SONG LYRICS THAT SEND PEOPLE TO JAIL.

Kenya is really a state on the path of positive transformation. Apparently, and much to the relief of most citizens, hate speeches can no longer be tolerated nor condoned. It turns out that even recording songs that carry messages that could easily be misconstrued as an incitement to sections or the entire public, will not augur well with the relevant authorities. The release of such songs, the citizenry has learnt, comes at much too high a cost.

Musician Kamande Wa Kioi when he was taken into police custody following his controversial song.

As I write this article, a famous Kenyan musician is warming the cold floors of a police cell. Thing is, he recorded and released a vernacular song that supposedly carries an incitement message. The said mantra praises Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta while it tells off Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Both are presidential aspirants in the upcoming general election.

Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) felt that the song would fuel ethnic hatred. The commission set out to have it translated so that they could come to terms with the full magnitude of ethnic vulgarity carried in it. This was followed by the subsequent arrest of the musician, as it turned out the song’s wording bordered on offensive.

National Cohesion and Integration Commission chair - Mzalendo Kibunjia; the commission has set out to crack the whip on songs that contain inciting messages.

Two other musicians have also found themselves in a sticky situation with the law. They too are under investigation for recording and releasing songs that allegedly carry incitement messages. As soon as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission verifies these concerns, they will be joining their colleague as guests of the state.

Musician John De' Matthew - He is under investigation over incitement and hate speech allegations in his song

Musician Muigai Wa Njoroge - He is also under investigation and risks trial if he's found with a case to answer.

The trio could face charges of incitement and hate speech, counts that attract hefty sentences and cash fines. You will agree with me, seven years as a guest of the state is no mean exploit. Cash fines could spiral as high as well over one million Kenya shillings. In a worst case scenario, a guilty verdict could see them slapped with both the jail term and cash fine. If that is not an expensive affair, I really don’t know what is.

As the democratic space in Kenya widens, citizens are reminded that abuse of the same could prove to be a curse rather than a blessing. The freedom of speech that is provided for in the new constitution should be used for national cohesion and integration. Respect for the rule of law cannot be overemphasized. No single person is above the law, be they rich or poor. No tribe is better than the other, all are equally important. And after all is said and done, we will remain citizens of Kenya.

As I pen off, I heartily applaud his Excellency the President for rejecting bills that did not reflect the wishes and views of the country’s majority. That said, I move on to express optimism that indeed better days lie ahead for Kenya. The journey of a thousand miles in the right direction starts with one step. This was indeed one of those; steps I mean!

WHY EVERY KENYAN VOTER MUST MAKE A WISE AND INFORMED DECISION

 (Before you vote in leaders based on their fame rather than policy, or engage in tribal and unjustified politics, you might want to read this)

The last time Kenya went into a general election, a heartrending and blood-spattered aftermath is all she had to show for it. Ethnic hatred which had previously been fuelled during political campaigns had reached a crescendo, prompting citizens to turn against each other using machetes, bows and arrows and other crude weaponry, ensuing in the loss of over a thousand lives. This resulted from the announcement of the controversial presidential election results, and subsequent swearing in of the president at sundown, in statehouse Nairobi.

A woman wails outside the kiambaa church where some innocent women and children were burnt to death at the height of the violence.

During the violence, besides the agonizing loss of lives, over half a million people were forcefully evicted from their homes and property worth millions of shillings destroyed. The events of this very trying moment for the country are still fresh in the minds of many. Tens of thousands of internally displaced persons were forced to languish in camps where they encountered the wrath of harsh and extreme weather conditions their solitary “crime” been having voted during the election.

scores of citizens fleeing their homes for safety.

Justice has barely been served for the victims and to the perpetrators of these atrocities.  It is disappointing to note that the government is yet to fully resettle all the internally displaced persons five years down the line. Four Kenyans are set to face trials at the international criminal court (ICC), following the confirmation of charges brought against them, of bearing the greatest responsibility in the violence.

A mother and her child in an Internally Displaced Persons' camp

The government is obstinately trying to have these cases deferred from the ICC and have the suspects tried locally. This move has not gone without a great deal of disapproval by civil society movements in the country, which site Kenya's lack of capacity and political willingness to fairly try the cases.

Just when one thought that the Kenyan citizenry had learnt a lesson, it is sadly emerging that the bug of negative ethnicity could be making a comeback in the Kenyan political panorama. It is distasteful to see tribal groupings openly vowing to support particular presidential aspirants. This move has so far not augured well with a faction of citizens who warn that going down this path could turn out to be very detrimental to realizing a peaceful and united Kenya after the election. I beg to agree with them. 

The country is reeling from the crimes against humanity perpetrated on innocent citizens as a result of the violence fuelled by negative ethnicity. It is unethical and out rightly wrong for some politicians to gravitate towards tribal and ethnic groupings. Similar mistakes to those committed prior to the last election are what Kenyan voters cannot afford to make during this election period.

Kenyan voters should not have Selective memory. They should recall all the suffering endured by innocent civilians and how the country’s economy came to its knees following the violence. It is the prime responsibility of every Kenyan citizen to make sure that this grim history never repeats itself again. Steering clear of tribal and ethnic politics is the way to go. 

They say a picture can tell a thousand words and if this be the case, it is my earnest optimism that every Kenyan will learn from these few depictions of Kenya's darkest moments and make informed decisions while voting in leaders. 

A leader should be voted in NOT on the basis of their tribe, fame or gender, BUT on the basis of their development track record, respect for the rule of law and ability to crack the whip on errant characters. 

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE!!!

POLITICAL GRAFFITI THAT HAS ENTHUSED NAIROBI

Many at times folks consciously disregard or walk past graffiti wondering “who on earth got the time to put it up any way!!” But not the graffiti in Nairobi. I refuse to believe that any person will walk past it and they’re not tempted to let their eyes feast on each and every flashy piece of art.  What’s more, the mystery surrounding the graffiti propels the tale to a whole new and exciting level.

what the activists feel about Kenyan members of parliament.

Apparently, creation of political awareness ahead of the country’s General Election has taken a new direction. Graffiti that ‘mysteriously’ appears in the dead of night is the new avenue that activists are using to create awareness in these exciting times. Turns out this isn’t just ordinary graffiti. It bears an unequivocal message targeting the Kenyan voters.  In biblical context christen it Kenya’s “handwriting on the wall”

Anonymous youthful activists have left Nairobi abuzz with talk following their clandestine mission to spray political graffiti across the city. Their mission is aimed at ensuring voters are furnished with the traits to look for in leaders seeking elective posts. 

It seems that their intended purpose is being achieved, if the scores of curious locals and foreigners who flock to view the murals are anything to go by. The graffiti is not only bold but also very daring, as it depicts a typical Kenyan politician as a greedy vulture who exploits his power for his own selfish gains at the expense of others!

a list of the corruption scandals Kenya has experienced

The graffiti further outlines the various corruption scandals that have marred the country in the past.  In view of which, the artists go on to describe the kind of leaders that Kenya needs for her future wellbeing. The artists hit the city streets in the dead of the night armed with their paraphernalia and swiftly unleash their game with the moon light and calm nights as the only witnesses.

City residents awake to catchy murals on previously plain walls and at very strategic points, which are hard for the eye to miss. Kenya’s social network has been abuzz with talk inclined to have people view the murals before the city council paints over them.

The council has strongly condemned these paintings terming them illegal. The persons behind the graffiti have however relentlessly continued to embark on their campaign, undeterred by the council’s acts. They hold that theirs is a noble mission; that of creating political awareness.

some of the messages the activists seek to pass across.

The murals have attracted a lot of attention both nationally and across the globe. At no point in time will you miss people clicking away their cameras as they try to get the best shots of the art works. But then again, as earlier stated, the fascination only lasts until the city council employees descend on the works. Hopefully though, the intended message has been passed across by then.

A council worker paints over some of the graffiti

The murals portray the Kenyan voters as the ones with the all important ability to change the country’s leadership through their votes. They are vehemently urged to vote in credible leaders during the upcoming election.

 one of the murals on a Nairobi city street wall

There is no doubt that exciting political times lie ahead for Kenya even as political campaigns gain momentum. It remains to be seen, however, the effects of the mysterious political graffiti on Kenyan’s voting patterns and attitudes in the upcoming elections. 

curious onlookers mill around to read the messages

graffiti that shows Kenyan voters as the ones to stop corrupt leaders.

THE SHAMING LEVELS OF CORRUPTION IN KENYA (PART III)

A country’s national assembly is where all laws governing the nation are born and bred. The citizenry looks up to this all important organ of the government to play its role competently. However, recent assertions leveled against parliament, which have since leaked to the public domain, leave one with more questions than answers.

Kenya's national assembly.

In the last quarter of the year 2011, Kenya plunged into an incongruous inflation. A parliamentary committee was formed to look into the cause of the same. The committee was to find out that the some commercial banks in the country had engaged in mischievous speculation acts, thus resulting to the plummeting of the Kenyan shilling to an all time low vis-à-vis the American dollar.

As expected the committee drew its conclusions which were tabled in the house for debate and subsequent implementation. Among others, the committee proposed the sacking of the Central Bank Governor, who for your information had been rated the worst performing in Africa. They stated that these acts were done under his watch, adding that though he had the power to crack the whip on mischievous commercial banks, he did not.

It was largely expected that the parliamentarians would do the right thing for the country, which had suffered a great deal from the avoidable inflation, effects of which many Kenyans continue to grapple with. Sadly though, this was not to be.

On the day that MP’s were expected to pass the motion that would send the Governor packing, the exact opposite happened. It was after this incident that reports smote the air, of how some MP’s had been dined to sumptuous meals at exclusive city hotels so they could not send the Governor home. It is such a pain in the neck to think that even important legislative motions, which could determine the country’s fate, could fall victim of corruption.

A past sitting of the National Assembly.

I could delve into the Goldenberg and Anglo leasing scandals, but then again I’ve got to rest my case. But of course not without my two cents!!

For as long as I can remember, most Kenyans are always complaining about bad governance in the country. Last I checked, these so called “bad leaders” did not elect themselves to office, nor did some aliens elect them. Citizens had to bear with extreme weather conditions while queuing to vote in these leaders.

Next time you have to bear the long queues at a polling station during an election to vote in a leader, please care to genuinely answer the following questions to yourself:

(1)  Has this leader been implicated in any scandal or do they have a tainted past?

(2)  Of all the candidates to choose from, is this the one that best meets the expected qualifications for this position?

(3)  Have I made the right, independent and informed decision for the sake of my country, now and for the future?

   

 Every Kenyan voter must be keen to identify aspirants who address the issues that affect the citizens; corruption been key among them.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Vote wisely because your vote is your only voice to advocate for the change you want to see in your country!!

 

WHERE THEY ROB HUMAN DIGNITY.

A carjacking is one of the most horrid incidents that anyone could ever find themselves in. we’ve often heard and read about how passengers are robbed of all their belongings and left helpless in the middle of nowhere. I have never in the life of me thought that the situation could get worse. Can you imagine a situation whereby the carjackers rob the passengers not only of all their belongings but of their dignity as well? Apparently, this was the case in a recent incident in Kenya’s coast province.

Hooded rogues on a highway ready to strike

A friend of mine who operates a small scale business in Taita Taveta town happened to be one of the unfortunate victims of the carjacking. He narrated to me over a cup of coffee how he and his fellow passengers, watched helplessly as their dignity slipped right through their fingers on that fateful night; this in addition to losing all their possessions. Here’s how.

Passengers boarded a 28-seater mini bus headed from Nairobi to Taita Taveta.  Their long journey kicked off some few minutes past 10pm and they expected to get to their destination at the crack of dawn. And arrive they did, only poorer and without a shred of dignity. It turned out that six of the ‘passengers’ were armed robbers waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

As soon as the mini bus was well out of the city and speeding through the remote plains, the bandits let loose their game. They ordered the panic stricken driver to veer off the main road into a thicket. Everyone was ordered out of the bus the armed bandits then proceeded to unleash terror unknown to the passengers. 

Travelers were ordered to surrender all their belongings, which included mobile phones, jewels and money. Two of the thugs collected the loot while the other four brandished guns at anyone who dared to defy. The gang also plundered the luggage which the passengers had carried with them. My friend lost all the goods he had bought to restock his shop as well as his money.

Just when the traumatized passengers thought that the worst was over, it turned out that the nightmare had just began. Everyone was ordered to strip stark naked and one by one walk back to their seats in the bus at gun point. And when I say naked, I mean that every passenger went back to that bus in their birthday suit, the driver and his conductor included!! 

Can you imagine the awkwardness that hung in that bus? Every passenger was blushing with shame as they quietly and helplessly watched the last of their dignity slip right through their fingers, with absolutely no available avenue for damage control!! The bandits not only stole all their possessions, but they also made away with every little piece of clothing they had on them!!

After a few hours of grappling to come to terms with the situation at hand, they resolved to continue with the rest of the journey. And as am sure you can imagine, it was quite a long one. “When it hit me that daylight would soon be here and find me in this condition, I wished the earth would open up and swallow me!” lamented my friend during our conversation. He went on further to tell me that the following morning was one of the longest in his life. I could get into the details, but unfortunately my word count cripples me.

 As is norm in Kenya, every bus that pulls into the bus park is met by eager business minded individuals, who come with the hope of selling their wares or offering carrier services to passengers with bulky luggage. This bus was no exception. Nor sooner had the bus pulled into the bus park, than eager traders rushed towards it, hoping to make a kill. Much to their surprise, passengers quickly scampered away from the bus windows as though their lives depended on it. For a moment in there, it was a situation of everyone for themselves and God for them all as each one tried to squeeze themselves under the bus seats!!

The traders were to shockingly learn the travelers in the bus were not just any passengers, but stark naked passengers, who could hardly bare the shame of exposing their nudity to complete strangers let alone have money to transact! In an emotional conversation that for good reasons had little exchange of words and more of facial expressions, arrangements were swiftly made to absolve the passengers from their predicament.

Towns women descended upon the bus armed with khangas (pieces of printed cotton fabrics worn in Africa), and the relieved passengers thankfully put them to good use. Thank heavens for the kind nature of Kenyan citizens, these carjacking victims got reprieve from their horrendous escapade.

Coastal women draped in Khangas

 Other incidents have been reported where the carjackers force passengers to engage in sexual activity with complete strangers at gun point! Worse still, the thugs could defile the passengers themselves. This is utter robbery of human dignity and is so wrong! These activities leave poor citizens in serious traumas, some of which take years to overcome.

One can only hope and pray that the perpetrators of these crimes identify with their humanity for Pete’s sake. And when the long arm of the law finally catches up with then, justice should be served steaming hot!!!

THE SHAMING LEVELS OF CORRUPTION IN KENYA (PART II)

One would stand forgiven to think that the corruption kingpins in Kenya would at least shy away from, or have a shred of humanity to spare the sick and the dead. But the bitter truth is that they too haven’t been spared from the tentacles of corruption threatening to overwhelm the country.  It is absurd, the soaring level of moral decadence that can assail a state.

Nairobi city residents carrying a coffin during the protest against the city's cemetery scandal

At the time of putting together this piece of writing, millions of Kenyans are on the receiving end of yet another scum in the making. The NHIF scandal it is. The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is the organization mandated by the government to maintain a health insurance kitty for the civil servants and teachers.  Monthly remittances are made to the national health insurer through deductions made on employees pay slips. Any Kenyan civil servant or teacher who falls sick visits a health facility and gets treated and the subsequent cost is borne by the insurer. If anyone thought that everything could flow this smoothly for long, am afraid they were wrong.

NHIF Boardroom wrangles, which played out before the glaring cameras for all to see, were enough indication that there was more than met the eye. It was definitely not business as usual at the national health insurer. Reports surfaced of how two little known clinics got the lion’s share of the funds while the major health institutions were allocated insultingly low amounts. This even as it emerged some of the clinics said to be operational across the country were ghost clinics. If that is not a clear signal of fraud playing out, then I don’t know what is.

It is frightening to think that a citizenry can starve, their children are denied an education, and when they fall sick, they can’t access treatment since their insurance money was plundered. Yet that is not all, even in death, they cannot rest in peace, as was rudely confirmed by the Nairobi cemetery scandal!!! Thanks to the disgracing levels of corruption in the country.

patients in a hospital ward in Kenya

The mention of the Nairobi cemetery scandal makes one blush with shame on behalf of its authors. One finds it hard to believe that anyone would be so cold hearted as to extend their greed this far.

The city council of Nairobi set out to purchase new cemetery land, since burial space at the city’s existing cemetery, Lang’ata, was nearing exhaustion.  Good intentions were soon to turn ill, in what became one of the council’s biggest scams.

A pricey piece of land was purchased and to the rude shock of Kenyans, it was worth way much less than it was bought for. And that is not all, the piece of land was very rocky and it didn’t take a college degree for anyone to figure out that it was definitely not fit to be a grave yard!!!

Upon the surfacing of reports on the looming scandal, scores of agitated citizens took to the streets of Nairobi in protest. The situation was surely befitting the proverbial move from the frying pan to the fire. 

Nairobi residents were left grappling with the nearly exhausted space in Lang’ata cemetery, coupled with the fact that there wouldn’t be any new grave yard just yet. Apparently, citizens would not Rest In Peace, or so it seemed; corruption troubled them even in death!!!  

If you imagined you’ve just read the end of it, am afraid it is not so. At least not until you’ve read of how some members of Kenya’s legislative assembly are supposedly being bribed to support or overturn bills that favor some at the expense of others. Surely, can it get worse?  Stumble on the details in the third and final part of this article.

THE SHAMING LEVELS OF CORRUPTION IN KENYA (PART I)

Trust Kenya’s ridiculous corruption levels to make your jaw drop so far you’ll have a hard time picking it back up any day. No kidding!! Hardly does the country’s citizenry go for long without been treated to stage shows of fraud cases blowing up, which are always a case of same script different cast. If you imagined you had seen the nastiest forms of fraud, rest assured this will put to shame whatever you had in mind.

  

Following Kenya’s post election violence, serious destruction of produce and subsequent low yield, an outrageous shortage of maize hit the country not so long ago. The prices of maize and related products skyrocketed to inconceivable levels, making Kenya’s staple food unaffordable to most citizens. This prompted the government to turn to the Strategic Grain Reserves, which stores grains to be used only in times of urgent situations. 

A hungry child in Kenya.

The government set out to equitably apportion the maize among millers so as to ensure there was affordable flour in the market to caution ordinary Kenyan’s against the looming starvation crisis. In addition, more maize was imported to cover the deficit. At last the situation was been contained, and the worst was over, or so the citizens thought.

Weeks down the line, and the ‘maize scandal’ blows up. Maize meant for cautioning Kenyans against the looming starvation crisis was illegally apportioned to people and companies who were neither millers nor did they own milling premises. They then sold the maize to genuine millers at exorbitant prices, making abnormal profits; this at the expense of millions of Kenyans staring starvation in the face. Who in their sound mind does that??”

Heightened shortage of maize and maize flour as a result of the scandal, the high cost of the commodities in the market coupled with the looming scandal created a lethal mix. Scores of angry citizens took to the streets of the capital Nairobi bringing business in the city to a near standstill. They chanted anti government slogans and carried placards demanding that all focus be shifted to address the serious situation.

citizens carrying a dummy packet of maize flour during the demonstrations over the commodity's high cost

 If this swindle astonishes you, please don’t be, because you’ve barely read this article.

Just when ordinary Kenyans thought they had seen the worst, it emerged that over 4 billion shillings which had been donated by the United Kingdom government towards the very noble Free Primary Education program, was missing and could not be accounted for. This new development bore the ‘F P E funds scandal’ (the Free Primary Education funds scandal).

For those who may not know, let me bring you abreast with the specifics relating to the education sector in Kenya. There aren’t enough teachers in public schools. In some parts of the country, students have to study under trees due to inadequate classes or non existence altogether; never mind the harsh and extreme weather conditions. There aren’t enough reading materials for the pupils. The desks in most public schools have to be shared by more students than they were meant for, to mention but a few challenges facing the F P E program.

students in a classroom under Kenya's F P E program

a class in session under a tree

In view of these challenges, it is appreciable that donor funds meant for the program would have been such a big relief to millions of Kenyan school going children. This was not to be. Not only were the donor funds missing, but worse, they could not be accounted for. As if that is not enough to cause anyone a heart ache, an infuriated United Kingdom government demanded their money back, strongly stating that their taxpayers money could not be out to benefit a few greedy Kenyans. That translated into two things; the Kenyan government paid back the donated amount from the public kitty, since the donated funds were missing, and Kenyans were left worse off than they were before the donor funds!! 

It is frightening to think that some individuals would be as sly as to steal from a starving citizenry and innocent, defenseless school going children, thus putting into jeopardy the nation’s future. I hate to break it to you ladies and gentlemen, but these are facts, and facts are stubborn things. 

I had you on my mind when writing this article, and I thought it prudent to spare you a rash despondency. In part two of this piece of writing, you will be shocked beyond words upon learning that in its quest to feed its insatiable gluttony, corruption in Kenya has not spared the sick and more disgracefully, the dead! It’s an article you don’t want to miss out on!