Who killed Msando? Analysis from a global perspective…
As uncertainty looms as to whether Kenyans will ever discover what inspired the calculated death of Mr. Msando, it appears essential and justifiable that this development is analysed from a global perspective with the objective – atleast to find some clues that may lead not only to the killers but also help unearth the whole truth towards closure.
Considering that this development forms part of a long list of mysterious deaths concerning prominent members of our society, it is important that we adopt an open mind-approach without rushing to point fingers. Otherwise, our intellectual capacity will be flawed, our ability to self manage will be ridiculed, and our independence and security will become vulnerable in various ways.
Caution is therefore urged that in order for this development to be resolved successfully, we Kenyans must first endevour to address Mr. Msando not by his tribe but as a Kenyan. Secondly, all investigations concerning this development should be led by our proud security services just like in any other sovereign state. Thirdly, all expert contributions in this matter should be in good faith, aim to be progressive and incorporating lessons learned from other crime case studies. For example, as a well travelled expert in the fields of counter-terrorism, organised crime and global security, I have helped solve many sophisticated crimes by reminding my colleagues to adopt a broad approach simply because the human mind can be extremely crafty and devious – as exhibited in the case studies of Michael Philpott or Oscar Pistorious. Under the circumstance, it is safe to set forth with the view that anyone could be responsible for the death of Mr. Msando. Sadly, even those close to Mr. Msando may have had vested interest in his death hence the need for ingenious and meticulous investigations.
Dynamics
Highly likely cause of death – looking at the immediate condemnation and finger pointing by members of the opposition party led by Mr. Raila Odinga, one gets an uncomfortable feeling. Noting that most crimes share the element of planning and concealment, it may transpire that the finger pointing was/is intended to divert attention away from the perpetrators. How could this be possible and why would Raila be involved? As most crimes are committed by people known to the victim(s), there is a very important clue in this case. Mr. Msando appeared particularly passionate about safeguarding the voting system which coincidentally resonates well with Raila’s (opposition party) longstanding allegations of rigging. It is therefore highly likely that Mr. Msando could have been a secret associate of the opposition party who may have been using him as a resource that was ultimately dispensable. This means his demise was guaranteed and planned to be executed when most profitable. Indeed, the timing of his death just a week before the elections is considered to have generated substantial political capital in favour of the opposition party. Further, Mr. Raila Odinga has an interesting past which together with his unusual obsession to become President, creates a degree of doubt that should remain in the minds of all Kenyans, as well as investigators serving this case. In 1982, Mr. Raila Odinga was an active participant in the attempt to overthrow Kenya’s government led by President Arap Moi. His efforts and the objectives of the coup-plotters resulted in around 6 yrs of his detention/imprisonment. In 2008, Kenya experienced unprecedented level of violence after Raila was defeated in the general election. Subsequently, his running partner (Vice President Ruto) disserted him after discovering that Raila had used him. This means that Raila’s manoeuvrings should be placed under close scrutiny as part of a broader approach towards resolving Mr. Msando’s death.
Likely cause of death – Mr. Msando is said to have been a family oriented individual who is widely speculated to have been killed together with what Kenyans refer to as a side-dish. She may have been a genuine friend and unfortunate collateral damage. But why were they killed together? In effect, this opens up a second strand for investigators to pursue. It would therefore be interesting to understand if the legitimate partner/wife of Mr. Msando ever had any concerns about his conduct, associations and associates. Family members are usual a helpful resource in such investigations because they are closest to the victim and may have noticed unusual activities in terms of cash flow, stress, movement patterns or developments building up to his point of death. Further, numerous mysterious deaths such as this one are known to have been deliberate and involving a family member or someone close enough to know the daily schedule of Mr. Msando. Clearly, Mr. Msando was killed based on good planning. Therefore, someone must have kept a good track of his activities, movement and routines so as to know his exact whereabouts at any given time. Alternatively, a family member may have contributed to his death. Often, this is the person who stands to gain from inheritance or life insurance policy. We should therefore give this matter sufficient time in order for investigators to exhaust all lines of enquiries.
Implausible – in most cases concerning the death of a politician or prominent individuals such as Mr. Msando, one notice a universal attitude and inclination to suspect the government. In this case, it will be critical not only to investigate but also to conclude with concrete evidence (beyond reasonable doubt) that the Government of Kenya is responsible for killing Mr. Msando. This is because Mr. Raila Odinga has been heard publicly insinuating that President Uhuru Kenyatta and others are directly responsible for the death of Mr. Msando. However, upon close scrutiny of surrounding issues and the wider picture, it appears that such allegations are without merit. Firstly, any investigator will seek to understand the rationale for killing an individual who was working as a team. One would expect that an individual in the position of Mr. Msando would have had an office secretary or a personal assistant who helped manage his schedule, correspondence and vital information. Further, as activities of Mr. Msando were coordinated or interlinked with the activities of other individuals in the same organisation, then common sense dictates that IF the Kenyan Government was interested to kill, then it could have killed numerous individuals simultaneously – simply because they have the resources to conduct such an operation. Secondly, if the Government of Kenya felt threatened in any way that inspired the need to kill, then any investigator will seek to understand the rationale of killing Mr. Msando as opposed to killing Mr. Raila Odinga who effectively poses greater and direct threat to their leadership? In addition, it is clear that the Government of Kenya had 5 yrs to kill anyone who posed a threat to their leadership including Mr. Raila Odinga. Therefore, it appears improbable that they would seek to target an individual of low value especially when there was/is opportunity to neutralise a high value target.
External interest – the speedy interest of the US and UK in the death of Mr. Msando is not only peculiar but also quite worrying. As a standard principle, one of the roles of any Government is to protect its citizens. Mr. Msando was a Kenyan therefore why would any foreign entity (the US and UK) be keen to offer help towards investigating this single death of an individual who is not their citizen? Could this be an indication of a secret agenda behind the death of Mr. Msando? Further, is this not a sign of contempt against our sovereignty, government, intelligence services and our intellect? Nonetheless, Kenyans deserve a thorough investigation process that also ascertains whether the US or UK Governments are connected in anyway, in the death of Mr. Msando perhaps as a means of destabilizing Kenya for their own interest. Lessons should be learned from countries like Syria where instability was engineered by foreign players who even exploited humanitarian aid corridors to supply rebel groups with weapons. In summary, we should be polite to remind those foreign entities that when help is needed, we will ask for it. Our immediate need is for them and others to support our advancement which they could support strategically through technological transfer, national debt cancellation, and considerate arrangement for Kenyans to study in their universities at a discounted rate that reflects our status as a poor developing country.
Change vs Progress
Finally, as the death of Mr. Msando may have been intended to undermine our upcoming election contest between change and progress, it is important that we reflect on what is at stake. Looking at the developments taking place across Kenya, it is clear that Kenya is heading in a promising direction. From a global perspective, Kenya is one of the most promising countries that are enjoying rapid and competitive progress. It is therefore logical that all Kenyans should promote this upward trend by enabling the Government to complete its programme atleast within the next five years. Otherwise, a new administration will bring new ideas that will take many years to implement and many more years before fruition.
For those promoting the idea of change, perhaps they should be reminded to reflect on the responsibility to be honest and sincere. Brexit taught the world a number of lessons, one of which is that a nation can be mislead by corrupt politian’s such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove who cunningly promised that Brexit would recover £300 million per week that is paid to EU. Now the UK is in political chaos with deep uncertainty about the future of United Kingdom. From that line of thought, Kenyans should remember that Mr. Raila Odinga was for many years the MP for Kibera where one of the largest slams in the world is located. No transformative change was noticeable in that slam during his elected tenure, yet his personal wealth grew tremendously. As such, would it be wise to trust him with the role of leading a country? One thing for sure is that Kenya must not make the same mistake like in the US where when change was necessary, they got Barrack Obama, but when change was not necessary they got Donald Trump.