MPS: MICHUKI IS TO BLAME
Story By Odhiambo Orlale And Owino Opondo
Daily Nation, Kenya
June 14 2006
MPs turned the heat yesterday on security minister John Michuki,
calling for his sacking over the Artur brothers saga.
Speaking in Parliament, the MPs accused Mr Michuki of embarrassing
the President and the country over the Armenians’ saga.
Mr Michuki
Also in focus was Immigration minister Gideon Konchellah who the MPs
said should step aside.
Mr Kirugi M’mukindia the MP for Central Imenti, who is a former
Cabinet minister, said he was ashamed to be a Kenyan. "I stand in
this House ashamed. I never knew I would see a day when Michuki would
crawl before foreigners."
The Narc MP said it was a shame that the Government which had tackled
the menace of Mungiki, matatu and cattle rustlers decisively, was
unable tame the controversial Armenians.
"I join my colleagues in saying the whole House has been let down by
gun-running, money-laundering foreigners as the Government watches
helplessly."
He challenged the Government to tell Kenyans why it was unable to tame
the deported Armenians who he said were threatening national security,
yet it had been disarming armed cattle rustlers, dealing with Mungiki
and matatu operators. Mr M’mukindia accused the Government of hiding
something about the Armenians.
"The time has come for the House to be told the truth. The time
has also come to say enough is enough," he said. Mr M’mukindia also
asked why the Criminal Investigations Department boss and other civil
servants were suspended while the real godfathers were left alone.
On his part, Mr Charles Kilonzo of Yatta, claimed that the force was
as divided as the Cabinet over the Armenians saga.
The Narc MP accused Mr Michuki of protecting the Armenians for sinister
reasons, and said he should step aside or be sacked.
Asked the Yatta MP: "The President has a lot of work to do at State
House, and he should start sacking tainted ministers one after another
every day to show them who is in charge."
Mr Kilonzo asked what was so special about the daughter of Narc
activist, Ms Winnie Wangui, and what her role was in the saga.
"What is so special about Wangui, who is just a mere junior civil
servant? Why did they get police escort even to dance at Carnivore
using GK vehicles," the Narc MP said.
The Yatta MP said that three Cabinet ministers, Mr Michuki, Mr
Konchellah and Mr Kivutha Kibwana (the Environment), had supported
the two foreigners to the hilt early this year when Langata MP,
Mr Raila Odinga, accused them of being mercenaries.
Mr Kilonzo demanded to be told if it was true that guns used by the
presidential escort were found in possession of the Armenians.
Leader of the Official Opposition Uhuru Kenyatta sought government
assurance on the country’s security.
Mr Kenyatta said Kenyans wanted to be assured by the Government that
national security had not collapsed.
"Kenyans are as perplexed as MPs. Who were those foreigners who
entered a high security area and threatened public servants with
guns?" he asked.
Mr Kenyatta said that an ordinary Kenyan could have been killed for
breaching security and peace at the country’s main airport.
Then he put a number of questions to the Government. He wanted to
be told the connection between the raid on the Standard newspaper
offices in March and the goods recovered from the Runda residence of
the two Armenian brothers, Artur Margarian and Artur Sargsyan.
"Police got jackets and hoods with QRU (Quick Response Unit) emblems,
similar to those we saw on TV during the Standard raid. Can the
Government explain the link," he asked.
Buoyed by calls of "Shame! Shame" by MPs from both sides of the House,
Mr Kenyatta added: "How did the two Armenians, two private foreigners,
get weapons that belong to the security agency"?
He said that the Arturs debacle had cast questions on the validity of
Kenyan travelling documents, and asked to be told how the Armenians
acquired vehicle registration numbers.
Mr Kenyatta, who is also the Kanu chairman also wanted to know who
accredited the Armenians as deputy police commissioners. What happened
at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he warned, could persuade
foreign tourists to avoid the route and the country at large, leading
to hefty losses in foreign currency.