LEAFLETS WARNING THE LUOS TO LEAVE KERICHO REGION BEFORE CHRISTMAS WERE DROPPED ALONG THE TOWN’S MAIN R0AD ON SATURDAY MORNING
Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
Police in Kericho town are reported to be actively investigating the source and authors of leaflets, which were dropped in town over the weekend, warning members of the Luo community to leave the region before Christmas.
The undated and unsigned leaflets were dropped along the Kericho-Nakuru and Kericho-Kisumu Highway, starting from outside the main gate of the posh tea Hotel, up to the junction of James Finlay’s Tea Company, within the town.
Those responsible for dropping the leaflets appeared to have been using a motor vehicle, as some of the leaflets are bearing dirty tire marks.
These leaflets appeared to be targeting members of the Luo community working and doing business in the town. It reads as follows in English:
“Mary Christmas Our Brothers from the Lake”.
“Our staying together is being very limited, although we would have wished to be one. It is sad that we now wish you to leave. And thanks for the Prime Minister’s efforts to separate us.”…
“Siasa zake za uchochezi lazima zikome”, says one sentence in Kiswahili version of the seemingly well written leaflets.
The authors of the leaflets were roundly condemned by a section of Kericho politicians, led by Coun. Nicholas Tum, who alleged that he suspected the leaflets to be the work of the PNU agents and sympathizers. He urged the police to leave no stone unturned in their investigations, and to ensure that the authors of what he termed, “cowardice, seditious papers” are brought to book.
Kericho has a sizeable population of Luos. Most of them work as tea pickers for the two major multinational foreign owned tea companies. Others are jua kali artisans and mechanics in the town’s main garages, dress and shoe-makers operating on the verandas of shops in major town’s streets, masons and carpenters in the building industry. And they appeared to be getting on well with their host, the Kipsigis.
There are also a good number of hawkers of petty goods. Others are engaged by wealthy Kipsigis farmers and traders as laborers in their small scale tea farmer, which are spread in Bureti, Belgut, Konoin and Ainamoi constituencies.
There used to be thousands of Luos employed in the tea industry in Kericho and its environs, but their numbers dwindled to only paltry, following changes of work force in the tea estates and factories, and the introduction of robots, which also ushered in the mechanized teas picking system.
Coun Tum told the author of the leaflets to engage themselves on gainful occupations instead of intimidating the law abiding citizens of Kenya. He said the authors of the leaflets had criminal aims, and objective of dividing the ODM members, and weakening the party ahead of the 2012 general elections.
“We want our people to ignore these warnings and to go about their daily core in the real task of nation building. The ODM is the party, which is so popular in the South Rift and the leaflets are the work of the disgruntled elements”.
“There is no point in certain people singling out the Prime Minister Raila Odinga as individual. What is happening in Mau Forest eviction is a government policy and all those serving in the coalition government are collectively responsible”, Said Mr.Tum.
Coun Tum urged the Kalenjin MPs to preach peace and reconciliation, instead of being hardened like animals, and taken for a ride by those serving selfish interests, through their kind of political deceits.
The next general election is schedule for 2012 and there is plenty of time. When the time come, the ODM like any other party in this country would work for a possible realignment and new political dispensation.
At the same time, discontent is high in Kericho, after the weekend revelation by the government, that a good number of Kalenjin Mps owned land in Mau, even those who in the recent past, went public denying having any farm in the Mau Forest.
Mr Tum blamed some of the Kalenjin Mps, whom he accused for having misinterpreting the common proverbs used by Raila Odinga, the Prime Minister, at most of his public rallies, citing the incident of frogs in the waters drinking cattle, and coined their own poisonous propaganda, and concocted these proverb words to mean he {Raila}, had insulted the Kalenjin, likening those facing eviction from Mau Forest to the ”FROGs”in the rivers..
These cheap lies must come to an end, and the Kalenjin MPs must behave responsibly like leaders and they should guard against selling their community cheaply to the outsiders nursing presidential ambitions. This is not how to win the presidency.
All the future presidential aspirants must exercise some element of responsible and quality leadership meant to attract the voters, must desist from tarnishing the names of their possible opponents.
The coined propaganda words are being spread in the interior parts of Kipsigis region, where the Prime Minister has maintained almost 100 support of the public, and the ODM has the lead. It is all the succession war against the Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister has at no time abused the Kalenjin in general, the Mau Forest evictees in particular, therefore people must stop listening to these cheap propaganda aimed at tarnishing the name of the Prime Minister for selfish political ends”, said Coun Tum, adding that Raila Odinga is not at war with the community, but meant well for the region..
Coun Tum advised the Kipsigis community to ignore such propagandas. The Prime Minister has no war nor is he nursing any hate attitudes towards the community that voted for him in his presidential election in 2007 man to man. In fact Raila loves the Kipsigis and the entire Kalenjin people, except the few political enemies of the ODM who are allegedly being bankrolled by PNU agent and the advocates of the amorphous triple KKK{Kalenjin,Kikuyu and Kambas}, whose alleged main architect is the Vice President, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka.
”These people have been taking us for a ride, and yet they were only serving selfish interests. And no wonder, the names of the very persons who have repeatedly denied owning any piece of forest land have now been revealed and their true identities.
It is shameful, and bad politics for the Kalenjin community, because the activities of the selfish landlords, who have been vocal, insisting they were fighting for the landless member of the community, and yet they are fighting for their own economic interest. These are the same people who have come out in the open and told us how bad is Mr. Raila Odinga, because he is the one who is hell bent on chasing our people out of Mau. What a confusion?”, asked Mzee James Kenduiywo of Silibwet in Bomet district.
He however, came out in defense of the retired President Daniel Arap Moi, and appealed to the government to spare his important investment in the Mau Forest. “The tea estate and factory should be exempted from eviction as the industry has offered employment to hundreds of Kenyans from all tribes”, said Mr. Kenduiywo.
In the tribal clashes of the 1992 -1993, quite a good number of Luos living and working in the Kipsigis region were attacked, injured and even some of them killed. These attacks later spread into the full length of the Kalenjin-Luo borders. But in the 2008 post independence violence, the Kisiis and Kikuyus suffered a great deal, when their properties were torched, and some of them killed by the Kalenjin youths. This time around, the Luos, who are supporters of ODM were spared.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
Jothurwa, ung’won-na nikech ok adwar loso e wach madhi wacho ka kod dho ngere. Abiro loso kaka ja Kenya gi dho ngere e kinde machiegni ni nikech nitie weche mang’eny ma opong’o koro – thuolo ema osetama! Ka aduogo e oboke ma dirore ei kind miere mag onjelo, aneno ka jowa mang’eny kata joma otelo ma duondgi owinjo wuog oko oling’ mana thii! Joma wacho ni ka ang’ aloso to jomoko biro loka target margi – mago luoro mag ujinga. Piny nyaka rie kod paro kendo kod loso motegno.
ka apenjou kawuono joka Ramogi, Onjelo nyiso obedo kodwa osiep ma uneno harusi ma watimo kodgi mathiring’inyi. Ang’o kendo ma otimore ma bang’ ndalo adek to kendo wawinjo tulo owuok kuom joka Kiseru ni koro gin ema nyaka lonygi? watimo ang’o? Ere gima jotend Luo otimo ma ketho arus bang’ ndalo adek? Adwa nyisou kama joka Ramogi, Onjelo kata jo tok Kodera e oganda ma osenyiso ogandawa ni wanyalo riwo paro kendo watii kanyakla. Kaka telo marwa dhi nyime bwogo jo Kenya mang’eny.
Adieri ema nyaka wana rit godo piny ok, kuoth kata miriambo! Ka jotendwa dhi marach, ok owinjo uling’ nikech un bende telo manyime ok bi yie kodu. Wechr mag Mau oseketho arus mane waloso kod onjelo. Wach Mau ber to kaka nyicha itime ok ni kare. Joma miyo PM wach kata tene e weche ok osemiye tenruok ma kare. Raila en wuodwa kendo ka kama odhiye marach to un ema nyaka ukwere – ling’ kaka aneno joma ng’eny oling’ nyamo kambula ka dhok ni ok ber. Nyaka unyis Raila ni jatelo nyaka bed ma winjo kendo ruako pach joma moko. Kanitie jatelo moro amora e Kenya ma gombo bedo Okebe mar Piny Owacho, ok owinjo gol kode tulo nikech demokrasi oyie wachno.
Onjelo ema ne omiyo Raila gimoro amora omiyo en gima lit ka Raila odok ei lang’o ema orute ka sibuor to kuonde mane odage makata kiny pod odage, to orudhonegi ng’egi. Mano en siasa ma ok wayiego oganda Kiseru! Loso Mau okony piny ber mana kaka loso Nam marwa ma anyuongi otame ogandawa yudoe yor konyruok. Bende ng’ama chalo kaka Ker Moi mane otiyo higni mang’eny ma oweyo loch ma ok okelo koko, owinjo wene kore oyue mos (mano e luor ma nyaka mi jotelo tee mondo piny obed kod kwe!) nikech tuome kaka aneno item tuomeno nyalo dhi kelo koko. Ma bende ema omiyo joka Ramogi manie kindgi koro inyiso ni owuogi kapok oreso odonjo. Nyaka wang’e jothurwa ni siasa sache moko ka ok wagoyo kare to nyalo kelo chandruok kata ni jowa mang’eny. Pod aparo ja Karachuonyo mane bul joge tee Naivasha – ok wadwar gima kamano ni otimore ni ogandawa kendo!
Anto anyisou nyikwa Ramogi kod duol mayom kod paro matut ni, sacher ma Kibaki kod joge dhiro Raila ni, in ema igolnwa Moi – githuwowa kod Onjelo! Ma en gima Raila owinjo ong’i matut ahinya. Moi pod ni kod joge mang’eny mohere kata mana ei piny Kiseru. Sache ma idhi muko factory mare cha, donge jo Onjelo mang’eny ma uketo kendo e “Gonya”? Donge jo Kenya mang’eny ma oduogo e kwecho e sache ma tije oonge Kenya? Kik watim gik moko mag nyalo ng’ato, watim gima kata wan wawegi ka otimnua to wabiro wacho ni oluwore gi sheria. Chae ma moi opudho ok riemb koth, chae yua koth – mano ema omiyo Kericho koth goyo pile. Oonge ng’ama nyalo pudho chae ma ondiko oganda mang’eny nyaka nyikwa Ramogi kato keto yien mabiro kawo higni abiriyo ka dongo to gima okelo maloyo chae bende oonge. Ma ok ofulo ni akwero wach conservation, conservation ber kendo awinje matut; gima wadwaro ni time e yoo ma kare, bende kik time mana kanyachiel – okwak piny!
Aweu gi manokgi ni ka ujur mana gi iiu ma ok unyal golo pachu, to kata piny Kiseru oonge dongruok ma ubiro bedo godo kata matin. Wach uru awacha pachu kata ka rach bende nonyisu e yoo ma kare ni pachi no to ok wayie godo. Mak mana kik wanyis ranyisi mar telo manyalo miyo ogendni mang’eny luor telo mar onagi!
Dr. Otieno Mbare
THANKS Dr. Otieno Mbare,
Your advise is timely, but sad to say, many and probably none shall heed you! The PM would have been superb, if he would pay serious attention!
Even us who suport him, are finding it harder each day, to justify our unconditional support, leave alone defend all the utterings we hear over the public forums!
Myriads take every word he uses literally, and it would be prudent to choose the wording of his speeches. What would have been great was to find a home for those evictees, fast.
The PM. should realise Kibaki has Moi`s ear and so is Kibaki when it comes to Moi! The PM is being set to look bad and he is heading there fast!
The supporters are contributing to a greater extend, to the problems. Silence is the best. It would not make the Luo community look like they are celebrating the eviction!
Every one knows you support the PM! There is no need to scream it loud! What you are seeing and hearing from Kericho, is as a result of the postering going on. If your people are wise like you have stated, then they should know that people are watching you and want the Luos to fail!
Sadly Raila is the one carrying that on his shoulder. Every word from his mouth shall be put under great scrutiny! His actions, however noble shall be interpreted in as many ways as there are diverse Kenyans!
We, Luos and Kalenjin must stay as good neighbours, together we can change Kenya!
THE QUESTION IS,IS MAU EVICTION RAILA`S PERSONAL PROJECT OR A GOVERMENT POLICY?
WHAT I THINK IS THAT ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TALKING OF BLOOD OVER MAU ISUE SHOULD RECORD A STATEMENT WITH POLICE AT KERICHO, SINCE IT APPEARS AS IF THEY KNOW WHY AND HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN.
OCAMPO SHOULD GIVE KENYA THAT EXAMPLE HE TALKED OF
SO THAT WE COULD HAVE CONFIDENCE WITH OUR NATION (of course, no amount of leniency will help)
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO COMMISSIONED THE PROJECT! WHAT MATTERS IS THE FACE THAT THE MAU EVICTEES ARE SEEING-RAILA ODINGA’S!
ONLY A FOOL SHALL CLING TO THE NOTION OF, WHO, INITIATED THE EVICTION! AND THE ” NOT RAILA’S! ”
KIBAKI AND EVERY ONE HAS LEFT RAILA ALONE TO LOOK BAD! WHEN YOU WRITE THIS TYPE OF ARTICLES, YOU ARE NOT HELPING RAILA, AND NOR THE CAUSE OF KENYANS AS WHOLE!
WHAT RAILA NEEDS NOW ARE; SOUND ADVICE. HONEST TRUTHFUL AND IT SHOULD BE PEGGED ON THE GROUND MOOD. NOT IMAGINARY YEARNING!
RIGHT NOW ALL THE KALENJIN ARE THINKING THAT THEY ARE ON THE MAU HOMELESS SHACKS AS A RESULT OF ODINGA!
KENYA HAS NO GOVERNMENT, BUT A LOOSE MISFITS OF THIEVES ROBBING THE COUNTRY. THERE IS NO CLEAR DIRECTION TO TAKE KENYA TO. BUT THEY AR BONDED BY ONLY ONE THING; GRAB AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, TILL THEY ARE OUT!
RAILA HAS NO HOPE OF CHANGING ANYTHING,HE HAS A DEFEAT FACING HIM!
IT DOES NOT MATTER, WHETHER, IT IS RAILA’S PERSONAL PROJECT OR NOT.
EVERY ONE KNOWS WHOSE PROJECT IS IT. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING IS RAILA’S FACE! AND AS SUCH, IT HAS BECOME HIS PERSONAL PROJECT!
OF POLICE, I WOULD ONLY SAY FOOLISH IS ANY ONE, WHO RELIES ON POLICE FOR HIS SAFETY! WE SAW NAIVASHA, KISUMU AND ELDORET! EVEN IN KIBERA! WERE THERE NO POLICE THEN?
OCAMPO IS FAR REMOVED FROM KENYA AND THE UNITED NATIONS IS NOTHING. THE DRC SHOULD WARN US ABOUT WHAT CAN BEFALL ANY ONE WHO RELIES ON UN!
KENYA CAN BE KILLED BY ACTIONS OF ANY ONE TRIBE! WE MUST BE WISE!
MORE SO, IS, RAILA HIMSELF. TIME IS AGAINST HIM! CAN HE AFFORD TO WASTE THE BEST CHANCE?
KENYAN PEOPLE ARE ANGRY AND IDEAS OF PROSECUTIONS BY THE REMOTE CHARACTERS SUCH AS OCAMPO ARE, BUT JUST, IDEAS OF SURREAL, AND UN-COMPREHENSIBLE. WHAT THE EVICTEES ARE THINKING ARE SO FAR REMOVED FROM THE IMAGINARY CLIMATE TALKS!
YOU AND I CAN TRY TO IMPART REASON ON THEIR MINDS BUT WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEM AN IOTA!
MR. NYAGILO, TAKE A FACT FINDING MISSION INTO KALENJIN LAND AND TRY TO, LISTEN AND SEE FOR YOURSELF! WE VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY ODM, IN 2007! BUT NOW, I AM TERRIFIED TO MENTION RAILA OR ODM! EVEN IN MY OWN HOME I CAN NOT!
ONLY HEAVEN’S ACT SHALL SAVE THE ODM AND RAILA, IF THERE IS SUCH A PLACE! MANY ARE NOW COLD WITHDRAWN AND VERY FURIOUS!
BUT YOU PEOPLE HAVE CHOICE, LISTEN AND ARREST THE WORSENING SITUATION. OR IGNORE IT! THE 2012 IS SOON UPON US AND THE DAY OF RECKONING!
LIKE, AN AWK, KALONZO IS PLANNING AND SO IS UHURU, KIBAKI AND MOI-WITH RUTO! WHAT WILL RAILA ACCOMPLISH WITH THE DIVIDED LUYIA VOTES AND LUO VOTES ONLY?
DR.KYPRONOH RUTTOH
Dr. Kiprono Ruttoh
Brother how is the going up there. Siasa ya Kenya is just but that duara. We are fond of going back to where we began. It is a bad political culture that is taking us back to the dark days. How can this bad political culture of man eat man society be eliminated? The masses have the power ,that they cannot exercise given the height of poverty.thus the MIS-USE by the politicians blessed with PESA YA CHAI au VITU VIDOGO . The Political Elite do not need much to keep on arm twisting their tribesmen hence sway their little power making it difficult for anyone to change their destiny. It will take more than a miracle to make things work for a majority of Kenyans/Africans