IMPERIALISM AND ICC DEBATE THAT NEVER WAS

From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

President Kenyatta used Mashujaa Day celebrations in Nairobi to hit out strongly at Western nations over the International Criminal Court indictments with his deputy, Mr William Ruto delivering a similar message at a gathering with Kenyans in Brussels, Belgium, where Kenyans in Europe met to mark the national holiday.

Mr Kenyatta called on Kenyans to reject all forms of domination and manipulation by foreign forces. If Uhuru was very serious then he should be the first to reject imperialist judge who represents him at The Hague.

It means that we cannot trust our own that is why his deputy Ruto has also opted for imperialist judge. That is why even in football we cannot trust our own coach but imperialist. Imperialists still have a big role to play in Kenya.

This is not to forget that even after independence Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was still the champion of western imperialism. It is his leadership that deflated the Mau Mau vision of ‘land and freedom’ when upon taking over power he changed, and like imperialists he grabbed the land.

That is why since 1963 Kenya has remained a neo-colony. Kenyan economy, from the agricultural, industrial to the service sectors, is more than seventy percent controlled by foreign capital. You cannot determine the price of your own Tea, Coffee name them, unless it is done by imperialist.

That is why peasant farmers in Migori and Meru, still grow tobacco that is owned by BAT and peasant tea and coffee farmers in Murang’a, Kisii, Meru or Mogogosiek produce tea for export with less than ten percent being sold at factory gates. We produce for Europe and consume from Europe and now China.

Our cases are to be heard by imperialists because of impunity which has in fact fuelled deep inequalities in Kenya. Inequalities, impunity and institutional capture of the state is what produces resentment and intolerance that is at the heart of the many conflicts and hate that is rife in Kenya today. It is the cause of tribalism and nepotism, so the abuse of power.

Even civil society in Kenya like the one I worked for the last 13 years cannot do without imperialists. Without their money you cannot walk on the street or carry pigs to the parliament buildings.

Should they stop their money FIDA will close its door the following day, so do other organizations which solely depend on imperialists for their movements and salaries. In other words, if Kenya was truly independent then it is first to pull out from NGOs as agents of imperialism.

Surprisingly, imperialism did not cause as much violence in Kenya as it is today. Kenya still has a lot of poverty as a result. When Westgate terror attack demolished this false sense of security in the country, imperialists had to come in.

It explains why the terrorists who lay siege on Westgate took advantage of the fact that the Kenyan state has been captured by liars, thieves, murderers, money launderers and druglords.

But even to pull out from Rome Statue Kenya is still to rely on imperialists. That is why the President dispatched Cabinet secretaries Amina Mohamed (Foreign Affairs), Najib Balala (Mining) and Fred Matiang’i (Information) to the Czech Republic, China and Russia respectively to lobby members of the UN Security Council who have veto powers to consider Kenya’s cases positively and defer his case.

The three Cabinet secretaries were sent on the diplomatic mission a few days after a special AU Summit in Ethiopia called on the UN Security Council to defer Mr Kenyatta’s trial.

Although the Council is expected to sit before his case opens on November 12, they have already hinted that this is not going to be possible because criminality does not favour anyone, whether you are the present or not.

It is again why Uhuru is in dilemma whether to attend the ICC cases even after the AU leaders have categorically asked him not to attend the case if the Council would not have given a position on the Kenya trials before November 12.

Yet still, after independence corruption is till rampant in Kenya. There is still bad governance, lack of political will, tribalism, faviouritism, nepotism and cronyism, weak or absence of management systems.

Misuse of discretionary power vested I individuals or offices, lack of professional integrity, lack of transparency and accountability, inefficient public sector and greed- Poor infrastructure, and increased cost of goods and services.

Shoddy work and stalled projects, poor medial services (e.g. lack of medicine and doctors), beds, running water, food- Unemployment, rise in crime rate and insecurity, delay denial and sale of justice in our public land, property and utilities.

Yet again, Kenya’s old guard associated with the culture of impunity continues to resist fundamental change in Kenya. This has hindered the efforts of reform. This is because most of the political and economic elite compose the vested interests that benefit from and support impunity and the lack of accountability with respect to governance, state resources, and the rule of law.

Against the background that bringing about implementation of the reform agenda poses a large challenge because doing so threatens the culture of impunity and the entrenched political class that has existed in Kenya since independence.

Those associated with the culture of impunity are working hard to limit the impact of steps taken so that they do not lead to truly fundamental reform that would threaten vested interests.

It will not be correct therefore to blame the colonial government that they stole the Kenyan people’s land, starved them and then blamed them for not feeding their children properly. Instead we should blame ourselves.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ
UN Disarmament
Conference, 2002

One thought on “IMPERIALISM AND ICC DEBATE THAT NEVER WAS

  1. bazil nyagilo

    I strongly believe that interdependency has ever been there ever since time immemorial so if one wants to tell us that your neighbor can not come in when you have a dispute with your brother then he or she has a sinister motive. and that should be condemned with the whole world. one come to enjoy rights since conception and also there in exemption or immunity concerning rights.

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