Na Wanderi wa Kamau

NAKURU MIAKA MITATU BAADA YA MACHAFUKO YA 2007/2008

Wakati Kenya ilipowaka moto  mnamo 2007 baada ya kutangazwa kwa matokeo ya uchaguzi tata wa urais,maeneo mengi ya nchi,Nakuru ikiwemo,yalibadilika.Jamii nyingi ziligeukiana zenyewe kwa misingi ya tofauti za kisiasa.Taharuki ya kisiasa iliyotanda kotekote ililipuka  na kuwa uporaji, ubakaji na hata mauaji.

Maelfu ya watu walifurushwa kutoka makwao.Huku haya yakijiri,kaunti ya Nakuru haikusazwa.Aghalabu Nakuru ilikuwa mojawapo ya sehemu zilizoathiriwa zaidi na machafuko haya.Kijografia,Nakuru ni makao kwa wakaazi wengi wanaotoka sehemu mbalimbali za Kenya.Miongoni mwa jamii zinazoishi katika kaunti hii ni kama Wakikuyu,Wakalenjin,Wakamba,

Wakisii,Waluo miongoni mwa jamii nyingine.

Aidha jamii hizi huwa na tofauti nyingi za kitamaduni,kimitindo  na hata kisiasa.Hivyo basi,utata wa uchaguzi wa 2007,ulileta tofauti nyingi tu miongoni mwa wakaazi hawa ambazo zililipuka  na kuwa vita vya kikabila.

Lakini miaka mitatu baadaye,eneo hili ni tofauti sana.Kwa mijibu wa uchunguzi wetu,jumbe za kuhubiri amani na picha za athari za machafuko haya ya kikabila,zimejaa kila mahali.Kwa mfano,katika mtaa wa Kaptembwa,mojawapo wa mitaa iliyoathirika zaidi na vita hivi,jumbe hizi zimewekwa katika maduka,mahoteli na hata vituo vya burudani ili kuwakumbusha wakaazi wa hapa kila kuchao,madhara yanayofungamana na machafuko ya kikabila.

Kulingana na John Njoroge,mkaazi wa mtaa huu aliyechomewa maduka yake mawili,hali ni tulivu kwa sasa."Tulipiga kura kwa amani wakati wa kura ya maoni mnamo Agosti,4 ,2010.Hakuna lililotokea au taharuki iliyotanda baadda ya matokeo ya kura kutangazwa,"anasema Njoroge.

Juhudi za kuzipatanisha jamii mbalimbali katika kaunti ya Nakuru na mkoa wa Bonde la Ufa kwa jumla zimeonekana kuzaa matunda,miaka mitatu baadaye,kwa mujibu wa diwani Joel Gitimu wa wadi ya Lenginet,aliye pia mwanachama wa kamati ya amani katika eneo hilo."Yaonekana wakaazi wengi katika kaunti hii walijifunza sana kutokana na athari zilizotokea hapa.Maendeleo yalidumazwa na ustawi wa kiuchumi ilididimia kwa kiwango kikubwa,"anaeleza diwani Gitimu.

Sehemu zingine zilizoathiriwa na machafuko haya ni kama Githima,Rhonda,Marigat,Molo miongoni mwa zingine.

Askofu John Kimani William wa kanisa la Kingdom Seekers,mjini Nakuru na wachungaji wengine vile vile wamekuwa katika mstari wa mbele kuzihamasisha jamii mbaimbali humu nchini kutojiingiza tena katika chuki za kisiasa na kikabila.Aidha askofu huyu amekuwa akizitembelea sehemu mbalimbali humu nchini akiwashajiisha Wakenya kujitenga na chuki ambazo ni kizingiti kikubwa cha maendeleo.

Wasomi vile vile hawajabaki nyuma.Walizikusanya fikra na tajriba zao ili kuweza kuandika makala na vitabu vitakavyowasaidia Wakenya kujifunza kwa undani kuhusu athari za machafuko ya kikabila.Aliyekuwa mbunge wa Subukia, Koigi wa Wamwere katika kitabu chake Kuelekea Mauaji ya Kimbali Nchini Kenya:Laana ya Ukabila Hasi  anaonya Wakenya wajifunze na yaliyotokea Rwanda mnamo Aprili  1994 wakati jamii za Wahutu na Watutsi zilijiingiza katika mzozo wa kimamlaka."Umaskini ndicho chanzo cha  michafuko hii tangu 1992 wakati mfumo wa vyama vingi ulipoanzishwa,"anasema mwandishi huyu katika utangulizi wa kitabu chake.

Eneo la Nakuru liliathirika vibaya kwa kiwango ambacho serikali ililazimika kuweka amri ya kutotoka nje ili kupunguza taharuki iliyotanda.

Huku duru ya pili ya vikao vya mahakama ya ICC ikitarajiwa kuanza mnamo tarehe 21 Septemba,waathiriwa wa ghasia hizi  bado wamo hemani eneo la Pipeline,Nakuru.Wengi wao wamepoteza matumaini na kupata haki.Lakini wanautegemea mchakato wa kusikilizwa ka kesi huko Hague kwamba hatimaye utatenga mbivu na mbichi na haki itapatikana.

"Tunaiomba serikali kututafutia makao mbadala kwani mvua inayoendelea kunyesha ni tishio kubwa kwa afya za watoto wetu,"anaeleza Felistus Wangechi,mmojawapo wa wakimbizi wa ndani kwa ndani wa vita hivi.Kambi hizi ni mojawapo ya makovu ya athari za machafuko haya kando na nyumba zilizochomwa,hasa katika eneo na Githima na Kaptembwa.

Mji wa Nakuru umebadilika na majengo makubwa makubwa ya kibiashara yanaonekana.Vile vile,vyuo vingi vimeanzisha matawi yao mjini hapa-ishara ya kuinuka kwa kiwango cha elimu.

NISHATI ASILIA YA UPEPO
Na Wanderi wa Kamau

Kwa muda mrefu,Wakenya wamekuwa wakiteseka kutokana na ukosefu wa huduma bora za umeme.Hali hii imechangiwa na hali mbaya ya anga ambayo inazidi kubadilika katika miaka ya hivi karibuni hasa kutokana na uharibifu wa mazingira.

Aidha kupungua kwa kiwango cha maji katika miito na mabwawa ambapo mitambo ya kusambazia umeme huwepo vile vile ni kikwazo kikubwa cha huduma duni za usambazaji wa umeme.Lakini swali ambalo Wakenya wanapaswa kujiuliza ni:Je,kuna njia nyengine  wanayoweza kupata nishati mbadala?Kuna njia mwafaka ya nishati asilia?

Mojawapo ya malengo ya milenia ya Umoja wa Mataifa ni kuwa mataifa yote duniani,hasa yaliyo katika bara la Afrika yawe yakijitosheleza kinishati ifikiapo mwaka wa 2015.

Nishati asilia ya upepo ni mojawapo wa njia mwafaka zaidi za kukabiliana na mgogoro wa kinishati unayoikumba dunia nzima,Kenya ikiwepo,hasa wakati binadamu wanapozidi kuongezeka na kuvamia chemichemi na vyanzo vya mito mikuu ambayo huwa aslili ya nishati itumikayo na mataifa mengi.

Aina hii ya nishati ilianza kutumika katika karne nyingi zilizopita.Kwa mujibu wa mtandao wa Wikipidia,mataifa kama vile Denmark na Greece huwa yanatumia nishati hii kwani hakuna mito inayofurika katika mataifa haya yaliyo katika mojawapo ya maeneo baridi sana duniani.

Mtandao huu unazidi kueleza kwamba nishati asilia ya upepo ilikuwa ikitumika na na wafanyabiashara wa asili ya Kiarabu katika karne ya kumi na tisa kusukuma mashua zao kutoka  Bara Arabu(Saudi Arabia na Oman) hadi pwani ya Afrika Mashariki.

Huku kiwango cha misitu ya Kenya kikiwa asilimia 1.7 pekee kufikia mwaka jana,ni muhimu kwa idara husika na Wakenya wenyewe kutafuta njia mbadala za kupata nishati ya matumiziyao ya kila siku.

Kwanza,Kenya lazima ijifunze kutoka kwa nchi ya Rwanda.Kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya Umoja wa Mataifa kuhusu hali ya nishati duniani katika mwaka wa 2011,Rwanda iliibuka kuwa nchi iliyo na mfumo bora zaidi wa kinishati katika kanda ya Afrika Mashriki katika kudhibiti vituo vyake vya kinishati.

Huku nchi hii ikizidi kuponya makovu ya mauaji ya kimbali ya Aprili 1994,sera zake kuhusu udhibiti wa nishati zimeiwezesha kupiga hatua kubwa hata kiuchumi na kuzipiku baadhi ya nchi ambazo zilikuwa na chumi dhabiti sana katika kanda hii.

Utegaji wa nishati asilia ya upepo si jambo gumu.Huhusisha kuunganisha kifaa kinachofanana na panka ambacho husukumwa na upepo.Kifaa hiki hatimate huunganishwa na mota ambayo hugeuza nguvu hizi hadi kuwa umeme ambao huweza kutumiwa nyumbani kama kupikia na hata viwanda.

Nishati ya upepo  ni asilia.Haina gharama yoyote isipokuwa gharama ya kuziunganisha mashine za kuzigeuza kama vile mota.Manufaa mengine ya aina hii ya nishati ni kuwa inaweza ikatumika kwa matumizi yoyote.Kizingiti chake kimoja tu ni kuwa upatikanaji wake ni wa kimsimu kwa sababu ya mvumo tofauti wa upepo.

Kwa mujibu wa James Njuguna,mkulima katika eneo la Bahati,Nakuru,matumizi ya nishati hii yanaweza yakageuza mgogoro wa ukosefu wa nishati toshelevu hapa nchini."Nimeyatembelea mataifa mbalimbali kwa ufadhili wa shirika la IFAD,na nilivyoona,kupotea au ukosefu wa umeme ni jambo gumu sana katika baadhi ya nchi hizi,Rwanda ikiwemo,"anaeleza.

Mercy Wanjiku,mwanafunzi katika Chuo Kikuu cha Egerton, analaumu mifumo iliyopo ya kinishati hapa Kenya ukiwepo ukuritimba wa taasisi moja katika  kudhibiti ugavi na usambazaji wa  umeme hapa nchini.

 By Wanderi wa Kamau

WANGARI MATHAI: IN MEMORY OF A HERO WHO DIED IN SOCIETAL OBLIVION

Wangari Maathai's death echoes mixed things.Majorly,it echoes a prophet doomed and an unsung at home,an unrecognized hero and a disillusioned activist.

From the times of hunger strike for the release of political prisoners during the Moi regime in 1991,the Karura Forest agitation and a junior cabinet post undeserved for a world-acclaimed hero in the Ministry of Forestly and Wildlife,Wangari was seemingly a world icon but not a Kenyan heroine.

She had no place in the Kenyan history.She created an unending antagony with the ruling elite for her outspokenness and tenacity in agitation of the preservation  of our indigenous forests and opposition of the shamba system.

But she is not alone.After independence,the Mau Mau fighters who dedicated their lives for thee redemption of their country from the colonial barbarism and atrocity have followed the same path.Reportedly,the British government gave out large amounts of money as compensation to Mau Mau freedom fighters to the immediate post-independent government-but all this fell prey to a paternalistic gluttonous and bureaucratic clique that took over government at the time.

The post-independence trend became a game-changer.The colonial loyalists amassed wealth at the expense of the real Mau Mau freedom fighters were subjected to an untold misery.The post-independence ruling clique grabbed large tracts of land as they were in the full control of the country.Right now ,the bulk of squatters in this country are those who lost their loved ones and sustained life-time injuries in quest for a just and free country.The recent trend of  deaths regarding Mau Mau veterans deaths' is a clear indication of this.They have been reduced to mere beggars in a country they dedicatively fought for.

The Kapenguria Six is yet another example.Some freedom heroes like Bildad Kaggia,Paul Ngei among others when they chose to contradict with the 'manipulative and exploitative' policies were they were reduced to mere beggars and paupers.

The case of whistle blowers such as JM Kariuki is an indication of an ill-willed post-independence proletariat.He brutally paid the price of being the voice of the voiceless.

Luckilly for  Wangari.They did not maim her physically.After the independence dissilusionment of the Mau Mau dream,the Moi era was another regime that idolized mythopoeic incarnation of powre,which had the effects up to the academic field.What happened to literary gurus of the time:Ngugi wa Thiong'o,Ngugi wa Mirii,Micere Githae Mugo among others?It was  in 1977 when the Kenyatta regime banned the acting of the 'Ngaahika Ndeenda' play which aimed to open the citizenry on the ills of the government of the day.

Moi choose to 'follow the footsteps'.Like Rehoboam in the Bible,Moi perpetuated dangeros re-institutionalization of autocratic and authoritarian regime-opening more room to outspokenness to his critics.This acceleration of authoritarianism erupted to the 1082 coup.The educated elites resultantly became his greatest enemies-fleeing to foreign countries,seeking political asylum.

In essence,Kenya's governance system have opted to shatter the dreams of of acclaimed heroes,visionary personalities and perpetuate the power of the dominant class.
While Wangari stood for the liberalization of the political arena,being a 2nd liberation heroine the Nyayo regime used every means to cool down but remained adamant.She lived her dream.

Its a country of ironies.Wangari was also actively involved in the efforts to reclaim the lost African Culture.She crusaded for the indigenisation of the Gikuyu culture through her yearly visits and funding of the preservation of the Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga-an area famed as the genesis of the Gikuyu community.

Her immense contribution to the alteration and mainstreaming of the governance process  in the African continent is insurmountable.Her book, The African Challenge, seek to challenge deradicalisation and embourgeoisement which have worked to the detriment of those already disadvantaged.

Prof.Maathai stood to her principles.While she sided with the opposition in the 2005 referundum,many of the Kikuyus,especially Central Kenya MPs,perpetuated the rhetoric of Wangari's traitorship to 'the community by co-perating with the outsiders'.The rhetoric was successful.She was at the side she thought was the best-not for the welfare of her backyards (Nyeri or Tetu) but for the advancement of her vision for a dream to improve the livelihoods of millions through a safe biodiversity which she constantly agitated for.

While the new constitution seek to address the plights of the marginalized and forgotten in the society,let those who have given Kenya a place in the global radar be recognized.It is very dad when our own heroes are celebrated abroad while they remin as outcasts in Kenya.

Our scholars have earned thousands of accolades outside Kenya,but we are yet to recognize them and their immense contribution to Kenya's welfare.Ngugi wa Thiong'o is a global icon who recenly missed by a whisker to win the Nobel Award for his contribution in the literary world over the decades,but he remains an enemy of the very own people and the country he constantly advocates for.

He has been a champion of the indigenisation of African languages but..we view him a retrogressive scholar whose arguments are outdated and impossible.To date,his marauding intruders,ready to pounce on him are there.

Kenya,Kenyans,lets change this culture.

Rest in peace Prof.Wangari.

LETS  REDEEM OURSELVES FROM THE WEST'S CULTURAL BONDAGE
 
By Wanderi Kamau

The recent tug-of-war on property inheritance surrounding the late Archbishop Samson Gaitho's family is astounding.It is disgusting.

The tussle evokes memories of similar cases that have been in the public domain,especially in Kikuyuland over property inheritance tug-of-wars and unending confrontations between family members of prominent personalities.

To name but a few is the former Starehe legislator,the late Gerrishon Kirima and the late World Marathon Champion,Samuel Kamau Wanjiru.These tussles have portrayed these families,and the community at large negatively in the public over the adherence to values associated with family inheritance.

Now,in the traditional African setting,great values were upheld.The elderly were respected by everyone.There was a council of elders,for each community.These were very important institutions in governing and spearheading the smooth daily life in these communities.Mostly,they focused on legislative matters that determined the punishment for capital and petty offenders.

For instance,among the Ameru,there is the famed Njuri Ncheke council,the Kaya elders among the Mijikenda among others.These institutions remain relevant in the history and in the day to day life of these communities,up to today.But due to the inculcation of capitalistic  ideologies into our ever-dynamic society,such disputes will always recur.These institutions comprised of respectable elders of high calibre and great wisdom.

The 'westernization phenomenon' have come to have grievous effects on the principles and morals of the African morals;the westernization phenomenon have been termed as 'the West's perpetuation of their cultural imperialism in Africa and other neo-colonial ideologies which are resplendent of universal neo-colonialism.

Capitalism,a way of governance adopted in Kenya from the British and perpetuated by the post-independence ruling elite has had to grave the effects besides degrading the African cultural values.
The enforcement of the ideals of African Socialism by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta did not fully succeed as the immediate post-independence society had already gravitated from the ideals of of African socialism fragmented by the entry of the whites.The Kenyan society was already capitalist.

The Tanzania example best explains why the country continues to enjoy relatively harmonious co-existence since independence,while her counterparts in the region namely Kenya,Uganda and Burundi continues to experience internal conflicts almost four decades after attaining their independence.

Socialism,though associated with underdevelopment as a resultant aspect would greatly be the remedy to unifying fragmented societies like in Kenya or Uganda.Currently,Kenya is on the global headlines over the ongoing case at the ICC.Socialism inculcated morals,brotherhood and harmonious coexistence.Mwalimu Julius Nyerere had this vision.

Capitalism enshrines separatist ideologies.Such are the ideologies that have led to unending mutual suspicion among certain communities in Kenya since independence.This is because the coming of the Whites brought with it 'civilization' thus fragmenting the ideals of African Socialism like egalitarianism.

Mutual suspicion created among communities by the notion of 'only my part' has been the primary casualtive of the ever recurrent tribal clashes,in addition to inciteful political rhetoric,mostly driven by the jealous of property ownership  and inheritance.

A recent survey indicated that most of the young people in the East Africa region would rather be rich-as their first priority.Wealth surpassed all other options like education or even owning a family.
With such psyches ingrained in this segment of our future society-then it is no wonder why criminal activities are ever on the rise and insecutity levels escalating mostly in urban areas.The youngsters see any form of success in regard to wealth,regardless of how it is got.Many want to drive flashy cars and own big houses.These are their priorities.

They don't want to know how much one will pay-the perserverence and the patience to attain them.We all blame this on one thing:Capitalism.

This neo-colonial tool to fragment the African morals have left us crying.The old institutions like the council of elders who would be a key element in solving some family related issues have been rendered useless thus exposing some families to the psychological suffering of national shame following the exposure by the media.Such disputes create create antagony and perpetual anathema that can even lead to deaths.Dissatisfied but wealthy family members are known to eliminate some of their kins for monetary gains.

Disintegration of morals -and even the skimpy dressing code,which have come to be idolized by the youth and even the elderly is resultant of globalization which in it conceals the West's neo-colonialism and the desire to impose a world-order under their control in the name of 'democratising' the developing countries.

Mwacha mila ni mtumwa,so goes a Swahili adage.Let us respect and reclaim our cultures to avert a looming cultural bondage imposed by the West on us.

MACHAGE'S REINSTATEMENT A PERPETUATION OF IMPUNITY

The recent reinstatement of Dr.Wlfred Machage as the assistant
minister for roads is disgusting.In a way,his reinstatement maybe
interpreted as a political gimmick to hoodwink the public that there
was a 'technicality error' in implicating him and his co-accused over
their inciting  remarks at the height of referendum campaigns in the
year 2010.

While it is apparent that the leaders were captured in videos recorded
by the journalists who were covering them,the 'technicality excuse'
raises more eyebrows than answers.One question that comes to mind
is:why was he reinstated at the nearing of the electioneering
period?What did the court rely on as the evidence on this critical
case?Were the footages captured bogus so as to vindicate him(with
others)?

While the took over the chief justice portfolio,Dr.Willy Mutunga,a
doyen of the reformist civil society since the inception of
multipartyism promised to spearhead the much awaited judicial reforms
to coincide with the new dawn of a new constitutional dispensation.Has
this much-hyped reform process been hijacked by political opportunism?

What appalled many in the Machage's saga was the admittance of NCIC's
chairman Dr.Mzalendo Kibunjia with the court ruling.In a prime news
interview with a local television station,Kibunjia surprisingly
defended the erroneous court ruling while asserting that there was
political will to curb hate speech by the coalition government.This is
a total irony of the NCIC's chairman stance  whose stern  warnings to
politicians are not new in the mainstream media.

This is a massive failure on the NCIC's side whose critical mandate is
to ensure that national cohesion and integration is maintained in the
country,especially at this critical time,when we are preparing for
general elections.At this electioneering period,our stadiums will
undoubtedly be awash with political rallies of every kind.Every
presidential contender will result to using any gimmick to win the
electorates' support.They will,as usual result to populist
sloganeering in addition to using ethnic hatred propagandas as weapon
of dealing with fellow contestants.

Many commissions formed before have terribly failed to fulfil their
obligations;but for the NCIC its sole role at this time determines the
country's stability during the elections.Its failure,reluctance and
selectivity in dealing with any perpetrator of ethnic hatred may again
be a replica of the now defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya(ECK's)
delay to announce the 2007general elections presidential results that
caused widespread political tension which eventually sank Kenya into
an unforgettable abyss of ethnic genocide.

Many political leaders have been caught in camera giving very inciting
 speeches,but they have been spared free by Dr.Kibunjia's seemingly
toothless bulldog and partisan commission.For instance,no legal action
has been taken aganist cabinet minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere,who was
captured in camera inciting the Digos during his by-election
campaigns.

The NCIC should live up to its task and deal stringently with anyone
spreading hatred propaganda;may it be users of social sites,the media
or politicians,to prevent a repeat of the 2007/2008 skirmishes.

Wanderi wa Kamau,
Egerton University-Nakuru.