NEWSPAPER PLACARDS AND HEADLINES; PARLIAMENT BUILDING; MOI SEATED AT PRESS CONFERENCE; MOI SPEAKS TO PRESS (SOF)



TRANSCRIPT



MOI: (READING STATEMENT) "ON BEHALF OF THE KENYA GOVERNMENT, I URGE ALL OUR COUNTRYMEN TO REFLECT CALMLY ON ALL THAT HAS OCCURRED, TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE COLD AND PITILESS MOTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS OF FORCES THAT HAVE BEEN AT WORK. I CALL ON ALL KENYANS TO STAND TOGETHER IN DEFENCE OF OUR NATIONALISM AND ALL THAT WE FOUGHT AND HAVE BUILT WITH OUR FAITH AND OUR SWEAT. FOR WITHOUT SUCH UNDERSTANDING AND RESOLVE, OUR PEOPLE MAY SUFFER SIMPLY THROUGH BEING MANIPULATED, LIKE PUPPETS ON A STRING."



REPORTER: "HAVE YOU ANYTHING TO SAY IN THE LIGHT OF THE ALLEGATION THAT WAS MADE ON BRITISH TELEVISION THAT A SOUTH AFRICAN SPY WAS INTERVIEWED AND CLAIMED SOUTH AFRICANS MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ASSASSINATION OF MR MBOYA? YOU HAVE COMMENTED ON THIS I KNOW."



MOI: "WELL, I COMMENTED LAST NIGHT AND I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT THE SAME THING THAT WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS, AND I CANNOT DEFINITELY SAY ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS A SISTER-STATE...... WHICH IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY."



REPORTER: "I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION: ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO AND THE NEXT TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH, YOU MAKE IT FAIRLY CLEAR THAT THE IMPLICATION IS THAT IT WAS NEITHER TRIBAL NOR PERSONAL, BUT APPARENTLY TO SUPPORT AN ALIEN IDEOLOGY. NOW DOES THIS SUGGEST THAT IF IT ISN'T SOUTH AFRICA YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FROM SOME OTHER COUNTRY WHICH SPONSORED THE ASSASSINATION?"



MOI: "NO, I WOULD, AS I SAID... LET US ALL AVOID SPECULATION. I DON'T WANT PREJUDICE THE CASE --- IT IS SUB JUDGE -- AND I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD BLOCK THE WAY IN THIS MATTER."




Initials GL/V/AS/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: KENYAN VICE-PRESIDENT DANIEL MOI YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) DESCRIBED THE ASSASSINATION OF MR TOM MBOYA AS "A POLITICAL EXECUTION, MONSTROUSLY CONCEIVED" AND SAID IT APPEARED TO BE PART OF A WIDER PLAN, AIMED AT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE GOVERNMENT. BUT HE REFUSED TO NAME ANY COUNTRY AS BEING INVOLVED IN THE KILLING OF THE 38-YEAR-OLD ECONOMICS MINISTER ON JULY 5TH.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT SAID "BOTH ASSASSINATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCE HAVE SO FAR AIMED TO CHAOS AND CIVIL DISORDER AS A STEPPING-STONE TO THE IMPOSITION OF SOME ALIEN IDEOLOGY." HE DISMISSED A BRITISH TELEVISION REPORT WHICH SUGGESTED AFRICA WAS CONNECTED WITH THE KILLING.

POLICE ARE HOLDING THREE MEN FOR QUESTIONING IN THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO MR MBOYA'S DEATH, AND EXAMINING A WEAPON OF SIMILAR CALIBRE TO THAT USED IN THE KILLING.

AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE MR MOI ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM PRESSMEN, AND ALSO READ PART OF A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT: