If you replace ‘slavery’ with ‘tribalism’, the great African American anti-slavery hero Fredrick Douglass would have told President Uhuru Kenyatta words sounding as:
Mr President, Â I will not enlarge further on your national [personal] inconsistencies. The existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism [jubilee government] as a sham, your humanity as a base pretence, and your Christianity as a lie. It destroys your moral power abroad; it corrupts your your politicians at home. It saps the foundation of religion; it makes your name hissing and a by word to a mocking earth [country]. It is the antagonistic force in your government, the only thing that seriously disturbs and endangers your union [jubilee alliance]. It fetters your progress; it is the enemy of improvement; the deadly foe of education; it fosters pride; it breeds insolence; it promotes vice; it shelters crime; it is a curse to the earth [communities] that supports it AND YET YOU CLING TO IT AS IF IT WAS THE SHEET ANCHOR OF YOUR OF ALL YOUR HOPES. OH! BE WARNED!
Sample the thoughts of young Kenyans as they made sense of President Uhuru’s ethnic appointments:
Marisi N Perminas: Mr. President @Uhuru Kenyatta, I am one of your greatest supporters ever.I have ALWAYS supported you and your deputy because I have always believed that the two of you have the ability to transform this country and steer us to the greatest heights of development.However, I must unequivocally admit that some if not most of your actions do not only disappoint me as your ardent supporter but most importantly make me doubt whether you actually are committed to right our past past wrongs and enhance harmony in this country.Personally, I don’t care whether or not all your appointments emanate from one or two or three tribes as long as those appointed perform their responsibilities with dedication, efficiency and finesse.I don’t care because I have a governor,senator,Mp, MCA and even cabinet secretary who hails from my tribe but none of them is actually doing anything meaningful for me or my tribesmen!!!But Mr president, I am not the president of the great republic of Kenya.As young and naive as I may be, my conscience tells me that as president, it is your duty to care.It is your duty to understand the public mood.It is your duty to foster harmony.It is your duty to ensure ALL of us regardless of our origins feel part and parcel of your government.MOST CRITICALLY Mr President, It is your solemn duty to comprehend that Leadership is 85% PERCEPTION and 15% REALITY.sadly both perception and reality prove that you ain’t a serious president if your appointments are anything to go by!!!!!!You can’t convince even a fool to believe that with all the state resources within your reach, you can’t get equally qualified and competent Kenyans from other tribes to occupy some if not most of the state vacancies!!!Mr president, You need to get out of your reverie and smell the coffee.You are making it very difficult and untenable for some of us to stand by you and your government.Don’t be fooled by the handful people surrounding you in the high places.Your true supporters are in the streets.Our message is clear Mr president-YOU ARE LOST.KINDLY, DON’T DRAG US WITH YOU TOWARDS SELF DESTRUCTION!!Ni hayo tu.
Cheruiyot Evans: I regret waking up at 0400hrs to make you president!!! Even at gun-point I will NEVER Vote for UHURU, I first thought Waiguru was cooking this alone but kumbe you had instructed her? You will make history in Africa as the first one term President
John Macharia:Â A very disgusted kikuyu I am now, one year down the line sine we overwhelmingly and fanatically voted for you….but your appointments are bringing us nothing better that bitter animosity and hostility. We try as much to relate well with other ethnic communities yet you, H.E the President Uhuru Kenyatta, you keep on widening the rift dug by your predecessors. Ujue ground haiko poa…..Please make a visit to higher institutions of learning and see how many other tribes join those institutions….ALL KENYANS ARE LEARNED AND DESERVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES!
Cheruiyot Evans: You are JOKING Mr. President!!! Are you not even afraid of swearing in that man who will also be deputised by two other “KUKUYUS” in a room of Kikiyus only ?????? You will not go far sir, my vote which made you the President will cut you to size come 2017, I swore and would keep my words
Ker Richard Wasonga: #Uhuru Kenyatta u r a tribal leader and not the president.. Look at those bunch of those Stupid kikuyus u appointed as ambassadors, kwani must all appointments b kikuyus.. Soon DR MUTUNGA will b replaced with KARIUKI. God is Watching u
Paul Bela Kipkorir: You have lost Kalenjin votes starting from myself…I do solemly swear that if given chance today to vote I will vote for The Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga…Uhuruto will loose the next election and or else Kenyans will one day stage a revolution against the tribal tribes if not Kalenjin and Kikuyu.I regret supporting you…you wanted to employ Kikuyu to work with chinese in construction of railway…I HATE COLOURFUL and PLAIN TRIBALISM.
Rodgers Esekon: The jubilee morons here complaining about the President’s appointment of a kiuk after another are just really hypocritical. You voted tribe,tribe is ruling. What did you people expect? I’m not shocked.
Kiprono Kirui: Some lines of argument advanced by some RV MPs make sense here. Abdulrazak Zaukat was replaced by a GEMA in the railway project because of the money involved. It could just be obvious that the promise by the Chinese government to poor millions of money to NYS did Rugut in. Where there is money please allow kikuyus to be there because they are the ones who came with money from heaven.
dward Mwangi: we love money and so we know how to manage it!
Omogi Christopher Omondi: Mr. President I salute you for being forthright with what you believe in, yaani you can only believe in mundu a nyumba. You see Mr. President, you were democractically elected mostly by people from your background and some for RV who you had already paid for in advance before the elections. Mr. President you have the tyranny of numbers both in parliemanent and the government. Appoint whomever you like Mr. President, they desrve it because they supported you. Some of us accepted and moved on, just be careful when you are aiming your gun an ant might just bite you somewhere sacred and you miss your target. All the best Mr. President. Let those who didnt vote for you wajipange vile mimi nilisha jipanga!
Sam Mwangi: sometimes i really regret taking my time and resources to vote for u.! All I wanted and many other Kenyans was a structured path to healing this country but by day u continue to disappoint and annoy in equal measures. am a Kikuyu but we must say enough is enough and Kenya belongs to all tribes. How do u Mr President Uhuru Kenyatta explain the reasoning of having three senior most People in NYS are all from one tribe. U may not get everything right but u must be seen atleast to be trying to do the right thing and heal this country. .. Let the Omollos, Mohameds, Wafulas, Dorombos, Muenis….etc know that u care.
Odhiambo Kgm: Â As a graduate of the NYS i want to say Arap Moi was the only president who whole hrartedly loved NYS. I remember my passing out parade on the 17th May 2002 and the way Arap Moi shed tears as the graduants sang a song asking him to stay. Then he opened the employment gate and so may were absorbed into Forest Guard. Hizi ukabila za bure zitamaliza idara ya vijana. Najivunia kuwa ex-NYS.
Musa Thuo: allow me to call you Uhuru from now because your now becoming a tribal leader ua appointments are making everyone by your name vulnerable segregated quarantined and besieged from every direction by everyone! you are killing our dream of all inclusive Nation Kenya, you are a president of many people, tribes races and religions not a Chief from a village, where do we take the other 41 job seekers if 1 will be the gateman receptionist messenger secretary and the boss,you can never exact your authority by power of force but by power of inclusiveness