Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has set the record straight on claims that his sons have illegal guns, which the government seeks to repossess.
Mr Kenyatta has, for the first time, narrated the ordeal his family has gone through in recent days amid allegations by a number of Kenya Kwanza leaders that the firearms were being misused.
According to Mr Kenyatta, his two sons have three guns each, which they were forced to apply for after their security was withdrawn immediately after President William Ruto ’s government took office last year. His daughter has none, he said.
“My son Jomo has never been interested in weapons. He was forced to apply for a gun after his security was withdrawn,” he told the Nation in an interview on Monday.
'Police raid home of ex-President Uhuru's son'
The former Head of State revealed that his pleas to the Ruto administration to extend the security of his children for one year to allow them to acclimatise to their new life was rejected.
“I know there is no provision in law to extend the security of my children despite my request. I, therefore, encouraged them to apply and they followed due process. They went to DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) and even their fingerprints were taken before being issued with the licences,” he explained.
“My son Jomo applied for three guns for his family’s protection, which are also vital in the operations at our farm, with the open safari camps, in Narok County,” he added.
“My younger son has an interest in guns and it’s because of his hobby of shooting at birds in Mwea Irrigation Scheme to scare them away. They are for animals and he applied after I was out of office.”
The former Jubilee Party leader argued that it was important to get the guns for protection because his children were at risk, and could not take chances.
“This weekend's drama at my son’s place is still a puzzle. He has never been interested in politics or business,” he said, adding that the late Jomo Kenyatta’s family is large, and he, therefore, could not be responsible for what his distant relatives do.
On Friday evening, Mr Kenyatta addressed the nation, criticising the move by the police to raid his son’s home in Karen, Nairobi, in an alleged search of the firearms.
In the address, the former president dared his successor to come for him and stop harassing his family.
He questioned the motive of the officers driving to his son’s place in a Subaru with South Sudanese number plates, and demanding access to the residence. He vowed to protect his family at all costs.
“With technology now, I received a distress call from my son. I watched as they delivered the verbal order, demanding access to recover the alleged gun. No identity, no paperwork, who would believe them? He could not open the gate to strangers. These guns are licensed and in an individual’s name,” he said.
“There is a procedure to recover the guns. They should state why they want it and the crime committed. The seniors (officers) even went after my security officer who had responded to my son’s distress call.”
“I would not sit and watch my family suffer. I was forced to respond. Even if today my children are in trouble, I will respond.”
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki confirmed the raid and issued a statement afterward, saying the detectives were conducting a search to recover 24 guns in three residences in Karen.
However, Mr Kenyatta on Monday absolved his family of blame, saying the move is a cover-up to avoid accountability on why his son’s home was targeted.
He, for instance, questioned why his mother, who is entitled to security from the government, would suffer because of the actions of the government.
“I have now been forced to hire the services of private security. My family is taking measures to ensure we are all safe,” he said.
