from: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

George from Bumala, Kenya, writes: Father Beste I read your article about coup attempt in South Sudan and compare it with current wrangles between URP and TNA on job sharing on key positions.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter Wednesday claimed President Kenyatta’s visit to the Rift Valley achieved nothing because the President failed to explain the alleged biased appointments in government as demanded by URP.

He cited the appointments of Mr Joseph Kinyua as the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Mr John Mututho as Nacada chairman, Mr Joseph Kaguthi as chairman of the Committee on Nyumba Kumi, Mr Lee Kinyanjui as Kenya Road Safety Authority chairman and Mr Njee Muturi as Solicitor General as some of the appointments URP members were unhappy about.

The URP legislators are also accusing Uhuru for not only favoring his tribesmen on sh1.2 trillion launch of standard gauge railway to connect Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, but also want the sh1.2 trillion project to be renegotiated before it kicks off.

URP legislators are claiming that Kenyans stand to lose a whooping sh400 billion in the railway deal if the current arrangement is not changed’, accusing powerful men around President Kenyatta of being behind the scheme to swindle Kenyans by inflating the cost from $2 million per kilometer to $6m per kilometer.

The URP legislator also accused Uhuru’s TNA of taking advantage of Ruto absence to seal big deals without consulting URP, an sentiments echoed by Bomet East MP Bernard Bett who said there was a group of corrupt officials in Government who were seeking to enrich themselves through irregular tendering processes.

My question Father Beste, don’t you think if things continue this way in Kenya it will be like South Sudan where Riek Machar attempted to overthrow the government of Salva Kiir because he only favours his Dinka tribesmen on job sharing between Dina and Machar’s Nuer tribesmen?”

Dennis from Nairobi writes: “Father Beste I have a quarrel with the people who gave SS only 5 years then they would be allowed referendum for self determination, Kalonzo Musyoka takes pride in Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 5 years was not sufficient at all for such a state emerging from years of war and neglect.

There were no qualified personnel, no systems for accountability in place after those first 5 years. I worked there relocating Save US offices from Nairobi to Juba, and once went to pay for work permits, I was to pay 1,000 USD and instead of getting an official receipt, the guy gave me back 200 USD, as part of my cut but I refused to badge and insisted on something to show that I had paid signed and stamped as for sure they at times run out of receipt books.

To tell it all the corruption ends up in Kampala and Nairobi, every Friday flights to the 2 capitals are full not with Ugandans or Kenyans but with South Sudanese going to visit their families, and carrying with them huge sums of money, that is invested in the 2 cities not Juba so it is not a wonder when you talk of hard currencies not being available as it is carried out. Many of the top officials still have their families in the 2 cities and one thing I must say is that they learnt and perfected in the art of corruption in those 2 cities.

You will agree with me that the 2 countries are well know for corruption, in fact at one time a traffic police officer in Juba stopped us and when he realized we were Kenyans he simply said CHAI, and when we asked what for he told us he trained in Kenya and we know what it means and if we don’t comply he will find fault with the vehicle and take us to the police station.

I wonder whether Kiir himself is keen on fighting corruption, it is mere rhetoric. That country and its hard headed people need divine intervention, and I am sorry to say that Dinkas are the grabbers in SS asking where the rest were when they were fighting.

It is difficult to control that country as it is vast and with poor communication infra structure, and war like people, why war like even in the street of Juba when cars collide it is not strange to see occupants come out and instead of talking to sort out the problem, start exchanging blows even without muttering any words”.

George I don’t think the wrangles between URP and TNA job sharing in government key position can be compared to that of Dinka and Nuer in South Sudan. What is likely to happen if Uhuru does not change his style of allocating jobs to 50-50 percent as agreed between Kalenjins and GEMA is that next elections the Kalenjins may refuse to support him.

Tension in South Sudan can be compared to Francis Imbuga’s Betrayal in the City play book where critics of the government are not tolerated. They are put into prison over false charges.

South Sudan is where Government officials are freely making use of any opportunity to make money through unfair means. It is the character of Tumbo where for instance he declares Jusper the winner of the play writing competition and awards him the winner’s prize money.

What is currently taking place in South Sudan is compared to one third of the six hundred pounds to finance the play writing competition given to Jusper and his girl friend, Regina; and the remaining two thirds to put records straight emphasizing that everything is being done in strict confidence.

It is the country where revenge is the order of the day, where people are falsely accused in order to be favored. Where Boss’ trust of those who advise him especially like Mulili character in the play making him give unbearable directives to silence those presumably against his government including the simple old couple who were innocent.

When the play begins, Adika, a university student, has just been buried. He was killed by police during a student demonstration. His brother Jusper, who feigns madness, kills the local chief in retaliation and in counter-retaliation, his parents Doga and Nina are killed. Meanwhile, the lecturer Mosese languishes in jail.

This is what is taking place in South Sudan currently. Soldiers fire indiscriminately in highly populated areas and targeted people for their ethnicity during recent fighting in Juba.

The fighting followed deepening tensions between President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and the former vice president, Riek Machar, a Nuer. Government soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and police questioned residents about their ethnicity and deliberately shot ethnic Nuer.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.comFacebook-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