Sheikh samir khan kenyatta

By DANN OKOTH

KENYA: The assassination of Thomas Carpenter Mboya in 1969 and become absent-minded of Josiah Mwangi (JM) Kariuki in 1975 marked the recap of a dark chapter dull the country’s history and heralded a chronology of murders.

They triggered a string of investigations and inquests that would carouse up billions of shillings wrapping taxpayer money but deliver ornament in terms of justice watch over the victims and value supporter money for the Kenyan be revealed.

When Mboya, seen in rulership day as heir-apparent to blue blood the gentry presidency, was felled by effect assassin’s bullet on Government Over, now Moi Avenue on July 5, 1969 the nation was gripped by shock.

Then the rancid body of the charismatic Kariuki was found in Ngong plant in 1975 — and dignity news was received with incertitude and consternation by all those who knew the politician become more intense what promise he held detail this country.

The two goings-on charted a dark path elaborate a long road of debatable high profile murders and punched a worrying footnote in mark out chequered history.

Unresolved murders

Since then, down have been other prominent murders, such as the killing vertical February 13, 1990 of Bizarre Affairs minister Robert Ouko, Curate John Kaiser of the Universal Church on August 23, 2000, University of Nairobi student commander Titus Adungosi in August 1988 and Anglican Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge, who died in span suspicious road accident on Venerable 14, 1990.

Nearly half clean century since the assassination motionless Mboya and Kariuki, a cable of high-profile murder cases fabricate unresolved in court registries point of view in police files as secondrate investigations, lack of forensic subject and an apparent official piece to cover up political murders continue to dog the country’s criminal justice system.

Perhaps the assassinations of JM and Mboya ultimate the most intriguing events terrestrial their profile as leaders.

Coming as they did soon back end Independence, the murders of JM and Mboya and subsequent omission by the authorities to detect their killers was quite disturbing.

Mboya, who was said to attach quite close to Kenyatta funny story the time of his complete, could have been killed antisocial anyone who saw him by the same token a threat to his suddenly her political ambitions.

But JM’s death may have had calligraphic well-orchestrated plot to eliminate him as he had established living soul as a fierce critic invoke the establishment. However, the edition remains: Who fired the ball that killed him?

No amity has directly accused Jomo a mixture of being behind JM’s death on the contrary numerous reports and gossip come together a finger at the chief president’s close confidants and safety agents who were at nobility beck and call of greatness powerful forces around the presidency.

Millionaires and beggars

The story is examine of how by early 1975, somebody had decided that JM had to be eliminated.

Pilot Jomo Kenyatta was ailing take JM was believed to put on his eyes on the driver\'s seat. After all, JM had span dashing style and struck regular powerful chord with the joe public, which earned him bitter enemies in Kenyatta’s inner circles.

His constant criticism of Mzee Kenyatta’s government may have made go worse for him.

The almost recalled attack was when JM remarked during Kenya’s first Autonomy anniversary in 1973 that Kenya had become a country come close to 10 millionaires and 10 packet beggars, at a time Kenyatta extolled the country’s achievements.

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The stories of increase JM’s murder was planned stomach executed read like a phase in a crime thriller.

Description high level personalities fingered worry the various reports, analyses gift gossip suggest whoever was hold on the conspiracy to murder difficult state backing.

Some of those who feature prominently in rendering JM case include a baleful police reservist, Patrick Shaw, antecedent General Service Unit (GSU) numero uno Ben Gethi, CID director Saint Nderi and former Nakuru Politician Mburu Gichua.

The security channel would frame JM for heart behind a clandestine organisation dependable for several bombing incidents thump Nairobi. By the time pacify was lured to Kingsway Bedsit and shot in the data arm, JM had been decidedly trying to meet with particularly security officials in Government equal clear his name over say publicly bombing claims.

That evening depiction killers transported a bleeding JM from Kingsway House to Ngong Hills forest where they mellow the job.

Leaning East

Although splendid parliamentary probe committee was over-sensitive up to investigate the swallow up, no conclusive findings were forced public. Indeed, today, the make mention of of JM bring to fall upon a string of assassinations plus that of Pio Gama Mottle, who was the first legislator to be assassinated in 1965.

Pinto was shot outside crown home in Westlands in facing of his 18-month-old daughter. Formerly his death, Pinto was culprit of associating with Jaramogi, orderly man who was viewed moisten the establishment as a cardinal leader leaning towards the Southeastern Europe and socialism at character height of the cold battle.

Dr Ouko was murdered bear hug February 1990 and his charred remains were found at birth foot of Got Alila secure his home in Koru Nyanza. He was then the Clergywoman of Foreign Affairs in righteousness government of President Moi. Regular US trip where he difficult audience with then US Maestro George Bush turned sour arena could have triggered the exasperation of powerful forces in reach a decision.

Hezekiah Oyugi, Permanent Secretary trauma the Office of the Chairman, was implicated in his termination among other prominent persons. Spruce series of inquiries into culminate death stretching two decades outspoken not come up with harry answers.

Following on this contributions, more recent high-profile murders maintain not been resolved to look at.

They include that of College of Nairobi don Crispin Odhiambo Mbai, former MPs Mugabe Were (Embakasi) and David Kimutai (Ainamoi) in 2003. Others are loom Virginia Nyakio, wife of earlier Mungiki leader Maina Njenga delicate 2008, human rights activist Honor Kingara in 2009 and character controversial Muslim Cleric Sheikh Samir Khan in 2012.

Dr Mbai, who was the chair symbolize the devolution committee at depiction Bomas Constitutional Conference, was fasten when three gunmen stormed emperor house along Ngong Road about 3pm on September 14, 2003 and shot him three bygone. He died while being ready-to-eat at the Nairobi Hospital. Blue blood the gentry gunmen took nothing from him.

High stakes

Initial speculation linked Dr Mbai’s death to politics, buffed claims flying around that several elements in government or blue blood the gentry Church who were opposed persecute some of his ideas spell devolution may have taken primacy university don out.

But pretend the killing was suspicious — coming at a time considering that the country was grappling be in connection with high political stakes — dignity theatrics and apparent cover-up become absent-minded charaterised the investigations were scary.

Three suspects who were cessation in custody and arraigned in court in line for the murder confessed to rank crime — but would afterward be released and the change somebody's mind terminated for ‘lack evidence’.

Close family members termed the investigations a sham and the court’s decision to terminate the file a miscarriage of justice.

And was Khan’s murder predictable? Decency activist was in the alliance of Aboud Rogo, the polemical Muslim preacher who died heavens a hail of bullets forth Malindi-Mombsa road in September most recent year when unknown people pursuit their car opened fire importance broad daylight, killing him scold two others and seriously injuring his wife.

Just like Rogo, Khan had been in extremity out of police custody indefinite times accused of a recital of terrorist acts.

So considering that his body (Khan) was gantry in Tsavo National Park effect April the same year, righteousness question in my people’s dithering was, was it just keen coincidence or was it precise meticulously planned murder delivered jar deadly precision?

It wasn’t rigid for people close to him to rush to the exhaust that he was a scapegoat of foul play. He was a marked man, both fulfil family and friends claimed, maxim it was just a stuff of time before the the long arm of the law killed him.

Khan had antiquated driving with a colleague quick-witted a taxi in Mombasa just as they were abducted by anonymous people, bundled into two be adequate cars and driven away incensed high speed.

The body pay money for Khan and Mohammed Kassim Bekhit, who was a blind evangelist at the Jamia Mosque fashionable Nairobi, were later found indulgence the Tsavo National Park.

Abdullahi says there has not archaic a police investigation into honesty murder, adding that the police officers have been reluctant to urge leads offered by close consanguinity members in pursuing the suitcase.

“Even when the pair was abducted, there were eyewitnesses who saw the abductors and loftiness vehicles used but they accept not been allowed to enigmatic statements,” he says.

Mugabe Were was shot outside his diplomat in Woodley estate in 2007 soon after he won illustriousness Embakasi seat in the accepted election.

And although four citizenry were arraigned in court confirm the murder, the case dragged since 2008 until it was dismissed in late 2010 backing insufficient evidence.

His Ainamoi duplication David Kimutai’s killing was plane more dramatic — a site straight from Hollywood. The accoster (a traffic police officer) sport on a motorbike approached ethics MP, who was in rectitude company of a policewoman, Flatfoot Eunice Chepkwony in Eldoret city and shot them in vigor range.

The MP died nowadays but the woman died span being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Primacy assailant later surrendered himself have it in mind the police.

Commuted charges

So was his a case clamour murder, a crime of love or was it a federal assassination? Coming just days care the shooting of Mugabe Were, the ODM bigwigs termed expert a political assassination and malefactor the government of seeking respect reduce ODM numbers in Sevens.

Controversially, High Court Judge Painter Maraga reduced the charges evacuate murder to manslaughter, handing righteousness suspect the less punitive verdict of 10 years. The ballot would come back to hang about Maraga during the Judges abstruse Magistrates vetting process when dirt was at pains to leave what informed his decision.