Police warned us of Soy chopper attack, Raila Odinga says
ODM leader Raila Odinga together and other leaders inspect the chopper that they were using. It was stoned by rowdy youth during Mzee Jackson Kibor's funeral at his home in Samitui farm, Uasin Gishu County on April 1, 2022.
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Presidential hopeful Raila Odinga has revisited the attack on his chopper in Soy, Uasin Gishu County early this month, saying they had delayed their arrival over what he termed as police warning them of a possible attack, that morning.
While addressing Kenyans in diaspora on Sunday in Washington DC, Mr Odinga said he had received intelligence information that goons had been hired to heckle and attack him, a move he said forced him to skip the funeral service of the late Mzee Jackson Kibor, only arriving them when the team were at the burial site.
“Recently, a very nasty incident happened in Uasin Gishu where we went to attend a funeral of a friend of mine the late Mzee Kibor and some goons were hired and they actually wanted to kill us,” said Mr Odinga.
“Unfortunately, we did not go at the time they expected us there. I had received information in the morning that they had been hired to heckle and attack me at the funeral and I decided to go when the funeral service was over.”
The attack on him, he said, could have been worse had the police not intervened.
The suspects who were arrested by police were in possession of bundles of money and crude weapons was evidence that the attack was well-planned, Mr Odinga argued.
“The attack was vicious, were it not for the actions of the police officers the damage could have been much more devastating,” said Mr Odinga.
“It was something that was properly planned, the police managed to arrest 15 goons that evening with bundles of money that had been given and the weapons they were supposed to use.”
17 suspects
Two of the 17 suspects accused of stoning a chopper that was carrying the ODM chief were recently charged while the rest were released because of lack of evidence.
They were also charged with creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by throwing stones at the helicopter that carried Mr Odinga and other politicians to the home of Mzee Kibor.
At the same time, the former premier asked his main challenger Deputy President William Ruto that they need to have peaceful campaigns with just less than four months to the General Election.
“We want peaceful campaigns and peaceful elections. So far, things have moved smoothly up to where we are,” he said.
In what seemed like a scathing attack on Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA), Mr Odinga said the group was only good for divisive politics and political demagoguery while offering no solution to the woes facing the country.
“Our adversaries have tried so many things, they came up with a very divisive ideology of the rich vs. the poor, dynasties versus hustlers and it did not work,” he said.
Mr Odinga is accompanied by Governors Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), James Ongwae (Kisii), Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, former Aldai MP Dr Sally Kosgey, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, Sabina Chege (Murang’a), John Mbadi (Suba South), Opondo Kaluma (Homa Bay Town), Esther Passaris (Nairobi), Prof Makau Mutua and former Kenya ambassador to the US Elkanah Odembo among others.
On the charm offensive of the diaspora votes, ODM boss also promised that his administration will ensure that all Kenyan embassies and consulates will have capacity to process passports.
He also said he will ensure that those in the diaspora have an authority which will be able to address their issues with clear communication with government and relevant agencies noting that they will be involved in every decision the government will be making.
“Diaspora has a responsibility in ensuring an effective and efficient communication system between them and government offices and agencies. Active database and contacts, activities that can contribute to build much needed trust in the diaspora,” Mr Odinga explained.
“Kenyans in the diaspora should get united and speak with one voice. We want change in Kenya, if we do not change, we will not be able to realise the dreams of our founding fathers of our nation for a prosperous country as stated in our National Anthem,” added the former Prime Minister.
The electoral agency recently carried out voter registration of Kenyans in the 11 countries up from the five countries in the 2017 polls.
In 2017, Kenyans in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa participated in the presidential election and in the August Election, the following are the newcomers: USA, Qatar, Germany, South Sudan, United Kingdom (UK), United Arabs Emirates (UAE) and Canada.
Meanwhile, Mr Odinga cut short his week-long trip to the United States of America (USA) to attend the burial of the late former President Mwai Kibaki.
The former Prime Minister jetted out of the country on Friday and will arrive back from Washington DC on Wednesday.
"Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition flag-bearer Raila Odinga will cut short his ongoing US trip and travel back home on Wednesday ahead of the state burial of the former President Mwai Kibaki," said Dennis Onsarigo, Mr Odinga's presidential campaign secretariat press secretary in a statement released to the newsrooms on Monday.
The late President Kibaki will be buried on Saturday in Othaya, Nyeri County while State funeral service will take place on Friday at Nyayo Stadium.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta led the nation in the public viewing of the body of the late Kibaki which lies in state at Parliament building.
Mr Odinga on Sunday held talks with Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guttarres. He also met with the former US ambassador to Kenya. Both meetings took place in Washington DC.
Before cutting short the tour, the ODM chief was to head to the Silicon Valley, San Francisco where he was to hold talks with leaders and entrepreneurs in the IT and technology space with the aim of promoting partnerships.
