Interview With Marianne Briner On The Information That Cost Dr Robert Ouko His Life

Marianne Briner-Mattern

This is a very brave woman who still lives with threats that have been constantly directed at her because of the information she has. She has had to change where she lives and also take extraordinary precautions to stay alive. Somebody once told her that there was nowhere in the world he would be able to hide from them. She however kindly agreed to answer some of my questions.


Kumekucha: From reading your book The Shining Star in Darkness, is it correct to say that you still feel somehow guilty concerning the death of Dr. Robert Ouko?

Marianne Briner-Mattern: In a certain way yes - if I would not have pushed to get the information about the thriving corruption with Mr. Biwott as the center of all these illegal demands and payments to be known to the President, and if I would not have finally convinced Dr. Ouko to also write his own Report about all this - maybe he would still be alive.

What I did not know at that time was the fact that Dr. Ouko not only compiled a Report on the Corruption but also on the private life of Mr. Moi and this may at the end have been the real reason why he was killed. That such a Report existed has been confirmed to me by his Sister Dorothy Randiek soon after he got killed and has also been confirmed again to me by somebody very trustable just now including some details which I did not know yet and which are even worse than what I ever believed. If it is true that Dr. Ouko knew also about these very dirty details and was willing to expose them, then I am sure this was the reason why Mr. Moi gave his consent for his killing.

As Mr. Troon clearly stated: Dr. Ouko was killed on executive order by the man at the top (i.e. President Daniel T. arap Moi).


Kumekucha: The information that Dr. Ouko had on the corruption must also have been in the hands of many other top ranking government officials.

Marianne Briner-Mattern: Yes, but the corruption was not just a matter between Mr. Moi and Mr. Biwott. There was a closed circle around the two who participated in this. Others like Dr. Ouko - did not belong to this. Mr. Biwott gave always the final "approval" who wasn't and who was.

Dr. Ouko and a few others - Ministers who had been appointed for only political (tribal balancing) reasons like Omanga, Onyango did not belong to this. Take note of the fact that all three were not only Luos but also old friends of Dr. Ouko.

I give you an example (which I gave also to the Sunguh-Committee): the following commissions had to be secured before even starting to discuss the Molasses Plant and new Cement Factory (the Mandate given to my Company connected these two projects). Both projects had a total value of approx. US $300 Million - and the following people expected to receive 10 % each: Moi, Biwott, Kiptanui, Prof. Saitoti (who even sent his personal aid Surtan several times to the hotel to put more pressure on us) and E. Mwangale (who was the one passing the message to us one day after we attended a Cabinet Meeting where the Representatives of the Groups involved were presenting their Credentials and Dr. Ouko was given the green light to forward their offers for approval).

The person in charge on behalf of the Government was Mohammed Aslam, Chairman of PanAfrican Bank. Note: Mr. Aslam died suddenly (supposedly on a heart-attack) on the evening before having agreed to give evidence in front of the Gicheru-Commission in Kisumu. His family then left Kenya and Aslam's name has now also come out in connection with the Goldenberg Case and the Grand Regency Hotel financing that Mr. Kiptanui has paid to them in London. This was several million dollars. Also Mr. Mwangale died "suddenly" (again heart attack) the same day when I mentioned his name at the Sunguh-Inquiry now in Nairobi as the go-between for the commission payments in connection with the Molasses Plant. Was that a coincidence?

It is important to note that Mr. Troon has given to the Sunguh-Committee in London the list with the names of 18 people where the circumstances leading to their deaths are doubtful and therefore their bodies should be exhumed for further investigations.


Kumekucha: Many Kenyans believe that former President Moi changed a great deal after the 1982 attempted coup.

Marianne Briner-Mattern: Although I was not in Kenya during that time since I had been asked to leave the country in April 1981 on request of Mr. Biwott and only came back for the first time in 1986, I have been told that it had indeed a great impact on him. He started not to trust anybody anymore and Mr. Biwott took even more advantage of that becoming the only one who had influence on him after he got rid of Mr. Njonjo also whose advise and friendship Mr. Moi had always valued very high. So with the planting of Kiptanui, Oyugi and then Kulei as his direct informants around the President and also appointing his old associate from the coast Kivuvani to Nairobi (former Special Branch, then CID), the circle around Moi was closed.


Kumekucha: When did you start suspecting that Dr. Ouko had been murdered?

Marianne Briner-Mattern: I had been in contact with Mr. J.F. Addley from Kaplan & Stratton since October 1989. I knew that the former President used him as a proxy in some foreign companies (a position later taken over by Kulei) and that he therefore had direct access to Moi. The reason for my approach was the deportation of my business partner, Mr. Domenico Airaghi, in March 1989 for illegal involvement in Government matters on request of Mr. Biwott.

I had tried in vain to get in contact with Moi by phone and also in writing. I gave to Addley all information not only regarding the Molasses Plant but also regarding the other projects for which we had not only presented the groups interested but also secured the financing via various European Governments on grant and soft-loan basis (medium and low-rent housing, water projects, roads, rehabilitation of KMC and Uplands Pig Factory as well as Textile Factories, building of a steel factory, fish filleting plant, food storage facilities etc. etc.).

Mr. Addley then had some meetings with Moi, which he confirmed to me in writing. It came out that Moi never received my letters nor was he informed that I had tried to call him. Moi then proposed to have a personal meeting with me, which was scheduled first to take place in January 1990. But since I had other appointments already, I had to postpone.

So the meeting was then confirmed for the second half of February after his return from Washington. On February 14, Addley then called me and gave me the message that Dr. Ouko was missing and a search was going on. Your meeting with H.E. cannot take place now. Please wait for further information.

I called immediately Esther Ruvaga, Dr. Ouko's secretary. She confirmed this information and then two days later called me to tell me his body has been found.
Addley then also informed me that he had a meeting with H.E. and that first Moi wanted me to come immediately with all information and documents, but then called him back to stop me again from coming.

I then received another fax by Addley after the Scotland Yard people had arrived in Kenya. Again first instructing me to come to meet Moi and then telling me not to come but to give all information and documents via the British Embassy in Berne (Switzerland) directly to the investigating Officers (John Troon). The British Embassy declined to get involved and I contacted Prof. Ogada, Kenyan Envoy to the UN-Mission in Geneva, whom I had met once in Kisumu introduced by Dr. Ouko. Prof. Ogada then came to my office and after having read all the documents agreed to go to Nairobi and to hand them over to John Troon. I had also prepared another envelope with the same documents for H.E. which Prof. Ogada then gave in Nairobi to Ndolo Ayah who had in the meantime been appointed as the new Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Here it is interesting to note that Prof. Ogada soon after lost his job in Geneva and died in a questionable car accident some years ago in Kenya.

Also Addley has left Kenya soon after. All attempts to get him to witness by Scotland Yard have been blocked. He also never gave evidence to the Gicheru-Committee nor was it possible for the Sunguh-Committee to get into contact with him.
Kumekucha: Can you comment about attempts on your life so far due to the explosive information you have?


Marianne Briner-Mattern: I cannot comment on the attempts on my life during my stay in Kenya. I have promised not to give more details or to comment on this outside the book to avoid legal problems.

But I can confirm that there were attempts, there was the bugging of my telephone also in the private house where I stayed with friends in Karen, there was the protection by the German Ambassador who hosted me at the end and thanks to whom I reached the plane, we really had to pass two road-blockages since they assumed me to be in the car of Gor Sunguh who drove in front, there was the official request by Biwott to block me from leaving the country since I had to be "punished". See also more details in my London Declaration.


Kumekucha: Can You comment about your relationship with former President Moi?

Marianne Briner-Mattern: I have also problems in commenting on some questions regarding the relationship with Moi. This is also a reason why I never could give any interview in any Television Channel although I had been invited. Kilonzo is just waiting that I make a mistake to comment on this and other subjects. This is also the reason why the Publisher has decided to keep the story fictional. They were fearing Libel Court Cases like Moi and Biwott had filed against Smith-Hempstone, Dr. Ian West and others who then not only had to pay a lot of money but also had to take the books from the market.

I can confirm to you that I never had a private relationship with Dr. Ouko. We were friends in the best sense and this included also his wife and the children. Mrs. Ouko has confirmed this in her evidence when she said that I was for her like "a family member".

I would propose that you publish my London Declaration instead. This document has the privilege status and cannot be challenged in any court. This fact is also protecting you. It also answers practically all the questions you have put to me.

Additionally I can only say the following:

My relationship with Moi lasted from 1979 - 1981 and had therefore nothing to do with my work as a Consultant which only started in 1985. I had made it very clear before coming back to Kenya that the private relationship was finished.

If you need more details, please ask but please also understand that I have to be careful since I have been told that Biwott tries hard to convince Moi to still file a case against me in Switzerland.

Although many people knew about Moi and me, it was a well-kept secret since officially nobody was supposed to know (although the Swiss and German Ambassadors now confirmed to me that everybody knew about it..........). But some dared to ask me later like Rose Waruhiu, Grace Ogot and also Cristabel Ouko. Always the same question of course "how is he ?:::::" - Needless to say, I always just smiled and never made a comment......

Of course also Dr. Ouko knew - but he never said anything until one day years later. We were driving back from Kisumu to Nairobi when all of the sudden he turned to me and to my big surprise said "You know, you would have been perfect for him - you would have been a wonderful First Lady and all Kenya would have been proud of you - just think what you could have done. - If only he would not have let you go ......."

I just shook my head "It is too late now" .....

And we never came back to this subject again.

You see, it is a very sad story - for many people.


Kumekucha: It was reported in The Standard newspapers that you influenced the 2002 elections with one telephone call. Please give us details.

Marianne Briner-Mattern: When that meeting in Crans-Montana failed (see London declaration) because also Biwott would have been present, I was furious and called Dr. Mungai. And this was the beginning of the "Uhuru-Project" ......... Moi dropped Raila because Raila had disclosed to me that "he was the future President saying "you will have the pleasure to meet the actual and the future one ..." and Raila and Kulei had disclosed that Moi had entered as a partner into the Molasses Plant - a position later taken over by this Canadian-South-African Group which is supposed to be now a partner ....

So Dr. Mungai took advantage and Moi started to think about Uhuru .............

Do you understand now why a Committee Member (Amina Abdallah of the Biwott camp) told me - when I was reading the Declaration and coming to the remark "I do not want to influence Kenyan politics" and then quoted Kilonzo instead - "but this is what you have always done and still continue to do: influencing Kenyan politics.

Back To The First Page Of This Red Hot Story.

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So Now You Know…
So now you know why Nicholas Biwott is back and why Moi won't let go. Make sure that you also read the entire Marianne Briner-Mattern book. All you have to do is subscribe to Kumekucha Confidential by sending a blank email to Kumekucha-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Majority Of Kenyans Believe That Nicholas Biwott Is A Government Project

It was Kabete MP Paul Muite who first coined the term "the project" to describe Uhuru Kenyatta's candidature for the presidency in 2002. Now the majority of Kenyans believe that Nicholas Biwott is the new project for 2007 and was handpicked by the same person who picked Uhuru about 5 years ago.

In a KTN viewers sms poll last night a clear majority of well over 70 per cent indicated that they were certain that Biwott was a government project. (Or to put in the poetic language of one viewer, "Biwot is a total government project headed for total failure.") The real significance of this poll will be lost on many Kenyans so let me emphasize it. I will start by telling a popular joke that emerged from the 2002 general elections.

This rib-cracking, extremely funny joke commences with the question; in 2002, which Kenyan hero of the opposition did the most to unite the opposition (NPK, DP, Ford Kenya, Safina etc) when all else had failed? The answer is of course President Moi. And he did it by pushing Uhuru Kenyatta forward as his preferred successor.

It would seem that the same man has pulled it off again and united the vast majority of Kenyans behind ODM. By elevating Biwott to chairman of Kanu, Moi has caused many of the stanch Kibaki supporters to suddenly sit up and pay attention. Chances are high that their vote will now be anti-Biwott meaning that they will vote for the candidate opposed to Biwott's candidature.

It would seem that the self-proclaimed professor of politics has made yet another major blunder that will hand over easy victory to the opposition, or has he?

Many political analysts are now of the view that Moi anointed Uhuru knowing full well that there was a high possibility of his being defeated. However Moi was not worried because the way he had carefully played his cards, he was going to emerge the winner whichever of the two candidates won the elections. The Sunday Nation analysts poured a lot of ink on newsprint this week explaining how Kibaki was in fact Moi's first choice to succeed him and the former president sent many feelers in his direction. We are even told that there was actually a meeting that took place between the two. However everything seems to have fallen apart because Kibaki did not trust Moi. (Well at least that has changed now and Moi is today one of the President's most trusted advisors).

The Sunday Nation analysts go even further to give clear evidence to prove that whichever side the coin was going to fall in 2002, Moi was home and dry. This is in the fact that he completely ignored intelligence reports that clearly showed that Kanu and Uhuru were headed for defeat. It is said that this was the first time, Moi had ignored intelligence reports in his long tenure as president and especially after the failed 1982 coup.

Well, the stakes are much higher this time and if Moi was careful in 2002, this time he will be paranoid. (Have you noticed how Moi's political activity has dramatically increased as elections draw nearer). It is clear that the sharks are circling and closing in and Kenya's second president could easily lose everything and have his favorite son in prison for Goldenberg and other "sins" against the people of Kenya. Moi will go to any length (and I stress any length, even murder) to make sure that that does not happen and this is why Nick "executioner" Biwott is back.

There are a number of people who if elected as President in 2007, will not give Moi a single sleepless night. Here is the List;

1. Mwai Kibaki
2. Kalonzo Musyoka (running on ODM ticket. Still a very close friend of Moi's. Has publicly told the Kalenjin community that he will protect them from prosecution of elected president)
3. Musalia Mudavadi (running on ODM ticket. Said to be related to the former president. His mother is a sister to Moi.).
4. Uhuru Kenyatta (If Moi goes down for sins of the past, chances are high the Kenyatta family will also have to go down with him)
5. Mutula Kilonzo (still the President's lawyer. If Moi has a file on him, then one room is not enough to house it).
6. William Ruto (akiwa mgumu [if he is stubborn] Moi just needs to leak a little information about the YK92 – Youth For Kanu '92 organization. This organization single handedly impoverished millions of Kenyans overnight by flooding the Kenyan market with cartons of Kshs 500 notes, ushering in unprecedented hyper inflation that will take us decades to recover from – if we ever recover, that is.).

Here is the list of persons who according to Moi, must not be elected at all costs;

1. An outsider (a new clean broom that will emerge from nowhere according to prophecy, with no excess buggage, and no file in Moi's office of personal sins committed that can be used against them.)
2. ???????? (Name removed after my recent investigations. See explanation below. This person's name appearing here would seem to explain recent speculation that there are people who want to assassinate him.)

I have deliberately not put Raila Odinga's name on this second list because Moi has got too much on him. Besides he owes Moi a big one – the fact that he was not hanged for his involvement in the 1982 coup attempt when others who played much smaller roles are now with their maker. My very latest investigation has also unearthed evidence that Raila is fully aware (like many people in parliament today) of who killed former foreign minister Robert Ouko and the reason why. So Agwambo, (I know your people will read this and inform you) you are our hero and we are all looking up to you, especially due to the fact that of all the trash we have in Kenyan politics currently, you are the cleanest. Now, is Robert Ouko's gruesome murder not important enough? Is it not more important than any debt you may owe Moi? Please prove that you are different from the rest.

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Who was the main brain behind the 1982 attempted coup? We now know of Raila's involvement but to this day, it is not known who within Moi's government was the main mastermind behind the coup attempt. The sad thing is that many Kenyans lost their lives, some of them at the gallows, and countless innocent Kenya Airforce officers were dismissed from the service, court-martialed and jailed, yet the main mastermind never spent a single day in jail. You will find out who this mastermind was in this week's Kumekucha Confidential. Subscribe now and get it Free (to subscribe just send a blank email to kumekucha-subscribe@yahoogroups.com now). Subscribe now and beat the rapidly approaching deadline after which an annual subscription for new subscribers will be charged. Those who subscribe before then will never pay a single cent.