ALFRED KETER SHOULD BE HELD TO ACCOUNT

                                            

To say that I was incensed by the viral YouTube video of the Nandi Hills  MP,Alfred Keter and his nominated URP colleague, Sunjeev Birdi, chest thumping , verbally assaulting Police officers at Gilgil weighbridge is to put it mildly.

 I was upset. A little vomit is gathering in my mouth as I write this .I am not the only one.Kenyans, in their thousands have taken to social media to express their dismay and outrage.

 I just finished watching that clip again, and what angers me is not the foul language that he uses (I will leave that to his parents) because it has to do with his upbringing but the sheer arrogance and ‘’we are the government ‘’ kind of attitude is what infuriates me.

The thing is, whatever gripes they might have had with the police officers manning the weighbridge, that’s not just how things are supposed to be done, in countries that have a semblance of the rule of law.  What is more appalling is what he said, ‘’we are the ones making the law; when we want we break them’’

 I would be embarrassed if I was his constituent but again with the prevailing blind tribal loyalty in this county you can’t be so sure. If laws can be made and broken at the whims of such errant legislators, maybe the rule of law is something we say but we don’t really believe in.

The police officer might have asked for a bribe as Alfred Keter alleges ( I can’t independently verify), but with the evidence thus far it foolhardy not to be on the side of the  police . 

They come across, in the video as those trying their best under very intense pressure from a powerful, vindictive and outspoken spitting cobra to enforce the law. To borrow the words of Sir Alex Ferguson in reference to Roy Keane, ''the hardest part of Alfred Keter’s body is his tongue''. It takes a special talent to utter the words mother ‘’f...r!’’  in such a quick succession in a five minutes clip. Moses Kuria must be grinning, he has an ally.

This Man, Alfred Keter, had struck a chord with some of us, who still held out hope that Kenya had few surviving sane Politicians whose hearts beat for this country. I can’t forget how he burst onto the scene as independent, audacious and anti-establishment kind of Politician hewn from the same clothe as Martin Shikuku and  J.M Kariuki  and when he went against the grain to question the dubious manner in which the standard gauge railway ( SGR) tendering process had been done. 

All is not lost,I thought, we have another one whose blood is Kenya through and through.  Some people went as far comparing him to the legendary former deputy speaker Jean-Marie Seroney.It’s clear now that the comparison  was not only hasty but wide of the mark:he has been found out and the real  Alfred Keter has  emerged.

That’s not to say that there are no problems at our weighing bridges but to intimidate the hapless police officers by invoking  both the name of the president and Rift Valley regional commissioner, Asman Warfa is what we call abuse of office in our books of law.

 The script that is so reminiscent with the past, what has become common place now, politicians using their proximity to power to have their way. I know he has justified his actions by saying under the circumstances he was right to use such unpalatable language but what he doesn't know is that it is him the video casts in very bad light and not the anonymous police officers his venom was aimed at. 

You cannot excuse the inexcusable, if indeed Keter had evidence as alleges, I am sure the ethics and anti-corruption commission (EACC) would have gladly looked into it.

What irks me most is that this incidence  is not  isolated, it is not so long ago, Nairobi Senator, Mike Sonko was reported to have stormed  Mtwapa Police station with armed guards brandishing guns  to demand the release of his water tanker that had been detained. This  trend by jubilee politicians is troubling: They are affiliated to the President’s side of the political divide (though the  president has distanced itself from this unlawful acts) but whatever  way you look at it the President should act ,go beyond words and take decisive action because ultimately the buck stops with him.

 Someone should be made an example of, aren’t we getting tired of strong worded rhetoric with very little corresponding action?

Admittedly, there are many swollen-chested Keters in Kenya. The sense of entitlement exhibited by politicians in this country is sickening to the core, as if it’s  their divine right to be in elected leaders and they have a different set of rules under which they operate. 

I am asking the DPP to seize this opportunity,to go beyond summons and let this man face the full force of the law. Charge him, with anything, as long as justice is done and seen to have been done.

THIS MAN JOHN MUTUTHO

                      

The debate about John Mututho, the managing Director of the national anti-drugs agency(NACADA) seemingly has no middle ground, you are either for him or against him. He has caused quite a storm albeit in a tea cup since his appointment, with alcohol lovers and their sympathizers taking on to social sites to vent. Mututho has received enough stick already especially on twitter.

Is john Mututho just another grouching political looser with an inflated opinion of himself or is he a hardworking and concerned Kenyan who is committed to leave no stone unturned as much as drug abuse is concerned? Of course, as with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle

First off, I would like to state here that alcohol and I have no  history and there are no prospects for future chemistry between us. Therefore, there are no vested interests involved. I am doing just fine here with a bottle of Lucozade for nourishment. Now I don’t normally get tempted to write in about individuals and their work but John Mututho has become such a regular feature on our TV screen and this has gone on for very long time now. It has been very disconcerting for my 3 year old son.Isn’t it scary that his contorted face will keep appearing on TV as long as he is still at helm of NACADA? I decided to weigh into this debate because I feel that it hasn’t been given a fair crack of the whip.

A bottle loving friend of mine was recounting to me the ordeal he has endured and how passionately he hates John Mututho. Life to me has almost become unbearable, he said, Mututho must be  very 'mental',right?. I wouldn’t agree with that, not in the slightest. I thought he was using hyperbole. He told me in no uncertain terms, how he hates the former Naivasha Town MP. Well, I don’t think am capable of hate. I think hate is a very strong word that should be reserved for war criminals.

 It is my conviction, that anyone calling for Mututho’s head at this  moment is smoking something not good. The poor guy has just been through enough nerve wracking and grueling experience already.Mututho,we seem to forget so easily, lost an election and has been jobless and out in the cold for a period of time.Furthermore, when he appeared  before a parliamentary committee, he was rejected out-rightly  only to be cleared by the national assembly in  unclear circumstances . How much hate can one person have to endure in this short life?  Give the old man a break.

Admittedly,no one grows up wanting to be John Mututho but we have to give the devil his dues. Never before has anyone managed to raise so much debate in this country about alcohol and its effects than John Mututho has in such a short span of time. He has shown endless energy and unmatched zeal in fighting the use of alcohol albeit in studios and news rooms. How he has managed to so successfully create and paint this image of booze as some sort of evil be fought tooth and nail is astounding. I have no doubt that to Mututho, evil and alcohol fall in the same league as corruption and bestiality.He might even think he is a messiah of some sort sent to save this drinking nation. He might think he is, but I don’t buy it, thousands people in pubs and bars across this country don’t believe it.

Back to my original point, it is Mututho’s blinded hatred for alcohol that forms the basis of my opposition to his tactics. I should probably get this out in the open from the first off, Alcohol and its effects and benefits to our economy, are well documented and I don’t want to go there. But to have adults policed around like school kids is disconcerting to anyone with a sense of justice. Looking back when I was a child ,the sweetest part about growing up, that I longed for was to be able to make my decisions and live with the consenquences.Everyone needs to be given that chance, to be wrong even if it means drinking oneself into stupor. I don’t think we need to take the road of Iran or South Arabia.

They need not be our examples. Kenya is a democracy, atleast our constitution provides for that, and our people have rights, yes unlimited rights to free will and unmatched freedoms including freedom to have friends over for a bottle of whiskey, what Mututho is threatening. Where on earth do people get a license before throwing a party in your own house?

 What Mututho needs  to occupy his time with is to make sure fatal alcohol brands such as the dreaded and now infamous Yokozuna are not only banned but completelyinaccessible on our markets. It is the work of the government to protect consumers from harmful products. What annoys me is that Mututho doesn’t seem to be doing anything about the use and peddling of hard drugs at the coast.

 I have lost count of the hearts broken and lives utterly destroyed by cocaine in counties such as Kilifi and Mombasa.

Do something about that John, I know you can (with love)

KENYA@50

                                 
I thought I should    write this  and get some weight off my chest.First,apologies for the long silence. At times it means more than words. The foul weather and  an overcast sky hasn't helped but sitting in-front of TV for almost the entire day, was certainly a great idea. I enjoyed watching live proceedings of Kenya at 50 celebrations from Kasarani, surprisingly.

It is important to point out here, that i am not the kind of person who jumps onto bandwagons just for the sake of it. I am analyzing, inquisitive,sarcastic,infact,my friends think I am too  for critical for my good. I was a bit a hesitant to join the celebrations, and rightly so, there’s enough bad news coming out of various parts of Kenya  to make one question his loyalty and citizenry. Ranging from tribal clashes in Moyale, to poor and non-existent roads in Turkana.

I considered giving the jubilee celebrations a wide berth. To be  a Kenyan, I have always thought can be likened to being an artist,you only realize it momentarily during rare moments of inspiration. Woe unto you if you  are enduring a dry spell.Back to the main point,listening to those patriotic songs blaring out of  huge speakers,Mama Kayai and Mzee Ojwang taking on stage at Kasarani stirred something in me.Woke up a sleeping giant.I felt a wave of feelings of love,pride and patriotism,  wash over me in such a frenzied way,like a little boy in candy shop.I haven't felt that in a long time.Mwalimu Wesonga's song was the icing on the cake.

Am I the only one who who may have had such feelings,doubts and reservations? I think not.There are lots of Kenyans whose dreams have been shattered,lives wrecked so much to think of anything worth celebrating.Truth is,the last 50 years have been full of heart aches and lost opportunities.Kenya is perhaps more divided along ethnic lines now than it has ever been,corruption has become a way of life.How many nations look enviously at achieving just that?  we need just to look closer home to know how lucky we are.The incessant violence and turmoil of Somalia,the lack of free press and free political space in Rwanda and Uganda.Let me not go there and leave that for another time.

Having said that,am i the only person who gets a little vomit in my mouth every time President Museveni opens his mouth to speak?  Dear lord,that Yoweri Museveni speaks a lot of guff,doesn't he? whatever that mzee is smoking isn't good.The manner in which he keeps harping on these ICC issue is shocking.He has made it his personal war against the imperialist,whoever those foul guys might be.President Museveni never misses an opportunity to lash at the ICC.Nothing wrong with that but could there be more than meets the eye? why the sudden hatred? isn't he the same guy who invited  ICC to investigate and possibly prosecute Joseph Kony? Allow me the liberty  to inform Mr Museveni that Kenya has,we have moved on from the previous contentious elections.Why you keep talking about it,is beyond me.

What is worrying is that our president seems to rate Museveni  very highly  and that was shown today by allowing him to speak last of the  invited heads of states. Kenya needs   to forge stronger ties with presidents with a better political and economic record,the likes of President Khama of Botswana.Not  Yoweri Museveni and Robert   Mugabe.We are supposed to be moving towards inclusion,tolerance and widened doors of freedom and those two aren't doing so good there.What is disturbing is that every time Museveni speaks he alienates half of this country and threatens the fragile amity we have enjoyed.

Hats off for President Kenyatta,wonderful rhetoric yesterday(remember that i don't support him or his coalition) but I was particularly impressed when he said that he wants to unite this country.I thought that was good,especially if he meant what he was saying.He has been saying all the right things lately but can he walk the talk? What  this country has been lacking for the last fifty years,unifying leadership  that sees beyond tribe. Wasn't it lovely to see the former prime minster,Raila Odinga, and the former vice president,Kalonzo Musyoka among the guests? now that's being Kenyan.Leaving behind the bitter past and coming together for the country we all love.

Phew! am glad i got that off my chest.Happy birthday Kenya!!!

COULD UHURU BE SCARED?

I feel compelled to express my opinion about the recent political events in our country. It is hugely disturbing that Mr. Owalo,a top aide of Raila Odinga was summoned and grilled for hours by the C.I.D, nothing wrong about that but the accusations leveled against him, as reported by various reputable papers are a complete joke. Is someone in Jubilee scared? But why would strutting operators like William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta be afraid of a Mr Owalo? A man who will forever be a case study to aspiring politicians about how not to run an election campaign. Can a man who failed to run a campaign be so successful at destabilizing a country? Save me the rib crackers.

I am actually quite shocked that it has now become an offense to mobilize churches, youth groups and NGOS to peacefully protest or rally for a given cause in a democracy, even a nascent one such as ours. I can’t help but feel like this a sad reminder of old dirty politics where opposition leaders and activists could be picked up for questioning by the once dreaded special branch. Some were locked up never to return, accused of fabricated, made up charges of plotting to destabilize the state. A wonderful diversionary tactic use by unpopular repressive regimes, it worked well for Moi

I don’t hold any brief for Mr. Owalo but if the charges against him are as they have been reported, peaceful countrywide protests, then his summons are and should be a great ground for real concern. It’s worth remembering that the right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in our constitution. There is nothing wrong about regrouping and rallying by citizens or opposition political parties to keep the government in check. Genuine democracy requires not just elections, freedom and a political culture of tolerance. Freedom even to hold and propagate a divergent opinion to one held by the sitting government.

Let’s face it, previous elections were bitterly divisive and the country hasn’t really gotten over it and without doubt any attempt to bully and suppress opposition leaders or their aides will aggravate tensions that have been trampled underground. I didn’t like it one bit when Mr. Odinga was recently humiliated at the JKIA, denied access to V.I.P lounge. It is an insult to majority of us and leaders who marched, rallied and endured threats and arrests to widen the doors of freedom, that we all enjoy now, when you treat Raila like a scrap metal. Raila Odinga may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he is a towering figure, arguably the most important politician in our country’s history.

The sufferings he has endured and sacrifices he has made for this country puts him head and shoulder above every other politician. I am not using hyperbole when I say that. Perhaps jubilee wants to sent a clear and unequivocal message that they are now in charge but to do it in such a manner will do little to endear their government to a large section of the Kenyan public, that didn’t vote for them. Of course, it is not firmly established if this excesses by overly overzealous subordinates have the blessings of Mr. Kenyatta, but his silence is telling.

Now to my next point, to those who seek to defend the indefensible, the most pressing concern for most Kenyans is not about keeping Raila or the opposition in check. The priorities that should be piling high on jubilee’s plate, to create jobs for the youth, reduce the cost of living, what they had captured so well in their fairy-like manifesto. It is almost becoming fashionable to scapegoat Raila for almost all problems facing jubilee, beginning with the teachers strike, the charges facing Jubilee’s top two at the Hague. I don’t buy that. Store away your animosities and get down to work. Your score card will be your manifesto and nothing else

Yours jubilantly (though somehow heartbroken) Bonnke Muti’as

FIVE QUICK THOUGTS ON JUBILEE'S FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

 

Perhaps it is a little early to be determining how well the jubilee government is going. They simply haven’t been in office long enough and anyone declaring it a complete success or failure, at this early stage, simply needs to find something to occupy his time other political punditry. I thought about not writing this piece, for the fear of being misunderstood, I considered it but eventually common sense prevailed.I felt compelled to write

Here are some of my thoughts:

•       UHURU has a heart and he too can get sporty: If the sight of President Kenyatta taking Otongolo for a walk around state house didn’t put a smile on your face then you have no heart. You are a very cold-heated tool, emotionally devoid and nothing will make you happy,besides he promised to take care of  Otongolo's fees,all the way to college,of course that wont put holes in the wallet of a man like Uhuru but it is a heart warming gesture and quite endearing,coming from a man who had been so successfully branded, a callous and heartless politician a few months ago by politicians on the other side of the divide. all the way to college of a Kenyan president in a rugby jersey is enough change in itself, at least we have a president who can take off his coat at a sports event, even though for a few minutes.

•        Hustlers can quickly forget where they are coming from:  Let me approach this with a little more caution, I wouldn't want to be called a bitter loser,like i have often been called (I hate that).By the way, I moved on and i am accepting,slowly but steadily. I do not approve of wasteful spending, infact I cringe when I see public money flushed down the toilet. I haven’t gotten over the news  I read a while ago about our DP, 'the hustler’ a name he so popularized during the campaigns. That he used a 100 million to hire a luxury jet to take him around African cities for a week and 100 more million to renovate his house that has already cost more than 400 million to build , seriously?  It is important to remember that,Ruto presented himself as a man who understands the needs of the  people,but such lavish spending shows his detachment  from reality and the hustlers that he said he represents. In a country where teachers have been out of class for three weeks demanding better pay such kind of spending clearly int a priority There seem to be some chemistry between William Ruto and 100 million but that’s for another day. Truth behind the smoke screen is  that William Ruto is a politician, just like any other. He is not a messiah sent to save. He might think he is, but I don’t buy it.

•   Forget the fuss about change, nothing has changed: there was so much talk about change in the air during campaigns but nothing has materialized yet: the same lack of effort to tackle corruption, same sleaze in the government, same impunity that has existed. If you thought the bad apples will be cleared out especially within the traffic police, most corrupt unit according to Transparency International you may have to wait longer. What annoys me and      I’m sure plenty of others out there, is that talk of increasing VAT on basic commodities. I don’t believe taxing the people more will help. Typical capitalists who want to exploit the poor for the benefit of the rich. I would like to see some change instead of promises of change.

•    All talk of supporting devolution is lip service: I have been carefully examining some of the spending proposals of this government. One thing I have learned  is that the 210 billions allocated for county governments is way below the 40% of the total government expenditure promised in the Jubilee manifesto. I think what needs to be done is for them  to put their money where their lips are: tossing some more money to the people and into infrastructure

•     Uhuru is our President: (it took prayers for me accept this) It has only 100 days, quite frankly it make some time to see some change they promised come to fruition, what we need to do now is to rally together for the country we all love, whether you like it or not President Kenyatta is our president. When we wish for him and his policies to fail, we are asking for Kenya to fail. Think about that. Whether Mr. Kenyatta is the right leader for the time in history or not? Only time will tell

THE CITY OF DEATH

                    

                            

          

                      Rat-tat-tat-tat !!                     

      Gunshots crackle overhead

  But they don’t take cover

               Because in the alley they lie dead

         In their own pool’s of blood

                                          The remnants are exiled in their bullet riddled houses

                           Whimpering

                           Shivering

                              Whispering

                           Some wetting their pants

                                  Only emerging in the evening

                                     For another round

                                     To bury their dead

                  ‘White washed mosques and minarets

                 Avenues lined with palms running down to a sparkling sea

                       'Mogadishu had a gentler past’

                    Abdul, my guide, reminisced with a half smile

                     I ducked as a rocket swooshed above my head

                      But Abdul did not move

                     His only concern: ‘there will be more bodies to wash and bury’

                       Mogadishu: abandoned and alone

                       Mogadishu: neglected and isolated

                       Mogadishu: the most battered and fought over city

                       Mogadishu: Africa’s Baghdad, the city of death

                   Her hospitals hopelessly understaffed

                Food painfully expensive

                         But her sons lavish in ecstasy in foreign cities

                      While her elite constantly bickering and plotting to steal donor funds

                                War weary

                               War torn

                              But cautiously upbeat

                              Maybe her good days are not yet

MOB JUSTICE IS A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE

It pains me to be writing this piece, just a day after Benson Namulala’s  and Erick Simiyu’ charred remains  were laid to rest at their rural home at Kimabole village of Mt Elgon district. It must be excruciatingly painfully for their families. Without doubt, the sight of those fresh graves will remain a visible reminder of the searing pain Ben and Eric endured.It is  an open wound to many; it will be for sometime. Their light was put out by a merciless mob, on the pretext that they thought them to be members of a gang of robbers. It just  doesn't wash with me.

Benson, a student at Kisiwa technical institute and Eric a driver of a local construction company met at Chwele Market, decided to unwind, after hard day’s work, with a drink at Land Matope, a squalid slum settlement nearby, infamous for cheap liquor and sex, on demand. According to an eye witness, a deafening scream went out, before they could take a sip of the coveted drink. The ground just shook and perhaps shifted under their feet when an irate mob rushed into the dingy ‘bar’ with all guns blazing, cursing and swearing. They shoved them out, and then descended on them with blows and kicks. Not sure what they had done wrong, I imagine they tried to get an explanation, begged for mercy, asked to be told who their accuser is and what their crimes might be but the blood thirsty crowd did not allow them that luxury: they were doused in petrol then set ablaze, creating a little hell here on earth.

To this mob, well rehearsed in the craft of murder, Ben and Eric were guilty (before being tried) of the most heinous of crimes deserving death in the most brutal of ways. What was their evidence against the two? Apparently, a sorcerer from Uganda, with quite a reputation of delivering justice, his way, fast and furious, he would make Police work seem like child play. The Ugandan witch had promised to use his magic to draw two suspicious looking young men, on a hot afternoon to Land Matope asking for the bottle. What I don’t understand is why he didn't explain, how the young men would look like and what kind of apparels they would be putting on that day.

 Presumably the man was on the look out like a cat snuffing for a rat, combing the length and breadth of the area for any two young men that looked suspicious and maybe guilty enough. The two unfortunate ones happened to be Erick and Benson. The lads I have known and been good friends with for more than ten years. Benson, a very nice young man, a little bit shy and short of words, he always had a smile on his handsome face. I swear he could never hurt even a fly; the only negative thing (not negative to most) I know about him: his love for the bottle.

 Eric can be anything but a robber. He was a focused and very industrious; I used to enjoy his well baked Mandazi and stories after church. I didn’t mind that at times the stories were made, based on pure fantasy, they prepared me for the long walk home in searing heat. Daniel Simiyu, who was my Sunday school teacher at some stage, was the best examples of hard work to earn a living.He tirelessly reminded us to break sweat for whatever we wanted to have in life.’ The hardest path is always the best path’, he advised, his words did not fall on deaf ears, as Eric daily demonstrated.

Come to think of it, that they were executed without being heard, without trial, makes me sick to the pits of my stomach. That the two were thought to be part of the gang that has been terrorizing residents of Bungoma County, is simply not acceptable. Just thinking of horrors of being lynched, hungry flames licking your blood, bones and flesh: What the two underwent drains blood from my face.

The question I keep asking myself is: what fuels this blood lust? I still don’t know the answer to this question. I understand some people still don’t have enough faith in the police’s ability to do their work adequately but that doesn't justify such acts of criminality. Not in the least. To do that is to justify the unjustifiable, to excuse the inexcusable .This is criminality, pure and simple and that’s how it should be called. The perpetrators shouldn't and mustn't go unpunished. They should be identified and be brought to justice. That will go along way in assuaging the grief of the bereaved. It will bring some sort of closure to these families.

WHEN IS A COUP A GOOD COUP?

I thought I would share with you my  thoughts about the events this week in Egypt, toppling of first the democratically elected Egyptian  President, Mohamed Morsi.It brings a tear to my eye,but apparently not as much as it does to the Muslim brotherhood,I rather enjoyed Mr Morsi's fiery and defiant speeches,he looked suave and urbane to me(like most politicians}

I still remember watching on the BBC how he came to power,Egyptians had  poured  onto the streets demanding political reforms and  civil liberties,President Mubarak was ousted after almost a month of clamoring for his removal( we all know that) .
then why is a man who was the darling of revolutionaries so unceremoniously  removed from office,barely a year since he took the reins of power?
Watching the chief of general staff,Gen Abdul Al Sis,make the announcement that Morsi had been deposed and the constitution suspended,got me thinking,is this a coup?
Protesters in Tahrir square,by thousands, greeted the news with ecstasy
'The army has hearkened to the voice of the people,this is not a military coup it is a continuation of our revolution', a protester told the BBC
 To most people a military coup is when ,uniformed men,the army remove a elected leader from power,bloodlessly or otherwise and that is exactly what happened in Egypt this week.The Muslim Brotherhood  have vowed to do whatever they can to protect the revolution.

On reflection,President Morsi has confirmed everything I thought about an Islamist taking the reigns of power:he alienates everyone else and placates only his faction.That's exactly what Morsi did to Egypt. Liberals and Christians felt more isolated than the south pole, under his rule than they had ever during Mubarak's regime.Their(Muslim Brotherhood) insistence of turning Egypt into a sharia abiding,Islamist state did not go down well with most Egyptians,infact,most could not let their to go the way of Iran.It was a matter of when not if Mr Morsi will be hounded out of office like his predecessor.

Speaking about the 'coup' this week after being sworn in,the interim President,Adly Mansour,said 'The most glorious thing about 30 June is that it brought everyone together without discrimination or division'.

I  agree that,  inclusive societies are more cohesive and safer countries but most politicians  with short-sightedness,don't have a clue,they just can't get this.President Morsi's woes are self inflicted,he just couldnt listen to his people,when he arrogated himself more power in a decree,to me,I knew he was on borrowed time ever since he got into office.His continued was heavily dependent on how he would nurture the spirit of the revolution but like most African dictator and steer the boat on troubled waters, hwat he spectacularly  failed to do

   just a thought and always remember everyone has a right to be wrong