Ponder this. It is sobering to reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence. – Charles A. Beard On the 20th of this month we as a country celebrated Mashujaa Day in honouring those who struggled for Kenyas independence. Let me take you to those colonial days. What did the mkoloni do wrong ? What did the Mashujaa do to earn the honour? You must have heard or taught about the 1950s. and 60s state of emergency which was declared by the colonialiststs.. You know the reaction of the natives to the state of emergency Come back to this year, lamu county. When a population feel -whether percieved, real or imagined - that it is being robbed , oppressed and silenced there are some in them who will follow the legal/courts way to try get justice, there are those who will engage the authority in a diplomatic route ,those who will use violence to create fear and the political class who will try the political solution. This used to happen , has happened, is happening and will continue to happen everywhere in the world. In those colonial times akina Dedan kimathi preferred violence, kenyattas and odingas used political means and Gama pinto and others tried the legal/courts. means. The indigenous of lamu county feel they have been robbed of their land, political voice,marginalized, unfairly deprived of education, job opportunities and other development. With all the injustices don majority of over 95% of the indigenous have and are preferring the dialogue and political way to solve d important issue which is about their rights and survival as individuals and a community. What is happening in lamu MUST be handled carefully and with great caution. The settlers must be fully aware how the indigenous feel. They must be carefull in using words and statements which will hurt a wound. The 95% who believe in peacefull solution must not be provoked and be made to think or accept the wrong idea of those who believe in violence . God forbid. The indigenous people of lamu dont feel insecure. They want the curfew lifted coz they believe it is not necessary and to their disadvantage The Bajunis, the Ormas , the Amus and the Boni are the legitimate owners of lamu. They do not have any other place they call home. Very few of you know about them. They all in total not exceed 150 thousands. They are listed as marginalized. Their civillisation has history of over a thousand years. They contributed their land and natural resources to be part of the Republic of Kenya just like other people from other parts of this country. They in return had to have a say in the running of the republic . Their vote would be their voice. All their ancestral land which was to be preserved for their interest as per the coastal strip agreement signed by the first president was converted to Government Land and most of it unfairly taken away from them. Now listen to this Their representative in the county Assembly and Parliament must speak for them. Be their voice. Of the two MPs one is from them and the other is from the settlers. In the County Assembly, the settlers ,who first setled in mid and late seventies ,are represented by 3 elected MCAs and interestingly 6 nominated MCAs while the indigenous are represented by 7 elected MCAs and interestingly 4 nominated MCAs.The settlers have one of them as a Deputy Governer. We know the voting patern of this beautiful country. The lamu settlers have and will always voice the interest and concerns of their ethnic group just like others Kenyans do. With this in mind, the rights of the indigenous of having a say in the running of affairs of the state and their county has been taken away by not having proper and right representation caused by votes of thousands of IDPs of 2007 PEV who have chosen to settle in the county .
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 10:08:58 +0000