As a dark cloud overwhelmed my thoughts, I started whispering...
Find me a guitar I lament for you my agony,
Find me a microphone I voice my sorrows
Find me a pen I narrate for you a story that rip my heart apart
Find me time I tell you how helpless I feel
Helpless as I listen to the woman cry for her murdered child
Helpless as I watch her weeping in front of her raped daughter
Helpless as I see her finding comfort on her husband’s grave
Helpless as she tells me of her slaughtered son
Helpless as I gaze at her begging to exist
Helpless as I kneel with her begging her kind not to oppress her own
Helpless as I look at her calling on her maker for salvation
Helpless as I contemplate at her seeking hope from the horizon
Find her picking of what is left in the Rift Valley,
Find her re-purify her face in Lake Naivasha
Find her counting losses in tea plantation in Kerico
Find her echo in Nandi Hills calling for Peace….
Find me, helpless wondering if there is more I can do to help…
Last night the moon and I were talking, I found hope in helpess situation
Hope that exist within
Hope that looks beyond human greed
Hope that finds good in human spirit when evil surrounds
Hope that I see in the sky filled with smoke from burnt houses
Hope that I see in the horizon of my imagination
Hope that goes beyond the shadows of yesterday
Hope that over comes yesterday’s hatred
Hope that confronts my memory of conflict
Hope that looks beyond human eyes
Hope that sees present suffering ending
Hope that has faith in today’s youth, in the unborn generation
Hope that destroys selfish oppressors’ plans
Hope in hopeless crisis…
By David Mwambari
USIU 2008
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sacrifice, but for who and for what?
In 1950s and a large part of 1960s, the African young men and women who were interested in the fate of their colonial countries and continent were more concerned with liberating their people from European colonial rule.
These were the likes of Ghanaian Kwame Nkrumah, Tanzanian Mwalimu Nyerere, Kenyan Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Nelson Madiba Mandela, Ms. Winnie Mandela, Patrice Lumumba - the list goes on. History validates their generation’s sacrifice as having fought for independence and for us their then unborn generation. Critics will focus more on their failures, forgetting that no human is immune to error. In post independence era, another group emerged blinded with greed, and lust for power.
In 1970s and1980s they enlarged their “society” giving birth to innocent minds poisoned in their socialization . Currently, Africa finds herself with a large, divided youthful society. The first group is composed of the elites whose character and thought process has been heavily intoxicated by western ideals, from language, to culture.
Their arrogance exhibits oppressors’ behaviour under a different skin color. They have learned from their fathers’ greedy hearts and looked up to their uncaring mothers’ souls. In their thinking, anything African is dismissed as uncivilized, a village up country is a no-go zone, and their definition of identity is influenced by television and magazines.
They are rarely found on the streets rioting for any issues that affect society; they are often found in bed on election day with a hangover from last nights heavy drinking. Their jobs are taken for granted; they earn fat salaries and bank it overseas and save some to purchase alcohol for their fellow hypocrite friends. Should the country plunge into a civil war, genocide or any other crisis, they are the first to be flown out of the country.
There is another group of young people whose struggles begin at birth – people from the lower class. Their childhood is marked by hard labour before and after school, that is, if they can afford the resources or get permission to attend (especially young girls).
They have to be exceptionally lucky and bright to make it through high school to university. Their first salary is spent on educating their siblings, feeding their parents if not helping a cousin or relative with long term illness called dependency. Should the country plunge into a civil war, genocide, or any other crisis, they will be brutally beaten, listed for the military as well as put on frontlines in any battles, and if not killed they walk or run long distances to cross into the nearest border.
Africa is a land where the rich dictate the present and future of their country and network to dishonor the continent. Their greed causes uncertainty to the unborn children and their networks expand from the Cape to Cairo. In the last three years, the young people from the middle class and from wealthy families, mentored and guided with their parents ganged up, and started the journey of lying to the poor, majority young voters.
They (poor, young voters) were told there is such a thing as their voices being heard through the ballot box. For once they went out in numbers believing that their majority cries for change matter. The events around the country yesterday were an illustration of this deeply divided society.
Unlike a few weeks ago when riots began, the Pentagon (as the ODM opposition leadership calls themselves) were on the streets surrounded by their blind supporters. Alongside, the 4WDs and SUVs were moving slowly, as they arrived in the city center and the police confronted them.
Dispersed by tear gas and live bullets, the rich and so called “leaders” entered their cars and drove off to the nearest five star hotels, where they were welcomed with a cup of tea. The rioters ran for their lives on foot, without a direction, and if caught by police, were brutally beaten. Even those who were in the city for other reasons assuming the situation is back to normal were caught and not spared by the tear gas.
The police special force is composed of the young people whose learning in the academy seems to have concentrated on how to kill their own brothers and sisters without pity - perhaps with orders from a government minister, a police boss probably somewhere heavily guarded, occasionally sipping the best wine or warm beer.
The police, the rioters and the displaced have something in common; they are both manipulated by the rich, to carry out their political agenda. They all go home on empty stomachs while the bosses enjoy feasts prepared by a well-qualified chef. These two groups tune in for news in the evening to watch and listen to their day re-played on the screen or radio.
The poor ignorant person proudly explains how he is sacrificing for democracy and freedom for his country as the rich look at their political interests while calculating their economic losses or gains.
“You, as young people, should be at the forefront of making sacrifices for Africa. Often, in Africa, instead of young people being at the forefront of the struggle for social justice, they are at the forefront of the struggle for privileges.” - President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
And so as we watched a young man making faces at the police on Wednesday protests in Kisumu City on television, and in a split of a second he was shot and lying down dead, this question came to mind: sacrifice for who? Then I was looking into the eyes of a thirteen-year old girl seated in front of her mother’s tent in a displaced camp, I asked myself: sacrifice for what?
Our African young generation has a challenge to address the social inequalities, or else we will continue to submit to the manipulation of the rich with their partners in crime wherever they are in the world.
‘If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few
who are rich’.
John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, January 20, 1961
By David Mwambari.
The author is an International Relations scholar at the United States International University-Nairobi
These were the likes of Ghanaian Kwame Nkrumah, Tanzanian Mwalimu Nyerere, Kenyan Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Nelson Madiba Mandela, Ms. Winnie Mandela, Patrice Lumumba - the list goes on. History validates their generation’s sacrifice as having fought for independence and for us their then unborn generation. Critics will focus more on their failures, forgetting that no human is immune to error. In post independence era, another group emerged blinded with greed, and lust for power.
In 1970s and1980s they enlarged their “society” giving birth to innocent minds poisoned in their socialization . Currently, Africa finds herself with a large, divided youthful society. The first group is composed of the elites whose character and thought process has been heavily intoxicated by western ideals, from language, to culture.
Their arrogance exhibits oppressors’ behaviour under a different skin color. They have learned from their fathers’ greedy hearts and looked up to their uncaring mothers’ souls. In their thinking, anything African is dismissed as uncivilized, a village up country is a no-go zone, and their definition of identity is influenced by television and magazines.
They are rarely found on the streets rioting for any issues that affect society; they are often found in bed on election day with a hangover from last nights heavy drinking. Their jobs are taken for granted; they earn fat salaries and bank it overseas and save some to purchase alcohol for their fellow hypocrite friends. Should the country plunge into a civil war, genocide or any other crisis, they are the first to be flown out of the country.
There is another group of young people whose struggles begin at birth – people from the lower class. Their childhood is marked by hard labour before and after school, that is, if they can afford the resources or get permission to attend (especially young girls).
They have to be exceptionally lucky and bright to make it through high school to university. Their first salary is spent on educating their siblings, feeding their parents if not helping a cousin or relative with long term illness called dependency. Should the country plunge into a civil war, genocide, or any other crisis, they will be brutally beaten, listed for the military as well as put on frontlines in any battles, and if not killed they walk or run long distances to cross into the nearest border.
Africa is a land where the rich dictate the present and future of their country and network to dishonor the continent. Their greed causes uncertainty to the unborn children and their networks expand from the Cape to Cairo. In the last three years, the young people from the middle class and from wealthy families, mentored and guided with their parents ganged up, and started the journey of lying to the poor, majority young voters.
They (poor, young voters) were told there is such a thing as their voices being heard through the ballot box. For once they went out in numbers believing that their majority cries for change matter. The events around the country yesterday were an illustration of this deeply divided society.
Unlike a few weeks ago when riots began, the Pentagon (as the ODM opposition leadership calls themselves) were on the streets surrounded by their blind supporters. Alongside, the 4WDs and SUVs were moving slowly, as they arrived in the city center and the police confronted them.
Dispersed by tear gas and live bullets, the rich and so called “leaders” entered their cars and drove off to the nearest five star hotels, where they were welcomed with a cup of tea. The rioters ran for their lives on foot, without a direction, and if caught by police, were brutally beaten. Even those who were in the city for other reasons assuming the situation is back to normal were caught and not spared by the tear gas.
The police special force is composed of the young people whose learning in the academy seems to have concentrated on how to kill their own brothers and sisters without pity - perhaps with orders from a government minister, a police boss probably somewhere heavily guarded, occasionally sipping the best wine or warm beer.
The police, the rioters and the displaced have something in common; they are both manipulated by the rich, to carry out their political agenda. They all go home on empty stomachs while the bosses enjoy feasts prepared by a well-qualified chef. These two groups tune in for news in the evening to watch and listen to their day re-played on the screen or radio.
The poor ignorant person proudly explains how he is sacrificing for democracy and freedom for his country as the rich look at their political interests while calculating their economic losses or gains.
“You, as young people, should be at the forefront of making sacrifices for Africa. Often, in Africa, instead of young people being at the forefront of the struggle for social justice, they are at the forefront of the struggle for privileges.” - President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
And so as we watched a young man making faces at the police on Wednesday protests in Kisumu City on television, and in a split of a second he was shot and lying down dead, this question came to mind: sacrifice for who? Then I was looking into the eyes of a thirteen-year old girl seated in front of her mother’s tent in a displaced camp, I asked myself: sacrifice for what?
Our African young generation has a challenge to address the social inequalities, or else we will continue to submit to the manipulation of the rich with their partners in crime wherever they are in the world.
‘If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few
who are rich’.
John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, January 20, 1961
By David Mwambari.
The author is an International Relations scholar at the United States International University-Nairobi
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
We must go back to history
An Understanding of The Recent Political Violence in Kenya
Ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed sad as to what is happening in Kenya. I do believe that most of the people on this blog are either Kenyans....or like myself call Kenya 'my second home'.
Who would have thought that this beacon of peace in the heart of a volatile region could fall into the hands of the devil and turn neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend.
I happened to be in Rwanda on the 27th of December and actually remember being in the Kigali museum for Genocide. It was my fourth time being there and as I bettered my understranding on what happened, it opened my eyes to understand the Kenyan question from a totally different perspective.
If we trace back to the history of kenya, which I guess most of us are conversant with, you will recall that during the time that Kenyatta was in detention, a then Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was acting president for Kanu which was the rulling party in Kenya. At the time, the Beberus (British colonialists ) had wanted to grant Kenya its independence. As it were, the party of choice was KANU which represented the major 'ethnic groups' as opposed to KADU which represented the smaller groups. With Kenyatta in detention, Jaramogi O Odinga was granted the opportunity to be the countries first leader. To the dismay of the colonialists and the suprise of many nationals, Jaramogi showed great humility by declaring that there is no Uhuru (Peace) without Kenyatta and thus he will await the release of his comrad that he may take over the reigns.
So it came to pass that on may 21st Aug 1961 he was released and took over party reigns handed to him by Jaramogi. He was later the first prime minister of Kenya.
The problem in Kenya after independence as is in most African countries vis a vis pre and post independence is the issue of land and land redistribution. The agreement between the the then party mambers of KANU was to adress the issue of land redistribution and ensure that it was equally distributed to Kenyans. Areas that were most affected were the then called 'white highlands' which stretched from Aberdares, Naivasha, Nakuru, Kitale and other fertile parts withtin those regions.
Kenyatta however went against the...what would be translated today as 'M.O.U' between the party members and met with the white settlers, came to an agreement, but when it came to the issue of distribution Kikuyu's were given the first priority.
This is why we find today that many areas in Rift valley are occupied by Kikuyus. I am not saying that it is wrong for one to own land in an area that is not their ancestral home...any Kenyan is allowed to own land wherever they wish within the country, but has to do so legally.
Coming back to the violence in Kenya that we witnessed recently, the western Media and some people trying to distort the true picture of what happened, have tried to make it look like a Luo vs Kikuyu war. well if we clearly look at the statistics of worst hit areas and where ethnicity was an issue, then we have to look at Rift valley province.
Ethnic clashes in this area did not start after the elections were announced, they started way back in the late eighties/early nineties.
Why? LAND. Most fertile land was occupied by people from another ethnic community and calls to gain back what belonged to the indigenous communities started being sounded.
These violent clashes have never been as wide spread as they are today and that can be attributed to the political climate of the day.
Then it was dictatorship, where the people had to abide by what they were told and this sort of incubated the issue and people were not free to express themselves. In the 2002 elections, people finally got their chance to change the reigns and voted out a system that they thought had held them back from expressing themselves.
So in came a democratic government...one that allowed those who once had no voice to be heard. It gave courage to the weak, it opened the eye of those who had beeen blinded by an oppresive regime....it basically made people more aware of what belonged to them and that with an individual who represented them, they could finally reap the prosperity that everyone was talking about in Kenya.
Oranges and Bananas became the fruits of the day. One fruit (the Banana) represented those who were in the reigns while the Orange represented the common Mwanachi ( the common man).
This was the historical reforendum that finally showed that the Kenyan who had never had a chance to speak could finally be heard as he was the victor at the end of the day. The guy who had once formed KADU ( which was a party that represented the smaller ethnic groups)
was now finally after over 40 years of being marginalised, a voice to be reconed with.
This gave them the belief that they could finally challange for the presidency of the country and ahead they went to form the Orange Democratic Party. This party underwent alot of sanding before it became what it was just before the election and in the process a group that felt indeferent, removed itself from the final picture.
All in all, this was the party that represented most Ethnic communities as was evident in the pentagon members and affiliation by the youth and appeal to smaller communities.
After the elections were announced to their dismay, mayhem ensued. Ethnicity became an issue in most communities. The hate that had been incubated for over 40 years was finally unleashed and it is sad that it came out in the way it did. In as much as people think or are made to believe that it was a reaction to the results of the elections....SORRY but this is much deeper than that. As many people, including myself, tried to make sense of what happened in Rwanda, the answer was based on history. The only difference is that as the Rwandese was initially instigated by European colonialists, the kenyan question has alot to do with Kenyans themselves.
Therefore the only people who can solve the current situation are Kenyans themselves.
Timothy Nsengiyumva Mlay (Tanzanian Scholar)
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