Maurice Ogetta, the longtime aide and bodyguard of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has revealed how he lost Sh14.7 million during his abduction in July 2023.
Ogetta’s relationship with Raila reportedly began in 1997, when he was working as a gym instructor and manager at Nairobi Safari Club.
Speaking in an interview with NTV Kenya on October 11, Ogetta explained that the money was inside his car when he was seized during the anti-government demonstrations organized by the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
He further clarified that the money comprised funds belonging to Raila and money linked to a separate investment.
In addition to Ogetta being abducted, his car was dismantled during the incident.
Ogetta emphasized that the abduction set him back financially by about 10 years, given the time he had spent accumulating his savings.
“I lost 14.7 million. It was in the car, and they took it. Part of it was my boss’s, and part of it was a different investment. But it all went. And he, I think because of the trust and all that, understood that things like that happen. But you see now, he’s on a different level. It pushed me back to, I don’t know, like 10 years,” Ogetta explained.
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How Ogetta Was Abducted
Ogetta’s ordeal began on July 19, 2023, during a series of demonstrations against the government of President William Ruto.
Shortly after his release, Ogetta said he was off duty when Raila called him with an emergency request.
He decided to drive to attend to his employer and briefly stopped at a car wash.
While there, he noticed two vehicles whose occupants appeared to be communicating and initially suspected they were part of a security operation linked to the demonstrations.
However, he said the occupants later approached him and announced that he was under arrest.
Ogetta identified himself as a security officer, but the men disarmed and handcuffed him before forcing him into the boot of a vehicle. He was later transferred between vehicles before being taken to a room where he was held without food or contact with other people.
According to Raila’s aide, individuals who identified themselves as Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives later questioned him about Raila’s movements and plans during the protests.
Ogetta’s disappearance raised concern among opposition leaders and his family, with ODM communications director Philip Etale publicly reporting that the aide was missing. At the same time, his brother, Christopher Onyango Ogeta, also sought legal intervention.
The High Court issued a habeas corpus order on July 21, 2023, requiring authorities to produce Ogetta before a court to account for his detention.
Following the court order, Ogetta was released in the early hours of July 22 and abandoned in Ruai, Nairobi County, according to Etale.
Also Read: Ruto Rallies Kenya Behind Raila’s Statesmanship and Legacy in Full Bondo Address
Raila’s Reaction to the Missing Money
Recalling the abductions, Ogetta said he informed Raila about the money after his release, after Raila asked whether he had been carrying the parcel he intended to return to him.
According to Ogetta, Raila understood why the abductors targeted the money during the incident and later cancelled a planned trip to London.
Ogetta recalled that Raila cancelled a planned trip to London scheduled for around July 20 or 21, 2023, following the abduction.
“Because I remember I was abducted on the 19th, and I think on the 20th or the 21st, we were going to London with him. He canceled the flight. And as it is, I think my abduction, that is how the demonstrations ended,” Maurice Ogetta explained.
The disappearance of the money was followed by allegations that Ogetta had staged his abduction to steal the cash.
However, Ogetta has rejected the claims, saying some of the people who accused him had themselves gone into hiding to avoid being abducted during the demonstrations.
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