Where it all began?

I’ve refrained from posting for a while now, for most part because I’m a lazy deuce but seeing as the spark of impulsion flickers yet again… Having procured most of my post-election news from the blogosphere, it occurred to me that I should reciprocate especially for the sake of those who think this is ’spur of the moment anarchy’.

I recently received an e-mail from a friend back home in which she recounted a history of Kenyan politics as told by her pastor:

Apparently, it is a pre-colonial feud.

Raila’s (leader of opposition) father Oginga formed an alliance with Tom Mboya (one of our freedom fighters) (note both are Luos). The alliance was known as KANU and it was made in 1960 to help negotiate terms for independence. The Kikuyus suffered alot during colonial times due to living in an area with rich fertile land so the British confiscated alot of their land for their homes and farms so the Kikuyus were forced to retreat to the forests aand hence started the MAUMAU movement to fight for independence.

Oginga and Tom Mboyas efforts paid off and the colonial government made an agreement to hand the power over to him but there were still issues with the Kikuyu so Oginga agreed to step down for Kenyatta our first president (and a Kikuyu) and gave him that power and Oginga became the Vice President in 1963. The problem started when they could not agree with the form of government; Oginga wanted Socialism, Kenyatta wanted Capitalism eventually they disagreed completely. Oginga was fired and placed under house arrest and Tom Mboya was assasinated (resulting in subsequent finger-pointing) hence the feud between Luos and Kikuyus. Recent events sparked it again when 5 yearsago Raila (Oginga’s son) stepped down for Kibaki (A kikuyu and our 3rd President) and the agreement they had made before winning elections (to make Raila Prime minister after changing the constitution) was dishonoured and recently the presidential election sent every one exploding with emotions.

As for the people of Rift Valley (Nakuru Eldoret etc) they are bitter because the colonial masters took away their fertile land and since they were pastoralists and not farmers they gave the Kikuyus the land to farm on thier behalf and sent the people of Rift Valley to dry lands when the colonialists went back home after independence they gave the title dees to the Kikuyus cause they are the ones who tilled the land but the people of Rift Valley were still bitter about it but nothing was ever donee till now when yoy hear of peoples homes being burnt down and people being killed it is the Kikuyu who are being persecuted most in those areas.

There is just alot of unsetteled anxiety.

I’m not sure about the accuracy of this history, but it does bring alot into light…but is it where it all began? Before Oginga, Dedan Kimathi and all the names you learned in GHC weren’t we getting along?(relatively) Yeh, some of us came from Congo , Sudan or wherever but at the end of the day, what nationality do you claim?

This bring to mind a question I heard an international student ask an American:

Which is worth more, an African life or an American one?

His response was, hesitant(probably due to my prescence) but he got to the point that the value of life in ‘3rd world countries’ is incomparable to the same in America. I could understand his perspective as he was trying to compare the statistics of epidemic against the experience of losing a loved on to cancer.

In the same way, (I believe) we Kenyans are labelling each other with a ‘hate’ carried over a generation, which has evolved into something sinister by attaching emotion to aspects of this ‘hate’ that we relate with. Children growing up are influenced to ‘hate’ their best friend because of their background or tribal affiliation. How does this differ from racism? Sexism? Classism? Religious discrimination?

I refuse the land I love to be torn apart because of overinflated-egos and misguided passion! *Fist clenched, deep breaths, fist unclenched* We have to deal with this issue on a personal level if change is going to occur.

In the words of black_knight:

“I am a Kenyan first…”