Military personnel converge at the Eldoret Airstrip on Sunday in preparation for an operation in Mt Elgon District, where Sabaot Land Defence Force militia are believed to be hiding. Picture by Biketi KikechiA massive millitary operation is underway in Mt. Elgon area to flush out the notorious Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF). The government seems to have been prompted into action following the death of 12 people in the area last week.
As of this afternoon, up to 30,000 residents were said to have been fleeing their homes with Mt. Elgon Member of Parliament Fred Kapondi accusing the government of bombing villages instead of pursuing SLDF raiders into the Mt. Elgon forest.
Mt. Elgon has remained a major security flashpoint ever since President Kibaki took power in 2002 but problems in the area have their origins as far back as 1963. The ragtag militia known as SLDF has been blamed for most of the killings in the area and the motive of the group is reportedly to seek redress for alleged injustice during land distribution in the Chebyuk settlement scheme.
So volatile is the area that raiders have repeatedly raided the police station in the area. The former Mt. Elgon MP John Serut, himself a target of the raiders, had his brother killed by the raiders in 2007 as a warning to himself and his family. Serut hardly spent the night in the constituency during his days as a legislator.
The situation in Mt. Elgon has deteriorated so much so that the Head of the Médécins Sans Frontières (MSF) mission in Kenya, Mr. Remi Carrier termed it 'below human dignity'. The press in Kenya also called the Mt. Elgon insecurity a disgrace.
KUMEKUCHA?
ReplyDeletewhy not remove this blog?? you are now worse than kibaki and his cronies the way you are controlling your bloggers- we used to enjoy freedom of speech on here?? first you try to abuse ODM yesterday!! now you only post PNU friendly blogs!!
you were once mentioned on BBC but now we better inform them that you are working for the government!!
Mashada is even better!! they only give warnings but don't control peoples views and force their own views to people
I understand from sources you were paid to let PNU operatives use this space!!shame on you!!
we bloggers are going to put out a thread everywhere even to the news rooms on how you have been paid to run a campaign here for PNU government MP'S TO DISCREDIT ODM
Annon @ 9:03, relax. Yes, the moderation is annoying as hell and I do wish that Kumekucha could be a little more effective with posting comments as fast as possible to allow real time interaction. But, a few idiots were running this blog down and posting a lot of crap that necessitated moderation. We, the commenters, BEGGED to have moderation. I only hope Kumekucha finds a way to post these comments faster.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, thanks Phil for posting this. Although, I have to wonder where the army was when those machette-wielding idiots were busy butchering 2000 Kenyans, and why they haven't been used to flash out Mungiki. Now my main concern is whether or not majority of the casualties will be civilians, and just how successful this mission will be. Looking forward to updates on this later.
-Kemmy
Bombing is not and can not be the answer. To solve this crisis, the gov't needs to address what makes this youth fight, they need to address the root course and solve the matter. They will bomb and bomb till they run out of bombs, remember you can never bomb people enough.
ReplyDeleteWhat?? hey man i hope this ain't the facts - i do enjoy your blog!! yesterday was an issue and bloggers did say their views on that!
ReplyDeleteAny way i would like to exchange views with other bloggers directly on here- all you have to do is to give warnings on foul language?? or abuses ?? does that make sense??
Military action not the solution.Everybody knows that
ReplyDeleteThose who doubt Biwhat and Moi's hand in the evil strategies of PNU better read the standard and nation.He was at the airport "reporting" thaT THE ARMY WAS HEADING TO THE MT. ELGON "THIS NIGHT".Is one of the commanders?
Land issues should be addressed to kill off this SDPF
Kenya army;s presence is a smoke screen-Karua and Muthaura,then got in and issued very telling statements.
What a coincidence of all these events!
Deal with that.Hiyo ndio mambo ya Kenya wiki hii
SOURCE ON GROUND SAY THERE IS HIGH TENSION IN KENYA - REPORTS SUGGEST THE GOVERNMENT (PNU) IS USING THEIR SECURITY FORCES TO EXECUTE YOUNG KALEJIN YOUTH IN THE RIFT VALLEY!!MORE TOWARDS ELDORET - KITALE ROUTE!!
ReplyDeletesources also say mungiki were put on hi alert this weekend to be ready on the attack!
the mungiki march was actually to scare kenyans b y showing them their numbers!!
but the were surprised when KENYANS DID NOT SEEM SCARED AND IN FACT SAID THEY WERE READY TO TAKE THE MUNGIKI SECT ON!!!
YOU SEE THE MUNGIKI HARDLINERS DID SAY !! THIS IS ON RECORED!
THAT KENYANS SHOULD NOT WASTE THEIR TIME CELEBRATING UNTIL THE INK IS DRY ON THE DOTTED LINE!!
SO YOU SEE THEY NEVER MEANT TO KEEP THE POWER-SHARING DEAL!!
THERE ONLY SHORT COMING IS THERE GREED HAS NOT PREPARED THEM FOR THE ANGER FROM THE KENYAN PEOPLE!!
NOW IT IS NOT ABOUT KIBAKI AND RAILA!! NOW IT IS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE POWER AGREEMENT WITH EQUAL MINISTRIES- PARASTATALS- DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS- GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS E.T.C AS PER EXPECTED BY KENYANS OR ELSE
KENYA IS BACK TO CLASHES!!
DID YOU READ CLOSELY THE STATEMENT THE US AMBASSADOR PUT OUT ON TRAVEL ADVISORY ON TOURISM??
HE REFUSED TO LIFT IT UNTIL EVERYTHING AGREED UPON BY THE TWO LEADER WAS PASSED IN PARLIAMENT AND IMPLEMENTED
ASK YOURSELVES WHY?? HE SAW KIBAKI'S STRATEGY AND AS MOST PEOPLE WERE EXPECTING THIS TO HAPPEN!!I UNDERSTAND PLAN B IS IN THE OFFING!
KIBAKI WILL WISH THAT HE HADN'T LISTENED TO HIS CRONIES AND BEEN GREEDY FOR ALL THE POWER!!
OH MY GOD
ReplyDeletethings are looking bad- kumekucha?? do you have bloggers on here that can keep us informed?? can you open up your blog for easy access to information or the government has put a ban on you?? i don't believe you can be bought like some one said on here- but maybe they have put a gag on what you are allowed to post on here- and which to my opinion is wrong!!
let your members that have been with you through thick and thin express their views freely and exchange opinions this is what democracy is all about!!don't you believe in democracy??
hey kumekucha?? we need you more than ever- don't be like the nation newspaper controlling views- things are not good in kenya- allow us to get direct views and information from the ground on your blog!!
ReplyDeletewill you forgive yourself if ever you received information and didn't post it in time to save innocent Kenyans??
people read and use your blog to pass on views and also like you say post in some sensitive information like the police guy!!so that it can reach people that can stop bad things happening to Kenya's!!
how if you have a heart for the plight of Kenyans would you live with yourself if you let it happen due to trying to moderate your blog and just that time urgent information was posted and you didn't post it on here on time to save Kenyans??
sorry this are just my thoughts and worry!!
this is going to be another Darfur. the mini genocide by air bombing is similar to sudan tactic. kibaki's darfur will soon expand around kenya
ReplyDeleteinteresting that we are all here debating about the merits of using the army in Mount Elgon. i support that offensive since the Sabaot Lands Defence Force needs to know in Kenya there is only on goverment and one army.
ReplyDeleteAs for the ridiculous comments of mungiki and army killing kalenjin youth...are not backed with any evidence whatsoever. We may ask why the military is not allowing the media or civil society to Mt Elgon. The root cause of the problem is land but the Sabaot land Defence Force needs to be completely vanquished and eliminated. I don't see how the media and civil society can help to that end...civil society are a ragtag of NGO's selling thier voices to the highest bidder...how is that going to solve the MT Elgon Crisis?
The military are well armed for the job let them sort it out.