Why Kenya’s Second Coup d’État Failed Within Hours’

‘Why Kenya’s Second Coup d’État Failed Within Hours’

In 1982, soldiers mainly from the Kenya Air Force launched a coup d’état to overthrow the government of President Daniel arap Moi. It was the second attempted coup Kenya had experienced since gaining independence.

The coup came during Moi’s fourth year in office after he succeeded Mzee Jomo Kenyatta following his death in 1978. At first, the coup, led by Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka, appeared to be succeeding. However, within hours it was crushed by forces loyal to the government.

The timing of the coup seemed favourable because a significant number of Kenya Defence Forces personnel had been deployed to northern Kenya to deal with insecurity. Despite this, several factors ultimately led to the collapse of the coup.

1. Failure to secure broadcasting transmitters: Although the rebels captured the Voice of Kenya (VoK) studios, they failed to secure the main broadcasting transmitters, allowing loyalist forces to cut off their broadcasts.
2. Failure to capture President Moi: The coup plotters failed to locate and arrest President Moi, leaving the government leadership intact and able to coordinate a response.
3. Miscalculation of pilot loyalty: Rebel soldiers ordered Kenya Air Force pilots to bomb State House. Instead, the pilots remained loyal to the government and failed to carry out the attack.
4. Indiscipline and looting: Rather than consolidating their positions, many rebel soldiers abandoned the mission and began looting shops and liquor stores in Nairobi, weakening the coup.

Following the failed coup, President Moi launched a major crackdown on the Kenya Air Force. Hundreds of soldiers were arrested, many were imprisoned, and Hezekiah Ochuka and Pancras Oteyo Okumu were later executed after being convicted of treason. Moi went on to rule Kenya for another 20 years, before peacefully handing over power after the 2002 general election.