Many have forgotten what befell our country almost 35 years ago. Kikuyus became ardent enemies of the luos and luos never forgave the kikuyus. Reason, Kenyatta was almost killed in kisumu stadium while Odinga was reduced to nothing in the entire Kenyatta regime. That was the beginning of tribalism in Kenya. Historically, tribalism had nothing to do with anything between me and my great friend Philip Ngungi and yet when I joined Njiiri high school several years later, I was still branded a jaluo while those who joined Maseno high from kikuyu land were called bim nyajuaola. It is time for intellectuals to analyze history, judge it as it was/is and come out with real solutions, not foreign solutions.
You cannot take Kenyatta and Mbio Koinange to jail. They are dead. Indeed dead as a dodo. We cannot either continue judging the son of Kenyatta or the son of Odinga, they were kids then and have chosen in fact to reconcile. Why is the grass suffering while the bulls have stopped fighting. It is time for real Kenyans to find real solutions and those real solutions are in the common oblangata of the middle class who even though have gained in the amalgamated system have chosen to accept what? the difference between one old dead Odinga and Kenyatta. What a tragedy? I hate to be included in this poker.
Now we are busy creating a new game. “Oh lets take Ruto and Uhuru to the Hague, oh they killed so many people let them go to the hague, the hague! Hague! Hague! Hague! Hague! the Hague! juu juu saidi!” as if the Hague will clothe naked Kenyans. What the heck is the Hague? It is an international criminal court that has failed to arrest Omar Bashir. Where was the Hague when Tom Mboya was killed cold blood. Why has the Hague not investigated the slaughterer of a beautiful brain in the name of Robert Ouko or JM Kariuki. I repeat what the heck is the Hague?
Kenyans problems are big but they are not bigger than Kenyans. Kenyans must start believing in themselves. “If it is a Kenyan problem, we can come up with a Kenyan solution.” As I said before, Ocampo is not the solution. The solutions are with Kenyans and that solution is reconciliation. Indeed like I have said before “RECONCILIATION IS THE REAL DEAL”. It is the answer. If it worked for south Africa why not for us.
Kenyans must ask themselves one question, “will we finish tribalism and animosity by sending Ruto and Uhuru to the Hague or will we enhance it?” . The answer for sure is “we will enhance it” BIG TIME . We are repeating the same mistake that created the real tribalism between kikuyuis and the luos. Now it will be extended to luos, kikuyus and kalenjins . Is this the Kenya we want. If it is what we want then lets be prepared for Somalia or Congo.’MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN’
There has to be reasoning people among mad men. The Hague will not solve our problem. it will enhance it. Our solutions for centuries had been based on elders from one tribe meeting elders from the other tribe and saying enough is enough. No more blood need to be shed and people ended up respecting each others boundary and living with each others issues and problems.
If we don’t solve this Ocampo issue the traditional reconciliatory way then Kenya may very soon be another Somali where each tribe will demand to be a country. Where are the patriotic Kenyans. We seem to have just revengers.
So good for those who are demanding justice, we can also demand our own justice and who on earth will deliver it. Tom Mboya is dead, Robert Ouko is dead, Argwings Kodhek is dead, Oginga Odinga died a miserable man, JM is dead, Jindo Matiba is incapacitated, Bildad Kagia is dead, Ochieng Oneko died a miserable man, Paul Ngei became paralysed, Martin shikuku may now be talking to himself. You want justice we cannot find it. Lets reconcile. There can never be a real compensation for the real damages all we are asking for now form the Hague is chaos.
Lets forgive but not forget.
Dr. Barack Otieno Abonyo
Associate Professor of Pharmacology
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Florida A and M University
1415 Martin Luther King Dr.
Tallahassee Fl, 32304
Tel:850-561-2553
850-339-4806
I care to listen. Without undivided attention, I dearly hold daktari’s view that despite all the damages that has shaken our country as a tsunami and divided us, there is a definite reason for a firm stand that reconciliation is the way to go. There is no real compensation for the real damages. If we diagnize the situation keenly and deeply, tribalism was started by the political class soon after independence and has continued to be staked by the political class for selfish ends. Remember Kemi Amushan ones wrote in the Guardian Newspaper that ‘people are motivated by things they want, not by things others want. Ordinarily, kenyans want to live in peace, but the political class who hold sway in our midst would not let us live in peace, lest they fail in their game. politicians would not let tribalism die. When politics is invitated into serious issues, it marks a very tedious journey to a resolution. This is what invited the Hague and no solution is forth coming, with more and more violence writ large this time around. For what reason were IDPS we have been made to believe have been suffering demonstrating that one of their own has been named by Ocampo as a suspect? The message is, they(IDPS) better suffer in the IDP camps than see one of their own, which simply means a tribesman, taken for quetioning following allegations of involvement in a criminal activity that led to their suffering. I do not know what dose of spiritual nourishment we need as kenyans to embrace our togetherness for purposes of peace and progress. At this rate we shall kill, rape and maim each other. The ocampos shall offer no remedies. Lets embace reconciliation and move a head.
No I disagree big time.
Hague kweli ni juu, juu, juu zaidi! Even if Hague reals in Raila or Kibaki in her hook, lets stay the course. Why?
Kenya politicians have assassinated and maimed many in the past and no commission of inquiry or reconciliation can heal the loss or stop the chain of violence.
Kenya police forces, secret service have killed and maimed many for life due to mediocre or dictatorship command. Kenyans have simply buried their dead, nursed their wounds, forgotten and moved on. Ali need to stand trial to teach the officers and their juniors the consequences of their action.
Kenyan businessmen, politicians and high ranking government officials have fleeced this county without mercy, and none has ever been arrested or made to pay back and jailed.
There has to be an end to this cycle. That end can begin by the action ICC has taken whether ICC finds then guilty or not. It is the right thing to do. There are very many Kikuyus, Luo and Kalenjin willing to live happily with other regardless of whether these elite folks get accused, tried and found innocent or guilty.
As a matter of principle, one has to stand for what is right. A solution good for one place (Reconciliation for SA) cannot be good for everyplace and situation.
What if the world reconciled with Hitler, or with Slobedan Milosevich, or Saddam Hussein, or Al Capone? Should Karateka Patrick Lumumba reconcile or negotiate with alleged perpetrators of corruption?
Please note that this writer does not presume the accused guilty, rather if the prosecutor of a respectable court such as ICC, say they have a case to answer, we must respect that. The opposite is to perpetuate impunity.
Abonyo has the tendency to sit in the sidelines while Kenyans are making decisions. Once those decisions are made and engraved in stone, he comes out to take a totally different view. Remember his petition to stop the August 4th 2010 Constitution referendum? Instead of campaigning and educating Kenyans to vote No, he runs to court in the last minute to do an act which turns to be a heroic failure. When Kenyans were busy debating the formation of local tribunal, I did not see Abonyo’s articles urging those who said “don’t be vague, say Hague” to avoid this option.
There is no tribalism that will be perpetuated by Ocampo prosecuting the Hague 6. Like Nesta put a dent in the Mafia operations in the USA, Ocampo will put a big dent in impunity in Kenya. There are a few real heroes in Kenya. They are Maina Kiai, John Githongo, Judge Waki, Jaoko, Omar and lately, Lumumba. These Kenyans have dared and called the name of the devil in broad daylight. They are being complemented by Ocampo and yes, we must cheer him on, even if it will turn in our own. God gave Jesus to die for our sins. The Unabomber gave up his brother to end the killings caused by those bombs the latter was mailing. We can give up the Hague 6 and others to end impunity in Kenya. Yes we can, and there should be no fear or favor.
There only fear sense are those in the hearts feeble such as Abonyo’s, but we must not go at the pace of his heart rate. I urge Abonyo to confront his fears by embracing and reconciling with his real life enemies. Abonyo, look at your perceived enemies in the eye and reconcile with them. If you find this theory impossible to do and I assume there is not much money or property at at stake between you and them, how the heck do you think it will end the circle of violence in Kenya where tones of money and power is involved?
Those who committed crimes against humanity, ICC is the best answer this time.
Joram Ragem
Is Kenya being ruled through proxies like Annan and Ocampo? Why do Kenyans feel that they are in good hands with these two individuals??
Dr,Abonyo,the Kisumu incident that you have referred to took place in 1969 which makes it 42 years ago and not almost 35 years ago as you have stated!