- Robert Ouko
The Honorable Minister John Robert Ouko (
31 March 1931 –c.12 February 1990 ), commonly known as Robert Ouko, was aKenya npolitician who served as Foreign Minister of Kenya. He wasmurder ed in 1990, in the context of his investigation of corruption charges against the Kenyangovernment . The murder case remains unsolved.Political life
Robert Ouko served in the government of Kenya from the colonial period through the presidencies of
Jomo Kenyatta andDaniel arap Moi . He was a member of theNational Assembly forKisumu and acabinet minister, rising to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation by 1990.He was elected to the parliament at the 1979 general elections from
Kisumu Rural Constituency and retained his seat at the 1983 elections. For the 1988 elections he moved toKisumu Town Constituency (later split to Kisumu Town West and Kisumu Town East constituencies), and was again elected to the parliament [Center for Multiparty Democracy: [http://www.cmd.or.ke/images/Politics%20and%20Paliamenterians%20in%20Kenya.pdf Politics and Parliamenterians in Kenya 1944-2007] ] . Ouko represented KANU, the only legally operating party at the time.Murder investigations
On the night of
12 February 1990 Ouko disappeared from his farm inKoru nearMuhoroni . On16 February the government announced that his body had been found on a nearby hill. The body had been mutilated and burnt and was found with items including a gun, a diesel can and matches. All apart from the diesel can had belonged to Ouko. News of the crime set off riots in Nairobi.Initial
police reports suggested that Ouko had committedsuicide but it soon became apparent that Ouko had been tortured and shot before his body was burnt. Public pressure led PresidentDaniel arap Moi to ask British detectives fromNew Scotland Yard to investigate Ouko's death. In October 1990 Moi appointed a public inquiry into the case chaired by JusticeEvans Gicheru . The inquiry was terminated by Moi in November 1991 and did not produce a final report but its proceedings had brought many of the facts of the case to public attention. Several government officials, including energy ministerNicholas Biwott and head of internal securityHezekiah Oyugi , were detained for questioning in relation to the murder but released after two weeks for "lack of evidence".Jonah Anguka was tried for Ouko's murder in 1992 and acquitted, with the crime remaining unsolved. Anguka later fled into exile in the United States, fearing for his life. He has since published a book, "Absolute Power," denying his involvement in the Ouko Murder [http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/Features/Anguka/parta.html] .The investigations suggested that Ouko had been compiling a report on corruption in the Kenyan government and how it had affected his attempts to reopen a molasses plant in his
Kisumu constituency. The report was not found after Ouko's disappearance and it was suspected that his murder was an attempt to suppress his findings.In March 2003 the newly elected government of
Mwai Kibaki opened a new investigation into Ouko's death to be conducted by a parliamentary select committee. The inquiry has heard evidence from the 1990 British investigation implicating former government officials includingNicholas Biwott with the murder. Biwott has however denied involvement. In March 2005 the inquiry summoned former President Moi to give evidence. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200502230872.html] [http://allafrica.com/stories/200503020867.html] [http://allafrica.com/stories/200503020534.html]See also
*
Corruption in Kenya References
* Cohen, David William & Odhiambo, E. S. Atieno (2004). "The Risks of Knowledge: Investigations into the Death of the Hon. Minister John Robert Ouko in Kenya, 1990". Ohio University Press. ISBN 0-8214-1597-2. [http://www.ohiou.edu/oupress/FW2004/cohen/]
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