There is a new problem, oh!!! a new issue in Kenya which seriously need to be addressed.
Kenya, even being a sovereign country has become the new testing ground for customized western democracy for Africa. All Africans are urged to exercise "Kenyan democracy" while much of this democracy is being dictated by Western nations. Since our ill-fated 2007 December General election in which, sorry, more than 1500 kenyans were killed, some western nations who played a great role in stablilizing things here, albeit, after tempers boiled up following the rigged elections and our communities showed hostilities towards each other, are behaving as if they "own" Kenya and can just utter anything on the press conference notswithstanding even National security issues.
Hey guys, give us some break.......
OK, we accept that you helped us kenyans during our time of need but that doesn't mean (that after things cooled down) you can just talk and decide what you want to see in this country. Wishing our country to go a certain direction is totally a different matter and with no obligation but forcing it to go a certain way, I believe is beyond your mandate. You are here as representatives of your various countries, trying to promote bilateral co-operation but not interfering in a country's internal affairs. Ok, We are a country that is surely passing a hard time, that after 45 years of our independence, we still can't feed our own citizens but that doesn't mean we have surrendered in terms of development, we are still roaring to go and we need you for sure, but it is not a chance for you to push us to do things straight by holding impromptu press conference. That, to my believe, is like pushing our people too far. We have problems ranging from Land reforms, enacting a new constitution, reform in national security, immigration, electoral, judiciary, development of marginalized communities and so on but these things can't just be fixed within a day. They will surely take time in Kenya. The western nations can atleast help to accelerate these reforms by organizing inter-governmental co-operation(their part of work if they so wish) in helping us fix where we are weak or even train government teams so that they are geared to implementing those reforms but can't force reforms down under our throat by threatening to cut development aid and so on.
You may have heard what the French Ambassador in Kenya just recently said concerning issues which need to be thoroughly vetted by Kenyans. The Waki report is not an easy report as many think it can be implemented. It can tear our country together again. If you are mentioned there, it means, you or your agent participated in killing 1500 kenyans, looting and raping women.. And these are not easy matters. We have before us other important issues that have not even been addressed upto today like settling the IDP's and before we put much energy into the report, let us consider settling our people first. The report itself has been said can't do much to do anything as Attorney General Amos Wako even said, you can't prosecute anyone with it, anywhere in the world whether it is ICC or the sky. The report itself is a collection of people's rants, mine not included and it was as Minister Ruto said, a collection of hearsays....What people heard like rumours. We are making it a very big issue when we know Kenyans have been living with each other for all those years without problem and as if we don't know why kenyans started fighting each other. The report, to me, must never be implemented. It needs some other directions like national reconciliation commission or forgiveness forums but not the way some people are talking about ICC or withholding development co-operation and sanctions. We don't want that kind of "forced" democracy which can't work in Kenya of the 21st Century where communities are even more closer to each other now more than ever before.
The Waki report details some aspect of the violence that erupted in Kenya after the 2007 election but doesn't talk about much earlier violence and human right abuses including the Wagalla massacre, The Garissa Massacre, Mt Elgon and the Narok skirmishes of the 1990's.
The Waki report was neccesiated and formed after Kenyans who wanted change were angered by the bungled/rigged elections and communities started fighting against each other. Some were fighting personal wars and criminals also mixed up with them until we started seeing the true picture as Kenyans. The waki report itself doesn't indicate who did what, but only collectively says, violence happened and they suspect so and so did this or that.
The French ambassador together with the EU head of delegation, Eric Van der linden were talking like putting Kenyans to act on so many issues including the Kriegler and Waki report with immediate effect. They spoke of issues like withholding development aid and relate the same to the implementation of these reports and other reforms. I believe that, although the western nations are doing a great role in pushing for reforms and their implementation, they are going too far with this. The government, apart from it's role to justly reform must at the same time stop these "everyday" press conferences by anyone that "may" tear the country apart once again. People were tempted to violence by the angry mood that engulfed the country following the elections but not that some people organized the violence. There was a euphoria and people reacted after someone interrupted the wave....What is important, I believe is, to forget about that election, create a joint national reconciliation commission in which Kenyans can unite and forge ahead. We have no time to go back to what happened 10 months ago, start accusing one another and forgeting to look ahead.
Those who want this, I believe, are advising Kenyans to continue witch-hunting, animosity and suspicion among various tribes. If they want the good of Kenya, The western nations, the government and all those who have a stake in Kenya, I mean kenyans must unite to forge ahead by creating a national reconciliation and cohesion committe, move to tackle other important issues affecting us one by one so that our beloved country, Kenya doesn't witness again the violence we saw in January 2007.
In that, we will also be in course to achieve some of our 2030 goals.
