President Uhuru Kenyatta's aides allegedly manhandled a senior government official during the head of state's tour in Garissa County on Friday, December 13, 2019.
People Daily, on Friday, December 20, was first to report that Defence PS, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed, was reportedly blocked from standing close to the president as he laid wreaths during the inauguration of Modika Barracks, Kenya’s newest army barracks and home to the 6th Brigade.
The security aide, was reluctant to grant the PS access to the monument despite trying to inform him that he was a senior official and an integral part of the inauguration ceremony.
Instead, the aide pushed him a few meters away from where the monument was.
A senior military officer intervened after noticing that the PS was missing as the head of state and Chief of Defence Forces, General Samson Mwathethe prepared to lay wreaths for fallen officers.
The aide who chased him away was then asked to escort him back to the monument.
Mohammed, who serves under Defence CS Raychelle Omamo, is a health physician by profession and was the Labour PS in 2018 before being transferred to the Defence ministry.
He holds a degree in medicine and surgery, and a masters in public health from Boston University in the US.
Modika barracks, which will host three army units and three support sub-units, is part of a program to modernise and improve the capacity of the KDF.
"President Kenyatta said the government will continue dedicating resources to support the Kenya Defence Forces to maintain its status as a world-class military that is ready to defend Kenya.
"He called on KDF officers to uphold their military ideals as they protect the dignity of Kenyans and territorial integrity of the country. He said Kenya is a nation of peace but will spare no effort to defend itself against those with evil intentions against the nation and its people," State House stated.
