Kenneth
Juror | Kenya
President Mwai
Kibaki launched a peace conference that marked two years since the promulgation
of the new constitution. As he launched the peace conference in Bomas, a Muslim
cleric was killed by unknown assailants in Mombasa. Aboud Rogo Mohammed, he is accused
of being an Al-Shaabab supporter and also on the United Nation’s and the United
States’ sanction list.
As news
spread of his death than the youth spread on the Mombasa streets protesting against
his death causing pandemonium, looting and destroying two churches, it should
however not take a religious twist but Rogo’s case be dealt with as a criminal
offense. This incident and many more unpleasant insecurity incidences happening
in this country should not only be condemned in the strongest terms possible
but action is equally wanted.
Last week’s bloodbath
witnessed in Coast and North Eastern provinces is not anything to write home
about in as far as our security is concerned. It is very unfortunate that what
could have been amicably resolved took a political twist that a community is
using the mis-understanding to “reduce” voters of the other. This scenario
subsequently means that the opponent community would have fewer voters denying
them a chance to propel one of their own to the governor, senate, Member of
Parliament, women and county representatives’ positions. It is worrying that
the provincial administration and internal security officials are always full
of rhetoric with the same old colloquial “we are in hot pursuit of the assailants,
we will crack the whip...”
Such
situations make me miss the former president who never allowed such occurrences
to continue as law and order would be restored within no time however much he
had his flaws.
As I write
this I could not stop thinking of how a bleak insecure country we are in. A
country that its people are getting killed and killing each other as the
security personnel take sides in the battle yet they took an oath to serve the
Republic and the mwananchi regardless
of their ethnicity, race, political affiliation and protection of their
property, further explained in their motto utumishi
kwa wote . Sorry if I sound like a naysayer but if the status quo remains
then there will be no more modus operandi in this country as 2007/8 PEV would
appear as boyish-war!
Let us
maintain peace, shun intolerance, obey the rule of law, the judicial wheel is
spinning, as we march towards the general election.
What do we
gain if not lose by stifling the economic gains made in five years and erode it
in days through civil unrest? I remember constable Mathenge’s words as he
quelled irate youth “Hii Kenya yetu tumeijenga kwa miaka mingi mbona tunataka
kuiharibu in one day?
