Confusion as Raila asked to return Government luxury cars again

By CYRUS OMBATI

Another round of confusion emerged last week when Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku (pictured) ordered that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga returns seven luxury cars.

The order to surrender the cars first came from Government Spokesman Muthui Kariuki who blatantly attacked Raila and accused him of refusing to surrender the cars allocated to him. He also claimed the former PM had been breaking traffic laws by using wrong lanes in an attack that elicited condemnation.

“He is forever mourning that the Government is not giving him recognition, yet he has refused to return six Government vehicles,” said Mr Kariuki. But three days after Kariuki’s claims, Mr Lenku contradicted him, saying the cars Raila had were allocated to him legally.

Ironically, Lenku was in the company of Kariuki and Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo in Mombasa when he made the remarks.

Kariuki could be seen smiling from the background as Lenku spoke. He said the former premier and other former Government officials deserve respect. It is soon after that he wrote to Raila and former Vice President Kalonzo demanding that they return the said cars.

 It was therefore shocking that on Thursday, Lenku wrote a letter listing the number of vehicles that Raila and Kalonzo were supposed to surrender.

The confusion came a day after President Uhuru told a peace rally at Maela in Naivasha that the Government did not order the demolition of houses in the area.

Sources said top Government officers in Nairobi ordered members of the provincial administration in the area to conduct the operation.

 Meanwhile it has emerged that top security officials argue the decision by Government officials to make public security provisions for the two Cord leaders was political and made with a hidden agenda.

The officials who talked on condition they remained anonymous said there were other previous Government officials enjoying better and more security and Government resources than the two.

“We have GSU still guarding compounds of former ministers like George Saitoti, businessmen and even ambassadors. Why they chose to make their case public is what we do not know,” said one official.