BE WARY OF THIS PRETENDERS!

The new rush in Kenya by all and sundry is to the seat on the hill. Whereas every Kenyan has a constitutional right to vie for the presidency if he or she meets the threshold enshrined in the constitution, it is not lost to see the madness at which people seem to have developed a craving for the presidency. The question is not why, but rather what they intend to do once they occupy the seat.

Majority of the hundreds wishing to become the President of Kenya after 2012 elections are driven by sheer greed and arrogance. They have no agenda in place and all they pass as their long-held agenda is to bring a change to the millions who are suffering and 'give the youth a chance to develop themselves.' Ask them how and they start stammering. 

The very few who have viable agendas are deeply rooted into tribal affiliations that even if they finally get elected into the high office, they will be worse off than the imperialists or those who were before them! They will do everything in the name of their tribal cocoons. They are driven by a tribal desire to give their tribesmen an edge over other tribes as 'it was the case with those tribes of the people who manage to occupy the high seat since independence!'

Kenyans should be wary of these lot as we approach the general elections. They will approach us with sweet words, goodies and all they have in their disposal. Eventually, they will forget the common good and the collective responsibility that comes with leadership and they will retreat to their tribes for shielding and comfort. What a shame!

Kenyans should be wary of this pretenders! In 2007 they made us fight each other. In 2012, they may fail to make us fight each other, but be sure they have a contingency plan to achieve their long held dreams. Keep watch!

WHY OMAR HASSAN LACKS MORAL DECORUM

It was a big let down to read what Omar Hassan, who would pass as a learned Kenyan, to have written in one of the major dailies in Kenya. The most disturbing thing is the vitriol with which he has allowed himself to address his antipathy to a particular tribe in Kenya. This is most worrying as we head to a Genera Election in an year. The question is, what is the problem with his comments, anyway?

Omar Hassan comments were  made out of sheer arrogance and hatred. It is an open secret that he has tried again and again to admonish a particular tribe, and his comments on the tribe, just like a replay of comments made in 2007 by a people of his ilk, were meant to alienate and isolate the tribe against the other tribes in the country. Where known political leaders masterminded the infamous call of 41-tribes-against-1-tribe, the young lawyer seems to have taken the mantle from them. This is worrying, not only to the members of the tribe, but also to the peace-loving Kenyans.

It is alright for Omar to criticize President Kibaki, but it is wrong to put the president in a tribal cocoon. To criticize the president on the basis of his tribe is tantamount to tribalism! The president does not belong to a particular tribe, but to all tribes. He is above tribal leanings.

He claims that the security organs are all under the leadership of people from one region. This is further from the truth. A look at the Ministry of Defence ascertains the lies inbended in Omar’s article. The line up in the Department of Defence, a top security organ, is as follows:

Hon. Mohamed Yusuf Haji - Minister of State for Defence

Hon. Maj Gen (Rtd) J K Nkaissery - Assistant Minister of State for Defence

Hon David Musila, - Assistant Minister of State for Defence

Ms Nancy Kirui - Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of State for Defence

Gen Julius W Karangi  - Chief of Defence Forces

Lt Gen Samson J Mwathethe - Vice Chief of Defence Forces

Lt Gen Njuki Mwaniki - Commandant National Defence College (NDC)

Maj Gen Joff Otieno - Kenya Air Force Commander

Maj Gen Ngewa Mukala - Kenya Navy Commander  

Maj Gen Jackson N Waweru - Commandant Defence Staff College (DSC)

Maj Gen Maurice Oyugi  - Deputy Army Commander

Maj Gen Harold M Tangai - Senior Directing Staff NDC

Brig S W Nadwa - Commandant Kenya Military Academy(KMA) formerly AFTC

In the Ministry of Internal Security, another top security organ, the line up draws people from different communities of Kenya. 

Hon. Prof. George Saitoti, MP – Minister, Internal Security

Hon. Simon Lesirma, MP – Assistant Minister, Internal Security

Hon. Joshua Orwa Ojode , MP - Assistant Minister, Internal Security

Mr. Francis Kimemia – Permanent Secretary, Internal Security

If Omar argues that one region rules the reins in the Ministry of Energy, that is balderdash! In their bid to give the Kikuyu a bad name, tribalists would much like to place the Ameru, the Aembu, the Ambeere and the Atharaka as members of the larger Kikuyu family. All this is because the communities share much in common. Yet, why do we never here that when it comes to the Luo and the Luhya? 

If Omar Hassan was genuine, he should have criticized all state organs where tribalism is rife, not a few organs where his perceived enemies are found. The truth is, tribalism is still a reason to worry when it comes to civil service and other state operations. however, that is not a reason to corner one community as the cause of that. Maybe Omar should go ahead and tell us about the Luo, the Maasai, the Somali,and any other community out there.

Whatever Omar wrote on that Sunday, the 26th November, 2011, was a clear show of his incompetency and lack of moral decorum. He is simply trying to insinuate that belonging to a particular tribe is a crime, and that one should be victimized , in employment or otherwise just because he or she comes from a particular tribe. Nothing could be further from the truth!