Guest Post by Mwalimu Peter M. N. Ngugi
The fact that the findings of the Waki team have revealed some very incriminating evidence against leaders in both PNU and ODM, is a very clear indicator that the mayhem that engulfed Kenya early this year was meticulously planned by the rich political and business elite. And as the saying goes, ‘The guilty ones are always afraid’. This explains why some politicians are in an inexpressible state of panic while others have in no uncertain terms trashed the Waki report.
In as much as it is important to forget the past and think of how best to ‘build a New Kenya’ , it is also imperative that we bring to book both the financers and the perpetrators of the atrocious acts for, if we let them go scot free, that would be tantamount to sowing seeds of impunity. It is no doubt that gross crimes against humanity were committed and all the people who aided and abetted the murderers, regardless of their stations in life, must be tried by an International Tribunal.
Every right thinking kenyan should therefore call upon President Kibaki and Premier Raila not to allow the tempering of justice with forgiveness. Everyone must carry their own cross. We must not allow ourselves to be blinded by barbarism and stupid ethnicity. It is high time that we accepted that Kenya is a multi cultural society and that the basic tenets of true Kenyanness lies not in our tribes but in our resolve to invalidate all stupid value systems that are aimed at dividing us along tribal lines. It is time that we understood that our Luoness, Kambaness, Turkananess or Mijikendaness is nothing but a biological accident for, nobody, even the high and mighty sent a telegram or an sms to the Creator asking Him to create them in this or that tribe.
Folks, we must not allow the barbaric philosophies of politicians to fill our heads with negative ethnicity, abhorrence and bloody pettiness. We must understand that politicians play the tribal card to their advantage and not for the benefit of the poor youths who kill and maim at their behest. I would like to pose this sixty four thousand dollar question to all Kenyans: What have we got to show for our barbaric acts? The whole world had held us in such high esteem and we were all proud to be called ‘Kenyans’ before all the hell broke loose. Now, when incidents of utter stupidity and unfathomable barbarism are mentioned anywhere in the world, the Kenyans in diaspora bow their heads in shame as the ethnic cleansing in Kenya is cited as one of the most barbarous and unfortunate incidents to have happened in a civilized country. Fellow countrymen and women, are the people who visited terror on their innocent neighbours not poorer than they were last year? What about the politicians? Has any one of them gone to bed hungry? So, we are fools, aren’t we? If we are not bloody fools, tell me folks, why then did we arm ourselves with all manner of crude weapons and went on the rampage just because some sick barbarians told us to do so? It is an open secret that our blood is sweeter than honey to the politicians who ‘drink’ it and we must say an emphatic “no” to politics of barbarism and blood letting.
It goes without saying that the effects of the post election violence on the economy of this country are unfathomable. Schools, hospitals, roads and railways and farms were destroyed and money that would have been put into better use has to be used to try and clear the mess. How then can we say that these people should be forgiven? If these shameless people are not made to account for their acts, tribal skirmishes will become the norm rather than the exception. We must not allow forgiveness to entrench impunity! The verdict is out; all the murderers and their political godfathers must be tried and punished for their sins.
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Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
The Reign of Armed and Uniformed Impunity
As the Waki flame continue to gather more powerful wind, Kenyans are conveniently focused in discussing the post-election violence without pausing to ask the tough and simple question of the root cause. Well, talk is cheap and weak minds are prone to bandy epithets at each other oblivious of the consequences.
Give Kenyans a new constitution that entrenches institutionalized governance and nobody will care a whiff about the tenant at State House. What is more, the respected address will no longer be reduced to a rendezvous for militia planning to murder Kenyans. But that will remain a coloured wish given the aging scoundrels masquerading as our leaders. Last year’s bungled elections only provided the spark that ignited a hitherto simmering time bomb.
The impunity monster that is currently mauling Kenya was conceived by Kenyatta, weaned by Moi and married off to Kibaki. Between these three devils lies two communities who have the highest political stakes and numerous scores to settle. Forget about the Luos, Luhyas and Kambas (not to disparage other 30+ Kenyan tribes). These are three only serve the purpose of completing the quest equation to join to the club. The hatred and occasional embrace accorded to these later three are mostly premised on the Machiavellian doctrine of doing all it takes to demonize a competitor or co-opt as a ladder to the top.
The list in the Wakis’ envelope and the KNHRC original (not the THIRD version) reads likes who is who among the Kikuyus and Kalenjins. It is no coincidence that Jomo Junior tops the list. He has plenty at stake personally and communally and above all else the family name to both protect and expand. And Ruto? Well, the Kikuyus will drop his name in their day time dreams in the belief (real or perceived) that he stand between them and political supremacy.
As much as we would wish to bandage the festering wound, LAND remains the root cause of all the souring political temperatures. Kenyatta grabbed all the prime chunks of Kenya to his fill creating the Kikuyu Diaspora mainly in the rift Valley. Owing to his own insecurity, Moi made unchallenged political supremacy his principal objective for 24 years.
When naive Kenyans thought they had banished personalized selfish rule to hell in 2002 they had no glue that Kibaki had his own unfinished business and dream to fill. Unfortunately that dream was at variance with his voters save for his few supplicants. The rest as they say is history whose text we are painfully living now.
Postponing Armageddon
Times have changed and the Kalenjins will not buy the naive crap of willing-buyer-willing-seller. The superiority complex only helps in boiling the rage. Having both tasted personalized power, the Kikuyus and Kalenjins are simply playing political checkmates. Back to the trenches they will both do anything to reclaim or retain it power. And no price is big enough to pay in that pursuit.
The Kalenjins are (rightly or wrongly) bitter with Kibaki’s orchestrated resolve to cut them to size during his first term as president. On the other hand the Kikuyus are cursing in arrears Moi’s determination to incinerate their hitherto political and economic advantage.
It may sound like a cliche but the truth is that after last years bungled elections Kenya will never be the same again, NEVER. Kibaki’s penchant to resort to the tried and tested political games dolled in stereotypes became his Achilles heels when he underestimated the resolve of Kenyans who know what they want and they are determined to get it at whatever price. The era of using power to selectively reward and punish is gone forever and the sooner the dinosaurs knew that the better.
No amount of uniformed and armed impunity will kill the will of a population determined to regain their right to choose the way they are governed. Only a new constitution reflecting institutionalized governance will save us from the imminent jaws of apocalypse.All else amounts to pretence whose only success is guaranteed in postponing the inevitable.
No wonder Justice Waki's wisdom informed him to ignore the sovereignty balderdash by handing over the secret envelope to Kofi Anna. Message: you can run but not hide.
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Give Kenyans a new constitution that entrenches institutionalized governance and nobody will care a whiff about the tenant at State House. What is more, the respected address will no longer be reduced to a rendezvous for militia planning to murder Kenyans. But that will remain a coloured wish given the aging scoundrels masquerading as our leaders. Last year’s bungled elections only provided the spark that ignited a hitherto simmering time bomb.
The impunity monster that is currently mauling Kenya was conceived by Kenyatta, weaned by Moi and married off to Kibaki. Between these three devils lies two communities who have the highest political stakes and numerous scores to settle. Forget about the Luos, Luhyas and Kambas (not to disparage other 30+ Kenyan tribes). These are three only serve the purpose of completing the quest equation to join to the club. The hatred and occasional embrace accorded to these later three are mostly premised on the Machiavellian doctrine of doing all it takes to demonize a competitor or co-opt as a ladder to the top.
The list in the Wakis’ envelope and the KNHRC original (not the THIRD version) reads likes who is who among the Kikuyus and Kalenjins. It is no coincidence that Jomo Junior tops the list. He has plenty at stake personally and communally and above all else the family name to both protect and expand. And Ruto? Well, the Kikuyus will drop his name in their day time dreams in the belief (real or perceived) that he stand between them and political supremacy.
As much as we would wish to bandage the festering wound, LAND remains the root cause of all the souring political temperatures. Kenyatta grabbed all the prime chunks of Kenya to his fill creating the Kikuyu Diaspora mainly in the rift Valley. Owing to his own insecurity, Moi made unchallenged political supremacy his principal objective for 24 years.
When naive Kenyans thought they had banished personalized selfish rule to hell in 2002 they had no glue that Kibaki had his own unfinished business and dream to fill. Unfortunately that dream was at variance with his voters save for his few supplicants. The rest as they say is history whose text we are painfully living now.
Postponing Armageddon
Times have changed and the Kalenjins will not buy the naive crap of willing-buyer-willing-seller. The superiority complex only helps in boiling the rage. Having both tasted personalized power, the Kikuyus and Kalenjins are simply playing political checkmates. Back to the trenches they will both do anything to reclaim or retain it power. And no price is big enough to pay in that pursuit.
The Kalenjins are (rightly or wrongly) bitter with Kibaki’s orchestrated resolve to cut them to size during his first term as president. On the other hand the Kikuyus are cursing in arrears Moi’s determination to incinerate their hitherto political and economic advantage.
It may sound like a cliche but the truth is that after last years bungled elections Kenya will never be the same again, NEVER. Kibaki’s penchant to resort to the tried and tested political games dolled in stereotypes became his Achilles heels when he underestimated the resolve of Kenyans who know what they want and they are determined to get it at whatever price. The era of using power to selectively reward and punish is gone forever and the sooner the dinosaurs knew that the better.
No amount of uniformed and armed impunity will kill the will of a population determined to regain their right to choose the way they are governed. Only a new constitution reflecting institutionalized governance will save us from the imminent jaws of apocalypse.All else amounts to pretence whose only success is guaranteed in postponing the inevitable.
No wonder Justice Waki's wisdom informed him to ignore the sovereignty balderdash by handing over the secret envelope to Kofi Anna. Message: you can run but not hide.
Latest DVD movies FREE delivery in Nairobi
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