ODM leader Raila Odinga has for the first time opened up about his helicopter stoning incident that happened in Kabenes, Soy Constituency in Uasin Gishu on April 1, 2022.
The incident saw a group of youth pelt stones at Raila’s helicopter, as he was condoling with the family of Mzee Jackson Kibor.
During the incident, a window for the helicopter was shuttered, but nobody was injured.
Speaking to Kenyans living in Washington DC during a town hall meeting, the Orange Democratic Movement leader said the attack was aimed at killing him.
He described it as vicious and nasty, blaming it on local politicians for planning it.
“Some goons were hired and they actually wanted to kill us… The attack was vicious, were it not for the actions of the police officers the damage could have been much more devastating,” the former Prime Minister said.
“It was something that was properly planned, the police managed to arrest 15 goons that evening with bundles of money that had been given and the weapons they were supposed to use,” he added.
According to the ODM leader who is vying for the Presidency under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, they were aware of the planned attack and made attempts to change their itinerary to avoid the goons.
Raila was to arrive in Kabenes early in the morning for Mzee Kibor’s burial but opted to start with a rally in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, before arriving late in the evening in Kabenes.
“We did not go to Kibor’s home at the time they expected us to go. I had received information earlier in the morning that they had been hired to attack me at the funeral, so I decided to go when the service was over,” he said.
The police summoned Soy Member of Parliament Caleb Kositany, his Kapseret counterpart Oscar Sudi and Uasin Gishu County Assembly Speaker David Kiplagat, whom they said preliminary investigations indicated that they planned and executed the attack.
Seventeen youths were also arrested in relation to the attack, but fifteen were later set free by the court for lack of evidence.
No charges have been preferred against the three politicians so far. The two youths who remained in custody were charged with knowingly and willfully destructing a helicopter, causing a disturbance, and disrupting peace.