WHO WILL STOP THIS MADNESS?

Yet again, a ghastly attack targeted at innocent citizens was executed yesterday leaving at least six people dead and scores fighting for their lives. The incident, which occurred in the late afternoon, involved a 25-seater mini bus in one of Nairobi city estates. I know exactly what you must be thinking; that the title is a little too harsh? Trust me by the time you’re done reading this post, you will call it an understatement.

The public transport vehicle in which the blast occurred.

On an earlier post titled “The cry of a nation”, I highlighted the spate of terror attacks that Kenya had suffered since the Kenya Defence Forces kick started the offensive against the Al-shabaab terror group. Sadly, days after that operation successfully came to an end, the ugly monster that is terrorism and insecurity continues to rear its head in Kenya. The last couple of months have witnessed a spate of reported incidences of insecurity which have left scores dead and many more injured.

A young victim of the Tana delta clashes.

In a span of less than four weeks, at least a hundred and thirteen people had been brutally murdered in the Tana delta region of Kenya, while thousands fled their homes in fright following the attacks. What is believed to be politically fuelled ethnic clashes spiraled out of control causing a public outcry by the citizens to the government to swiftly swing into action and avert further loss of lives. That was early last month and the government already set up a commission to look into the killings.

The ruins of one of the villages attacked in the Tana

Exit October, enter November, and the wave of insecurity cases rages on. In what was described as “a technical hitch of the officers in charge”, an operation in pursuit of cattle rustlers turned tragic after nearly forty armed police officers were felled by the bandits’ bullets, in what is now referred to as the Baragoi massacre. As a matter of fact, their bodies were scattered across “the valley of death” for nearly three days before the government airlifted the decomposing bodies to the capital. So traumatic was this scene that bereaved families had to receive special counseling from the Kenya Red Cross before proceeding with burial arrangements.

Police officers conduct a search for bodies of their fallen colleagues in Baragoi.

Following yesterday’s attack on a public transport vehicle which left several people dead and others seriously injured, rowdy youths are reported to have turned hostile towards members of a particular community, blaming them for the attack. As am sure you can imagine, this made an already bad situation worse, by adding on to the number of casualties. The terror attack comes weeks after another attack in which a grenade was hauled inside a Sunday school service killing a child and leaving others seriously injured. 

The class where children were in the middle of a Sunday school service when a grenade was hauled.

With every of these incidents of insecurity Kenyans are left wondering who will assure them of their security, seeing as the government is seemingly reactive rather than proactive on the security matters. This begs the question “who will stop this madness?” because seriously, as far as national security goes - something needs to be done as soon as yesterday!!

Well there you have it, these chilling statistics on insecurity leave a really bad taste in ones mouth; don’t they? I’m sure you do agree that when I talk of “who will stop this madness?” it’s for lack of a better phrase, and an understatement of the grim situation as it is. This is the part where I say “I told you so” but considering the sad circumstances under which I’m writing this post I’ll spare you further heart ache.

I, as am sure do all Kenyan’s of good will, really hope the government effectively steps up to its mandate of ensuring every citizen is safe, be it from terrorism or tribal clashes, especially as the General Election draws closer. On their part, citizens should co-operate with the authorities and give any information they might have on possible criminal elements who pose as civilians.

I pen off.

OBAMA’S MOMENT

When America went to the poll last week Tuesday to decide between Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney, political analysts had predicted that it would be a tightly contested race. Anxiety had taken the best of both candidates supporters. And while the world observed the American election, Kenya watched with a keen eye and bated breath.  

American president elect Barack Obama.

Republican Candidate Mitt Romney.

Barack Obama was declared the winner amidst wild jubilation from his supporters. He then proceeded to give a powerful acceptance speech while Romney conceded defeat.  Back in Kenya, words alone cannot adequately paint a picture of the concurrent events. This given the ancestral ties the American president elect has with Kenya.

The Obama's acknowledge cheers from supporters.

To begin with, way before the presidential election, women groups in Kogelo, which is the ancestral land of Barack, had been holding special prayers for the incumbent president’s victory! As Americans took to the voting stations Tuesday, the villagers in Kogelo braved the morning cold to conduct a mock election, whereby “voters” cast their ballot in favor of Romney or Obama. Need I say who emerged the mock election winner?

Kogelo residents celebrating Obama's win

The villagers proceeded to spend the night glued to the television screens as the results were streamed in live by major media houses. By late morning, it was apparent that Obama had taken the lead and that marked the beginning of ecstatic celebrations across the village as people chanted the now famous slogan “four more years!” On social networking sites, congratulatory messages to the president elect stole the show.

Routine activities were shelved as the jubilant citizens celebrated the victory in the best way they knew how. Mrs. Sarah Obama, the president elect’s step grandmother was not one to be left out of such revelry. The senior Obama thanked God for Barrack’s success and said she looked forward to attending the swearing in ceremony in America early next year.

Mama Sarah Obama celebrates with other villagers.

That said, Obama has four more years at the white house. The fact that the American presidency is the most powerful political position in the world means everyone will be watching with keen interest the policies he advocates for. Given his charm and charisma, the Americans knew better than to deny him a second term in office! 

Here is to four more years!!                                                              

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!!