KENYA'S FIRST LADY, MRS LUCY KIBAKI BLAMES MINISTER FOR INTERNAL SECURITY, GEORGE SAITOTI FOR OIL SPILL DEATHS

DAILY NATION
NAIROBI, KENYA
By BENJAMIN MUINDI
February 2 2009

Kenya’s First Lady Lucy Kibaki has said Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti is to blame for the Molo oil deaths.

She has also demanded for an explanation, in writing, from officials of the Ministry on why they failed to secure the scene of the incident.

She termed this as “negligence and insensitivity” by the leaders.

Ms Kibaki said that the incidence was man-made and could have been avoided if the Provincial Administration took a step to caution the residents of the danger in scooping oil from a fallen tanker.

“The administrators should have mobilised the residents out the scene of death.”

A furious Mrs Kibaki criticised Prof Saitoti and officials of his ministry of the failure to learn from the past similar incidences in the country.

“It is not the first or the second time this is happening. Even before the explosion the District Officers and chiefs had enough time to warn the people that is was dangerous to siphon the oil.”

She openly criticised the minister alongside other legislators who flew to Molo at the scene of accident to console the mourners over the weekend.

“Why should you fly all the way to Molo just to tell the mourning people that they should learn a lesson?”

She was speaking after visiting victims of the Molo tragedy at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi where some of the accident victims are admitted.

Noting that a similar tragedy happened on Thika Road last year, Mrs Kibaki blamed national leaders for ignoring to take caution and prevent future incidents.

“Internal Security docket should make sure that the citizens of the country are safe at all times.”

Prof Saitoti , Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Cabinet ministers Sam Ongeri, Beth Mugo, and Police Commissioner Hussein Ali were the first leaders to go to the accident scene.

“Instead of making a visit when the people are dead, you should go there to give them some (civic) education in good time...that petrol is dangerous and to keep off from man-made dangers.”

Mrs Kibaki told the Internal Security ministry to take charge of the situation noting that the country has had enough “unnecessary deaths” since January last year during the post-election violence.

She said President Kibaki was saddened by the accident and was forced to cut short his official trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“I was saddened by the Nakumatt inferno and now we have the Molo tragedy. Our leaders should wake up and do something.”

The death toll has reached 118 after seven of the 47 victims flown from the scene to Nairobi succumbed to their injuries.

She lamented that most of the dead were young people and school-going children, who had been sent by their parents to scoop oil for sale.

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Mrs Kibaki also hit out at MPs whose constituents are dying of hunger.

“You should be ashamed. With your salaries you can feed the whole constituency...why should you let anyone die of hunger?

“If one cannot feed his constituents, what can he do for the nation?”

She was accompanied by the Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, Public Health minister Beth Mugo, Government spokesman Alfred Mutua, Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua and former MP Njenga Karume.

Later, Prime Minister Raila Odinga visited the victims and pledged government support for special food and foreign doctors to carry out reconstructive surgery.

“The government will not spare anything in providing the best health care for the people,” he said.

KNH director Jotham Micheni requested for blood donations to help the victims.

Submitted by nani_ngombe
Posted February 03, 2009

Assuming you just dropped from space, and do not know her, Don't you think she makes sense? True, we do not have HOMELAND SECURITY. Even tourists who visit us attest to this. It is the duty of Saitoti's field intelligence officers to execute swift active measures to counter crimes or such 'accidents' before they happen. NOT AFTER. But since I am not from space, I know Lucy and more so the quorum that was behind her, I think this is all political claptrap. At least with a tinge of genius.

Submitted by mza
Posted February 02, 2009

Lady Lucy though a loose canon is honest and forthright. That is why she has been a target of media savvy politicians. But I prefer her to individuals willing to lie through their teeth in order to score cheap political points. What was the point of the whole aerial media circus to Molo?

Submitted by naliweliwalo
Posted February 02, 2009

Why didn't she blame Mutula for the Nakumatt fire? How come she has not come out lashing at ministers who are stealing maize and oil? She said nothing the whole of 2008 while the country was burning. As mother of the nation, what has she done to help in relief efforts to alleviate hunger? Please!