From: Ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012
It is exactly one week today since the helicopter that killed Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti and his assistant Orwa Ojode, two body guards and two pilots crashed. Many speculations leading to the crash have been said since then.
On Tuesday, June 12, 2012, Uganda newspaper, Daily Monitor in its headline reported that Al Shabaab warns of more Kenyan deaths. Uganda’s State Minister for internal affairs, Mr James Baba, described al-Shabaab’s threats and the terror group’s reported jubilation at the fatal crash as “sad and evil”.
Although the al-Qaeda-associated group did not claim direct responsibility for killing the Kenyan ministers, they threatened to “eliminate” all Kenyan leaders. “Kenyan leaders will perish through the actions of our courageous militants,” the group said in a statement released to the public.
Through a message circulated via social medium, Twitter, al-Shabaab, the radical Islamist group fervently opposed to that country’s fragile Transitional Federal Government, announced its intentions following the death of the Kenyan officials on Sunday. “Their deeds affected Muslim people in this country,” the Twitter piece stated in respect to the ministers.
On Monday June 11, 2012, The Kenyan DAILY POST reports that Saitoti spoke passionately of peace in the country and war against Al Shabaab. The terror group who have the twitter handle @hsmpress have since spoken out on this issue.
The paper connected all the tweets they wrote. Here is their celebratory message. “Kenyans should know that neither would their country ever prosper nor their security improve under the heels of such men. Better off dead! The remaining invaders should be expectant that Allah will inflict His punishment by Himself upon the Kuffar or by the hands of Mujahideen He has been aggressive in his war against Islam but died the wretched death of a Kafir and now lies rotting in his coffin on his way to hell.
For the hundreds of Muslims killed & displaced by Kenya’s brutal invasion, Saitoti’s death is but a droplet of justice in a sea of oppression Saitoti played a prominent role in overseeing the abduction, torture & imprisonment of hundreds of innocent Muslims in his war against Islam.
From strafing of refugee camps in Somalia to the abdominal treatment of Muslims in Kenya, Saitoti and his likes perpetrated heinous crimes HSM welcomes the death of the evil minister upon whose authorization thousands of Muslims suffered both in Somalia and Kenya”.
Mr Saitoti the Daily Monitor rep[orts, has been among the foremost voices against terror attacks which have rocked Nairobi, and an apologetic supporter of his country’s deployment of troops to help rid southern Somalia of al-Shabaab elements. Uganda which also had deployed peacekeepers in Somalia under Amisom suffered twin terror attacks that killed at least 80 people in Kampala in July 2010.
Kenya deployed thousands of troops into Somalia in October last year, in hot pursuit of al-Shabaab militants it accused of undermining the security and economy of Kenya.
On Tuesday June 12, 2012, The DAILY POST reports that Kasipul Kabondo MP Oyugi Magwanga dismissed claims that the helicopter crash that killed Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti and his assistant Orwa Ojode, two body guards and two pilots was an accident.
Magwanga who is Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legislator said the deaths of Saitoti and Ojode is all about succession politics and was planned and executed by some people he declined to name.
Magwanga further questioned the circumstances that led to the accident, saying the helicopter was ranked among the best in the police service.
“If you look at the circumstances surrounding their death, it all points to foul play by certain individuals keen on 2012 succession politics and those who are supporting Mombasa Republic Council and those opposing the outlawed group ideologies,” Magwanga said, saying Prof Saitoti and Ojode were against the secessionist demands of MRC.
While Juja MP William Kabogo, Naivasha MP John Mututho, Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari and Peter Mwathi of Limuru warned the government against giving contradicting theories on the death of Saitoti, Ojode and four others, DN2, Friday, June 15, 2012 quotes Kabogo as saying’ “Kabogo who is said to own a helicopter, told parliament that as a qualified pilot, he couldn’t see how Ngong crahs could have resulted from pilot disorientation”.
Saitoti, 67 was a presidential hopeful in the forth coming general election and was president Kibaki’s confidante and a dedicated member of Party of National Unity (PNU) while Ojode was ODM MP for Ndhiwa constituency in Luo Nyanza Region.
According to Amos Kimunya, the plane was brand new, bought in 2011-the two pilots were very experienced, human error unlikely. There were no visibility problems on that day. It is unknown what happened between 8.38am and 8.42am, all communication with pilot cut off.
Kimunya made this observation on Monday, June 11, 2012 at a special cabinet meeting at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) where he dismissed the first four causes of any plane crash (incompetency and inexperience of the pilots, human error, bad weather and the state of the air craft.)
Reports according to the government say that the weather was clear and visibility was good (actually over 8 kms), they also say that the Euro copter aircraft number 5YCDT A5350 which had only 100 hours flying time since its registration in January was in good working condition.
On the question of experience of the two pilots, Kimunya said that Nancy Gituanja had over 1166 hours and 29 minutes of flying time which according to pilots is good.
Nancy Gituanja is said to have experience with the Euro craft as she is the one who checked the chopper after it was serviced on Friday. Reports say that she flew the chopper to Voi on a test drive and confirmed it was ok.
She later parked it at the Wilson Airport Kenya Police Air wing hanger. It is said that she later went to Dumbsters restaurant with Oyugi when one of the engineers came to the restaurant and informed her that the chopper was having a problem with the lighting though it was just a minor problem.
Reports say that Gituanja was not designated to fly the chopper on Sunday as she was to attend a family gathering at Kandara. The chopper was to be flown by Capt. Kuto and Oyugi.
The chopper left Wilson Airport at exactly 8. 32 a.m. and at 8.37 the pilot communicated to control with a request to take a new frequency 118.5. Immediately a critical tracking device stopped working due to internet failure. It is also said that the pilot did not report any distress call evidence enough that there was communication breakdown.
Apart from Saitoti being the Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on ICC, there have been political assassinations before. What leaves a lot to be desired is that it took some presidential candidates’ time to send condolences and when they did it looked like crocodile tears.
One wonders also why Gituanja was forced to travel even when she was not designated to fly the chopper on Sunday as she was to attend a family gathering at Kandara. The chopper was to be flown by Capt. Kuto and Oyugi. Also why a bodyguard was replaced last minute.
It is also to be recalled that George Saitoti had warned politicians against dragging President Kibaki’s name in the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) debate.
In a statement, Saitoti also warned civil society and the media against making speculative comments linking the President to ICC trials.
“Such comments are unwarranted, alarming and unfounded. Kenyans should ignore them,” Saitoti was quoted to have said. Sources said Saitoti met Kibaki at Harambee House before he issued the statement at his office.
President Kibaki offered himself as a character witness in one of the cases. “President Kibaki’s name must not be misused or manipulated to make speculative inferences that there is a scheme to drag him into the ICC cases,” said Saitoti.
Saitoti seemed to have been hitting out at a section of G7 Alliance politicians who have been going around the country claiming the cases at The Hague are aimed at the President.
Saitoti’s statement on Kibaki’s alleged involvement in the violence was the second one to come from top Government officials since the international court confirmed four of the six Kenyans’ cases.
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