Post by Onyango Oloo on Sept 28, 2005 21:09:32 GMT 3
Wednesday September 28th 2005
STATEMENT OF KENYANS IN SCANDINAVIA ON THE ARREST OF DAVID OCHAMI BY SECURITY OFFICERS OF THE KIBAKI GOVERNMENT
Yesterday's arrest of Mr. David Ochami, a Kenyan Journalist, by more than 10 policemen at the premises of Kenya Times Newspaper because of an opinion article he published in the paper was significant in two ways.
It was the second major arrest of a Journalist since Narc took power while it also confirmed that President Mwai Kibaki is on a downward spiral towards authoritarian dictatorship that his predecessor Daniel arap Moi spent 24 years perfecting.
In a typical style only rivaled by illegal activities of a gang of torturers that were dubbed "Security Home Boys" during the climax of the Mwakenya crackdowns in the late 80s during Moi's one party dictatorship, Ochami was cleverly duped by his abductors who whisked him away in a convoy of cars to his house at Pangani estate. In line with tradition, Ochami's house was then ransacked for two hours as the Journalist was held hostage.
In a kind of Déjà vu, Kibaki's "Security Home guards" took away newspapers, note books and an assortment of literature from Ochami's house before embarking on a "check in-check out" of the Journalist from one police station after another to hide his case from scrutiny. This is exactly the same method of intimidation Moi's Boys used with zeal but which failed to stop the struggle for political pluralism in Kenya.
What crime did Mr. Ochami commit to warrant the wanton intimidation, illegal curtailment of basic freedoms, sheer harassment and savage violation of his rights as a Kenyan citizen? The answer is that he published an opinion article in The Sunday Times of 25th September 2005titled "Coups in Africa do not occur out of nothing".
In the article, Mr. Ochami was answering the increasingly familiar and alarmist outbursts of Mirugi Kariuki and David Mwiraria (Kibaki's key sycophants) who had suggested that imaginary anti-Kibaki forces (advocates of the "No" vote in the coming referendum) were out to overthrow the Kibaki regime.
According to Ochami's thesis, the failure of the 1982 coup attempt may have been a disaster for Kenya because this historic failure may have prevented the execution of pre-independence politicians like Mwai Kibaki who was, by then, Moi's Vice President and who has effectively ended
the political aspirations of over 30 million Kenyans after his election three years ago.
The failure of the President to deliver a new Constitution within 100 days after coming to power and his fumbling with the Bomas Draft of the Constitution is a case in point.
Although we have our reservations as to whether the execution of former Dictator Daniel arap Moi and his Vice President Mwai Kibaki by the 1982 coup leaders could have prevented 24 years of ruthless dictatorship and an extension of that dictatorship through Kibaki, we agree with Ochami's analysis about the circumstances of coups in Africa, his parallels about the situation in Kenya and his position that Kibaki's mistakes "Have aborted the momentum for effective change" in Kenya. The journalist
could not have put it better!
That is, we agree with Ochami's view that the Kibaki dictatorship has hopelessly failed Kenyans and needs to be overthrown by any democratic means available in the field of struggle.
Ochami was simply telling the truth as it is and arresting him will not postpone or solve the huge crisis facing Kibaki's government. There is a crisis of leadership in Kenya and the only reason why Kibaki is still in power is because there is no credible alternative political force that can effectively lead workers and the youth to power. If Kibaki has started arresting Journalists now, what will he do when he loses the referendum in November or when he senses defeat at the 2007 General elections? Will we see a return to detention without trial?
The alarm bells have been sounded and Kenyans should once again be on the alert because all indications are that a new dictator in the name of Emilio Mwai Kibaki has taken over the State machine which he is now using to arrest Journalists doing their work at newspaper offices. For
conscious Kenyan minds, Kibaki hatoshi and the best option in the situation is for him to go now rather than later!
After a string of failures to deliver on key election promises, this latest arrest of yet another Journalist by marauding security officers with orders from Kibakis "Internal security" should be the last signal that Kenyans should return to the path of revolution, not just to overthrow Kibaki but also to topple the system that bankrupted leaders like him are using to trample on the rights and freedoms of Kenyan citizens with impunity.
According to Ochami, "Kenyans should be allowed to hope for a blast or blow of holy wind from somewhere to end this mess". Our view is that there will be no "holy wind" from anywhere to liberate Kenya from the Kibakis even if Kenyans embrace themselves tightly in prayer with their
heads upside down 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
A revolutionary Movement or Party armed with a revolutionary theory and a clear revolutionary Program for democratic change and transformation is urgently needed in Kenya to show the way out of the blind alleys of
the rotten capitalist class rule now tampering with Press freedom in our country, intimidating and arresting journalists, looting the economy and using the huge security apparatus as a powerful tool for oppression
KANU style.
We unequivocally condemn Ochami's arrest because it reduces the democratic space needed for revolutionary activity vital for liberation in Kenya while it also rolls backwards the democratic gains achieved through blood-shed and loss of thousands of lives especially during the dark years of the one party dictatorship of Moi.
In fact, Ochami's arrest is yet another warning to workers and millions of youth in Kenya that time for revolution to overthrow the system has come because the capitalist ruling class is the same - yesterday, today and tomorrow. Kibaki's government is violating the Constitution, a sad
reminder that the ruling class the world over will always violate the Constitution as long as their class interests are threatened.
Ochami was arrested because Kibaki is using an oppressive system left behind by Moi, a system that we have repeatedly said, needs to be smashed to pave the way for reconstruction of the Kenyan society under a new
democratic system led by workers and the youth, not pre-independence opportunists fed by imperialism to protect foreign interests.
We condemn the Kibaki dictatorship for trying to return Kenya to the 80s using worn out tactics that had already failed during the dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi.
Ochami's arrest confirms the dictatorial character the Kibaki regime continues to assume and the use of State machine to try and re-introduce "the culture of silence and fear" that Moi planted in Kenya but which was uprooted through struggle before Moi was himself defeated in
December 2002.
We will oppose any charges brought against Ochami and dramatize his case in the International arena in case the government goes ahead to press for bogus charges against a conscious Journalist who was simply doing
his work. Kenyans should resist a small gang of wealth grabbers calling themselves government to hold back a struggle that has been going on for more than 4 decades.
Ochami's article has nothing to do with "incitement" as the police put it. In the circumstances, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. David Ochami and a stop to the arrest and intimidation of journalists doing their work in Kenya.
Martin Ngatia - Kenya People's Democratic Movement (KEPEDEMO Mapinduzi)
Okoth Osewe - Kenya Socialist Democratic Alliance
Desmond Nyamu: Kenya Social Forum in Norway (KSF - Norway)
Betty Shangazi: Muungano Ya Akina Mama Scandinavia
Omariba Kadikiye: Organization of Kenyans in Denmark (OKD)
Christopher Omondi: Association of Kenyan Students in Finland (AKSIF)
STATEMENT OF KENYANS IN SCANDINAVIA ON THE ARREST OF DAVID OCHAMI BY SECURITY OFFICERS OF THE KIBAKI GOVERNMENT
Yesterday's arrest of Mr. David Ochami, a Kenyan Journalist, by more than 10 policemen at the premises of Kenya Times Newspaper because of an opinion article he published in the paper was significant in two ways.
It was the second major arrest of a Journalist since Narc took power while it also confirmed that President Mwai Kibaki is on a downward spiral towards authoritarian dictatorship that his predecessor Daniel arap Moi spent 24 years perfecting.
In a typical style only rivaled by illegal activities of a gang of torturers that were dubbed "Security Home Boys" during the climax of the Mwakenya crackdowns in the late 80s during Moi's one party dictatorship, Ochami was cleverly duped by his abductors who whisked him away in a convoy of cars to his house at Pangani estate. In line with tradition, Ochami's house was then ransacked for two hours as the Journalist was held hostage.
In a kind of Déjà vu, Kibaki's "Security Home guards" took away newspapers, note books and an assortment of literature from Ochami's house before embarking on a "check in-check out" of the Journalist from one police station after another to hide his case from scrutiny. This is exactly the same method of intimidation Moi's Boys used with zeal but which failed to stop the struggle for political pluralism in Kenya.
What crime did Mr. Ochami commit to warrant the wanton intimidation, illegal curtailment of basic freedoms, sheer harassment and savage violation of his rights as a Kenyan citizen? The answer is that he published an opinion article in The Sunday Times of 25th September 2005titled "Coups in Africa do not occur out of nothing".
In the article, Mr. Ochami was answering the increasingly familiar and alarmist outbursts of Mirugi Kariuki and David Mwiraria (Kibaki's key sycophants) who had suggested that imaginary anti-Kibaki forces (advocates of the "No" vote in the coming referendum) were out to overthrow the Kibaki regime.
According to Ochami's thesis, the failure of the 1982 coup attempt may have been a disaster for Kenya because this historic failure may have prevented the execution of pre-independence politicians like Mwai Kibaki who was, by then, Moi's Vice President and who has effectively ended
the political aspirations of over 30 million Kenyans after his election three years ago.
The failure of the President to deliver a new Constitution within 100 days after coming to power and his fumbling with the Bomas Draft of the Constitution is a case in point.
Although we have our reservations as to whether the execution of former Dictator Daniel arap Moi and his Vice President Mwai Kibaki by the 1982 coup leaders could have prevented 24 years of ruthless dictatorship and an extension of that dictatorship through Kibaki, we agree with Ochami's analysis about the circumstances of coups in Africa, his parallels about the situation in Kenya and his position that Kibaki's mistakes "Have aborted the momentum for effective change" in Kenya. The journalist
could not have put it better!
That is, we agree with Ochami's view that the Kibaki dictatorship has hopelessly failed Kenyans and needs to be overthrown by any democratic means available in the field of struggle.
Ochami was simply telling the truth as it is and arresting him will not postpone or solve the huge crisis facing Kibaki's government. There is a crisis of leadership in Kenya and the only reason why Kibaki is still in power is because there is no credible alternative political force that can effectively lead workers and the youth to power. If Kibaki has started arresting Journalists now, what will he do when he loses the referendum in November or when he senses defeat at the 2007 General elections? Will we see a return to detention without trial?
The alarm bells have been sounded and Kenyans should once again be on the alert because all indications are that a new dictator in the name of Emilio Mwai Kibaki has taken over the State machine which he is now using to arrest Journalists doing their work at newspaper offices. For
conscious Kenyan minds, Kibaki hatoshi and the best option in the situation is for him to go now rather than later!
After a string of failures to deliver on key election promises, this latest arrest of yet another Journalist by marauding security officers with orders from Kibakis "Internal security" should be the last signal that Kenyans should return to the path of revolution, not just to overthrow Kibaki but also to topple the system that bankrupted leaders like him are using to trample on the rights and freedoms of Kenyan citizens with impunity.
According to Ochami, "Kenyans should be allowed to hope for a blast or blow of holy wind from somewhere to end this mess". Our view is that there will be no "holy wind" from anywhere to liberate Kenya from the Kibakis even if Kenyans embrace themselves tightly in prayer with their
heads upside down 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
A revolutionary Movement or Party armed with a revolutionary theory and a clear revolutionary Program for democratic change and transformation is urgently needed in Kenya to show the way out of the blind alleys of
the rotten capitalist class rule now tampering with Press freedom in our country, intimidating and arresting journalists, looting the economy and using the huge security apparatus as a powerful tool for oppression
KANU style.
We unequivocally condemn Ochami's arrest because it reduces the democratic space needed for revolutionary activity vital for liberation in Kenya while it also rolls backwards the democratic gains achieved through blood-shed and loss of thousands of lives especially during the dark years of the one party dictatorship of Moi.
In fact, Ochami's arrest is yet another warning to workers and millions of youth in Kenya that time for revolution to overthrow the system has come because the capitalist ruling class is the same - yesterday, today and tomorrow. Kibaki's government is violating the Constitution, a sad
reminder that the ruling class the world over will always violate the Constitution as long as their class interests are threatened.
Ochami was arrested because Kibaki is using an oppressive system left behind by Moi, a system that we have repeatedly said, needs to be smashed to pave the way for reconstruction of the Kenyan society under a new
democratic system led by workers and the youth, not pre-independence opportunists fed by imperialism to protect foreign interests.
We condemn the Kibaki dictatorship for trying to return Kenya to the 80s using worn out tactics that had already failed during the dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi.
Ochami's arrest confirms the dictatorial character the Kibaki regime continues to assume and the use of State machine to try and re-introduce "the culture of silence and fear" that Moi planted in Kenya but which was uprooted through struggle before Moi was himself defeated in
December 2002.
We will oppose any charges brought against Ochami and dramatize his case in the International arena in case the government goes ahead to press for bogus charges against a conscious Journalist who was simply doing
his work. Kenyans should resist a small gang of wealth grabbers calling themselves government to hold back a struggle that has been going on for more than 4 decades.
Ochami's article has nothing to do with "incitement" as the police put it. In the circumstances, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. David Ochami and a stop to the arrest and intimidation of journalists doing their work in Kenya.
Martin Ngatia - Kenya People's Democratic Movement (KEPEDEMO Mapinduzi)
Okoth Osewe - Kenya Socialist Democratic Alliance
Desmond Nyamu: Kenya Social Forum in Norway (KSF - Norway)
Betty Shangazi: Muungano Ya Akina Mama Scandinavia
Omariba Kadikiye: Organization of Kenyans in Denmark (OKD)
Christopher Omondi: Association of Kenyan Students in Finland (AKSIF)