Why some Kalenjin politicians are now fleeing UDA. Shocking | Kenya news

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

IDPs Just Pawns in Political Game

True to tradition of avoiding making tough decision, Kibaki is having three days of rallies to the internally displaced Kenyans. The truth is Kibaki’s determination to create impression of acting is premised on sustainable plan. This unique problem CANNOT be solved nor addressed using the hackneyed old school leadership.

The IDPs are symptomatic of Kibaki’s betrayal of Kenyan dream. He started it immediately after the 2002 election. You could smell embarrassment on his face when his own PNU MP for Naivasha told him to his face the genesis of political tension in the Rift Valley. On entering office he chose to reincarnate his nostalgia of Jomo’s rulership and utter contempt of his voters. He capped it all with STEALING the election which makes it VERY difficult to spare Kibaki in the whole mess because he was the principal cause of the mayhem that let to violence in the first place.

True leadership is premised on making TOUGH sound decision in the face of crisis. But you cannot claim that virtue when you make CRISES your middle name. That we have been experiencing perennial election violence after every five years is cheap to trivialize and/or overlook the underlying root cause. Even Koffi Annan who saved us from self-destruction and was here for less than 40 days ended up understanding our problems better than the pretenders masquerading as the most experienced practising politician in Kenya today. Well Kibaki’s experience must be a catalogue of indecision and fence sitting that is often mistaken for principle to be hands off.

Cart before horse
That MPs are playing political games with people lives is not only inhuman but an extension of institutionalized IMPUNITY albeit in disguise. Moral authority like virginity is irrecoverable once lost to the winds of deception and fraud. Instead of formulating sustainable structures that will see Kenyans banish localized hostilities to the grave, Kibaki is comfortable by ridding the cart ahead of the horse.

Kibaki's penchant to opt for easy fixes in the face of grand problems amounts to cheap leadership oiled by short term measures. Such plots only succeed in incubating national problems making them potent to explode at the slightest political spark in future. IDPs need a permanent solution that will see them restart their lives in confidence of never having to look over their shoulders in case their neighbours revert to their old devious ways.

22 comments:

  1. They are also all a blogger needs to play blame-shift game.

    Our liberator, where art thou in this our hour of need?

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  2. Taabu!!
    are you suggesting they resettle them now!! before grievances are addressed like kibaki and Uhuru are championing!Sorry i will not advise my relatives to go back to Nakuru- what if they are beheaded - people forget IDP`s are from all tribes not only from central province - it seems that only the central province IDP`s are the ones all newspapers report or talk about!! what happened to the other face of kenya!! the other tribes wh lost properties !businesses, plots in nakuru and naivasha!! can someone answer me!!! I have families I know in camps too and they are not kikuyu`s!!!

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  3. anon 4:58 PM
    I hear you!! kenya has had IDP`s for many years now- including Mté Elgon region where the government refused to help this people for more than 3 years now- many people left their LANDS in fear of the saboat and then when the government went in they have displaced more kenyans!!
    my question is this what is the difference of this IDP`s with the ones in the red cross tents!!
    is it because this ones are on the media every second while the ones in Mt. Elgon has the government clamp down on media to air!!
    nonsense all kenyan IDP`s should be treated equally or else you are wasting time settling one tribe and disregarding other tribes in the same situation then my advice would be take the kikiyu IDP`s to central Province because I will tell you straight- try showing favourism then peace and reconciliation will not happen!!period!!

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  4. anon 5:06 PM
    I tend to agree with your points!! treat all IDP`s equally or do not bother resettling kikuyu IDP`s in the Rift Valley! I myself if I were an IDP and watched this favourism on my tribe and disregarding of other tribes which in the same breath we are supposed to go live among them!! sorry i would not go because already by the government treating the question IDP`s unfairly and with favourism - I would be assured no safe heaven even with the police keeping vigil at my door step!!

    if the land issue is not settled in a proper manner then i would opt to move else where!! why go live with people who were wronged by your government!! but take it on you since you carry the face of the problem!! Kibaki can not rush into settling people before all issues are addressed and as for UHURU pingaring Domo!! tell him to deal with the mungiki`s in his backyard first the coward!!
    Sources say there are plenty of MUNGIKI IN THE IDP camps posing!! as IDP`s now!! Rift Valley MP`s are right!!! check should be done and proof of voting cards and name and check up with neighbors if this are genuine IDP`s is a must!!no more PNU corruption with IDP funds!!

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  5. Proud Kikuyu Woman said...

    They are also all a blogger needs to play blame-shift game.

    Our liberator, where art thou in this our hour of need?

    4:37 PM

    can you elaborate on this!! why do you need A liberator

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  6. Whence do you derive the confidence to believe that IDPs can afford to wait to return to their homes? Do you have any idea of how life is in those sordid tents which are rapidly being overrun with filth? How long do they have to wait until they can be allowed to the homes they built and owned rightfully?

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  7. Anon 4:56 and 4:58 5:17, did you realize you may be responding from the same computer? 5:19?

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  8. Proud Kikuyu Woman said...

    Anon 4:56 and 4:58 5:17, did you realize you may be responding from the same computer? 5:19?

    Hey what do you mean I asked you the question and sorry I`m definitely not anon 4:56 -or 4:58 or 5:27- i am responding from my own computer and I do not have people in my house using my computer unless you are trying to get in mine!!!

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  9. The RV Mps made very stupid demands during the meeting with the President, for instance they asked the military operation in Mt. Elgon halted and those arrested in relation to post election violence released. Most are not happy because some were not appointed as Ministers. I personally do not see the relationship between their demands and resettlement of IDPs.

    I don’t think resettling of IDPs to their legally owned properties require the goodwill of host communities in RV. They are not asking for a favour and the law of the land must be followed to the letter. The government should go ahead with settlement of IDPs and provide security and not negotiate with militias or warriors.

    The issue of land distribution or the so called historic injustice cannot be resolved in a fortnight. The RV leaders have that nostalgia of dominating the government in last 24 years and now they are talking of marginalised. They are trying to blackmail Raila and the government and that is not going to work, after all, like any other Kenyan community they cannot win an election on their own.

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  10. anon7:58 PM
    do you really know what has been happening in Mt. Elgon or you are just talking through your nose!!! i know people from that area- many people have fled starting 3 years ago when the government could not protect them from the saboat rustler who come in and casue havoc and retrn to the forest and cross over to the Uganda side of Mt.Elgon!! do you really know the story of the people of Mt. Elgon!!!
    and when the army went in instead of going after the real saboat thugs they even tortured students 13-16 year old students insisting they knew where this saboats were hiding what a joke!! the head of the army has to face charges- court marshall -he must!!!

    «now what is the difference between the mt. elgon displaced kenyans and the onces in the other camps!!! or it is still the kikuyu arrongant mentality you are posting here ati ODM mp`s should not put conditions!! let me tell you straight - I have friends who had kikuyu neighbours and they have said face up they dare not go back to their lands in rift valley!! why because of the same way you are talking on here!! they have family in Mt. elgon and some are now living with them- the army horror stories those people arrived with left with with chilled and I can say this to you If I were a kikuyu IDP - I would rather not go back before every issue is cleared and every IDP from Nakuru & Naivasha(other tribes- who had to go back to their villages or on the streets) from Mt. Elgon who have been displaced for years and more this year by the army and police-
    but if you think kikuyu kikuyu IDP`s only must be resettled then you better plan to settle then in central province!!!because they will not be welcome even with police escort unless you hire a policeman for each of them!!!

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  11. You guys are such a joke, all the problems in Kenya are Kibaki's fault? Youre like those Muslims who blame Jews for all their problems...wake up and stop being weak minded sheep. When Kibaki is gone Kenya will still be a poor third world country. Wake up and stop dreaming about Kibaki day and night. Solve your own problems and stop waiting for manna from heaven from politicians

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  12. An easy short term fix for the IDK problem in Kenya will only cement the resentment towards the Kikuyus. It almost also guarantees an explosion of that resentment in future. In all likely hood a Kikuyu is not gracing statehouse any time soon after Kibaki. So if and when this explosion finally comes to be, there will be nobody at the top to favour them. Kibaki by then will probably be a farmer in Othaya. The ultimate looser will be the Kikuyu.

    The scary bit is that that future may not be as distant as we may want to think.

    Taabu BPONE says we should call them IDK. Internally displaced Kenyans. In his very valid argument, when we call them persons it's like they've lost their identity.

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  13. Raila goes down in History as the biggest ever disappointment. I am already writing his political orbituary! To me, Raila "was" and not "is". To me, he is history!

    Chief Nanga, MP.

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  14. Again and again we find ourselves falling into the tribal card.Someone has asked if the problems we have are caused by kikuyus and Kibaki.I remember a time when we used to resent the Kalenjins and Moi in equal measure because of the manner in which they entrenched themselves in every corner of Kenya and their bullish attitude.They behaved like someone from gender F who was on the monthly tax call.(No Offence meant)

    Enter a Kikuyu prezzy almost a similar syndrome set it albeit fairly disguised.This led me to conclude to the seldom mentioned line of "Its Our Turn To Eat".That aside Sam Kivuitu he of Mistallying and I dont Know who Won fame set a very bad precedent.

    What am saying is this,Even if the IDKs were settled like yesterday,and Kibaki made a slight gaffe in this or that like the usual lousy appointments that have become his modus operandi,the resettled will know no peace.The neighbours will threaten to evict them if this or that is not met.I said it yesterday that there is and still will be resentment towards the people from central and anything to do with them with exceptions of course.

    I saw on TV some old mama saying she cant,wont and will never go back to her home come what and that the onus was on the GOK to settle her elsewhere.I have some reservations about Some communities within the Kales that happily disposes their pieces of idle land and when the new buyer develops it,while they are enjoying liquor in town,when they get back after the dime is finished they feel like the buyer stole from them and start thinking of chasing the buyer or start sulking and thats when in most cases the buyer is from the Gusii or Kikuyu Community.

    That brings me to the point that not only Kikuyus lost property or were IDKs,almost or virtually 80% of the tribes were victims in this or the other way,so it will be wrong to keep insinuating and or keep invoking central when talking about IDKs.

    Then we have this historical injustices.Its a line i skip because i dont even want to ask coz the the same group that began them is crying wolf now.The same group that partly benefitted is also whining about it.Can we say the historical Injustices only involve Kikuyus,Kales,Kipsigis,Nandis,Tugen,Maasais and other tribes along that line and my suggestion to them is they call a seminar at bomas and they come with all manner of weapons and fight it out and once they are done they can sit and confer.Rather than drag some of us into it,who have more serious problems like water,roads,education and Health;After all who said you can thrive by owning zillions of acres of land.I know of huge idle land in TZ and they are very enterprising elsewhere,I know in the US also to be Huge pieces of land and guys have no appetite for it but they are doing well elsewhere.I wonder who bewitched us with land.Phew i almost did a full blog!!!!!!Jeeez

    Again i stand to be corrected.

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  15. Annon 8:31
    Why is Mt. Elgon an issue now that there is military operation going on, are you saying the residents can arrive to solution without disarming SLDF? If disarming the militia means temporary displacing people then be it. Why are innocent people running away in the first place? If military operation is not helping the situation in Mt Elgon, what solution do you propose?

    I don’t advocate that only Kikuyu IDPs should be resettled, the non Kikuyus in Naivasha, Nakuru and Mt Elgon deserve equal treatment. The problem is that people are talking of forced resettlement, how would resettlement of IDPs in their property be termed as forceful?

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  16. Wanjiku Unlimited
    Kikuyus don’t need any favour from anybody at the top, even after Kibaki.They will choose their political destiny just like any other Kenyan community. No community in Kenya should feel threatened because the president is not one of them that is why we have the constitution to protect all of us. The resentment towards Kikuyus is not as result of the government approach to resettlement of IDPs.

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  17. The human spirit abhors the presence of under-utilized resources. Such resources attract those with enterprising culture to go use them. You can see how idle African raw materials have attracted foreigners over the centuries - with the Chinese currently enjoying like kids with candies.

    The same story of human spirit prevails in our RV. In RV the so called "foreigners" don't need any invitation letters from the "natives" much as a bee doesn't need an invitation to a flower full of nectar. So the story of RV will continue as long as the land is under-utilized and prices of the land remain low relative to other similarly productive areas. The "natives" can take up arms, but this will only delay the inevitable. As long as the "natives" are ready to sell their idle lands they will be overrun by immigrants from the enterprising communities (Kikuyu and Gusii). You can not resist the tide of history by force of arms; you got to ride the tide by cultural adaptation. Members of some cultures are too domesticated to venture outside their so called ancestral lands, while members of other cultures will die on the road to the unknown looking for an opportunity to improve their circumstances.

    Take the case of North Kajiado; it is Masailand only in name. The same picture is playing out along the Athi River-Kajiado Town corridor to the TZ border. Also, it is a matter of time before all the commercial activity along the Nakuru-Eldoret-Malaba route becomes multi-ethnic. For those who think that they can fence-off RV and stop some communities from living there, are trying to return to an age long gone-by, which will never come back. And those who think Kikuyus are just going to their ancestral RV should go to the US and see wave after wave of Kikuyus (young and old) arriving there. You can eve find some of them working in fishing ships in Alaska in the heart of winter.

    My appeal to other communities is that unless the Kikuyus are breaking the law, leave them alone to pursue their dream. After all the competition they bring to your neighborhood might be the catalyst you need to become more enterprising.

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  18. Anon I agree with you the resentment towards Kikuyus is not as result of the government approach to resettlement of IDKs. Very true. IDKs is a more recent problem and the resentment has been around for quite some time. This resentment is as a result of chauvinism. Add to that Kibaki stealing elections and Mungiki unleashing mayhem whenever they feel like and the Kikuyu story becomes even more twisted. If we are to protect our future generations who will be born and bred in areas that are not our ancestral land, we need to tackle these injustices in-depth and come up with concrete long term solutions; otherwise the same fate will befall them in future. The IDKs are uncomfortable and living in sleazy conditions no doubt. But between that and getting hacked? Or watching their relatives hacked? It they are resettled the lazy Kibaki way, he’s just paving way for trouble in future.

    The current constitution I doubt whether it’s protecting anybody. It is only followed when the person reading it wants some convenience. Otherwise it’s mostly ignored and anyone with powers can bully his way right through it.

    Knoppix it’s true there were many other tribes that were affected.

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  19. @Anon 12.55,
    Thannks for the UNINVITED lecture. Well thanks, that is old hat since primo days. Your mindset is premised on the vey hollow theme that Kiuks are more enterprising than other Kenyans. You can indulge all the much you wish but INDUSTRY is never the same as deception. Working in Alaska during wwinter they must follow the law but being in Mogotio and cutting corners, nowway. So the ones is Alaska do they want to become senators just like their brethen in Iten want to be councillors?

    You truivialize a grave issue with very light arguments. The past is what anchors the future. US your model had a very troubled past till they got it right. And please stop peddling cheap fixes to complex problems. You don't solve a problem by ignoring it. Deception my dear is what Kenyans loothe. You can quote katiba all you care but it won't bring you peace at home.

    Peace is CULTIVATED NOT LEGISLATED. Sorry to disappoint you mate.

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  20. anon 12:55 AM

    I beg to differ the tide did not change in the proper manner and you better start reading your Kenyatta and land history- Kikuyu's did not migrate in the normal way- Kenyatta enforced it! mau mau fighters and their families returned from the bush and found the person they had entrusted their land and wealth to had sold them short!by taking it and giving it to his cronies- and that is why in central a few elite kikuyu's own chunks of land where they have their tea and coffee estates.
    Rift valley is where this Mau Mau veterans and their families were forced to go- by kibaki enforcing it and taking land from the locals claiming it was not being utilized(remember most were pastorals -herder) this tribes were not happy but they had no choice !!it was a presidential directive and as time went on Kenyatta using the government banks and machinary went into the rift valley yet again and forced people to sell land to kikuyu'a at a very low rate and in the process too land from others claiming it to be state land and divided it among himself and his friends for example(the Kenyatta farms in nakuru where they plant flowers now- and should the kenyatta family own mines producing precious stones in Taita?? how about the people from this villages who are very poor from the 60's when kibaki took over their lands which have precious minerals and Kenyatta family has mined and become multi-billionaires on this precious stones- go check the villagers!! they are still stuck in 1960's(very poor can't even afford a loaf of bread daily)

    so for you to say that kikuyu's migrated to other parts of kenya fair and square that is a lie and that is why you have the settlement problem now!! Kikuyu's were forced onto other tribes by Kenyatta and this is one of the biggest blunder Kenyatta did in the history of kenya! he is gone but this generation has paid the price and it will continue doing so unless the land issues dealt with!!!
    With Kibaki and Uhuru trying to force people to rush back to settle in the rift valley is a waste of time- they will be chased out again and believe me next time you might not have IDP's instead you will have Graves!! the bitter tast of the Rift Valley non -kikuyu tribes who kibaki used the police to shoot and kill them during and after the 27th elections 2008 will not be forgotten easily!! I would advise kibaki and Uhuru to be very careful and if they are in a hurry to resettle this IDP's between them they have enough illegal land acquired to settle all the kikuyu IDP's at onces!

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  21. It is interesting to hear odm supporters justify ethnic cleanisng ati because kenyatta forced kkyuks on the kales. I work in the lands office and the story is not as rosy as it sounds. In greter parts of eldoret, most *am talking of well over 90% of that land was sold by kales to kyuks and others during the moi era when moi tried to make eldi a cosmopolitan town.

    You cannot sell your property and then come and taake it back by force and kill the owner. Thats thuggery and it may turn out that the biggest robbers and murderers in kenya are not kyuks after all.

    And please, right now you think you are tops because you raped and killed helpless people who did not expect such barbarism.

    It wont always be so. Those defencless people will not always be so helpless and one day it will be you shits huddled in camps begging to be allowed to go home.

    Rule of law is much better than the rule of sword coz someone else can always get a bigger and sharper sword than yours

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  22. Anon 7:20am, you must be smoking something. Which other tribe prior to Dec 27th maimed, raped, terrorized other communities with such impunity as did the Mungiki. You talk of barbarism, murderers, robbers, thugs look at home first before pointing the finger. Up until now, none of the Central MPs have come out vocally againgst the Mungiki.
    BY THE WAY, HAD KIBAKI NOT STOLEN THE ELECTIONS DO YOU THINK WE WOULD HAVE IDPs? Yes, we would still have the lingering land problems but not at this magnitude. So you need to self assess before spewing venom ati ODM supporters.
    Njue himself, a man of the cloth has not even spoken against the stolen elections, you wonder why.
    Look at the root cause of the problems before casting aspersions. Believe me, if these issues are not addressed, come next elections, we will be back at square one with even graver consequences, GOD FORBID!

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