Sat, 9 Feb 2008 21:52:13


Your article has a very nice title but some where down the line, it lost its substance and turned into what I will say petty and ignorant outbursts. I'll only take you head on, on how you used your words to describe Kenyans whichever state and conditions they live in. In fact it looks very inhuman, if you are truly a Kenyan to label them the way you did.I'll excuse you to some extent in other areas you touched on because I don't know when and how you found your way into Canada.

Here is where your ignorance in Kenyan (Africa) politics come into play. Oburu Odinga has never, from political standpoint held any ministerial post. He has been a mere member of parliament who has no powers as far as government development policies are concerned. Before I continue, do you know the jurisdictional mandate of an a member of parliament? When you say Obura is responsible for the poverty in Nyanza province, please assess your intellect properly.

Raila has been in the government as a minister for three years. He was actually the minister for Roads and housing but later on the housing docket was clipped off his wings. OK, I did not see you complain or write articles when the government was frustrating Raila's work. How many roadblocks were put on ways as he was trying to straighten things in his ministry? An example, Permanent Secretary issuing orders by-passing the boss. Can you name the rest? Do you remember upgrading of Kibera slums by an investor brought in by Raila? What went wrong? May be I'm responding to a person who does not have an iota of Kenyan issues. Did you learn from primary school the fundamental rights of human being? Raila was trying to address one of them here.It is true Kibera people lack most of the fundamental human rights but I'm hard pressed to read a Kenyan respond the way you did. It seems you are in a better place than the Kiberas, what solution do you have for them rather than call them sick, naked, etc.?

Even if I'm not Luo, I feel offended by your comments about them. You label them solely as laborers in tea factories as if other communities don't do these kind of jobs. Your comments were very lenient towards other communities, while the luos, you have roundly reduced into destitute, vagabonds and living in pathetic conditions. Even in the developed world like Canada, there are warehouses and farms where people do similar jobs, though in better terms and conditions, but they are still laborious jobs. Which is good? A luo picking tea in a factory and an "X" tribe hijacking cars along Nairobi streets for a quick rich?

Finally, it would have been better to write an article that give people hope and solutions rather than abhor Kenyans the way you have done. Go back and read your article and surely, you will be ashamed of yourself. In that regard, enjoy your economic asylum status in Canada.

        Vincent Jobando, PhD
        Physics Professor, WA USA