Another Madaraka day is here with us folks. Predictably Kenyans will be reminded they have been independent for 46 years albeit on paper without commensurate POWER and RESPONSIBILITY. It was 46 years ago and remains so today that Madarak was an event that merely replaced white colonialists with an indigenous brute albeit black.
All the fossilized leadership has to parade during the ceremony is nothing but nostalgia galore. Look around you and all you see is a painful dearth of any home-grown tangible contribution to define and distinguish Kenya from any institutions inherited from the colonialists.
These past and present scoundrels only sought power for its raw sake. And they are busy perpetuating its divisive traits over a smoldering Kenya. The many Kenyans disenchanted with the status quo and who are brave enough to shout will be promptly locked up, thanks to the suffocating colonial legal relics of yore which are being cleverly guarded.
Inverted priorities
The present leadership thrives on parallel truths that they shamelessly package as truth. Today’s celebration offers them yet another opportunity to gloat over their strangulation prowess over us. Forget basic priorities like security and settling the IDPs but expect superlative enumeration of phantom progress that only resides within the circumference of their fraudulent heads.
What is more, topology associate professor Kiarie has gone further and called Prof Philip Alston bluff and reminded him he is not worth the lofty title. Reason, poor Alston dared question the rogue policemen who went on extra-judicial killings spree on Saitoti’s watch.
We collectively hate the ugly face of truth, don’t we? Just ask new political boy on the judicial block, one Mutula Kilonzo. We may choose to conveniently repeat all the lies to ourselves till the lips crack, but the world and Geneva knows better that we are only expanding our egos.
Prof Alston touched raw nerves and our own smiling Wako is ready to defend himself. Meanwhile police boss Ali has offered to donate the Kenyan standards of investigation reminding him that one month isn’t enough to probe even chicken theft. The phrase verifiable facts can be reflected on Kenyan mirror to give a very different meaning.
Happy Madaraka day wherever you are folks.
I think once in a while we must stay true to the ideals of what today i.e. Monday means as madaraka day. Ergo, put the negative aspects on the back burner and celebrate the fact that we have been under self rule for 46 years with relative stability and progress however slow it might seem. It would also behoove us to tap the thinking of those that actually lived through ukoloni and the fight for madaraka and get their perspective on this day.
ReplyDeleteMwalimu aka Taabu,
ReplyDeletehow come 46 years ago somebody lied to us that internal self rule would be so easy?with us its seems more like internal self destruction than self-rule
This job of running your own country was made to look so easy by our previous owners (not MIJINJO stupid.....the british)i mean just.... change your name from indigenous to english, wear a tie and suit, speak the queen english, go to school and church. presto congratulations you are officially civilised and ready to do it(independence) on your own
Even then it doesn't seem fair that even though we're not alone in the same boat as a continent, other ships sailing in the same sea seemed to have gone further than we have in the same amount of time given. it must just be one of life's mysteries,
happy madaraka day
2 things:
ReplyDeleteOne, why change the rules of the game if it wont benefit you? Even hon rt dr odinga knows that.
Two, institutions change ever so SLOWLY, and at the margins. Hon Prof. anyang' nyong'o can break that down for you.
Now, go uproot the railway line if you dont understand these simple truths.
There is absolutely nothing for Kenyans to be proud about on this so-called Madaraka Day. A Madaraka Day devoid of any madaraka!
ReplyDeleteThat being said, Kenyans are patently poorer today than they were when the wakoloni left. The post-colonial state has not added a single inch of railway track to our railroad network since the British left in 1963.
Many of our top institutions of secondary education are schools that were established by colonials: Alliance, Mangu, Maseno, Nairobi School, Lenana, etc. Others were established by their appendages, the missionaries or the religious folk; schools such as Cardinal Otunga, St.Mary's Yala, even St.Mary's Nairobi.
The Colonialists were a bunch of reactionary bastards, but we can say the same about the black skinned elites who inherited the Kenyan state. Kenyatta inherited the post-colonial state and left all its instutions intact; to this day, our administrators (PCs, DCs, DOs) still wear those stupid colonial era hats that Theodore Roosevelt described in his writings about Kenya in the early 1900s! Our lawyers still ape the British tradition of wearing the wig, despite our often hot tropical weather. Go figure.
Basically our administrative structures and the way our police force (yes, force) is organised and directly fashioned under the same colonial acts put in place in the early 1900s.
I cannot fathom how and why a system that was created to serve the colonial empire, has since independence incorporated, largely without amendment, the same sets of laws and system of governance of the same colonials that we sought independence from. What is Amendment Four all about? Is it not a battle between those who want to perpetuate the post-colonial state and maintain the status quo, against those seeking to change to amend the relevant sections of that constitution that has continued to nyanyasa many Kenyans?
For a few members of the post-colonial Kenya state, the Kenyattas, Kibakis, Michukis, Mois, and such like thieves, tribal kingpins and feudal landlords, Madaraka Day is a day to celebrate and rejoice over their ill-gotten loot, and the tribalism they have perpetuated since 1963.
Anon 7:42
ReplyDeleteWe usually let these people ride their fallacies.
they believe they control the economy, they believe they are the most victimised, and they believe are industrious
Here is a hint, they are ki???!!!!!!
Mwambu aka Mwambu@9:36pm,
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head and couldn't have said it better, well put
(-clapping-)
I agree 100% with Mwambu @9:36 PM that Kenyans have nothing to be proud of on this June 1st Madaraka Day.
ReplyDeleteKenya's problems started with the despot called Kenyatta who invented the false notion that one tribe was more equal than others.
At least we get to stay home with our families....even if we don't have anything to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteHappy Madaraka day!
Taabu, this is your best post this year!! Listen to this man - he is onto something, I tell you.
ReplyDeleteAnon@7:07 - Two, institutions change ever so SLOWLY, and at the margins. Hon Prof. anyang' nyong'o can break that down for you.
ReplyDeleteNow, go uproot the railway line if you dont understand these simple truths. A sweeping generalization is unbecoming coming from an educated person like you. Tsk, tsk.
Many are too young or were not even born in '63.
ReplyDeleteKenyatta was a visionary. It was a fragile time and he managed to keep the country intact. Compare Kenya to any other country in Sub Saharan Africa and you won't find an equal. Tz and Ug are just upstarts.
Moi could have made amends to Kenyatta's excesses but it was not to be. Th Kikuyus were too disillusioned to allow any real change, and Moi had to look out for Rift. All other provinces mostly got screwed while Nairobi became a city state and Kabarnet became synonymous with wealth.
The poor Jua Kali aristan, unskilled workers and Wanjiku continue to eke out a living. Yes, happy Madaraka day.
But that is in the past. Let's put that behind us and venture boldly into post PEV Kenya - full of promise if the right changes are made.
@1:45 am
ReplyDelete"A sweeping generalization is unbecoming coming from an educated person like you. Tsk, tsk."
Awwww, that's not fair. Go look it up. Start with Economic Historians. Even the ones that studied the French revolution wondered whether "the fruits of revolution" were really worth that pain. Honest!!
Can somebody help me please?
ReplyDeleteWhat's Madaraka Day?
Cross my heart, I don't know what it is and I want to know:)!
The present leadership thrives on parallel truths that they shamelessly package as truth.
ReplyDelete"....Forget basic priorities like security and settling the IDPs but expect superlative enumeration of phantom progress that only resides within the circumference of their fraudulent heads...."
Taabu, your prediction, above, is exactly what happened. Mwai "Mr Pumbavu" Kibaki enumerated the phantom progress - that Kenya has allegedly made - that only resides within the circumference of his fraudulent head.
Kenyans, wake up and help yourselves. God will only help us if we take the initiative. Otherwise, at this rate, Kenya is doomed. Unfortunately I see an "explosion" - bigger than that which occurred after Mwai "Mr Pumbavu" Kibaki STOLE the elections of Dec '07 - occurring in the near future as Mr pumbavu and his PNU brigade are staunchly for the maintenance of the status quo.
2:04 AM, I disagree with you in the strongest possible terms.
ReplyDeleteKenyatta was not a visionary but a tribalist who caused many of the problems we suffer in Kenya today. Kenyatta also created Moi and Kibaki. Need I say more.
Anon 9:36 PM,
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on:
"For a few members of the post-colonial Kenya state, the Kenyattas, Kibakis, Michukis, Mois, and such like thieves, tribal kingpins and feudal landlords, Madaraka Day is a day to celebrate and rejoice over their ill-gotten loot, and the tribalism they have perpetuated since 1963."
Madaraka means responsibility, autonomy, self-rule or independency.
ReplyDeleteAre we self-responsible? Are we independent? Can we rule ourselves? I doubt.
What is happening in Kenya is happening in the whole of Africa since independence. Why? Africans suffered a lot under the colonial rule. Africans were called Animals and their intelligence linked with those of Apes and Monkeys. Africans took insults like Kafiri, poor, lazy, good for nothing, stupid, uncivilized, dirty, dark-brained, uncultured, Nigger, etc.
These insults prompted our first leaders to prove to the white man that they are civilized too. To them civilization was wealth. The inferiority complex took its course.
Foot note: Inferiority complex in Kenya has good examples. A Kenyan soccer fan knows the name of all players of MANU but not of GOR MAHIA. Africans like calling the others Apes or Nigger, even in this blog. Anything foreign in Kenya is best (Artur brothers,etc). It is easier for one from Bangladesh to register a business in Nyandarua than a Luhya from Emuhaya.
It is therefore not a surprise that Kenyatta started by amassing wealth to show wazungu that Africans can also look civilized. He once warned Bildad Kaggia not to remain primitive and try to ‘eat’ and do something for himself. Moi in his turn followed the foot steps of Kenyatta. Kibaki, who grew up in the system, doesn’t know the option and did the obvious. No wonder he calls fellow Africans Pumbavu.
Madaraka which means taking responsibility not only for oneself but also for the whole nation has never been understood by many Africans. We never saw the colonialist take responsibility for Africans and assume it is right not to be responsible for an African. In the African leader’s mind, he is the master (European) and his subjects are the African Kafiri, Nigger, uncivilized, uncultured.
It is not yet Madaraka!
Kenyanheartandsoul
@Kenyanheartandsoul
ReplyDeleteYou are very right. But where does tribalism come in? Do our leaders take responsibility only in the tribal circles?
@ anno 4:34
ReplyDeleteWhen the white man came, he found the tribal ruling system as the only form of government. The white man used this not to render services but to oppress the African. He perfected this by applying divide and rule method.
Our leaders today ran back to their tribes for protection after looting. Kenya is divided in tribal areas and the colonial methods continue.
The first thing to do would be to dismattle tribal power. Ministers to be professionals and non-politicians. Fair distribution of wealth, less districts and maximum of 10 Provinces, introduction of national political parties, parliamentarian system, etc.
Anon 2:04 AM,
ReplyDeleteYou like living a lie. You said:
"Let's put that behind us and venture boldly into post PEV Kenya - full of promise if the right changes are made."
Two things
* This past you are telling us to forget is what has put Kenya into the mess it is currently mired in. We cannot just forget it unless we boldly face it and resolve it, warts and all.
* You talk of Post election violence as if it was an event that just happened, without any cause or provocation. You may refuse to accept what I am going to say but it is the truth: The post election violence was caused by the STEALING of the elections of December 2007 by Kibaki in broad daylight and then he - Mr pumbavu - having himself sworn in in secret in the dark at state house - the classic hallmark of an election THIEF. This BLATANT THEFT OF THE ELECTIONS is what caused what you call the PEV. Had Kibaki just accepted the will of the Kenyan electorate, this violence would never have occurred.
I shall only agree with you one thing - that is if you are genuine: Kenya is full of promise if the right changes are made. I emphasize, the right GENUINE CHANGES and not deceptive window dressing designed to fool people that changes have occurred when actually the status quo is still intact.
Eti sasa mnadelete the comments not very palatable. Hehehe, hamtaaacha kunishangaza!
ReplyDeleteYou talk of Post election violence as if it was an event that just happened, without any cause or provocation. You may refuse to accept what I am going to say but it is the truth: The post election violence was caused by the STEALING of the elections of December 2007 by Kibaki in broad daylight and then he - Mr pumbavu - having himself sworn in in secret in the dark at state house - the classic hallmark of an election THIEF. This BLATANT THEFT OF THE ELECTIONS is what caused what you call the PEV. Had Kibaki just accepted the will of the Kenyan electorate, this violence would never have occurred.This is not true. Whatever the cause of the violence is, it's something without which the violence wouldn't have come about. The problem is that there's very good evidence that there would have been violence whatever the probity of the electoral count. Here's the Human Rights Watch report on the pre-electoral preparation for violence:
ReplyDeleteBut in the days prior to the election, local elders and ODM organizers in many communities around Eldoret called meetings where they declared that electoral victory for Kibaki would be the signal for "war" against local Kikuyu. They told community members a PNU victory should be seen as conclusive proof of electoral fraud and that all Kikuyu were complicit in it.[115]
Human Rights Watch interviewed Kalenjin residents of several rural communities who attended such meetings. The term "war" was widely used in urging a violent reaction to disappointment at the polls. One man from a rural community near Turbo told Human Rights Watch that a few days before the election he attended a community meeting chaired by a local ODM campaigner where:
He [and local elders] said that if there is any sign that Kibaki is winning, then the war should break…They said the first step is to burn the Kikuyu homes in the village, then we will go to Turbo town, [and] after finishing Turbo then we organize to go to Eldoret...They were coaching the young people how to go on the war[sic].[116]Human Rights Watch gathered similar testimonies from other communities around Turbo.[117] On two occasions witnesses described police interventions that prevented militias from reaching Turbo town and Eldoret town, but in those communities, and in Turbo town itself, almost all Kikuyu homes and business were ultimately destroyed. One local Kalenjin resident said this had all gone "according to plan."[118]
Daniel Waweru said...
ReplyDeleteYou talk of Post election violence as if it was an event that just happened, without any cause or provocation. You may refuse to accept what I am going to say but it is the truth: The post election violence was caused by the STEALING of the elections of December 2007 by Kibaki in broad daylight and then he - Mr pumbavu - having himself sworn in in secret in the dark at state house - the classic hallmark of an election THIEF. This BLATANT THEFT OF THE ELECTIONS is what caused what you call the PEV. Had Kibaki just accepted the will of the Kenyan electorate, this violence would never have occurred.
xxxxxx
This is not true. Whatever the cause of the violence is, it's something without which the violence wouldn't have come about. The problem is that there's very good evidence that there would have been violence whatever the probity of the electoral count. Here's the Human Rights Watch report on the pre-electoral preparation for violence:
Our views:
It seems to us that, Waweru is running in circles at a very high speed, and as a result, he comes back to the starting point without even realising it.
Let us explain why we think so:
He has quoted HRW report which says that:
"But in the days prior to the election, local elders and ODM organizers in many communities around Eldoret called meetings where they declared that electoral victory for Kibaki would be the signal for "war" against local Kikuyu. They told community members a PNU victory should be seen as conclusive proof of electoral fraud and that all Kikuyu were complicit in it."[115]
Now, from the above quotation, it seems rather straight forward that, the feeling by the Kalenjin community(for the moment, let us ignore whether the feeling/s is/are supported by facts or not) was that, if Kibaki stole, or it appeared as if he was doing so, war would break out. That can only mean that, as Kalenjin community saw it, a stolen election was a declaration of war. (This does not mean that, we support violence against Kikuyu peasants).
More so, he quotes this statement:
"He [and local elders] said that if there is any sign that Kibaki is winning, then the war should break…"
Now, a coin has two sides. Let us take an example. X says that, or rather, he promises Y that, if Y wins the forthcoming London marathon competition, he, i.e. X will give him a new BMW 7 series. The other side of the coin is that, if X does not win, he will not get the car. Thus, the act of winning in this case, is at the heart of whether Y will get the car or not.
In this case, the Kalenjin community is telling the HRW that, or told HRW that, if Kibaki wins, war would break out. So, what is the other side of the coin? It can only be that, if Kibaki lost, there would have been no violence according to the Kalenjin people that HRW spoke to.
Thus, Waweru's argument that "The problem is that there's very good evidence that there would have been violence whatever the probity of the electoral count," is contradicted by his own quotations from the HRW report.
Taking the above example, his statement amounts to saying that, Y will get the car no matter the outcome of the marathon. So absurd an argument.
Can the ACEDEMIC MOURNERS please try to relate the crocodile tears to Madaraka day post, ama that would amount to upsetting the apologiests? Just try and serial newpaper quotes are allowed, the authenticity notwithstanding.
ReplyDeletethe wananchi who attended the ceremony at nyayo stadium were being paid kshs.200 to go listen to the speech.
ReplyDeleteMwambu,
ReplyDeleteThat may be so but would you rather have had "prosperity" under mkoloni?
I think that is the crux of the matter; free under self rule or on your knees under ukoloni.
Mwarang'ethe,
ReplyDeleteWhy do you reference "Our" view?
Who or whom are you speaking on behalf if I may ask?
Papa+,
ReplyDeletePoint of info: the we from Mwarangethee is an object of speech and need not be intepreted literally. It is used to OBJECTIFY and delianate the message from the messenger, sio kwa ubaya.
Anon@12:55
ReplyDeletethe wananchi who attended the ceremony at nyayo stadium were being paid kshs.200 to go listen to the speech
now that's what i call good publicity
Why do Kikuyus find it difficult to accept publicly that KIBAKI STOLE the 2007 elections?
ReplyDeleteGet ready for the mother of all violence in 2012-if you still elections again. This time it will be worse than the 2007. It will be better organised-watch this space!
ReplyDeleteKumekucha/ Taaba, Not once did i imagine that Kiswahili will be relegated into a second class language 46 years after indipendence. You say "not in English?" Are you not promoting neo colonialism? If you are a Kenyan then you know kiswahili is our national language and blacklisting it is actually illegal, that means KK is continuing with its illegal activities. Why havent you changed your name to english ie 'Trouble'?
ReplyDeleteYou are just another idiot
AMONG OTHERS? This is where 'attacks against ODM' is hidden
ReplyDeleteTAABU Anon 6/1/09 5:53 PM has broken house rule number 1 of common decency by making a tribalistic comment. Others have also done the same impliedly by saying certain tribe/ Ki... etc. We will be watching if you implement your own rules. If you expect the govt to follow its own rules what about yourself? Its always easy to blame. 'Nyani haoni kundule' Sorry, literally 'a baboon doest see its buttocks"
ReplyDeleteBREAKING NEWS!
ReplyDeleteOur investigations have revealed that Daniel Waweru who has been posting comments here is actually called Paul Otieno. He has masquareded in a particular tribes name to put weight on his comments and potray objectivity. He is a Fourth year student at the University of Nairobi. Please readers do not be decieved, we will keep you posted
Mwarang'ethe,
ReplyDeleteHere's the relevant passage from the Human Rights Watch report: They told community members a PNU victory should be seen as conclusive proof of electoral fraud and that all Kikuyu were complicit in it.. And here's what I said: The problem is that there's very good evidence that there would have been violence whatever the probity of the electoral count..
Now, here's what you said: it seems rather straight forward that, the feeling by the Kalenjin community(for the moment, let us ignore whether the feeling/s is/are supported by facts or not) was that, if Kibaki stole, or it appeared as if he was doing so, war would break out.. Your conclusion: can only mean that, as Kalenjin community saw it, a stolen election was a declaration of war.
Your conclusion doesn't follow from your premise: from the fact that Kalenjin thought that if Kibaki stole (or appeared to steal) the vote, there would be violence, it doesn't follow that Kalenjin thought that a stolen election was a declaration of war, and it certainly doesn't follow that that is the only possible meaning of the first sentence.
My argument was that the words of the Kalenjin elders suffice to show that there would have been violence whatever the probity of the count. To show that that's not true, you need to show that there would not have been violence if the count had been properly carried out. Instead of attempting to do so, you revert to irrelevant speculation about the beliefs of Kalenjin elders. The probity of the count and the beliefs of Kalenjin elders are distinct and independent: what they believe doesn't determine the probity of the count.
The crucial passage of the report, again: They told community members a PNU victory should be seen as conclusive proof of electoral fraud and that all Kikuyu were complicit in it. The plain meaning of that passage is that anything other than an ODM victory was proof of electoral theft and sufficient cause for Kalenjin elders to trigger the violence. For them, anything other than a win for ODM was proof of rigging and therefore reason for violence. A stolen election was one that they didn't win. Put another way: their definition of a stolen election was one they didn't win.
It is then easy to show that the probity of the count was irrelevant for the violence. There are four possibilities: either there was an unfair count and one of PNU won or ODM won; or there was a fair count and either PNU or ODM won. Kalenjin elders believed that anything other than a win for ODM was proof of rigging and sufficient cause for violence. Therefore, if there had been a fair count and PNU had won, there would have been violence. As it happened, there was an unfair count and PNU won, so there was violence. That is, the mere prospect of a PNU victory was sufficient to trigger the violence. The elders don't care about the probity of a Kibaki win: for them, any evidence that PNU won is ipso facto evidence that PNU rigged. The last Gallup poll, on December 17th, showed Kibaki with a one point lead. Therefore, Kibaki could certainly have won. So it can't be true that any evidence of a PNU win is ipso facto evidence of rigging. Therefore, the Kalenjin elders' support of violence wasn't conditional on a demonstrably flawed vote count: any prospect of a loss for ODM was sufficient to trigger the violence. So long as ODM was not declared the victor, fairly or unfairly, there would be violence. The probity of the count was irrelevant.
The problem with your argument is easy to see. There's a delightfully crude equivocation on the words stolen election in the sentence That can only mean that, as Kalenjin community saw it, a stolen election was a declaration of war. The definition of stolen election employed by Kalenjin elders is any election in which ODM didn't win; there is, of course, another, better-known, definition.
I can confirm that I am not Paul Otieno.
ReplyDeleteGet ready for the mother of all violence in 2012-if you still elections again. This time it will be worse than the 2007. It will be better organised-watch this space!
ReplyDelete6/1/09 5:55 PM
Go back to school, you are letting your english teacher down.
Okello wrote that:
ReplyDeleteLook, Kenya is a sovereign state that can hadnle its affairs just fine.
Our views:
Well, well, in words of Bernard Crick there are crucial
differences between power and sovereignty, and that it is but
vainglorious bluffing (like the ones we see here now) which has confused the two and caused
shameful deaths.
Fine, even if we concede the existence of a so called sovereign state, it does not follow that:
(a) This sovereignty should always be used, or
(b) that, it can always be used.
More so, your arguments goes like this. X and Y, plan to rob W. In the course of robbery, there appears a policeman who manages to arrest X (he cannot be a Kenyan policeman for Kenyan policemen shoot first and then ask questions later), but, Y flees. It cannot be X's defence that, since Y was not arrested, he cannot be prosecuted.
However, we appreciate that, sovereignty in Africa means the right of the president or the ruling elite to do whatever he/they want. We are grateful to Daniel Waweru for this intersting insight.
Taabu,
ReplyDeleteAhh I see. Must be some British grammer thing then.