Her Story Wins: Bunge La Mwananchi: The People’s Parliament

Her Story Wins: Bunge La Mwananchi: The People’s Parliament

PAN-AFRICANISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WILL BE THE SEEDS OF EAST AFRICA COMMUNITY INTERGRATION

On 30th July 2011 Saturday, in Rwanda Kigali Kyciru area near the ministry of agriculture (MINAGRI) we had opportunity to participate in Rwanda monthly clean-up exercise called Umuganda (communal work) and thereafter listened to debates and discussion on the question of social development and Reconciliation in Rwanda as the government official and the village community leaders informed the people on the plans of the government in collecting statistics of the most poor people in the country to be enlisted in the social security program and education sponsorship, where some of the definition of the poor person was contested by the people who had gathered that day after communal work for discussion after the communal work and they informed the government official to review the description of the poor person as, in order to encourage the people to see their potential and dignity even in poverty, while the government was collecting the statistics of different economic classes in Rwanda during the communal work ,a challenge that Rwanda is struggling with to heal the wounds of genocide and political violence through social justice programs and reconciliation from the government of Rwanda under President Paul Kagame.
Although it took our courage to join the clean up as visitors in the area as we were inspired and encouraged by the beauty of Kigali one of the clean and safest capital city to walk even at night in East africa community and the new social development that is shaping social change and reconciliation in Rwanda from the history of genocide that has left the horrible scar in Africa and the world in the 21 centaury. I and my colleague fellows with Fahamu Pan-African fellowship program in East africa placement in Rwanda attached to Ishyo community Arts and cultural centre , a community centre that was started by Rwandese women to support youth in culture and arts for social justice , On our arrival that day at venue of community communal clean up exercise at around 9.30 am, although we were late, as the clean up had started an hour ago, we were welcomed and encouraged by a student and a resident of Kyciru area a place that 4000 Tutsi were massacred in 1994 genocide and today bubbling with middle class and tourist guest houses sandwiched in between by low income houses that remind you of growing inequality in the new Rwanda . To welcome us was Mr. Innocent Rukundo and his younger brother who we found at the end of clean-up line and later helped us to interpret some of the discussion that were being conducted in Kinyarwanda, and sometimes in Kiswahili, after the clean-up exercise where organic debates and discussion take place on reconciliation and social development in reflection of the history of genocide and developments plans a form of participatory dialogue that anchored on the communal work,Our friends and the residents of Kyciru area who we spoke to were very happy and encouraged in our spirit to join them that day in the communal clean up as it was not usual to see visitors coming from their guest houses and joining the communal clean-up that is done monthly nation-wide in Rwanda as symbol of reconciliation and healing from the history of the genocide.
Rwanda and Burundi are the new members of the East africa community from the Great lakes region which bring in to the community another tortured history of genocide in Rwanda , Civil war in Burundi and in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and complex crisis of refugee with unresolved historical injustices and question of nationality of millions of people in DRC Congo , Uganda, Rwanda , Burundi , Tanzania and recent addition to this problem is new state of Southern Sudan which has made its intention to join the East africa community with its history of civil and refugee, Most of the Great lake region crisis is due to colonial boundaries and false constructed political identities by imperialism and the africa ruling elite that continue to fuel tension and poverty in the region which is endowed with great natural resources of minerals, like Coltan Cobalt, timber, diamonds gold, and rich agricultural land with underground oil fields , fresh water lakes , and permanent rivers that flow to the great River Nile the livelihood of great Egypt that can be harnessed to bring social development in the region and humanize the millions of African peoples in this region from the history of exploitation and death from poverty linked diseases , political violence and civil war for many years.
The Umuganda the communal clean up in Republic of Rwanda dates back to the historical customs of the Banyarwanda people and the ideas of developmental states that was championed by africa independence movements, The developmental state in africa nationalist movement had fused the custom and the culture, with colonial inherited states structures during independence in creating the state as centre of politics and as instrument of social development, and hence the history of Umuganda a form of Africa socialism that was borrowed from custom and africa cultural values of solidarity with the family and the community, that in africa village a peasant who was in need of house and shelter he was required by customs to prepare the traditional brew and food and thereafter make an invitation to the community members in the village in for communal work to build the house and cerebrate the opening of the house with food and traditional brew what Mwalimu Nyerere called Ujamaa, or Harambee in Kenya that was abused by new Africa ruling elite.
On this date of 30th July 2011 in Rwanda President Paul Kagame had invited Uganda president Yoweri Museveni on four days state visit to which both participated in communal work in community clean up and construction of schools buildings in Kigali , what the two described as modern day Umuganda to advance social development and integration in East Africa region, a Visit that was politically pregnant in cementing their historical political relationship since the souring of the diplomatic ties between the two President who are authors of second liberation guerrillas and Pan-Africanist alternative politics in the region , that removed the regime of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997 of former Zaire today the Democratic Republic of Congo by supporting the rebel movement in Eastern DRC Congo lead by Prof. Wamba Ndia Wamba and Laurent Desire Kabila senior in 1996-1997 who struggle with Mobutu regime dated back to the days of the first Prime minister Patrice Lumumba, this political intervention that overthrow dictator Mobutu who was USA Protégé for 30 years in power during the era of cold war, was hailed by Mwalimu Nyerere as an Africa intervention in africa problem as he did himself with Uganda Idi Amin regime , It is during this time of joint political intervention by Uganda and Rwanda army in DRC Congo in 2000 when tension erupted between the two armies due to conflict of interest in DRC Congo natural resources that lead the infighting of the Rwanda and Uganda Army in DRC Congo soil , which planted the seeds of mistrust between Kagame and Museveni that slowed down their political friendship, and undermined Pan-Africanism political ideology for East Africa integration.
The Rwanda monthly communal work , manifested in the Kigali capital the clean and secure beautiful city in africa today carry with itself the redemption cross with wounds, and painful historical memory of the Rwanda genocide, as symbolized by Kigali genocide memorial centre, where in reflection during the 1994 genocide Umuganda custom of communual work was invoked by Hutu youth militia Interahamwe as call to invite the Hutu to participate in communal work to massacre Tutsi and moderate Hutu who had refused to participate in the Massacre of the Tutsi , as Prof. Mamdani Books writes in his book When the victims became killers , Colonialism, Nativism and the Genocide in Rwanda, page in page 194 that local official were instructed to kill Tutsi as part of their communal work obligation, where killings came to be referred to Umugunda ‘’ during the prelude to the 1994 genocide. not only the customs and culture were used during the killings even the shared historical ecology of water system rivers was invoked to drive hate, and destruction of life , as one leading genocide ideologue a Canadian educated linguistic named Leon Mugesera had called the elimination of Tutsi as final solution to retain the Hutu elite power and advised that the Tutsi be returned to Ethiopia , from where they had come from, “invoking a colonially produced native history that was created by Belgium, catholic missionaries and Germans imperialist Anthropologist about Banyarwanda people who had common history and identity of several clans and hence constructed the Tutsi and Hutu as different political colonial Identity and nationalities in divide and rule tactics “ during scramble of africa in 1884 in Berlin conference . In 1994 genocide the Tutsi were said to be returned from their colonially created original home dead through River Nyabarongo , which feeds into the great River Nile , As we visited Nyamata church genocide memorial site where 45000 people are buried, A long the way back as we left Nyamata trading centre I inquired from the students of senior 5 of Nyamata high school who had joined us in the bus after the end school term the name of the river as we passed through, Which they readily answered to me that it was called River Nyabarogo, the river has well cultivated farms around the river banks of Bananas, cassava, and fresh vegetables ,which is giving hope, of Rwanda healing from the wounds of 1994 Rwanda genocide hopes that the life manifesting mother Earth clothed by rivers, forest and fresh water lakes of region that is shared by Africa people in Rwanda is giving life back to humanity that was visited by hate of politically constructed colonial identities and boundaries by Belgium imperialism the origin of Hutu and Tutsi false political identities that divided the Banyarwanda peoples who had common language , culture and history the colonial boundaries that defined the Germans and Belgium imperial powers and their sphere of influence which divided africa people and communities from their cultural and ecological heritage and planted seeds of self-destruction, that has brought the region in this social upheavals through divide and rule tactics during the scramble of africa in Berlin conference 1884 when German East africa took Rwanada –Burundi as their colony and there after the Belgium took over from German when they were defeated in the first world war. The colonial division and boundaries in africa today continue to fuel citizenship crisis of refuge in the Great lakes region, which continue to undermine the quest East africa community integration, and social development , for peaceful existence, which can only be healed by Pan-Africanism vision that advocate for africa unity and liberation of the masses, from neo-colonial poverty and boundaries, that divide our people.
The president of Uganda who had four days visit in Rwanda, to cement the historical relationship between Rwanda and Uganda, although they did not unpackaged their joint press communiqué on the agenda of first tracking the East africa community and the question of community political federation there are number of challenges facing the East africa community which today population is about 120 million people within five members states that make the community this being Rwanda , Burundi, Kenya ,Ugandan and united republic of Tanzania, the challenge of building democratic institution and culture of rule of law within the region is paramount which can guaranteed participatory democracy, social development in the East africa community . The President of Uganda and his comrade Paul Kagame have their political friendship dating back to the history of colonial constructed boundaries and the regional refugee crisis of Great lakes region , When Paul Kagame at the age of 3 years old and other thousands of Banyarwanda peoples were forced into refugees in Uganda from the Rwandan post- colonial crisis of 1959 that overthrew the Tutsi despotic feudal monarchy that were used by Belgium colonialism to exploit and plunder Rwanda territory and divide the people.
The political relationship of the two president was forged and strengthened by the founding father of East africa community and great Pan-Africanist Mwalimu Julias Kabarage Nyerere , Where the president of Uganda and Rwanda and many political and intellectuals leaders in East Africa become beneficiary of Mwalimu Nyerere social- economic infrastructure of (Ujamaa) and Pan-Africanism contact in Africa and the region that helped to incubated, Africa liberation independence and intellectual movements in Africa. Dar es Salaam University laid formative stages and development of National Resistance Movement (NRM) which was a peasant guerrilla movement (NRM) that removed the fascism regime of Idi Amin in Uganda through support from Tanzania Army under the President of Tanzania the Late. Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, later the Uganda comrades under Yoweri Museveni government and NRM after taking power in Uganda in 1986 they supported Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) That was lead by Mojor Paul Kagame and the Late Fred Rwigyema a guerilla Pan-africanist in Africa and many Rwandase national who were in political exiled and refugee in Uganda and a number of them had participated in Ugandan liberation movement with (NRM) which helped them to launch a liberation movement in Rwanda, in 1990,that resulted to Rwanda Arusha accord agreement of power sharing in 1993 between RPF and the Rwandan government of late President Juvenel Habyarimana who was assassinated in 1994 with the President of Burundi when their plane was brought down in Kigali by Hutu Extremist that were opposing the power sharing with RPF in the Arusha Accord , this lead the wave of genocidal killings where 800,000 peoples and more were killed, and later the crisis of refugee in Eastern Congo that subsequent lead a civil war in Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) that was still under Mobutu Dictatorship.
A generation which fails to build a society which its children are proud of to inherit is a failed generation , and duty of our youthful generation in East africa community as Pan-Africanist is to hand over to future generation a better East africa community to inherit without hate, poverty , colonial boundaries and destruction of life that has been hall mark of East africa community in the last few decades, and it is very sad to understand that before the Kenya-post election violence where a thousand and more people were killed in 2007 a number of high level delegation of political class and human rights organization had made visit Rwanda genocide memorial centre’s to warn themselves about the politics of hate and divide and rule ethnic chauvinism ideology that continue to shape Kenya politics even today even after the crisis of 2007/2008 that ended up with imperialism intervention in the name of international criminal court( ICC) in Hague where six suspect named Ocampo six are appearing on various charges of crime against humanity in 2007 Kenya Post-election violence , which expose the East Africa Community as nothing but a tool for neo-liberal free market forces that cant intervene in the question of political , social and criminal justice issues that affect the community, this also is shown by Kenya state failure to support the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda which is based in Arusha Tanzania to deliver Felician Kabuga one of the Rwanda genocide criminal who financed genocide propaganda in 1994 believed to be hiding in Kenya and protected by the political ruling class that are in complicit partners in Business interests , this even after the tribunal in Arusha requesting Kenya state to honor its obligation in international law and corporate with tribunal.
The dream of original East Africa community was inspired by Mwalimu Nyerere, and its founding vision in 1967 was of Pan-Africanism , ant-imperialist and nationalist in its political character and ideology . The Treaty of establishment of East africa community that was signed in 1999 by the original three partner states of Kenya , Uganda and Republic of Tanzania, to revive the community was inspired mostly by neo-liberal free market economy and anchored on selfish-interest of chauvinism nationalism between the states and greed of market forces in the name of competitiveness which continue to boil tension with the five states while undermining the original dream of East africa community that was grounded social justice anti- imperialist Pan-Africanism and solidarity of our people, most of the project within the East Africa community today are petty and mostly donor funded that even the East africa community secretariat operate through charity from Imperialist donors, which is a great shame to the leaders in the region. The original East africa community was united by strategic public investment which were community flagship that advance social development in the region, and created contact between the people of East Africa, among this was the East Africa Railway and Harbours that connected , Nairobi , Kampala, and Dar es Saalam , the East Africa Post and Telecommunications and the East Africa Airways, Makarere and Nairobi University which Mwalimu Nyerere was one its Chancellor in East africa and Dar es Saalam University the intellectual hill that was ideological centre of Pan- Africanism movement and political hot bed of africa liberation movements struggle that helped to forge and incubate a new generation of Pan- Africanist political leader and progressive intellectual before the community collapsed in 1977 due created political instability in Uganda by British imperialism economic interest in the region, that had created Kenya as its outpost of western interest, to undermine the Pan-Africanism dream the history of mistrust that continue to fog the community intergration
Mwai Kibaki . Yoweri Museveni Jakaya Kikwet , and Paul Kagame all are beneficiary of original East Africa community social-economic and higher of education infrastructure and they have failed to live that dream of Pan- Africanism movement integration for and improved livelihoods, healthcare, education for all and free from hunger for people of the region as Mwalimu Nyerere envisioned today the region is prone with famine , refugee, poverty related diseases , Nairobi , Kampala and Dar es Salaam are capital cities clothed by slums of poverty , garbage, street families and darkness due to luck of electricity connection that is slowing the industrial and social development in the region while community unity continue to be in danger due to tension of territorial fanaticism of colonial boundaries like Migingo Island in Lake Victoria, between Uganda and Kenya due to failure of a political leadership in the region to think beyond their colonially constructed boundaries and greed of neo-liberal commercial interest and political elite in the region that continue to undermine Pan-Africanism political movement dream that can be the seed of community integration and development, Uganda and Kenya continue to waste resource in surveying and mapping the waters of Lake. Victoria to affirm the colonial boundaries while stationing the paramilitary police brigades in the in the small islands in the largest fresh water lake in Africa that continue to waste resources and intimate small fisherman who cross the colonial boundaries while fishing , in the same time the leaders in East Africa continue to speak about East Africa Common market and single custom union and political federation, for Multinational companies in East Africa.
As poems , traditional songs, dance, night comedies , and theatre artists, played in Rwanda Revenue Authority theatre Hall from 4th august 6th 2011 from different countries , that were attending a three days centre by centre theatre and artist annual festival in Rwanda that was organized by Ishyo arts community centre and Interdisciplinary Genocide studies centre the question of many young people Artist , theatre performance and dancers who were attending the annual theatre festival from Congo DRC , Rwanda Burundi and Uganda Kenya was who is nurturing the future Pan- Africanism leaders of the East africa, and healing the wounds of civil war , plunder and pillage of africa naturals resources, notable on this was the performance, by a dance group named Inshoza Dance troupe from student of Rwanda – Butare national university who said poems on Pan- Africanism and songs about africa culture passed from generation to generation through dance steps, Where it invites all Africans to regain the ownership of their culture and thus build their continent that has been facing all sorts of neo-colonial division and violence.
The effect of neo-liberal dictatorship on political, economic and academic sphere in East Africa community that preach liberalization of trade , privatization of national resources and assets and comodifications of social services e.g education and healthcare , has left East africa community exposed to greed of market forces and exploitation , in the region that has left the masses boiling with anger. Today in Kenya the question of maize and maize flour that is staple food for the majority rural poor and urban proletariat has invited street demonstration and picketing in government offices to demand reduction of the price of essential commodities that has skyrocketed to100% which three millers and cartel control this food industry in Kenya which is connected to the political ruling class , the same situation is being experienced in Kampala and Kigali where there is shortage of sugar and other essential commodities today Tanzania and Kenya are country in drowning in darkness with no electricity because of corruption and following blindly IMF and World Bank neoliberal policies that advices on power generation to being left to private sector who motivation only is profit and not strategic investment for social development, with long term impact. As I was writing this article, millions of people are starving and dying because of famine , in East africa and especially in Kenya which has dubious distinction in the region of being economic house of East Africa. This has promoted the private sector in kenya lead by Multinational companies like Barclays Bank and Safaricom, in partnership of Kenya Red cross and tokens from political ruling class which all are beneficiary of disaster capitalism in the neoliberal economy that rake billions in profit annually, Have launched a charity drive dubbed Kenyans for Kenya to contribute to the famine, which exposes their greed and ignorance on their role in creating conditions that bring food insecurity i.e. famine and hunger to the people of East africa as Prof. Yash Tandon has questioned the Political and economic power elite in his writing on globalization in Nordic Africa Institute that hunger and famine today in africa is brought by the neoliberal policies that africa government have being following for the last 25-35 years. The same question of hunger and famine in East africa community was also put to President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni on 1st August 2011 during his joint press conference with Paul Kagame in Urugwiro village in Kigali on his four days visit in Rwanda on East Africa community leadership sense of responsibility, it is sad this head of states skirted the question without concretely addressing the root cause of the problem, Where the President invited charity from those who had accumulated what they called in their own language ( Amafaranga) to assist in the famine and hunger in the horn of africa, the corporate sector and International community who benefit from disaster capitalism and political chaos have responded well in the space and role of East Africa community governments in the name of charity as invited by Museveni.
Lastly is some inspiring words to Pan-Africanist youth in East Africa of the first Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of Congo ,Patrice Lumumba he wrote in a letter to his wife Pauline Lumumba before he was killed by Belgium and CIA imperialist in acquiesced with today United Nations as he pledged in the name of mother africa for total liberation that “ The day will come when history will speak, But it will not be the history , which will be taught in Brussels, Paris ,Washington or the United Nations , it will be the history that will be taught in the countries , which have won freedom from neo-colonialism and its puppets and Africa will write its own history of glory and dignity”
Aluta continua.
Notes.
1. Congo wars Conflict Myth and Reality book by
Thomas Turner
2. Intellectuals at The Hill (Essays and Talks 1969-1993), book Issa G. Shivji
3. When Victims Became Killers Colonialism Nativism and Genocide In Rwanda
Prof.Mamdani
4. Rwanda Business Daily News paper August 5th -12 2011

5. Yash Tandon, The Nordic Africa Institute report 2009

Bunge la Mwananchi

Report from Unga Revolution committee visit in, Taita Taveta County on the right to food and Access to National resources on 14/06/2011

        Members of the Unga revolution committee in Nairobi received invitation of solidarity  from Taita taveta community leaders to visit there area on the violations of their  rights to food by increasing number of elephants from Kenya wildlife service  that stray from the Tsavo   National park  during every  planting and harvesting seasons and destroying acres of mature crops from the peasants farmers who depend on this farming for their livelihood, this  destruction of their livelihood by elephants from KWS  has made them to depend on the unaffordable maize flour that is costing Ksh 160 per  2kg ,in the local shops  and government relief food that is used by the local political class  to manipulate the resident of the Taita  Taveta county during election  . The systematic destruction of the maize crops during this season has exposed the said peasants farmers in Taveta  to food insecurity  and hunger  this year which is gross violation of the   their constitutional right to food that in anchored in the constitution  in article 43, on the right to food and protection of livelihood  which is part of the Unga revolution countrywide  campaign, for the government to implement the its obligation as spelt out in the constitution.

  Taita Taveta county is embodiment of neo- colonial poverty, that is obscured by large scale sisal estate plantation and animal  Ranch that cover an   area of  4,073km  and the Tsavo National park   which occupies the largest area 10,539 km from 16,975km , with remaining small part being habited by the Taita –Taveta county population people of  300,000 people in the four constituency  named  Taveta , Wundayi , Mwatate , and Voi., which make  Taita –Taveta  whole as County.

The history of this exploitation dates to the first and second world war when the British settler soldier were settled in Taita Taveta, then followed by Kenyatta regime , that extended   undemocratic controll and exploitation  of the land in Taita Taveta and the National Resources , The former MP of the area  Basil  Criticos  and the Kenyatta family  own the  70 percent  of the Land in Taveta , which  was  intialialy owned by Colonial settler Col  Grogon as retirement package from the British Colonial government in 1930 , But in 1959 the Land was acquired by  Basils Criticos  father who turned it to sisal estate.  When in1971 Kenyatta acquired 24000 of acres adjacent to Basil Criticos  estate  using the British  government Funds, where the Kenyatta family today owns the mines in Taita Taveta, with the local ruling  political class.  

    The economic  disempowerment  and marginalization of the people of the Taita- Taveta and systematic destruction of their livelihood by Kenya wildlife’s services elephants every year,which undermine their right to food and threat by Coalition government to settle large number of  the 2007 post election  violence    internally displaced people (IDP) in the area,   has promoted the  community  leaders of Taita –Taveta council of elders ( Waghosi wa Isanga ),  and the  local councilors   to seek  solidarity  with the unga revolution movement  in demanding the government and the Magemement of the Kenya Widlifes services to account on the gross violation of human rights to  the people of Taita- Taveta, especially the right to food and access to national resources as in the constitution.

   The resident of Mwaktau Location, Mwatate Constituency took to the street early June to demand accountability from the Kenya wildilfes service management and number of the villagers were injured by the Kenya police at  Voi- Taveta road,  in violations of  their constitutional   rights  to assemble, picket  and petition authorities , this happened   on 3^rd  June  2011 while conducting a non-violent  protest action of the sit-in at Voi –Taveta road to pressure the government and the KWs to take action on  the systematic destruction of their livelihoods.

Mr Alfan Mborioa community leader and  Waghosi  wa Isaga council of elders   who hosted the Unga revolution committee from Nairobi, in assessing the impact and damage caused by the  elephants informed the team the school  attendance in Mwakitau  and Mwashuma  areas  classes were affected because of the fear of the pupils being attached by the said elephants while going to the schools in  the morning and the evening  while going back home. Which also is compounded by hunger.

Action that was to be taken by the Unga Revolution committee in Nairobi and  Taita Taveta Community leaders  local CouncillorsWaghosi Wa  Isanga elders  and the peasants farmers in the area.

1. Documentation of the destruction of the crops and affected people and the  number of plots  in  all areas within Taita taveta  county , that border the Tsavo national park.
2. Community participatory in social audit on the Kenya wildlife service in the Taita –Taveta County, Tsavo National park on the violation of right to food and access to national resources by the people of Taita Taveta.
3. Instituting a classic legal action case against the Kenya government and Kenya wildlife service on the violations of right to food and destruction of property in the area.
4. That the government should not settle 2007 post election victims (IDP) in the area because it amount to gross human rights violations  and historicsal injustice to  the people of Taita- Taveta who were originally displaced and rendered  landless  in the Taita-Taveta area by Britist  colonial govermemt and subsequent government of Kenyatta Moi  and Kibaki regime.

 Unga Revolution team with residents and teachers  of Mwakitau Secondary school in Taita Taveta.

5. Petition the government and Kenya Wildlife service under the Article 37 of the constitution to compensate and pay damages on the said victims of right to food, and respect the constitutional right to food as anchored in the constitution of Kenya.
6. Participation of the affected people in the decision making processes, in order to identify the real needs of the right to food are responded to effectively and all victims of the right to food affected are compensated.
7. The residents affected were to make a delegation to Kenya wildlife service headquarters to petition the KWS director Dr. Julias Kipngetich on the said human rights violations.
8. The team were to  advance the Saba saba(7/7/2011) commemoration in the respect to right to food by petitioning  authorities in picketing , organizing  sit in  and rallies  in the governments offices to demand accountability  and respect of our  rights as stipulated in the new constitution.

Reports By Unga Revolution Committee.

1. Francis Sakwa, Unga Revolution Mathare Committee
2. James Kamau (Jemu ) Unga Revolution Mukuru Committee
3. Vincent Madegwa Kidaha  Unga Revolution Kibera Committee
4. Cidi Otieno  - Convener Unga Revolution
5. Gacheke Gachihi  Convener Bunge La Mwananchi social movement

Blog.  Ungarevolution.blogspot.com

Email, ungarevolution@gmail.com

Twitter. ungarevolution

Cellphone. +254721609699

Gacheke Gachihi: Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroo...

Gacheke Gachihi: Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroo...: "Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroots community organizer and memberBunge La Mwananchi movement . On Saturday 13 th /11/2..."

Unga Revolution National Anthem and Wimbo wa Mapambano Every day at 1pm Harambee Avenue,

REPORT FOR PARALLEL LABOUR DAY BY UNGA REVOLUTION HELD ON 1ST MAY 2011AT KAMUKUNJI GARDENS

Introduction

As a response to the ever rising prices of basic commodities Bunge la Mwananchi in conjunction with Poverty Transition Initiative and other Community and Faith Based organization formed the Unga Revolution whose main aim is to push the government to enforce Article 43 which guarantees social security to all Kenyans who cannot afford the high prices of the commodities.

It must be noted that the Unga Revolution Steering Committee which had been meeting prior to the day resolved that the struggle to have all Kenyans access basic needs should not be anchored on funding from the well endowed Civil Society Organization and instead relied on contribution from steering committee members.

As a mobilization strategy the steering committee members combed Kamukunji, distributed leaflets and mobilized members of the public to attend. The Unga Revolution Steering committee thanks all those who attended the parallel celebrations in Kamukunji and eventually marched with us to Uhuru Park without pay where we managed to highlight the issue of rising commodity prices and brought it back to the national agenda.

We also thank members of the public who sided with us as we entered Uhuru Park preventing the police and security guards who wanted to arrest us. THANKS A LOT.

   

Kamukunji

Members of the Unga Revolution Steering Committee met at Jeevanjee Park Gardens and marched peacefully to Kamukunji grounds where they were received by locals who were waiting for them.

At Kamukunji the following were agreed upon:

1. That the Unga Revolution’s main objective does not start and end with the calls to have the prices go down per se but to force the government to honor Article 43 by ensuring social security to the poor Kenyans through subsidies.
2. That the government should increase the acreage under farming to ensure food security
3. That the government should desist from investing on misplaced priorities like shuttle diplomacy and instead invest on the welfare of Kenyans
4. That just like government offices never misses tea and snacks due to treasuries allocation the same should happen to all households in Kenya. IF THE GOVERNMENT ENSURES THAT TEA NEVER MISSES IN GOVERNMENT OFFICES, IT SHOULD ENSURE THAT ALL KENYANS HOUSEHOD HAVE FOODON THE TABLE.
5. That Education, employment, security, housing, clean water and food are rights enshrined in the Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution and are even supported by Articles 3, 25 and 26 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights hence the government has no option but to take responsibility of social, political and economic of the downtrodden.
6. That Labor Day is not about the employed alone but also about those who have accumulated Labor through training but which has not been harnessed by the state hence it is not their failure but state’s. The government should then take responsibility of their welfare.
7. That claims by the government that the consumers shall bear the cost of any salary increment is not only misplaced but an act of conman ship, oppression and modern day slavery. The Unga Revolution CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH SUBSIDIES
8. That a small section of well paid Civil Society Organizations who met the Energy Minister and claimed that Kenyans are now comfortable due to KShs. 7 decrement of prices are sellouts and reminiscent to the home guards during the colonial days.
9. That the decision of the Government to put only 2000 people on welfare is drop in the ocean and all Kenyans who can’t afford the high cost of life should be included in the program.
10. That the whole team is to march peacefully to the main Labor Day celebrations at Uhuru Park in order to highlight the plight of the majority of Kenyans who are starving.
11. That Basic need is a human right and the Unga Revolution shall push the KNCHR to state what they are doing to have the rights met by the state.

The whole team then marched from Kamukunji to Uhuru Park receiving heroic reception whenever they passed on their way to Uhuru Park

Uhuru Park

We reached Uhuru Park shortly before 1300 hours where the public who attended joined us in calling on the government to ensure the price of Unga and other basic commodities go down. The public who were present prevented the police from arresting us and we managed to bring the issue back to the national agenda.

Way Forward

As a way forward the Unga Revolution resolved the following:

1. THAT UNGA PROTESTS SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS TO SUBSIDIZE THE DOWNTRODDEN
2. THAT WE SHALL VISIT ALL THE CONSTITUENCIES OF NAIROBI STARING WITH MABATINI SLUMS IN MATHARE THIS WEEKEND. THESE VISITS ARE AIMED AT EDUCATING KENYANS ON THEIR RIGHTS AS ENSHRINED IN ARTICLE 43.
3. THAT A PROGRAM SHALL BE RELEASED SOON WHICH SHALL CULMINATE INTO A MASSIVE TWO DAYS PROTEST ON 31^ST MAY AND 1^ST JUNE 2011

UNGA REVOLUTION STEERING COMMITTEE

Mwai Kibaki's and World Bank's history of Corrupt relationship.

Leaked memo deepens Kenya crisis

Posted by africanpress on January 11, 2008

By William Wallis and Michael Holman in London and Krishna Guha in Washington

http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/leaked-memo-deepens-kenya-crisis/

A confidential memo from the World Bank's Kenya office that supports President

Mwai Kibaki's claim of victory in the country's disputed elections plunged the

Washington-based lender into controversy on Wednesday.

The leaked January 1 briefing note, originating from Colin Bruce, the World Bank's

country director in Nairobi, lays out the case for accepting Mr Kibaki's victory on the

basis of "oral briefings and documents from senior [United Nations Development

Programme] officials" who "monitored the overall electoral process".

The memo claims that "the considered view of the UN is that the Electoral

Commission of Kenya announcement of a Kibaki win is correct".

However, Michele Montas, a spokeswoman for the UN secretary-general, denied that

the UN had adopted that position. UNDP officials said they had neither monitored the

elections nor provided any assessment suggesting a Kibaki victory.

Given the widespread irregularities reported in last month's elections, the leaked

briefing note is likely to trigger accusations that the institution, which lends heavily to

Kenya, has lost its political objectivity.

European Union election observers, whom Mr Bruce criticised, on Wednesday stood

by their conclusion that the election was impossible to call.

Mr Bruce's memo has created discomfort among some senior World Bank staff who

fear the bank's analysis of the Kenyan crisis has been influenced by too close a

relationship with Mr Kibaki. Mr Bruce, from Guyana, lives in a house owned by the

Kibaki family. The bank said the tenancy was inherited from its previous country

representative and was chosen on security grounds.

The World Bank has been criticised for maintaining its large development programme

in Kenya in spite of evidence of high-level corruption in Mr Kibaki's government.

The bank says its projects are vital for the country's poor.

Mr Bruce told the Financial Times the bank had no position on the result of the

elections and he "was simply reporting the information that was available to me to

headquarters".

World Bank officials in Washington backed Mr Bruce and released a series of other

communications from him, stating these showed his balanced approach to the

elections. None of the other briefing notes regarding the Kenyan crisis revisits the

question of whether Mr Kibaki won the election.

Marwan Muasher, head of external relations at the bank, said: "The bank does not

take political positions. Neither Colin Bruce nor the bank has a position on Kibaki or

[opposition leader Raila] Odinga."

Separately, Kenya's opposition ODM on Wednesday called for the withdrawal of Mr

Bruce.

Additional reporting by Barney Jopson in Nairobi and Harvey Morris at the UN

Lifted and published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no source.the

financialtimes

BUNGE LA MWANANCHI Kariokoo Dar es salaam

Pan-Africanist inspiration: The Julius Nyerere Intellectual Festival Week

Pan-Africanist inspiration: The Julius Nyerere Intellectual Festival Week

Gacheke Gachihi

2009-06-11, Issue 437

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/56906

Kenya: Social movements must bring constitution to life

Kenya: Social movements must bring constitution to life

Gacheke Gachihi

2010-09-09, Issue 495

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/66810

HOMAGE TO MZALENDO PETER KIHARA YOUNG A COMRADE OF THREE GENERATION OF SOCIAL STRUGGLE IN KENYA, 30/09/2010

 HOMAGE TO MZALENDO PETER KIHARA YOUNG A COMRADE OF THREE GENERATION OF SOCIAL STRUGGLE IN KENYA, 30/09/2010

    On 6^th  October  2010 , comrades,  and  freedoms fighters of all generations  from Mau Mau liberation movement ,Kenya Peoples Union (KPU) , Mwakenya , Forum for restoration democracy (FORD) ,Release political prisoner RPP, Bunge La Mwananchi  social movement   will gather in  Githiga a small village in Githuguri , Kiambu county  to return the mortal remains of  the Late . Mzalendo Peter Kihara young, to the soil of our ancestors, under the shade of Mugumo tree that symbolize and immortalize Peter Kihara young life  in social struggle in three generations distinction , with patriotism , dedication and commitment, to our motherland Kenya and Africa to the last day of  his death on 26/09/2010, at Nairobi hospital, after ushering in new constitution.

  The late Mzalendo Peter Kihara young was first arrested in1954 by British colonial government, as member of The Kenya land and Freedom army, Mau Mau, only when he was    nineteen years old., and he was detained at Manyani detention camp during the height of independence struggle in Africa and among those who had a profound influence on Kihara’s early political beliefs were such heroes as Josiah Mwangi Kariuki (J.M.) and J.D. Kali and many others Mau Mau cadres. Like Gen. Kago.

   After the flag independence in 1963  the Late Mzee Kihara Young was  arrested in  1969 by special Branch  in Nyeri  and taken to  Ruguru  police post where he was tortured during interrogation , bunt with cigarettes and was buried neck depth  while still a live ,  tortured for 70 days before he was officially detained without trial for 2 years by Kenyatta regime, due to his right  of  association and  being national organizing secretary ok  Kenya peoples union  party (KPU), a progressive  party that was organized under the leadership of Jaramogi odinga , Pio Gama Pinto and Bildad Kaggia.

       The late  Comrade  Kihara Young  again  on  January 23  1986 was arrested   from his  home Githunguri   and taken to Muthaigari  and Buru Buru Police station, after where he was delivered to torture chambers in Nyayo House,  where he stayed for 69 days  while being subjected to torture and humiliation, and thereafter being charged in  with offence of possessing of seditious publications  and being member of Mwakenya by MOI and KANU dictatorship , and was sentenced for 4 years. In jail, and followed again in July 11 1990 with another detention during demand for return of multi-party democracy, where he was founder member of FORD..

    We  pay homage to the great son of our history, the Late Mzalendo Kihara young in  his life was embodiment of three generations of Kenya resistance  and africa struggle , his body and life had marks and wounds like that of  Jesus in the crucifixion , Mzee Kihara Young had opportunity to enrich himself , and steal from public service as his tribes men in kikuyu land did  under Kenyatta government , but he choose a different life and values  of humility and courage to question the powerful  and the rich  taking the future of Kenya and hopes of our generations as his  personal cross and as way of life that followed the foot steps of Bildad Kaggia in central province  who was his comrade in  arms  and both have died in poverty but with dignity  after paying the price of freedom and struggle for social justice for many years

We hail our  Late comrade  Peter kihara  Young as freedom fighter of   truth and social justice  , who was always willing to support the course of liberation of our motherland, we  had opportunity to be with the late Peter Kihara young and many other as applicants  in Kenya against impunity campaign (KAI) that instituted a civil case against the truth justice and reconciliation commission  chaired by Bethuel Kiplagat (TJRC) in 2009 to demand accountability  from the chair of the commissions who documented evidence show his  complicit with  human rights violations, and his actions that borders on corruption,  another demand in the case  is to open    the TJRC act  that  created the commission which   limit the investigations of human  rights violations in colonial period, that today  manifests in neo-colonial poverty. The case is still going on in court and there will be no tears comrade ….. we will continue with the struggle that  the late, Peter Kihara young started ,and draw the lessons  from many struggles and battles  that embodied his life, in order to understand the past and live the present with courage and hope that will overcome the  neo-colonial reactionary  forces that is  betraying  the struggle of our people. And the finest flowers that we can immortalize the memory of our comrade Peter Kihara young on 6^th October 2010 are the bullets of social justice, shells of truth and accountability and the missiles of commitment and under united front for social change in implementing the new constitution……. this are values that we must   fire against the reactionary neo- colonial forces in form of invisible government in Kenya., that Jaramogi Odinga spoke about  in his book NOT YET UHURU

   From Bunge La Mwananchi and all comrades in Kenya against Impunity campaign ( KAI) we offer our comradely condolences, to his wife and family and all members of Githiga community that Mzalendo Peter Kihara Young hailed from. And we are certain absolutely certain  sure that fired by the resistance spirit of all our heroes from mekatilili   wa menza , Muthoni Nyajiru  and  eternal vigilant of  Mugumo tree in Kihara  young homestead and  the Mt Kenya forest , that sheltered gallant Mau Mau freedom fighter….., the grave of  late  Peter Kihara Young   will breath  redemptive spirit and Kenya and Africa  our motherland will triumph..

Aluta Continua.

Gacheke Gachihi- Bunge La Mwananchi social Movement and KAI member. 

BUNGE LA MWANANCHI -PEOPLE'S PARLIAMENT (KARIOKOR)

Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroots community organizer and memberBunge La Mwananchi movement

Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroots community organizer and memberBunge La Mwananchi movement.

 On Saturday 13^th /11/2010 members of Bunge La Mwananchi social movement , human rights activist , comrades and friends will take another  difficult journey from different direction to  uanya thim  village, Boro East  location Siaya County  to return the remains of  the late Jacob Odipo to the soil of our ancestors, In this Journey down memory line  in  the life of grassroots activist there will be many lessons to learn and draw from the life of  the Late Jacob Odipo, who passionately organized and shaped Bunge La Mwananchi in a formidable social movement  that has become  social-political home for many grassroots activist in struggle for social change in Kenya .

         Personally  I met the late Jacob Odipo at the historic Jeevanjee Gardens, in the early 2003, and due to the contradiction that were sharpening in the country and manifesting   at the bunge debates in Jeevanjee   Gardens with opening of new democratic space under NARC regime , many times in this debates I would  find  myself in the same side of debate with late comrade Jacob Odipo, taking a position of the exploited masses of workers and peasants  away from the position that was being  taken by dominant ethnic hegemony of Gikuyu and Luo.during  in those early days of National Rainbow Coalition government  (NARC),  after the debates we would meet occasionally for a mug of tea at Kikwetu restaurants and continue with discussion   during this time  Jacob Odipo was working with Insurance agencies  and myself  I was working with Litigation Fund against torture LIFAT, we continued to educate our self where we formed a study group that we invited occasionally |Prof. Maina Wakinyatti at Kenya Polytechnic during evening hour to advance our consciousness with comrades from RPP,   some times we would raise fair to attend   labour  day  cerebration with flower workers  in Naivaha  with members of Mwakenya- DTM  with this political activism our  comradely relationship was forged until when he died at Siaya District hospital on 4/11/2010 .

   I can write a book on the life of grassroots activist, the Late Jacob Odipo but due to limited time and other circumstances that came with his untimely death I will share some memorable incidents that have remained as defining moments between the late Odipo and myself in struggle to build the bunge la mwananchi social movements in very difficulty terrain with very limited resources cynical civil society and brutality of the Kenya police, which apposed our right to organize as movement.

    Flask back to history it was on 31st May, 2008 when bunge La Mwananchi and other grassroots networks organized a right to food procession starting from Jeevanjee Gardens Park to Huruma Sports Ground. The procession was to protest the unchecked escalating food prices and demand  the coalition government intervention, we had started very well with speeches and songs  at JeeVanjee Gardens the historic   bunge base and before the  colorful procession reached nation centre via Kimathi street, the former Cental Divisional police bass OCPD  Tito Kilonzi with contingent of anti-riot police  disrupted  the procession  violently near Jamia mosque , The late Jacob Odipo and myself  we were carrying the bunge banner  of Bunge La Mwananchiwe felt very betrayed on the actions of police who we had notified the intention of our procession. And we could not fold our banner and run away knowing very well that we had right to organize against injustices in our country , we summoned our courage and we decided to much  on to the nation centre with our banner from kimathi street, immediately before we reached the nation centre the  central OCPD followed us with his 504 Peugeot with siren ups and before he had organized his ant-riot police to arrest us  we had energized again the procession and  our members converged again and procession proceeded to Huruma  estate  although  six of us were arrested and taken to central police station where we were detained for four days, during this time the police invited criminal elements to come to our cell and intimidate us and stop demanding our rights ,  while we were resisting  one of our comrade who was standing in the door of our cells  was pulled by this elements that were receiving support from police and taken to a dark cell near the toilet where they  wanted to harm him   it was only  the intervention of the Late comrade  Jacob Odipo that  saved the said comrade  by storming that cell  and    rescuing the said comrade before he was harmed seriously ,  this was   part of many sacrifices that  were embodiment of the Late Jacob Odipo life in struggle and as member of bunge la Mwananchi social movement.

When history will be written about bunge la Mwananchi the Late, Jacob Odipo will be remembered on his great contribution to the movement  in the progressive debates and organizing grassroots meeting that give birth to bunge women social movements   in Kiamaiko  ,Huruma , and Mathare that he continued to support up to his last days, we cerebrate Odipo   as strategist , debater and courageous grassroots activist  who immortalized his life in social movement building in Kenya and  East Africa  armed with ideas to form bunges chapter across the country while working with many other progressive forces like Movemement for Political accountability( MOPA Kenya Against Impunity Networ( KAI) PROGESSIVE PARTIES ALLIANCE (PROPA) which was a formation of social movements , and students movements (SONU) and SAFINA party of Hon Paul . Muite     We pay our homage  to the Editor in chief of Bunge La Mwananchi newsletter , who inspired hope resistance to the Kenyan youth  while using many tactics to educate the  masses on the question of social change in Kenya and our mother land Africa , he contributed  greatly in constitutional reforms debate  that give Kenya new dispensation he was freedom fighter for social justice , right to food , access to water for all , healthcare that even  when he was admitted to siaya District hospital he was still question the system of  healthcare in Kenya that had  denied him his basic right has he was forced to buy drugs and syringes in order to get   treatment.

  We hail Jacob Othiambo Odipo as young Pan- Africanist who attended the recent Mwalimu Julius Nyerere intellectual festival; in Dar Es Salaam University in April 2010 to and advance ideas of Africa unity not forgetting also his contribution   in World Social Forum in 2007 with Latin- America delegation that was organized by Hon.  Mwadawiro Mganga at Kasarani on the question of political parties and social movements and the lessons that Africa can draw from the social movement in Latin America where there is strong social movements

From, left, Keli Musyoka, I    , Aggrey Ifedha, The late Jacob Odipo with blue Jacket and Samson Ojiayo far right. During the Movement  community work at Huruma Estate.

  We will continue with struggle of building more bunges across the country as   our comrade had started because the finest flowers that we can immortalize the memory of our comrade Jacob Odipo 13h November 2010 at Siaya  Boro west location    uanya thim l village in Siaya County   are  the bullets of social justice, shells of truth and accountability and the missiles of commitment in building Bunge la Mwanachi social movement  as  united front for  all progressive forces in  Kenya  vigilant in implementing the new constitution  as hope for future generation that Late , |Comrade Odipo fought for in his life .

 Lastly we know very well as other comrades have said  that the Late Jacob Odipo  was on of  human rights activist  that  have died recently as  victim of  poverty related disease that is killings our peoples everywhere in our villages, as inherently  and violent  neo-liberal economy  continue to   exposes our  public healthcare institutions   to the  greed of market forces and corruption networks in Kenya.

Aluta Continua.

Gacheke Gachihi

Bunge La Mwananchi  Member and Comrade of the Late Jacob Odipo.