From: NDALAT MOSOP
Nov 17, 2009 at 11:50 AM
What is taking place in Mau? Why are the Kalenjin community persecuted?
After 2002, the Kalenjin were thrown out of their jobs, then again, the
first evictions, of 2005. Let all note that the same person, the Hon.Raila Odinga was responsible, both times.
We all know how he feels about Mr. Moi, detaining him and all that!. We
understand he wants to revenge!. But should he punish all the community? We never asked to be Kalenjin, we were born into it, and let it be known we are proud of it and that we shall be Kalenjin first, and Kenyans after!
We are told our people are evicted then we shall be allowed to come back later to harvest our crops. Who is this mad man coming up with such ridiculous reasoning? Are you going to pay for the transport to and fro?
We have lived in peace with all communities and we even gave our land away hoping to please and in the spirit of brother hood, what have we got now in return? I come from Ndalat-Sugoi the heartland of Nandi, but we live with all the tribes, who have taken over our land, are we still to let them live among us when we are haunted from every part we have tried to live in Kenya?
Mr. N. Wekesa-the minister talks casually in contemptuous manner, Let them go back to where they came from, where did they come from Mr. Minister? First, those citizens have not robbed any one, and they are not like you who rides on the backs of people, greedily taking their money.
We gave the Prime Minister, our votes 2007, and he has turned back and bite us like a viper, why this betrayal?
This is a call to all my people-the Kalenjin, 2012 is coming soon, are we
going to repeat the same mistake? When this man is not even at the helm, he has courage to show us this side, what would it be like when he sits on the seat of power!
We were at least respected from being robbed all that we had acquired, when Kenyatta was there. Let us examine where we went astray. We should look again at other options come 2012! Raila should not be part of it.
We should never let any one take our land for free without compensation. We should realise that there is a concerted effort to impoverish us. It includes robbing us all our lands. The only asset that we possess.
Where are [ all ] the Kalenjin MPs. Why don’t we hear them fighting for
our cause! We are being robbed and thrown into the street yet they are silent? Learn from the Rwandese Hutus. When they fled to Zaire, they were all lumped as murderers. And their remnant survivors, are now being executed at the rate of 1500 a day. By the Congolese army and the Tutsi rebels operating in the Eastern part of Congo.
No help from the United Nations. The Congolese government sold them to Kagame, Rwandese President, in exchange for Laurent Ng’unta, the renegade rebel commander. Rwanda arrested him, and the Tutsi- Rwandese were allowed to go to Congo to kill the Hutu survivors. This could easily be the fate of the Kalenjin. The Tutsi population are on a revenge and meting out a punitive punishment. They intend to Kill as many as they can, of the Hutus so that they can reduce, and equalize their numbers. The left land shall be then taken over by the Tutsi. You can not hear about the plight of the Hutus who fled to Congo in 1994. The same is planned for our people!
Who caused 2007 election chaos? We hear today, about Eldoret North MP. He is accused of incitement, and planning the violence! Who asked the people to get out into the streets to resist? Was it not Raila himself? Who stole the elections, was it not Kibaki? Why don’t we hear those names? Mr. Prime Minister goes around talking about handing over people, [ suspects ] to Moreno Ocampo, is he indenting to include himself and Mr. Kibaki?
Ndalat Mosop
Ndalat Mosop,
Raila has not betrayed the Kalenjin. It will not happen. Let us not talk of Hutu/Tutsi. We shed blood and rheum, but not like Rwanda and NEVER AGAIN. It is hard for you to see it now. Hang in there. Your laugh will last the longest, though mine will be the loudest. Return your bow and arrow. Do not get incited by the likes of Barack Abonyo. These are cannan days are here, your God is still Yahweh. Cry not. He cannot leave you to die in the wilderness.
Joragem.
Mosop,
Yours is a generalised urgument,you havejust picked IT from what you have heard from you tribal mps,shouting from the rooftops about kalenjins being targeted and being eliminated.Have heard you asking about the whereabouts of your waheshimiwas who only appear on tvs pouring vitriol but doing nothing about it.Why dont you ask them first to assist instead of asking and insulting Raila on TV.
When they told those people to come and destroy the forest,didnt they not think that one time a backlash will hit them back?.
Just because William is gunning for the top sit after failing to get nominated in 2007 does not mean he looks for cheap publicity by displaying water soaked people so as to gain political mileage.
This time round this theatrics and talks of intimidation just because Riftvalley has majority voters might not wash.And by the way majority of the folks are ODM DAMU.
We all sympathize with the evictees but our brothers need to mature up. Tribalizing issues shall never take Kenya anywhere. Every Kenyan should be educated and prevented from engaging in provocative and war like activities.
In Rongo, over a trivial issue of somebody being buried in his land against the wishes of Trans Mara Maasais, the Maasais took that as a provocation to torch houses belonging to Luos.
MPs, Civic leaders, Churches, Civil society and professionals should educate people that incitemennt is like fire begetting fire.
When a brother talks as if it is Raila and Wekesa are the ones who dished out gazzeted forest land to the evictees, we are left wondering. When a learned fellow who can use modern technology to communicate is reducing the entire government to Raila and Wekesa.
Hon. Wekesa and Right Hon. Raila are not acting in their individual capacity but as members of the Government of Kenya which has a burden of restoring natural resorces.
The likes of Mosop should know that the vote of any single Kenyan is not that cheap. Let them not cheat our brothers into making cheap the power of their votes. That is tantamount to telling people to sell their birth right.
MOSOP
May i remaind you that MAU must be preserved,there is not revenge here.Do not play cheap politics on this matter.Do not narrow your mind on your tribe,think of Kenya and what MAU means for Kenya.
Mosop,
Am sure you know who took Kalenjin land, when and why. It wasn’t Raila. Do you know why I think Raila is a genuine leader with purely nationalistic intentions in his deeds? It’s because if he didn’t have the resolve to right the wrongs of this country he would simply play cool with the Mau issue and let it pass so that he can get the votes come 2012. Instead he has chosen to face it head-on despite the ever nearing polls. Surely the guy is made of the stuff that is required of leadership in this century.
Be kind to the man with your comments for in him lies the fire that will burn the trash and light up the way to steer this country into the land that the other ogres have conveniently prevented us from reaching with their ‘kaa vivyo hivyo’ and ‘mavi ya kuku’ philosophies.
Kasembo
I hope you Kenyans will spent energy to read “Draft Constitution” to help you solve some of these tribal victimization politics of Mau and others problems in this country!!!
It doesn’t matter whether we want to protect the Mau or not. What matters is the sanctity of human life. These are people who have been misplaced because of the bad politics that we have in our country started by the late Kenyatta, perfected by Kibaki’s predecessor; president Daniel Moi.
It’s good to conserve our environment but when our people are left languishing in poor shelter after the displacement is a sad reminder of the horrors of early 2008.
Do we real have a government? They promised an orderly relocation with compensation and alternative residence for the Mau settlers but what we are seeing is t a reversal of earlier promises.
It’s tragic that our leaders have taken the Mau saga and are now using it as a tool to settle political scores. They must understand that this is not a succession issue but a humanitarian one because it’s affecting the lives of thousands of innocent Kenyans who need direction from the government that they voted for.
I want to remind Ruto, Raila, Kibaki and their groups that 99.9% of Kenyans wants the Mau reclaimed and protected but the people who have been living there must be accorded human dignity through proper resettlement. In fact, to most of them, this is not a problem of their own making but an orchestration of greed in our national politic.
Lister Nyaringo
Sorry James but i think sm’ pple’ need to read this twice to understand
James Nduko
Nov 18th, 2009 at 12:03 am
Ndugu Barack:
There is a bigger story about Mau Forest and a lot has been documented about it. Except for members of the Ogiek community who and indigenes of the forest, hence having the right to live and co-exist with the forest, with their deep and extremely developed forest management systems only comparable to the Loita Maasai of South Narok, there are thousands of illegal settlers that must be moved out.
When I was arrested and detained back in 2000 with 10 other human rights activists over our advocacy for the rights of the Ogiek not to be evicted from the forest, we stumbled on disturbing facts that have eversince been publicized through court cases litigated by the Ogiek, researches by Ogiek peoples organizations and land rights NGOs. Facts such as:
* the real encroachers and destroyers of the Mau water Tower are retired president Moi and his gang of theives, including loud mouths like Zakayo Cheruiyot (who is believed to be hiding Felicen Kabuga in Kenya, sometimes at his Mau Forest palace cum fortress) , Franklin Bett, Paul Sang (ex-CID boss – also believed to have played a lead role in covering Kabuga using state resources when he was a top cop), Mwaita (an ODM MP), Gideon Moi, George Saitoti, the late thug Kipkalya Kones- and many other thugs serving Moi and now serving Kibaki and Raila. Combined, these goons cleared, perhaps more than 50,000 ha. of forest land in the Mau;
* then they played the ethnic mischief of literally ‘importing’ poor and not so poor families of political surrogates and sycophants, mainly from Kericho, Boment and Baringo and freely/illegally allocated them land in Mau forest – registering them as Ogiek, and hence obfuscating legitimate Ogiek land rights claims and protection against eviction and destruction of their ecosystem. History actually witnesses that while Moi and co. were grabbing Mau Forest, they simultaneously heightened rhetoric that the Ogiek, who have lived in the forest, probably since creation, were encroachers and they invoked the Forest Act to subject them to decades of abuse and destruction of their livelihoods! State machinery was used to evict the Ogiek as well as bring in and allocate land to surrogates of the then ruling Kalenjin Mafia, mainly from Kericho and Bomet in the forest. The real reason for importing people and baptizing them Ogiek was to secure ground to play the ethnic card in future contestations, like are happening now, with the ruse crap that ‘their’ our community is being targeted by whoever attempts to clear the mess they created.
We must make distinctions when it comes to Mau Forest and get angry when public opinion is manipulated (by politicians, the media as well as middle-class commentators who do not take time to check on facts before erupting) away from focusing on the real culprits in the Mau saga.
I sympathize with the people who were imported and allocated land illegally. They probably thought their thug-leaders were being kind and considerate – but talking to many of them, you also get to know that they have land back home in Bomet, Kericho and Baringo, and so they are not desperate per se, but caught up in the national psyche of primitive accumulation of property and things, just like many of us are anyway. They are victims of a con-game, a pyramid scheme kind of thing, where their tribal kingpins are the real beneficiaries. But this does not mean that their being moved out of Mau should be done in an inhumane manner like is probably happening. But they should also see themselves as having the obligation to speak truthfully and secure appropriate assistance for safe repatriation to their abandoned lands back home where they were plucked and conned into illegally settling in Mau.
I think our focus and anger now should be around the possibility that the big shots will be spared because they can negotiate for arse-saving guarantees from the equally thuggish status quo. It is possible that the big fish will be spared, in the name of the contribution, of say, Moi’s tea factory to job creation and hence the country’s economy, or the dairy and wheat farms, etc. Will crap like this be put aside and have all encroachers punished, even have their property seized and channeled for the restoration of the forest? Will those who have committed environmental crimes, like illegal logging and trafficking in the Mau forest biodiversity be prosecuted and punished?
And how can we all stand up and demand that the rights of real Ogieks are promoted, protected and fulfilled by the state? And this community has a well documented history that makes them know who is Ogiek and who is not! In fact they have a problem with being blanketly categorised as Kalenjins as that categorization has been used by powerful Kalenjin thugs to dehumanize them.
Overally, the clean up that Kenya needs is huge and complex. I do not expect that it will always be a clean and neat affair- so much has gone wrong since independence and righting all that’s wrong is not easy at all, for anyone. But our main problem is that everything that gets done – both in action and analysis seems to automatically be pitched on ethnopolitical formulas, which conceal the real problem: political corruption, patronage and impunity enjoyed by the likes of the Members of Parliament we saw shedding in Mau last weekend.
My take:
* let’s have the rich thugs who have destroyed the mighty Mau evicted and punished;
* let the state repatriate the conned political surrogates and relatives of the rich Mau thugs and ensure their current crop does not go to waste until harvested, and that they pick up their new life back in Kericho, Baringo and Bomet in dignity;
* let the state curve out from the huge tracts of land, grabbed and owned by the Mois, Kenyattas, Nyachaes and others from the thug-class around Nakuru, Rongai and Molo to resettle genuine Mau squatters because there are a few in all this melee;
* Let parliament pass a special law that grants the Ogiek community their rights as indigenous of Mau forest and decree measures to ensure state investment, in partnership with them, in all areas needed to permanently guarantee them equal rights like citizens of Kenya.
Emotions aside: Mau Forest and other water towers MUST be protected.
Nduko
Dear Mosop.
It is surprising that short sight and selfishness continue to dominate our reasoning, First lets put politics aside, and address the Mau issue, and its importance on the lives of those leaving around it. Look at the surrounding Districts,these are Kericho, Bureti,Bomet Narok, Molo,Kipkelion,Nakuru,etc. these are agricultural areas, and lives of more than 2 million Majority of them Kalenjins (Kipsigis) living in these districts depend on Tea which is the main cash crop in these area.
I’m sure from your std one until this time , at least once , you were taught about forest and and how it affects the rain pattern on the areas surrounding it. I also believe that, if you were asked a question concerning it , in any level of examination you have so far passed through ,you would have answered it precisely and correctly for you to pass that kind of examination. and for sure you would have said that ,that paper was very easy assuming it was the only question.
Taking into account the No. of people who depend on this forest, statistically after 20 years this number will have multiplied lets say five times, then we are talking of more than 10 million people.(IN THE MENTIONED DISTRICTS ONLY). Lets assume that the people currently living in the forest are allowed to continue destroying this forest for the above mentioned period of time. From your class lesson on this subject, I don’t think I need to tell you the repercussions. It is obvious you know it. actually the tea that people living on the surrounding area depend on will dry up, Lake victoria, lake Nakuru etc will dry up, Sondu Miriu Power plant will become a white elephant project, Wild beasts crossing the mara river and its world wonder will cease to exist, just to mention a few, as the list is too long. The worst of all is self destruction, of community destroying its own people which Raila is trying to save. You will ask HOW?
Lets bring now the issue of Hutu/Tutsi .A small number of people living in Mau Forest. can course damage on the forest, which its effect climatically can be more disastrous and can claim death of more people than that of Rwanda. Worst of it all is that The killings of Rwanda was stopped, but this one would be irreparable. Where would you get water to water the trees planted in a desert?
Politics aside, don’t destroy the majority of your community. Think of your children and grand children.
Ogutu
KERICHO
People who have been CHASED OUT OF TINET FOREST ”MAU”were there before Jaramogi was born. The kalenjin community have really suffer in the Raila’s era. Kalenjin have been victims of injustices, and tribal leader Raila, is now playing with lives of the people. We voted for you, but forget any votes in the rift valley.
Raila is practicing nepotism,tribal politics. No one will ever stand in another party in the name of winning the election in luo land.
The other time, he was in Chepalungu, involving in cheap politics, electing village elder . He is drunk with much power. If it was all upto him, the kalenjins existance is at risk.
Raila should think twice before playing childish politics. When kalenjin were busy protecting their environment, luos were busy destroying their’s. Now they are the ones who are so vocal, supporting their dictator to uprooting the kipsigis community in the name of protecting the enviroment.
Lets call a spade a spade, wacha upusi na ujinga, we are Kipsigis, we hate you like hell
Mosop,
Thanks for calling a spade a spade. There is more revenge in the Mau issue than there is the need to conserve the environment.
The threat of the encroachment of the Mau forest to the livelihoods of so many people, including the powerful Egyptians is real. But the real issue lies with the way the evictions are handled. The people are made so much vulnerable to develop hatred and resistance, and for real if this happens, then we are going to have another mt. Elgon scenario.
A quick search on the internet on comments on Mau evictions will tell you that even many Kenyans believe that the Mau issue is political. Many who give comments say that it serves the Kalenjin right to be thrown from Mau because they threw others out in 2007: this confirms that the issue is basically political, secondly environmental.
A competent government will carry out its policies in a very organised manner. But what we have currently is a guerrilla sort of evictions, not different from the janjaweed in Darfur or the Congo rebels or even the perpetrators of post election violence. The results is the same- citizens made homeless and poorer.
And by the way, Mau is not the only threatened Kenyan forest. What happened to Karura forest, Kakamega and even mt Kenya? ARE THEY NOT ENCROACHED? PLizz we Are watching……
And for those Kenyans who are supporting the evictions as justified, you better know that today this guerrilla sort of policies are affecting “wakalee”, tomorrow it will be you and your tribe.
Yes Moi was ours, and also a president of Kenya, but this should not be reason for anybody to justify their discriminative approach to Kalenjins.
But to be honest, we dont shy away from any threat to our existence, WE WILL FACE IT HEAD ON. After all, there is a price to pay for everything in life.
Bw Ndalat, your piece of writing is not worth the forum it’s shared on. It’s cheap talk shared at shopping centres when idling and talking to less informed villagers. You appear to be so obsessed with the so called Kalenjin land. There are Kalenjins outside Rift Valley as well, remember some are in Gwassi, Nyanza Province.
In the new constitutional dispensation, individuals (not Kalenjins) with questionable past will not hold public offices. Remember, Uhuru Kenyatta was supported by Kalenjin (almost 100%) in 2002 but could not make it. The candidate, Kibaki, voted in by Kenyans (not a tribe) won. These blackmails from your likes don’t work anymore; they are simply boring rhymes.
Think Kenyan, Think Big!