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Some people in this blog—for reasons best known to themselves—have tried very hard to draw tribal boundaries and separate Kenyans along tribal lines.
Sadly many unsuspecting visitors to this blog have been quickly sucked into the mess by the often-provocative comments spewed here by certain interests.
Let me reveal a fact that will shock some of you. The emerging Kenyan patriot does not belong to any tribe. Many of the fiercest campaigners for a new Kenya that I know belong to the Kikuyu tribe, indeed many of my most trusted informers who take tremendous risks to get vital information to the Kenyan public through this blog are from the house of Mumbi. I need not remind you what part of Kenya John Githongo's parents hail from. You can imagine how offended they feel when somebody tries to stereotype them as is often done in Kenya and in this blog.
Many of the greatest supporters of this blog from the Luo tribe have long dismissed radical Odingaism. This is the widely held belief in Luo Nyanza that any Luo who does not support the Odinga family or who chooses to go against their views in any way, is a traitor and outcast to the tribe. These guys have open minds and many of them have said they would have no problem voting for John Githongo (a Kikuyu) to be president.
And the same applies to members of all other tribes who have joined the bandwagon for a new era of tribe-less Kenyan politics. I am confident that together we will change Kenya.
The photographs Kumekucha feared to publish.
Horror of Kenyan with female sex organ sharing cell with men at Kamiti Prison
Are you a Kenyan? Do You love your country? Join in this noble campaign to change things. Do something instead of just complaining.
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I will not add much to this but I will repeat a post I sent two or three weeks back, that Kenya as a nation is above the tribal inclinations that people tend to create. The only person to change Kenya in the new breed of Kenyans who know no tribe, know no city, know no tribe. They know Kenya.
ReplyDeleteA Kenya where 16 tribes about of the 42 that make Kenya attend the same primary One Class, a football team that knows no Luo or Luhya, but has a Somali goalkeeper, a Taita defender, a luau midfielder, a Kamba striker and a Luhya coach. That is the Kenya I believe in and will always advocate for.
Oginga Odinga said at the Kamukunji grounds in 1991 that he dreamt of a country where he will drive on a smooth road, from Busia, through the hardworking Kericho to the melodic speaking Mijikenda in the Coast. He dreamt of a country, where one would walk to the HR Manager and is offered a job, without the man looking at the surname, but on merit.
I have a heavy heart when tribalism tends to engulf a discussion. I feel bad when it comes to a section terming others tribalists. It smacks out reasoning and the patriotism involved in it.
I don’t want to be seen to be promoting terrorism, but think of the Islamic nation, a nation that encapsulates each and every Muslim, irrespective of his position at the time. I believe that the brand new Kenyan can only achieve that.
I wish you were or could be right about the new Kenyan. That would correspond to the basque being happy to be rules by madrid, France by the European Union, etc. In fact what few people remember today is that France used to have many nations and peoples, many of which were eliminated during both the first and second war by insisting they go first - they became cannon fodder.
ReplyDeleteI apologise for our sensibilities about being Kenyan, but the trend is the precise opposite in the rest of the world, even in good old super centralised UK. Peoples are being given more say of their own affairs and it is quite efficient and can work fine within a democratic nation.
Kenya seems hell bent on keeping uop appearances of no tribalism when in fact it is simering and will never go away. and why shoudl it? the most proud and amazing cultures in kenya are tribal based. but should they be forced into a kenya nation that does not exist? the root cause of corruption in kenya today is that nobody sane dares to vote for a good policy from a rival tribesman. no he votes for his own tribe, making it essential that the tribe is united for if it is not even less will come of it. kenya needs regions with more self-determination for its tribes - that is the only way. works fine in spain,, in some sense works very well in the states, the list goes on. If not there is only the french way of creating a nation: extreme management from the centre.
Put differently, right-left politics will not seriously emerge in kenya until tribe is taken out of the equation. now how likely is that? only way to shortcut that is to decentralise. In fact that would kenya stronger and the excellent kenya army would be a fine guarantee of a federal state. the EAC would provide even better conditions over time.
Pandora
PS apologies if I insulted anyone on T Mboya, I'm just so tired of us blaming past and present - let's just get on with it.
I am in full support of this kind of initiative. I have said a hundred and one times here that I dont play the tribal card and I never will. If everybody resolves to be that kind of Kenyan, then that is good news that is past due.
ReplyDeleteWhat irks me is the false belief that it is perfectly in order to question Mwai Kibaki's integrity, past and general character, It is perfectly in order to question these same aspects for Kalonzo, hon Uhuru, Ruto, Mudavadi etc BUT when one tries to use the same bench marks for Raila, the issue of tribe comes up. "Your opinion of him is informed by relentless luo propaganda" and all that crap. In my opinion, those who cry loudest about being looked down upon are the worst tribalists starting from this blog and out there to the politicians themselves. I can eloquently argue against a politician without dragging his tribe in there and to me that's how it should be. I was born the other day and it is very possible that I personally know more luos than my own kamba people. True, the voting patterns will always be tribal based but If we can shun this 'tribal stereotype' kind of talk in every civilised discussion then that is a big step in detribilising our politics.
I have read so many articles here about how kikuyus cannot vote for anybody else but i find such an argument baseless. Yes they cant vote for anyone else just as the luo and the kamba will always strive to vote in one of their own. 2002 should not be quoted here because it was a case of all kenyan tribes (Apart from the cushites and the kalenjins)rejecting a proxy that was being imposed on them and the person who was best placed to secure victory was Kibaki. I can however quote 1997 when a good number of the larger kiambu voters voted for Ngilu. Over 2000 voters in kikuyu constituency voted for Oginga Odinga in 1992 and I am not sure Matiba got that number of votes anywhere in luo Nyanza. Sometimes it is contradictory to tell us how the kikuyus always voted for Mboya and then tell us how selfish they are the following day. Tribalism is there right but let us not read discrimination everywhere. This is, in my opinion, the biggest problem with most black people in America.
In 2002, we came close to becoming a tribeless country. The problem creeped back when Kibaki betrayed his colleagues who then went back to their communities and petitioned the president's tribe to their tribes. Now, it is being taken to a new level by politicians seeking votes on the premise of some perceived discrimination. I mean the whole thing is a circus. We have a duty to tell these politicians--Look here, we will vote for u coz u r our son, But u need to tell us what u will do for us instead of spending all ur time stigmatising other tribes coz honestly that wont take u far'.
And again its time we redefined tribalism. It is only by doing so that some of the doublespeak we read here can be gotten rid of.
Whatever the Europeans did with the colonised nations will remain to be the biggest point of this discussion.
ReplyDeleteTake the case of the Chiapas in Mexico, or the Albanians, or even the worst case scenario the Kurds. All these painful examples go back to the Europeans and the case of Kenya is not very different.
When Oginga Odinga and a bunch of central Kenya diehards started the freedom fight (Johnstone Kamau was not there. He imposed himself!) There was the need for a leader, but the system that was there at that time, only allowed for the Kikuyu and the poor Luo to be in the frontline. And that is how it was. The rest is history.
For some reason the Rift Valley bloc led by one Daniel Moi and others, segregated themselves and joined the Coastals to form the protesting KADU group. Then they lost an election. To this point, the tribal inclinations were not there at all and Kanu won, Kadu dissolved, Mboya said there will be only on party Kanu, and then…
Tribalism came in. All this time that they were fighting for independence Oginga Odinga was cut. After the Kanu conference, he was uncut. Then the Limuru conference reminded the kitchen cabinet that they should first sit under a mugumo tree like they did when they started the clamour for independence (sic), and slaughtered some animals, and then…plum jobs went to the Kikuyu, of Kiambu, to be precise, the River Chania thing. So mean, that they told Kaggia (he was not from Kiambu anyway) that he would die poor and true he did; and the powerful ministries all went to the Koinange (Jeff’s relation), Githunguri, Michuki, Mwananichi became richer, Njonjo more powerful and Mboya died, later some Kamba bloke (Vikii’s tribesman) called Ndolo tried deposing Kenyatta, detentions started, JM Kariuki died (a Kikuyu) and Jomo met his creator. This time, the House of Mumbi was all over and uprooting them will be harder than cutting a mugumo tree with a razor blade. The cabinet made a language the official cabinet language.
Sure, if you have a cabinet that has Gichuru, Koinange, Njonjo, Kenyatta, Njoroge Muigai, Police commissioner Gethi, Mahihu PC,
The passing cloud and the, a bunch of deranged Luo (not tribalist) airmen tried to overthrow Moi and the passing cloud brought rain. For 24 years, he was incharge. Then why blame others from tribalism. This is where it germinated big time. The Luo, we reminded, you know what…Odinga was from Siaya, and Mboya was from South Nyanza.
Divide and rule took off in a bigger way this time. Moi created Teso District, Tharaka, Ndia, Kuria, even Mboya’s tribe were told they were Suba and not Luo anymore, and every other place, Keiyo, Marakwet, Pokot, Samburu, Taita, Taveta, all bore the marks of tribalism.
When they went to the university, catching them young, the Moi guys created Siaya Students Association, within Siaya there was Ugenya Students Assocaitiona and within Ugenya there was Ugunja Students Association, Muranga then Kangema, the Loco 19 and so on.
So who is to blame, politicians, the common man or the system or it is the colonial power? Personally, I blame the 1966 Limuru Conference that split Kenya into minute territories, tribes and even sub-tribes.
Planted by Kenyatta, watered by Moi and now nurtured by Kibaki, in the same model, province, tribe, district; how do you have more people from you tribe in a national cabinet?
Awful! If anything read my post, you will see the way I have tried to skirt around tribe, revolved around districts, relations, province and even personalities. This is what the presidents of Kenya have wanted us to be for them to run and loot the country in peace. I don’t wish that we have that kind of administration in Kenya.
All I can say is dream on. and the comparison with a muslim nation is a joke. the americans made it possible (like the UK in Kenya), but it's the sunni and shia pulling the triggers (and Luo-Kikuyu throwing the stones)?! And for economic performance name a middle eastern country which has gone anywhere if not for oil! Not a society or economic model you'll want to put in place for the 21st century in Kenya.
ReplyDeleteYou can define tribe however you please, it's here to stay for better or worse - so why not work with it rather than against it? Kenya is effectively breaking up and if that happens and democracy is blamed it will never recover - democracy that is.
although spain is a possible god example - they learned from Franco that a nationalistic dictatorship can only go so far. In the end the nations came out and so they will in Kenya. to the benefit of all.
Interesting i all I can afford to say at this juncture. The discusion is engaging and I am busy sprucing up my history with help from Bw Google to engage your minds here later lest I engage my mouth instead to my eternal embarassment. In the meantime bring them on dear Kenyans.
ReplyDeleteKenya is a geeographical accident and our (African) bounderies are products of history. As they say you waste energy complaining about things you can do very little about. So here we are in Kenya and with all her present WARTS, what good can we make out of it? We are all students of life and no opinion is inferior provided you offer it a superior interpretation. Over to you my loved brothers and sisters.
I think wishing away tribalism will not finish the problem, the kind of kenyan stated above is only urban raised and have had the oportinity to interect with other kenyans from the 42, such kenyans amount for a very small percentage of the entire population.I also hold the opinion that having many tribes is a gift and a curse at the same time , we have emphasized more on the curse and its about time we gave consideration to the latter.My point is we should like the old adage goes :"charity begins at home" ,let kenyans demand all the things they demand from national leaders(Central Govt) from their local level first then the same at national level.Let us face tribalism in the face not as an evil but as a gift by first of all accepting the diferences , being proud of ones own and finaly respecting others.Before colonization it is alleged that tribes traded with each other , intermarried , borrowed some cultures etc , this is where we need to look for answers to our predicament.
ReplyDeleteI am of the opinion that the single largest contributor of tribalism in Kenya is the Presidency. That office is just too powerful and that state power not only corrupts the holder of that office but also experiece has shown that the same power can thoroughly misused. The sad thing is that whichever president is elected and however tribeless he/she might be, the power of the current presidency will instantly transform him/her into a tribal monster. In reality, that office and the individual who occupys it are above the law. Competition for state power has forced most Kenyans to vote along tribal lines and the trend has extended to the big office itself where the incumbent is in most cases forced to make public apppointments by tribal considerations. State resources are continuously made in favour of certain regions resulting into part of the population feeling left out. The same state power is used by chronies to amass wealth at the expense of tax paying citizens. By its very nature, the office of the president makes the incumbent feel unsecure; and therefore key ministries (finance, defence, internal security & provincial administration, constitutional affairs) must be occupied by close associates. It has even happened that close relatives are appointed to these ministries so as to make the incumbent feel secure. That presidential power in Kenya is a curse cannot be gainsaid!
ReplyDeleteI feel that only a reasonable and comprehensive review of the constitution resulting to devolution of executive power will help to eliminate tribal competition. Otherwise, how will I vote for so and so if I know he/she will eventually victimise me on the basis of my ethnic origin?