Leaders condemn stoning of Raila Odinga as questions raised on candidates’ security

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Leaders condemn stoning of Raila Odinga as questions raised on candidates’ security

Despite a flood of condemnation, the events of Friday evening in Soy, Uasin Gishu County, where the security of ODM leader Raila Odinga came under threat have exposed serious security lapses in the country.

They also unmasked political intolerance simmering beneath the façade of Kenya’s maturing democracy.

And as police swing to action; summoning two MPs and a County Assembly Speaker, more questions than answers have emerged, including the quality of intelligence, police response and preparedness to deal with such ugly incidents.
 
There was little security presence at the Soy home of late businessman Jackson Kibor when Raila, a former Prime Minister and one of the leading presidential hopefuls, landed on Friday evening to condole with the family.

Amateur videos circulating on social media, depicted a helpless Raila’s convoy marooned by charging crowds, as they attempted to take off.

Was there intel on the attack? What is the level of security accorded to a former Prime Minister and other leading presidential candidates? Where was the local security team? Was the attack sporadic or organised and could it be organised without intel leaking out?

A brazen criminal enterprise, attempts -veiled and direct- were made to politicise the act, including by the victims, triggering a fallout over what was an otherwise straightforward matter.

The incident added swell to the growing list of attacks which produce more heat than light. They include the Kenol, Murang’a incident in October last year where two lives were lost, the November Kondele incident where Deputy President William Ruto’s motorcade was attacked and two attacks on former ODM presidential ticket hopeful Jimi Wanjigi in Migori and Kasarani.

“Today, we almost got killed in Soy constituency at the burial of Mzee Jackson Kibor. Our chopper was completely destroyed and we had to look for alternative means mid-air. Congratulations Hon Caleb Kositany. William Ruto is happy now,” Suna East MP Junet Mohamed wrote on Friday evening, triggering the politicisation of the attack.

Raila took cue, and in his statement blamed it all on Kositany and Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago.

“In the run-up to August, someone seems to be assembling a rag tag band of extremist youths, radicalised by lies and handouts to zone the country before pushing us into mayhem,” Raila claimed.

Yesterday, Ruto led his wing in condemning the incident and in apologising to Raila’s side for the attack. He promised his party’s full support to the local security team in arresting the attackers and disciplining any member who may have been involved.

“I have instructed the party to work with the police so that we can get to the root of what happened yesterday in Eldoret,” Ruto said, expressing displeasure on the incident.

He added: “Even as we work as a party to ensure we have an election free of violence, I also take this opportunity to apologise to Raila Odinga for what happened to him yesterday, it was really unfortunate, and I hope those who engaged in this exercise regret what they did.”

But before long, police unveiled the initial suspects, partly mirroring Junet’s earlier list. The directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) summoned Kositany, his Kapseret counterpart Oscar Sudi and County Speaker David Kiplagat describing them as “organisers and coordinators” of the chaos.

Earlier in the day, National Police Service spokesman Bruno Shioso said 17 people linked to the incident had been arrested.

Source: The Standard





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