MOMBASA REPUBLICAN COUNCIL, A MISGUIDED IDEOLOGY AND A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY

In his keynote speech to the nation during the official re-opening of Parliament on Tuesday, President Kibaki finally declared the government’s stand with regard to the Mombasa Republican Council; that the Coast has, is and will always be part of Kenya. The head of state was categorical that calls for secession would not be entertained, for Kenya is a unitary state. This in essence meant that independence for the Coastal strip cannot be guaranteed. This came just days after Prime Minister; Raila Odinga had said that the government was not willing to negotiate with this group about their secession bid.

The Mombasa Republican Council, MRC, has been vocal in demanding that the Coastal strip must be granted its territorial independence. They have gone back to the archives and all of a sudden realized that this strip that accounts for most of Kenya’s tourism revenue should be granted autonomy, free from the Republic of Kenya.  They have cited neglect by the previous regimes and poverty as some of the issues that they are crying out for. But this is something that the government must be wary about, and tackle this matter with the seriousness that it demands.

Any group, based on whichever grounds, calling for secession is one that is a threat to national security. The MRC is no different from this. The fact that it has adopted violent means to enhance their bid does not make matters any better. A case in example was when the faction interfered with a mock election by the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission, IEBC in Kilifi. In the ensuing fracas, the group burned a vehicle assigned to the IEBC, completely reducing it to a shell, besides robbing a policeman of his firearm. This was a criminal offence. Otherwise, how would you describe the fact that a firearm is in unlicensed hands, if not to commit a felony somewhere? This act was in itself, enough to warrant decisive action from the government and as the head of state said, as a nation we are crossing our fingers, hoping that this MRC menace will be put to rest, once and for all.

We are moving towards the general elections and the agonizing memories of the 07-08 post-poll violence are still fresh in our minds. Thus the presence of a group that has already showed its violent intent is chilling, at least to the people down at the Coast. History has shown that many of these illegal groups are bend on unleashing terror to innocent Kenyans, under the guise of the confusion of an electioneering period. The attack that members of the MRC carried out in Kilifi, during the mock election exercise by the IEBC, attests to this.

As a country, we should be vigilant enough to make sure that history does not repeat itself. The Sabaot Land Defense Force, SLDF, started out just like the Mombasa Republican Council, and before long it was unleashing terror on the very people it claimed to fight for. Genuine cries about land gave way to a deadly militia that took the intervention of the Kenya Defense Force, to quell. However, the people of Mt. Elgon had undergone untold suffering at the brutal hands of the militia; chopping of ears, raping of women, killing of innocent civilians and destruction of property, are some of the wounds that the people of Mt Elgon are yet to heal from.  This illegal sect-turned militia is one of the many illegal groupings that the country has had to contend with; Mungiki, Sungusungu and Chingororo among others. The untold suffering that innocent Kenyans have undergone at the hands of these misguided and ideologically misguided groupings is enough to warrant decisive action against the MRC.

On the international scene, cases of secession have not a bed of roses, even where they are justifiable. Our neighbors, the now sovereign South Sudan have successfully seceded from the North, but not without some deadly repercussions. Disputes over oil-rich regions like Heglig and Abyei states have led to loss of lives due to the deadly clashes between the North and the South. This is just one of the many cases where secession has proved to be indeed costly. With statistics in mind, the talk of secession is a chilling one, with its deadly repercussions.

Kenya is a unitary state, and it has taken the immeasurable effort and dedication of everyone to come this far, despite the many challenges that we are facing. Poverty is top on the list of these. But as a philosopher once said, we should all learn to live like brothers or perish together as fools. The Mombasa Republican Council is rooting for the latter, and that is detrimental to the entire country. Poverty does not only affect these MRC members as they are idiotically claiming, it’s a problem that many Kenyans have had to contend with. When you demand for secession on the basis that the government has neglected you into poverty, does that mean that poor Kenyans, living in deplorable conditions in the capital’s sprawling slums, such as Kibera, Mathare Valley and Korogocho, among others should also demand for secession? This cannot be the solution. Likewise, should Kenyans in the marginalized regions of this country, where getting the basic needs; good nutrition, clean water, proper healthcare, security, and a roof over their heads, demand for secession, just as MRC? Every Kenyan has a biting problem(s) and seceding will only mean that Kenya will be no more.

Also, the Kenyan Coast is the hub of tourism in the country and this secession bid by the MRC is a serious threat to the immense economic contribution that tourism makes, to the country. It must be dealt with accordingly. The fact that the group has unleashed violence on innocent Kenyans, on several occasions justifies that the country’s security forces, and if need be the military be used to quell it.

We are going into a general election and the presence of groupings like the MRC, if not stopped in their tracks, well in advance can have some devastating repercussions, too dire for the country to fathom.

We should, as a people ask ourselves what we can do to the government but not what the government can do for us. With this in mind, all Kenyans including members of the MRC can positively impact towards the development of our beloved mother country, Kenya. Decrying the poverty that is almost crippling you, does not make things any better, it only worsens an already dire situation. To our brothers and sisters, of the Mombasa Republican Council, we should all come together to better our country, instead of shouting at their top of their voices that the Coastal strip is not part of Kenya. Just as the head of state said, the Coast was, is and will always be part of Kenya.

This whole idea of seceding from Kenya is a misguided one, and a guise under criminal activities may be perpetrated. This is indeed a threat to national security and the security apparatus should accord it the urgency it deserves.

We do not wish to have some deadly militia wrecking havoc on innocent Kenyans, if not well checked in advance, just as the Sabaot Land Defense Force did.