Guest post by Sam Okello
Ladies and gentlemen,
It's beginning to look like the two-month exercise Kenyans engaged in under the watchful eye of the international community and the capable guidance of Dr. Kofi Annan was an exercise in futility. After the depressing electoral fraud and impunity the Kenyan people were subjected to by the coterie of selfish officials around President Kibaki, Kenyans witnessed death and destruction on a scale never seen since the days of the Mau Mau. The result was that we drew a collective breath, looked down an abyss and stepped back to let the Hon. Odinga and President Kbaki pull us back from a potentially devastating plunge.
Three months on, what we are witnessing is just why negotiating with people without any common sense is always a waste of time. The troubling thing is that we've set a precedence...a precedence where conceited, selfish leaders surrounded by tribal buffoons will in the future refuse to turn over power when they are beaten at the polls. So, though Kenyans have supported the tireless efforts of the Hon. Odinga and President kibaki to find an amicable way forward,we must realize that there comes a time when recognition must be made of the fact that Kenya has it's share of goons who don't give a damn whether the nation burns or not.
By deciding to negotiate with people like these goons, what we did was to essentially tell them that their stupid behavior has its reward. Is it any wonder that they now want to dictate who gets into the cabinet? And is it any wonder that they can't understand they lost the election? Let it be made clear to the ODM that Kenyans will not tolerate a move to sacrifice the Hon William Ruto. The PNU side must understand that Kenya exploded in violence because Samuel Kivuitu declared Mwai Kibaki president illegally, then the Chief Justice hurriedly and illegally swore him in in a ceremony even the heavens didn't bless. You want to know who committed a crime? It was Kivuitu, Kibaki, Michuki, Gicheru and all those who acted to kill and maim Kenyans after the election theft. I especially wonder why Grace Kahindi hasn't been charged with murder and use of excessive force on innocent Kenyans. Why is she free to laugh at our sense of decency?
The Hon. Odinga and those who support him have climbed down for the sake of peace and accepted to work with the thieves and architects of the mayhem visited on Kenyans. But now that those hardliners are hell bent on holding all of us hostage, aren't we justified to say enough is enough? At what point do we say we've given it our best shot, guys? It's my humble opinion that if the Kibaki side does not move quickly to move the nation forward, we have to act to save Kenya. We need a lean and sensible Cabinet, and men who love Kenya like the Hon. Ruto must be part of it. Period. We can't accept a situation where the likes of Michuki and Karua tell us who is clean? Just how clean can thieves be?
The time is now, President Kibaki, do what you promised to do or you'll soon realize that there are ideals and principles for which our freedom fighters and founding fathers gave their lives...and we are willing to follow in their footsteps if push comes to shove.
For Love of Country,
Sam Okello
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