Githuku wa Muirani Responds To Gerry Midenyo
God is good all the times and all times God is good. I do give him all the praise because its ONLY him and HIM alone who is my creator and also its only him who knows where I will go when I die and that’s why I am not afraid of those who can kill my physical body and do nothing more than that, but am only afraid of he (God) who can kill me and my soul too.
In the bible we are told that, Joseph was sold to Egypt by his brothers because he had a dream (vision) and when he was sold there, it was a blessing in disguise because when there was famine in Israel, Jacob sent his sons to buy food there and to their surprise, it was Joseph who was the governor but since
he had good attitude, he never took offence and he treated his brothers well.
Despite all their efforts, they never killed Joseph’s dream and as long as one has a dream in life, one will encounter all types of critics and admirers. Concerning my Christian faith, it’s only God who will judge me and not human beings.
When Jesus was crucified, we are told that he was crucified with two thieves and one of them went to paradise because he pleaded with Jesus to remember him once he was in heaven and Jesus assured him that “tonight you will be with me in paradise”. According to the people of that time, they had condemned that thief to death but thanks to God because he never judges the way human beings do judge. It’s only by turning to Christ that we will receive salvation.
Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley is the head of one of the biggest political parties (Protestant) in Northern Ireland and he has not been talking to Gerry Adams of Sinn Feinn (Catholics) because of the politics of Northern Ireland until recently when they agreed to share power. Rev. Jesse Jackson is another high profile Clergyman who also indulges in politics.
The late Bishop, Dr. Henry Okullu even wrote a book about Church and Politics and he was very instrumental in championing the introduction of multi-partism in Kenya. Dr. Timothy Njoya and the late Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge were also very vocal in criticizing Moi’s dictatorship.
I have never called myself a Pastor because in the first place I have never gone to any theological college. To my understanding, anyone who preaches the word of God or who teaches it can qualify for that title though in God’s Kingdom, all will be equal and that’s how God sees us as human beings because we are all created in his own image.
On my political leanings, it’s no secret that I have been supporting President Mwai Kibaki because it’s my God given right to support a candidate of my choice. In all articles which I have written, I have never attacked any particular community in Kenya but obviously as a supporter of PNU, I had to throw some salvos on ODM, just as they were also doing. I have never used any crude language as others have been doing.
About being born a Gikuyu, I have no apologies to make to anybody because God found me fit to be born in that community and it was not my choice. I do also respect other communities because they too, were created by God and that’s the beauty of creation. No community or race is superior than the others.
One is entitled to Freedom of Opinion and Association but it does not mean that if one gives an opinion which another person thinks is not right, one is against that person. I have stated in many of my articles even prior to the elections that I will support whichever government the Kenyan people chooses and right now am supporting the Grand Coalition government.
About funds raised at Bagarmossen Church, its only UHCK committee which can issue a Statement on the issue. It is not the first time Bagarmossen Church has been attacked and if it’s the will of God that it should be there, it will always survive. If there is anybody who has been confused by my religious status, turn only to Jesus because it’s only him who is the way, life and light.
Githuku Wa Muirani
Mary Mwangi’s Grandmother Is Dead
The Grandmother of Ms Mary Mwangi, a Kenyan lady who lives in Stockholm, has died, plunging the family into deep mourning. Speaking to KSB, Mary said that she received a phone call from Kenya that her grandmother had died.
The granny suffered a stroke and passed away a week after she was taken to hospital for treatment. She will be buried on Tuesday next week.
There is an “Open House” at Mary’s residence in Skarpnäck (Luftskeppsgatan 10) while special prayers will also be held at the residence on Monday next week from 18.00 hrs. Mary welcomes Kenyans to her house for consolation and messages of condolences. For further information, contact Mary through: 08 6046033.
Okoth Osewe
Gerry Midenyo Returns From Kenya And Attacks Muirani
Mr. Gerry Midenyo, a Kenyan resident in Stockholm, has returned from Kenya and attacked Mr. Githuku wa Muirani for contributing antagonistic articles at Kenyan blogs and “confusing Wananchi” especially those resident in Stockholm.
Speaking to KSB, Mr. Midenyo said that he has been reading articles by Muirani accusing Raila Odinga of being responsible for the Killings in Kenya without knowing what he was talking about.
“I went to Kenya where I also voted. When I was there, my own cousin was killed in the post election violence but it could be wrong to claim that Raila was directly involved in the death because violence was sporadic”, he said.
“Muirani has been attacking the Luo community, the Luhya community and the Kalenjin community for being responsible for the killings in Kenya without mentioning members of these communities who were also killed by police or hacked to death by Mungiki gangs”, he said.
Mr. Midenyo said that Muirani should stop being tribalistic and conducting a hate campaign against Raila whom, he said, is now the Prime Minister designate in Kenya.
“The likes of Muirani should listen to Kenyans like Mr. Charles Njonjo who has been preaching peace and cohabitation of all tribes in Kenya”, he said. He added that Kenyatta said that in case the leadership of Kenya passes across River Chania, there would be trouble.
“After he took power, Kibaki passed through River Chania with his motorcade and Kenyans have witnessed the kind of problems that Kenyans faced”, he said.
Mr. Midenyo also attacked Mr. Dick Kamau, the Secretary General of Chama cha Mwananchi (CCM), for blaming ODM members as having been responsible for the burning of Koigi wa Wamwere’s house in Subukia, Nakuru. Wamwere is the Chairman of CCM.
“Koigi’s politics is over and those who burnt his house did it out of bitterness due to his failure to serve them when he was in Parliament”, he said.
He told KSB that ODM members should not be blamed for every house that was burnt because the violence was spontaneous and it was impossible to know whether those burning houses were ODM members or gangs taking advantage of the situation.
ODM supporters in Stockholm must defend the Party against attacks by opportunists and political prostitutes who have nothing to offer”, he said.
Turning more fire on Muirani, Mzee Midenyo said that Muirani should first explain where funds that were raised at the UHCK in Bagarmossen Church went instead of confusing people.
“At first, Kenyans were told that the funds would be sent to Kenya through the International Red Cross. Today, I know that the funds were sent through the private account of an individual to some Church in Kenya”, he thundered.
Mzee Midenyo also said that Mr. Muirani should explain whether he is a politician or a Pastor, arguing that Muirani’s new profile as a Pastor in Bagarmossen Church was confusing Kenyans in Stockholm. He attacked the Bagarmossen Church for allowing anybody to call himself or herself Pastor after attending a service there for one day.
“The problem is that you hear a Kenyan taking the title of Pastor then later, you see the same person consuming alcohol in a bar or abusing people. This is not good for the Church and people should speak up”, he said.
The sudden attack by Mzee Midenyo on Muirani will, most likely, surprise many Kenyans in Stockholm because there has been no public show-down between the two Kenyans and it is not very clear why Midenyo opened fire.
Mr. Muirani has been running a string of articles in the Internet claiming that Raila is untrustworthy and that he cannot lead Kenya. It looks like the articles may have angered Mzee Midenyo, prompting him to rush to his armory with anti-Muirani artillery.
Okoth Osewe
About KSB
New Book On Kenya December 2007 Election Crisis: In Circulation
-
Recent Comments
alan campbell on Horror In Kenya: Shocking Vide… walid on Mudavadi’s Presidential … clint on A Plea From Jeff Mwangi Kwirik… Mary Wambui Kabue on Mudavadi’s Presidential … Josphat munjuri on Tit-bits of Miguna’s … NEW: COUNTRY STATS
Political Attacks Are Good For Public Debate
There is a big difference between a personal attack, a political attack, a personal vendetta and a critique be they against a point of view, an academic presentation or an idea. Yesterday, Mr. Gerry Midenyo, a Kenyan resident in Stockholm, disturbed the still Kenya-Stockholm waters by throwing a missile in the direction of Githuku wa Muirani, the former Director of the just disbanded “Kibaki Tena” lobby group in Scandinavia.
Without even bothering to examine some of the issues Gerry was raising, some Kenyans have questioned Gerry’s real intention while others like Tonny Odera have posited that Gerry is raising “non issues” through “petty talking”.
Clay Onyango, another Stockholmer, congratulated Tonny and hoped that Tonny’s message will “vibrate into those with deaf ears and evil minds”. Instead of a punch by punch dismissal of Gerry’s attack on Muirani, expletives were being sneaked into the discourse in a frantic attempt to reduce Gerry’s concerns to a “personal attack”.
With his comment, what Clay is suggesting is that Gerry has “deaf ears”, if not an “evil mind” simply because he raised his voice over matters touching on a Kenyan in Stockholm, matters which, he thought, deserved some sober answers. Now, Kenyans might even be afraid of raising legitimate issues for fear of being seen as “evil minded” if not “deaf”.
Judging from Muirani’s reply, one is tempted to conclude that Muirani was even more sober minded than some of his sympathizers whom, in their bid to defend Muirani, slowly began to sink into mediocrity. Let us examine briefly some of the issues Gerry raised.
After the post election violence, UHCK organized a well publicized fund raising to help victims of the post election violence in Kenya. This was definitely a fantastic cause that demonstrated the concern Kenyans who attended the harambee had towards the situation in Kenya. It was big news when it emerged that over quarter million Kenyan shillings was raised.
At the planning stage, the Committee reportedly agreed that cash raised would be forwarded to victims of post election violence through the International Red Cross, a fact which was also publicized. The money was to be channeled through Mr. Samson Mande, a progressive Ugandan who works with the Red Cross and whose inclusion in the Committee was partly to facilitate transparency and accountability because no one seemed to doubt the fact that the funds would be diverted if transmitted through the Red Cross.
After the fund raising, the well-oiled rumour mills in Stockholm began to grind to the effect that Red Cross had been side lined and that the funds were sent to some unknown church in Kenya that was allegedly identified without consultation with the Committee.
The rumours have since been converted into fact by Red Cross which has confirmed that it did not send the money to Kenya. Muirani was and still is the Chairman of UHCK and therefore, he is directly answerable in the situation. Is it wrong for Gerry to ask for public accountability of the funds, given that the funds were raised by the Kenyan and Swedish publics?
Secondly, Gerry insinuated that the funds were sent to Kenya, not in the name of UHCK or the Bagarmossen Church but in the name of an individual. Who was this and how could this have happened because the funds should have been in some organization’s account be it UHCK or Bagarmossen Church? How did the individual get access to the funds?
Stockholm is awash with all kinds of versions about what might have happened to the money ranging from it being sent to a Church in Naivasha or Nakuru to being sent to Mungiki in Kibera. Is it wrong for Gerry to have called for accountability to clear the air? And does raising eyebrows amount to being deaf and evil minded?
Framing the matter in the form of a challenge does not mean that money “was eaten” and there should be no mistake about this. For example, why was cash not sent through the Red Cross as had been agreed upon because there are people who contributed cash because they believed that through Red Cross, the money would benefit victims of post election violence regardless of whether they came from Nakuru, Naivasha or Kisumu. The question of corruption and accountability is a big issue in Kenya especially when dealing with public funds. Why should it be petty in Stockholm?
PORNOGRAPHY SERVED ON VALENTINE’S DAY
Gerry also raised the issue regarding the spate of “Pastors” sprouting at Bagarmossen Church at an alarming rate. There should be no problem with people calling themselves “Pastors” especially when they preach the word of God. Gerry simply wanted a clarification and Muirani has done so in a very mature way and without using derogatory language.
Professional Pastors who graduated from some Theological college have and will continue to exist side by side with lay Pastors. What angered Gerry are Kenyans whom, after adding the word “Pastor” on their CVs, proceed to conduct themselves in ways that are incompatible with the title, be it on a Professional or lay basis.
You cannot call yourself a Pastor then on Jamhuri day when the Embassy throws a two hour bash at Scandic Hotel, you are the first person to arrive to drink yourself flat until you are wheeled away in a wheel chair by security personnel. Was Gerry wrong in trying to seek a clarification from Mr. Muirani who has since set the record straight – that he is not a Pastor in the accepted sense of the word?
Then, Gerry also questioned why Muirani has been anti-Raila Odinga and why he has been blaming some communities for the killings in Kenya. It is simplistic to even imagine that this inquiry was directed at the person of Muirani because Gerry was simply playing politics and Muirani did give a political response.
I am raising these issues because of the risk of muzzling Kenyans from raising critical but public issues affecting members of the Kenya-Stockholm community.
Clay Onyango should be the last person to question Gerry because he has opened his blog for anonymous writers to attack other Kenyans at a very low level. Kenyans have watched with horror as families, spouses, wazee and even children of “enemies” are attacked with impunity at Clay’s blog, sometimes with extreme language.
On Valentines day, Clay treated his readers to a pornographic picture of two African women with mountain-like bums that could scare a child into asking very difficult questions! That was after Ole Ngais had alerted readers about what he did with his wife on one Valentine’s day – gave her 29 chupis to add to her collection. Apparently, there were no comments from the Kenya “Guardians of Morals”.
At one time, Clay’s grandmother had her dress stuck between her buttocks (it was disguising) while there is another time when Clay’s balls were hanging I don’t know after he took a shower and what have you. Don’t ask about the picture of the stark naked couple (with bushy shrubs in full glare) in Nairobi that was being embarrassed by Wananchi in the streets after the Ka-bull kanyagad another person’s wife but do I say?
While Kenyans need to avoid hitting below the belt, there are legitimate political exchanges that should not be silenced using manipulated logic. Questioning the destination of funds raised in public does not amount to a personal attack. Political attacks are good because they not only inform but also stimulate public debate on issues of interest. Let us be realistic.
Okoth Osewe
March 8, 2008 Posted by makozewe | Commentary, Politics: The View from stockholm | Leave a Comment