There will be a picket outside the residence of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia Mrs Purity Muhindi tomorrow 3rd February at 18.00hrs. The Ambassador is throwing a Dinner for a group of Kenyan MPs currently on official visit to Sweden. Kenyans will protest against Impunity in Kenya and hand over a protest statement to the MPs. The PNU Ambassador has selected a few sycophants to give the MPs company and sidelined anti-impunity activists who are demanding an audience with the MPs to highlight issues affecting Kenya especially impunity, ICC and the Ocampo six, corruption in government, execution of Kenyans in the streets by trigger happy police and other issues. The Kenyans will also be protesting against the entrenchment of Impunity at the Kenyan Embassy and demand for the recall of Ambassador Purity whose tour of duty has expired. The Spokesperson of the protesters is Mr. Martin Ngatia who has appealed to all patriotic Kenyans to turn up at the Ambassador’s residence in Nacka. Further information will be circulated as it becomes available.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
Tukutane kesho jioni mbele ya mlango mkubwa wa nje kwa mama Purity. We must record our frustrations with the ruling Coalition especially the dubious PNU. It is the politicians who have tuned us to think in terms of tribe, corruption and impunity. They adhere to no rule of law yet they are lawmakers. Kenyatta began these trends then Moi copied and implemented them for 24 years. Kibaki then took over with a clear message of change, but has ended up entrenching these tendencies, which must now be eradicated.
The initiative is commendable. However we are all aware of how corrupt and greedy the current cull of Kenyan MPs is. They are largely to blame for impunity entrenching itself in all spheres of public service. Are these the caliber of people one presents a protest statement to? How do we expect them to sympathize with the sentiments of ordinary Kenyans? Would one picket and hand over a protest statement to a gang of robbers after they had raided your house? All one can expect from the MPs would be the classic Kenyan response of; Mta do? Since the influence over security forces in Sweden is not an option for these “law makers”, the protesters will at least be spared the indignity of being tear gassed and feeling the weight of batons as they fall on their heads.
>However we are all aware of how corrupt and greedy the current cull of Kenyan MPs is
Kenyans were all aware how oppressive the colonial masters were but they took up guns.
Kenyans were all too aware how oppressive the one Party dictatorship was but they resisted and political pluralism was born.
Kenyans were all too aware about the colonial nature of the old Constitution but they resisted and a new one was put in place.
Struggle is a process and awareness about wrong doing cannot be used as an excuse for innaction. What are you talking about?
>Would one picket and hand over a protest statement to a gang of robbers after they had raided your house?
If you take change literally – that the action of a picket can take the thieving ruling class off the radder – then you are right. It cannot. In the field of struggle, a picket of this nature has to be part of a broader process of the Kenyan collective. This process manifests itself in the form of the growing Movement against impunity. What did the jailing of a single individual – Nelson Mandela – do to apartheid? Pickets and the handing over of statements are recognized methods of struggle. The MPs will be dinning together with the chosen few but with just a picket outside their “eating zone”, they will never be at peace! When university professors – Saitoti, Kibwana, Ongeri et al – began to loot the economy, someone said that the more some Kenyans get educated, the more they become functionally illiterate.
Lemmi ask hakuna vile some MP can visit purity bila kenyans kuwa invited… what so important that you have to do….ask some questions to the Mps and be cheated as they always lie to us…
Why is it such a big deal!! Or is it because purity is a woman and as usual all kenyan men dont appreciatte women unless of course you are using her for some advantage!!!!
sHE MIGHT have her problems with running the embassy but she is human i mean give her a break wait time yake to get finished you get the Angel that will be doing everything as you like!!
NKT!!
Tshik: You are introducing the issue of gender at the speculative level. Purity remains a mother of wonderful children and a wife of a respected Kenyan man. However, as an Ambassador, she has been a disaster and a bad example. Criticisms of her have been based on her policies at the Embassy, not her performance at the domestic level. Politicians must answer to the public, whether in Kenya or in Sweden because they are public servants. There is nothing wrong with asking them questions because the Constitution allows for freedom of expression. Let those who want to confront them do so, those who want to watch from a distance do so and those who want to throw salvos online do so. That is democracy. There are Kenyan ladies who hate Purity like leprocy because of her cheap theatrics. With your narrow, gender based interpretation of a straight forward problem, what will you tell these women when they become active on the picket line? Does it mean that men she has invited to the Dinner are those who love her as a woman?
Even if the MPs will be belching “MTA DO” we shall be there to show solidarity with our Brethren in the Motherland.
At least those brave enough to face the bunch of hyenas will have shown that they are concerned about eradicating impunity, whether the MPs will throw the protest statement into the bushes aroung Purity’s residence, or use them to wipe their fat thieving asses.
A protest, no matter how small, is a contribution for the betterment of Kenya. Tunisians were tear gassed and killed, but they eventually got what they wanted. Egyptians are hanging in there hoping that old sack of a president will bow out.
Kenyans in the Diaspora should be encouraged to sympathize with those at home. Those who sit by their computers sending negative vibes seem to be for the status quo. Picketing today cannot be as bad as the days of Moi, when the embassy gave zero audience to us.
Hatuogopi wala hatutishwi!!!!
Kenyans in Sweden should be open and tell the World the wrongs being done in Kenya. Kenya is for all Kenyans but not for one tribe. To make peace is to unite all Kenyans together regardless where they come from. That is the Kenya we want. Which Kenyan does not want to be rich? All of us want to be rich,and we are all equal in the eyes of God.If the Kenyan leaders live on the past status quos, then they should expect the wind of change. Otherwise people want to live in peace and love as Kenyans.
There is no word or clause in our Constitution which says succession of Presidency in Kenya. Kenyans Presidents are elected by Kenyans people from all parts of the Republic of Kenya not in the groups we a hear talking and campaigning of succession.
Succession is there in homes, clans, and Villages but not for Kenya as a Country. We only elect the President by all Kenyan 42 tribes by vote but not succession of a tribe.My words should be noted down.It will be sad for Kenyans if someone somewhere prepare and think his wealthy and Arms can make him / her to lead Kenyans in coming years, that is doom dreams. Let all 42 tribes of Kenya elect the leader they want.That is only the peace which will prevail in our Country Kenya.
IS this whats up while others finding time to be here on offical visit. The whole buch got to get themselves together. We are sure that this cannot be the best Kenya has to offer in terms of leadership. So time for a refresher. Paradigm shift begind nows, new day new realities.
Blessup
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Speaker%20gets%20threats%20ahead%20of%20key%20ruling%20/-/1064/1100626/-/hhvbp4/-/index.html
Wacheni uchizi, Most kenyans here as i know have families home(Back in kenya)thats why most of we in europe still recognize ourselves as Kenyans. So all divious acts that the polititians play that affect our families back in kenya, we have to react if we (abroad)really care for them as many left the homeland to fetch for them bread & better future,Tshik whatever you name is, sounds like you are a Pnu allie whose working for purity, with technology if ksb wants, can track your ip address to expose who you really are & what Ip address you operating from, You are dangerous for True kenyans!! You are One Of Them(Vampires whose been sucking the citizens sweat & blood since the fake independence provided by the colonial masters)!!!!!It Shows strongly with your reaction towards the issue of impunity that the true suffering Kenyans want to conquer!! Wake up Girl/Woman!!!!!! KENYA CAN BE THE NEXT EGYPT/TUNISIA!! YOUTHS ARE AWAKE 2DAY, FALA WEWE!!!!AMKA UJENGE TAIFA!!!
Makozewe, for clarification purposes I am not advocating for inaction. A select few have been invited to meet Kenyan MPs visiting Stockholm. These MPs that have time and time again shown their disregard for the welfare of Kenyans and Kenya as a country, and moreover do not understand the concepts of nationalism and patriotism at all. A select few that are to dine with them and are most probably the dregs of conformists and opportunists in Stockholm with burning aspirations to joining the ranks of the minority of Kenyans represented by these MPs. A minority that feeds off the sweat and blood of Kenyans. Would a patriotic Kenyan want to meet, dine and discuss issues with the likes of these fellows? That is what I am “talking ”about, Sir.
I have nothing against picketing, on the contrary, it is a powerful form of expression when protesting against injustice. What I consider defeatist is the act of handing over a statement of protest to those committing the same injustices or their representatives. Take the recent protests in Tunisia and Egypt, handing over protest statements does not feature anywhere as such an action would serve no purpose. A condemned person, especially one who’s only “crime” is being born to a certain class, does not hand over a statement of protest to his executioner. These men and women in parliament and in governance have condemned Kenyans to a life of misery and servitude, and as a result Kenyans are being executed on a daily basis directly or indirectly due their ineptitude.
Kanda: If I may narrow down a reply to what you are saying: The purpose of presenting a Statement in a protest situation is not necessarily to pressure the Statement’s recipients to change the situation. In many instances, the recipients may have no authority to act. In fact, the picket in question is not against the MPs per se. On the one hand, it is against the self-serving arrangement under which the MPs operate and on the other, against Mrs. Purity Muhindi’s style of running the Kenyan Embassy like a private business empire. When you demonstrate or picket, you need to articulate the issues of concern and even let others know why you were demonstrating/picketing. A Statement serves the purpose of condensing the issues and handing it over to the main target serves to help the recipients know that the protesters are aware and are opposed to the issues raised in the Statement. Further, a Statement is a medium through which the protesters can easily circulate the intentions of their action to a wider audience in a bid to influence opinion in a situation of struggle. A Statement helps the recipients to know and understand what the protesters want even if the recipients cannot deliver.
You mentioned lack of statements in Tunisia and Egypt. Here, you are confusing a picket with a mass revolt. In Sweden, a picket is a gathering of not more than 9 people. If you are 10, then the gathering is classified as a demonstration. The Tunisian/Egyptian case is neither a demo nor a picket. These are revolutions in progress and in as much as you think that there is “no Statement” in the situation, there is – that President Hosni Mubarack pack and go.
May be, you think that a Statement must be written on a piece of paper and handed over personally to the recipient. Not necessarily. The Tunisian/Egyptian statements are being delivered to the recipients through the media which pick them up in slogans during protests. Mubarack has even tried to reply to these Statements. Even for the sake of debate, try to expand your perspective on the concept of “protest statements” by not narrowing your view to the perception that since a Statement cannot influence the recipients to act otherwise, they should not be handed over.