KAUNYA FLEES

A deputy provincial commissioner has left the country after receiving death threats from unknown people last month.

A close confidante of Nyanza Central deputy Provincial Commissioner Oku Kaunya said he flew out of the country on Saturday after he attempted to meet a senior government official without success.

However, his wife, Millicent Kaunya said her husband was out of the country with the government’s knowledge.

Mrs Kaunya said he has been feeling unwell and travelled to Germany for treatment. She said he would also visit his daughter in the US and will be home in three weeks.

“He travelled to Germany on Saturday. He obtained an official letter authorising him to travel, a copy of which I have,” Mrs Kaunya said. She said he was still on leave.

An official in the Provincial Administration and Internal Security ministry on Wednesday said only PS Francis Kimemia authorises travel for such senior civil servants.

The PS could not be reached on Wednesday evening. Mr Kaunya is a former commandant of the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi which, according to the Waki report, was a central cog in the chain of events leading to the post-election violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives and displaced 500,000 others.

The report said 1,600 officers were sent to the college for “special training” so that they could act as election agents for PNU. “All officers deployed were dressed in plain clothes, easily identified as they were not from the local community and travelled in large groups by more than 30 chartered buses,” the report said.

“In addition, they received Sh21,000 each for their duties. The entire exercise was called off after some officers were killed and many more injured by citizens.”

Relatives at his Kakemer village in Teso North District told Nation Mr Kaunya left the country last week on official leave. A relative who spoke on condition that he is not named said Mr Kaunya extended his leave after going into hiding following alleged threats to his life.

Mr Kaunya was last month reported to have gone into hiding but later resurfaced in Kakamega Town, saying he had gone to visit a friend in Vihiga.