A short text message sent by the late Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Francis Ogolla, then Vice Chief of Defence Forces, to his boss Gen Robert Kibochi saved his career amidst high-stakes politics during the tallying of the 2022 presidential election results.
The SMS, sent during a period of escalating tensions at the Bomas of Kenya National Tallying Centre, showed Ogolla’s unwavering commitment to the non-partisan role of the military. The text read: “Sir, this is not about security but about politics.”
In May last year, in live media interview, Ruto said that he called Ogolla and sat him down.
“I told him, my friend, you went to Bomas to try and overturn my victory, but because you are the best person to be general, I am going to give you the job. That is how it works with me,” he pointed out.
“He told me, ‘I have no defence; you do with me whatever you want. What I did was wrong’. What exercised my mind is that yes, this gentleman might have made a mistake, maybe because the commander in chief at the time told him what to do.”
Details emerging show that Ogolla shared the message when he met Ruto after he was sworn in, when those in Kenya Kwanza were baying for the blood of those believed to be former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies.
Ogolla told the president, “On going to Bomas, I am guilty as charged. If there was a court martial, I would not escape it. I went there with PAS Kennedy Kihara on advice from the NSAC. The whole reasoning was that there was tension in the country, and, therefore, we needed to have IEBC declare results. On arrival, we met Chebukati, but Kihara delved into politics and started saying that IEBC needed to kneel to the results. I immediately sent a text to Gen Kibochi saying, ‘Sir, this is not about security but about politics. That text I have, and it’s here.”
At that moment, Ogolla showed President Ruto the text, and within weeks, he was appointed CDF.
Gen Ogolla was among the members of the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) that arrived at the tallying centre to meet IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati on the day he was to announce the presidential election winner.
This NSAC contingent was led by Kennedy Kihara, the Principal Administrative Secretary in the Office of the President, along with other key figures. Chebukati later learned of their arrival through Deputy Inspector of Police Noor Gabow, who relayed the message from the head of the public service.
“The arrival of the NSAC delegation was preceded by a call from the head of public service informing me that he had sent a team that would like to discuss the assumption of office,” Chebukati noted in his affidavit during the Supreme Court hearing of the presidential petition by Azimio’s Raila Odinga.
Chebukati scheduled a meeting with NSAC at 2pm. “Since NSAC was already ushered in, we proceeded to listen to their message,” Chebukati said.
Kihara, representing NSAC, emphasised the gravity of their visit and the importance of the message they had to convey.
“Kihara told Chebukati that if he declared Ruto the President-elect, the country was going to burn,” as skirmishes had reportedly started based on alleged betrayal.
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Kihara warned of potential bloodshed and urged consideration of an alternative path, including a runoff. The NSAC left around 3 PM, and CEO Marjan Hussein entered the boardroom with the final results shortly after.
Four commissioners contested the results, calling for adjustments based on the NSAC’s demands, with Cherera proposing specific changes. However, Guliye and Mulo refused to comply, emphasising adherence to constitutional mandates.
“I maintained that I would…
This article was originally published by a www.standardmedia.co.ke . Read the Original article here. .