Post by miguna on Jul 11, 2007 23:40:45 GMT 3
REPONSE TO PAUL MWANGI
By MOHAMED BASHIR
“A rat while nibbling away at your feet soothingly blows away the pain”. So goes an African saying.
It aptly describes Paul Mwangi’s attempt to commiserate with Raila Odinga over the bigoted comments coming from some of his colleagues in ODM-K.
I call his analysis an ‘attempt’ because casual glances over the first paragraphs truly depict someone empathising. A full reading of the piece however reveals how disingenuous the writer is with the truth.
I must first start by stating categorically that I have never known Raila Odinga to adore any tribal tendencies, and have never known him to tolerate any forms of discrimination from whatsoever quarters.
I have always known him to live by Nelson Mandela’s creed and ‘cherished the idea of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony.’
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right for all individuals, but one has to exercise it with care and responsibility.
When Paul Mwangi accuses Raila Odinga of tribalism, it therefore is not a light matter when he fails to substantiate his claims. The lawyer conveniently does not give an explanation of what tribalism means.
I need to ask him how Raila Odinga’s analogy of the defeat of the government in the referendum with a ‘victory over the enemy’ amounts to tribal discrimination.
And pray, what would he want Raila Odinga to tell Hon Charles Njonjo when the latter honestly states he is embarrassed by his community’s actions? As a matter of fact, such attitudes of moral probity and rectitude are what our communities need to hear from their own.
At no point has Raila Odinga discriminated against some tribes in this country in their quest to produce leaders. If anything, he is on record as saying on numerous occasions that we ought not to use tribe as a barometer to determine leadership in this country.
If Raila has discriminated against the Kikuyus as the writer insinuates, then he’d not have declared ‘Kibaki Tosha’, for he knew then that Kibaki was a Kikuyu. It might also interest the chauvinists that his personal secretary for the last twenty or so years has been a Kikuyu.
The problem of tribalism in this country is not a matter to be taken so lightly and used to cast aspersions on others characters as Mr Mwangi has done.
As Raila Odinga said during his vision launch, ‘Tribalism is today tearing this country apart. It is at its highest point since Independence.’
It does not help matters that those who are guilty in this regard are the first ones to hurl the epithet of tribalists at others instead of taking part to be solutions to the vice.
The solution I believe like Raila has said, starts from the most powerful institutions in this country; the office of the president and state house. These have become the dens of officially sanctioned tribalism, where one has to be from the right tribes to work in.
I noted Raila during vision launch as saying:
We cannot fight tribalism in Kenya unless and until these two key institutions are detribalised. Key Office of the President and State House staff, as long as we need them under our current Constitution, must reflect the face of the country. Under my government, that will be the case. Staffing at the two offices will reflect our national diversity, and I challenge anyone to hold me accountable.
Since he is someone who has actively participated in freeing up the democratic space in this country, I cannot expect Raila to then turn around and impose upon people which organizations to join or support and he has never done so. But to expect him to applaud others in the opposite side is ludicrous at best.
Recently at the burial of the late Hon Achieng Oneko, in Kunya Village, Rarieda Constituency, where local MP Hon Raphael Tuju, and both H E President Kibaki, and former president Moi present, Raila Odinga said that political differences amongst individuals ought to be just that and should not be seen as personal differences.
I may add that neither should they be taken to mean tribal animosities.
By MOHAMED BASHIR
“A rat while nibbling away at your feet soothingly blows away the pain”. So goes an African saying.
It aptly describes Paul Mwangi’s attempt to commiserate with Raila Odinga over the bigoted comments coming from some of his colleagues in ODM-K.
I call his analysis an ‘attempt’ because casual glances over the first paragraphs truly depict someone empathising. A full reading of the piece however reveals how disingenuous the writer is with the truth.
I must first start by stating categorically that I have never known Raila Odinga to adore any tribal tendencies, and have never known him to tolerate any forms of discrimination from whatsoever quarters.
I have always known him to live by Nelson Mandela’s creed and ‘cherished the idea of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony.’
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right for all individuals, but one has to exercise it with care and responsibility.
When Paul Mwangi accuses Raila Odinga of tribalism, it therefore is not a light matter when he fails to substantiate his claims. The lawyer conveniently does not give an explanation of what tribalism means.
I need to ask him how Raila Odinga’s analogy of the defeat of the government in the referendum with a ‘victory over the enemy’ amounts to tribal discrimination.
And pray, what would he want Raila Odinga to tell Hon Charles Njonjo when the latter honestly states he is embarrassed by his community’s actions? As a matter of fact, such attitudes of moral probity and rectitude are what our communities need to hear from their own.
At no point has Raila Odinga discriminated against some tribes in this country in their quest to produce leaders. If anything, he is on record as saying on numerous occasions that we ought not to use tribe as a barometer to determine leadership in this country.
If Raila has discriminated against the Kikuyus as the writer insinuates, then he’d not have declared ‘Kibaki Tosha’, for he knew then that Kibaki was a Kikuyu. It might also interest the chauvinists that his personal secretary for the last twenty or so years has been a Kikuyu.
The problem of tribalism in this country is not a matter to be taken so lightly and used to cast aspersions on others characters as Mr Mwangi has done.
As Raila Odinga said during his vision launch, ‘Tribalism is today tearing this country apart. It is at its highest point since Independence.’
It does not help matters that those who are guilty in this regard are the first ones to hurl the epithet of tribalists at others instead of taking part to be solutions to the vice.
The solution I believe like Raila has said, starts from the most powerful institutions in this country; the office of the president and state house. These have become the dens of officially sanctioned tribalism, where one has to be from the right tribes to work in.
I noted Raila during vision launch as saying:
We cannot fight tribalism in Kenya unless and until these two key institutions are detribalised. Key Office of the President and State House staff, as long as we need them under our current Constitution, must reflect the face of the country. Under my government, that will be the case. Staffing at the two offices will reflect our national diversity, and I challenge anyone to hold me accountable.
Since he is someone who has actively participated in freeing up the democratic space in this country, I cannot expect Raila to then turn around and impose upon people which organizations to join or support and he has never done so. But to expect him to applaud others in the opposite side is ludicrous at best.
Recently at the burial of the late Hon Achieng Oneko, in Kunya Village, Rarieda Constituency, where local MP Hon Raphael Tuju, and both H E President Kibaki, and former president Moi present, Raila Odinga said that political differences amongst individuals ought to be just that and should not be seen as personal differences.
I may add that neither should they be taken to mean tribal animosities.
