Open letter to the people of Kenya

[Guest guest]

Open letter to the people of Kenya

EDITOR — Innocent people are being murdered. Houses are burning.

Property is being destroyed. It matters less whether one is Kikuyu,

Luo, Kalenjin, Luhya, or whatever.

It is only a matter of time before the violence assumes a life of its

own that will go beyond the sheds of tribalism. We must do something

to save democracy and our country Kenya.

We are caught in a moral and legal dilemma. To accept a government

whose mandate comes from a flawed election, is to accept that we are

not capable of genuine democracy.

But to resist such a government under the present circumstances,

where mobs seem intent on ethnic cleansing, is to destroy the

pluralism that is needed to make a nation.

To claim that the election was " legally valid " is to destroy the

spirit of the rule of law. But to engage in illegal acts in order to

oust a leadership whose mandate is being contested is to destroy the

rule of law as well.

If we are to save our country, we cannot push the problem under the

carpet; we cannot watch and wait for the mob to calm down. Kenya is

on fire because a few individuals took it upon themselves to

manufacture electoral results.

I do not think any tribe sent these individuals to " steal results. "

When a thief is caught in the streets of Nairobi, the mob does not

ask to which tribe he belongs — they simply apply " mob justice. " So

why do they make this theft a tribal issue? Because it serves the

purposes of the real thieves.

The ongoing mob injustice — attacks on innocent people and their

property — must stop. The leaders of all political parties should

announce that, regardless of who is in power, the rule of law will be

upheld and those responsible for murder and pillaging will be held to

account for their crimes. No Kenyan should accept a leader who

permits violence against innocent people.

Mass action must not be targeted towards individual communities; it

should be simply a peaceful but loud expression of people against

those who seek to rape democracy in Kenya – and by extension Africa.

I also appeal to the international community to assist Kenyans by

isolating extremists who seek to destroy democracy and the rule of

law. Let the world know who they are and sanction their behaviour:

deny them — and their families — entry to your countries and freeze

their assets.

Our media can help by identifying the hardliners in the Party of

National Unity and Orange Democratic Movement who support the mob

violence.

Perhaps such pressure will encourage Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga to

talk to each other either on their cell phones and stop this mayhem.

If not, perhaps the Chief Justice, the Attorney General and other

senior legal figures could step in and declare the election null and

void.

People are dying. The economy is faltering. If we wait for much

longer, what started as political discontent will assume its own life

and there will be no country to govern. Above all, we must safeguard

democracy and lives of our fellow Kenyans.

Shikwati

Director, Inter Region Economic Network

www.irenkenya.org

--- End forwarded message ---

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

Open letter to the people of Kenya

EDITOR — Innocent people are being murdered. Houses are burning.

Property is being destroyed. It matters less whether one is Kikuyu,

Luo, Kalenjin, Luhya, or whatever.

It is only a matter of time before the violence assumes a life of its

own that will go beyond the sheds of tribalism. We must do something

to save democracy and our country Kenya.

We are caught in a moral and legal dilemma. To accept a government

whose mandate comes from a flawed election, is to accept that we are

not capable of genuine democracy.

But to resist such a government under the present circumstances,

where mobs seem intent on ethnic cleansing, is to destroy the

pluralism that is needed to make a nation.

To claim that the election was " legally valid " is to destroy the

spirit of the rule of law. But to engage in illegal acts in order to

oust a leadership whose mandate is being contested is to destroy the

rule of law as well.

If we are to save our country, we cannot push the problem under the

carpet; we cannot watch and wait for the mob to calm down. Kenya is

on fire because a few individuals took it upon themselves to

manufacture electoral results.

I do not think any tribe sent these individuals to " steal results. "

When a thief is caught in the streets of Nairobi, the mob does not

ask to which tribe he belongs — they simply apply " mob justice. " So

why do they make this theft a tribal issue? Because it serves the

purposes of the real thieves.

The ongoing mob injustice — attacks on innocent people and their

property — must stop. The leaders of all political parties should

announce that, regardless of who is in power, the rule of law will be

upheld and those responsible for murder and pillaging will be held to

account for their crimes. No Kenyan should accept a leader who

permits violence against innocent people.

Mass action must not be targeted towards individual communities; it

should be simply a peaceful but loud expression of people against

those who seek to rape democracy in Kenya – and by extension Africa.

I also appeal to the international community to assist Kenyans by

isolating extremists who seek to destroy democracy and the rule of

law. Let the world know who they are and sanction their behaviour:

deny them — and their families — entry to your countries and freeze

their assets.

Our media can help by identifying the hardliners in the Party of

National Unity and Orange Democratic Movement who support the mob

violence.

Perhaps such pressure will encourage Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga to

talk to each other either on their cell phones and stop this mayhem.

If not, perhaps the Chief Justice, the Attorney General and other

senior legal figures could step in and declare the election null and

void.

People are dying. The economy is faltering. If we wait for much

longer, what started as political discontent will assume its own life

and there will be no country to govern. Above all, we must safeguard

democracy and lives of our fellow Kenyans.

Shikwati

Director, Inter Region Economic Network

www.irenkenya.org

--- End forwarded message ---

--- End forwarded message ---