Kalonzo Explains Why CDF Ogolla Was at Bomas During 2022 Elections
The tragic death of Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla and nine other military officers on Thursday, April 18, cast a shadow over Kenya. Numerous leaders have extended their condolences to the bereaved families and the entire country.
During an interview on Thursday evening, Azimio la Umoja Co-Principle Kalonzo Musyoka urged Kenyans to stay resilient and composed, and allow leaders the time to address and verify the details of the unfortunate incident.
“My heart is with the families of the affected soldiers and servicemen, it is a tragedy of unknown proportion,” Kalonzo stated.
Reflecting on the 2022 general elections, the leader of the Wiper Party stated that the late Ogolla was chosen as the head of the Defense Forces by the Military “Tonje Rules,” dismissing other rumored reasons for his appointment.
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“If Kenyans can remember exactly what happened after the 2022 general elections, that the general who was a member of the national security team was dispatched along with his colleagues to the Bomas of Kenya which is a normal thing, but brought about a lot of criticism,”
“If it was not for the Tonje rules, he would not have become the general,” Kalonzo added.
Kalonzo also called on the government to quickly accelerate the investigation into the incident, noting that the country has never experienced the death of a CDF in the line of duty.
“We expect answers on what exactly happened so that you can end up with a fallen Chief of Defence Forces,” he stated.
The former vice president raised concerns about the cause of the aircraft crash, referencing the frequent banditry attacks in the West Pokot and Marakwet regions.
“Kenyans want to know if this was an attempt to eliminate the general, or was it a bandits’ shot that took him down? Because if it was we can’t be losing to bandits,” he added.
Tonje Rules
Tonje rules are named after General Daudi Tonje, Kenya’s fourth Chief of General Staff, are a gentleman’s agreement yet to be encoded as the law.
The rules note that if a position holder serves for a term, four years in this case, they can get a one-year extension at the pleasure of the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
Other issues highlighted in the rules include that against discrimination and sexism, where Tonje allowed women to marry and head military groups.
Legally speaking, the KDF Act indicates that the President, who is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces should appoint the Chief of the Defence Forces, Vice Chief of the Defence Forces, and the three Service Commanders.
Kalonzo Explains Why CDF Ogolla Was at Bomas During 2022 Elections
