Shikuku: Peoples’ Watchman, Superlative Debater

The peoples' watchman and veteran politian Martin Shikuku is dead. He was 79 years old. The grim ripper has struck again, this time round claiming the superlative parliamentary debater. Shikuku succumbed to cancer while undergoing treatment in Nairobi.

Martin Shikuku was a unique and talented Kenyan politician. He could as well be used as a poster for dynamic and witty politicking. As a master of parliamentary standing orders, he will be remembered for living way ahead of his time.

He spoke the truth as it was as evident when he reminded MPs that there was no need to substantiate the obvious 'Kanu is dead'. Standing up to Jomo then needed real guts and balls of steel and Shikuku had both in abundance and eloquence.

Speaking of being modern and living ahead of his time what of his ready made-to-measure grave and coffin in Bungoma county. You cannot make that up on Shikuku.

Shikuku's preparations for after life has few equal/s. Not least from an African statesman born in a community where death is only spoken of in hushed low tones.

Evidence of Shikuku's superb brain can be found in numerous research papers by Cambridge professors who used him to recollect and record Kenya's history.

Shikuku needed not be a paper professor. His death is like a library burnt down. Fare well son of Oyondi.

...Adds Kumekucha Chris
A political analyst once said that the best person to be president of Kenya in a transition from the old to the new was one Martin Shikuku simply because all that Kenya needed was a true patriot who would have only one agenda; to put an abrupt stop to corruption. New ideas and initiatives would come later because this single mission executed successfully would transform the country immensely.

That spoke volumes about the manner in which Kenyans viewed this courageous politician. Standing up to the murderous government of Jomo Kenyatta was no mean feat and Shikuku is extremely lucky to have escaped with his life. His woes did not end with the death of Kenyatta and he quickly found himself in trouble with Moi too. In a bizarre and strange twist of fate Shikuku died on the exact same date Jomo Kenyatta died in 1978.

Shikuku was there right from the beginning and was in attendance for the famous Lancaster House talks in London that crafted Kenya's first constitution. Virtually everybody else there went on to use their public positions to amass vast fortunes. In his last days Shikuku had to rely on government handouts to pay for his prostate cancer treatment. That tells you a lot about what this man was about and what he stood for.

I was fortunate enough to meet hero Shikuku a few times in his twilight years. A very easy guy to talk to with a great sense of humour. Great intellect too. But what always shone through was his great love for the motherland. If fate were to be fair this man deserved to be president of Kenya much more than some cowardly fence-seaters I know.

Kwaheri bwana Shikuku Kenya owes you much more than will ever be revealed.

Another Update  from Chris
The late Shikuku prepared dug a grave and bought a coffin in preparation for his death over 20 years ago to ease the burden on his family after he was gone. Amazing guy. Read the story HERE

PM Zenawi Dead as Sister Death Visits Ethiopia

By Anonymous KK Blogger

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenewi is dead. After treatment abroad for the last two months, doctors at a Belgian hospital could not keep the benevolent dictator alive.

Zenawi's death leaves Ethiopia in a politically precarious state. A whole generation knew him as the only leader having ruled for more than two decades. To put it in perspective Ethiopia has been synonymous with Zenawi as Somali been to chaos since the ouster of Said Bare in 1991.

Meles' reign also saw secession of Eritria whose strongman Affewoki always spoilt for a fight including over the barren Badme. So another hitherto West's blue eye boy bites the dust. His death leaves Paul and Kaguta breathing from that lot.

Strongman

So there goes annther African president bites the dust on European soil while seeking specialized medical treatment and care in a foreign hospital facility.

The departed Zenawi was a north-eastern African leader who had be granted twenty years to improve the lot of his people, including the basic infrastructure, health facilities throughout the country, the economy for all to benfit, agriculture, security, education, etc.

Yet very little has changed since the year Ironman Mengistu Haile Mariam was forced out of Addis Ababa, taking three plane loads of all the country's gold reserves and foreign currency with him into a a self-style luxurious exile.

One of the very tempting reasons why Comrade Robert Mugabe could not afford to ignore nor refuse to lay out a red acrpet welcome for such a rare quest flying in from north-eastern Africa.

Anyway, what a year 2012 has been in terms of its coperation with Sister Death and at times Mother Nature, in terms removing, withdrawing, or recalling prominent African politicians from office.

The year 2012 is not yet over but the death toll has kept rising all the way from Malawi, Ghana, Ethiopia, and who knows where the next recall will be sanctioned.

Sister death, natural equalizer

Sister Death with the permission of Mother Nature, may head out and pay an overdue late night private visit to Robert Mugabe and one of his very wealthy resident comrade, Mengistu Haile Mariam.

Another quick pit-stop for Sister Death should be palatial residence of a man, Blaise Compaore, who lack's the heart of 'men with integrity', given the fact that he was in one way or another implicated in the death of Thomas Sankara.

By the way, hass anyone out there heard any whispers about the intended timely vists to the Democratic of The Congo, Uganda, Swaziland and South Africa, including our very own backyard where people cling onto power until Sister Death comes calling as the last resort?

May the presidential death toll continue to take its cause in African countries where democracy has become a sham and elections are a scam.

And where the powers that be have created the illusion that "the people" control the government, not the elite, to such a degree that any credible resistance movements and strong political opposition has been neutralized.

Thanks to Sister Death, Mother Nature and her paternal celestial cousin Moirai.