The Standard (Nairobi) Kenya
June 10, 2006
Leaders: State is hiding something
By Ben Agina
Kanu chairman Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday read conspiracy on the part of
the Government in deporting the four Armenians.
Uhuru said the Armenians had not broken any immigration rules to
warrant deportation, but had committed a crime that called for
prosecution.
Artur Sagarsyan and Artur Margaryan await deportation pensively at
the Kenya Airport Police Unit
“The Armenians had committed a criminal offence and they should have
been charged and prosecuted. The Government is in this,” said Uhuru.
Speaking on telephone from the US, Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka
said the Armenians should not have been here in the first place.
Kalonzo said it was clear from the beginning that the Armenians were
people with ulterior motives.
Uhuru said it was shocking that foreigners could threaten Kenyans.
He said it was not enough to deport the Armenians, adding that they
should have faced the full force of the law.
“Why should you deport people who have entered our security area and
failed to pay duty?” he asked.
Uhuru wondered whether the Armenians were above the law for them not
to face charges. He said the Government should be held accountable
for their failure to prefer charges against the Armenians.
Kalonzo said now that they had committed a crime, they should be
charged.
The Liberal Democratic party chairman, Mr David Musila, said the
incident witnessed at JKIA on Thursday breached the security of the
country.
“As LDP we had raised concerns that these were mercenaries with
ulterior motives,” said Musila. Musila, who is also the Deputy
Speaker, said the President owes Kenyans an explanation after some
senior ministers earlier defended the Armenians.
“Kenyans must get an explanation on who was protecting the
Armenians,” demanded Musila. Musila accused some people in Government
of protecting the Armenians.
He also wondered whether Kenya’s security is at the mercy of
foreigners.
Musila congratulated the Commissioner of Police Major-General Hussein
Ali for the action he took against the Armenians. Kabete MP Paul
Muite said the behaviour of the Armenians at the JKIA was insulting.
“If you were in a foreign country and you enter a security area and
behave like that you could be dead by now,” said Muite.
He wondered why the Armenians were spared when they threatened to
shoot Immigration officials at the airport.
Muite, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Legal and
Administration of Justice, said the Armenians have been part of their
discussions since the raid on The Standard Group premises on March 2.
He said the committee hopes to summon the Commissioner to brief them
more with the unfolding events.
Muite also congratulated the police commissioner and expressed
optimism that the due process of law would be followed. LDP
secretary-general Joseph Kamotho yesterday asked Internal Security
minister John Michuki to tell Kenyans why the Armenians were being
deported instead of being charged in court.
Kamotho said the Internal Security Minister had assured Kenyans that
the Armenians were being investigated.
“Now that they have committed a crime, why are they being let off?
What Kind of cover-up is this by Government?” posed Kamotho.
“If the Government has nothing it fears the Armenians would expose,
they should not have been deported,” they said.