I pray that KSB publishes this letter. I know it can be sensitive but please, allow me some space. Secondly, I know it might not be accepted by some people but my conscience compelled me to write it because I feel something burning in my chest. My name is Kamau, I live in Stockholm and I am a devout Christian who attends church services every Sunday at one of the congregations in Stockholm. I read about the Peace initiative by Mr. Samuel Muirani, Antony Muraya and Jared Odero with a lot of interest. Although Kenyans in Stockholm are known to be talkers, very few are doers. The Muirani initiative is one of the best initiatives to have come from a Kenyan in Stockholm and I do believe that it deserves support. However, there is one big issue that remained largely unanswered about the project.
There has been a lot of tension in Stockholm especially between Luos and Kikuyus. If you have been attending social functions, Luos and Kikuyus are the majority tribes in Kenya Stockholm but usually, very few Luos attend “Kikuyu” functions while very few Kikuyus usually attend “Luo” functions.
I am a Kikuyu and the politics of Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga has completely separated Luos from Kikuyus. Although I don’t know what happens in the Luo camp, I know of Kikuyus who openly admit that they hate Luos because Luos are uncircumcised while they also claim that Luos are the main problem in Kenya because they never get satisfied in politics because they want to lead Kenya. Kikuyus with Luo friends and Luos with Kikuyu friends are well known to Kenyans in Stockholm.
There are few Kikuyus-Luos with inter-ethnic friends but I don’t have to mention them. These friendships give hope that it is possible to fight tribalism regardless of what is happening in Kenya. However, the inner truth is that many Kikuyus in Stockholm do not have friends from other ethnic groups and vice versa because of tribalism.
I am sorry to say this but I found Muirani’s agenda of travelling to Kenya to spread peace a bit suspicious because Muirani’s name has come up in several situations that promote division, not unity in Stockholm. He was a member of a Church in Bargamossen that broke up and although I know what happened, I won’t say it here because that is not the intention.
Then there was the Church at Kärtorp in which Muirani was involved and it also broke up because of dirty church politics. Muirani joined active religion recently and during that period, there has been chaos in the industry. When Pastor Karanja was coming to Stockholm, Muirani disagreed with the organizers who pulled out of the project. A Christian Union that was set up by Muirani and Ofore and a Sofie broke up because of of politics. Every Kenyan with ears on the ground knows about these developments so I am not raising new issues. It’s only that Kenyans do not want to talk about them for some reason. How can Muirani now be the peace maker?
I might be wrong but my take is that Muirani could have began his mission by seeking to reconcile the warring ethnic groups in Stockholm before moving to Kenya. This is because charity begins at home and you cannot leave your house burning to rush to save the house of another person before putting off the fire in your own house. Where has Muirani been?
I am asking these questions honestly, not to undermine Muirani but to seek good answers. As Kenyans, we pretend a lot while we do not talk when necessary. That is why we suffer. The intention is good but what are the real intentions?
Kamau Moja
About the Author
To comment on the Muirani’s peace initiative in Kenyan will not solve any problems which Kenyans are facing. Kenya as a whole wanted a change of Governance in Kenyan because the former Presidents did not obeyed the laws Governing the Country and entered in to too much Corruption in every section of the Government. Now Luos and Kiuyus have no problems in Kenya only impunity is the problem of Kenyans.To Circumcise and not to be Circumcised does not come in the leadership of a Country. In some parts of the European Contries like Holand, men does not Circumcise and all African Nations are living with them without any querry? In Uganda some tribes does not circumcise and they live in peace. By the way Why did our first President Jomo Kenyatta accepted Jaramogi Odinga’s offer to give him chance to be the first President of Kenya? I think he would have refused because Oginga was not Circumcised? Last election of 2007/08 Kiambaa Church was burnt with people inside and remember the Church is a place of Worship and is where Christians Communicate with God the Creater? Is that true or not true? Then where was the communication and God himself to solve that problems up to this next election? Hatred is just sin and Kenyans must repent that sin than to hide in Churches.The leadership of Kenya is not for a certain tribe to be the only one but for all 42 tribes.Now Raila is going to lead Kenyans believe me or don’t believe me. Will other tribes or Kikuyus run away from Kenya? What do people means with the word Unity? To unite what? The unity Kenyans want is to elect someone not from the former three Presidents whom people have seen their leadership just simple as that. We are all Kenyans why too much noisy?.Another important issue Kenyans should understand is how leaders must obey the law, and if not so then you are not a leaders. Why should Uhuru and Ruto be allowed to campaign and yet they were mentioned in the Crimes of 2007/08 violence which left 1,133 people dead and 650,000 people displaced from their homes and before Ruto and Uhuru solve that problems first so that those people can vote for them but their minde are not on those displaced ones? The question is that Why are Kenyans becoming like fools in the eyes of the World? (Self Political Analysist) (SPA).
What class of Kenyan are you?
THE SUPER RICH – These are Kenyans who have serious money. They drive the latest cars direct from the showroom. They live in the most exclusive suburbs and ranches, shop in high end malls and fly everywhere and holiday in expensive resorts both in and out of the country. Their kids attend those expensive international schools and will most likely go to universities abroad. When they are sick, they seek treatment abroad. You will rarely see these Kenyans on the eastern part of Nairobi except the occasional visit to family or friends or more likely on a tour to their investments. You will also find them in exclusive members only clubs. In most cases their wealth will have come from someone in the family having been in influential position in government and inheritance there from. They own industry and the word unemployment does not exist in their vocabulary. Their investments are mostly massive in nature mostly in form of private limited companies owning land, ranches, hotels, manufacturing plants, financial institutions and substantial shares in publicly listed companies. For most Kenyans the only place you are likely to interact with these is in the clubs or restaurants when they are having fun, or when they are interviewing you for a job and if they give you the job then when they are giving you instructions, or most likely in campaign rallies when you are voting in one of their kin to high office. They do not attend rallies under any other circumstance. They are not active in social media.
THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS – These are Kenyans who are rising rapidly financially towards super rich status. Most are in business and are most likely self made. They drive high end used imports, occasionally fly in and out of the country but mostly fly domestic to Mombasa, Kisumu or Eldoret, shop in malls and go to good expensive schools. University for them is mostly in private universities in Kenya then go abroad. They also vacation in good expensive hotels in Kenya every year. They own property especially rentals, shares in public companies, institutions like schools and colleges and health care facilities as well as medium scale hotels, manufacturing concerns and farming. They do not know unemployment. They might hold a high end job like CEOs of big companies with a lot off side investments. They own houses and live in higher end suburbs. Most will have membership to one or two members only clubs. When sick you will find them in the high end hospitals and when things get thick they go abroad. For most Kenyans you are most likely to interact with them at the work place where they are the boss, at social clubs and restaurants or at campaign rallies when you are about to vote one of them in. Otherwise, they also do not attend public rallies. You may also find them in social media but they are not very active.
THE MIDDLE CLASS – These are mostly gainfully employed Kenyans most of whom are college level educated or previously employed but running their own medium scale business with investments such as matatu and rentals in low class settlements like in eastlands. Most have nothing much in investments except for a piece of land here, some shares there and their personal car. They are however very ambitious and sooner or later they do rise and start acquiring properties and investments to get to the rising class. They mostly live in rented premises in average neighborhoods, have good jobs. They only go to the airport to receive or escort someone but occasionally fly under job assignment. Unemployment is the worst enemy for this group and more likely than not hits them. Their kids attend private academies or the better equipped public schools and university is mostly public universities. However lately they are attending private universities in higher numbers albeit with a lot of financial struggle and sacrifice. They drive average second hand Japanese imports or commute to and from work in matatu or train and once in a while (after two or three years) vacation mostly at the coast staying with relatives or in leased cottages. This Kenyan is everywhere in pubs, restaurants, public and not so expensive private hospitals. They do not have club membership. Rarely do they vie for political office but follow everything on news. They mostly do not attend public rallies. However, most are very active on social media. They are also found abroad, but are in the minority, where they tend to stick to themselves as they abhor the tribal groupings and consider themselves above the petty politics associated with these other Kenyans. The other Kenyans that group themselves according to tribe mistake their aloofness form being tribal as snobbishness.
THE COMMON MAN – These Kenyans are the down trodden masses in our society and are unfortunately the majority. Most of them are barely high school graduates. They mostly live in informal settlements or upcountry in the bundus in basic minimum conditions. Most are casually employed and unemployment for them is a daily experience. Their daily commute to work is mainly on foot. Education is mainly gotten in public schools under free primary education. Most drop out due to fee constrains in high school. They do not travel except very occasionally to their rural homes. When sick they mostly seek medical attention in government or missionary sponsored hospitals. Living conditions are usually squalid. They do not use internet and are not informed on a wide array of issues. They take everything literally or at face value. They are however the most used by the super rich because of their ignorance. They will attend public rallies and protests mostly at their own personal risk without caring. They are usually easy to incite or influence into a particular line of thinking. They are basically used as control tools by the super rich who will entice them with a little cash. They are the ones used when the rich incite any kind of violence as they will not think twice about attacking a long time neighbor because of perceived tribal or political differences. Thus their neighborhoods are dangerous places to live in. Unfortunately, because of their numbers, the rich always have their way because they use this class as voting blocks. The disconnect between this class and the other classes of Kenyans is very wide since they only get to mingle with the other classes on very limited terms or places. Many have managed to emigrate abroad, the minority lucky enough to pursue further education but the majority are economic or “political” refugees. They know no other way but to bond tribally and only feel comfortable socialising with members of their tribe. They only difference between them and those in Kenya is that they have a higher standard of living courtesy of their host countries. Despite being exposed to the realities of Western democracies, they are too intellectually inferior to repulse the politics of tribe. It is because of this class that Kenya is where it is today. Unless we try our best to remove as many Kenyans as we can from this class, we will always remain a country of a few wealthy people and a lot of miserable poor souls. This class does not understand voting for policies. They understand the simpler tribal voting. Unfortunately, the rich use them to remain at the top and maintain status quo.
Bw. Kamau Moja, I must admitted you have touched me by your honesty and made me think even wider. I trust your open letter is very clear and seems to have good intentions…..I fully support you. I do not know much about the churches in Stockholm but support differences on tribal lines. CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!! Lets heal our tribal wounds here first b4 taking them out of this boundary!
Bro Muirani, good thought though.
Dear Kamau Moja,
I am obliged to respond to your piece which has quoted my name amidst the queries you raised concerning Brother Muirani’s peace initiative. I will explain my role.
Last week I was approached by a close friend who mentioned that Muirani had a vision from God, that he should preach peace in Kenya before the General Election. My friend suggested that I was better placed to share ideas with him concerning the Stockholm prayer meeting. The three of us met on 9th January and Muirani was very happy to explain his mission. I agreed to draft an invitation to the prayer meeting, which was eventually harmonized with another text by Anthony Muraya, and then posted at KSB.
I feel that the proposed peace mission is pertinent and will (to cite the American writer Tamar Jacoby), “resonate among secular and religious voters alike.”
Brother Muirani is very candid about being held to account by interested Kenyans in every step which will involve them. He has offered to update everybody through KSB during his peace rallies at home. In terms of fundraising to support his travel within Kenya, Muirani has made it clear that this is voluntary and he will account for every coin received.
To my fellow Kenyans, let us hope for peaceful electioneering and ultimately a successful voting day on March 4th 2013. Remember all the 07/08 post-election violence victims, especially those who still languish in IDP camps because of the uncaring ruling elite. You are all welcome to the Stockholm prayer event and please let us for once put aside our assumed and politically-imposed tribal differences.
Best regards,
Jared Odero
If one reads Jared Oderos respond this proves how Jared Odero was cought un-aware by the cunning Kikuyus. i cannot understand how Kenyan tribes has been conned and manipulated to a level of hyponotization by the brilliant kikuyus ever since independence .
Jared Odero must be an easy Prey and a weak target who cannot unalyse the political campaigns and machinations the so called (Caligulas) Nicole Machiavellians gimmics taking place in kenya.
I think this time Odero has been used and exploited to the maximum and there is no amount of explaination whatsover hence Aliingia Mtegoni la Wakikuyu Welefu .who has been fooling kenya tribes perhaps Milele.
mr kamau unaishi wapi duniya hi kama unaushamba pele bali we are kenyans mimi nimuluya naongeya kikuyu naongeya kijaluo sisi wote niwakenya wachakugonganisha wakenya nimimi wanawapapa nisema
that muirani had a vision from God, that he should preach peace i kenya before the general election! Wao, It sounds interesting!
I question Githuku wa Muirani’s integrity and honesty in claiming that he will be accountable for all the money collected by Kenyans in Stockholm, yet he allegedly owes the Narc-Kenya Scandinavia political party 3000kr which was raised by its members to assist its operations. The Party has not been dissolved therefore its officials are free to prove this allegation and whether he paid the money. As far as I know, he has not done so.
If Muirani has not paid cash that he took five years ago, how can Kenyans trust that when they donate their hard-earned money at the prayer meeting in Stockholm, he will use it for that purpose in Kenya?
During the post-election violence in 2008, it is alleged that Muirani received around 20,000-35,000kr which was donated by the Kenyan public in Stockholm. He showed responsibility by producing a copy of Western Union receipt to confirm that the cash had reached it intended source, which was a Pastor in Kenya, to help those who were suffering during the chaos. But it was later alleged that Muirani went to Kenya and took the same money which he used privately.
Muirani should answer these allegations to prove his innocence otherwise his current mission will be taken to be another way of misusing people’s money.
Muirani’s character is doubted when it comes to taking care of public money. Jared Odero should have been careful before accepting to assist him. Anyway he has already explained that he only helped in writing the invitation letter.
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