NIS Spied On Raila Odinga During 10-Day Foreign Trip – Report

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) allegedly sent spies to track Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s movement and private meetings in the United States.

This is according to a report by The Star which cites a source from the intelligence agency.

The report says 15 spies were sent to the United States with high range surveillance equipment such as listening devices that was used to spy on his private meetings.

Read Also: Raila Holds Meetings On Capitol Hill Regarding Kenya’s Political Standoff

“We are on top of virtually everything, movements … calls …SMSs,” the source reportedly said.

“We had our people in place prior enough. That is how we do it, it’s our business.”

An advance reconnaissance team was sent to Washington, DC, two days before Raila arrived. Three others accompanied Raila on his flight, sitting as close as possible.

The NIS agents, which included four women, attended Raila’s open meetings and kept close to him and his key associates.

When Raila had private meetings, the agents were in some cases reportedly able to install listening devices in advance to capture conversations.

NIS field officers in Washington directly reported to senior officers at their Thika Road headquarters.

The elaborate blanket surveillance on the former prime minister shines a light on the concerns the Jubilee administration had about the trip.

They were concerned that Raila’s trip was much more than lectures, but a diplomatic coup, hence the order on the spies to report on every minute detail, every movement, who Raila met, when, where and what was discussed.

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During the trip, Raila met with a few high-profile individuals including Mark Bellamy, former Africa director at the State Department and former Ambassador to Kenya.

Raila looked to have got through to the diplomat as he said while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that many Kenyans do not accept the legitimacy of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reelection.

“Kenya is in political disarray. A sizable portion of Kenyans doesn’t accept the legitimacy of the 26 October election and a third election does not offer a way out of this crisis,” Bellamy said.

“‘Moving on’, as some demand, could make the problem worse. Kenyans have shown that they do not accept authoritarianism or strongman rule prevailing in many parts of Africa.”

The diplomat concluded that “there is no answer to the current crisis without the strong imprint of Raila Odinga.”

Other people, Raila met with, among others, are Assistant Secretary of State Donald Yamamoto and Senator Chris Coons.

President of the National Democratic Institute Ken Wallock, President of the International Republican Institute Dan Twining and Johnnie Carson, former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa.