David Musila is former powerful provincial commissioner in the Moi regime later joined politics and secured a front-row seat in some of Kenya’s recent significant political events. He is also a former Kibwezi MP and was an official in Wiper Party.Here is what he narrated about the events of the 1982 coup.
I was aware of an imminent military coup as we neared August 1982. I knew of it because the information was covered in our Provincial Security summaries. It began as rumours, which I thought should not have been cause for undue alarm. Then as we neared the date of the 1982 Central Kenya Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show, a popular agricultural and trade fair hosted in Nyeri town, rumours started escalating. According to the rumours, the coup was to take place that show weekend. The ASK Show was staged annually at the end of July and the Head of State always graced the opening of the Show at the Ruring’u Stadium.
A few days before the scheduled date, I received a call from the State House Comptroller, Abraham Kiptanui. He informed me that after opening the Show on July 30, 1982, the President would spend the night at the nearby Sagana State Lodge. As was customary, I organised a few troupes of popular traditional dancers for the President’s evening entertainment. I also detailed Chief Munyingi of Mweiga to deliver 10 young Dorper sheep for consumption by the President and his guests.
I then travelled to Nairobi, where I spent the night of July 29 as I waited to escort the President to Nyeri the following morning. My sleep was disturbed. I could not remove the coup talk from my mind, so I prayed for peace to prevail in our beautiful country. On the morning of July 30, I went to State House and had breakfast with the President. We had a hearty meal. Just before we departed for Nyeri, President Moi called me aside. He informed me that he would not spend the night at Sagana State Lodge.
“You should allow all the arrangements for the presidential visit at Sagana State Lodge to continue as planned. But do not tell anyone about my change of plans,” he warned. I clearly understood the President especially because of my concern for the rumoured coup. The President seemed to be in a jovial mood as we left for Nyeri. We stopped at many towns and shopping centres along the way for him to acknowledge greetings from wananchi.
When we arrived in Nyeri, we drove straight to my official residence, where we had lunch before we left for the stadium with my official car in the lead. We found the Kenya Air Force at the stadium, ready to mount the presidential guard of honour. The President, the Air Force Commander Major General Peter Kariuki, the Chief of General Staff General Jackson Mulinge and I mounted the ceremonial open Land Rover and did a lap of honour round Ruring’u stadium, acknowledging cheers from the huge crowd.
Everyone in my company appeared tense. With the coup rumours and with the President’s intimation to me about his change of plan, a cold feeling sank into my stomach. My worry was that the intelligence information was not clear which arm of the Defence Forces was planning the coup. The President was composed but I was very jittery.
Many terrifying images ran through my mind as I thought of the assassination of John F Kennedy, President of the USA. I visualised a masked man opening fire on the Land Rover.
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