From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 9:45 AM
News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
KENYANS are puzzled and shocked after reading newspaper reports in one of the country’s leading DAILIES which claimed that two Norwegian security consultant agents recently sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo were part of a group hired to train security elite in Kenya squad.
It was further alleged that the group had secured a contract to train an elite Kenyan squad, but before they could take up the contract, the Norwegian agents were arrested in the DR Congo and convicted by a Kisangani court.
The white foreigners were convicted after being found guilty of various counts of murder, espionage and for spying for unnamed foreign power, conspiracy to murder, formation of criminal association, armed robbery and being in illegal possession of weapons of war.
The report says that Mr Dostoly Moland, 28, and Mr Joshua French, 27, were arrested in the Eastern Congo City of Kisangani {formerly Stanleyville}, after they killed Mr Abeid Kasongo, a Congolese national who was working as a taxi driver.
The report has caused jitters and suspicion among the government coalition partners, namely the ODM and PNU, with each group becoming increasingly suspicious about the intentions of the other. The mysterious Kenyan security personnel attached to the country’s embassy in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, who is alleged to have signed the contract with the Norwegian agents, remains unidentified.
The Norwegian security agents were said to have been in the process of establishing a private Security Operations covering a large area in Eastern African region, and had been contracted by the unidentified Kenyan security official, who claimed to be a staffer at the Kenyan embassy in Kinshasa.
The head of the Special Intervention Group {SIG}, Torgier Fricken, were scheduled to start training the elite Kenyan police squad in an operation code-named “Project Kilo” .
The Kenyan Police and Administration have denied working with any Norwegian group. ”Most of our training is done with the British and, American partners”, said AP spokesman, Masood Mwinyi when contacted.
Contract document seen and published by Norwegian TV2 station, however, show that SIG was to be issued with weapons by Kenyan government.
The group, which is said to have established administrative offices in both Norway and Britain, was supposed to train the “Security Special Elite” on how to neutralize the enemy soldiers, destroy tactical and strategic goals, and monitor and rescue hostages.
The group’s lawyer, a Mr.Morten Furuholmen, was quoted as having said he was aware of the former soldiers plans in Kenya, but that it later turned out that the contract person had not been authorized to sign the deal yet.
According to the information made available to the media, the security consultant had signed secret agreement to train 120 man security elite squad, which would in turn be responsible for high-level VIP protection among other duties.
But many Kenyan leaders have interpreted the alleged agreement, signed between an individual Kenyan security official, and the two Norwegian, as meaning they had intentions of committing acts of subversion and training hit squad mercenaries, perhaps to be assigned with the responsibility of assassinating and eliminating some Kenyan politicians .
Moland was given five death sentences on all charges of murder, attempted murder, espionage, while French got four death sentences on similar charges.
In Nairobi, the State House has strongly denied reports that the Norwegian had won any contract with the government to train an elite squad.
The Presidential Press Unit Director, Mr Isaiyah Kabiru was quoted as saying , “ We do not know them and our security are professionally trained by people of good conduct. We cannot trust criminals with such a duty.”
The government, however, is silent, and not even one cabinet member in the coalition government is willing to be associated with the comments related to the issue. Though there is a hint that when Parliament resumes its sitting, the issue will resurface again, and perhaps cause a heated debate in the House.
Parliament is currently in recess.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Subject: KENYANS ARE STUNNED BY REPORTS ALLEGING THE COUNTRY IS LINKED TO THE DEATH ROW WHITE PRISONERS CAPTURED IN DR CONGO IN CONNECTION WITH MERCENARIES AND ESPIONAGE ACTIVITIES.
