By Joshua Cheloti

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has dismissed legal threats that former IEC chairman Wafula Chebukati issued to opposition leader Raila Odinga.

The Nairobi Senator argues that there will be nothing that will come out of the threats.

In a tweet, Sifuna also defended lawyer Steve Ogolla for taking up the role of Chebukati’s lawyer in the matter.

He said Ogolla is only helping the former IEBC boss utilize his hefty retirement package.

“All Steve Ogolla is doing is what lawyers do best. Helping Chebukati spend that hefty retirement package he received from the taxpayer. Save for legal fees, nothing else will come from that legal adventure,” tweeted Edwin Sifuna on February 1, 2023.

“Lawyers charge fees based on the value of the subject matter. In Steve Ogolla’s case, the subject matter is Raila Odinga. You will struggle to find a more valuable subject matter. Let Steve make that paper,” he added.

Chebukati on January 31, 2023, issued a demand letter to the ODM leader, seeking a copy of a video that confirms that he indeed visited the Azimio presidential candidate.

This is after Raila claimed that he had footage of Chebukati and two IEBC commissioners visiting him before the August 9 poll.

“Chebukati says that there are some people who wanted to bribe him together with his friends Guliye and Molu. I want to ask you… What did you come to do in my house? What did you ask from me? And I have footage for that you play with me I will release it,” the ODM leader said during a rally at Jacaranda grounds.

But responding to the claim, the immediate IEBC boss, through his lawyer Steve Ogolla, demanded that Raila provides the said footage within 7 days.

Failure to provide the video, Chebukati has threatened to take legal action against the former Prime Minister.

“In the circumstances of your allegations, and in the context of our Client’s strong rebuttal thereto, our instructions are to demand from you, as of right, which we hereby do, to be furnished with the alleged video footage within seven days from the date hereof,” Ogolla stated in the letter.

“Kindly take notice that if we do not receive the video footage demanded hereinabove within the Demand Period, we shall be constrained to institute appropriate adverse but lawful proceedings against you,’ he added.

The lawyer has for long been perceived to be allied to the opposition and his latest decision to be Chebukati’s lawyer has been received with mixed reactions.