A collaged photo of human rights activist Dr. Isaac Kinity (left) and ODM party leader Raila Odinga (right).
Human rights activist Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity has called on Orange Democratic party leader Raila Odinga to reveal the individuals behind the alleged military coup attempt against President William Ruto or face legal action for misleading the country.
Odinga recently claimed that he intervened to stop a coup attempt on June 25, 2024. However, his revelation, coming eight months later, has raised serious questions.
In a statement to the press on Tuesday March, 19, Dr. Kinity demanded answers, questioning why Odinga waited so long to speak out and why President Ruto has remained silent on the matter.
“Where are the KDF officers who were allegedly involved? Have they been arrested, dismissed, or worse, eliminated? Kenyans deserve the truth,” Kinity stated.
The former trade unionist also pointed to an alarming pattern of unexplained military helicopter crashes under Ruto’s administration.
Since taking office, at least five military helicopters have gone down, including the one that killed General Francis Omondi Ogolla.
Dr. Kinity noted that the government has yet to provide a clear explanation for these incidents.
He also recalled how Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi sent a chilling warning to General Ogolla shortly before his sudden death in a helicopter crash. Kinity now questions whether there is a connection between Sudi’s statement and the general’s untimely demise.
Away from the rumored military coup, Kinity has been vocal about the dire working conditions and low pay of KDF soldiers. He has written extensively on the issue, publishing articles comparing the salaries of KDF officers to those of their counterparts in neighboring countries.
According to his research, Kenyan soldiers receive a minimum monthly salary of just $55, far below what is paid in Tanzania ($413), Burundi ($178), and Rwanda ($170).
To push for international intervention, Kinity sent his findings, including an audio message to global organizations such as the AFL-CIO, ILO, ICFTU, PSI, IACC, Amnesty International, Transparency International, and Human Rights Watch.
He believes that his efforts to expose KDF’s poor pay may have unsettled the government, possibly leading to the claims of a coup attempt as a way to suppress any dissent within the military ranks.
“Is this a ploy to silence KDF soldiers from demanding better pay? Or is it a strategy to arrest and intimidate political opponents ahead of 2027?” He questioned.
Drawing comparisons to the Moi era, Kinity recalled how the late president used the Mwakenya movement to justify arrests, torture and killings.
The US – based seasoned activist warns that if Odinga’s coup story is untrue, it could be part of a broader scheme to instill fear among Kenyans and justify a crackdown on political opponents.
“If a coup attempt truly happened, those responsible should face justice. But if no such thing occurred, then Odinga must be held accountable for misleading the nation,” Kinity said.
Kinity maintains that unless the government increases the minimum salary of KDF soldiers to Ksh 50,000 per month, internal frustrations will persist. Whether Odinga’s revelation was a genuine warning or a calculated political move remains unclear, but Kinity insists that Kenyans must demand answers.
Kinity’s sentiments comes barely a day after the ministry of Defence issued public statement on Mr. Odinga’s claims.
In a press release on Monday, March 17, the Ministry dismissed the reports published on Sunday Nation and Taifa Jumapili as “false, baseless, unfounded, misleading and indeed reckless.
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