Life in Kenya in 2012

Cabral Pinto: Life and times of Pio Gama Pinto

2009-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

From 2pm to 5pm on Saturday (21st Feb 2009), at Nairobi’s Professional Centre, a poet and former detainee, Mr Abdilatif Abdalla, will be a special guest at a function to mark what the organisers call Kimathi-Pinto Day 2009. The Mau Mau Research Centre is organising the event in collaboration with several other pro-democracy groups.

It is important for Kenyans to start remembering their patriots for change since the state does not do so. Would it not have been a great gesture on the part of the state if prisoners serving short sentences were released on February 18 in remembrance of the hanging of Kimathi by the British?

Mr Pheroze Nowrojee, a prominent lawyer, poet and political worker has written a great book on Antonio Rudolfo Jose Pio Gama Pinto. He calls Pinto a patriot for social change and shows this in his usual simple, clear language.

Pinto’s political mentors were the architects and patriots of Indian independence, prominently Mahatma Gandhi and Jawharlal Nehru.

Like them Pinto spent the rest of his life fighting for Kenya’s freedom. Pinto was a journalist whose activism and struggle were reflected in not only liberation journalism, but also in trade unionism and organising political parties such as the Kenya Indian Congress, the Kenya African Union and, later, the Kenya African National Union (Kanu).

Pinto was also a member of the Mau Mau central committee, the first vanguard of the group’s war of independence. He helped freedom fighters in the forests of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares by providing arms and supplies. He also looked after the families of the freedom fighters, including those who had been killed.

All these were activities that carried the death penalty during the British-imposed state of emergency. Like all patriots for change, Pinto was courageous and constantly outwitted the enemy. He was also a great pan-Africanist.

The British government detained him, but a revolutionary does not give up the struggle for change in the enemy’s prisons and detention camps, where he exposed colonial segregation. He also organised football matches in prison.

Pinto himself was a great sprinter and was chosen by the colonial government to represent colonial Kenya in the 400m and 800m races at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver in 1952. But declined to take part, saying that his work for the country could not allow him several months to train and compete.

Pinto was in detention and restriction for five and a half years, and upon his release, he was involved in the campaign for the release of Jomo Kenyatta and all other detainees and prisoners.

He continued his liberation journalism work, raised funds for the detainees and those who were released. Like all revolutionaries, he was selfless and generous and loved all Kenyans.

As Che Guevara has written, “the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.”

Pinto was no different. It was this love for Kenya and Kenyans that made him stand up against the Kenyatta regime which he saw as a reincarnation of the colonial administration.

William Attwood, the first US ambassador to Kenya and author of the still banned book, The Reds and the Blacks: A Personal Adventure, was a Cold War warrior with a clear mandate to keep Kenya in the Western bloc.

The opposition to the Kenyatta regime, spearheaded by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, fought for Kenya’s independence, although in the eyes of Attwood, it wanted to place Kenya in Eastern bloc.

Attwood describes Pinto as a “brilliant tactician,” whose “priority objectives were to whittle down British influence, especially in the army and police, broaden his political base to other tribes and become the champion of landless peasants and the urban unemployed.” He also describes Pinto as Odinga’s “chief political adviser.”

It was for his struggle for true independence and for social justice for the poor, vulnerable and marginalised Kenyans that Pinto made powerful enemies from within and outside Kenya.

On the morning of February 24, 1965, three men rushed up through his home gate (Pinto’s home was where Sarit Centre is now) and to his car window, called out: “Jambo!” and one of them fired at him, killing him instantly.

On Saturday, as Kimathi-Pinto Day is celebrated, we have mentors and models for patriotic change. True reformers cannot any more claim they do not have political role models to help them fundamentally change this country.

We should live to the words and the spirit engraved in Pinto’s gravestone at Nairobi’s City Park cemetery: “A light has been extinguished. Yet there arise a thousand beacons from the spark he bore.”

Kenyan reformers should be part of the thousand beacons from Pinto’s spark.

Cabral Pinto: Spirits of Kimathi and Ouko cry to Kenyans

2009-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Feb 13th 2009 was the 19th anniversary of Foreign Affairs minister Robert John Ouko’s assassination. Wednesday will be the 52nd anniversary of the hanging by the British of great freedom fighter Dedan Waciuri Kimathi. And On February 24, Kenyans will mark the 44th anniversary of the martyrdom of Antonio Rudolfo Jose Pio Gama Pinto.

But I wish this week to focus on the political murder of Dr Ouko and Field-marshall Kimaathi, and look at Pinto next week.

Kenyans seem to have overlooked an opportunity to revisit Dr Ouko’s political murder that presented itself after former president Moi left office on December 30, 2002. It is not far-fetched to assume that Mr Moi has useful evidence in this case.

He was the president when Dr Ouko died and nobody could then interview him about whatever he knew. President Moi may have wanted to talk about it upon his ceasing to be president, but we have shied away from even attempting to raise this issue with him.

Also in retirement are the various heads of the police Special Branch who may have useful information. Lawyers should let Kenyans know if it is possible to open up complaints about this issue so that all these powerful people may now be interrogated about this murder.

Some people will argue that this is the work of the proposed truth, justice and reconciliation commission, but there is really nothing wrong with being proactive about the murder.

There is critical evidence that Mr Moi could help Kenyans with: Why did he disband the Ouko commission before it completed its work? Kenyans will recall that after the president disbanded the commission, there was an attempt to prosecute the suspects of Ouko’s murder, but this did not materialise.

Retired presidents should be ready and willing to give information on political decisions they did not explain when they were in office. In most countries they write memoirs about controversial decisions they made.

But in Africa, political leaders seem to take the information to their graves. Citizens of Africa need to make sure that they give this information before their deaths.

On Kimathi, it is great that a statue has ben erected in Nairobi in his honour. And there are many streets in East Africa, including Nairobi, named after him. What has been the clarion call of the Kenyan youth is that Kimathi be given a decent burial. And they have identified a spot at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.

What has frustrated Kenyans is that both the British and the Kenya governments shamelessly argue that they do not know where Kimathi was buried after his hanging on February 18, 1957. Who can believe the present British government does not know where the one at the time buried Kimathi?

Has the Kenya government really followed up this issue seriously? Have the possible sites been dug up and the necessary expertise from, for example, Argentina, sought to help?

The Cuban government had always had the political will to give revolutionary Che Guevara a decent burial. And it finally succeeded in giving its great warrior, patriot, ideologue and comrade a decent send-off.

Thus, as we celebrate the killing of Kimathi, Kenyans should let the Government know that the statue is not enough. His spirit cries for freedom and a decent burial. As Africans, this is something we should understand.

Kimathi’s family has never relented in urging the British and the Kenyan governments to show them his remains. For he remains Kenya’s collective political father, and we should express this collective pain of having our father in captivity 52 years after his murder.

The issue of Kimaathi’s decent burial used to engage such political leaders as the PM, Cabinet ministers Anyang’ Nyong’o, James Orengo, Charity Ngilu and Martha Karua as well as former ministers Kivutha Kibwana and Mukhisa Kituyi. Lobby groups also agitated over this issue.

Who is going to help lawyer Paul Muite and the Kenya Commission on Human Rights in this matter?

The Mau Mau Veterans Association also needs support in its suits against the British. All Kenyans should now demand that tKimathi’s remains be found and a national burial befitting a great patriot held.

The much-maligned grand coalition government has the opportunity of being remembered for one patriotic act by pursuing this issue with the required political determination.

How can Kenyans be free when their great freedom fighter lies in a grave of captivity 45 years after independence?

Kenya 2012 Presidential Contenders so far (July 2008)

2008-07-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

These are:

Raila Odinga
Kalonzo Musyoka
Uhuru Kenyatta
Martha Karua
William Ruto
Musalia Mudavadi
Charity Kaluki Ngilu
Joseph Munyao

Martha Wangari Karua eyes on 2012 General Elections

2008-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Martha Karua is Kenya's Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs. She was appointed to this post in April 2008 following the naming of a Grand Coalition Government in Kenya. She was elected on a Narc Kenya ticket in the 2007 General Elections to represent Gichugu Constituency in Kirinyaga district of Central Province. She is a lawyer by profession.

The coalition is led by President Emilio Mwai Kibaki (PNU), Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga (ODM) and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka (ODM-K). These were the three top and antagonistic contenders for the presidency in the 2007 general elections.

By the end of June 2008 she had already being elected as the Chairperson of the Narc-Kenya party, the party that took her to parliament in the 2007 general elections.

In July 2008, Martha Karua declared her interest in contending for the presidency in the next General Elections to be held in the year 2012. She is slowly getting to be referred to as Kenya's iron lady based on her no-nonsense confrontational politics.

Martha Karua Background
Martha Karua was born on 22 September 1957 in Kirinyaga District of Central Province.

Martha Karua Education Background
Graduated with LLB (Hons) from the University of Nairobi in 1980.

Martha Karua Parliamentary Record
Martha Karua has represented Gichugu Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since 1993 when she was first elected on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket in the 1992 general elections (1993-1997). Mwai Kibaki was the founding chairman of the DP Party. Martha won a second term in parliament following the 1997 general elections on a DP ticket (1998-2002). She had an easy ride to her third term on a Narc ticket following the 2002 NARC euphoria (2003-2007).

She maintained this trend in the 2007 general elections when she won her fourth term on a Narc-Kenya ticket, a term she is serving presently. All this time, Mwai Kibaki has headed Martha's political vehicles to parliament. Narc-Kenya was one of the notable affiliate parties in the PNU coalition that shipped Mwai Kibaki to his second term as Kenya's president.

Martha Karua Ministerial Record
Martha Karua first became a minister after the Narc came into power in 2003 when she was named the Minister for Water and Irrigation. She held this position until December 2005 when President Kibaki dissolved his entire cabinet following his defeat in the jinxed 2005 constitutional referendum when his 'Yes' banana side was defeated by the 'No' orange side spearheaded by Raila Odinga, the then minister for public works who had been brewing a rebellion within the NARC Government.

Martha Karua was back in the cabinet as a Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs when President Kibaki reconstituted his cabinet in December 2005. This was considered a promotion. She held onto this position until December 2007 when the Kenya had the 2007 general elections.

Martha Karua was back in her office of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in January 2008 when President Kibaki constituted half the cabinet as the country went through the post election violence. She served in this position until April 2008 when her cabinet portfolio was expanded to handle National Cohesion affairs that was necessary following the tribally divisive 2007 general elections. A position she serves to date.

2012 Kenya Dream-Team

2007-05-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Some people might think that 2012 is quite far but as the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day so I’m proposing a forum where we could start a “Kenya Dream-Team” campaign by first nominating 10 relatively reputable Kenyans and then we could slowly market the team in the next 5 years and hopeful when 2012 arrives, we would have a strong team that would change the way politics is currently run by the privileged few.

I know this sounds like a far-fetched idea and quite frankly it is, but as the Chinese proverb goes, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step so I do strongly believe that is truly feasible and we could make turn this far-fetched dream into reality!

Once we locked-in on the Dream-Team, we could start working out the logistics of raising campaign funds. This could be a simple campaign like soliciting Ksh.100 donations from 5 million Kenyans (5,000,000 * 100 = Ksh. 500,000,000 (half a billion Kenya shillings)) since it is an open secret that money does play a huge role in any political battle.

Here are my first 3 nominees:
1. Mutavi Musyimi
2. Raphael Tuju
3. PLO Lumumba

(a comment left on kenyapolitical.blogspot.com)

4. James Mwangi (Equity);
5. Titus Naikuni (KQ);
6. Martin Odour-Otieno (KCB);
7. Wangari Maathai (2004 Nobel Peace Price Winner, Founder Green Belt Movement, MP for Tetu Constituency);
8. Bitange Ndemo (PS Ministry of Information & Communication);
9. Peter Kenneth (Asst. Minister-Finance, MP for Gatanga Constituency).

Kenya needs technocrats who can deliver.
(MainaT)