Gaddafi gift that’s raising questions

It looks like Mr Kamlesh Pattni can never keep out of trouble. Shortly after the architect of the Goldenberg scandal led a delegation of elders to Libya, he is under investigation over the source of a leopard skin presented to President Muammar Gaddafi.

The skin was one of the gifts given to Mr Gaddafi when more than 50 Kenyan elders visited his country.

It is not yet known how Mr Pattni got hold of the leopard skin and took it to Libya. To export animal trophy outside Kenya, one would normally need permission from the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Representing communities

Ordinarily, Kenya Wildlife Services has to license either a wild animal or products made out of animal parts to leave the country, said the director Julius Kipng’etich.

“Such a gift that involves wild animals or products from the same must be licensed by KWS before leaving the country,” he said.

Mr Kipng’etich made it clear that if the consignment was from the country and wrongfully declared, those involved would be charged.

“Even if it is from another country, we will liaise with our counterpart institution to establish its source through the rule of traceability,” said Mr Kipng’etich.

Mr Pattni has recently emerged as the unlikely leader of the House of Traditional Elders of Kenya, a group patronised by the oil-rich Gaddafi who is sponsoring similar initiatives across Africa.

The so-called House of Traditional Elders of Kenya, was registered on December 22, 2009, with Mr Pattni as chairman and elders claiming to represent major Kenyan communities holding the other offices.

Other officials in the Registrar of Societies list are Riaga Ogallo (vice-chairman), Phares Ruteere (secretary-general), and Vincent Mwachiro (treasurer).

Former Ol Kejuado County Council chairman Daniel ole Muyaa is the organising secretary, Haji Ahmed is the deputy secretary and Peter Mumia is the national coordinator.

There is also Julius Nyarotso as deputy treasurer, Thuita Mwangi as deputy organising secretary and Sam Muumbi as deputy coordinator.

A month ago, elders from across the country visited Libya where they were granted audience by Mr Gaddafi and at which the leopard skin was presented. They used the opportunity to hold out the begging bowls for projects worth billions of shillings.

The mission left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on January 3 on a jet sent from Tripoli and returned on January 9.

It was the third time elders from Kenya were invited to Libya, receiving royal treatment this time round. A dinner with the Libyan strongman lasted more than four hours.

Details pieced together by the Nation show that Mr Gaddafi sent an Afriqiah Airlines (nicknamed Air Afric 990) to Kenya to ferry the elders.

In Tripoli, they were received by armed presidential guards and driven to the five- star Corinthia Hotel in luxury buses that also took them for a tour of the city and a few tourist destinations in the outskirts of Tripoli.

On the third day, they met Mr Gaddafi in a tented area near his palace.

“We were awed by his simplicity and generosity. We sat with him and an official army vehicle brought two camels that were slaughtered in our presence. We were told it was a sign that we were valued visitors,” says Mr Daniel ole Muyaa.

In turn, they presented to him some gifts that included the now contentious leopard skin, a spear, his portrait with US President Barack Obama and several African traditional artefacts.

Apart from the all expenses paid trip, the elders were each given money for “shopping”.

“We were given $1,000 (about Sh 81,000) each,” says Mr Peter Njoroge, a director with Amani Sasa Foundation.

One of the key items on the agenda was the funding requests for various projects.

“Each community had their proposals due to different needs and what we are doing now is to fine-tune them,” says Njuuri Ncheke secretary-general Phares Ruteere.

For example, the Meru elders’ proposal worth around Sh500 million included funding for two modern market centres in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties.

“We shall also build two cultural centres, which will be crucial tourist sites,” says Mr Ruteere.

A document seen by the Nation shows that the first tranche of $2 million (Sh162 million) is earmarked to set up offices in 248 districts and targets about 600 elders as coordinators.

Each of the offices will have a telephone, a computer and “a means of transport”.

Already, the Luo Council of Elders has received a van which has incidentally stoked controversy between ousted chairman Riaga Ogallo and a group revolving around the new boss, Mr Willis Otondi.

Although Mungiki founder Maina Njenga is not an elder, he was part of the delegation at the request of Mr Gaddafi, according to Mr Pattni.

The elders were shocked to find Mr Njenga and his entourage of 10 on the jet to Tripoli.

Some asked why he was allowed such a large retinue while their communities had a maximum of two representatives each.

“I did not know of Njenga’s presence till we were in the plane,” Mr Ruteere says.

However, he added that in African traditions, a young man of “good conduct” can be allowed to be an elder. Mr Pattni explained that Mr Njenga has a group that stands to gain from the grant once it comes.

However, Mr Njenga’s team was unable to present their “Sh5 billion proposal”.

They were asked by a presidential aide to fine-tune it for the September Fourth Annual Conference of Forum for Kings, Sultan, Sheikhs and Mayors of Africa to be hosted by Mr Gaddafi in Tripoli.

Mr Njenga’s proposal, which is voluminous, includes agriculture, mining, tourism, and small enterprise kitty for youth.

“We have an expert working on it right now. It was too big,” he said on the telephone.

Political connotations

There have been a series of meetings with political connotations since the elders flew back. Only two days after their arrival, Mr Njenga and a few of the delegates held meetings with a presidential hopeful from Western Kenya.

“As we sell Gaddafi to be king of Africa, we shall also be selling one of our youthful politicians to be our king (read president),” Mr Njenga said in response to a query on the meeting.

But Mr Ogallo says politics makes or breaks and the main mission of the elders’ visit to Libya was “more economic than anything else”.

“Elders do things slowly but surely. Our main mission is to sell the African vision as our elder brother (Gaddafi) shares with our people what he has,” he said.