THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IS THE NECESSARY QUALIFICATION FOR KENYAN CITIZENSHIP
Tomorrow March 24, 2009 is the Human Rights Defenders Day in Kenya. It is the day in 1996 when the Moi State assassinated our dear Karimi Nduthu. Karimi Nduthu had just finalized an investigative report into the 1992/3 ethnic clashes that the Moi state sponsored and executed targeting Kikuyu, Kisii, Luo and Luyha Populations in Rift Valley/Nyanza/Western and Coast Provinces. That year Kenya witnessed the uprooting of nearly half a million Kenyans from their homes- this Internally Displaced Citizens (IDCs) phenomenon is not new after all! The citizens from these ethnic communities were considered sympathizers of the opposition FORD Kenya, FORD Asili and DP and therefore were considered Madoa doa in Moi’s strong holds of Rift valley and Coast Provinces. KANU was convinced that Western and Nyanza Provinces had fallen to the FORD (Kenya and Asili) waves whereas Central and Nairobi had fallen to the FORD-Asili/Kenya and DP waves and KANU was fast running out of Provinces. KHRC later published a report titled Burning the Vote that detailed the political economy of ethnic clashes in favour of the corrupt and criminal KANU state.
It is thought that KANU wanted to secure Eastern, NEP, Coast and Rift valley provinces and then divide Nyanza’s people the Luo and Kisii to see if the Kisii could vote for Moi with the Kuria and possibly allow Moi the 25% he required. KANU was sure it was headed to getting 25% in Western Kenya.
The violence of 92/93 and 97/98 totally destroyed the economy. Tourism and agriculture were affected and the character of the Kenya republic was totally disfigured. Citizenship and rights, democracy and dignity all were trumped on the altar of political careers. I had Kalonzo Musyoka caution Kenyans to go slow on the Waki report because it is a report that had the potential to ruin people’s political careers. The Christian Brother knows that human beings do not matter but political careers. But he is the Vice-President any way and was in Moi’s government then and knows very well what happened. But we Kenyans do not like the past; We do not like the Truth; we want to go back to sleep when the cobra is still between our blankets! We have become a nation of zombies and brainwashed masses. We have been dismembered and have become slaves to the monster which is killing us viciously.
Karimi Nduthu had freshly been released from Jail where he had been for 5 years (some one should correct me for any inaccuracies because I was in lower primary when this was happening). He had been in Kamiti but mainly in Naivasha Maximum Prison allegedly for being a member of the Mwakenya Movement. The Movement that pressurized the Moi State to release Karimi and his 50 other colleagues was RPP Pressure Group that had been founded in London by among others the likes of the Late Dr. Wanjiku Kihoro and her Husband Wanyiri Kihoro, Ngugu Wa Thiongo among many others as the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners.
Back at home the mothers and families of the Political Prisoners organized themselves and descended on All Saints Cathedral and Freedom Corner where they pressurized for the release of the sons. Moi broke up with monumental violence and brute force the mothers’ protests that lasted many weeks on end but the relentless mothers and sisters of the struggle never gave up until their children were released. All except Apiny Adhiambo were released in 1992. RPP had already been formed in 1991 so almost all joined the pressure group to push for constitutional reforms and the restoration of democracy.
RPP working closely with the KHRC, ICJ and LSK and the NCCK/ Other Bishops and Muslim Prelates later gave Birth to 4Cs and NCEC. Karimi was an active participant in these initiatives. NCEC formally launched at Limuru exactly one year after Karimi had been
buried. Mureu Kariuki was elected Secretary General of RPP to succeed Karimi. Together with Muthoni Kamau (as Chair of RPP) and Tirop Kitur (as Cordinator) they led the RPP forward, courageously and with clarity. I was elected Secretary General of RPP in 2000 to succed Mureu and with continue to participate in the intellectual development of the organization. RPP was the most visible actor in the NCA-NCEC during these times until donors began to pull the rag from under the feet of the progressive and radical organization.
In 2002 NCEC was denied funding for conducting civic education because it was considered to be a highly political national organization that we think is not capable of delivering civic education. This is even knowing that the Gurus of civic education like Prof. Kivutha Kibwana, Rev. Njoya, Dr. Mutunga and Kepta Ombati were the leaders of NCEC.
That is why it is very saddening to see that these days, constitutional reforms have been reduced to a mere academic discussion on what are the contentious issues and what are not. The struggle for democracy and freedom is something that is a life and death issue. It is not a domain subject of conservatives and turncoats like the ones currently directly the direction and nature of constitutional reforms. Freedom and democracy are values that some Kenyan heroes and sheroes have given everything- including their lives to secure and the struggle still rages on. Constitutional review has been bastardized and hijacked by the most conservative forces, political entrepreneurs and the harlots of the status quo and it has been reduced into a mere game for the ruling elite to satisfy their egos with!
Karimi was arrested when he was pursuing his Engineering Degree at the University of Nairobi. He was a conscious thinker, organizer and leader together with his comrades like Tirop Kitur, Kangethe Mungai, Mwandawiro Mghanga, Onyango Oloo, Gupta Nganga Thiongo, Njeri Kabeberi, Oduor Ongwwen, Wafula Buke, Paddy Onyango among many others. These men and women worked with other courageous and gallant soldiers of Kenya’s liberation such as Wangari Maathai, Moseti Anyona, Njeru Kathangu, Koigi Wa Wamwere, James Orengo, Raila Odinga, Willy Mutunga, Prof. Mazrui, Micere Mugo, Prof. Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Prof. Maina Kinyatti, Prof. Edward Oyugi most of whom were the teachers at the University of these emerging and Promising young and ideologically clear Leaders of our struggle and nation; Leaders who loved life more than anything else- leaders who wanted a just, equitable and prosperous Kenya where democracy meant that every Kenyan had a right to a life of dignity and peaceful co-existence. These leaders had revolutionary chaplains like Rev. Timothy Njoya, Manasses Kuria, Alexander Muge and many Muslim Imams and Sheikhs to look up to!
And they had a revolutionary in Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere to run to- there at the southern border of our mother land. Nyerere proved decisive in the struggles for democratization in Kenya and Africa. Like him, all these young and courageous leaders were Panafricanists who never recognized ethnic and other parochial dichotomies but were inspired by the Philosophy of Utu, Ubuntu, Solidarity to do good and uphold life; not profits.
The touch stone of the youth movements, the women movements, the workers movements, the students movements, the peasant movements and middle class movements these days is the crave for profits and material wealth. Even poor university students are these seen lining up to help the government auction Safaricom. We no longer know who we are and we have become objects of the market.
Karimi Nduthu knew that an engineering degree in a society where he was merely going to be a new generation of a colonial subject- a native without rights and without constitutional guarantees; in a surrogate economy presided over by Moi, Kenyatta and Kibaki on behalf of the neo-colonial and imperialist powers was worthless; it was like to give a prisoner clean linen to continue living in prison. Karimi wanted to be free but more importantly Kenya to become truly independent. To merely graduate from slavery to a new form of slavery was not enticing to Karimi- he was not for vanity but prosperity in justice and peace. Karimi was in solidarity with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in his declaration ‘Not yet Uhuru!’- Kenya was not yet free!
I knew Karimi when I was a first year student at Kenya Polytechnic in 1995. I met Karimi only three times before he was bludgeoned to death by the state assassins. The CID came up with a Kiraithe-Mutua-Ali-like theory- that Karimi had been killed due to a Love
affair gone sour. When you see some of us scoffing at the instant and pre-meditated theories that come from Kiraithe and his boss do not think that we are merely acting emotional; It is because we can see through the propaganda. We know how these thugs do
their thing! Karimi was working with several International Human Rights organizations in conducting the thorough and damning Research. They wanted to silence Karimi from telling the Truth about who organized and killed thousands of Kenyans across the country in the name of ethnic cleansing- did they really silence Karimi? I doubt.
The Month was March.
Karimi was investigating and had a report on Killings by state agents. He was killed brutally and the state wanted to deface him. They wanted to Kill his character after assassinating him. The Kenyan state not only kills Human rights defenders, it also works to kill them in their death. The state wants to delegitimize the Human rights Movement. Because it’s the only defense that stands between the evil ruling class and their ambition of consuming all little material things the people have and hope for. This imperialist, criminal state, like the vampire feeds on blood and souls of the people. They work to kill human beings through famine, poverty, unemployment, clashes,assassinations, privatization, laying off workers, still pension funds and auctioning of the nation to foreigners.
That is why Oscar Kingara and GPO Oulu’s assassination is not going to be explained away just like that. We know that When Pio Gama Pinto was headed to release a report on Kenyatta’s corruption, he was assassinated; JM Kariuki was assassinated for speaking of the necessary revolution, Karimi, Nduthu, Fr. John Anthony Kaiser, Oscar and GPO; Dedan Kimathi before them, Muthoni Nyanjiru in 1922 at the central police station when she mobilized our people to demand the release of Harry Thuku; the list goes on. Mambo ni yale Yale! Only that the label keeps changing; from slavery, to imperialism, to colonialism, to neo-colonialism and now globalization; but something fundamental has not changed- the character of the states that engender these evil systems is the same; these are states that are established to destroy lives in the interests of Profit primitive accumulation.
So Karimi died and was buried in Githima Molo. His parents’ home has been torched in every bout of ethnic clashes when a President had to rig an election to keep himself in power. But we promised Karimi that his death was never to be in vain… And it shall never be in vain. We promised the Moi state that for every Karimi they assassinated, 1,000 Karimis would rise! And for every GPO and Oscar Kingara they assassinate there shall be 10,000 GPOs to carry on with the work of our heroes. From 1920 until we liberate our country we shall never stop at nothing but freedom and dignity for all.
From Dedan Kimathi, from Waiyaki Wa Hinga, Arap Samoei, Me Katilili Wa Menza to GPO and Kamau Kingara Oscar; the people shall arise; they shall learn and expose these criminals in suits and overthrow their rule. The people shall get their land back from the home guards led by Kibaki, Uhuru, Moi and their clique. This is a Promise!
If they call poor unemployed Kikuyu young men Mungiki so that they can kill them and keep the land they grabbed from the grandfathers of the displaced Kenyans, that shall be for a short while but the people shall know the propaganda and reject- revolt against the Kenyattas and Moi’s of this world.
You young Kenyan professionals and activists; Stand up and be alive. Do not be corpses who died at 18years and are waiting to be buried at 70years! Why can’t we be Like Dedan Kimathi Waciuri- who declared that it is better to die standing on my feet than to live on my knees??
My generation of Kenyans are people who make me want to cry; they can’t see that we are leading a worse life than that of our parents and that our children will lead a worse life than the one we are leading today. We have betrayed the nation and we shall be
cursed by our ancestors who died for our freedom and nation; we are going to perish because we have joined the government in using taxes- the sweat of our mothers and fathers- to kill young Kenyans because they are poor and unemployed. We are the ones who are guilty- not the home guards in power. The home guards in power are cowards who can not - like Nyerere- entertain a debate; they can not debate; they can only kill those who have a different view; those who stand on the side of the masses; and our generation has gone along with this murderous regime-condemning the Partnership for Change and NCCK for calling for elections.
I wonder why then we have eyes yet we are blind; and the physically blind can actually see more clearly than all of us together.
We have ears but we can not hear the cry of Kenyans who are killed by the state through commission and omission and the command from God our creator when he says,…"For I your God will hold your right hand; I am the Lord who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!"Isaiah 41:13.
We never hear any of what is being told to us. Like Mugabe we can not any longer understand the meaning of stewardship. We are killing the people who have been entrusted to us by stealing the medicines of their children and the maize for their porridge.
We have mouths but we can not speak for the masses who educated us. As their markets, and land, and hotels, schools and now universities are being privatized- being stolen, we are indifferent. It is not our business we say.
We have brains for pleasure and gratification not to think for our greatness as a country.
We are religious yet we can not sacrifice for this nation; we do the rituals but can not live the calling of Islam or Christianity which is this:“Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed; rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” Psalms 82: 3-4
We have money that we had better lose at the Nairobi Stock Exchange and in the Pyramid schemes than to fund the development of our neighbours through cooperative societies and
movements. We better with our millions than share with those wretched Kikuyu or Kamba or Giriama neighbour.
We have entered into moral death and moral bankruptcy with gusto and as the Americans descend into the pit we are overtaking them as we go down; yet they have been to the top and build a civilization that we worship uncritically. We act like children of a lesser god. Not children of GOD.
We have become the haters of our risk takers- the Human rights activists and lovers of our killers. There is more love for Michuki in Kenya than Mwalimu Mati or Tirop ( some are asking who the hell that is). We call our risk takers- our human rights defenders masqueraders out to capture donor money; but we are out in the jua kali to be the statistics in the next Kibaki rally.
We do not see the Grand coalition as the enemy of progress but see the poor youths like us as the enemy that must be exterminated.
We hate those who say the truth and rush to prostrate before the known economic saboteurs and criminals who have killed your mothers and relatives seven times over!
Men and women of little faith we are!
We are happier listening to 7 minutes of Akinyi and Wanjala on TV than to the report on how the state is killing our fellow citizens in Samburu, in Mandera, in Sabaot, in Kisii, in Moyale; we have become a failed state.
We have privatized university education and secured that money to buy phony cargo ships at Kshs. 4.4 bn by labeling them navy ships!
But I remain happy, that on March 24; the day of Human Rights defenders; the day Karimi Nduthu was assassinated; the month that GPO and Oscar Kamau Kingara were assassinated together with Godwin Ogato Gisairo; I can declare that this is the hour to strike- not to retreat; for the belly and bowels of the beast have decomposed and we must now open the bowels; the darkest hour is near dawn it was said; and that dawn is now at hand.
I suggest 5 steps towards moving Kenya from a failed, corrupt and dictatorial state to a democratic just and developmental state;
Five steps to break with the past and begin the process of building a new democratic and developmental state and republic
1. PASS AN INTERIM CONSTITUTION IMMEDIATELY TO OFFER THE BASIS OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE.
1.1 What: a new constitution outlined as principles to govern the country for three years. This is an interim constitution the South African way. The CKRC draft of 2002 should form a basis of the Interim constitution.
1.2 Why an interim constitution: because the current government is not a legitimate authority and has hijacked the process and made it a parliamentary process instead of referring a Kenya people?s process for a democratic and popular.
1.3 Who should be involved in making and passing of the interim constitution: the Interim constitution should be negotiated by a multi-sectoral forum using the current Experts committee approved by parliament. It should be passed in Parliament as an interim constitution by amending section three of the constitution to donate limited constituent powers to Parliament.
1.4 When: the said interim constitution is made immediately by convening the Multi-sectoral forum in April 2009 and the interim constitution be passed in parliament in May 2009.
1.5 How: the committee of experts to be mandated to outline the principles of the new constitution of Kenya that shall be passed by the Multi-sectoral forum and then presented to the National Assembly as the interim constitution for adoption as the interim constitution of Kenya
1.6 Rationale: the current Raila-Kibaki led Grand coalition wants to hijack the right of Kenyans to make the constitution the people want. They want to make a constitution that will not solve our governance crisis. The ruling class wants to get a constitution that will not create a new order as regards exercise of power, separation of powers,independence of constitutional institutions, land reforms etc. they want to use the constitution as a succession tool to accommodate many more ethnic warlords and secure votes. This must be rejected. The people must restore their constituent power to themselves-WE THE PEOPLE!
2. A COMPETENT ELECTORAL BODY (IIEC) IS ESTABLISHED WITH UNITED NATIONS (UN) BACKING AT THE CONSTITUENCY LEVEL TO FACILITATE THE CONDUCT OF CREDIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT ELECTION IMMEDIATELY.
3. BAR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN NAMED IN ALL THE REPORTS FROM AKIWUMI, GOLDENBERG,ANGLO LEASING, NDUNG’U LAND REPORT, PAC AND PIC REPORTS
4. CONDUCT A FRESH ELECTION TO ELECT A CLEAR GOVERNMENT THAT WILL BE:
4.1 Clean government devoid of individuals who have pillaged the nation since independence
4.2 Lean enough TO ENSURE that taxation burden is reduced, the national budget is transformed to a 40% recurrent expenditure and 60% development budget policy. This is the only public services can be restored to the people.
4…3 Effective government that shall deliver reforms, reconstruction and reconciliation as per the schedule under the National Accord.
4.4 Accountable to the people where impunity and corruption is at zero tolerance
4.5 Responsive to the plight, needs and aspirations of the people of Kenya and their national values
5. THE NEW GOVERNMENT TO CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWING
5.1 Settle all IDCs: internally displaced Citizens
5.2 Offer security and defense to all Kenyans by cutting down on crime while observing the rule of law and by ensuring that Kenya?s territorial integrity is assured.
5.3 Restore human rights and freedoms to all Kenyans
5.4 Implement the Waki report in full
5.5 Implement the Kriegler report in full
5.6 Establish the TJRC and address all past injustices
5.7 Establish and run a CLEAR government
Agenda number 4
5.8 Renew all institutions of governance to the highest internationally established standards of governance
5.9 Transform Kenya?s education system to make national values and aspirations the touch stone of the education content and management
5.10 Complete constitutional reforms by negotiating an enduring
democratic constitution based on the Interim constitution.
5.11 Deal with the food crises in Kenya in far reaching manner
5.12 Fix unemployment
5.13 Fix regional inequality and poverty
5.14 Fix the land problem in Kenya
5.15 Deliver national healing and cohesion
5.16 Deliver disaster preparedness and capacity to secure the rights of Kenyans under hostile conditions.
5.17 Prepare and facilitate the conduct of a fresh election after five years
This is what the Human Rights day of March 2009 should resolve to undertake on behalf of the people Kenya. As Frantz Fanon as said and I paraphrase; Our generation Must identify its mission and decide to fulfill it or betray it. This is our historical mission- to
save the nation from being destroyed by the evil forces of greed, tribalism and ineptness.
If we did this;
Muthoni Nyanjiru will never die
Me Katilili Wa Menza will never die
Moraa will never die
Koitalel Samoie will never die
Musambwa will never die
Dedan Kimathi Wa Ciuri will never die
Pio Gama Pinto will never die
JM Kariuki will Never die
Tito Adungosi will never die
Karimi Nduthu will never die
Fr. John Antony Kaiser will never die
Wanjiku Kihoro will never die
Oscar Kamau Kingara will never die
GPO Oulu will never die!
The people who have died in the hands of state terrorism and neglect shall all arise; a new heaven on earth shall blossom. We will become the greatest nation on earth.
Our march to victory; the people’s march to victory is unstoppable
We shall over come! Amen
Ndugu Cyprian Orina Nyamwamu
Read more: http://jukwaa.proboards.com/thread/5370/witnesses-double-risk-threats-bribery#ixzz5jG0pHCIo