from RENOLDS CHEPTUMO

Sir, I hope you are keeping well and that this letter finds you in good health. Sir as I write this letter to you, take note that I am a very hungry and frustrated Kenyan, I am not sure if you are aware millions of Kenyans are in the same predicaments as I am, but chances are high you are in the loop, though you always want to paint a picture of normalcy, but all in all, that will not stop me from telling you why we are a frustrated and angry lot.
First, please accept my condolences on behalf of the families and friends of fellow Kenyans who were killed in Todonyang, my heart go to those who survived the tragedy and I wish them a quick recovery. Sir the deaths were not caused by an accident, but an act of murder by a group of militiamen who crossed our internationally recognized borders under the noses of those you command and tasked with the security of our citizens and country.

Sir the night of 30 Dec 2007 is still fresh in our minds, this is the day you uttered the following words while taking an oath of office: that “I, Mwai Emmilio Kibaki, in full realisation of the high calling I assume as President of the Republic of Kenya, do swear/solemnly affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Kenya; that I will obey, preserve, protect and defend this Constitution of Kenya, as by law established, and all other laws of the Republic; and that I will protect and uphold the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of the people of Kenya.–– So help me God”, these are solemn words indeed Mr president, as a mattar of fact, you repeated the same words again under the new constitution last year, Sir, the last time I checked, you are also the Commander in chief of the Kenyan Armed forces, but Sir it appears you have not lived by those words, now Mr president, did you protect, upheld the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of those people who were killed by foreigners? Sir I think you have not. For heavenly sake 40 kenyans are dead and buried sir, and and yet the best you can do is send a protest note to the aggressors?

Again as I write to you, our islands in Lake Victoria have been occupied by Ugandan military, what have you done sir to protect our territory and the citizens in these Islands? how about the al shabaab nuisance in the east of our country? For how long are they going to be threatening our peace without getting hit by our Armed Forces?

Sir each year, a staggaring Ksh 20Billion goes to our Military, this is a premium kenyans understand and they pay through their taxes to retain this very importan institution, it is our insuarance cover against foreign aggressors! but is it playing it’s constitutional role? Suddenly not! How much more of our taxes do our military need to be able to protect our country? Sir, the people who died may be the afflicted of our Country, but no Kenyan life however poor she/he may be, should be lost because of an institutional failure to play its constitutional role! We deserve a better protection than what our government and military is offering. The failure by the security agencies to protect our people is something which should never be forgiven and heads should have rolled by now.

Sir, we demand our military be used to persue the criminals who killed Kenyans and there should be no protest notes where lives has been lost, a quick and violent response is what we need to deter such agrression in future. It is our right to defend ourselves using our military!! our neighbours in the other hand should respect our borders, our dignity as citizens has been put into jeopardy by the unending paralysis in our government.

Renolds Cheptumo.