Following violence in South Africa targeting African immigrants, IDPs is acquiring new meaning for INTERNATIONALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE. Already more than 3000 Kenyans have fallen victims of the orgy of violence in Johannesburg and Pretoria. ODM's detractors will readily jump into snide conclusion that the party has successfully exported its brand of violence to demand EQUITY.
The scenarios may be very different but the common thread between the SA violence and our local version following stolen elections is SENSE of INEQUITY and domination. Call it whatever you fancy but every geographical local on this planet has its ANCESTRAL and IMMIGRANT owners. No amount of selective application of the law can effectively address such feelings.
SA may be excused for they may be considered still smarting from apartheid and white domination. But there lies a potent lesson on how to harness peaceful coexistence among a people. I pray the violence gets contained and our fellow Kenyans continue with their daily lives out there. Their home country is a flame already and the imagination of coming back is just too grim.
PS: Less than 20 hours to Moscow glory and counting. Poor brother Drogba. The guy is marvelous but unfortunately he is playing for the runners up. THERE IS ONLY ONE UNITED.
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Guy Abandons His Family And Marries First Cousin
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Raila, Mboya And How History Always Repeats Itself
David Goldsworthy never met Tom Mboya and yet the Australian political scientist penned a classic work on the brilliant politician; Tom Mboya: The Man Kenya wanted to forget that is an absolute must-read for anybody who wants to understand Kenyan politics.
In that fascinating read (now sadly out of print) Goldsworthy notes the most serious mistake the otherwise brilliant Tom Mboya made. In fact it was the mistake that cost him his life. The Kiambu mafia used Mboya to deal with what was the most serious threat to the Kenyatta presidency—the Luo threat through the then community leader Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Mboya saw Jaramogi as nothing more than a tribal chief. Jaramogi saw Mboya as a young upstart who though he was too smart. There was absolutely no love lost between the two. This was probably one of the reasons why Mboya used his brilliance to finish off Jaramogi politically in the most ruthless manner. That was Mboya’s big mistake because as Goldsworthy notes, when the job was done and Jaramogi was safely out of the way, this in fact paved way for the assassination of Mboya. He had finished his assignment and was the only threat remaining in the horizon for the Kiambu mafia who were at the time already accumulating wealth like Kenya was about to shut down.
In other words, in politics it is not a good thing to finish off your enemy completely because as long as they exist there is work for you and therefore your long term survival is guaranteed.
Fascinatingly the son of Mboya’s arch enemy is in that exact position now that Mboya was in 1969. Raila Odinga as Prime Minister is rapidly proving that old adage that it is what you make of the office that determines exactly the kind of power one wields. But one of the assignments that the Prime Minister has found increasingly placed on his laps is that of sorting out the mess in the Rift Valley. His close supporters are enraged that Agwambo should end up being asked to clean up the mess that was in fact caused by the decision to steal the presidency from him. But then that is life. Raila is the Prime Minister of Kenya and he has to deal with the most serious problem facing Kenya today.
Already retired president Moi is busy building up dissent against Raila within ODM and the high noon of Raila versus the Kalenjin is rapidly approaching (see my latest raw notes for details). I am of course aware of the statement that Raila made yesterday which caused a lot of panic in the PNU camp, asking for the release of those arrested in connection to post election violence. That does not change the fact that we have a showdown looming very soon.
Raila will want to re-read Goldsworthy’s book, assuming that he has already read it at least once. He should then note that the Kalenjin community even in the days to come as they rise against him, are very important for his long time survival. I have no doubt on my mind as to who the winner will be in such a contest and neither should anybody who understands the current political situation in the country. Hate him or like him, but the fact is that Raila has outsmarted many and will continue to do so for many days to come. But Raila must be careful to appreciate the largest community in the Rift Valley, even as his political enemies. And in the contest to come must make sure that whatever he does, and whatever the government that is part of does, the Kalenjin should not be defeated completely.
His political partners at PNU are already eager that the “Kalenjin threat” is dealt with once and for all and have already assigned huge sums of money to the project and have made all sorts of promises which I discuss in great detail my raw notes this week.
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