Message from our sponsors:
Sadly many Kenyans are yet to take courses online seriously, even as many people in other parts of the world continue to make major improvements in their lives by taking degrees online from the many reputable online universities available these days.
One of the many advantages of online universities is the cost element, not to mention the fact that they can be undertaken even as one continues to pursue whatever it is they are currently doing.
One such university excellent, Capella University is an accredited online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor's degree programs in business and information technology.
Capella currently serves 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
How Mathare Clashes Started And What The Killing Is All About
The news media in Kenya has very carefully avoided telling Kenyans the blunt truth and have instead thrived on giving only hints. The keep on referring to the term, "members of a certain community." Not really surprising when it is clear that the government will order your arrest or another Standard-like-newspaper raid on your newspaper the minute you mention the four letter word "Tribe" or the the four letter phrase "tribal clashes". As I write this police are looking for an MP who "crossed the line."
The shocking bitter truth, which Kenyans must now face, is that tribal clashes are back. Is it a coincidence that it has happened so close to the rapidly approaching general elections?
But what is even more worrying this time is that the clashes are happening in Nairobi. Somehow in 2001,mainly by the grace of the almighty, the clashes stayed out the capital city however this time they are simmering right at the heart of the city in the sun. Kibera (earlier this year) and Mathare most recently have already exploded. This is in addition to tribal clashes now spreading in the expansive Rift valley and reported so far in Kuresoi.
How did the Mathare fracas start?
According to Mathare residents. Slum dwellers have been quietly suffering under heavy Mungiki "taxation". It seems that when the successful crackdown to remove this radical group from bus stands countrywide met with some success, the violent blood hungry youths quietly moved to the two largest slums in East Africa, namely Kibera and Mathare and took over things.
It is said that bathing facilities at the Mathare slums are charged at Kshs 25 by Mungiki and toilet facilities at Kshs 35. The terror group even connects illegal electricity at Kshs 300 installation fee and Kshs 300 monthly. Monthly protection fees are Kshs 30 per house per month.
Mumgiki, is seems are even a government in themselves. At least they were powerful enough to have successfully "banned" women from wearing trousers anywhere within the Mathare slums.
It is believed that the recent government crackdown on hawkers contributed to triggering off the Mathare clashes because it greatly affected the cash flow in the slum area and those who have been quietly paying up started feeling the strain and resisted. That was how trouble started. Mungiki in revenge attacks then raided all the changaa dens they could find in the sprawling slums. Changaa dens are mainly dominated by members of the Dholuo community under the protection of the terror group called Taliban. It was felt by the terror group, that the main resistance to Mungiki taxes were being instigated by the Dholuo community in the slum area.
The Taliban is a group that was hurriedly put together to counter the Mungiki menace in the days when a similar bloody war had broken out in some matatu stands in the country. They now seem to have arisen again to counter Mungiki in the two slums in Nairobi.
But it seems that the main action is yet to commence. Remember Mungiki founder member Nduru Waruinge? He's now a changed man and has since left the group. However he recently announced his interest in a certain Nairobi parliamentary seat. Not his native Dagoretti constituency where he was born, but neighboring Kibera constituency where Raila Odinga is the current MP.
I wonder who the Mungiki in Kibera will support for MP and I also wonder who the Taliban will support. And I wonder if the campaign there will be done without the help of Pangas and Machetes.
================
Join in our raging debate on the real cause of insecurity in Kenya.
The shocking bitter truth, which Kenyans must now face, is that tribal clashes are back. Is it a coincidence that it has happened so close to the rapidly approaching general elections?
But what is even more worrying this time is that the clashes are happening in Nairobi. Somehow in 2001,mainly by the grace of the almighty, the clashes stayed out the capital city however this time they are simmering right at the heart of the city in the sun. Kibera (earlier this year) and Mathare most recently have already exploded. This is in addition to tribal clashes now spreading in the expansive Rift valley and reported so far in Kuresoi.
How did the Mathare fracas start?
According to Mathare residents. Slum dwellers have been quietly suffering under heavy Mungiki "taxation". It seems that when the successful crackdown to remove this radical group from bus stands countrywide met with some success, the violent blood hungry youths quietly moved to the two largest slums in East Africa, namely Kibera and Mathare and took over things.
It is said that bathing facilities at the Mathare slums are charged at Kshs 25 by Mungiki and toilet facilities at Kshs 35. The terror group even connects illegal electricity at Kshs 300 installation fee and Kshs 300 monthly. Monthly protection fees are Kshs 30 per house per month.
Mumgiki, is seems are even a government in themselves. At least they were powerful enough to have successfully "banned" women from wearing trousers anywhere within the Mathare slums.
It is believed that the recent government crackdown on hawkers contributed to triggering off the Mathare clashes because it greatly affected the cash flow in the slum area and those who have been quietly paying up started feeling the strain and resisted. That was how trouble started. Mungiki in revenge attacks then raided all the changaa dens they could find in the sprawling slums. Changaa dens are mainly dominated by members of the Dholuo community under the protection of the terror group called Taliban. It was felt by the terror group, that the main resistance to Mungiki taxes were being instigated by the Dholuo community in the slum area.
The Taliban is a group that was hurriedly put together to counter the Mungiki menace in the days when a similar bloody war had broken out in some matatu stands in the country. They now seem to have arisen again to counter Mungiki in the two slums in Nairobi.
But it seems that the main action is yet to commence. Remember Mungiki founder member Nduru Waruinge? He's now a changed man and has since left the group. However he recently announced his interest in a certain Nairobi parliamentary seat. Not his native Dagoretti constituency where he was born, but neighboring Kibera constituency where Raila Odinga is the current MP.
I wonder who the Mungiki in Kibera will support for MP and I also wonder who the Taliban will support. And I wonder if the campaign there will be done without the help of Pangas and Machetes.
================
Join in our raging debate on the real cause of insecurity in Kenya.
Can Mungiki Be Stopped?
Or maybe the right question to be asking is; is their enough political will to stop Mungiki?
There is no doubt that the Mungiki build-up which has now escalated into blood-letting with the death of 6 people so far and cores of injured must have been noted by the local intelligence service. It is highly unlikely that they were unaware of what was going on. In fact it is instructive that about a month ago, internal security minister announced that there was a new crackdown on Mungiki. So why was nothing more drastic done by the government to deal with the disaster that was waiting to happen?
Could it be that the government fears the political fall out from the group and it's largely house of Mumbi sympathizers?
Or could it be the ongoing crisis of leadership we have in the country where decisions are slow in being made and where decisiveness is completely lacking?
As it is let nobody fool themselves about the Mungiki. They are very well organized and trained. Not to mention that a Mungiki members take a blood oath very similar to the Mau mau oaths that were taken in the run up to independence. These people fear nothing, least of all some ill-prepared policemen that they bribed yesterday.
================
Join in our raging debate on the real cause of insecurity in Kenya.
There is no doubt that the Mungiki build-up which has now escalated into blood-letting with the death of 6 people so far and cores of injured must have been noted by the local intelligence service. It is highly unlikely that they were unaware of what was going on. In fact it is instructive that about a month ago, internal security minister announced that there was a new crackdown on Mungiki. So why was nothing more drastic done by the government to deal with the disaster that was waiting to happen?
Could it be that the government fears the political fall out from the group and it's largely house of Mumbi sympathizers?
Or could it be the ongoing crisis of leadership we have in the country where decisions are slow in being made and where decisiveness is completely lacking?
As it is let nobody fool themselves about the Mungiki. They are very well organized and trained. Not to mention that a Mungiki members take a blood oath very similar to the Mau mau oaths that were taken in the run up to independence. These people fear nothing, least of all some ill-prepared policemen that they bribed yesterday.
================
Join in our raging debate on the real cause of insecurity in Kenya.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)