Thurs, 7 Feb 2008


Richard,

We find it incredible that you are actually suggesting that Kenya return to being a one-party state. 

We were under the impression that multi-partyism was what got Kibaki in power in the first place...even though Kenya's "general coward" did not actually fight for a multi-party state and, from the looks of it, wishes he could return things to the "good old days." Funny how Kibaki has been the beneficiary of so much that he did not actually fight for...

We were also under the impression that multi-partyism fosters democracy... Why would we do away with the majority party ODM for the benefit of the minority party PNU? And don't all elected officials (such as Odinga) have a responsibility to represent the interests of the people who elected them?

Finally, we think that your example actually illustrates the need for a strong opposition. We thank you for bringing it to our attention for exactly this reason. There IS a lesson to learn from this--that the road back to tyranny is short. In fact, it is staring us in the face, winking.

Perhaps if Kenyans had fostered multi-partyism early on, then we would not be in the mess that we are in today. As it is, our fathers did not exercise wisdom in this area. Rather than work for the common good, the Kenyattas and their cronies pilfered from the public coffers. Are these really the people to whom you expect us to listen? Wouldn't it make more sense to glean wisdom from a system that actually worked?!

Kenyatta and company are an intrinsic part of the problem--they and the British colonists are, in fact, the root of the problem. It is time for all Kenyans to branch away from these rotten old ways, to plant and jealously tend new and stronger democratic institutions.

        - Jaluo Press



P.S. If anything, your submission illustrates how important it is that we defend democracy in Kenya.  We need progressives not those who would return us to the days of dictatorship. That said, we highly doubt that your "remedy" of returning Kenya to being a one-party state will be well-received by the majority of Kenyans. Remeber that almost all Kenyans, Kikuyus included, breathed a huge sigh of relief when the sun set on the Moi era. Sadly and clearly, this was premature.