The ongoing investigation into the suspected extra-judicial killing of two Indians was brought home to President William Ruto yesterday, with the opposition accusing him of using the probe to pursue a personal vendetta against key officials of the former regime.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga demanded that the probe be extended to other cases of killings and enforced disappearances that have happened in Kenya over the years.
Mr Odinga demanded the establishment of a transparent, professional, and inclusive public inquest to assist the country and the affected families determine the fate or whereabouts of victims who disappeared or died under unclear circumstances, including International Criminal Court (ICC) witnesses and election officials.
Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, Mr Odinga said the government should consider inviting foreign detective agencies such as Scotland Yard, which investigated the murder of former Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko, to probe unresolved murders of Kenyans.
He said the coalition was concerned that the probe was turning into a witch hunt against certain officials, especially former Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti.
“We believe in the sanctity of life of every Kenyan. We believe in the rule of law. We believe in due process. Naturally, therefore, we are opposed to extra-judicial executions in our country because our supporters have been the biggest victims over the years. We believe that all, not some, cases of real or suspected extra-judicial executions need to be investigated and those responsible punished,” Mr Odinga said.
Accompanied by his former running mate in the August 9 elections, Ms Martha Karua, and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, among other Azimio leaders, Mr Odinga said the party was opposed to the current investigations, which he termed as directed by a “vindictive regime and a President [who] seems to be pursuing a personal vendetta”.
“William Ruto’s grudge against George Kinoti and the DCI started way before the elections. Ruto appears to believe that the coming of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) regime is a perfect mandate for him to punish the officers he long had a grudge against. We are here to say No,” Mr Odinga said.
Mr Kinoti has been in the spotlight following the arrest of members of the DCI’s Special Services Unit, after President Ruto accused them of being behind the enforced disappearance of Kenyans and extra-judicial killings.
Several of its officers are in custody accused of involvement in the disappearance of two Indian nationals, Mohammed Said Sami and Zulfiqar Ahmed, and their Kenyan taxi driver, Nicodemus Mwanzia.
The Indians were said to have been involved in Dr Ruto’s presidential campaign. Mr Odinga said that, whereas the foreigners deserved to live, “we believe the Indians are not the first to disappear and they will most certainly not be the last”.
“So, as Ruto mounts a search for his Indians, whoever and whatever they were to him, we want an equally vigorous search to establish the truth behind the disappearance and death of tens of Kenyans,” the former Prime Minister said.
He asked President Ruto’s administration to expedite investigations into the death of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, the Administration Police officer who went missing when he was supposed to accompany his colleagues to the DCI to record a statement over the Sh39.5 billion fake arms probe that involved the Office of the Deputy President when Dr Ruto was serving in that capacity.
Mr Odinga also called for an urgent probe into the death of Christopher Koech, a former teacher at Khaunga Primary School in Mumias, and Meshack Yebei, and the disappearance of journalists John Kituyi and Walter Osapiri Barasa, as well as Philip Kipkoech Bett alias “Kipseng’erya”.
The five were connected to the Kenya cases at the ICC. Mr Yebei’s mutilated body was found in Tsavo National Park, some 600 kilometres from Eldoret, where he was last seen. Mr Kituyi “was allegedly killed for his reporting on the death of a witness in the ICC proceedings”.
Mr Odinga said the investigation should include presumed and confirmed ICC witnesses such as Joseph Kangethe, George Thuo, Bernard Kimeli, Charles Ndungu Wagacha, Naftali Irungu, Anthony Mwenje, Njoroge Gichere, Timothy Mburu Gatira, Njuguna Gitau Njuguna, and George Njoroge Wagacha, among other ICC witnesses who disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances.
He also named lawyer Paul Gicheru, “the last of the ICC witnesses who died last September, probably driving the final nail in the coffin of the ICC case”. He cited Chris Msando, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ICT manager, who was tortured and murdered just days before the 2017 elections, and businessman Jacob Juma, who was shot along Ngong Road in Nairobi.
The opposition leader also censured the Ruto administration over the proposed increased tax burden, arguing that it must shelve any thoughts of raising taxes on suffering Kenyans.
“We are particularly concerned about the regime’s plans to inflict more tax burden on Kenyans to finance some of the outlandish and unrealistic promises they made. During the campaigns, both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza made promises to Kenyans. On our part, we made it clear that we would realise the promises we made without increasing the tax burden of Kenyans. It remains our position that Kenyans cannot afford and should not be asked to pay extra taxes for the UDA regime to realise the outlandish and unrealistic promises it is pursuing,” said Mr Odinga.
He went on: “We wish to remind the UDA regime that we have been here before. When Narc took over in 2003, the economy was worse off than what UDA has inherited from Jubilee. But we were able to put the country back on track, including free primary education, without raising taxes. The Grand Coalition government picked up from the ashes of post-election violence and rebuilt the economy, including massive infrastructure, without raising taxes.”
Instead, he asked DR Ruto to improve revenue collection at all collection points such as airports, customs, and registration of persons. He cautioned that deducting more money from workers and “throwing it at corrupt and mismanaged institutions like the National Social Security Fund and National Hospital Insurance Fund” won’t solve any problem.
“Above all, the government must fight and be seen to be fighting corruption. Those measures will be sufficient to raise money without raising taxes. We will resist any attempt by the government to unilaterally raise taxes to finance corruption,” he said.
