Miguna Miguna
| Miguna Miguna | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister on Coalition Affairs | |
| In office 6 March 2009 – 4 August 2011 |
|
| Prime Minister | Raila Odinga |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Magina, Kisumu District |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Political party | ODM (2007–2012) |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto (BA) Osgoode, York Uni. (JD), (LL.M) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Miguna Miguna (born in Kisumu District) is a Kenyan author and columnist. He is also a barrister and solicitor in Canada, and an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. Miguna served as a senior adviser to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga from 2009 to 2011.[1][2]
Contents
Early life and career
Miguna was born in Magina village. In 1987, whilst serving as a student leader at the University of Nairobi, he was detained by the Moi regime for his political activism. Upon his release, he fled to neighbouring Tanzania on foot and briefly stayed in Swaziland. He was granted political asylum in Canada where he continued to pursue his higher education. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in political science and philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1990 and thereafter read law at Osgoode Hall Law School. He was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1995 and the Kenyan Bar in 2008.[3][4]
He articled at Charles Roach's firm in Toronto before practising on his own until 2007 when he returned to his homeland.[4]
Political career
Upon his return, he contested in the primaries of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)'s nomination for Nyando Constituency but lost to Frederick Outa Otieno.[5] He was part of the ODM's campaign team during the 2007 general election. In March 2009, he was appointed as Prime Minister Raila Odinga's senior adviser on coalition affairs[4] and concurrently served alongside Kivutha Kibwana as the Joint-secretary to the Permanent Committee on the Management of the Grand Coalition. In August 2011, he was accused of gross misconduct and was thereby suspended without pay.[6] The suspension was lifted on 29 December but Miguna declined his reinstatement.[7][8]
On 14 July 2012, he launched his first memoir titled Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya.[9][10] People near Ahero protested against him by burning his effigy and a coffin; and thereafter sprinkling its ashes into River Nyando.[11] He was attacked whilst promoting his book at a hotel in Mombasa and had to be rescued by the police.[12][13]
In September 2012, he resigned from ODM as a life member and announced his candidacy for Governor of Nairobi County in the 2013 gubernatorial election as an independent candidate.[14] He later on cancelled his candidacy.[15] He launched his second memoir in February 2013 titled Kidneys for the King: Deforming the Status Quo in Kenya.[16] Miguna endorsed Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2013 presidential election.[17]
Controversies
In 2010, some members from the PNU side of the coalition accused him of holding both Canadian and Kenyan passports as the law didn't permit dual citizenship at the time. Miguna responded that he was a Kenyan citizen by birth and that he had never renounced his citizenship.[18]
Personal life
He is a member of the Luo community.
Works
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References
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