Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:07:48
by Jeff Otieno, Freelance Journalist
KISUMU -Â Faces of desperation and despair is the hallmark of Kenyas third largest lake side city of Kisumu following the bloody post election violence early this year.
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  In a desperate bid to express their bitterness, the protesters allied to an opposition party seemed to have over stretched their limits  by torching and looting with glee private properties like shops and supermarkets in full glare of the police who did little to counter them for reasons which aren’t clear to date.
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  The looting spree was that shocking due to the fact that even well known couples in the locality were filmed carrying loots.
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  In some slum areas in town, I managed to come across several mud thatched tiny houses which could not accommodate loots like Refrigerators, Tv sets and modern music systems and they had to be pegged via the entrance nicely covered by polythene bags to protect them from the rains and the scorching sun.
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  Surprisingly, the local authorities (the Police) have decided not to device mechanisms of retrieving them or to even take the necessary action against these known blunderers in order to curb what now seems like a precedent.
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  “Since I was born I have never encountered such a barbaric scenario,†quipped Mr.Raju Patel a local employer who lost  goods worth millions of dollars.
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  “ In total I had over 50 workers 10 drivers not included but now I cant guarantee their fate,â€Raju wondered.
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  Latest survey by a local non governmental organization (N.G.O) puts the job losers to be around a staggering figures of 20,000 and hopes of restoring confident to the investors is still pegged on the mediation talks whose verdict is yet to come.
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  Most of the workers who lost their jobs in the said affected areas could be seen in clusters along the streets pondering in low tones about their future.
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  It will require a sustained massive crusade among the stake holders to restore the confidence of investors if the town is to be reconstructed and restored back to its lost glory.
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  As a result of the drastic job losses state of insecurity has gripped the city and its environs but the newly posted police boss in a recent interview with the press expressed optimism that the situation will soon be calm.
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  “I’ve put measures which will guarantee maximum security for the residents in the city and to the entire province,†vowed Mr.Antony Kibuchi.
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  “I equally need the support of all the stake holders like opinion leaders, members of the business community if we’re to achieve our desired goalsâ€, Kibuchi concluded.
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  END
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Dear Jeff,Â
We wondered what you meant by “in full glare of the police who did little to counter them for reasons which aren’t clear to date.” This strikes us as a revisionist historian account.  Furthermore, we believe that your account is insensitive to those who died at the hands of Grace Kaindi’s police force in Kisumu as well as to their friends and family members. That the police in Kisumu committed egregious and inhumane acts of brutality is beyond refute. It is also worth noting that some of the victims of this brutality were not even protesters…
 http://www.jaluo.com/wangwach/200801/Oyuga010708.htmlÂ
 http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=387&sid=1327725
More on police brutality in Kenya following what even independent (non-Kibaki appointed) observers and US elected officials say was a stolen election…
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17863342.htmÂ
 EXCERPT:
More than 600 people have died in Kenya, long east Africa’s most stable and promising economy, during protests in the past three weeks against President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed re-election. Many have died at the hands of the security forces.
Jaluo.com often expresses criticism of journalism that we think fails the honesty test. We hope that those we criticize will adhere to higher standards in the future. We have a sincere appreciation of investigative journalism and hope that those who aspire to this line of work will also meet its very rigorous standards. We believe that journalism should, first and foremost, serve the truth.  In this case, the issue of truth is especially important as human rights groups and the international community must begin to hold those responsible for all acts of violence INCLUDING GRACE KAINDI AND HER POLICE FORCE to account. Â
Please clarify your position regarding what has been characterized by numerous human rights organizations as police brutality in Kisumu. Otherwise, we will consider this an opinion piece lacking in substantiated allegations and not an article.   Â
We would also like to add that we have reports from other sources that Kisumu is “rising” again. This was sent by Robert…Â
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fJgSHlKKlI
Regards,
Jaluo Press
The ODM youths and those reasonable leaders must put their heads togather, roll up their sleeves and plan how they are going to rebuild their damaged towns. They must not depend on on foreign aids because such aids have gigantic strings attached. The foreigners do not give aids for nothing, they want want you to work like dogs for little or no pay. They want huge profits at other people expense.
It is therefore imperative that the young people organize and figure out innovative ways to create opprtunities for themselves. There are going to be vultures getting contracts with the cities to do some work and making 10000% profits on your backs. Please, wake up and do not let this happen again. Your voices must be heard loud and clear.Do not let anybody make huge profit on your backs and sweat for something you can do yourselves.
Subcontractors usually get contracts and employ other people to sweat for them for peanuts while they laugh their ways to the bank. Do not work for subcontractors. If you can do the job you must as well get that contract and do the job yourselves. Please, organize, get those contracts and do the job yourselves.
IF YOU CAN SWEAT TO EARN A LIVING, MAKE SURE YOUR SWEAT IS WELL SPENT. THE KEY IS ORGANIZATION AND TEAM WORK. YOU MUST NOT ALLOW ANYBODY TO TAKE ADVATAGE OF YOUR HARD WORK. IF YOU ARE A HARDWORKER, YOU SHOULD NOT BE POOR!!!!!
Do not let vultures send you to your grave yard poor. They are coming kids.
This is the pay-back time. They destroyed businesses where they work so let them suffer and learn the hardway.
Here is a lesson for the Luo people to remember
following others blindly can lead you into a deep hole
The So called leaders who incited the community to riot, burn and destroy Kisumu town, are still sleeping comfatably in their fine muthaiga and lavingotn homes, just as they were on the days when the hapless mindless masses razed their dwellings in kondlele and other places in kisumu.
Their families have comfaortable jobs in other parts of the country , their wives shop in the newest supermarkets while the masses are left with no supplies as the investors goods, and jobs left for other parts.
Lastly, Luos are the only people group who destroyed their home,
Ponder that!
I recall vividly as if it was yesterday, seeing mothers and their babies crying after their houses were gutted by our angry youth.
My fear is that year 2012 is around the corner, yet what those rowdy youths were asking for has never been awarded to them. Youths are still suffering being joblessness, and most are worse than the way they in 2007.
Because I believe no one can do such a barbaric things and still lead a normal life, I condemn any man who raises a machete to kill their own country men, because of the failure of our leaders.
I don think these men have ever seen the people who paid them to destruct what they had built in many years.
My challenge goes to my fellow youths. Are we going to vote for these leaders who don’t know what we go through after we vote them in?
This is a good lesson for jaluos. Other parts of the country, business is as usual.
The jaluos did not know that it is painful to see your hard earned/ acquired property being put to ashes for no reason.
They are used to go to the lake and collect fish that they did not apply fertilizer to grow, spray chemical for protection or weed to make them grow healthy.
Others are used to hard work to bring a plate of ugali on the table.
Not a bad lesson though.