Post by Onyango Oloo on Oct 19, 2005 17:53:47 GMT 3
www.koitalel.com/
IN KOITALEL’S STRUGGLE AND DEATH, WE ARE COLLECTIVELY INSPIRED
By Hon. Raila A. Odinga, M.P.
We are proud and at the same time challenged to commemorate the treachery and cold-blooded murder of one of our most celebrated patriots, the
Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei.
Proud because Koitalel and other gallant sons and daughters of this great land bequeathed to us a legacy of struggle for justice, freedom and dignity of all. Challenged because our post-independence history is littered with acts of betrayal, treachery and politics of cannibalism.
It is not lost on us that by midnight today, we will be marking another memorable occasion in our history of struggle against colonial injustices, brutality and treachery. On the night of 19th/20th October 1952, the colonial government arrested six of our patriots –
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta,
Bildad Kaggia,
Ramogi Achieng’ Oneko,
Kungu Karumba, Paul Ngei and Fred Kubai - to begin a period of sham trial and long periods of incarceration. The rest of the country,
particularly Central Kenya, was turned
into a huge prison, under the State of Emergency. As we mark the centenary of the death of hero Koitalel arap Samoei, we also remember that it was on 18th October 1982 that
Maina wa Kinyatti, one of our foremost Mau Mau historians and a great patriot was sentenced to a life of harsh prison conditions for his efforts to reclaim our true history.
We are taking part in the remembrance of one of the greatest patriots our long history of struggle against illegitimate authority has produced. It is a proud moment for those of us who love freedom and democracy. And I am proud to be part of a memorial that rekindles in us the spirit of patriotism and democratic nationhood: the spirit which drove Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei to chose death rather than an undignified life in colonial servitude.
A hundred years is a long time. It is a long time for ordinary people to remember an ordinary event. But is a very short time to recall and relive the heroic and to some extent tragic life of one of the most illustrious patriots of our time. For those of us who have always identified ourselves - through deeds and not empty rhetoric - with the heroic history of our peoples’ resistance against all forms of oppression and dictatorship., this memorial is a rich source of renewed determination to continue the struggle which he began.
This momentous occasion is more than a celebration of a life tragically cut short by the cruel machinations of imperialism. It is a huge challenge. A challenge for every living Kenyan to re-commit him-or her-self to the patriotic and democratic ideals and principles that inspired Koitalel, Waiyaki wa Hinga,
Me Katilili and
Dedan Kimathi after them to make the difficult choice to die rather that continue to live under ignominy of colonial servitude. To recall the words of two great world leaders,
Fidel Castro and
Nelson Mandela, we cannot help but marvel:
How far we slaves have come!
May I ask my dear compatriots, is it not sad that the name of this great son of Kenya remained buried under colonial and post-colonial obscurity so that a deceptive distance is lodged between the democratic aspirations of the Kenyan people of today and tomorrow and the great inspirations that we all stand to gain from the life of Koitalel! How can we deceive history by denying Koitalel the pride of place in our streets, Universities and other memory-preserving places of patriotic significance?
Koitalel was shot in cold blood as he went to talk peace with the forces of occupation. He wanted them to just leave us alone. He had utmost faith in human goodness that he believed people of honour would never renege on their promises, agreements and mutual understanding. He was mistaken. This world is full of people who turn their backs on gentlemen’s or ladies’ agreement at the earliest convenience.
As we mark this day, we are proudly aware that the seeds sown by Koitalel did not land on a barren soil. This country is proud to have produced such gallant successors to Koitalel as Cege wa Kibacia,
Makhan Singh,
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masinde_Muliro
Masinde Muliro
and
Pio Gama Pinto, to
name but a few.
This event comes at a time our great country is involved in a very important exercise. Raging vigorously is the debate on the new constitutional dispensation and a pending vote at the referendum.
May I ask: how would Koitalel vote if he were here on November 21? You can join me in harzading an intelligent guess.
We should use the occasion of remembrance of Koitalel and other patriots to appreciate that their resistance to foreign occupation was not because they wanted to earn and concentrate power in themselves as presidents or prime ministers or chiefs or kings. They fought for Kenyans’ freedom, dignity, self-governance and collective prosperity. And they paid the utmost price.
Why is it so hard for us to emulate them?
IN KOITALEL’S STRUGGLE AND DEATH, WE ARE COLLECTIVELY INSPIRED
By Hon. Raila A. Odinga, M.P.
We are proud and at the same time challenged to commemorate the treachery and cold-blooded murder of one of our most celebrated patriots, the
Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei.
Proud because Koitalel and other gallant sons and daughters of this great land bequeathed to us a legacy of struggle for justice, freedom and dignity of all. Challenged because our post-independence history is littered with acts of betrayal, treachery and politics of cannibalism.
It is not lost on us that by midnight today, we will be marking another memorable occasion in our history of struggle against colonial injustices, brutality and treachery. On the night of 19th/20th October 1952, the colonial government arrested six of our patriots –
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta,
Bildad Kaggia,
Ramogi Achieng’ Oneko,
Kungu Karumba, Paul Ngei and Fred Kubai - to begin a period of sham trial and long periods of incarceration. The rest of the country,
particularly Central Kenya, was turned
into a huge prison, under the State of Emergency. As we mark the centenary of the death of hero Koitalel arap Samoei, we also remember that it was on 18th October 1982 that
Maina wa Kinyatti, one of our foremost Mau Mau historians and a great patriot was sentenced to a life of harsh prison conditions for his efforts to reclaim our true history.
We are taking part in the remembrance of one of the greatest patriots our long history of struggle against illegitimate authority has produced. It is a proud moment for those of us who love freedom and democracy. And I am proud to be part of a memorial that rekindles in us the spirit of patriotism and democratic nationhood: the spirit which drove Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei to chose death rather than an undignified life in colonial servitude.
A hundred years is a long time. It is a long time for ordinary people to remember an ordinary event. But is a very short time to recall and relive the heroic and to some extent tragic life of one of the most illustrious patriots of our time. For those of us who have always identified ourselves - through deeds and not empty rhetoric - with the heroic history of our peoples’ resistance against all forms of oppression and dictatorship., this memorial is a rich source of renewed determination to continue the struggle which he began.
This momentous occasion is more than a celebration of a life tragically cut short by the cruel machinations of imperialism. It is a huge challenge. A challenge for every living Kenyan to re-commit him-or her-self to the patriotic and democratic ideals and principles that inspired Koitalel, Waiyaki wa Hinga,
Me Katilili and
Dedan Kimathi after them to make the difficult choice to die rather that continue to live under ignominy of colonial servitude. To recall the words of two great world leaders,
Fidel Castro and
Nelson Mandela, we cannot help but marvel:
How far we slaves have come!
May I ask my dear compatriots, is it not sad that the name of this great son of Kenya remained buried under colonial and post-colonial obscurity so that a deceptive distance is lodged between the democratic aspirations of the Kenyan people of today and tomorrow and the great inspirations that we all stand to gain from the life of Koitalel! How can we deceive history by denying Koitalel the pride of place in our streets, Universities and other memory-preserving places of patriotic significance?
Koitalel was shot in cold blood as he went to talk peace with the forces of occupation. He wanted them to just leave us alone. He had utmost faith in human goodness that he believed people of honour would never renege on their promises, agreements and mutual understanding. He was mistaken. This world is full of people who turn their backs on gentlemen’s or ladies’ agreement at the earliest convenience.
As we mark this day, we are proudly aware that the seeds sown by Koitalel did not land on a barren soil. This country is proud to have produced such gallant successors to Koitalel as Cege wa Kibacia,
Makhan Singh,
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masinde_Muliro
Masinde Muliro
and
Pio Gama Pinto, to
name but a few.
This event comes at a time our great country is involved in a very important exercise. Raging vigorously is the debate on the new constitutional dispensation and a pending vote at the referendum.
May I ask: how would Koitalel vote if he were here on November 21? You can join me in harzading an intelligent guess.
We should use the occasion of remembrance of Koitalel and other patriots to appreciate that their resistance to foreign occupation was not because they wanted to earn and concentrate power in themselves as presidents or prime ministers or chiefs or kings. They fought for Kenyans’ freedom, dignity, self-governance and collective prosperity. And they paid the utmost price.
Why is it so hard for us to emulate them?
