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
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March 8, 2008 -
Posted by makozewe |
Commentary, Politics: The View from stockholm
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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
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March 8, 2008 - Posted by makozewe | Commentary, Politics: The View from stockholm