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:
- 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.
- That the government should increase the acreage under farming to ensure food security
- That the government should desist from investing on misplaced priorities like shuttle diplomacy and instead invest on the welfare of Kenyans
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- THAT UNGA PROTESTS SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS TO SUBSIDIZE THE DOWNTRODDEN
- 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.
- THAT A PROGRAM SHALL BE RELEASED SOON WHICH SHALL CULMINATE INTO A MASSIVE TWO DAYS PROTEST ON 31ST MAY AND 1ST JUNE 2011
UNGA REVOLUTION STEERING COMMITTEE
