Lawyer Miguna Miguna has come to the defense of businessman Oketch Salah, describing the recent public criticism aimed at him as unwarranted, malicious, and divorced from the context of his long-standing association with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Miguna, who says he has never personally met Salah, dismissed claims questioning the businessman’s closeness to Raila as “hypocritical, unreasonable, and malicious.”
He argued that Salah’s proximity to the opposition leader should not be interpreted as opportunism or misconduct, but rather as a reflection of Raila’s deliberate choices regarding the individuals he allowed into his inner circle.
“Raila Amolo Odinga was a powerful, well-connected, wealthy, and influential politician who had heavily armed and well-trained bodyguards and aides at all times,”
Miguna said. “Unless Raila chose to be in the company of someone, there is no way that such a person could have forced himself on him.”
According to Miguna, Salah had, over several years, been a familiar face around the Odinga family. “Out of 50 million Kenyans, Raila freely chose Oketch Salah to be his aide, confidant, and friend,” he said.
“We have seen images and videos of Oketch Salah dancing, gallivanting, and celebrating with Raila Odinga, Ida Odinga, and other members of the Odinga family.”
The lawyer noted that Salah accompanied Raila on multiple trips abroad, including during the former Prime Minister’s medical visits in the final months of his life.
Miguna highlighted that other close associates, including Onyango Ketta, also traveled with Raila for treatment, indicating that Salah’s inclusion in these trips was consistent with his longstanding association with the family.
Miguna’s comments come amid heightened attention on Salah after sections of the public questioned his proximity to Raila.
The scrutiny intensified following remarks by Eala MP Winnie Odinga, who recently addressed Salah’s claims that he was present during her father’s final moments.
Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Winnie Odinga refuted Salah’s statements, describing them as misleading and potentially harmful to the family as they grieve.
“A flat-out lie that you were there at the time of my father’s death, and you were not, talking about things that did not occur, is quite dangerous and makes me question his intentions,” she said.
Winnie maintained that Salah was neither a confidant nor part of Raila’s inner circle, though she acknowledged having met him before.
She stressed that unverified claims about her father’s last moments should be treated seriously and subjected to evaluation by relevant authorities. “Such fabrications should be investigated because they cause unnecessary distress,” she added.
Miguna responded to these criticisms by emphasizing that Salah has been openly accepted by Raila for years and that attacks against him are therefore unjustified.
“These and other questions expose the hypocrisy and double standards by many Kenyans who have attacked Oketch Salah for no justified reasons,” he said.
He further argued that the late leader intentionally surrounded himself with individuals he trusted, highlighting that Salah’s presence around Raila was a reflection of the former Prime Minister’s discretion, not a measure of the businessman’s ambitions or intentions.
“If anyone deserves to be attacked for befriending Oketch Salah, it’s Raila Amolo Odinga,” Miguna remarked. “He made deliberate choices about the people in his political and personal space.”
The debate around Salah underscores broader tensions in Kenya’s political discourse, where public perception and social media narratives often shape reputations in ways disconnected from verified facts.
Observers note that the case highlights the complexities of assessing personal relationships in politics, particularly for high-profile leaders like Raila Odinga, whose inner circle has always been closely monitored by both the public and political commentators.
Salah, a businessman who has consistently portrayed himself as close to Raila, has posted images and videos on social media showing his interaction with the Odinga family.
However, public scrutiny has intensified, in part due to his claims of being present during Raila’s final hours, which remain disputed.
While Miguna maintains that Salah’s longstanding association with Raila should shield him from criticism, the controversy illustrates the sensitivities surrounding narratives about influential political figures and their associates.
It also raises questions about the balance between public curiosity, media reporting, and the privacy of grieving families.
Ultimately, Miguna insists that the attacks on Salah reflect broader societal tendencies to question personal affiliations without proper context, arguing that the late former Prime Minister’s decisions regarding his inner circle were deliberate and should be respected.
He concluded that Salah’s relationship with Raila was a matter of personal trust and long-term association rather than a subject for public censure.
