While many Kenyans saw the vintage Moi endorse the DPM Uhuru at Karume's funeral, others the whole campaign spiced in poisoned chalice. Call it Uhuru project II, but the retired President also has the democratic right to choose and voice his opinions and feelings. And that is the right side of his speech.
The interesting bit can be deciphered from the genesis of turning funerals into campaign platforms. Afterall this sickening practice was conceived, delivered and nurtured during Uncle Dan's ERA. Those were the days when you could not separate a leader's personal views from government policies. And what is more, just like the dreaded one O'clock news, many were hired and fired at funerals. So forget Moi's hitherto hollow advice for people to respect the dead by avoiding politics at funerals. The master was only perfecting his invention.
That said, give credit to baba Gigi on fidelity. He singularly believed in UK project 10 years ago and his consistency is a rare gem among our politicians. He may have only mentioned Central Kenya leadership but you don't need to be a neurologists to dissect the bigger picture and the wider implications of his declaration.
Oh, please forget that fad of ICC nonsense as a Yorke burdening Uhuru's neck. Moi the nationalist knows better as he warned ages ago about neocolonialism. This is the same Professor of politics who had warned us of Rwanda-like genocide to dissuade Kenyans from advocating for multipartism. Well, the proof in his scare mongering can be sampled from the present fractious, nay tribal, political pudding.
Nobody can fault Moi for answering to people's pleas. It was the same people who have been pestering the reluctant President Kibaki to anoint a successor. Not one to shun controversies nor fear backlash, Moi has stepped to the plate and called Kenyans bluff.
It is a free world and Moi has voiced his choice. Moi never cares about what you think about him, his failures and success notwithstanding. Kenyans will have the opportunity to either support his choice of embarrass his one more time come election time. The heat is one and only those hardy enough to stand the embers will be left standing.
Yes. We cannot ignore the former President as he is the emeritus professor of Kenyan politics. He is intelligent and focussed and knows what is best for Kenya. Let Uhuru pick Ruto as his running mate and the duo shall garner 70% of the vote mine included.
ReplyDeleteold is gold; as time goes by more of moi's positive beliefs, values, ideas ...and dare I say actions are seen in positive light...helping to have a peaceful harmonious society:
ReplyDeletehow much would you pay for this book:
http://www.amazon.ca/Moi-The-Making-African-Statesman/dp/1854792539/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330899898&sr=1-16
my copy is not for sale....
The widespread conversions of funeral sessions into outdated political podiums is such a sickening and tiring trend that continues unstricted throughout the country.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, death repeatedly reminds us that its (her) purpose behind the particualr journey lives of other people through which it (she) takes us is that we might see what is in our own future - final destiny.
Which brings some of us back to the fact that may be many of us would learn to deeply respect the departed if only some of the deceased could rise up and shut up the out of touch aimless speakers for a minute with chilling remarks such as;
Have some respect for my remains, will you! Why are you shameless politicians forgetting the fact that this very hour is my final moment, my exit point, send-off party, and exclusive departure from the world as you mortals tend to know it?
Luckily, we will never have the opportunity to be masters of ceremonies, let alone view ourselves during our own funerals.
On the other, a character like Moi is a typical old political predator, semi-sophisticated as they have been for the last five decades or more.
A dinasaur whose true nature and agenda for the country has not been a hidden secret to many people from all walks of life who have known him since the days he rose to power through a series of unfortunate political events up to the time he later exited against all odds after the landslide defeat in 2002.
Gone are the days when the likes of Moi, Mobutu, Idi Amin Dada, Said Barre, Mangistu Haile Mariam, et al always collectively deluded themselves into believing the people love me so much they won't let me retire from the presidency.
So far, Moi still seems to believe that people love him for what he was at one time and point in the dark history of Kenya, to extent that they will let him say anything what slips of his vintage tongue minutes before his not so young mind kicks in with a reminder that he's no longer in power anymore, or the jogoo that onece ruled the political coop with iron claws.
The truth is that, we all have the democratic right, the unlimited opportunity for free speech, self-expression and right to assembly, however his remarks about the resuscitation of UP-2012 were uncalled this time around.
The just blew it, he blew his social capital and the little that still remains of his elder statesmanship.
Now, this is interesting. All over the world, individuals, media houses etc do endorse their preferences. The other day, we heard the President literally being begged to endorse an individual. Can't we let Bwana Moi do his thing in peace
ReplyDeleteWe can laugh or ridicule Moi as much as we please, but we must never ignore him. The old man told us for decades that "Kenya has it's owners" and that "wakenya mtazungushwa milele!" So who is laughing now? The fact is that ordinary hapless Kenyans can vote for anyone they want. But when the power barons say thin otherwise, they will just rig out that candidate. They control the money and security apparatus that oversees the general election. Monopoly over security organs means they can unleash chaos and confusion. The point is that unless we end these tribal chieftains and ethnic power barons, we ain't going no where as a nation. Kenya truly has it's owners and no wonder we are one of the most unequal nations on the planet. These owners control about 80 percent of our economy. Just like JM Kariuki predicted, we are a nation of 30 million beggars and 30 billionaires. When you keep the masses poor, then it's easy to manipulate them. That's what has happened since independence.
ReplyDeleteDeadman Mobutu and deadman walking in jail Mubarak were once so sucusseful at controlling and manipulating the poor, blind and insecure masses of people in their respective former fiefdoms ("Zaire" and Egypt) during the cold war era and thereafter.
ReplyDeleteNeed I say more? The two military tyrants were kicked out of power only to be replaced by other tyrants and political hyenas who are equally evil and have become so adapt at controlling and manipulating the masses at a whim.
Old man Moi was right and honest when he declared that Kenya has its owners, because all of the strategic fiefdoms on the African continent and elsewhere, are always run by low-level obedient and conditioned political chiefs like Moi (was for 25 yrs), Mobutu (may he rest in hell), Mubarak (may he wallow in jail drinking stale porridge and sharing showers with common criminals twice a week), et al, on behalf of their political grandmasters and godfathers, the vicious conglomerate industry.
One of the reasons why Kenya is still up to this day, nothing more other than a nation that is only valued by the conglomerates for its carte blanche access to lucrative raw material economy.
The more things cahnge, the more they?
Anon 12:25 AM
ReplyDeleteIt's okay to endorse individuals or candidates of our choice for whatever reasons, at any time and place of choice, as long as the endorsements and personal pronouncements are made at the right venues and through the right political gatherings or appropriate media channels, but not during funerals. Why would anyone in their right mind make such bold announcements over a dead man's or woman's body, moments just before the deceased are lowered into their final resting place?
@M.Pesa,
ReplyDeleteJM Kariuki did not deserve to die in the manner in which he was brutally murdered by some of his friends, colleagues, associates, a very close relative, one time rivals and the cold blooded killers, who were better known as "the pack of mongooses" who were once in charge and made up the special unit within the GSU. However, the man was not a saint by all accounts as he has been cannonized by many over the three decades, nor was he any different from his ilk of pre/post-independence politicians, some of whom became well known political land grabbers who procured huge tracks of lands after the settlers had been compensated and vacated the prime lands of Kenya. We should have the courage to look at his whole body of works and not just concentrate or limit ourselves on when, where, why and how he died.
@Anon 3/4/12 10:54 PM
ReplyDelete"Have some respect for my remains, will you! Why are you shameless politicians forgetting the fact that this very hour is my final moment, my exit point, send-off party, and exclusive departure from the world as you mortals tend to know it?"
On a point of information, mainstream belief/teaching on this subject is that the soul/spirit of an individual departs from the body instantly at death and returns to our Creator, to await Judgment - at least this is as far as Christian/Biblical theology is concerned. I believe Karume was Catholic?
Therefore, by the time people are gathered around the body to give it a "dignified send-off", the person actually departed days or weeks before. As far as the dead are concerned, it really doesn't matter what kind of stuff you do or say during the funeral.
Isn't inconvenient or even irrelevant for someone to ask whether the rumoured JMK documentary in progress, is a real search for a father by his loving daughter after three and half decades?
ReplyDeleteOr if it is just part of the mushrooming cottage industry triggered by the ripple effect and a desire for paternal novels, documentaries and essays similar to those trying to emulate Obama's chasing of dreams of a father who left or departed when some of the concerned children were still young and very vulnerable?
One of the question was, why not go a step further, take it to another level and incorporate the coveniently forgotten deaths and plight of thousands and thousands of Mau Mau veterans and especially the backhanded treatment they were dealt once the colonialists left the former Britisn colony and Kenya attained its independence?
By the way, millions of Kenyans have died in mysterious political and vicious ethnic circumstances since JMK died in 1975, does that mean that their forgotten narratives don't merit a hearing or publication of some kind, since all have occurred in the name of one culprit who has been responsible for cycle of several internal displacement of over 60,000 (sixty thousand) innocent Kenyans, namely vicious land politics.
Or should their human interest stories never be gathered as stark reminders of the two very brutal eras gone by? Including PEV on Kibaki's watch.
And without ever fogetting the fact that '07-'08 post-election violence was engineered and driven by political economics of scarcity of land.
Its okey for the OPINION POLL PRESIDENT to BEG for endorsements from mzee kibaki but when Moi OFFERS FREELY his opinions about his PREFFERED CANDIDATE then all hell breaks lose. What a bunch of OLD hypocrites have Chris and his ilk become???
ReplyDeleteInteresting story about Jonathan Moi. plz check it out n' tell us the whole truth
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nairobilawmonthly.com/modules/frontpage/php/fullview_content.php?mode=0&multi=0&type=0&pos=0&limit=0&id=330&
What does the law of kenya say about possession of stolen property? If I am found in possession of a stolen car, can I just tell the police that " Ooooh I did buy it from a Ms Dorothy J. Yator. And therefore I can return it to the real owner but I am not responsible for owning?" Kweli Kenya in wenyewe.
ReplyDeleteAnd that is the attitude of our next president?
How can you buy a 100 acres of Land without doing any due diligence? WSR please don't take us for full!
...By the time people are gathered around the dead remains...
ReplyDeleteIt's been reiterated so many times on Kumekucha that funerals as in 'funerary rituals' are not carried out in honour of the dead, but for the express purposes and consolation of the bereaved including all those left behind - the living.
With the belief that a "dignified send-off" helps people - especially the dead among us - avoid the perils of the afterlife as well as aid their existence in the nether world by insuring that the dead do not die an excruciating death for a second time while in the underworld.
For you information, the concept of the soul predates the later version as provided by Christian thought.
And by the way, if I may ask, what type of soul did you have in mind given your school of thought?
Further, the inscription, Have Some Respect for My Remains, Will You! is written in many reserved medical school facilities as a constant reminder for first timers (med students) to never ever disregard TLC when handling cadavers for whatever reasons.
For ancient an rumour - literate superstition - has it that the psyche is always lurking in the vicinity in the hope of re-animating itself through the manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.
Now you know, if you didn't.
The old man whose name I will no longer mention in honour of all those who have perished, suffered and thousands and thousands of Kenyan citizens (IDPs) who are still internally displaced since the 80s and 90s, and for millions of Kenyans who were never allowed to freely express themselves, or even get the chance to offer free opinions without fear of drastic reprisals when it came to the type of country, government, presidential candidate and parliament they had wanted to have or preferred during the dark twenty something years of his tyranical rule. Well, it's only the diehard hypocrites and those who benefited from his dark era, who would want others to believe otherwise, or lead the rest of us into thinking that the old man has developed a new kind of political wisdom since 2002. As far many Kenyans are concerned, the old man can say whatever it is that he wants or desires for whatever reasons so long as people never forget the fact of the type of evil person that he was for the twenty-five years he ruled, owned, used, abused and wasted Kenya as if it were his little personal backyard piece of shamba for recreational purposes. His fellow octagenarians are willingly marching on, so what is he waiting for? And why can't he enjoy the billions of pounds and dollars he has stashed away for a rainy day once he has crossed over like the pharoah of old?
ReplyDeleteRelinguishing all the land and property that was forcefully taken from the IDPs who resided in the Rift Valley before the '07-'08 post-election violence, is the only way forward from now onwards, and the only get-out-of jail card for the land grabbers who are ready and willing to negotiate appropriate out-of-court settlements. While others should follow the example of William Ruto's return of 100 acre farm to its rightful owner, Mr. Muteshi.
ReplyDeleteKumekucha, excuse the digression for a moment if you will.
ReplyDeleteI believe Njenga Karume was Catholic?
Does it really matter at this point and time, now that his soul (spirit) has returned to be with the Creator who is above and beyond man-made theologies and religions?
All I know is that Mzee Njenga Karume was a very generous person who had a huge philanthropic heart and spirit.
One of the many reasons why he never allowed his left hand to know what the his right hand was doing up and till the moment of his death.
There is a lot of philanthropic endeavers that are not mentioned in biography for obvious reasons.
For intance, there is a large church that he helped construct with 85% of his personal financial contributions, but refused to appear in person nor have his name mentioned during the opening ceremony of the church.
That's the kind of man he was, he wasn't in the habit of blowing his philanthropic trumpet from the hill tops for the whole village to hear or see.
What is the meaning of death?
There are different ways of looking at or understanding death. If you you think that a natural thing has come, tranquility shall prevail.
For example, fruits fall down when ripened. There is no reason to be surprised. That is what it is, and such was the case with the passing on of Mzee Njenga Karume, whose time had come as he had anticipated it and prepared himself way in advance.
But if you think that something catastrophic has happened, then a lot of unhappiness shall follow, as is the current case with a certain angry young man from father's former village.
The unfortunate young man decided to severe all ties with his close relatives, including people who once knew, worked and associated with his late father in one way or another.
Why? Time will tell when he gets to be in his mid-fifties.
As it were, every human has to tolerate two separations. When he comes out of the mother's womb, he separates his connection with Creator.
Whe he dies, he separates his connection with the world and returns to reunite with the Creator.
May Mzee Njenga Karume is reunited with the Creator, and may he RIP.
A political dinosaur will always be a dinosaur to the point where it cannot see, feel, avoid, nor even anticipate an incoming 16.8 ton meteorite.
ReplyDeleteThe old man has already flip flopped as he tried recanting what was captured life by several media outlets that were following events at the burial of Mzee Njenga Karume.
The one time strong man had no clue that once you have been captured live uttering the thinkable, there is no way the viral recordings can be confisticated or deleted as was the case during his rule in the 1980s and 90s.
Once you're youtubed, that is it, you're youtubed, may be one of the reasons why the old man's choice of words have had the opposite effect among some segments of the general population, and unlike the follwoing quote;
The power of words is immense. A well-chosen word has often suffaced to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory, and to save an empire. ~ Emile De Girardin.
How ironic, Uhuru has decided to practice the politics of the older generation as he's egged on by one high profile vetran of divisive tribal politics.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I believe Uhuru is not the leader I am looking for, whether as a Mugikuyu, or as a Kenyan; not unless he changes his entire political brand. Kenya really can not afford another generation of divisive tribal politics. - Wambugu Ngunjiri.
Hi. Can anyone tell us why the 'citizen' newspapers has sold out all copies in the city one hour after hitting the streets? Or Kumekusha is not aware?
ReplyDeleteMore Kukuyus in fraud in UK
ReplyDeleteThree guilty of mortgage fraud – Slough
Friday 24 February 2012, 9:55am
A husband and wife from Slough were found guilty on 15 February of a series of fraud offences, following a trial at Reading Crown Court. Another man had already pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a number of related offences.
Tahir Malik, aged 44, of Wexham Road, Slough, was a mortgage broker who was made bankrupt in his former name of Amjad Ali. He ran a business in Farnham Road, Slough, called Enterprise Mortgage Solutions, as an appointed representative of Mortgage Next Network Ltd.
Malik pleaded guilty on 25 August 2011 to obtaining services from Mortgage Next by deception in 2004 by concealing his convictions and bankruptcy, and giving a false former employer. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, one relating to a mortgage on his former home in West Wycombe in 2007 and the other to an attempted purchase of a property in Windmill Road, Slough, in 2008.
Malik also pleaded guilty to eight other offences: five of fraud and three of obtaining a money transfer by deception. All of these offences involved his co-accused, Patrick Kamande, aged 34, of Trent Road, Slough, and one involved Kamande’s wife, Mary Kimani, aged 30, of Elliman Avenue, Slough.
Between 2005 and 2009, Kamande purchased or attempted to purchase a number of properties with mortgages brokered by Malik. For some of these he used false names.
One of the properties bought under a false name was later “sold” to Kamande and another to Kimani via mortgages, thus releasing equity.
Although Kamande and Kimani obtained some mortgages using their real names, they gave false details about their employment and immigration status. Kamande was in fact prohibited from employment by the UK Border Agency.
At the start of his trial, Kamande pleaded guilty to possessing a false identity document with intent (a forged Kenyan passport).
All three defendants will return to Reading Crown Court on 19 March for sentencing.
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