Picture: a member of the Luo community kicked for dead in Naivasha as post election violence raged in 2007/08
WHY ODM/RAILA ODINGA MUST NOT SHOULDER THE 2007 POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE. THE “14 POINTS” ON THE WAKI ENVELOPE
It seems that the Jubilee Alliance is hell-bent on making ICC cases ODM party’s Waterloo. Between the time of confirmation of charges and the 2013 general elections, these cases were peddled as the willful machination of party leader Raila Odinga. Already, ODM suffered a blow because of these cases.
In 2013, the Jubilee Alliance rallied their ethnic communities against other communities on the PERCEPTION that Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto were “fixed” first and foremost by Raila Odinga; and, by top ODM party leaders. At a time when even former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka had not crossed over; G-7, the precursor to Jubilee, went in ethnically charged prayer rallies cursing ODM and Raila Odinga and at a particular rally in Nairobi, I remember a top Jubilee politician read out a letter that was purported to have originated from Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o.
ODM never did much to counter these claims. Even when they did, the way the “shit” had been framed ensured the damage was so disastrous that no amount of rebuttal would rectify it. Because such perceptions endured, the Jubilee’s ‘nationalistic’ calls to their communities saw them develop the ‘tyranny of numbers’ which (whether existent or non-existent) remains the single biggest puzzle in Kenya today. However, as the ICC cases hit a dead end; politicians in the Jubilee Alliance, evoking God’s name, and their innocence, are once again stoking the ethnic sympathies they used to ride to power.
These sympathies will shoulder any misdeeds they are currently committing in power. So long as no TRUTH comes out of the ICC, and in light of Ocampo’s (former ICC prosecutor) recent idiotic interview of these cases, the perception that these people were fixed by ODM for political reasons will be successfully employed to win more elections, even if they fail to achieve even a single of those lofty promises they made during the campaigns. Finally, I see a community taking another hit on top of what it has already got: injustice.
The opposition ODM must save its supporters from the feeling of guilt that the Jubilee is building on them. If the Jubilee is demanding the Waki list be made open; ODM should demand the list of ALL WITNESSES, THEIR IDENTITIES AND ETHNICITIES, DATES OF PROCUREMENT, DATES WHEN THEY GAVE THEIR TESTIMONIES, WHO AND HOW IT HAPPENED, WHETHER THEY WERE VICTIMS OR NOT….all these information should be MADE public!
It is not fair for 50 kikuyus to agree to testify against a fellow Kikuyu or a kalenjin and then a Luo shoulders the political and public burden when circumstances force them out.
It is not fair for kalenjins to screw their fellow kalenjins and a Luo is blamed for it. Just how many Kikuyus, Kalenjins, Luos, Luhyas, agreed to give evidence at the ICC? If it is found that one community disproportionately signed up for the ICC in a country of 42 ethnic communities, what does that mean?
If Uhuru and Ruto cases are falling apart because witnesses are pulling out; what was the ethnic composition of the witnesses in the first place? If all the witnesses pulling out are Kikuyus, what does that mean? If 90% of the witnesses were kikuyus and kalenjins (as is believed) what does that mean? If only 10% of the ICC witnesses came from the rest 40 tribes, what, again, does that mean?
If 80% of the 90% (literally) of the ICC witness pulling out were kikuyus, what does that mean? If Uhuru’s case is crumbling because the 80% have now realized they were ‘coached and procured’, does it make Uhuru innocent? So here is a (crumbling) case where both the accused and the witnesses come from the same community accused of the crimes? And the crimes are against another community? puh!
Put plainly, we sat for 6 years waiting for the kikuyus to JAIL themselves of crimes they meted against the Luo in Naivasha and Kibera and Dandora? hahahaha! Where on earth can such happen?
Be that as it may, each community should live with its own post-election guilt!
It is wrong that top PNU officials may have fixed Uhuru and Ruto; only for the guilt to be put squarely on Raila Odinga. If MUNGIKI agreed to testify; what was their motivation? Who did they serve in 2007? Why did they agree to testify? Who assured them it would be ‘fine’?
It is wrong that this country assumes only Kalenjins and Kikuyus suffered the post election violence and as such; only the two communities need both justice and reconciliation. IT IS WRONG! I agree, the ICC has effectively been about Uhuru and Ruto and their two communities…what about the rest? Was Uhuru and Ruto fixed? If yes, by who? how? and WHY?
ODM must bring back the issues of the post-poll violence; the REAL ISSUES! It must push for the ugly truth; not the politically sanitised crap that the Jubilee Alliance is building. Post election violence wasn’t an inter-community PR gimmick.
For the Luo, the failure of our top leadership to confront historical misdeeds, if not checked, will see the community shoulder, after 1969, another historically heart-wrenching fallacy that it is us (the Luo) who caused that 2007 violence; and us who gained from it; and us who fixed others. IT IS WRONG!
So; the “14 points”:
1. All Names in the Waki Envelope be put to public
2. All allegations against each name be published in a two national dailies
3. All participants during the Waki Commission sittings/inquiry be named
4. All information each participant gave out be released to the public
5. All witnesses who agreed to testify at the ICC be named; and, whether the Waki witnesses became the same ICC witnesses or not, and if not, why.
6. All evidence, used or not used, that these witnesses claimed they were in possession of, be published.
7. All ICC witnesses should show whether they were victims, perpetrators
8. Each witnesses date of entry in the ICC prosecution process; and, subsequent date of exit, be clearly shown.
9. Each witnesses place of origin; ETHNICITY and political affiliation be clearly known.
10. The initial living standard of each witness; properties and any wealth be shown in relation to the current living standard; properties or any wealth, including wealth arising from the ICC.
11. Whether those in government currently, any one, participated in the acquisition of witnesses and whether their WITNESSES have also since pulled out of the ICC, and why?
12. Whether ODM or any top member of the party, participated in witness acquisition, or, evidence collection and what evidence they gave.
13. Which people have these witnesses met ever since the cases begun; what they agreed on and why
14. The role of NGOs, the international community and state actors throughout this case; for instance, if US Amb. wanted Uhuru and Ruto out; was he acting on the interests of his home country or on ODM’s?
Each community and their leaders should share their own guilt; because, for a peaceful prosperous country, the post-election violence should be dispensed with, however ugly the truths are. I just want everyone to know I should not shoulder the guilt of a kikuyu who killed a Luo in Naivasha; or a kalenjin who burnt a kikuyu in church! Such people must carry their own shameful acts; and their leaders should share in them.
BEING DECLARED INNOCENT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE NOT GUILTY.
Thank you (awacho ayueyo).