Truth behind Magerer Langat attack

ODM's Magerer Langat is dragged out of a CORD parliamenatry group meeting at Orange House, Thursday [PHOTOS: GOVEDI ASUTSA/STANDARD]

Amid revelations that top ODM leadership plotted the violence against party Executive Director Magerer Langat, party leader Raila Odinga Friday said some of the goons who assaulted his party’s top official had “owned up” for the violence.

The party leader of the country’s largest opposition party asked the police to step in and “ensure justice is done”, because apart from those who had confessed, there were others “were clearly captured by camera.”
The shocking assault which has given the ruling Jubilee coalition political fodder to besmirch its number one tormentor has now found its way into the agenda of the National Executive Committee meeting to be held next Tuesday at Orange House.

“In the meantime, I want to warn all ODM members that violence and intimidation are totally unacceptable. I encourage all members to respect democratic principles and contribute to a peaceful, just and democratic society,” Odinga said yesterday in a terse dispatch to newsrooms.

The beleaguered Langat will return to Orange House to give a blow-by-blow account of what he knew before, during and after the attack, in a meeting that will determine whether he will have the high-level job.
Langat, who is being wooed to join the United Republican Party – whose stronghold is in his rural Kipkelion region—said he will submit to whatever verdict the NEC makes.

“The despicable act of assault on me was painful and shameful. It’s even worse that such acts were performed by our elected leaders and senior political leaders...I need to relax and calm down as I wait for the outcome of the party verdict on Tuesday next week,” Langat said yesterday while addressing the press in Nairobi.

He could not categorically confirm that the ugly spectacle was planned in advance but affirmed that remarks attributed to him that ‘ODM is dead’ published in a local daily sparked an attack on him.
“What happened was a second attempt on my life in nearly the same circumstances and by the same actors,” he said, rekindling the harassment he suffered in February when the party’s election was botched.
Langat has strongly condemned the act terming it barbaric, cowardly but promised to stay put until the party leadership intervenes.

The former Kipkelion MP however maintained a section of party leaders were opposed to freedom of speech even though he has been a loyal party leader.

“I hope that our laws will protect us against those who are still conformers of status quo and champions of impunity. I have discharged my duties and responsibilities professionally and diligently and with utmost loyalty to both our party and party leader,” he added.

But as Langat spoke, a top official familiar with the planning of the assault told The Standard on Saturday in confidence that the goons were paid by a prominent top ODM politician to beat up the Executive Director and run him out of Orange House, the party’s headquarters.

The official revealed how the top ODM leader showed up at Orange House early Wednesday, met with four junior party officials just next to Langat’s office without his knowledge.

This leader later that day held another meeting at Nairobi’s Gracia Hotel with a group of leaders from Nairobi where an attack on Langat is believed to have been plotted.
“I am convinced that the top leadership of ODM was involved fully in the planning and execution of this unfortunate incident.

After Langat was thrown out, a bodyguard to a top leader removed money from his socks and gave one of those goons. What was shocking is that as Langat was being attacked, some leaders were just there enjoying...,” said a party official we cannot name because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Former Prime Minister personal assistant Dennis Onyango said he was not aware of any such meeting insisting that the only meeting Odinga attended was open to the media.

“There was a meeting but it was open. Media covered it. Raila has only one PA and that is me. I was not in the meeting and I am not aware of money being dished out. There was no other meeting from that,” he said.
The nominated Senator would later summon a communications officer and instructed him to plant a gossip in one of the local dailies claiming that the former prime minister should hand over the leadership of the party to young people.

In this meeting, a Nairobi County Assembly member was tasked to mobilise youth from Kibera who would execute the attack on Langat.
At least a nominated Senator from Nairobi, four MPs and several MCAs attended the meeting that discussed this drama at Orange House.
On Thursday morning as the meeting was ongoing, a group of youths stormed at Orange House screaming. Concerned Langat, our source said, told the ODM leader that something was not right and that he needed to find out what was going on but the leader stopped him saying, “Those are members of ODM, they also have a right to access the party headquarters”.

Shocked, Langat went to take his seat. Shortly after, he was roughed up by the goons before being whisked away. From then on things took a nasty turn.

“One MCA told the goons, yule Maseme na Millie watu wa huyo jamaa wako pale ndani (sympathisers of that Magerer man Maseme and Millie are in there)” said the official.
The goons descended on Political affairs officer Maseme Machuka and Magerer secretary Millfred Were. Maseme’s jacket and trousers were torn as Were was whisked away from the goons by nominated Senator Janet Ongera.

“They harassed me and toe my clothes, they were saying that Millie and I are close to Langat. At least Senator Ong’era rescued Millie. But what I found interesting was that later at night, one of the people behind this mess called and apologised to me,” Machuka told The Standard on Saturday.

Officials who spoke to The Standard on Saturday said the top leadership of the party no longer wants Langat in his current position.
“He is on contract, I mean surely why can’t they just terminate his contract instead of subjecting him to such unfortunate incidence,” said one of the officials.

Langat was forcefully ejected from a CORD parliamentary group meeting at Orange House by section of Nairobi MCAs and some youths in what is seen as a show of political intolerance within the Orange party.
The former legislator was sitting next to CORD leaders Raila and Kalonzo Musyoka before the agitated group pounced on him with kicks and blows.

The MCAs led by Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader Elias Otieno were angered by Langat’s remarks at a past function that ODM was dead and its leader should resign.
But In an interview with The Standard on Saturday yesterday, Otieno dismissed allegations that attacks on the Party’s director were planned.
“You cannot say ODM is dead and continue holding a top position,”Otieno said.

Party Insiders who sought anonymity however say the attack on Mr Langat was a well-orchestrated plan that is likely to befall other party rebels.

The coalition has since issued a stern warning against party rebels saying disciplinary action will be taken against them.

Langat took over as ODM’s Executive Director in July last year after Janet Ongera was nominated to the Senate.