Daudi Kabingu - Africa brewing own problems and the west takes the blame

Posted on 04 January, 2011

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds
- Bob Marley

Once upon a time, the rain pounded heavily and one village was particularly flooded.

As everyone looked for ways of salvaging their lives and property, one man who held a deep belief in God, climbed to the top of his roof and started seeking divine intervention.

“You know I have been faithful to you, God. Please do something about me and my property.”

Soon, a boat approached and the pilot called him onboard. The man waved him on. He was waiting for God’s miracle. A moment later, as the water levels were reaching his feet, a helicopter buzzed over him and dropped a rescue rope. The man waved it on.

He was waiting for God’s miracle. Soon, the water levels were high and the man drowned. When he got to heaven, he was angry and complained to God. “I have been faithful to you all my life. I have given my whole life to serve you yet you could not save me in the hour of need”, he rambled. God looked at him pitifully and shook His head. “I sent you a boat and a helicopter. What else did you need?”

I pounced on that story on the internet. I have read it again and again and again and have shared it with a dozen friends who have also liked the moral of the story: God gives us the answers to our adversities but we are either too ignorant or too foolish to grasp them.

This story reminds me of Africa, my home; the land of abundance and the land of opportunity. If you are in doubt, ask yourself this question: Why were the Western powers killing each other as they scrambled for a piece of it? Africa is the farm of the world – naturally, it is the most agriculturally productive continent.

By this time, Africa should be among the most industrialized continents – all raw materials and minerals come from around. Then why the flourishing poverty and underdevelopment?

For many years, as I rattled my young mind for the answers, those who came before me taught me to point my fingers at the West. I was told that the West colonized us and took advantage of our resources.

I was further told that when we gained independence, the West continued to control us through
modern colonialism a.k.a neocolonialism by using the principle of divide and rule against us that drove us to perennial civil wars. My older minders even gave me proof of this, “Look at the countries rich in natural resources”, they blurted with authority. “They are the most war-prone.” At that time, I nodded and bought the logic.

Now, since I have become of age, specifically being a young parent endowed with the eternal
responsibility of spearheading a whole lineage, I have come to see things in a different perspective - a black and white perspective. From this new perspective, I have found that what my seniors used to say was partly true, partly false and in most cases, pure hogshit.

THE TRUTH: it is true that we were colonized. The West saw opportunity in Africa that our forefathers never saw cause of limited perception. It is true that the West partitioned Africa amongst themselves – the way robbers share their spoils after a successful “job”. It is true that we had no capacity to resist them at that time, because we felt and acted very inferior to them.

It is true that our forefathers viewed the white man as some kind of a “god” till during the first world war (when they saw him bleeding and dying). It is true that the colonialist governed over us through divide-and rule. There are living testimonies to that. Look at the map of Kenya.

Forty seven years since gaining “independence” (shame on us), we are still talking about Central, Rift Valley, Nyanza, etc. These demographics were laid down by the colonialists to achieve a desired objective. My heart bleeds anytime I hear an ethnic shenanigan in his fourties, thirties or twenties holding these tribal conclaves dear.

From these truths, I came to learn some other truths. I learnt that Africa was not the only colonized continent in the world. I learnt that many countries have experienced colonialism, including the very United States of America that is criticized for acting as the global policeman. Closer to Africa, India gained independence from the British in 1947, Malaysia (British) in 1957 and interestingly, Malaysia gained independence on August 1963 - three months after Kenya had gained independence!

THE FALSEHOODS: First, that Africans are the most oppressed people. I tend to disagree. If you mention slavery, it had been there since the days of Pontius Pilate. If you talk about colonialism, as we have seen above, even the US of A experienced it. If you talk about victimization, no people in this world have suffered like the Jews. Forget about the days of Pharaoh. Remember Hitler in recent years. Then look at where the Jews are today.

Second, that the West make Africans fight each other. Now this is total bullshit. Being incited to fight and commissioning a fight are two different things altogether. Human actions are a result of mental perceptions. No one can fight his bother without the mental conviction to do so.

Therefore, as much as I agree there have been foreign hands in the endless wars in Angola, Sierra Leonne and Zaire, I equally agree that there are few greedy Africans and many small-minded Africans (the executioners) who dance to their tunes. In fact, this exploitation of the “African’s small mind” has not been limited to foreigners. In Kenya, for example, we have seen it working locally in 1992, 1997 and 2007 to impressive results.

THE HOGSHIT: That the West is manipulating our affairs. In their most profound wisdom, our octogenarian, septuagenarian and sexagenarian leaders sing this line in chorus when their leadership is being put to test.

More often than not, this line is dropped at us, the youth, who, just like we had swallowed the pill of negative ethnicity with a single gulp; we swallow this one with gust and rage. We are told that our problems are caused by the interference from the west and that we should take pride in our sovereignty.

Ironically, when these “foreign masters” come with goodies in terms of aid or grant, our leaders turn around and sheepishly tell us they are our “development partners”.

We are further told that it has taken 200 hundred years for those blaming our leadership to be where we are, hence we should be patient with their leadership because our countries are barely 50 years old, and bla…bla…bla…, shit…shit….shit….

What we never ask them and most importantly, ask ourselves is why it takes 6 months or less and not 200 years for the latest piece of technology from the West to reach our shores.

IN CONCLUSION

Africa is the author, schemer and executioner of its own problems. The African holloi polloi is not exempt from this blame. As much as African leaders shall be liable for their sins of commission, the masses shall be liable for their sins of omission. The African mass is behaving like the man who drowned in our earlier story.

We have all the necessary tools for our salvation, especially good education, democratic space and sound media. What we need, especially the youth and young leaders is to come together and seek practical and lasting solutions for our continent.

Contrary to what we are being made to believe, most of the foreign countries are in support of this elusive initiative. Africa is a country far left behind because of its own faults. As stated earlier, Singapore got independence 3 months after Kenya got hers. The difference between the GDPs of the two countries today is shameful.

Reasons? While Singapore dwelt on developing their country, Kenya has been perennially immersed in petty tribal politics of “eating the national cake”.

The idea, ladies and gentlemen, is not to focus on eating the cake, but on baking it. Otherwise, our loud day-long Sunday prayers and Friday dusk-to-dawn keshas are just a noise passing in the wind. When we get to heaven masked with our perceived “fear” of God, He would pitifully look at us and say, “I gave you a great country - nice weather, arable land, good scenery, beautiful beaches, natural resources and good friends who were willing to help you every time you were killing each other. What else did you need? Sending My Son again? Never! You have killed Him a million times already!!”

©Daudi Kabingu is a Civil Engineer Working in Mombasa



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Christine Ogutu - Kenyans, we should not go back to "Egypt"

In the colonial period, tyranny was the order of the day. Africans were regarded as inferior. They were left in the reserves and equipped with the inferior skills that could make them work as slaves in the white highlands. These were the darkest days in Africa but we are glad to be here today, very much mature and ready to articulate for our rights and stand by our actions.
In Kenya we fought the war, turned against our brothers and drank all the split blood from the hoods, not because we wanted but the circumstances led us to stray. Our minds were driven by the protagonists against the antagonists. It's amazing how we can turn against our nation in a fraction of a second. That was the past now its time to mend our destiny, a time to make real our fight for justice.

As of yesterday, it was gone with the first republic of Kenya now we are in the second republic and we never want these leaders to manipulate us. We know where we've come from and we know where we are going.

This time around we want justice and not even the threat by our own leaders to pull out of the Rome statute can deter us from reaching our destiny. Sometimes we have to stick to what is real, denouncing the ICC will not change a thing but rather the trials will go ahead as planned. The culprits will still have to face the wrath.

I like the kind of confusion the government is proving to have. Our way to justice has just began and there is no stopping. Let the leaders stop making noise in the moon, nobody will hear them. If it was the poor Kenyans who were indicted they could have said it is OK, they will wish them well but now that it is their friends they want to pull out of ICC. They should subtract 6 from 39 million and the change will be a drip in the ocean.

Kenya is for all of us not the influential. And I guess we never want to go back to Egypt but to proceed to Canaan and thus it is us (KENYANS) against our immoral parliamentarians.
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Moses Kuria - Ocampo will fail to indict the six - The Star

Posted on 21 December, 2010

There was shock, consternation and dis-belief when ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo announced his list of six suspects in the post-election violence. To some, it was relief in the belief that this was a route to the long elusive justice.

To most in the political class, champagne bottles were popped in the mistaken but self satisfied deja vu that Ocampo had "cleared" their political paths to power by eliminating their political adversaries.

Newspaper and television analysis since the December 15 announcement have all been talking about the political implications for Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto in the 2012 elections.

Personally, I feel vindicated. Long before Ocampo's announcement, I have written that the ICC process is a conspiracy between some Western powers and their local proteges to determine the Kenyan political dynamic in 2012.

It is no wonder that the polling firm, Infotrack Harris, deemed it fit to ask the question "Would you vote for any of the six in 2012?" and the response was overwhelmingly in the negative.

Whilst 2012 is what Ocampo had in mind, he wins my accolades for mastering the Kenyan political dynamics with unprecedented speed. The prosecutor took advantage of four major realities in our national psyche.

Firstly, there was an insatiable quest for justice by the victims of post-election violence. Given that the master-minds of the violence in 1992 and 1997 went unpunished, Kenyans were baying for blood. More so, because the likes of James Orengo have frustrated the IDP resettlement, anger among victims has hit a crescendo. Taking cognizance of this quest for justice by the victims, Ocampo took advantage to create a list which was a figment of his imagination.

After all, Kenyans are so passionate about justice that they would accept any list. What a fertile ground for Ocampo and his local and international allies to achieve their 2012 objectives while seeming to satiate this thirst for justice!

Secondly, Ocampo knew that since the grand coalition came to power, Kenyans are obsessed with 50/50 sharing. It is a political thin line you have to walk. It may be that Kofi Annan's precious advice came in handy here. All decisions have to be evaluated to ensure there is apparent political balance. If you name three from PNU, name an equal number from ODM. If you name a party leader here, you have to name a party leader there.

Care must be taken to also ensure that you name at least a person with a direct line to either principal. As long you adhere to this Nusu-Nusu ideology, beguiled Kenyans will support you all the way, Ocampo thought. This will give you a blank cheque to come up with a list from the figment of your imagination and ensure that the grand 2012 conspiracy is right on track.

Thirdly, Ocampo appeared to have realised that Kenyans are generally fatigued by the political class. Due to this fatigue, he thought, it didn't matter to them whether you hang Jesus or Barnabas. Our collective will against the politicians was so tempting for Ocampo that he thought as long as there are politicians on the list, Kenyans will move on and say it is good for Kenya.

Finally, Ocampo appeared to have taken a quick study on the anthropology of Kenyans and realised that we do not overburden ourselves with too much detail. That is why he had the guts to issue a raft of conditions for the suspects to adhere to or else.. ...Some of those conditions border on the absurd, like barring suspects from making contacts with each other, never mind that three of the so-called suspects sit in the Cabinet!

What we gullible Kenyans will not do is to question who gives a mere prosecutor powers to dictate bail conditions. Ocampo is used to Kenyans swallowing hook, line and sinker, any trash he throws our way. Talk of impunity!

Apart from the Kenya case, it disturbs me a lot that Ocampo is dealing with four other "situations" — in Uganda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, in the Central African Republic.

All situations from outside Africa are referred to Special Tribunals by the United Nations. The ICC is therefore slowly becoming the ACC-The African Colonial Court

I believe Ocampo will have an uphill task convincing the pre-trial judges, not just Judge Hans-Peter Kaul who had ruled that the Kenyan case is below the threshold of admissibility to the ICC but also the other two judges who had warned that they will be very strict on the evidence quality. There are only two chances that Ocampo will get an indictment — slim and none. None appears like it will be out of town.

That will not be a good way for Ocampo to retire when his contract expires in June, 2011.

The author is the spokesman of the PNU. The views expressed here are his own.
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Miguna Miguna - Ocampo six face daunting task - The Star

Louis Moreno-Ocampo struck like an earthquake on December 15. After months of stealthy investigations, media speculation and unbelievable comedy by nearly all the six suspects, the innocent victims of the crimes against humanity committed in Kenya between 2005 and 2009 are about to get justice. At long last the perpetrators of heinous crimes will be called to account.

The era of impunity is coming to an end. But to end impunity, the perpetrators must be publicly shamed and punished severely. There should be no deals, no plea bargains and no retreats. Both architects and apologists of impunity are calling for "national healing and reconciliation." But no healing or reconciliation can occur without truth and justice.

Victims of crime cannot forgive perpetrators by force or through threats, intimidation or extortion. To be forgiven, the perpetrators must voluntarily, completely and publicly confess all their crimes. Even then, the victims have the option of either forgiving or not forgiving. In the present context, the confessions must occur at The Hague; not at funerals or goat-eating ceremonies.

The political and emotional craters Ocampo has left in his wake are gaping. The reverberations and aftershocks will be felt for many years to come. Those who doubted the Argentine's resolve are in deep shock. He promised to conduct his investigations secretly and he did. He undertook to publicly disclose the names of his suspects and he has delivered. He had undertaken to present two cases before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II by December 15.

Clearly, he has discharged his undertakings efficiently. His speed, professionalism and conduct put to shame the empty blaster by many Kenyan lawyers. Those who expected the investigations to take 100 years might be disappointed; but most Kenyans are elated. At the end of the day, that's what matters.

On July 2, 2009, I was part of the Kenyan delegation to The Hague. During our meetings with Ocampo - and virtually at all subsequent meetings with the Kenyan government - he was categorical: "If Kenya fails or refuses to act on the perpetrators of the post-election violence, I will. The most responsible perpetrators of the crimes against humanity that occurred in Kenya will be punished. I will do justice to the victims."

He promised to act expeditiously before the next election cycle begins. He has done so. He promised to make Kenya an example on how not to mismanage and transform elections into an excuse for mass killings, rapes and displacement of innocent civilians. He delivered on that, too.

The allegations Ocampo has made against the six individuals, which are yet to be proven, are extremely serious. However, it is irresponsible for any of the accused, their lawyers or supporters to claim that Ocampo has relied on "false witnesses." Ocampo has submitted a 160-page summary of his case and thousands of pages of supporting evidence. He has previously successfully prosecuted people accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - both in Argentina and at The Hague.

The individuals he prosecuted and put away for life in Argentina were more powerful, ruthless and richer than their Kenyan counterparts. They also had millions of supporters baying for Ocampo's blood. But he pursued his cases relentlessly and efficiently until he got convictions and long sentences. So, threats, intimidations, demonstrations or propaganda by the accused don't bother the Argentine.

Those who were privy to the crimes committed shouldn't tell us how innocent the Ocampo Six are; they should be filing alibi notices and preparing to testify on their knowledge of the crimes.

The positions the accused persons hold or have held in society are irrelevant and immaterial to the charges. Of course; the most responsible for crimes against humanity must have held powerful, positions. That's how orders are given and obeyed.

I sympathise with William Ruto, Uhuru Kenyatta, Francis Muthaura and Hussein Ali more than the other two suspects. They should be careful not to aggravate their situations by issuing reckless threats. They should retain competent and experienced counsel; not continue with the silly political comedy they have been auditioning. Kenyans aren't impressed by their churlish acrobatics. Putting out full-page advertisements in newspapers won't help either.

Organizing goat-eating strategy sessions, holding demonstrations with Mungiki members or trying to use Parliament won't work. Trying to use the NSIS is as useless as trying to swim across the Atlantic. Nothing they do in Kenya can stop Ocampo now.

No Parliamentary resolution can influence the UN Security Council or the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II. If anything, such moves will most likely meet with opposite reactions.

They can obviously assert their innocence and even promise robust and vigorous defence.

However, one cannot credibly allege that the investigator has no evidence against him and is only being used by his political opponents. It's illegitimate to claim that the investigator has only relied on some "tainted" evidence from "bribed" witnesses.

To advance such allegations imply that one is privy to everything the investigator has done; all evidence he has collected; and all witnesses he has interviewed - locally or abroad. It would also mean that one would prefer to have ironclad evidence against him.

That's nonsense. If Ocampo's case is so baseless, the accused should be celebrating; not trembling.

From all available information, Ocampo conducted his investigations independently. He has not used the inept Kenya Police. He hasn't used the discredited judiciary. On what basis, therefore, are some of the accused claiming that they have been targeted? What would Ocampo's motives be? -

The Ocampo-Six should be busy preparing their defence; not organising demonstrations. In all likelihood, Ocampo will get his order to proceed.

Meanwhile, the six musketeers should be relieved of their public responsibilities. Practical mechanisms must also be in place to prevent them from conspiring to defeat the course or end of justice.

The non-communication order is a standard requirement worldwide.

Miguna is the PM's adviser on Coalition Affairs.

The views expressed here are his own.
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Post Ocampo List Political Gossip by The Star

Posted on 19 December, 2010

Lobbying is in high gear in the Office of the President where some people are convinced that the best man to become the country's first ever Inspector General of the Police is none other than the KWS director Julius Kipng'etich. The police bigwigs are unhappy with the proposal as they would prefer one of their own instead of an outsider to come in as the head honcho. The cops may get their wish as we are told Kipng'etich has just had his contract at KWS renewed for another three years.

***

The wife of a prominent politician, driven over the edge by her philandering husband, decided to put a stop to his extracurricular activities by poisoning him. The man has been spending millions buying houses, cars and expensive gifts for his more than ten city girlfriends as well as scores of others spread out in different parts of the country. Unwilling to continue with the humiliation, his wife confronted him and asked him to break off his multiple relationships. After an argument during which he refused to give up his girlfriends, the wife came up with the idea of poisoning him. Fortunately for the man, he discovered the plot in time and has been very careful whenever he goes to the matrimonial home for the sake of appearances.

***

Political rivals of a sitting MP are plotting to start a dirty campaign against him to discredit his candidacy in the 2012 elections. The rivals want to start a whisper campaign creating doubt about the MP's sexual preference and eventually intend to take this up on political platforms to slow down his potential.

***

If Parliament decides not to go for Christmas recess, blame it on a few MPs who are afraid of the long holiday. Some of the MPs were overheard talking about the 'dangers' of the long recess—they will come back some time in February. They would prefer to stay on in Parliament and therefore Nairobi to avoid their constituents who make a habit of flocking to their homes to demand "Christmas gifts". With Parliament in recess, they have no excuse to remain in the city for the duration and will be expected to make an appearance at their constituencies if they want to be re-elected in 2012.

***

A politician in the Ocampo list has offered a key witness Sh10 million to recant his evidence given to the Waki Commission and later handed to ICC prosecutor Moreno Ocampo. The suspect, with the help of some people, who used to work at the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, has also offered the witness a piece of land if he disowns the evidence and returns home soon. The witness, we are told, has rejected the offer and changed his contacts and address.

***

Still on matters ICC, we are told that the same former the KNCHR officials who have been working with the politician in helping trace ICC witnesses, have remote access to the Waki Commission data base. We are told that the men have been getting statements of some of the witnesses who appeared before Waki in camera.

***

What were two city MPs doing in a restaurant in Upper Hill, Nairobi, on Saturday? The two controversial legislators met one of the Akasha sons in a private room in the restaurant. They seemed to be in a deep conversation and did not want anyone else to hear their discussions. So what were they scheming to do?

***

The thought that International Criminal Court prosecutor Moreno Ocampo could actually be having concrete evidence to prove a case against his six suspects is knocking the daylights off some of them. Corridors has learnt that a memo written by one of the suspects at the height of the post-election violence to another suspect on the same list was intercepted and is causing sleepless nights to the parties involved. We hear the two are crossing their fingers in the hope Ocampo did not come across it.

***

When shall provincial administrators take their last bow? This is the question senior police officers appear to be grappling with at the moment as their impatience on the anticipated changes grows. Senior officers were last week overheard questioning why PCs, DCs and DOs continue chairing security committees "yet they have no clue what it takes to maintain law and order in their very own jurisdiction." The officers want the change fast-tracked.

***

What is happening at the ministry of Labour? We hear seven years after the completion of the Product Design and Development Centre, which was sponsored by the UNDP, 11 people who worked on the project have never been paid. This despite the UNDP having released their payment. We hear that although the 11 want to surrender the fight, they will not want to go down without dragging the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission into the affair.

***

We are told one of the six suspects in the Ocampo list has resorted to heavy drinking in an attempt to drown his sorrows and block out reality. His family and friends are increasingly getting worried he could slump permanently and dangerously into depression as the International Criminal Court clock ticks.

***

Talking of Ocampo's list, one of the suspects is distraught and disillusioned as his family is yet to meet to plan his defence strategy. We hear the family is seeking legal advice of leading international legal minds to see how to extricate their man from the fix.

***

Last week, we told you of a new Nyanza MP who was left ranting and brandishing a wad of notes after a botched plan to have a threesome between him, his girlfriend and her best friend at a city hotel. We now hear that the mheshimiwa has not let go and has persisted that he is in an irreversible love with her girlfriend's best friend. He wants the girl to "forget the past" and think of the "future of the three of us."

***

There is discomfort between senior officials working for a government agency under the Ministry of Finance. We are told that the senior managers of the institution are planning to promote a lady from a tribe that has dominated the management of the agency in complete disregard of the law that bans tribalism. Although interviews have been conducted, those in the know tell us that the decision to give the lady from the slopes of Mount Kenya a job has already been made.

***

Even as ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo was striking an international blow against impunity in Kenya, a senior cabinet minister was flexing his muscles to have incitement charges against an assistant minister dropped. The minister called a top cop and instructed him to withdraw the charges against the assistant minister who was caught on tape inciting residents against the police. The top cop's acquiescence to the minister's request renders hollow the police claim at the time of the incident that they would apply the law impartially and fairly and confirms what many have feared impunity is alive and well and likely to last for a long time!

***

With the WikiLeaks saga unfolding, some people have become paranoid that the database of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission in particular is not safe. They say that some people who are suspected of leaking the identities and details of witnesses who appeared before the Waki and the Kenya National Com-mission on Human Rights are now able to access the IIEC data base. They are worried that the 'hackers' are up to no good as they could have manipulated the data for their own ends before or during the next elections.

***

One of the MPs who have been very vocal in Parliament has been receiving the cold shoulder from his colleagues who suspect him of being in the pay of the National Security Intelligence Service. The MP from Central Kenya has not yet clicked why his colleagues become jittery and change the subject whenever he joins their conversation. It will take him a long time to realise the reason for this as he believes his double-game is still his deep dark secret.

***

We hear that Juja MP William Kabogo is determined to auction the entire secretariat of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission to claim the Sh28 million damages claim awarded to him after his successful petition against George Thuo. Our moles tell us that Kabogo served the IIEC with his notice to auction them today if they do not pay up.

***

A senior employee at the Auditor General's offices at the Anniversary Towers, Nairobi, is a troubled man. He has not paid his rent for several months and has been hounded by his landlord to make good his promises to pay. The landlord, unwilling to wait any longer broke into the house and is planning to sue the top man to recover the Shl.3 million rent arrears.

***

Several members of the AFC football club are unhappy with the office of the Registrar of Societies. They claim some of the officials there may have been compromised by a rival faction. They cite the decision to cancel a scheduled annual general meeting at the request of that faction as an example as they claim it was done without consultation.

***

MPs opposed to the International Criminal Court process have now turned to taking their angst against the Chief Prosecutor's hairy face. They were overheard in Parliament casting aspersions on Luis Moreno Ocampo's beard. One of the more vocal MPs from the Rift who is known to be a close associate of William Ruto quipped: "How can a man who cannot even shave his own beard be expected to deliver justice to Kenyans?" Just last week, another MP, this time from Central Kenya, described Ocampo as a "tyrant who needs to be tamed."

***

A well-connected lawyer has been speculating that Ocampo's threats to separately prosecute those trying to "affect investigations" and/or "interfere with witnesses" was being directed at a fellow learned friend. He claims that his lawyer colleague had been making frequent forays into neighbouring countries where he has been seeking out potential witnesses at their safe houses to try and 'persuade' them to recant their testimony. Unfortunately for the man, the ICC has tightly secured the witnesses they have lined up to prove their case against the Ocampo Six.
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Young people are organising for change, says George Nyongesa - The Star

Coalition principals grossly misguided about Kenyan youth

We are infuriated by the fact that President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga used Jamhuri Day celebrations to level allegations of treason against the youth of Kenya.

The principals' outburst, coming hot on the heels of Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua's similar outlandish claim that the youth are receiving foreign funding to destabilise the coalition government, cannot be ignored, especially by the leadership of youth. In this regard, we wish to address the President and Prime Minister as follows:

First, we would like to point out that the poignant claims eloquently expose the fears and uneasiness that the political establishment has over the emerging political consciousness among the youth. The language of the castigations reeks of the status quo's misguided view of youth as being disorganised, confused and easily manipulated.

We refuse this ill-advised definition of the youth and warn that we are indeed actively organising to empower ourselves in order to keep track of reforms especially as espoused in Agenda 4 of the same National Accord that brought President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga together in a coalition government.

Second, we are not fazed by allegations of receiving support from wherever in order to realise our agenda. This is not news, as the coalition leaders never ending foreign begging trips are common knowledge.

In any event, the youth are part of the wider civil society that likewise survives primarily on international funding for their activities. Also, since the coalition government will not put together empowerment programmes that are not designed to control us, manage us or take us hostage, a reality check demands that we work with anyone who understands our problem and genuinely wants to help.

Third, we frown upon Kibaki and Raila's attempt to plant seeds of strife and discord among youth by branding their leadership as foreign-aided coup plotters. Whilst the tag is meant to cow the emerging youth leadership, we want to boldly warn them that Agenda 4 issues, among these, youth unemployment, remain key reform and progress scorecard items for the youth; that if not comprehensively and urgently addressed by the two principals will precipitate the threatening revolution of the dissatisfied masses of youth against the cartel of political elite.

Fourth, unless Agenda 4 items are addressed, the youth and future generations will remain victims of bad governance that is characterised by corruption, impunity, poverty and tribalism. We are no longer at ease with the way things are and will not hesitate to latch onto constitutional rights to organise to overthrow the political establishment that preys on us. We want a better Kenya that is fit for all of us to realise our God given potential.

Fifth, it is true we are organising to breed a new leadership that is up to the task of bridging the differences in our society and inspire our social diversities to work together to realise prosperity and peace for all. These are the ideals the youth of our generation dream of and in the backdrop of new constitution find it civic obligation and duty.

We are organising because we are dissatisfied with the periodic tokenism such as Kazi kwa Vijana, Youth Enterprise Fund and worse still a youth ministry that has turned out to be a political circus. We are organising because we have come to the realisation that anything this political leadership never addresses the urgent grave situation of unemployment among youth.

We do not want to be used and abused as political levers by political cartels. We are fully aware of the problems the youth face and the solutions to those problems and we are sure that we are the leadership we need to get us out of this deep hole.

Sixth, the youth are actively involved in post-referendum civic education on the new constitution especially on the contents of Chapter 6. This is because in gearing up for 2012, before the campaign propaganda and empty promises peddled by power hungry politicians clouds their judgment, it is important to empower Kenyans to realise that most of the current crop of leaders cannot stand the leadership and integrity test set by this section of the constitution. Mr President and Mr Prime Minister, you must accept that Kenyan youth organising to shake off the yoke of oppression and exploitation through ballot democracy is not a crime.

Seventh, we find it well within our political rights and liberties to want to and accordingly to organise to legally depose an establishment rife with corruption, impunity and tribalism, and replace it with one for whom the people's agenda is central.

In doing so, the youth do not act only for ourselves, but millions of Kenyans who are victims of the current bad leadership such as the thousands of internally displaced persons sleeping cold and hungry in filthy camps, thousands of youths seeking solace from joblessness in crime, alcohol, drugs and prostitution, and the millions of Kenyans on self imposed curfews as a result high insecurity in our country.

Eighth, we sympathise with the coalition principals' embarrassment suffered after the honest and unflattering contents of Wikileaks, but wish to categorically protest against the Machiavellian use of youth as a political distraction shield of sorts. Casting aspersions against the youth leadership as ploy to steal the public attention from revelations of Wikileaks is in bad taste, reactionary and totally misguided and betrays how quick the principals are to sacrifice others for their own interests. Accordingly, we dismiss with contempt and term it as a gross insult, the unsolicited paternalistic advisory that had the Premier label Kenyan youth as puppets and we demand a public apology.

In conclusion, we demand that Kibaki and Raila either come up with practical programmes to get the youth out of the extreme poverty. We reiterate that we are peaceful and patriotic Kenyans engaging in constitution guaranteed civic actions to bring about another Kenya that is fit for all of us.

The writer is the Co-convenor, National Youth Forum
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Political Ramifications of the Ocampo List Fallout - The Winners - The Star

PRESIDENT MWAI KIBAKI: The former Defence Minister and longtime Kibaki confidante, Njenga Karume, let the cat out of the bag on the sole occasion when he and the then Leader of Official Oppostion, Mwai Kibaki, had a public falling out. This was when Karume, who had long been the patron of Kibaki's party of that time, the Democratic Party, shifted his allegiance to Uhuru Kenyatta, who had been anointed by President Daniel arap Moi to be his successor, in mid-2002. Karume announced that Kibaki was a singularly ungrateful man who never took any consideration of what others had done to help advance his political career. If there was any truth in that statement, then it is reasonable to assume that the predominant thought in the President's mind at present, is relief that he was not on that list, especially as the retaliatory attacks were reportedly planned in State House. Now he is free to focus his attention on securing his political legacy through his far-sighted public infrastructure programme which will most likely be remembered as his greatest contribution to propelling Kenya towards prosperity.


PM RAILA ODINGA: He is perhaps the biggest winner from the naming of the six key suspects, now said to be "bound for The Hague". In one move, the ICC process has crippled the presidential ambitions of two key figures from the team which is set to oppose him in the 2012 presidential race. It is reasonable to assume that any political leaders who now have The Hague to worry about, are not likely to be very effective in helping organise the anti-Raila forces. Staying out of jail tends to be a fulltime occupation when faced with accusations of "crimes against humanity" before an international tribunal. And while the accused are thus engaged, their regional political rivals will be busy making inroads into their core support groups. In this context, Gideon Moi's recent 'takeover' of Kanu is particularly serendipitous - the long-anticipated return of the Moi dynasty to the centre of Rift Valley politics is now more plausible, with Ruto having so much on his plate. And in Central province, presidential hopefuls Martha Karua and Peter Kenneth now have a clear road along which to pursue their ambitions, with reputed frontrunner from that region, Uhuru Kenyatta, being otherwise engaged.

VP KALONZO MUSYOKA: Up to now, it has been argued that the proposed 'KKK' political alliance which brought together Kalonzo, Uhuru and Ruto, faced an intractable problem when it came to deciding which one of them would in due course run against Raila in the 2012 presidential race. But now, with the release of Ocampo's list of suspects, the decision seems to have been made in favour of Kalonzo. On the one hand, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto will now - more than ever - be determined to keep Raila out of State House. And on the other hand, given the pace at which the ICC works, it is not likely that they will be free to engage in an intense and protracted grassroots political campaign anytime soon. The best they can do is to throw their weight behind their political ally, Kalonzo Musyoka, a man for whom the Ocampo list must come as an undisguised blessing, even though that is the last thing he would ever admit to.
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