Assassination Or Game Of Political Expediency?
Written by Odhiambo Shem on February 23, 2022
By: COLLINS TEUREY.
Utterances made by former Lang’ata MP Stanley Livondo on the alleged assassination of the president have been for days a talk around the table of fear and questions begging for answers. The claims made by the politician not only came as a shocker to many Kenyans but also have had far-reaching implications on the country’s security and general wellbeing.
In such regards, they must not be taken lightly. It’s one thing to worry about the president’s personal security and safety, and a totally different thing to speak about it in public. Kenya’s first Attorney General Charles Njonjo, who passed on in December last year, is reminisced for viciously fighting a proposed amendment to the constitution to deter former president the late Daniel Moi from automatically succeeding Mzee Jomo Kenyatta in case the latter died. That was in 1976 and there were dismays over the president’s general health.
In his wisdom and courage, Njonjo told the hitherto, overzealous lawmakers who had drafted the bill that it was in fact treasonous to imagine the president’s death. Kenyans have adhered to this wise counsel for decades and such queer motives have scarcely been out in public since.
For Livondo to come out and make such a sensitive claim in public, and in such a bold and confident manner, something must be wrong somewhere. Kenya’s security teams must come clean and launch an investigation into the claims The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and all other agencies responsible for probing sensitive security matters must tell Kenyans what they know about the alleged assassinations or delve deeper into the allegations raised by Livondo and give Kenyans comprehensive answers every Kenyan is thirsting about.
The president is a symbol of national unity and is in office courtesy of the mandate bestowed upon him by the people. As such, his security, health, and wellbeing are critical matters that Kenyans ought to know about at all cost.
“Man for the Job” If the claims are true, Kenyans need to know who wanted to eliminate the president, and why. Kenyans need to know the identity of the person who wanted to overthrow the government. Who were the other players involved in the scheme? And what action was taken against the culprits, if known? Given the backdrop, Livondo fell short of naming Deputy President William Ruto as the chief culprit, claims that have been rubbished the second in-command terming them as inflammatory and volatile.
This coming at a time when speculation is rife over what caused the sour fallout between President Kenyatta and his deputy, the allegations are grave and cannot be taken lightly with a few months to the August 9 General Election. The sentiments made by Livondo are likely to elicit all manner of speculation and this could plunge the country into mayhem if not vehemently dealt with by relevant authorities. Even more worryingly, this is not the first time murmurs about what Livondo said were surfacing.
Uhuru’s plane turned mid-air in April 2015. The president’s plane heading to the US was forced to turn back mid-air while in Ethiopia’s airspace, raising speculation about his safety. In September the very year, Uhuru was also coerced to cancel his trip to Washington under unclear circumstances.
In May 2020, social media was buzz with reports of a planned plot to bring down the president’s plane on two separate occasions. In all the incidents, the security agencies have never issued a statement or answered any of the questions by Kenyans that have since begged for answers.
The message has now been repeated by Livondo in irrevocable statement made in the past few days. Nothing should be left to chance this time round. When he appeared before the DCI this week, Livondo even made more damning allegations, claiming the church was also part of the assassination plot. He further claimed even the international community was also involved in this scheme.
“I have given everything, whoever is involved will be summoned and you see that even churches are involved. This thing is big… it’s a big international thing,” he alleged.
Kenya has lost prominent leaders to tragic plane accidents and a narrative similar to what Livondo broached surfaced, hitherto. It is therefore that the allegations raised by the politician are addressed urgently and put to rest once and for all.
If left unattended, Kenya will be left exposed and will be seen as an insecure country where even the president’s safety is at stake. These perceptions are dangerous and damning considering many international investors take security issues seriously and may opt not to invest in Kenya owing to such unaddressed security concerns.
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