NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 14 – Information Communications and Technology and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary nominee William Kabogo says he was exonerated from drug trafficking allegations following investigations into a dossier issued by the American Embassy in 2010 to the then Anti-Corruption Commission.
The drug trafficking claims resurfaced during Kabogo’s vetting before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments. National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed raised concerns regarding the matter, prompting Kabogo to address the allegations.
Kabogo criticized the dossier, asserting that it lacked substantive evidence to implicate him and others named in the report, including Mining CS Hassan Joho, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, and former Kilome MP Haron Mwau.
“I have never, ever dealt with drugs of any kind in my life, and this is a very disturbing subject. I invite Kenyans to review the dossier that Mr. Saitoti brought to the House. If it were given to Inspector Mwangi, it would not even pass as a credible script,” he remarked.
The former Kiambu Governor emphasized that investigations conducted by security agencies, whose findings were tabled in Parliament, cleared him of any involvement in drug trafficking.
“The government and its agencies, including the police, carried out a thorough investigation and presented a report a month later. That report, which is part of this House’s records, found that I was not culpable. I have never been involved in drug trafficking,” Kabogo affirmed.
Kabogo lamented the damage caused by the dossier and subsequent media reports, which he said had tarnished his reputation and character.He noted that he had successfully sought court orders to halt defamatory publications.
He also revealed that some Kenyans had compared him to Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria, the infamous Colombian drug lord and leader of the Medellín Cartel.
“So many authors of these allegations probably didn’t achieve what they intended, but they succeeded in tarnishing people’s names. That is the situation today. People refer to me as Pablo, among other names,” Kabogo lamented.
Source: capitalfm
