From: odhiambo okecth

Friends,

For the last 2 days, I have been attending a Peace Building session with the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Nairobi County. And it has really been refreshing and very informative.

This Forum is a very good build up to us at KCDN and The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign because, in partnership with the Centre for Community Dialogue and Development and other Peace Actors in the Rift Valley, we have been able to bring together the Kalenjin, the Luo and the Luhya who share a common border to a peaceful settlement that is culminating in the Kibigori Chepswerta Peace Treaty on the 22nd April 2012.

I was just reflecting today on the premises under which Kenya settled on setting up the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission and juxtaposing the same to the much celebrated South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

It is important to note that in South Africa, they were transitting from the Aparthaid Regime to a new Political Dispensation with completely new actor. The Boars had loaded over the Africans in a very oppressive process, having Mzee Madiba in jail for 27 years, and when he was released in 1994, he decided to forgive and let go.

The healing and forguiveness process hence started right from the top. This is in complete contrust to the Kenyan situation, where our Truth and reconciliation process involved the same players who had been in the seen all along.

We saw cases where the Chair to our process was bogged down by allegations of commission and ommission, with accussations that he was part of the problem. The same could be true of all our political leaders. They have been part of the Kenyan process right from before Independence to right now. Any spilling of beans view Exorcising of Past Pain, could adversely and inadvertently cast them in some dark aspersions.

This made our Commiision fight several wars with under funding being a major challenge.

Now, in a functioning Truth, Justice and Reconciliation process, we must Exorcise the past pain by telling the hard truth, renouncing our past deeds, and then, we seek forgiveness in a process that takes the Country and the People forward. Our case has lacked this process.

All we have seen have been cases of people denying having ever taken part in past atrocities, yet, the bark must surely rest with someone. Our challenge has been that the same decision makers are the people who have been around all along and they are the same people with the power to give or deny.

They have hence chosen to deny and frustrate the efforts of TJRC.

But from the many experiences we have seen across the world, this process must move to its logical conclussion. Kenyans desire peace, and we must all work for peace, with or without resources. Peace is paramount to our Nationhood and all Men and Women of Peace must stand up and be counted.

All is not lost though. In the midst of such wants, and in the midst of greater difficulties at financial mobilization for many Peace Actors, based on what we have witnessed in Rift Valley, we have institutions who are still moving forward and making Peace, National Healing and Reconciliation happen.

We have the many District Peace Committees across the Country composed of Men and Women who are committed to the Peace Process. This are the groups and Institutions who will be joining us on the 22nd April 2012 in celebrating the Kibigori Chepswerta Peace Treaty along the Kalenjin, Luo and Luhya Border.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek’- President Barack Obama of the USA.
A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Odhiambo T Oketch is the immediate former Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He is also Chair to the Nyamonye Catholic Church Development Fund. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010 in partnership with KACC and he is the National Co-ordinator of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Kenya.
…….Moving From Talking to Tasking……