Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo
READING about who is who among the leading political personalities and UDF supporters who converged at the party’s delegates conference in Nairobi and endorsed the Hon. W Musalia Mudavadi as the party’s flag-bearers in the 2013 presidential race, I am not amused in saying that this purely a Neo-KADU.
Those who have lived in this country long enough like myself, especially during the colonial area and the pre-independence days politics of the late 1950s and early 1960s will agree with me in principles that the UDF is a replica of the defunct Kenya African Democratic Union {KADU].
The UDF has truly balkanized all the Kenya tribes and communities which had supported KADU and collaborated well with the white settlers in a conspiracy to cause the delays in the attainment of Kenya’s political independence, which eventually was ushered in by KANU in 1963.
In the forefront of KADU were the late Ronald Gideon Ngala a Griama from the Coast Province, Henry Masinde Muliro a Bukusu from Western Province, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi a from Tugen sub-tribe of the larger Kalenjin ethnic groups and Taaitta Araap Towett, a diminutive Kipsigis politician from the South Rift.
The UDF is therefore a true replica of the defunct KADU because it has amalgamated of Kenya’s tribes and communities which had a very negative attitudes toward the politics of true nationalism and patriotism. These communities have gone down in the history of Kenya as those who had collaborated well with the die-hard white settlers and colonialists, which were vehemently opposed to the country’s liberation and the struggle for independence.
The communities which I mentioned above had ganged up with the white settlers who were heavily funding KADU with intention, aims and objectives of delaying the Kenya’s political independence under the pretext that they were representing the marginalized minority groups.
They were the blue-eyed boy of the white settlers and colonialists who had hatched a secret plan to make Kenya a dominion country under the British Empire like Southern Rhodesia, New Zealand,Canada,Australia, and the defunct Central African Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland then under the white settlers Prime Minister Sir Roy Welensky.
Kenya was then viewed as a Whiteman’s country and its fertile highlands christened The White-Highland. The collaborating KADU politicians dined and whined in high places and five star hotels in Nairobi with the white supremacists, led by the late Group Captain L.R. Briggs of the whites only United Kenya party, the late Sir Michael Blundell of the multiracial Kenya National Party, which was later late transformed into the New Kenya Party.
The conspiracy against nationalism began in earnest immediately after the British Colonial Office in London lifted the state of emergency and lifted the restriction on the formation of the countrywide Africans political movement. Hitherto Africans were only allowed to form district political associations. But immediately after the first round table constitutional conference, which was held in the Lancaster House in London from Fabruary 1960 to April the same year.
This saw the birth of the Kenya African National Union [KANU} AT Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu on June 30th 1960. Ngala, Moi, Muliro were conspicuously missing at the meeting that witnessed the formation of KANU in Kiambu. However, Taaita Arrap Towett was present, though he was roughed by KANU youths.
But within two weeks thereafter, the three Ngala Muliro, Moi and Towett with the help of the colonial administration and white settlers brought together the Maasai United Front then led by David Lemomo, The Towettled Kalenjin political Alliance led by Taaitta Toweett, Mombasa African Democratic Union [MADU] led by F.J.Khamisi, Coast African People Union [CAPU] led by one D.N.Korokoro and Msanifu Kombo and other Coastal politicians like Apollo Kilelu, S.Roggers Msechu
And that came the birth of KADU.Ngala Muliro and Moi declined the position offered them in KANU during the party’s inception at Kiambu.But readily accepted the positions allocated to them in KADU.
This is exactly how Mudavadi, Eugene Wamalwa, Gideon Moi,Nick Salat and others have been behaving since the clamor for the formation of political alliances
The only Rift Valley politicians who stood firm and remained steadfastly with other early nationalists were Danile Moss of the Mount Elgon District Congress and John Marie Seroney.
The late James Samuel Gichuru was made the first President of KANU on interim capacity while awaiting for the release of the late Jomo Kenyatta from the colonial detention and restriction camps in the northern
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was made the vice president of KANU while Tom Mboya was named the party’s secretary general. The trio had the backing of other true nationalists like Julius Gikonyo, Kiano,
Dr Mungai Njoroge,Josef Stanley Mathenge, Eric Edward Khasakhala, J.D.Otiende,Mohinga Chokwe, Eliud Ngala Mwendwa, Mister Mister Arap Korir, Christopher Kiprotich Arap Murei,William Mbolu Malu,George Nthenge F.J Mukeka and others.John Kebaso, Washington Ondicho, Lawrence George Sagini,James Nyamweya and others who stood firm and steadfast with KANU and flatly refused to be manipulated by the colonialists and white settlers.
The coming weeks will certainly rove the like of Wamalwa, Mudavadi, Khalwalewrong when Kenyans would be deciding as to which group is best suited tor the Amani Group, Jubilee or CORD. However, all the indications are that CORD would overcome the two other groups which are full of masters of political deceits. I am really sorry and sympathized with Musalia Muadavadi and wondered why should the son of my old friend the King of MululuMoses Sabstian Budamba Mudavadi should be prone to political conmen and miss the boat once again as he missed in 2002.
In this context, I am not ashamed to say that politics of tribal balkanization has no room in the modern day Kenya. Therefore the time for reflection will come soon and those who are there simply to protect their status quo and stood on the way of political reforms in this country will be taught a good lesson that they will live to regret for the rest of their lifetime.
I also beg to request the Hon Najib Balala the Mviuta Mp to correct a statement which he uttered during the TNA/URP alliance rally at the Tononoka ground in Mombasa recently touching on the horny issue of land redistribution at the coast and redress against the injustices committed against the coastal communities over their ancestral land.
Could Hon Balala be more specific and honest to tell us who owns the Taita Concessions Limited, the TaitaSisal Estate,at Mwatate which is measuring close to 36,000 hectares of land. How about rhe Ziwani Sisal Estate in the neighborhood near Mwakitau,
How about the ownership of \Jipe Sisal Estate, Taveta Sisal Estate and 0ther prime land at the coast. It is high time those defending impunity be told in a clear cut-sort of terms that Kenyans are tired of leaders whose families are associated with land grabbing.
Ends