'I don't own a gun, I never shot anyone': Aisha Jumwa dismisses murder case during vetting

Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Aisha Jumwa has dismissed murder charges leveled against her, stating that she does not even own a firearm.

Appearing for vetting before the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments on Tuesday, Jumwa distanced herself from the 2019 murder of Ngumbao Jola during campaigns for the Ganda Ward by-election.

The former Malindi MP, while empathising with Ngumbao's family and terming the incident as unfortunate, said that she did not shoot the deceased and that no witness in court has testified against her.

“I want to empathise with the family, indeed there was a loss of life, it is unfortunate but again, I am clear in my mind that I never shot anyone because I don’t own a gun, I am not a gun holder and I don’t even know the names of guns in this country,” Jumwa told the MPs.

“There are three witnesses who have so far testified in court and none of the witnesses mentioned my name, and there was a ballistic report in public where my name was not in any way mentioned on the same.”

The outspoken politician affirmed to the committee that she was innocent in the case and that the courts will ultimately acquit her for lack of evidence.

She went ahead to intimate that the murder case, much as the one involving graft against her that was recently withdrawn by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), were politically motivated.

“I want to say I am innocent as the Constitution suggests, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty,” she said.

“It is in the public domain that these cases were politically motivated I still repeat it…am happy that the DPP dropped the case that is touching on misappropriation of the funds issue.”

Jumwa and her aide Geoffrey Okuto are accused of killing Jola in 2019 after chaos erupted during the Ganda Ward by-elections.