They were approached over the weekend and facilitated to reach Nairobi ahead of their mission – Some chanted there would be no peace in Migori County if the governor was not freed It has emerged that supporters of embattled Migori Governor Okoth Obado who staged protests outside Milimani Law Courts were paid. One of the protesters who spoke anonymously claimed around 500 people were issued with incentives to hold the demo.
The entourage, according to sources, was galvanised over the weekend and over 500 had been contracted for the undertaking. “It’s so bad that we were supposed to be over 500 protesters yet we’re less than 100,” the disgruntled supporter alleged.
The low turnout, the supporter said, had dealt a blow to the strong message they wanted to send concerning what they described as maltreatment of their governor.
“Should we have turned out all, our governor could not have been sent to Industrial Area prison,” said the protester who claimed they (protesters) had capacity to influence the judge’s decision. However, the source declined to reveal how much each was paid and who the source of the finances was.
While outside the court premises, protesters were making phone calls in vernacular language inquiring on whereabouts of their counterparts who never turned up. Mixed reactions were evident at the court as Obado’s supporters pushed for his release while slain Sharon Otieno’s family and friends urged for justice to take course. The governor who appeared in court earlier on Monday, September 24, is set to spend the fourth night in cells as the fate to bail him out would be know on Tuesday, September 25.