The office of Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah faced an unexpected incident when unidentified individuals broke in on the night of Friday, July 21, as confirmed by the veteran activist himself.During a phone conversation, Senator Omtatah disclosed that the intruders thoroughly searched the office and made off with computers and other electronic equipment. Despite reporting the matter to the police, there has been no progress in the investigation, and law enforcement has yet to identify any suspects.
Expressing his distress, Omtatah shared that he reported the incident on Saturday, July 22, and it occurred at his Busia office located at Korinda. He has been vocal in criticizing the government’s policy positions, including challenging the legality of the Finance Act through a petition.Fortunately, the courts suspended the Finance Act, preventing potential tax hikes that would have impacted employees’ salaries and increased prices on certain commodities.
Although it remains uncertain whether the raid was connected to his stance on the Finance Act or other recent policy positions, the first-term senator suspected that the stolen computers and electronics contained important files and communications related to his legislative work and human rights activism.
The break-in occurred at a time when the Kenyan government was facing scrutiny for alleged actions against opposition figures and individuals opposing their decisions.Earlier, Omtatah had informed the public that he was offered a significant bribe of Ksh200 million to withdraw his petition against the Finance Act. However, he firmly refused the offer, emphasizing that his principles couldn’t be compromised.
While the senator did not publicly state any specific threats related to his position on the Finance Act case, he posted a quote on his social media pages, hinting at possible government-related threats and asserting his commitment to standing for what is right.
On Thursday, July 18, Chief Justice Martha Koome appointed a three-judge bench to handle the petition on the Finance Act, marking another development in the ongoing legal process.