Daily Nation , Kenya
March 12 2006

Mercenaries: Tell us the truth

Publication Date: 03/12/2006

The strictest definition of a mercenary is a soldier who fights or
engages in warfare for money with no regard for ideological,
political or national considerations.

Ever since the raid on the Standard Group nearly a fortnight ago, the
air has been thick with the talk of a squad of mercenaries that is
allegedly in the country at the behest, or at least with the
knowledge of, the government.

Langata MP Raila Odinga last week was the first to come out in the
open on the issue of these alleged soldiers of fortune.

After the Russian Embassy in Nairobi disassociating itself from any
such activity, Mr Odinga came out and said that in fact he had been
mistaken, the mercenaries were not Russians but Armenians. He even
displayed copies of their passports and visas to Kenya.

Mr Odinga’s claims might have the ring of believability about them.

It is known that ex-soldiers from what was called the Eastern Bloc
are widely available for hire throughout the world.

Mr Odinga is obviously keen to make as much political capital as he
can on what are, so far, unsubstantiated claims.

His foes have rubbished the allegations, and the whole matter is in
danger of degenerating into a slanging match and a political
point-scoring contest.

It does not help that divisions in the police force between the
Commissioner and the Director of the CID could be hampering a proper
investigation of the matter.

It is important that the matter be investigated thoroughly and
impartially.

If rumour and innuendo and gossip is allowed to continue, then the
country could find itself in a situation where fear and despondency
are engendered amongst the general public.

If indeed mercenaries are found to officially operate in Kenya, then
they and their high level connections must be exposed and brought
swiftly to justice.

On the other hand if there is no truth to the story, then the matter
should be brought to a rapid close.

It should surely not be difficult for the police and the Immigration
department to get to the bottom of the worrying matter.