The plan to attack ODM leader Raila Odinga’s convoy of vehicles and chopper was hatched and financed by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, his Soy counterpart Caleb Kositany and speaker of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly David Kiplagat, police detectives have claimed.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) intensified its hunt for the goons responsible for the Friday’s attack on Mr Odinga, as the three politicians were summoned for questioning.
Up to 17 youths were arrested by yesterday were found in possession of bundles of new Sh50 notes, which were allegedly dished out to them as an incentive to attack the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party flagbearer, who had just condoled with the family of the late businessman Jackson Kibor.
Interrogations indicated that tens of youths were marshalled to attack Mr Odinga at a meeting organised on Thursday. Police tracked the movements and financial transactions of politicians suspected to have been involved in the planning and funding of the attack, before narrowing in on the two MPs and the speaker.
The DCI, in a statement, said preliminary investigations showed that the chaos which resulted in the shattering of the wind screen of a helicopter carrying the opposition leader was pre-planned.
“In view of the foregoing, the two legislators and County Assembly Speaker have been summoned to appear in person before the Rift Valley DCI regional coordinator on April 3 (today), at 9am, for further investigations into their involvement in the incident,” said the DCI.
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Before Friday’s violence, Mr Sudi had last appeared in public in Eldoret Town holding a roadside rally in the company of Uasin Gishu Woman rep Gladys Shollei, where he launched verbal attacks against President Kenyatta and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. Mr Kositany, on the other hand, attended a gubernatorial debate at Rupa mall within Eldoret town. The detectives are retracing the movements of the two legislators, plus Mr Kiplagat, who they spoke to between Thursday night and Friday morning when Mr Kibor’s funeral began in Soy.
Mr Odinga’s presidential secretariat said that the stoning of the opposition leader’s chopper, which made him switch helicopters, was an attempt on his life.
“We ask the State to leave no stone unturned in investigating the attack on Mr Odinga and his entourage in order to bring the weight and full force of the law on those responsible,” he said.
Deputy President William Ruto , on whose political stronghold the violence took place, in a press briefing vowed to deny UDA tickets any politician from his party who is found to have been involved in planning the chaos.
“I have instructed the party to work with the police so that we can get to the root of what happened yesterday. If any of our candidates was involved, we are going to take disciplinary action,” said the DP yesterday.
14 arrested over Raila attack in Soy
“Any candidate who engages themselves in violence will be disqualified. I want to reiterate again to all our members across the country that violence is a no go zone. It is retrogressive, primitive and as I said tears down our democracy,” he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i (see separate story) ordered investigations into the incident.
An elite team from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) from the DCI that was dispatched to the area on Friday night was by last evening gathering more evidence on the incident that has shaken the core of Kenya’s fragile democracy.
Top security chiefs are said to have held meetings long into the night, while keeping President Uhuru Kenyatta briefed on the political tension triggered by the attack.
Uasin Gishu was in February ranked among the 22 hotspot counties that remain risky for intolerance and chaos ahead of the August elections. A number of its legislators have been arrested in the past for being trouble-makers and inciting the public.
Police said the youth who pelted Mr Odinga’s chopper with stones and other projectiles were mobilised and paid to cause trouble at all locations the ODM leader was to visit on Friday.
Before Friday, Mr Odinga had not visited Uasin Gishu for six months. The last time he was there was in October 15 last year during the initial marketing of the Azimio la Umoja Coalition.
Since then, the relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is a principal in Azimio, and the Deputy President, who is in an opposing political camp, has deteriorated so badly that they don’t see eye-to-eye, preferring to address each other in public rallies.
Mr Odinga is viewed by the DP’s loyalists and supporters as the person who came in between him and the President, turning his journey to the presidency into an obstacle race after throwing his allies out of government.
Mr Odinga was made aware before his visit to Uasin Gishu that youths had been mobilised to heckle him at Mr Kibor’s funeral at Kebenes.
Chopper carrying ODM leader Raila Odinga lands in Nakuru
Additionally, UDA politicians who attended the funeral in their dozens, had allegedly planned to use the occasion that was taking place at their backyard to tell off the ODM leader, whom they consider to be the biggest obstacle in their quest to return to the helm of political power.
Having been informed of what was planned, the ODM leader opted to change his itinerary by first holding whistle stop rallies in Iten in the neighbouring Elgeyo Marakwet County. This change of plan meant the opposition chief was not going to be part of the funeral service, but would arrive later to condole with the family.
Mr Odinga landed in Iten at 2:43pm to a low-key reception using a Eurocopter AS350B3 chopper tail number 5Y-DSB, which is reportedly owned by billionaire SK Macharia through Corporate Helicopters Limited.
He then proceeded to a town hall meeting at Iten Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) together with his point man in the region, Elgeyo Marakwet governor Alex Tolgos. Trouble began after the town hall meeting as the two leaders embarked on a series of roadside rallies in the town.
Mr Odinga was forced to cut short his speech and was whisked to his awaiting chopper after youths in the town shouted “UDA!” and “Ruto.” Once in the air, the chopper sped south west to Soy; 70 kilometres away, where it landed after about 15 minutes at 5:30pm.
By this time the funeral had been concluded and most of the mourners and political leaders had left. Photos released by Mr Kositany show him together with Mr Odinga, Embakasi East legislator Babu Owino and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.
Everything went on well up to 6pm when the ODM leader concluded offering his condolences and made for his chopper, which was parked at a field in Mr Kibor’s expansive farm for lift off to where his entourage was to spend the night.
Unknown to the former prime minister, the same youths who had been mobilised to heckle him at the burial ceremony had some unfinished business with him .
According to Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) regulations, organisers of any public event where a helicopter is expected to land are supposed to liaise with the local law enforcement to ensure that the chopper has a free 30-metre radius on the ground for safe landing and taking off.
“Our preference is that the National Police is informed so that they provide security. If that is not available then private security is arranged,” KCAA director Gilbert Kibe told the Sunday Nation yesterday.
“We had a meeting with operators and we agreed that for safety during the political season, they should park the helicopters at least three kilometres from the venue and then their clients get driven to where the event is and back,” he said.
Mr Odinga’s attendance of the funeral necessitated extra security given that he was going to a hostile ground.
The responsibility of coordinating security arrangements was supposed to be handled by Uasin Gishu County Commissioner Stephen Kihara, courtesy of his position as the chairperson of the county security committee.
When asked, Mr Kihara said there were no security lapses and that the coordination of security matters in the event was perfect had politicians not mobilised the youth who caused trouble.
“The county commander organised the security structure and there were seven officers who were where the helicopter was packed,” explained Mr Kihara.
“We always get alerts on any VIP visiting the region but on this case we later learnt that the former PM had proceeded to Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County but that did not change our security arrangements on the ground,” added Mr Kihara.
Video footage seen by the Sunday Nation shows that indeed there were police officers near the helicopter but they were overwhelmed by the over 100 youth who were chanting “ua ua" (kill kill) as the ODM leader boarded his chopper.
Their chants immediately metamorphosed into stone throwing as the chopper started to lift off from the ground, forcing the police officer to fire four rounds in the air. This, however, did not deter the youth who continued pelting it with stones until one of its windshields cracked midair.
The chopper’s pilot was forced to fly to safety with a cracked windshield where his passengers, who included Mr Odinga, Mr Mohammed and Babu Owino were transferred to another helicopter.
KCAA yesterday said that the damage suffered by the chopper, though not critical, will require it to be taken to Nairobi for repairs.
“The aircraft has to be brought to Nairobi for repair before it is allowed to fly again,” said Captain Kibe.
But even as Corporate Helicopters prepares to bring its aircraft to Nairobi for repairs, a number of questions still remain unanswered.
Among them is that given there was intelligence that there was a plan to heckle the former prime minister that even made him change his itinerary, what measures did the police take in order to prevent what happened from happening?
Last month, two men hang on a helicopter that had taken off carrying Ford Kenya boss Moses Wetang'ula, Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, Mr Sudi and Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga had finished attending a funeral service in Bungoma County.
