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Officers Quizzed Over Missing Land Rovers
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 18 July 2007 03:24
Five senior military officers were yesterday questioned over the scandal involving the 10 Army Land Rovers which were secretly given to the outlawed Mungiki sect in the lead up to the General Election.
Four officers from the Department of Defence headquarters and another from Kahawa Barracks, Nairobi, were interrogated by the military police and asked to record statements.
Six other high-ranking officers implicated in the scandal have not recorded statements because they cannot be interrogated by their juniors.
The 11 Army and Airforce officers, plus one top official still in the Office of the President, and the security team of former President Moi are linked to the scandal, military sources said.
As the military took over the investigations from the Criminal Investigations Department, the Chief of General Staff, General Joseph Kibwana, and his deputy, Lt Gen John Koech, headed for State House where they held a lengthy meeting with senior Government officials about the missing Land Rovers.
The meeting took place at the end of the three-day period in which National Security minister Chris Murungaru, asked Gen Kibwana to provide a report about the scandal. The report was supposed to detail the value of the vehicles, who got them and why they were disposed of, military sources said.
Details of yesterday's meeting, also attended by Dr Murungaru, were unavailable, although military sources confirmed it was specifically to discuss the disclosures first detailed in an exclusive expose on the scandal published in the Daily Nation on Friday.
Dr Murungaru asked Gen Kibwana to investigate the matter later that same day, when he met him with other generals at the DoD, although the minister later issued a statement stressing that he had not issued an ultimatum to the Forces top brass, and that he considered the Armed Forces to be "loyal, professional and fully committed" to their lawful duties.
Only "a few officers" could be involved in the matter, he told a Press conference, adding, "We would not like the entire military to carry the cross of individuals."
However, Dr Murungaru admitted there had been "irregularities" in the disposal of the 10 Land Rovers and promised an "exhaustive" investigation.
The issue of the vehicles first cropped up when the minister made a familiarisation tour of the DoD, a month after Narc came to power.
Sources said yesterday that the military police had taken over the investigations from the CID because they viewed the police as civilians.
"Investigations are at an advanced stage and they are moving smoothly. There is intense pressure on Gen Kibwana to speed up the investigations and punish the culprits. The cartel is badly shaken," one military source said.
He added: "The majority of people in the Forces are happy with the Nation expose because they were not happy with what happened. They want the culprits punished without dragging the name of the military into their personal woes."
The scandal was exposed by loyal Army officers after President Mwai Kibaki took over power a month ago.
The military police are trying to establish how the cartel smuggled the Land Rovers from Kahawa Barracks, Nairobi, to a secret militia which ferried Mungiki members to raids in support of one political party.
Details which later emerged indicated they were first re-registered to the National Security Intelligence Service before being given to Mungiki.
The cartel pushed the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to register them to conceal their Army link.
A letter ordering him to do so was issued on October 25. It stated three of the Land Rovers should be registered under the name of M/s Owen Services Ltd of P.O Box 45675, Nairobi, three others under M/s Hammer Hill Ltd., of PO Box 51990, Nairobi, and the remaining four to M/s Noble Voice Ltd. of P.O Box 79487, Nairobi.
Army sources said the documents and receipt numbers quoted in the letter to the Registrar were fictitious.
Documents were later to be prepared to show the vehicles had been sold through tender.
The saga started in September when the military recalled old and defective Land Rovers.
In October, 10 of them were taken to Kenya Vehicles Manufacturers workshop in Thika Town where they were reconditioned at a cost of Sh7 million. They were then returned to Kahawa Barracks where they were modified, painted grey and fitted with powerful communication equipment.
They were handed to the Presidential Escort last November 6, to cover up their disposal to Mungiki.
Investigations by the CID into the scandal, at the request of State House, were blocked by some senior Army officers.
What is believed to be one of the Land Rovers, registration number KAQ 134E, was recently seized by police who raided the home of Mungiki leader Ndura Waruinge near Ngong Town.
It was previously given to Mr Stephen Njenga Kamunya, the father of Mungiki chairman Njenga Maina, during a campaign tour of Laikipia by President Moi a week before the General Election.
Another of the Land Rovers, registration number KAQ 143E, was seized by police on Saturday from the Kabarnet home of an African Inland Church minister, while yet another was used by Kanu candidate Seleila ole Mwanik in Narok Town during his unsuccessful General Election campaign.
This Land Rover, registration number, KAQ 141E was handed back to the then Kanu government after the election, Mr ole Mwanik admitted.
Yet another one was recovered from the Kisii home of the unsuccessful Kanu candidate for Kitutu Chache Richard Onyonka.
Contacted by the Nation, Mr Onyonka said he was given the vehicle, KAQ 138E, by Kanu headquarters for use during the election campaign.
He, however, denied any links with the Mungiki sect, saying the "police told me they were investigating campaign violence between my supporters and those of Hon Jimmy Angwenyi.
"I expect the police to return the vehicle to me soon after finishing their investigations." Mr Onyonka said he would return it to Kanu headquarters, if asked.
