HOW THEY’LL TELL THE TALE OF KISMAYU’S CAPTURE.

KDF soldiers celebrate when they captured the port city of Kismayu in the year 2012.

In those days, the threat of terrorism was rife globally as thousands of innocent lives had been lost in various ghastly terrorist attacks worldwide. America, then under the leadership of the eloquent and youthful president Barack Obama, was spearheading the fight against international terrorism. The century saw a breakthrough in the fight against terror, with the killing of Osama Bin Laden, who was the leader of the deadly terrorism network Al-Qaeda. In Africa, the then lawless state of Somalia was infested with insurgents believed to have links with the Al-Qaeda, and they fronted various terror attacks in the continent.

President Barack Obama.

Osama Bin Laden.

Kenya, for sharing a border line with Somalia, suffered a great deal from her neighbor’s lawlessness. Tens of thousands of Somali citizens had fled into Kenya and settled in what was the world’s largest refugee camp. To add on to Kenya’s woes, the insurgents staged several attacks in various parts of the country including the capital Nairobi, attacks that claimed innocent lives. Resultant of these attacks was panic waves that gripped the nation prompting the stepping up of the country’s security operations. Citizens were subjected to thorough security checks in hotels, churches, mosques, shopping malls, social joints, offices and residential areas. 

Cognizant that its citizens deserved an assurance of their security, the Kenyan government, at the time led by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, set out to seek a lasting solution to the anarchy in Somalia. That way, the negative effects which spilled over to Kenya would be nipped at source. In a bold move that shocked many, the Kenya Defence forces (KDF), were sent on an offensive against the Al-Shabaab militia in Somalia.

President Mwai Kibaki.

Prime minister Raila Odinga.

 On the 16^th of October in the year 2011, the KDF soldiers made a grand entry into Somalia, to kick start the operation that would see them rid the country of the menacing terror insurgents. Dubbed “Operation Linda Nchi” translated to English to read “Operation Protect Our Country”, the soldiers were able to capture many Somalia towns that were previously under the Shabaab rule. Slowly but surely, order was restored in most parts of the country as the insurgents lost their grip and control over many towns.

In those days, the world had been transformed into a global village with the advancement of information technology. It was very easy to know what was happening where via social networks of the time such as twitter and facebook. As a matter of fact, Kenyans, who still had some of the continent’s largest social media communities, would follow the progress of the war from these networks. The Kenyan twitter community was always abuzz as the KDF officials updated citizens on their progress via their twitter handle. Not surprisingly, even the Al- Shabaab militia had a twitter handle which they used mostly for gloating despite their imminent defeat by the KDF.

The operation to liberate Somalia from the Al-Shabaab lasted for nearly a year. It was characterized by fierce battles whose sights and sounds the world had previously only imagined and seen in movies. Unknown to many though, this was just the tip of the ice berg, as the soldiers were advancing further into enemy territory where imminent and unprecedented fierce battles awaited them. 

KDF Soldiers during the war.

With the assistance of the Somali National Army, the Kenya Defence Forces embarked on yet another daring mission; that of capturing the Al-Shabaab stronghold city, Kismayu. At this point in time, “Operation Sledge Hammer“was launched. Owing to the gravity of the mission that lay ahead, the soldiers figured that they would need a hammer in order to accomplish it.

What followed was an attack on the sea port city of Kismayu from the air, land and sea, much to the surprise of the insurgents. The operation, which had been top secret until its execution saw the soldiers finally capture Kismayu in the wee hours of the morning of 28^th September, the year 2012. This undertaking, which was an organized military landing through a combination of the land and naval forces, was pronounced a first of its kind in Africa.

KDF Soldiers descend on Kismayu from the Indian Ocean.

Somalia then moved to rebuild herself as well as her institutions which had previously been dysfunctional, following two decades of anarchism. Those that had fled their homes to seek refuge from war went back and helped re-build the country as we know it today!! 

THE UONGOZI CAMPAIGN.

I have said before on this site, and would wish to reiterate that; a better and brighter future surely lies ahead for Kenyans if they take up the initiative to make wise and informed decisions while voting for leaders. I was really elated to learn about the noble UONGOZI campaign, an initiative that seeks to have Kenyans, as Sammy Wambua puts it, break away from a past that saddles them with questionable leadership and the resultant ills. UONGOZI is a Swahili word meaning LEADERSHIP.

CEO's Linus Gitahi of Nation Media Group and John Githongo of Inuka Kenya flag off the campaign.

The campaign, which is intended to engage Kenyans from all walks of life has its slogan as ‘’Ni Sisi!’’ translated to mean “It is Us!”. It is up to the Kenyan people to address the problems facing their nation. And what better way to do this than to start by voting in credible leaders in the upcoming elections? This means that it is up to every Kenyan to value their vote and the positive input they would contribute towards nation building.

UONGOZI seeks to invoke a frank conversation among Kenyans, which will revolve around past occurrences and experiences. It will also be a platform where the citizens can ask straightforward questions, especially those that matter most in their lives. It is from these critical questions that voters will then be motivated to vote in candidates that offer the best answers to the questions. This of course will bring about plausible solutions as opposed to voting along tribal or regional lines while neglecting the main issues.

Then here is yet another exciting twist in the campaign, and which brings a smile to my face! The campaign, which will tour the whole country, will culminate in the selection of individuals who believe they could lead Kenya to a better future. The selected individuals will be engaged in a televised debate on how to deal with the various issues facing the country, and what’s more, the programme is scheduled to run till election time. That way, Kenyans will have all the necessary information to help them make the all important decision!

The UONGOZI logo.

Behind this very noble campaign is the USAID, under the democracy and governance program, DFID (UKAID) the government of Japan in conjunction with the UNDP, the embassy of Switzerland in Kenya and the Nation Media Group. It is also in partnership with the IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission), POSTA Kenya, AISEIC, YWCA and the Yes Youth Can Network.

“Real change is all about us and the choices we make, and actions we take as Kenyans”, says John Githongo, the CEO of Inuka Kenya Ltd, and I couldn’t agree more. I urge every Kenyan voter to take time and think about the immense power that their vote wields. That vote could change the life of every citizen for the better if and only if it is put to its best use; voting in credible leaders, who have development track records, no involvement in fraud or other integrity issues and most importantly, capable of uniting all kenyans as opposed to tribal consolidation. 

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE!!

THE SHAME OF KENYA.

Kenyans, I’m certain, have long lost count of the number of times that the country’s workforces have downed their respective tools of trade. Go slows, industrial actions and crippling strikes are seemingly the only lingo that the government of the day comprehends. Not surprisingly, the country’s economy and citizenry have had to pay the ultimate price and how the two still continue to stay afloat can only, in my opinion, be purely an act of God.

Striking teachers in Kenya hold demonstrations.

Almost every awfully important workforce you can name has had their day. Talk of teachers, those at the primary and secondary school levels. As a matter of fact, they are on strike as I write this article. Then there’re the University lecturers, who’ve recently joined the band wagon and have a history in that chapter as it were. If this next group does not send a chill down your spine; my bad! Doctors and medical staff; can you believe that?! And before you recover from that shock, add public service vehicle operators to the list.

The Medical personnel strike in Kenya in the recent past.

The principal motivation behind these most unfortunate eventualities is what the workforces’ term as “insultingly low pay packages”. They claim the government has since ceased to willingly do what is right until its personnel push it up the wall. On their part, public service vehicle operators cite harassment by police officers and rogue youth groups.  Negotiations, which are almost nonexistent, have long lost their influence in bringing the employer and the employees to an understanding.

Innocent and defenseless school going children have been caught in a major stalemate between the government and the teachers. Currently, pupils and students who attend the public schools in the country are stuck in their homes despite the start of a new school term. Thing is, the teachers have vowed not to go back to the classrooms until the government revises their perks. Rowdy demonstrations by the educators over the same have been witnessed across the country.

Demonstrations by Kenyan educators.

Similar ill fate to that which has befallen the primary and secondary school students could become a reality to the students in public universities and institutions of higher learning in the week next. This will however not be new as it has happened before. The blow suffered by the country’s education sector in the aftermath of these strikes cannot be overemphasized. You know what’s even worse?; The fact that those who suffer the most are the ordinary citizens, who are a majority, and who cannot afford to take their children to private institutions, where learning goes on uninterrupted.

Can you imagine a country where even doctors and medical personnel down their tools and take to the streets to demand their rights of a decent pay? Well, Kenya is sadly one such country. And the result of a strike by this all important group ladies and gentlemen, is not rocket science. Last time it happened, which is in the recent past, patients were left for the dead with no one to neither attend to nor treat to them! And to think that this profession was a calling and as such pay issues hardly arise!

Patients left unattended following the strike by medical personnel.

 That the figure of otherwise avoidable deaths increased is true.  It therefore comes as a shocker to the citizenry to learn that the plans to roll out another strike of the sort are at an advanced stage, and the nightmare could begin at any time. Not long ago, it was widely rumored and feared that the country’s defense forces were on a go slow. It breaks my heart so to even think about it as am sure it does you. It actually came as a relief when the police spokesperson refuted any such claims, but the fact that there was even a mention of it is bad enough!

 The message here is plain simple. Teachers have downed their tools and university lecturers as well as medical personnel are seemingly following suit. Soon all these important institutions will be unable to deliver services as expected. The government MUST take action rather than wait for the workforces to make good their strike threats. Service delivery to its citizenry is the primary role of any government and it must pursue accomplishment of the same. It is also true that most of Kenya’s workforce is grossly underpaid and the government needs to act over this as soon as yesterday rather than resulting to threats of sacking those who participate in strikes.

If all stakeholders work together, the current problems that the country is facing are nothing that good and synchronized teamwork and negotiations can’t solve. This, so we can march towards a more prosperous and democratic Kenya where everyone feels involved and their input is appreciated!! I rest my case.

THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY INTEGRATION DEBATE.

In the week past, I attended and was one of the participants in the 1^st EAC university students’ debate on regional integration. EAC (East African Community), is an intergovernmental organization of the East African states namely; Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and the United Republic of Tanzania. The states have embarked on a mission to gradually integrate economically and ultimately politically to form the East African Federation.

The East African Community logo.

The debate, which was held in Arusha Tanzania, brought together university students from all member states. It is worth noting that the city of Arusha is the headquarters of the EAC. The city has a history as a peace hub in the region, where many peace deals have been struck. It also houses the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

The debate which lasted from 23^rd to 24^th of August was officially opened by Mr. Philip Wambugu, who is the director of infrastructure EAC Secretariat, and was representing the secretary general of the EAC. Also in attendance was Ms. Heidtmann Miriam, Programme Manager, EAC- GIZ Programme on Promotion of Peace and Security.

During the debate, the participants were put together in groups of five, with each group having only one participant from each member state. The debaters were to interact with their counterparts from other member states and debate as a group to either oppose or propose the motion of political integration of the EAC states. Each member got three minutes to present their point and the group got five minutes for rebuttal after the presentations.

The debaters made it very clear the challenges and benefits that would come with the political integration of the region. Of importance is the fact that suggestions for overcoming the numerous challenges were also raised.

Day two saw a plenary session to recoup what had taken place in day one. Various fears raised on integration were responded to while suggestions were made on how to make the debate even better next time.

The evening of day two saw the gala dinner where participants and stake holders’ dined and danced and exemplary performance awarded. Hon. Jessica Eriyo, who is the EAC Deputy Secretary General, Productive and Social Sectors, was the chief guest. The colorful evening was one to remember.

 I was opposing the motion and my group came in 2^nd of the six groups. Three of the best groups were awarded with cash prizes by the chief guest. The best debaters were awarded with certificates as well as all the participants. 

Hon. Jessica Eriyo also awarded certificates to students who were selected to be the ambassadors to spread the message of the EAC integration in their countries. In her speech, the chief guest applauded all participants for having come that far, and urged them to spread the message of the region’s integration in their countries, insisting that the youth were an integral part of the process. 

The event culminated at a point where everyone was a winner for the roles they had played to make the first ever EAC University students’ debate such a huge success. On our part, all the students were able to create lasting bonds and contacts with their counterparts from other countries. A true spirit of East ‘Africanness’ was realized and it smote the air.

 The 1^st EAC University Students’ Debate on integration was truly a success and if all the issues raised during the event are put into consideration by those charged with the implementation of the integration processes, then better days lie ahead for the region.