A Shadowy Past Revealed

WASHINGTON D.C. – Declassified documents released on Thursday, November 20, 2025, EAT, have exposed a concerted effort by the administration of former U.S. President Gerald Ford to suppress a landmark 1975 Senate report detailing the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) plots to assassinate foreign leaders. The records, published by the National Security Archive, an independent research group at George Washington University, reveal high-level discussions aimed at blocking the report, which became a cornerstone for modern intelligence oversight.

At the heart of the release is a "secret/sensitive" options paper addressed to Dick Cheney, who was then President Ford's chief of staff. The memo recommended outright opposition to the publication of the report by the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, famously known as the Church Committee, after its chairman, Senator Frank Church. According to the memo, President Ford accepted the recommendation to oppose the report's release, arguing the committee "must assume responsibility for damage to the nation" that its publication would allegedly cause.

The Church Committee and its African Revelations

The Church Committee was established in 1975 to investigate widespread allegations of abuses by U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and National Security Agency (NSA). Its interim report, titled "Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders," sent shockwaves through the international community. The investigation confirmed CIA plots against several world leaders, a revelation that had profound implications for nations across the globe navigating the treacherous geopolitics of the Cold War.

Of particular significance for Africa, the committee found concrete evidence of a U.S.-initiated plot to assassinate Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The committee's report detailed how the CIA sent poisons to the Congo for the purpose of killing Lumumba, viewing him as a threat to U.S. interests during the Cold War. While the committee concluded that U.S. assets were not directly involved in Lumumba's eventual death at the hands of his political rivals, the revelation of the plot itself exposed the lengths to which foreign powers would go to interfere in the sovereignty of newly independent African nations.

Context for Kenya and East Africa

The revelations of the 1970s occurred during a critical period for Kenya, then under the leadership of its first president, Jomo Kenyatta. The Cold War created a tense political atmosphere across East Africa, with the United States and the Soviet Union vying for influence. Declassified CIA files from that era show the agency was intensely monitoring Kenya's internal politics, particularly the succession battle and the activities of figures like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, whom they viewed with suspicion due to his links with Communist countries.

While there is no public evidence from the Church Committee reports of direct CIA assassination plots on Kenyan soil, the confirmed operations in Congo served as a stark warning. The findings underscored the vulnerability of African leaders to covert actions by superpowers. The era was characterized by deep mistrust and the understanding that foreign intelligence services were actively working to shape political outcomes on the continent. The Church Committee's work, therefore, was not just an American affair; it was a global event that highlighted the urgent need for stronger national security frameworks and vigilance against foreign interference in countries like Kenya.

A Legacy of Oversight and Enduring Questions

The Ford administration's efforts to block the report ultimately failed. The public outcry following the committee's revelations led to significant reforms. In 1976, President Ford issued Executive Order 11905, which explicitly banned U.S. government employees from engaging in or conspiring to engage in political assassinations. This prohibition has been upheld by subsequent presidents. Furthermore, the investigation led to the establishment of permanent intelligence oversight committees in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, creating a new framework for holding spy agencies accountable.

The documents also highlight the roles of other powerful figures, including Henry Kissinger, who was Secretary of State and National Security Adviser. Memos from February 1975 show Kissinger and CIA Director William Colby recording their strong opposition to the Church Committee's investigations, fearing the probes could be deeply damaging to the intelligence community. The recent release of these 50-year-old documents serves as a powerful reminder of the inherent tension between national security secrecy and democratic transparency—a dynamic that continues to shape international relations and remains a critical consideration for Kenya and its partners on the global stage.