mureithi who had been sacked by President Daniel arap Moi for refusing civil service reshuffle. Khaminwa got a two-year detention for challenging the president's powers to sack a civil servant. Khaminwa's combative style of handling legal matters has earned him admiration from many Kenyans. He has been practising since 1973. Ends