Kibaki Bodyguards Expose PM at Public Function for hours
It saddens me that I must use this Madaraka Day holiday to take a break from ODM Embakasi campaigns to make a post regarding a threat on the life of Raila Odinga.
Yesterday’s events at Nyayo Stadium brought back memories from a long a time ago. Those of us in their 20s and early 30s (like Vikii and others) are encouraged to read on and build their knowledge……
On October 16 1981 Egyptian President – Anwar Sadat was assassinated by his own soldiers during the annual 6th October victory parade in Cairo. Sadat was supposedly protected by four layers of security and the army parade was supposed to be guaranteed of safety due to ammunition-seizure rules and pre-parade inspections. You can watch the terrible events that were captured LIVE as they happened nearly 27 years ago on YouTube here.
Fast forward to June 1st 2008, and serious concerns are now being raised following the widely reported clash between ‘government’ bodyguards of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and those of President Mwai Kibaki at Nyayo Stadium yesterday.
The scary incident occurred at the Madaraka day celebrations in Nairobi where there was a frightening lapse in security touching on the personal safety of Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga – the man majority of Kenyans believe was elected as president and who most of the international community perceive to be Kenya’s defacto political leader.
It is an open secret that current fraudulent Kenyan administration has a pathetic record of protecting its own citizens and foreign tourists in this country. Yesterday’s incident should make us all concerned that the same (armed) people charged with safeguarding someone as prominent as Raila Odinga or President Kibaki can clash openly and in full glare of media. This can only make me imagine that there are two or more official (and unofficial) commanders controlling these guards.
It is obvious something is not quite right in Kenya’s security apparatus. (This weekend, armed Somali militia attacked and freed three foreigners from a border town police post in NEP). Of more concern however, is that Raila Odinga was left exposed for more than three hours as his body guards sat in the public stands hundreds of metres away from their boss at Nyayo Stadium because someone issued orders that Raila goes into Nyayo Stadium accompanied by only one aide.
Raila is a shrewd political operative who has escaped numerous assassination attempts including one a few years ago when several rounds were fired on his car from an AK47 assault rifle. Raila was not in the car at that time but the public learnt for the first time that his personal cars are armoured. Indeed, last year ODM-K Presidential Candidate and current Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka revealed that there were plans to assassinate himself or Raila Odinga and then place the blame on one of them. As a private citizen and before accepting a coalition government that spared this country agony, Raila was a man who was known to have an elaborate security network which traveled ahead of him in all public functions including rallies, weddings and funerals.
I am hoping that today’s emergency meeting at Vigilance House (Kenya Police Headquarters) will come up with convincing explanations and enact corrective measures before a preventable and unforgivable tragedy occurs as a consequence of official negligence and party politics.
Picture this: In the US, since sometime early last year, the United States Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama security now rivals that of President Bush, with a dozen Secret Service agents wearing dark suits and earpieces leading bomb-sniffing dogs through event venues, sweeping all equipment brought by journalists and flanking the candidate as he plunges into crowds of supporters. This is a man who is NOT even president yet!
We shall get there, but at what cost?
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I can notice your obsession with me, Phil. I love to read, I will always read. I will shelve anything else I had before me to read about the Sadat assasination.
ReplyDeleteWhat "clash" are you talking about here? That's not what you would call a clash. It was a simple matter of Raila Odinga's security men being denied access to the stadium through the VIP gate. It was perhaps an oversight but it is also important to recognize the fact that the bodyguards of all government ministers and deputy PM's (Musalia) used the public gate.You can choose to play cheap politics with the incident the much you please but this fake victimhood will have to come to an end sooner or later.
When you talk of assasination attempts at Raila, do you honestly think he is the only politician who has had them? Don't you remember the Petrol bombs thrown at Kibaki? You quote Kalonzo's CLAIMS of assasination plots targeting HIM or Raila. I call them claims, actually unfounded claims, because both of them had extra government-provided security by virtue of being Presidential candidates.
Did you say Obama's security rivals that of president Bush? Interesting! What I know is that all Presidential candidates in the US and even Presidential running mates (Remember Joe Lieberman?) have secret service protection if they request it. Hillary may have always had hers because she is a former first lady, but also McCainn finally got his a couple months ago. You should be happy that your country, Kenya is not far behind when it comes to the safety of the national leaders.
Phil, thanks 4 the post. As I've always said, KENYA IS RIPE FOR A CIVIL WAR. The only thing that is remaining is the trigger. People forget easily and the politicians are now ofcourse very cozy in their new found grand alliance. WHAT HAS CHANGED for the mwananchi? All the conditions that led to this years near genocide are still intact. But worse, there is now more bitterness, resentment and anger. Add to this the spiralling cost of basic commodities and u get the PERFECT RECIPE FOR VIOLENCE. Remember, illegal militia have never been disarmed. Why the clamour now for GEMA and for the release of Maina Njenga? Folks, sorry to say, we are yet to see the worst..
ReplyDeleteThat incident yesterday was really scaring to watch. Makes you wonder what other security lapses are taking place away from the cameras. Seems there are a few wars still taking place in those corridors.
ReplyDeleteAs for Embakasi, may the best candidate win. And that is Esther Passaris.
Raila should not feel inferior to the monster thief.
ReplyDeleteThat incident was a cheap shot at Raila, crazy as it sounds. Wacthing the clip, I only saw four guards being denied entry which beats all logic while kalonzo walked in with his security detail. But in the midst of it all I like the way two of Raila's guards fought to gain entry and finally left in a huff. They were obviusly agitated and embarassed and in my opinion this will only help in raising their loyalty to their boss (Raila). In my opinion and to avoid such incidents Raila should avoid all of Kibaki's functions
ReplyDelete5 years is not a long time for a patient person but two minutes is an eternity for the impatient or one in pain. I would love to see how the general impunity, abrasiveness, plus the shape of hostilities will take moving on forward, because as we all know nothing in life is guaranteed except change, aging and death, all else despite meticulous planning can turn around for no reason at all.
ReplyDeleteI fail to understand how or why it is okay for Kenya's PM's to be denied his security detail for protection no matter what the circumstances may be!
ReplyDeleteAre we that blinded by partisan politics (Vikii) that all that matters is for each individual to make their point and imagine that their side is right no matter what?
I wait for the day when we shall call a spade a spade.When something is shady it is just that...shady! It is about time we put aside partisan politics and spoke the truth as it is!
At this rate, sooner or later, the coalition will collapse
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143987756&cid=4
RAO had best be advised to skip these functions as they only succeed in belittling the position of PM which clearly is a non-entity in the eyes of PNU/Kibaki axis. Face the reality and move on to the issues that count, lets know as soon as possible whether there is going to be any real momentum on reforms.
UrXlnc
Awww lawd! Vikii is back. God help us! Straight from my lips to God's ears....
ReplyDeleteI said it here that Raila should have never accepted security provided by thugs, on one hand he says police should be prosecuted for killing post election protestors and on the other he trusts them with his life, politics is such a bitch.
ReplyDeleteanon12:36 PM
ReplyDeletewhy are you scared of facts and when your phu kikuyu mafia has been caught with pants down on security lapse- hey i thought this was 50/50 leadership so why should Raila's details use the Public entrance and kibaki's use V.I.P entrance?? what the f...k are you trying to say here?? that the Coalition is not 50/50?? How dare you compare the V.P's security with Raila's? did Kalonzo sign anywhere on the coalition agreement?? wake up and smell the roses- what ever kibaki and his goons are trying to do will not wash!!if Raila goes down!!6ft under kibaki will follow in less than the time it takes us to blink an eye- watch and see- we do have our details on stand by to react too!! we will both loose this time is not Ouko times- nobody will stand by and allow an assassination happen on the PM. central is out of the loop!! just try you goons !!
kumekucha- post my thread now this central Mafia goons are really pissing me off!! ati comparing Raila's security detail with kalonzo's?? how dare!!
Raila it time to show your voters the way out!! no need to stay in a coalition which is doing harm to most of the people who voted for you while others are growing fat cheeks as we speak- looting is on the high scale now sources say fro the government parastatals who do not want to lose their jobs but will be posting some facts on the blogs- we told them to scan and blog them on!! let us see what people like Martha Karua will be saying soon!!
ReplyDeletetime out!! no coalition is worth this shiate and the looting that continues!! kenyans are ready for a new mandate!! choose the president of our choice- if we can have bi-elections then we can also choose a president of our choice!! we will not wait for another year!! nope!! now!!
I won't delve into Raila's security or its lack thereof. I'm not well informed on that, plus we've heard this before.
ReplyDeleteLakini-about comparing ourselves with the U.S. on every level, hebu toa hiyo. We are thousands of miles apart, literally and figuratively.
Tena, we may not all be going there.When some couldn't stomach Lucy as their country's first lady, they moved to A-Merry-Car.
Now the rest of you guys have to put up with Lucy, Wambui, Pauline and Ida (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th ladies?) while they have Laura Kichaka with tons of secret service to boot.
Maybe Raila should run for Prime Minister in A-Merry-Car or Jah-Many where he goes to treat his exotic illnesses.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnd please pass my best wishes to Muthoni Passaris. She ardent at switching her allegiances for political convenience. But may the most mass-convincing,maybe populist, candidate win. It's rarely about the best candidate, it's almost always about the smoothest talker and who's behind them.
ReplyDeleteRaila just got those bodyguards just a few weeks ago. So was his life in perpetual danger before he got them?
ReplyDeleteThat is a really ignorant allegation. To claim that Raila was exposed is to be hopelessly ill informed about how VIP security is organized, especially for someone like Raila who has so many enemies.
ReplyDeleteSecurity personnel for VIPs like Raila and Kibaki are not the obvious ones you see, but the ones you do not see,i.e the guy selling you mihogo or sweets or cigarettes, the lady next to you with an umbrella, the filthy looking homeless guy, the loud seemingly drunk heckler.
It would not be in Kibaki's interest to have Raila exposed to harm. Any intelligent person can see that, and that is why the head of the Presidential guard was summoned to Police HQ and given a tongue lashing by General Ali. It is therefore an exaggerated claim by Phil and ODMers to get sympathy, which ODM are adept at doing.
Phil's real beef is with the way the Presidential guards humiliated the Raila guards, which in his mind projects as humiliation on Raila, his hero. His anger is therefore not surprising.
Phil(and ODMers)also need to stop the embarrassing comparisons to Germany or the US. It is absurd to make comparisons with countries where you have single individuals who can bankroll Kenya's budget, yet ODMers seem to think we are equal. We are not, and we need to cut our cloth according to our length.
If ODMers want us to reach those heights, stop the tribal baiting, victimhood and sense of entitlement at the expense of those who do not support you. Already, Raila is complaining about GEMA coming together, yet only the other day he was asserting that the Western Alliance is intact. What hypocrisy.
It has been suggested elsewhere that the reason his guards were denied entry was because they were not from the Recce Company which had been detailed to secure the VIP area. Apparently Raila’s guards are drawn from elsewhere (the Baghdad Boys?) and so the president’s men could not identify the “strangers”.
ReplyDeleteBe as it may, it’s ridiculous that two months down the coalition line, Raila still has to fight his way to acceptance by the ruling coterie. From comical protocol tiffs to borrowing European funds for running his office and being publicly humiliated by contradictory pronouncements from Kibaki and the PNU axis. From the grin almost permanently plastered on his face, one may be tempted to think that the man is actually enjoying his tour of duty at the PM office, even as his juniors fiddle with his power trappings.
While he immerses himself deeper into delusions of grandeur, it is business as usual in government/parliament and a sad status quo at the grassroots.
The fact that the kifuky thugs were called by hussein and given a tounge lashing is proof that they goofed.....anybody trying to excuse that is just a bigoted mayopic clown the type of people who have led kenya to this quagmire shame on you....its a known fact that RAO has enemies Kifucky and kalooser bieved the main enemies and yes they would like to see him dead both have proved that they don't value human life.....But then again I never expected panuaers to get it...they always think that trickery is the only way to get things done....your embarrsing kenyans go to lesotho..
ReplyDeleteSir Alex
Phil,
ReplyDeleteRaila may have won the election but he is not the right man to lead Kenya. Period!
Wanjiku,
ReplyDeleteThere is something about you I can't put my finger on. But one thing I do know about you from your posts, you sound like somebody who is trying so hard to please Chris. If Chris fire you, you can always find another job my dear but being a disgrace to your community, it's totally unacceptable.
Sir Alex, Lesotho is coming, don't worry, and since it is what you wish for, also the Republic of Western Kenya, probably comprising of just Luos and Luhyas, will also come.
ReplyDeleteYou see, the Kalenjin seem to be slowly drifting away from ODM, what with Ruto warming up to Kibaki and Uhuru, also the Maasai(with ODM Seniors Ntimama and Nkaiserry in a prominent role) ganging up to support PNU in the Kilgoris by-election. If indeed these guys are having second thoughts about ODM, i wonder where Western Kenya Republic will have its borders, when Lesotho comes, and which we want to come so we can get on with the business of life and maendeleo without disturbance.
We shall then see how many mounds of Ugali will have been added to your plate.
There was no security lapse.Kibaki guards (mainly Kikuyus)were trying to show the RAO guards(Luos) who is really in charge.Both groups are GSU and they have met before only that their superiors despise RAO in private and so they will get away with it.The VIP dais has protocol officers who man the sitting arrangement.In essence most of the security men hang around the dais gossiping while nursing hangovers.If you look at the clip well enough,it seems the Kibaki group took too long to eject the Raila guards despite outnumbering them.
ReplyDeleteBy the way,how come no media reported the Kalonzo booing yet it was so obvious on the live transmission?
Dj Rik.
DJ Rik can we just try and comment and leave tribal nonsense Out!!!
ReplyDeleteSame as Kimi Raikkonen....
ReplyDeleteSorry Kimi you dont have to wait for Lesotho for you jamaa's to prove a point, (That indeed you are maendeleo conscious") you should have started earlier then maybe this enlightened samia lady would just move in with you people.
ReplyDeleteAs Sir Alex always says develop your regions and then maybe just maybe we may have a good report about Kenya and say there is this part in Kenya that can only be compared to Singapore, Malaysia and maybe also the US..Why not!!! I am waiting with bated breath....And can we try as much as possible to leave tribes in every arguement...It just shows how stupid we all are ....I rest my case!!!!
Ivy
Kimi Raikkonen, Stop fantasizing. You will fantasize and fantasize but ODM will grow even stronger and more united.
ReplyDeleteThe more the Panua side continues to wrongly stick with the goods it shamelessly stole in broad daylight(the Presidency), the more it ensures and guarantees that ODM will one day RIGHTFULLY "yank" the stolen goods from the panua side while it continues to "PANUA"
its total nonsense for you to argue that Raila was left exposed. It is obvious that all eyes are on Raila as the prime minister and possibly the winner of the general election last year, but that is obviously not proven yet. Why would they kill him when people expect that his life is in danger? Kibaki cannot afford that and is not stupid enough to do allow such to happen. Actually what you see is a sincere lack of organisation, where security detail is not cleared, have you bothered to think that Raila's chief security officer may have submitted the number of security guards that would be using that entrance and then different numbers turned up? Kalonzo's men were no more than 5 who entered with him, and Raila seems to have at least seven men going in. And besides Mudavadi's men went in, so did Ole Ntimama's so how do you explain that? Politics is not a simple game like you like to believe Phil, and if the assasination of Anwar Al-Sadat is anything to go by,he'll be assasinated when we least expect it, at least according to the public...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would be very happy for this lesotho thing to come.....you can even have stringent visa requirements for kenyans to enter and we shall see if anyone will even come to that embassy. There is nothing wrong with dividing kenya into tribal zones so that the tribes that wish to associte can choose to do so intstead of being bundled up with people who do not respect you. Its not about ugali. Its about respecting the wishes of the governed. The ugali I shall put on my plate by myself. Its sad that kibz is the duely elected prisdent and yet he has to resort to childish nonsense to try and show that he is above RAO...A tiger does not have to proclaim its tigritude. If your good you just chill. The guy has been preso for 5yrs he still has to bully RAO's bodyguards to prove he is the bull, he is begining to show effects of hanging around kaloozer.
ReplyDeleteSir Alex
I remember watching Madaraka Day celebration on Utube just the other day, and I must say how appalled I was to see those politicians being driven with the latest Mercedes Benz and Lexes guarded with some of the most overzealous security men you will ever find, all this while the majority of Kenyans are struggling to put the bread on the table.
ReplyDeleteIt’s only Africa where politicians are viewed as second to God. If you look at UK, Mps (most of who live outside London) commute everyday by public transport (train and buses) to the parliament in Central London. Take an example, the leader of opposition, David Cameroon, he cycle from his home in west London to the house of parliament in Westminster every single day.
In Scandinavian, the monarchies (prince & princess) are seen mingling with members of public without any security men around them. Even in the Netherlands, Queen Beatrice is always spotted in the shopping mall enjoying shopping like anyone else without those overzealous bodyguards.
Kenyan leaders should be ashamed of themselves and they really should ask themselves why they are spending ravishingly on those big polluting cars and big salaries at the expense of poor Kenyans.
But, all this I blame it on Kenyans for lack of ambition; we are just not ambitious enough, all we like is just to sit back and worship our politicians, yet we are a nation that has one of most educated people in Africa. Don’t ever wonder, where are all these intellectuals? Why have we not produced an inventor or a designer or even an explorer? I mean come on guys everything from the shirt you wear to the car you drive to the toilet you sit on was invented by someone in the West or East but not an African. Or that’s another topic for another day
Let all and sundry know that right from independence the presidential guard is always composed of the incumbents' 'home boys'.Kenyatta's escort commander was Bernard Njinu(kikuyu),Moi's was Sumbeiywo(keiyo)while Kibaki's first commander was Iteere(Meru)...seems to have replaced him with another "home boy".
ReplyDeleteThese guys trust their own only.
In the police pecking order,the escort commander will not have much respect for the police commissioner since the former is usually a direct appointee of the prezo.
Dj Rik.
The Domo types are always ever so predictable. Stop whining about trivialities and worry instead about significant issues like building the nation, HIV AIDS, poverty, floods, hunger etc.
ReplyDeleteGCG was a really bad idea. Wish our duly elected Emilio would just dump the trash and kazi iendelee.
Are we going gaga!
ReplyDeleteEven my five year old daughter knows Emilio lost heavily to Raila.
ODM did PNU a favour by accepting to sign a deal with the thief(loser).I ask again and again - 1.how can two provinces have more voters than six?2.the ODM majority in bunge proves it-unless we have mad Kenyans who voted in ODM mps then voted for Kibaki cos he is the Kenyan saviour!Give me a break.
Let the coalition collapse today and we go to the ballot - PNU will lose with a bigger margin than 2007.This is common sense.Kenyans got tired of Kibakinomics in 2005.Lets be real guys - the truth will always prevail.
Dj Rik.
In as much as the incident was embarassing, a protocol gaffe, potential security breach for either one of the parties (presidential or PM depending on your stand on the "divided" coalition) etc.
ReplyDeleteTHis is a clear case of kenyan mentality of inability to plan beyond eating breakfast. THese functions are expected to happen all the time, the security (official and unofficial) for politicians is also known. DUe process or procedure is also know. So how hard is it to communicate to all those concerned ahead of time? if necessary, they can rehearse the process just like the military rehearses for events even 3 months or more in advance.
we simply have a chaotic mess and its being sustained that way because it creates large loopholes for the corrupt to thrive.
UrXlnc