Unsettled President Daniel Moi was accompanied by four armoured vehicles from Nakuru State House to Nairobi amid 1982 coup, reveales Maj. Kipkoech Chebet.
Also, three tracks of heavily armed Kenya Army officers joined the entourage as Moi pressured the officers to take him to Nairobi to attend 'urgent matters'.
Mr. Chebet, who was incharge of the entourage, says he did not allow the president to use any of the armoured vehicles due to limited space.
“We persuaded him to calm down as we made preparations for his evacuation. We decided to sandwich the president’s motorcade.
"Two armoured cars were to lead the convoy followed by two lorries and a Land Rover full of soldiers armed to teeth," he recalled in an interview with the Standard.
By the time the convoy reached Limuru, Moi demanded to be allowed to address Kenyans who had gathered as the nation grappled in a dilemma at the city.
“I was very apprehensive as this could compromise his safety. Since I could not defy my Commander-in-Chief, I ordered the convoy to slow down. I realised that the civilians were afraid and instructed the troops to start clapping and chanting “Nyayo, Nyayo.”
And while approaching Nairobi, the convoy swapped to Dagoretti and thereafter Ngong Road where Moi also demanded to address people.
By 6:30pm, normalcy has returned and Moi addressed the nation on Voice of Kenya which had earlier been taken over by the rebel Air Force servicemen.
Kenya Army Commander Mahamoud Mahamoud and Chief of General Staff General Jackson Mulinge played key role in quashing the mutiny.
The aborted coup was led by Private Hezekiah Ochuka who would later face the hangman in 1987.
#historynow