NEW CLUES ON ALLEGED MERCENARIES
Story By Nation Team
Daily Nation, Kenya
ntententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=68955
Marc h 13 2006
Two Mombasa businessmen might provide the key to unravel the mystery
behind the alleged mercenaries in the country.
Investigations point to possibilities that the two alleged mercenaries
pitched camp in Mombasa when they first came into the country.
Yesterday, our sister publication, the Sunday Nation, revealed that
the men Langata MP Raila Odinga claims are mercenaries working for
the Government are two Armenian “businessmen”.
Travel documents in our possession indicate the two men – aged 33 and
36 – arrived in the country early this year from Dubai, but have also
visited Kenya in the past on unknown missions.
The revelation comes amidst calls by a cross-section of leaders for
the Government to clarify whether there were foreign mercenaries in
the country, or not.
Yesterday, it emerged that when the alleged mercenaries arrived in
January to stay, they were granted a two-year category H permit,
which is for professionals or foreign investors.
They paid Sh60,000 each and posted a bond of a similar amount for
the permits.
Mr Odinga displayed faded photocopies of the passports of the two
foreigners on Friday, saying they were Armenians and not Russians as
earlier claimed.
The Nation sought to establish if the passport details could be
confirmed by the Interpol, but was informed that the global unit on
police operations didn’t have their particulars.
Local police have maintained they had not received such travel
documents and could not, therefore, establish the whereabouts of the
alleged mercenaries.
It is now emerging that on several occasions when they visited Kenya
in the past from their base in Dubai, they were indeed doing business
with the Mombasa businessmen.
They were initially involved in sugar importation, among other
ventures with one of the businessmen before they fell out for what
sources say were unclear circumstances.
It is while they were working with the businessmen that they were
introduced to powerful people in the country, who made it possible
for them to go about their businesses without any hindrance.
Such contacts would later become useful when they fell out with one
of the businessmen.
We have further established that the lower part of a gate to the
house where the alleged mercenaries were staying in Runda and which
provided space through which the Nation took pictures of the house
has been sealed completely.
Except for a gardener who rarely gets out of the compound, the place
is now completely deserted.
At the same time, Nairobi Catholic Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’
Nzeki called for immediate investigations into claims that foreign
mercenaries were operating in the country.
He said the claims were serious and Kenyans were entitled to an
explanation.
“That is a very serious accusation. Let the Government come out clear
on this,” he said.
The Archbishop added that it was important for the Government to
tell the people how the alleged mercenaries came into the country,
as well as who brought them here.
Addressing journalists at the Holy Family Basilica where he led special
prayers for the country and its leadership, Archbishop Ndingi said
the Government owed Kenyans an explanation on whether the claims were
true or not true.
He further called on Mr Odinga to provide all the information he has
on the case to enable the police to conduct investigations.
As the archbishop spoke, Mr Odinga made fresh claims that the alleged
mercenaries had spent a night at a Nairobi residence of a prominent
personality, who has high connections in Government. They then moved
to a camp for one of the uniformed forces.
Without elaborating, Mr Odinga said the gang looked for the alternative
site after he disclosed their hideouts and revealed their identity
to the police.
“The mercenaries were moved to a house belonging to a prominent Narc
personality after I disclosed their hideout and gave their identity
to the police,” he said.
They were now being guarded by the dreaded General Service Unit,
making it difficult for them to be investigated.
He said the first assignment for the hit squad was to raid the
Standard and KTN offices and were now being prepared to eliminate
ODM luminaries.
However, Mr Odinga warned that such attempts were bound to fail
because Kenyans were watching keenly the events unfolding the country.
“I don’t fear these people because we know the Government is desperate
after failing to live up to the expectations its leaders promised
Kenyans in the last General Election,” he said.
And former Environment minister and one of the ODM’s leading lights,
Mr Kalonzo Musyoka said the security of Kenyans was paramount and asked
the Government to “thoroughly” investigate the claims by Mr Raila.
“We can’t take such allegations lightly. It is now the duty of the
Government to get on top of things and dispel public anxiety,” he said.
Mr Odinga warned President Kibaki that his days were numbered because
he was defending corrupt individuals in his Government.
He faulted the President for turning a deaf ear on the wishes of
Kenyans to sack corrupt ministers who had defied the law.
“It was wrong for President Kibaki to openly declare that Michuki
was there to stay even after he publicly defied the law and raided
private property,” he said.
Mr Odinga made the new claims at various stops on his way to the
burial of his cousin, Jennifer Akinyi Matara, at Ogango village in
Nyamira District.
At the funeral Mr Odinga accused the Government of practising
tribalism.
He cited the recent sacking of Dr Patrick Orege, Naftali Mogere,
Prof Ratemo Michieka, Jasper Oduor, James Ongwae and Zachary Ogongo,
among others, who were all from Nyanza.
Mr Mogere, who had been sacked as the managing trustee of the National
Social Security Fund, was last week appointed the managing director
of the National Cereals and Produce Board.
Mr Odinga said Kenyans were keenly monitoring how the Government
was selectively tackling corruption in the country, saying unless
it handled the matter as required, the voters would hit back at the
polls next year.