Kenya 28 Feb

For all the information on Kenya28Feb check out their website here and get the details. This is my personal account of my pre, actual and post Kenya28Feb.

Pre:

I admit that while I agreed with the organizers in principle, I felt that this was a half-baked good idea which needed better planning and further thought.

You cannot ask folk to do something and then tell them the why does not matter. You cannot start something with no idea of the future. You cannot ignite a fire that you are not interested in keeping alive.

Yes, I realize that it is currently ‘cool’ to be political and the activism fad aroused by the happenings in North Africa is the in thing but I believe that Kenya’s street revolution has already happened. Remember when we sang ‘Yote yawezekana’?

I appreciate that most on social media are pretty young and also ignorant on happenings before existence of social media but Kenya did fight and win against a dictator. Therefore I strongly believe what we need now is a revolution of the mind. A mind shift to look at leadership and been led differently.

Kenyans are terribly apathetic and asking them to do something which has no tangible return is akin to crying wolf. This makes it harder for the next person who tries to organize the masses with a plan. Also if you are clueless and rudderless as organizers you will be hijacked by outside forces who are more politically aware. I warned one of the organizers of this possibility and she thought I was naive. Well, Bunge la Wananchi just did the hijack at Kencom and reports indicate  they are matching to Parliament. Wanna guess what will be in the news?

Social media also got pretty ugly with both sides trading accusations and abusing the other. That was pretty sad. I believe that it is a great thing that Kenyans are not sheep or zombies who blindly follow. Everyone’s opinion really does count!

Actual:

Despite all my misgivings surrounding  the event I decided to sing or how I looked at it say a prayer for my country and give thanks to God for all the blessings and to also pray for peace.

Read the words of the anthem here and get inspired by the powerful prayer.

I made my way to Kencom bus stop and got there at 12:50pm. The organizers had formed a small circle which the cameras were targeted on. There was a size-able crowd. Half who were there to sing and the majority who were clueless curious onlookers. In five minutes I had answered at least 10 Kenyans who asked me what was going on. I also heard a lot of misinformation been peddled by Kenyans who pretend to know. Bunge la Wananchi had hijacked the front line and they had a banner too.Apathy was also evident. We sing and then? Who are the organizers? Are they celebs?

I had expected a platform, a mic, someone leading the singing but it was quite chaotic. Impatient Kenyans started to sing at 1.02pm as the organizers delayed. This prompted the organizers to finally start and it meant that I sang the first stanza twice.

But finally we were in sync and in that moment I was proudly Kenyan! Devoid of the cynicism and just united with other men and women with whom I share a country of  birth.

We sang in Kiswahili and the words to all the three stanzas were instinctively remembered. It was a powerful moment and I was  glad I said the prayer.

Once I finished saying that prayer I said one of my own and walked away just as the Bunge la Wananchi started their chanting.

Post:

I am sure the organizers have learned a lot from their foray into the murky world of politics. I also hope that the organizational kinks and informational gap between the elite 1% on social media and the kawaida 99% on the streets will be addressed. I am assuming that this was not a fad and that Kenyans today started the revolution of the mind. I pray that it will not be hijacked by folk with ulterior motives.

As for me, I am glad I said my two prayers for Kenya. I shall continue to use my blog to aid the mental revolution that Kenya desperately needs. I will also seek to plug myself into initiatives that can benefit from my political awareness.

What will you do?

GOD BLESS KENYA!

 

 

The Bigger Picture

It took me awhile to get the bigger picture of the sudden political heat in Kenya. My pal kept prodding me not to think of Kibaki and Raila but of the folks who have all to lose if the constitution implementation goes as planned and the ICC process is not derailed. Finally I think I have got it.

Let’s begin at the beginning. On Dec 17 2010, Moreno Ocampo named six men who are accused of bearing the greatest responsibility. From that day, reforms, doing things for good of Kenya and been patriotic were all thrown out of the window.  The folk named were apparently bigger than Kenya and name of the game changed to their preservation at the expense of Kenya and Kenyans.

Enter into the picture KKK, which is a loose grouping of Kikuyus, Kambas and Kalejins fronted by Uhuru, Ruto and Kalonzo. It is instructive to note that KKK has two of the six ICC suspects as its key proponents and the third as a puppet who is intrinsically opportunistic and malleable. KKK wants to evade justice by all means. It also wants to keep the dragon of impunity alive in Kenya.

Due to media attention and backlash from the public as a result of its explicit tribalism KKK went underground. Its leaders completely distanced themselves from it and in typically Kenyan fashion we presumed that was the end of the ugly tribal grouping. Apparently KKK just went underground and it is now engaging in even more dangerous tactics.

Remember the bigger picture is to save the ICC six from The Hague. Kenya can burn but these six have to be saved.

Plan A – Lobby African states for the deferral of the ICC case with the rider that Kenya is reforming its judiciary and will be able to try the post election violence suspects. This is been done by Kalonzo’s shuttle diplomacy. The Judiciary must be malleable enough to aid the process so of course Kibaki had to appoint ‘his’ judges to the posts and ignore Raila’s views. It was then expected that Raila would in a fit of anger leave the coalition and Kibaki would ‘be forced’ to call a snap election. KKK then presumes they will win the snap election and thus became immune to prosecution or arrest like Bashir is.

Plan B – This is just a variation of Plan A. Since Raila did not leave the coalition, PNU has asked to leave the coalition.

Plan C – A censure motion against the Prime Minister or a vote of no confidence against the PM.

Whatever happens at the end of this episode of the endless drama, this is a win for the KKK side. Either, the coalition falls apart and snap elections called or their judges get approved and politics takes centre stage with reforms been placed on the back burner.

Just for the record, in no way do I think Raila’s side is comprised of angels BUT the unholy alliance of KKK in its bid to save themselves from The Hague is willing to burn Kenya. They currently believe that Raila is at his weakest and thus are going for his jugular in the belief that they can amass numbers in Parliament and also in a snap election.  It is dangerous ground and we are as usual blinded by the ODM v PNU or Kibaki v Raila and cannot see the high stakes chess games been played.

Regarding the appointees:

Justice Vishram has presided over high profile libel cases and the case against Royal Media Services in the late 90s. In those cases he ruled harshly against the media and thus I do have questions regarding his views on a free press.

Kioko Kilukomi until last week was William Ruto’s lawyer. Enough said.

Prof Githu Muigai is an expert on ICC procedures and has allegedly been advising the government regarding the ICC case.

William Kirwa left the Agricultural Development Corporation under unclear circumstances regarding mismanagement of funds. How then can he be Controller of Budget?

So in my view, they may have amazing academic credentials but in the matter of conflict of interest it appears they do not pass muster.

Less than six months after promulgation of the new constitution which heralded the beginning of a new dawn for Kenya finds itself again at crossroads.

The constant in this endless drama appears to be pea-size brained politicians who are hell bent on self-preservation.

For how long shall 40 million Kenyans be at their mercy?

GOD BLESS KENYA!

UPDATE: After the circus in the Parliamentary committees, Speaker Marende finally declared the nominations unconstitutional. President Kibaki then broke his silence and insisted that the nominations were constitutional. In the midst of these there are rumors of Marende been impeached!

Next week will definitely be explosive in the political scene unfortunately to no value-add to the ordinary Kenyan.

Read this anonymous comment somewhere online and it wholly captured my feelings:

‘The Constitution is not for Raila, Kibaki, Uhuru or Ruto . Let’s force these people to follow the right and sincere process. No interest attached to any name. Advertise the jobs, shortlist the names by respective professional bodies, forward names to Raila and Kibaki, forward chosen names to Marende, take it to Parliament, THE END. If not take process back to the origin. Don’t nominate friends of Raila, don’t take lawyers of Ruto, don’t settle on advisors of Uhuru.

We want transparency and not tribalism, impunity, side-road nominations.

Kibaki, Raila, Ruto, Uhuru are not Kenya.’

Enough said!!!!

GOD BLESS KENYA!