Kenya Cops Nab 20 After Garissa Fracas

[Onyango Oloo]

Kenya police arrest 20 youths after rally violence
17 Sep 2005 15:45:10 GMT
Source: Reuters

NAIROBI, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Kenya police arrested at least 20 youths on Saturday after they threw stones at a convoy of ministers campaigning in favour of a new controversial constitution ahead of a November 21 referendum.

Police said at least 33 people were injured, some seriously, during clashes between the police and the youths who had erected barriers to stop the ministers from reaching a rally in the northern town of Garissa.

Three cabinet ministers were forced to abandon their plans of holding the rally as the hostile youths also burnt copies of the new proposed constitution.

"The rally could not proceed in such a violent situation and was called off," said Johnston Limo, the town's police boss.

"We are holding 20 people and we are likely to make more arrests. Investigations to identify those responsible for this incident will lead us to make more arrests."

Residents said they wanted to demonstrate their opposition to the government of President Mwai Kibaki who they accuse of ignoring the underdeveloped and impoverished northern region.

"We oppose the (proposed) constitution in order to stop those in power against using this region for their political survival," said Abdi Ahmed, a resident of Garissa.

"The document gives more powers to the president, this is what we wanted to remove."

Kibaki and most of his ministers are leading the "Yes" campaign for the proposed new constitution, the first complete overhaul of Kenya's constitution since the current version drawn up on the eve of independence from Britain in 1963.

But the main opposition, Kenya African National Union (KANU) and five ministers from ruling coalition partner, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), are against the constitution which they say increases presidential powers against the people's wishes.

Since the early 1990s, Kenyans have been clamouring for a completely new constitution. Critics say the current one fosters graft and tribalism because of the president's immense powers.

Perceptions that Kibaki's government has manipulated the constitution-making process led to violent protests in July that left one person dead.

[kamalet]

It is a shame that the leaders who would have incited these people to the violence are no where near the police cells!

[Onyango Oloo]

The Yes side seriously underestimated the collective intelligence of Kenyans and their concerted determination to thwart the passage of the atrocious Wako Draft.

Kamale, I hear you calling for the arrest of sijui nani bin fulani.

Did you say anything when a senior civil servant called Francis Muthaura warned Kalonzo Musyoka that he would be sacked if he did not join the Yes team?

Have you said anything to politicians in Embu who have declared that they will block Kenyans in that area from meeting to express their support for the NO campaign? Have you said anything about the woman in Banana Hill who was roughed up by rowdy Yes hooligans? Have you castigated Chris Murungaru for his blood curdling and unspecified threats against some of the No leaders? Do you think that Noah Wekesa is breaking the law by declaring his constituency to be his private property, out of bounds to the NO team?

Of course the answer to the above is a resounding NO.

Speaking directly about the Garissa fracas, what is your reaction to the following report from the Kenya Times?

www.timesnews.co.ke/19sep05/nwsstory/news21.html

How about this Islamophobic diatribe:

www.timesnews.co.ke/19sep05/nwsstory/news18.html

Do you think that Martha Karua should remain in the cabinet after basically trashing Kenyans in Garissa as "refugees"?

Would she have said the same thing in Maragua, Nyandarua, Kipkelion, or Homa Bay?

This is yet another manifestation of the extent to which Kenya government officials are out of touch with the issues in the northern part of the country.

The ongoing genocidal campaign of demonization against Somalis and other northern Kenyan people is of course couched in such coded language.

I remember participating in a protest in Ottawa on November 9, 1989 which led to the recall of the then Kenyan ambasssador to Canada, Peter Nyamweya. Even though our contingent was 100% Kenyan (and very diverse too- Gikuyus, Luos, Luhyias, Somalis, Swahilis, etc) we were astounded when we read in the Kenyan press a few days later that we were "Somali refugees".

In other words, Martha Karua is continuing the Kenyatta-Moi-Kibaki regime contempt for northern Kenyan people who are not really considered Kenyan citizens. Why are the Karuas, Saitotis and Koechs of the Banana Posse surprised to find themselves being pelted by oranges and stones?

The arrogance of the NAK faction is going to meet its national comeuppance in the very near future- not necessarily during this referendum- whose NO victory result is a foregone conclusion.

Onyango Oloo
Toronto

[kamalet]

Oloo,

Whether I condemn Karua or Murungaru is neither here nor there.

I was concerned about Kenyans in police cells who listened to some leader or other telling them to throw oranges and burn papers as well as to disrupt a rally. Those are the people who should be in the cells not just the locals.

If you can only see from the angle you pose, then it is very difficult to reason with you, I am afraid! My response was to the Reuters report about people arrested. If you wish a debate on what Raila or Karua say in the public fora, then bring it on...in a different thread!

[Onyango Oloo]

Kamale:

Did someone "incite" you to login and post the above? Did someone "instigate" me to respond to you?

Why is it that we assume that an ordinary orange throwing mwananchi has to be "incited" by some leader?

Where is the evidence that this person or these persons cannot act on their own for good or for ill?

As a socialist I am always amazed at the impossible knots that some people tie themselves in. On the one hand, when it comes to fighting for collective rights they will insist there is no such thing as collective rights because everyone is an individual; on the other hand when it comes to independent political action, they will deny the very same individuals the possibility of conscious agency- in other words, they will not factor in the possibility that people often can and do think for themselves.

For instance, on another forum, I remember how someone rushed to trash me for my audacity in pushing for a NO vote, declaring how they did not need someone to think for them. One has to remain consistent: either individuals are responsible and capable of acting individually or they are marionettes guided by remote control...

Onyango Oloo
Toronto

[kamalet]

Oloo,

If its of any interest to you, I have been to 2 NO vote forums (and non yet for a Yes Vote), and I have not felt inclined to line the hallway with banana peels so that people can slide and fall.

My point is that Kenyans are not a violent lot, and whenever you see violence unleashed against people, it is almost invariably backed by some politician or other! In politics, violence is used a tool of fear, and that is what you see with all the violence happening in Kenya.

If I thought differently, I would not understand how we can have this discourse without degenerating to calling each other names. It is because we are a level higher than those who think disrupting rallies by their opponents or throwing stones is an okay way of expressing ones opposition to a situation. I am certain you would abhore such an expression, and you have aptly responded to instances of mob justice meted out on you in the internet by the 'stalkers' etc.

On that one score, I beg to differ Oloo.

[Onyango Oloo]

Please show me some credible proof that the Garissa orange hurlers were puppets attached to some wanasiasa's strings and that they were not acting spontaneously on their own.

Kamale do you remember how angry you get when I push your buttons deliberately by suggesting that wewe umetumwa na wakubwa wa NAK kuja kuchochea mtandaoni?

Of course you chaff and bristle at Oloo's suggestion that you Kamale, can not think for yourself and form your own opinions ama?

Onyango Oloo
Toronto

[kamalet]

Perhaps you can now still hold on to your theory that the violence unleashed in Thika was by genuine proponents of the Yes vote and had not been influenced by politicians!!! You see that is the problem with your warped reasoning, it does not really matter whether it is in Garissa or Thika, these hooligans are paid for by politicians. Again, it is the politicians, stupid!

As for this other nonesense about exposing me (surely I was hopeful you would outgrow this stupidity!!!), you will be very surprised at my anger threshhold! I am not as passionate about these things as you are - since they do not pay my bills!!

[Onyango Oloo]

Let us not collapse issues into each other. Thika was Thika and Garissa was Garissa.

Adduce the evidence pointing to politicians "inciting" people in Garissa.

Do not try to cover up the NAK mayhem in Thika.

Incidentally Kamale, I was JOKING about that whole Special Branch thing this time around.

Chillax Nairobian.

Onyango Oloo
Toronto

[kamalet]

I do not agree that Thika is Thika and Garissa is Garissa for if I did, I would not sound objective!

As I said, Kenyans are not a violent people, and all you require is hirelings to disrupt an event, and you can sure point fingers...!

Incidentally, do you think hiring a lorry load of thugs to counter anticipated thuggery puts the Orange campaigners on a higher moral ground - i.e it was intended for self defense? I do not think so.

Oloo, these people were paid by politicians to cause mayhem - Period!

[Onyango Oloo]

where i will expand and expound on my view about the thika mayhem.

oo
to