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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The Reign of Armed and Uniformed Impunity Posted: October 23rd, 2008, 5:49pm EDT