It is extremely inspiring that 48 years after the colonial revolution that ended “physical colonialism” in Kenya, young Kenyans are quickly beginning to understand that the country needs yet another revolution. Although much of Kenyan politics driven by liberal parties and huge sections of the Civil Society hinges mainly on democratic and institutional reforms, the emergence of grass roots organizations claiming the “revolutionary” tag is extremely significant.
Grass roots organizations like “Bunge La Mwananchi”, the “Unga Revolution” and the “Wanjuku Revolution of Kenya (WRK)” led by the youth have sprouted in Kenya and spreading their tentacles across the country calling for revolution. Unable to figure out how to deal with the threat of a group of youth organizing themselves to intervene in Kenya’s politics, Kenya’s security has resorted to threats, intimidation of youth leaders, illegal arrests, confiscation of computers, banning of rallies, summary executions at secret locations and other dirty tricks reminiscent of the vanquished Moi dictatorship.
Why are Kenyans awakening to the realization that another revolution is necessary in the country? The answer is that the political, economic and social crisis has reached a point where the ordinary worker living on starvation wages, millions of unemployed youths and poor Kenyans who used to find it difficult putting food on the table are currently on the verge of starvation as a result of run-away fuel and food prices precipitated by the huge crisis of capitalism in Kenya. The Unga Revolution is a one issue Movement seeking for a reduction of maize floor to an affordable 30 Kenyan shillings.
Today, the 1st of June, Kenyans are supposed to mark the 48th Madaraka Day, the day Kenyans are supposed to have taken control of their country from British colonialists to chart a collective destiny. Unfortunately, the reality on the ground is that more than 10 million Kenyans are faced with starvation, millions of youths are unemployed, impoverished workers are increasingly finding it difficult to live from hand to mouth while almost all basic social services have collapsed because the capitalist system of government has failed to deliver.
The cry for revolution that is echoing across the country is fuelled by: hopelessness among the youth; lack of job opportunities even after university education; spiraling inflation occasioned by run-away prices of basic consumer commodities; retrenchment of poor workers due to privatizations; open looting of the economy through corruption and embezzlement of public funds by the corrupt ruling class; deplorable living conditions especially in the slums; plummeting living standards; political subterfuge by thieves calling themselves politicians; crisis of leadership; widespread insecurity across the country and a host of other vices precipitated by a corrupted system of government that favours the rich and condemns the poor to lives of mystery and perpetual suffering.
Despite threats from Security forces used by the ruling class to defend their vested interests, Kenyans are no longer afraid of raising the specter of revolution in the country. Buoyed by revolutions in North Africa that have toppled dictators and encouraged by growing protests threatening to topple long standing autocratic regimes in the Middle East, the youth in Kenya are beginning to find their revolutionary voices.
Revolution needs to dominate political agenda
The situation is however complex because over the years, revolution has evolved into a distinct science which if not understood properly by the revolutionary leadership, might lead to betrayal of the struggling masses (like in Algeria), counter-revolution and civil war (like in Libya), defeat, splits in the revolutionary movement or party, establishment of bonapartist regimes (like in Ethiopia during Mengistu Hail Mariam’s rule), hijacking of the revolutionary movement by ruling class opportunists or installation of military dictatorships (like in Egypt after the fall of Hosni Mubarak).
In the case of Kenya, Bunge La Mwananchi is a grass-roots social movement while the “Unga Revolution” is a one issue movement focusing on the reduction of unga prices, an urgent matter that needs urgent redress by the Kenyan ruling class. The character of the Wanjiku Revolution of Kenya (WRK) cannot yet be discerned because it has no political program that can point to its real agenda. However, WRK has been seeking to establish itself as an anti-government propaganda group in Facebook.
In the wake of social movements and new groups calling for revolution in Kenya, the fundamental questions in the equation is whether the “Unga revolution” is the solution to the crisis in Kenya. At the minimum, Kenyans need to be able to put food on the table and on this note, the success of the Unga revolution is very urgent and whatever concessions the Movement can gain from the ruling class using whatever tactics should be welcome.
From a different perspective, problems with spiraling prices of basic consumer commodities that have made Unga unaffordable to the masses of the Kenyan people are inextricably intertwined with a system of government that has failed to deliver in the last 48 years. Apart from runaway prices of consumer commodities, the problem of corruption has been impossible to solve under subsequent capitalist governments because corruption is part of the system.
The reason why we have impunity in Kenya is because the thieving ruling class has a tendency of protecting one another from prosecution using mechanisms in the system and here, the AG has been leading the pack. While every Kenyan needs to support the Unga revolution and other single issue revolutions across the country, it has to be pointed out that the ultimate revolution that will be able to transform the lives of Kenyans is the revolution that will be aimed at toppling the system of government that is responsible for the current crisis facing the country.
Kenyans have gone through single issue revolutions before which greatly opened the democratic space but left the system intact to be exploited by the corrupt ruling class to steal even more public funds from the Treasury, steal elections and install a President at night using a compromised CJ, violate the rights and freedoms of Kenyans, abrogate the country’s constitution with impunity, protect suspects of crimes against humanity, execute civilians using instruments of State violence, convert State House into a conduit for drug trafficking and abuse power without recourse.
As the revolutionary wave continues to sweep across Kenya, and as revolutionary structures led by the youth continues to sprout across the country, it is the responsibility of Kenya’s revolutionary thinkers to come forward with positive in-put that can advance the interests of the revolutionary struggle. Revolution needs to dominate the political agenda as reformists of the rotten system begin to waver.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
.PNU/Kibaki govt must be told openly that allowing the People of Turkana &NFD to die of hunger & starvation is treasonable that must be punished by death,(hanging) And in a military court martial is done by a firing squad.(Execution Platoon) Its not strange Idi Amin Used the method very effectively
Kikuyu has become Aps Language >.You are here: National Corridors of Power Corridors of Power Skip to content.Corridors of Power .
Wednesday, 01 June 2011 17:28 BY POLITICAL DESK . Employees of a parastatal under the Ministry of Energy are complaining that the institution is choking with senior staff from one community who most times transact official business in their mother tongue. The junior staff have now written to the chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman Muzalendo Kibunja asking him intervene.
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Kinuthia Mbugua, the head of the Administration police might need to send his people to check out a problem which we are told is brewing at his office in Ngara. The junior officers there are seething with anger at their boss whom they allege has been slapping, harassing and intimidating them at will.
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The function by Mwala professionals to distribute sanitary pads to poor girls in the constituency which was abruptly cancelled after the area MP Mwala Daniel Muoki protested claiming he had not been informed will go ahead this Sunday. The professionals, who had invited Wavinya Ndeti who is the MP of the neighbouring constituency to be the guest of honour have now said the function will go ahead whether or not their MP approves.
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The parishoners of St Joseph Catholic church in Ngong are concerned that an official from the local parish office is letting the church and even the local bishop, John Cardinal Njue down. They claim a parish official has been entertaining myriad women in his office and other social places which has led to tensions in the families of some of the women who are married or recently widowed.
Osewe, this is an interest take on “single issue revolutions.” A national revolution might take a while given the political manipulations or threats by the ruling class through false promises and handouts.
Kenyans are hopeful about the new Constitution which unfortunately, is being abused by a section of politicians who don’t want it implemented. For example, they oppose the relinquishing of political parties’ leadership as long as they are government officials e.g. being MPs or ministers.
Social networks should continue connecting with ordinary Kenyans to bring a national revolution. On the other hand, there is hope that the single issue revolutions might implode into major ones. “The Jasmine revolution” in Tunisia rose from growing concerns about single issues that snowballed to oust then ruling dictatorship and eventually into the “Arab Spring”.
Background of the Tunisian Revolution
“The Tunisian revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. Street demonstrations and other unrest have continued to the present day.
The demonstrations were precipitated by high unemployment, food inflation, corruption, a lack of freedom of speech and other political freedoms and poor living conditions. The protests constituted the most dramatic wave of social and political unrest in Tunisia in three decades and have resulted in scores of deaths and injuries, most of which were the result of action by police and security forces against demonstrators. The protests were sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi on 17 December and led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 28 days later on 14 January 2011, when he officially resigned after fleeing to Saudi Arabia, ending 23 years in power. Labour unions were said to be an integral part of the protests. The protests inspired similar actions throughout the Arab world; the Egyptian revolution began after the events in Tunisia and also led to the ousting of Egypt’s longtime president Hosni Mubarak; furthermore, protests have also taken place in Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Mauritania and also Libya – where a full-scale rebellion has broken out – as well as elsewhere in the wider North Africa and Middle East.”
Although Kenyans face a lot of brutality from State security, it is the “single issue revolutions” that shall bloom into a full-fledged national one. “We Shall Overcome” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=130J-FdZDtY
KSB: Lula: Thanks. Single issue revolutions are good for the advancement of the democratic process. It ended physical colonialism in Kenya (colonial revolution), brought about political pluralism in Kenya (Saba Saba revolution), ended Moi/KANU’s 24 year hold on power (the Narc aka Rainbow revolution) and gave Kenya a new Constitution last year (the Katiba revolution). The Unga revolution is also good for the country. However, the limitations have to be underlined and key issues in the revolutionary struggle outlined so that Wazalendo know and understand the more tricky tasks ahead. As focus is beamed on single issues, focusing on the system as the main problem is the “jack-pot”. This was the gist of the article.
Talkinbg of a blood revolution is one thing we should all dread.Should people sacrifice again thus brother against brother?No doubt politicians are letting us down by forgetting the poor all the time. But what will be the solution…bickering and bickering amongst all. Bribing voters and buying the poor to vote them back!Voters expecting money dished to them to vote!Politicians using tribes against tribes!Politicians drawing huge salaries to reward themselves yet all turning blind to realities. Not even learning lessons from others before them. Gullible cultures!Pity who?Eating cultures forgetting their noble aim of helping the electorates..endless impunity all over call them….
KSB: No one has so far talked about a “blood revolution”. What is known is that violence can at times be a consequence of revolution and much depends on circumstances. Politicians are letting Kenyans down because politics has become business and the agenda is no longer trying to change Kenya for the better but filling stomachs of politicians and members of their families. It is easier to amass wealth in Kenya by getting into politics and stealing from the Treasury than opening a mitumba bizz at Gikomba. The system allows this.
It is time there was a revolution in Kenya.Many people might say that a revolution may turn bloody and people may loose their lives.But what they forget is thousands of sick women and children are dying everyday in Kenya because hospitals lack medicine or enough doctors.Millions are starving to death yet Kenya has one of the best agricultural land in the world.Unemployment runs high yet our political class is one of the most highly paid in the world.Most of the youth have given up and are killing themselves through alcohol and drugs.Yet members of the ruling class are the biggest importers of Heroine and Cocaine into the country while the police protect them. Corruption runs high with our own democratically elected leaders stealing money meant for the education of the Kenyan youth, money meant for building maternity for the millions of poor pregnant Kenyan women,money that would have played a big part in alleviating poverty and unemployment among the youth.Millions of dollars are looted from the Kenyan economy and deposited in banks abroad messing up the Kenyan economy.Millions of Kenyan citizens in North Eastern province are marginalized and ignored by the goverment (IS THIS NOT APARTHEID THE KENYA GOVERNMENT IS PRACTICING?)It is very obvious that the ruling class is hell bent on destroying the same people it claims to represent.We have to change the status quo as it cannot change itself.As DEDAN KIMATHI said it is better to die on your feet than live on your knees.Majority of Kenyans are living on their knees as the national resources are plundered by a few who are already building retirement homes in Europe and America while educating their children in expensive schools using money meant to educate millions of poor Kenyan children who go to school barefoot,naked and hungry.This generation of Kenyans will have a lot to answer to THE CREATOR for sitting down and doing nothing as the future of Millions of defenseless women and children gets destroyed by a few who when things get tough will board the next plane and leave Kenya a burnt out shell.
KSB: Well said!
20 Kenyans killed by Ethiopians in Turkana20 Kenyans killed by Ethiopians in Turkana
Posted by BERNARD MOMANYI on August 5, 2011
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NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 5 – Twenty people were killed and three others seriously wounded by Ethiopia’s Merille tribesmen who raided manyattas and fled with more than 200 heads of cattle in Turkana on Friday, the latest in a string of attacks in the volatile region.
Reports from the region indicated that three other residents were nursing serious gunshot wounds sustained in the attack that occurred at Todonyang’ near the border with Ethiopia.
“This area has become too insecure! People are being killed every other time. Now we have 20 people who have been killed today by the Merile people near the border,” a provincial administrator in the region said.
“We cannot tell the casualties on the other side but we suspect there are certainly people dead or injured,” she added, but could not give further details citing poor communication network with the affected area.
Rift Valley Provincial Police Chief Francis Munyambu was not accessible to comment about the tragedy as his mobile phone went unanswered.
A police officer in the region said eight women were among those killed.
Friday’s attack is the latest in a spate launched by Merille tribesmen this year who often raid villages to steal cattle.
Last week, some other people, including a policeman were shot dead when security forces clashed with cattle rustlers at a remote village in Lokorio within Turkana district.
Another police officer was reported to have sustained serious gunshot wounds and was admitted to hospital during the attack.
Communities living on the Kenyan side and those on the Ethiopian border side are pastoralists and are often armed to protect their animals.
Merille tribesmen often clash with Turkanas whenever they cross over the border to steal animals.
Last month, the Kenyan government announced it was establishing a water sharing framework with Ethiopia to bring to an end the animosity between communities living on both sides of the border.
Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti who led a high-powered delegation to Addis Ababa in June said the two countries had formed a technical committee to study the viability of the project which will commence soon.
“Let me emphasise that Kenya identifies the issue of trans-boundary resources including the Lake Turkana and River Omo, and River Daua Basins, which are critical in the light of the fragile ecological zone shared by the two countries,” the Minister who is also acting in the Foreign Ministry portfolio said.
In the recent weeks, Merille tribesmen have launched attacks on the Kenyan side, killing at least 40 Turkana people over what authorities have linked to the scramble for natural resources along Lake Turkana.
Police deployed to guard Moi’s Eldoret flower farm Saturday, 06 August 2011 00:04 BY MATHEWS NDANYI
GRUMBLE: Retired President Daniel arap Moi at Ichuni Catholic church. Photo/Angwenyi Gichana
Police were yesterday deployed to guard former President Moi’s farm in Eldoret where workers went on strike protesting mistreatment by managers. The more than 700 employees of Maji Mazuri Farm near Ziwa in Uasin Gishu County laid down tools protesting sacking of their colleagues.
Eldoret police boss Paul Kiogora declined to comment on the standoff at the more than 2,000 acre flower farm. But police officer guarded the gates while keenly watching movements around the firm.
Workers accused two managers at the farm of mistreating them. They said the managers sack staff arbitrarily. Officials of the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPWU) led by Secretary-General Meshack Khisa confirmed the strike. “I am at the farm and I have talked with the workers about their grievances which have remained unresolved for a long time. The issues they are raising should have long been solved given that they informed the management in good time”, said Khisa.
Khisa said workers complained about arbitrary sackings of their colleagues. He said the managers at the farm seem to have poor relations with workers. This has built up tension between workers and managers. “Such poor industrial relations are not conducive for a good working environment. Managers at the firm seem to have violated workers’ rights”, said Khisa. He said attempts by the union representatives to dialogue with managers at the farm had been unsuccessful.
Some workers who requested anonymity said they were frustrated by the farm manager and the human resource manager who use high-handedness to trample on their rights. They demanded removal of the managers whom they blame for their woes. Khisa said they were happy with the presence of the police to provide security because the workers were peaceful. All top managers at the farm were locked up in meetings and could not be reached for comment even via phone. The farm produces fresh flowers for export.
Statement from the National Youth Sector Alliance on the Misappropriation of the The Kazi Kwa Vijana and the Kenya Youth Empowerment Program Funds by Government Officials.
Nairobi: October 24th 2011
The National Youth Sector Alliance is disturbed by the news that that Kazi Kwa Vijana Funds provided by the World Bank for the purpose of empowering Kenyan Youth with job opportunities have been misappropriated by top officials in the office of the Prime Minister. Media reports indicate that the World Bank released 4 Billion Shillings for KKV and that it is demanding a refund of over 900 million which is claimed to be misappropriated by officials in the OPM.
In 2008 during the National Youth Convention (NYCIV), the youth delegates complained directly to the Prime Minister of the poor design of the KKV program noting that most of the funds were being spent not directly reaching the youth with a tagline of “Kazi Kwa Vija Pesa Kwa Wazee” It was recommended that the design of the program be restructured in order to directly empower the Kenyan youth. The recommendations were never taken into account by the Office of the Prime Minister.
During the inaugural Prime Minister’s Round Table with the Youth in September of 2010, under the Youth Empowerment Thematic Focus, a specific recommendation was made to the effect that the impact of the KKV was not being achieved due to poor structure and implementation. It was recommended that the Program be restructured to accommodate both labor intensive as well as intellectual capacity of the many millions of graduates from both tertiary and other institutions of higher learning in the country.
While the program was expanded and largely involved the Private Sector, the office of the Prime Minister managed to rename the department to Kenya Youth Empowerment Program. No caution was taken to the re-designing and structure of the KKV Program implementation. The specific recommendation in the matrix of implementation has never been responded to.
The fact that there has been public outcry and a lot of advice given on how to restructure the KKV, it is disturbing that the bureaucracy in the Office of the Prime Minister has not been keen to redesigning the program for the public good.
It should be noted that KKV is the closest that Kenya has come to creating massive employment opportunities for the high numbers of the unemployed population in the Country. The Fact that advice to make the program work has not been taken, is a confirmation of the existence of an axis of evil in Government that is hell bent to continue enjoying youth disenfranchisement for short term political gains.
It is still not clear how much money has been misappropriated and how much has already been disbursed. NYSA will initiate the process to bring to the fore the facts in partnership with other key stakeholders. The process will immediately seek to have an audience with the Kenyan youth and the relevant Government agencies to get into the root of the matter under question.
Pending Issues on the Youth Enterprise Development Fund; It should also be noted that there are many questions that are left unanswered on the Youth Enterprise Development Fund. There have been unconfirmed allegations of fictitious and non-existent youth groups being beneficiaries of the Fund with millions of shillings reported missing without financial returns. All this matters must now be put under investigation and the agenda of Youth Empowerment in Kenya brought to naught in order to deal with the unemployment issue once and for all.
Demands from the Youth of Kenya
The Youth of Kenya, demand the following from the office of the Prime Minister and the Coalition Government;
1. A comprehensive financial audit of KKV and YEDF conducted with the following details;
a. the total amount of money used,
b. the kinds of projects accomplished,
c. the number and names of youth beneficiaries and how much they have received
d. the impact of the program aggregated according to region and gender.
2. Immediate suspension of the Officers in charge of the Kenya Youth Empowerment Program (KYEP) in the office of the Prime Minister.
3. Independent investigations to immediately commence and the officers found culpable of the misappropriation of the KKV and YEDF funds be prosecuted.
4. Immediate suspension of any financial undertakings on the program until it is comprehensively redesigned through a team of experts with young people included through a competitive independent, public vetting process.
Leadership from the two Principles
The National Youth Sector Alliance calls upon the President and the Prime Minister to put aside all their assignments and directly attend to these issues. This is a clear picture of corruption and the Youth of Kenya demand for accountability on funds meant for them. Transparency MUST Prevail.
Signed for and on behalf of the National Youth Sector Alliance.
Emmanuel Dennis Convener – NYSA
National Youth Sector Alliance (NYSA)
3rd Floor, Revlon Proffessional Plaza Biashara Street, City Center
P.O. Box 8799, 00200 Nairobi Kenya
Cell: +254722619005
http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=2637