Dear Kenyans,
The Kenya situation as it is, is that we are in a state of emergency, thus says my 10th great grandfather Ragem. Here is why.
Kibaki succeeded in appeasing the whole world by consenting to a pseudo power sharing agreement. For this he shamed us all in broad daylight, and right after stealing the last election. Six months later, he really does not care anymore about the constititution and will stay mum about important issues affecting Kenyans. Such issues like the constitution remain unresolved and could erupt like a volcano, an onset whose siquelea would leads to the looming unspoken war. Yet he dares to show his face here in the US and even has the audacity to ask to meet with us. It would be better if the Kenyan embassy arranged for a press conference for him instead, so the press can take him to be task regarding the death of so many Kenyans in the post election violence.
It is just a few months ago that we killed each other primarily due to a bad constitution and weak democratic institutions. Annan, Kriegler and Waki commissions have not quite concluded their findings, and it is obvious to all Kenyans that these commission’s findings will come to naught.
Meanwhile, our politicians and prominent advisers are busy with side shows; who should belong to which political affiliation?
is official opposition necessary?
who should earn what money?
what did Raila say about circumcision, (not remembering that Raila’s are mere opinions and not policy decrees like Moi’s were).
On a more serious note, the most important task at hand cannot be anything other than amending the current constitution. We know Kibaki does not care about it and for good reason. Raila is facing discontent. Karua has a conflict of interest. Kalonzo is for status quo for his own selfish reasons. Kalembe Ndile would agree with me here, to imagine Uhuru or Saitoti president is synonymous with commiting treason because Kenya will know real civil war in the eventuality that this happens.
So just who will change the constitution when we allow our politicians particularly in ODM to be distracted with the side shows? They have the majority in parliament but do we say it?
As a Raila supporter, I am disturbed that we are openly sharing strategic ideas in public, perhaps out of utter frustration with PM inaccessibility. Yet like *Mkizi* the fish, this strategy would tell the fisherman where we are, thereby give the opponents undue advantage, while denying our troops the stealth element of surprise. On the other hand, and again in broad daylight, Kibaki gave ODM a rope and indeed they are busy securing a noose around their neck. Is it a coincidence that Mt Kenya is falling in love with the PM idea? This may be genuine but may be a move to drive a wedge in ODM or isolate Karua, Muite and Mungatana. As for the polls, who cares if Raila is more popular than Kibaki? They are in the same government and all we care about is the delivery of honest, stronger and equal democratic institutions in the office of the PM, President, Parliament and judiciary.
Let me get back to the emergency situation. Kibaki could drop dead anytime. He could also dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections to regain legitimacy, after all he is very much interested in initiating his project and for the insurance he would get in return.
Instead of our diaspora activists planning a demonstration to confront Mwai Kibaki in DC and tell him in his face that he is a usurper, a fake and therefore *mavi ya kuku!*, for his illegitimate government and refusal to share power 50/50 per the National Accord he signed, elsewhere we are being asked to go to DC and protest the salaries of the very MPs we elected legitimately.
My opinion is that we have succeeded in implating a PM within Kenya government, and his focus should be on ensuring change of constitution. Issues such as majimbo, permanent election date, dual citizenship, diaspora constituency, independent parliament, judiciary and electroral commission and many others are so crucial than issues regarding MP salaries, and grand opposition.
Considering the weight of these pending matters, my 10th great grandfather indicates that the ODM pentagon had delivered and any effort to retain it would’ve been tantamount to preventing its members to grow, to enjoy democracy. Likewise, the PM must not feel accountable to the pentagon, rather the constitution, or in this instace, the accord.
Is Raila interested in running for the presidency again? Even my 10th great grandfather Ragem does not know the answer to this question, perhaps because it may not be important once the new constitution is in place. With the new constitution in place, no one will be the wiser. whereas as long as we have no amended constitution, it is just a matter of time before we’ll kill each other again. The time to change the constitution was yesterday.
—
Joram Ragem
wuod Ndinya, wuod Onam, wuod Amolo, wuod Owuoth, wuod Oganyo, wuod Mumbe, wuod Odongo, wuod Olwande, wuod Adhaya, wuod Ojuodhi, wuod Ragem! (Are you my relative?)
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Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 22:44:11 -0400
From: Joram Ragem
Subject: Emergency Is The Kenya Situation As It Is.