Dear Mr. President,

Mr President, your trip to United States of America was bungled and aborted mid-air. We still are in the dark as a nation about what really happened! The Secretary of State from Obama-land, John Kerry came to town days later, in what Kenyans and pundits alike saw as setting the ground ready for the visit of the world’s most powerful president, Barack Obama of USA. Meanwhile, you went on a peaceful and quiet retreat at Sagana State Lodge perhaps to cool from the aborted trip. That was timely and a much-needed breath of fresh air. That said, as you await to receive the world’s most powerful man, Barrack Obama in July, we have problems across the country. As our brothers in Nigeria put it, there is fire on the mountain!

You need to put your act together. Since the appointment of Maj-Gen (Rtd) Joseph Nkaissery to head the interior security and Inspector General of Police, Samuel Boinnet, nothing has changed in our security. Indeed, it got worse. In early April, 148 Kenyans were slaughtered at Garissa University College by Al-shabab, in a day-long senseless butchering of our brothers and sisters. The response as we all know, was one of the worst ever seen on this land. You have the details as much as Kenyans do, courtesy of our dedicated investigative journalists at K24, KTN and NTV. This was the second worst terrorist attack on Kenyan soil since the 1998 bombings. Weeks later far in rift valley, 58 Kenyans were slaughtered by warriors from rival community in Nadome, a far flung and evidently forgotten and neglected part of our country. Nothing really seems to be right within our security apparatus. Just like Mpeketoni, Baragoi, Westgate Garissa and Nadome will be forgotten too!

Irene Keino was forced into resignation from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and as a rare breed of morally-correct Kenyan leaders, she opted not to face grilling by the commission investigating suspended director, Mumo Matemu. She thought of her family and her respect and yes as rare as it is, she opted out of an out-rightly smeared process. Remember how Jane Onsongo was forced into a corner and had to resign? All signs are crystal clear that this fight has been dominated by political witch-hunt and bad faith. Then in what was the final blow, EACC director, Mumo Matemu resigned barely a week ago too. The commissioners all cried foul play and external forces fighting them back in their capacities at EACC. At the background of all these, the 60 days within which to investigate suspended cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries are nearly over and we all wait to see the near-predictable twists that this fight on graft will take.

Lastly, the appointees to chair parastatal bodies and their boards were a complete disappointment. Political rejects have been recycled, and political handouts rather than competence and objectiveness seem to have been the key factors in the appointments. Does it mean that we have no fresh Kenyan minds that can lead and chair the boards of these parastatals? You short-changed Kenyans on this!

Mr. President, terrorism and the incompetence within the security apparatus, corruption and many of your recent appointees are a cause for concern to Kenyans. Your bungled trip that aborted mid-air en-route to USA was an embarrassment to you, Kenyans and the seat of presidency. There is fire on the mountain.

You came to power with a lot of promises to Kenya, remember the laptop project to class one pupils? It sadly turned out to be another political propaganda. Many of the multi-billion tenders have been smeared with corruption too and grey spots. Remember, the ambitious standard gauge railway? 

Mr. President, the ambiance and tranquility at state house is deceitful and is nothing close to the turmoil that Kenyans endure each day. The political sycophants around you are equally deceitful and never tell you the truth! A nation that was highly expectant in your leadership as you came into power in March 2013, has fast been crushed down and disillusionment has set in. Horrifying attacks that epitomize the acme of inhuman brutality, in Mpeketoni, Westgate, Garissa and lately Nadome are the scars on the skin of Kenyans! Yet, the security apparatus appear to be in self –induced lull and clueless! They always react to these attacks instead of trying to prevent them from happening. Corruption has also gone on an all-time high!

Unless you bite the bullet and face these challenges, Kenya will roll down the fast lane of insecurity, corruption and all forms of upheavals! Things are terribly bad and you ought to act.

Otherwise, the fire on the mountain is spreading fast and ordinary Kenyans who voted you in are the helpless victims!

Pierre Nkurunziza is a typical African President!

Burundi is in a precarious moment of its life! Following a reportedly failed coup d’etat against President Pierre Nkurunziza, no one knows what will happen to the tiny Central African nation. Civil unrest has been the norm in the streets of Bujumbura and other districts. Protesters have been killed by police, nearly 50,000 civilians have fled to neighboring Rwanda. As the battle between the president and his loyalists on one side and the civil society, church, opposition and civilians on the other side rages on, the embers of fire are slowly catching fire. Soon or later, Burundi might catch fire, barely a decade after the decade-long war that was ended by The Arusha Peace Deal in 2005.

President Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third term in office is threatening the fragile stability in Burundi. It is what led to the attempted coup. However, Nkurunziza has stuck to his guns and his greed for a third term, illegal under the Burundi law and against the terms of the 2005 peace deal in Arusha are fighting back. The election is due in June and predictably, Nkurunziza will win it! The opposition has vowed to boycott the polls and sadly, African Union (AU), has been rather muted on such a grave matter, all it has done is to make friendly statements that simply empower Nkurunziza. But it is Africa and Nkurunziza is following the script as drawn out by African presidents. Look at Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Yoweri Museveni in neighboring Uganda, Teodoro Obiang Nguema in Equatorial Guinea, Paul Biya in Cameroun and Joseph Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo among others. These represent presidents for life, whose greed and obsession for power has turned them into presidents for life! They believe that their countrymen are not good enough to replace them in power and so they must rule their nations! They have turned constitutions into personal wills and the seat of presidency is not an opportunity to lead their people, but rather to rule over them and perpetuate all sorts of evil. True African presidents! And then they thump their chests that leaders are chosen by God!

These presidents are tin pot dictators. Their mistresses, cabinet members, family members and sycophants flout laws with impunity and because you are the president’s man or woman, no one can hold you to account. They hold hands and plunder economies, steal mineral wealth and even hunt down the opposition that dares to challenge them. They are ready to throw their countries to the dogs, if that is what it takes to stay in the highest office! Nkurunziza is playing this card and millions of Burundians matter no more!

The current African Union chair, Robert Mugabe is a president for life and has messed up Zimbabwe, and so are most of his colleague presidents across the continent. So how dare they fight one of their own! Nkurunziza belongs to the table of these tin pot dictators, demi gods and presidents for life who occupy the seats of presidency in Africa! They rule at all costs and the millions of their countrymen and women cannot stand in their way in the pursuit of power. 

Once again, as it has happened in many other African countries, Burundi might collapse into a civil war or ethnic cleansing right under the very noses of AU! The signs are all there and crystal clear, unless Pierre Nkurunziza reignites the morals of responsible leadership; a phenomenon so rare in a majority of African countries! 

As the continent watches Burundi slowly catching fire, let us remember that Nkurunziza is a typical African president who does not lead his people but rather rules over them!

Ill Equipped For A Tough War!

Police officers patrol the dangerous Kenya-Somali border on foot and earn a meagre monthly hardship allowance of Ksh 600, which translates to a paltry Ksh 20 a day! There are no vehicles for patrol. To them, corruption is an option and even Al-Shabab operatives confessed to a Kenyan journalist that they know how to best deal with the Kenyan police officers! Your guess is as good as mine; they bribe our officers who are pushed into the vice by the near impossible living and working conditions in the counties neighboring Somalia, especially Mandera! KTN’s Asha Mwilu unearthed all these in her investigative story, ‘’Terror Crossing’’. Other investigative pieces on K24 have painted grim pictures of our tactics in this war.

Now we have insights into how the government has slept on the job, much to the delight of the terrorists! Barely a month ago, 147 innocent Kenyans were slaughtered in the second deadliest terrorist attack on Kenya, since the August 7, 1998 Nairobi bombings. Such is the devastation that Al-Shabab are visiting on our country. Sadly, our government does not seem to get it right. Since we set our military boots into Somalia in the famous ‘Operation Linda Nchi’, we started a long and vicious yet justified war on terror. But maybe we left our backs exposed! Did we secure our borders well enough to thwart off revenge attacks on our soil? Perhaps not, as recent attacks have shown. Westgate, Mandera 1 and 2, Mpeketoni and now Garissa come into mind.

Our Kenya-Somalia border is porous. The terrorists and their sympathizers freely cross into and out of the country. More chilling is the fact that the terrorists and their sympathizers can bribe their way into the country. They have seen an opportunity in our poorly equipped and ill- remunerated police officers charged with securing this volatile border. Corruption is not justifiable. But poorly remunerated police officers are vulnerable to the vice, just like any other Kenyan. At night they too, take cover from the very dangers that they are supposed to shield us from; terrorism.

Corruption has permeated into our security systems and the happenings at the Somalia border are a proof. Police officers are poorly remunerated and basically lack the much needed positive motivation to effectively discharge their duties. On the other hand, the terrorists are so willing to die and possess deadly arms. Add this to the fact that they got families to take care of and you cannot imagine how tough it is being in their shoes, yet they are supposed to protect us from these barbaric terrorists!

Instead of using the Dadaab Refugee Camp as a scapegoat in this war, the government should correct the loopholes in its systems. Equip the police officers adequately, pay them well and reduce their vulnerability to corruption. Take up the border security as a serious issue enough to demand the presence of our military and police service.  Back into our borders, all citizens should embrace the war on a common enemy. We cannot deny that radicalization is swallowing up our youths and that terrorist elements live amongst us. The enemy is within as much as is from outside our borders.

We can still fight Al-Shabab from within our borders and thus our military men and women can greatly help secure our borderline with Somalia. Have we ever thought of relocating our military barracks to the borders instead of Nairobi where they serve no purpose?

As a nation, we have a long way to go in winning the fight on terror. We need to re-think and re-strategize, otherwise it is foolhardy to do things the same way that has failed us yet expect us to win. We have a porous border, poorly remunerated and ill-equipped police officers manning our borders, corruption is rife along these borders and terrorists have a field day crossing into the country. The citizens participation in this war is wanting too! Radicalization is real in the country. Yet to all these, we have turned a blind eye. Do we still expect to defeat Al-Shabab with all these loopholes?

Poor Response to the terrorist attack at Garissa University College

The response to the Thursday terror attack on Garissa University College was at best botched and horribly so. The Sunday Nation newspaper (April 5, 2015) reveals the shameful and shambolic way through which the Kenyan government handled the 15-hour siege on the campus, about 300km from Nairobi.

The militants rang the first shots at around 5:30 am, as some students slept, others were getting ready for their day’s Cats while some were in the morning prayers. In a well-orchestrated attack that was to last a grueling 15 hours as hapless and horrified students were butchered brutally. Those lucky to escape will forever count their lucky stars. But the manner of response from our security organs has left a lot to be desired and had it been better then, we could not have lost 147 brains.

Thirty minutes into the attack, an alarm was sounded at the Ruiru Recce Company base and the elite officers got ready. However, due to lack of a helicopter to take them to Garissa, they were still stranded at Wilson Airport and left at 12: 30 p.m., aboard Kenya Police Airwing-5YGSU and 5YPOL. They could not fit in with their equipment and a team had left by road! They got to Garissa and were briefed for two hours. During this time, the militants had enough time to taunt the students, make calls to their families and friends before their bullets sniffed lives out of the students.

Cabinet Secretary Nkaissery and Inspector-General of Police Wilson Boinnet flew to Garissa way ahead of the elite Recce Squad! Could the forces have used this chopper and gotten there earlier to save our fellow Kenyans? Why is it that our Recce Squad had to wait for seven hours due to the lack of a chopper? Why were the elite officers not ferried there using our military choppers and land there maybe before 7 am? Was CS Nkaissery and IG Boinnet going to rescue our students trapped in the siege and that is why they boarded a chopper to Garissa instead of letting the Recce Unit go there first? Why was the government’s response to an emergency so pathetic and shameful? Do we lack a police or military chopper on stand-by to respond to such emergency situations like what happened in Garissa? How could the Recce team get to Garissa seven hours late, yet be briefed for  a whole two hours on a situation that was so dire and they got the expertise to rescue it? Where is the moral responsibility of our government in such a slow response to a situation that could otherwise have been salvaged and so many students rescued?

As our government treats us to such shameful response to its own citizens being slaughtered, we must laud the Recce Squad who took less than an hour to subdue the militants, killed them and prevented more loss of lives. But the militants struck at 5:30 am and yet our Recce Squad launched its offensive at 5 pm? Soldiers from the nearby Garissa Barracks and regular police had been battling the militants. We all know that they are not trained to deal with such situations and maybe that is why the militants had a field-day killing 147 students, until Recce came in.

Just as it happened in the Westgate attack, the response to the terror attack on Garissa University College was a botched one. Disorganization, lack of priorities and maybe a blatant disregard for human life by our government is what happened. Had Recce Squad been flown to the college within an hour of the attack, then we could not have lost 147 students. The government responded late, the Recce Squad did not have a chopper to fly them to the scene on time, CS Nkaissery and IG Boinnet got there even before Recce did and yes, it was a pathetic response.

We did not learn from the Mpeketoni, Baragoi and Westgate attacks. Haphazard and pathetic response describes the government.  As the families, friends and relatives of the 147 slain souls mourn and grieve, let Kenyans know that a timely and more organized response by our government should have prevented such a great and horrible loss. What our government does best is to woefully admit that Al-Shabab got them by surprise. We are losing too much to Al-Shabab and unless the government changes its tacts, then these terrorists will make Kenya their play-ground.

As a country, we are slowly but surely getting numbed by death. It no longer bothers us a lot, despite seeing our Kenyans mourn their loved ones.  Let not the 147 souls of Garissa University College go in vain. Let the government stop this pathetic and shambolic way of handling these grave matters of terror.

The Half-Hearted War On Corruption!

Sometimes back in 2009, the then Minister for Finance, Amos Kimunya, cheered on by his tribesmen and women in his Kipipiri backyard, uttered the words, ‘’I rather die than resign”. This was in response to the Grand Regency typhoon that was about to wash him away. Days later, thousands of miles away in the capital city, Kimunya was a humbled man as then Ikholomani legislator, Bonni Khalwale successfully forced  him out in a fierce motion that brought the house to a standstill! Kimunya had to pay for the scam that described the sale of Grand Regency and the consequent change of name to Laico Regency.

Almost eight years later, corruption has engulfed the National Assembly, Office of President, State Ministries, County Governments and County assemblies. Corruption has never reared its ugly head this vicious in post-colonial Kenya! The chilling revelation that we lose nearly Sh 300billion of our annual budget to this evil, epitomize how low we have sank and accepted corruption. We are a dishonest nation! Our politicians and public officials loot our coffers, grow big bellies and when the moment of truth comes calling, chants of mtu wetu or our tribe is being hunted, fill the air! It is funny how, we are willing to play refuge to those who steal from our taxes, despite knowing very well how corruption has eaten our economy.

During his State of the Nation address this week, President Uhuru moved the house and the legislators cheered on as he talked tough against corruption. As expected, Uhuru exhibited the bravado that if put into action, would run all corrupt men out of town!

However, in the midst of the cheering legislators and cabinet secretaries in the House, on Wednesday afternoon, sat suspects of corruption and all manner of abuse of public funds. Their names have been wash on the media and the entire nation knows them. The question is, will the heads roll? Will President Kenyatta crack the whip and walk his tough talk on corruption? It is a game of wait and see! Meanwhile as we cry and bemoan how corrupt and scandalous our public officials have become, we must congratulate Uhuru for his tough talk. Maybe, it was a speech well written to accomplish Public Relations, or indeed he meant every word. The coming weeks will either vilify or crucify Mr. President.

Allegations of corruption within the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), opened the can of wounds and exposed how corrupt our legislators have become. Cabinet ministers and Principal Secretaries in the current government, Members of County Assemblies in the 47 counties and Governors have all been adversely mentioned in the murky waters of corruption.Infact, the list of suspects released by the MumoMtaemu-led Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), paints a grim picture of how deeply rooted the vice has become in the Public service.Most of our public offices reek of corruption. Our national assembly and County assemblies are full of corruption suspects. Once every five years, we elect leaders whose names are co-joined to all corruption scams.

Under-developed and shambolic health systems that cannot efficiently serve Kenyans, poor education systems, infiltration of illegal immigrants and terrorists, deaths on our roads, economic deprivation and high taxation rates. These are some of the harsh penalties that Kenyans continue to pay for abetting and socializing corruption! But can we afford to keep paying these unwanted prices? Absolutely, No.

Unless president Uhuru bites the bullet and walks the tough talk that he delivered to the nation in his annual State of the Nation address, then corruption will forever find a haven in our public offices. To date, Amos Kimunya remains the best casualty of corruption and one who duly paid the price. BonniKhalwale, currently Kakamega Senator, remains as the example of Kenyan leaders who have fought corruption and did all the way to ensuring the culprits take full responsibility.

Mr. President, the ball is in your court. Make sure you rise to the occasion! The entire nation is watching!

CS Koskei Has Led The Way, Can The Rest Follow?

Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Felix Koskei has led the way and stepped aside due to the graft allegations facing him. A laudable and truly bold decision by the CS to step aside and allow for investigations by the Ethics and Antic-Corruption Commission (EACC).

As we comment Mr. Koskei for his decision, let us not forget that EACC had mentioned several Governors, Senators, Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries in its graft list. They include, Davies Chirchir (Energy CS), Charity Ngilu (Lands CS), KazunguKmabi (Labour CS), Francis Kimemia (Cabinet CS), Michael Kamau (Transport CS), MuteaIringo( Defence PS) and NduvaMuli ( Transport PS). The governors are; Evans Kidero ( Nairobi), Isaac Ruto ( Bomet), Peter Munya ( Meru), Alfred Mutua( Machakos), Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Cyprian Awiti( Homa Bay) and senators, James Orengo( Siaya) and Machakos Senator, JohnstoneMuthama ( Daily Nation, 27 March 2015).

Only one has so far stepped aside and the nation awaits to see if the rest will follow suit. As President Uhuru Kenyatta demanded in his State of Nation address, public officials, both elected and appointed should face the law with regard to corruption allegations. Those found innocent will resume their official duties, but those found culpable should too face the full force of the law.

Contrary to what has been the Kenyan trend whenever a politician or high ranking public official is adversely mentioned in corruption, CS Koskei did it differently. He did not pull his entire clansmen to a silly fight and alleged that some people are witch-hunting his community. He honorably chose to respect the dignity of his Cabinet post and stepped aside. The rest should follow suit, save us a lot of political hogwash and face their individual crosses. Kenyans need to see tough action just as the tough talk that President Uhuru gave the nation, on Wednesday.

Koskei has led the way and humbly so, will the rest follow? The coming days will surely tell us!

The Evil Game That is Ruining Our Statehood and Economy

Corruption is our national sport and we proudly play it, all too aware of the destruction it causes to our nationhood and economy! The recent allegations of bribe taking that have engulfed the Ababu Namwamba led-Public Accounts Committee (PAC) weeks ago, have suddenly awakened this demon of corruption. From the Chicken-gate that brought the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) into spotlight, to the land-grabbing scandal at Lang’ata Road Primary School that grabbed global attention, corruption is eating our society alive!

Our Twitter-sphere is awash with the hashtags that Kenyans on Twitter so viciously use to fight corruption, albeit for some time in the virtual space. We are an active lot on Twitter and we fight good battles there against corruption and all manner of social ills. But wait a minute! Have we devolved corruption yet we deny it? As a society, do we knowingly take part in corruption, yet we deny it? Have we socialized corruption and normalized it as the norm? Do we proudly play the deadly game of corruption? The answer to these is a resounding YES!

The highest public offices on the land, national parliament, our county assemblies and governments and entire society reek of corruption. How many times, did we witness our Members of County Assemblies (MCA’s) and other County officials on absurd spending sprees in overseas trips all in the name of learning from Singapore and the like on how to make devolution work? How many times have we heard of misappropriation of public funds and now worse, alleged bribe taking by our legislators in order to alter reports and investigations? Countless is the answer! Back in our universities, the tales of sex-for-grades is so real and those of us who have curiously walked the corridors of our institutions of higher learning know this too well. Hard work is not the only way to academic excellence!

Every five years as we cast our ballot, we all know that whoever throws the fattest wallet to the excited masses gets the vote! In short, we believe that mkono mtupu haulambwi, and that only money can buy our votes! That is why once every five years and during by-elections, money and votes exchange hands. Kenyans give the votes and in return, politicians dish out the money. Sadly, we do not even care, that it is public money stolen, or money accruing from drugs that have ravaged our youths! On our roads, the traffic cops are never ashamed of taking folded and filthy fifty-shilling notes, to abet traffic offences! Corruption has manifested its ugly face in all aspects of our life as a nation. We proudly take part in the game! We are all corrupt and yes, our corrupt and horribly dishonest society has produced corrupt public officials and legislators! So who should cry foul play and cast the first stone, between the leaders and the citizens? No one because we all are guilty as charged.

We have socialized corruption. As most Kenyans take up public offices, either appointed or elected, they realize it is their time to eat and plunder the public coffers. Perhaps it explains why corruption and public offices in Kenya are co-joined like Siamese twins! The two go hand in hand!

The fact that we lose one-third of our financial year budget to corruption should be enough to shake our moral fibre,, rally the leaders and hoi-polloi alike, to fighting corruption. President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto should stop the loud talk on how vicious the war on corruption will be. They should sanctify the Office of the President and other senior offices on this land, which are the altars of corruption. Heads should roll and yes, the culpable should soon become guests of the state. The war on corruption must be decisively fought from the top. The story of sacred cows as we all know it should stop.

As the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) led by Mumo Matemu and the judiciary lead the war on graft, all Kenyans should re-examine the moral decay in the society and abhor corruption as the evil we all know. Our corrupt ways should stop and integrity should not only be a requirement of our leaders. Corruption is already a national disaster and we all feel its devastating effects on our economy.  It has nearly crippled our economy, destroyed numerous economic opportunities for our people, stolen from our budget and curtailed development! Losing at least Ksh 300billion yearly to corruption is a worrying trend.

Corruption has opened doors to Al-shabab to Kenya, destroyed Kenyan football, increased fatalities on our roads, tarnished the name of government offices, derailed development and denied opportunities to deserving Kenyans, in the academic and employment spheres! Corruption has increased the taxation on Kenyans. According to the Auditor General and the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, we lose about Ksh 300billion annually to corruption! Simply put, money meant to develop this nation, upgrade health facilities, improve road network and uplift the lives of Kenyans, disappears into the pockets of a few evil souls!

We can choose to act now and start the long and painful process of slaying the dragon of corruption and save the future of our economy and statehood. If we choose not to fight it, our economy and statehood will live to bear the scars of this socialized evil!