How General Ogolla Sought Audience with President Ruto to Clarify Bomas Election Controversy » Capital News
NAIROBI, KENYA, April 21 – Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit of the Anglican Church of Kenya has disclosed how military chief General Francis Ogolla sought his assistance in securing an audience with the president to address the post-2022 election controversy at Bomas of Kenya.
During General Ogolla’s funeral service in Ng’iya Siaya on Sunday, Archbishop Sapit recounted how General Ogolla and his wife, Aileen, approached him, requesting prayers and an opportunity to communicate with the President William Ruto after the events of the 2022 elections.
General Ogolla was among state officials who had gone to Bomas of Kenya during vote count where they were accused of trying to influence the outcome of the presidential results.
“After the 2022 elections, Mama Aileen and General Ogolla came to me in church and asked for prayers and just one request: if you ever meet the President, ask him to give me an audience, and that’s all. I don’t fear the consequences, but I only need him to hear me out,” Archbishop Sapit told mourners.
He recounted how they prayed together, and subsequently, General Ogolla was appointed as the Chief of the Defence Forces.
During Ogolla’s memorial at the Ulinzi Sports Grounds, President Ruto revealed that General Ogolla offered to be court-martialed over the Bomas incident during the last General election.
“I had a private meeting with General Ogolla, and he admitted he had no defense for what occurred during the 2022 election. He presented me with three options: to either subject him to a court-martial, allow him to retire, or forgive him,” said President Ruto, “I chose to forgive him and gave him the job because he was the best.”
Archbishop Sapit noted that General Ogolla, along with his family, attended a church service to express gratitude for the appointment.
“We prayed together, and I left it at that. Before I could meet the President, he announced to the CDF what an answered prayer it was. We celebrated and went to the church at DOD to offer a thanksgiving service,” he explained.
Lorna Ogolla, the daughter of the late General, described her father as a devout man of faith, unwavering in both good times and moments of distress.
Joel Rabuku, General Ogolla’s son, emphasized his father’s positive relationship with President William Ruto and dismissed claims that the helicopter may have been brought down leading to the deaths.
“I want to tell those making speculations that as a family we have accepted it was an accident,” he said, “they should stop accusing the president and saying he is shading crocodile tears because I know they were great friends.”
Leaders from Nyanza, led by Siaya Governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Odinga have called for thorough investigations into the cause of the helicopter crash so as to end any speculations.
“As a community here (Luo Nyanza), we have suffered tragedies where some of our sons have been assassinated. We had the likes of Tom Mboya, Robert Ouko and others and that is why we are asking for thorough investigations,” he said moments after General Ogolla’s son Joel said the family was satisfied that it was an accident.
“To Ogolla’s son, please be patient, let us wait for investigations,” Oburu said.
And when the president stood to speak, he acknowledged that the dark past of Kenya where several people and leaders have been killed through extrajudicial killings or executions, but vowed “that will never happen under my watch.”
“I made a commitment because it is true we have lost many Kenyans to extrajudicial Killings and executions in the past,” he said, “and without any fear of contradictions, I want to state here that there will never be extrajudicial killings or executions under my watch. We will never have bodies of people in River Yala.”
He was referring to bodies of people recovered from River Yala in the previous regime, who were suspected to have been executed by police, as documented by the human rights organisations.
Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka urged the government to make public the outcome of investigations so as to put the matter to rest.
“Generals don’t die. They fade away. But here we have a General who crashed in a helicopter. We urge the government to make public the report of the investigations,” Kalonzo said.
Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua too said “it is important that the investigations are made public.”
Siaya Governor James Orengo said the government must assure Kenyans that an open investigation will be conducted.
“I want to state without fear of contradiction that as the Luo nation we have mourned a lot of great heroes. There was Tom Mboya, Robert Ouko and others and today we are mourning General Ogolla,” he said, “so all we are asking is the truth to come out.”
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