Mr. Kibaki, Mr. Odinga - are you listening to us, to Wanjiku
- we are after all supposed to be your employers?
We know that Mr. Kibaki has lost his hearing, a fact
demonstrated by his leading us down this road? Mr. Odinga, on his part, in the excitement
of the moment is perhaps not hearing so well either, it is such a temptation.
If you read the newspapers, magazines or anything on the internet, listen to
the radio, watch television, or take note of the chatter in the markets, at
fireplaces in remote villages across the land, weddings or funerals one thing does come out clearly. Kenyans across
the country are horrified by the wave of extremism death and destruction that
has visited their country. There is no point in blaming one person, or the last
government, or the one before for our present state. The seeds that led to this
uproar predate these governments and go back 50, 70 even 100 years. Essentially,
the root causes of this violence are not as significant as what this violence
points at, the fact that Kenyans finally feel that they have the first roots of
what it takes to be a representative democracy- to try their hand at majority
rule, not the will of the few.
Those self-same Kenyans are united in their rejection of the lie of December
30th. Mr. Kibaki (and we can only call you 'Mr.' as your presidency is, most
feel, illegitimate) - you and those around you do cannot fool Kenyans even a
moment. It is clear now that your actions are entirely selfish and a
perpetuation of the 'everything for the few' structure that has oppressed Kenya
for the last 100 years.
Mr. Odinga, on his part makes for great uncertainty with his determined call
for mass action. These calls impose on the national psyche the most urgent
question. Is Mr Odinga a representative of our desires and an agent for the
redress of the national dignity and unity, or is this the eternal prefix to the
statement, "I should be President"? If Mwai Kibaki and company are to
be held up to the most exacting standards and pressed into service for the
public good, then our battle and Odinga's are one. If, however, it is another
calumny, as great as the big lie sold to us in 2002, if it will be forgotten
that in the offices of our executive and legislative is an obligation to serve,
protect and promote the national interest, then we must promptly part company
with the ODM leader, we can go no further along the road of exploitation that has
enslaved our effort these last 50 years.
The Lang'ata MP has called for mass action - but what exactly does he mean, and
does every Kenyan understand this call the same way? In many countries, such a
call is simply translated as a call to ‘stand up for your rights'. In Kenya,
however, such democratic expression is unfortunately captured by opportunistic private
gangs that want to capture attention by employing violence and vandalism. Their
efforts are almost certain to invite the police to act in such a manner as to
turn on the crowds and therefore instigate riotous behaviour that will then
justify their use of force. In the subsequent breakdown, the criminal gangs
will seek to loot and destroy the very foundation of our hope of future
prosperity.
Why should people, already suffering the tragedy of the past
three weeks, get themselves out of their homes and walk the streets knowing
full well that the events above will come to pass? While they battle the
probabilities with missiles of every sort, the sting of pepper and the pain of
tear gas, those of you calling for the mass action will be whisked away at
speed by 4WD or by helicopter, staying long enough only to risk a bloodied head
for the cameras at that press conference.
This is not to suggest the slightest disloyalty to the cause;
I support the primary reason for action. What holds me back however, is an
understanding of the nature of our society and the frankly, unacceptable cost
of the uncontainable rage.
It is imperative now that we are innovative, that we learn from the sages of
our time - Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela. There is the greatest need to
ensure that any action we contemplate is non-violent, that we retain permanent
occupation of the higher moral position. Mass action, obviously, given the
urges of the police force and of the usurpatory criminal elements cannot be
guaranteed to be non-violent, but act we must. What then should we do on today,
tomorrow and on Friday?
Stay home
All Kenyan workers must stay home. All business owners ought to support their
workers - with pay by closing down for the three days. Those who own matatus and buses should ensure that they
disappear from the roads on that day. Everything but the most essential
services such as schools and hospitals must be closed down. The last week has
taught us the horrors of violence, horrors against which the cost of a few days
away from work will be agreeably affordable.
Let's shut the country down. Let's say to Mr. Kibaki and those
at his court, a firm and resolute, ‘No,' let's say to our political masters,
"we see through you, you cannot manipulate us". Our new MPs, still retaining
their virtue, must now declare to each other, ‘we will not work today, we will
stand in solidarity with those people who have voted for us. We must be brave,
we must be ready to be a vanguard, to lead on Wednesday and let others follow
on Thursday and Friday. Some will no doubt go to rallies, we will see them on
Al Jazeera and the BBC, and if we are successful, we will see more of them stay
home on Thursday and even more on Friday.
Then we must stay home until we break the politicians' oppressive will, all of
us. Only the quick and the strong can attend public rallies, but all of us can
stay away from work, the poor and the rich, in national solidarity, in a
powerful demonstration of the collective will.
Let us say through our silence and peaceful protest to any mediators
whether local or international that we will not accept some backroom power-sharing
deal between these politicians", "we want justice, we want an open
count", "we want a president, whatever his faults, that we know for certainity
we elected". Only then will we say to this person, be it Mr. Kibaki, Mr.
Odinga, or someone else "yes, we elected you, but know that we have
expectations of justice, we have expectations of fairness, we are watching you,
we will hold you to account".
And if these three days of protest this week don't convince them of our passion
and the severity of our desire, we will remain resolute in our determination
not to destroy our country, we will remain even more determined not to leave
our country to go to the dogs like we have done these last 40 years. And we
will remember every Wednesday until we are satisfied with a just solution, we
will stay home, we will repeat the message, we will gain strength in mass
solidarity. One day of lost national earnings per week costs much less than the
death and destruction we have seen in the last two weeks, it costs far less
than another 5 years of political and economic mayhem that serves the interests
of a select few while hurting perhaps permanently the national interest. Such unbendable
determination will cost less than the next Goldenberg or AngloLeasing, it will bestow
on us a moral pride and dignity that we can pass on into our national
tradition. This is Kenya,
and we must now say of the strife, enough is enough.
So come now you Kenyans, this Wednesday, let us show Mr. Kibaki that we know
what it means to stage a peaceful protest. Let us show to Mr. Odinga that we
know what it means to act in our common interest. Let us all sit down and
refuse to move, stay home and refuse to move, let the silence in the streets
shout the message "enough". Let the only words spoken be
"justice and peace" ... until we get them.
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