Mutahi Ngunyi: President Nkurunziza stage-managed coup
Political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi has sensationally claimed that the failed Burundi coup was stage-managed by besieged President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Mr Ngunyi, famed for the controversial Tyranny of Numbers theory ahead of the March 2013 general election tweeted: “Nkurunziza staged a coup against HIMSELF. The idea was to avoid Elections. Use the Coup to RE-ELECT himself. This is what Salva Kiir did!!”
Observers have also questioned the coup pointing to its quick resolution.
The failed coup was launched Wednesday by Major General Godefroid Niyombare who said he had dismissed Nkurunziza and his government.
The Burundian president was in Tanzania for an East Africa Community meet on the situation in his country.
However, the world woke up to an announcement by General Niyombare Friday that the coup had failed and that a number of mutineers had been arrested.
THIRD TERM
“Was this Burundi coup real or was it stage-managed to show he’s in-charge of the army and give Nku (sic) a bargaining for a 3rd term?” tweeted a user.
And on Facebook, Oduor Onyango posed: “Please make me understand this Major General Godefroid Niyombare. He was fired some time back for writing to president Pierre Nkurunzinza asking him not to go for a third term. Just how did he manage to lead a military coup as a civilian, yet he was never reinstated back to the military?”
He went on: “The fool has reportedly surrendered to the loyalists and he is hoping that he won’t be killed as if what he did was just like picking a sweet from a local store without permission from the concerned. Even as we watch the situation unfold, it will take no genius to deduce that this was indeed a #StageManagedCoup.”