Sanyatti
Member
Colonel Patrick Odendo Oyundi commonly known as Pat, was the highest ranking Luo in the military at the time of the 1982 coup attempt
He had been trained in Kenya and in the UK where he attended Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and the Royal Armoured Corps Centre in 1968 as a Lieutenant.
By 1982 he had risen to the rank of Colonel and was the Commanding Officer of the 78 Tank Battalion of the Kenya Army. In early 1982 , it was discovered that some financial impropriety had taken place in the Battalion. .As the Commanding Officer he had to take full responsibility.
But despite the court martial absolving him, he was suspended as the Commanding Officer of the 78 Tank Battalion and sent on leave. He was very unfortunate because the attempted coup took place just after he had been sent on leave
To make it worse, the rebels were from his tribe which made him a suspect in the eyes of the authorities who argued that he was likely to be leader of the coup. He was, consequently, arrested for questioning. Even though he was absolved of the accusation, he was still sent to Kamiti.
One gentle man who met him at Kamiti in the 80s sent me a message here on Facebook asking me about his whereabouts. According to him, Odendo was in a very bad state when he saw him. It seems he never lived long after his release, for he died in 1993
He had been trained in Kenya and in the UK where he attended Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and the Royal Armoured Corps Centre in 1968 as a Lieutenant.
By 1982 he had risen to the rank of Colonel and was the Commanding Officer of the 78 Tank Battalion of the Kenya Army. In early 1982 , it was discovered that some financial impropriety had taken place in the Battalion. .As the Commanding Officer he had to take full responsibility.
But despite the court martial absolving him, he was suspended as the Commanding Officer of the 78 Tank Battalion and sent on leave. He was very unfortunate because the attempted coup took place just after he had been sent on leave
To make it worse, the rebels were from his tribe which made him a suspect in the eyes of the authorities who argued that he was likely to be leader of the coup. He was, consequently, arrested for questioning. Even though he was absolved of the accusation, he was still sent to Kamiti.
One gentle man who met him at Kamiti in the 80s sent me a message here on Facebook asking me about his whereabouts. According to him, Odendo was in a very bad state when he saw him. It seems he never lived long after his release, for he died in 1993