Dear Sirs/Madams and fellow Countrymen,
FOR THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY, LET KENYA NOT BURN
Greetings and best wishes for peace, to you, your organization and to our country.
We are witnessing different times and many things happening in our country today before our eyes which appear to be like entertainment videos watched everywhere by our children. Yet, unless we are oblivious of history, they are events like we may have witnessed elsewhere that saw great nations fall.
Those of you who may have been interested with great damning events in history may have observed the trigger of the world war one and the second and many other devastating conflicts which cause great loss of lives. We should appreciate the unequaled and unmatched resolves and decisions taken by leaders who originally were seen and thought to be unassuming, intelligent, democratic and caring in their societies. Yet, they ended up to be butchers of their own people. We do not think we need to go into the details of those victim societies but we dare say that docile and passive societies, very easily end there.
Allow us however to say this, our motherland and beloved country is at crossroads and under very serious attack that if the right thinking, the elders and the concerned do not take notice of this, the country will very soon, end in painful turmoil.
Some of us saw it coming many years ago and gave loud and clear warnings but we were dismissed as day dreamers, disgruntled and doomed, but yesterday’s events are recipe to an agonizing conflict that could turn this country into a dreadful hell.
From 1960 to 2000 was a period of land accumulation by some families and their friends, who, are fortunately known to Kenyans. The land question, greed for power, impunity and suicidal selfishness is what has driven successive governments into violent attempts to stop lawful demonstrations and now the extremity of trespassing, occupying, destroying and stealing from those personal properties and premises in order to force discontinuation of mass action. But instead, the country witnessed a night of bitterness whereby property was set on fire; a mosque and two churches were laced down in Kibra and God knows what else took place unnoticed. This is a sign of what could be on the way. According to many Kenyans, they desire justice and good governance and see such events as gate way to their determination.
Violence breeds violence and cannot be solution for and by any government for its failures. Policy shift on land will be the answer and the only way to achieve it is through dialogue, public debate and obviously, government’s acceptance of their resolve.
Lest we forget, both foolishness and intelligence dwell in the same brain chamber and share a very thin border such that none of those actively involved in the actions witnessed yesterday such as the police, government operatives and demonstrators can stand firmly to identify which of the two they employed.
Let us get together and release Kenya from potential damnation.
Mtumishi, Njeru Kathangu
Secretary General, FoRD Asili
