Hello Friends,
Every so often I get asked what the roles of Kenya’s middle class and Diaspora were during the unfortunate post-election crisis of December. I try to answer that here http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/blog/2008/04/kenya_the_onlin.html
Please take a look and let me know what you think.
Be good,
—
Edwin O. Okong’o,
Master of Journalism, UC Berkeley, ’07
Editor, Mshale Newspaper,
2110 Nicollet Ave, Suite L04,
Minneapolis, MN 55404 612-871-9518 x218
www.mshale.com
www.okongospolicy.com
– – –
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:36:18 +0700
From: Edwin Okong’o
Subject: Kenya: The Online Tribal Wars
I think most of the hate mails were being posted by some youth who had no sense at all of what’s going on. I have been with Mashada since 2001 but I usually avoid going to general discussion and politics cause it usually leaves me emotionally sick.
The so called online war. is something healthy and far much better than war with spears and arrows. The online war is basically intellectual debate on how our communities can succeed despite the day- to -day challenges. The use of the word war is far fetched, in my opinion what is going on is a intertribal competition. Which is healthy in real sense. Keep it up, jonam wetena. Thanks.
These online sites are modern grandfathers narrating to our communities the stories of our past and the strategies aimed at making the community’s future secure. When i sit by my Desk top, i imagine myself next to my grandfather listening to him narrate stories as i ask questions and give suggestions. This i don’t consider a tribal war but rather modern way of keering in touch with the Luo community’s rich tradition. Whoever says it is war in apositive sense is right, but anyone saying otherwise en Bim. Erokamno.