What did the symbol of the 1969 Oath stand for and how did this divide Kenyans? The Continuation of Kenya’s darkest hours Part IV Authentic Excerpts from: Tribal Politics Harass Kenya by Stanley Meisler Copyrights: The contents of Foreign Affairs are copyrighted.©1970 Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. Volume 49 • Number 1 All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution of this material is permitted only with the express written consent of Foreign Affairs. Visit foreignaffairs/permissions for more information. “The fury and unity of the Luos after the death of Mboya frightened the Kikuyus. When threatened in the past, the Kikuyus have often resorted to oaths as a way of strengthening themselves. They had done so during Mau Mau days when they wanted to unite against the British colonial government and the white settlers. In those days the mysterious and bestial nature of the oaths had shocked both other tribes and outsiders. The Kikuyus went back to oathing this time and shocked outsiders and other tribes again. In an oathing ceremony, Kikuyus, after drinking goats blood or undergoing some other ritual, swear allegiance to a tribal cause. Whether they oathe voluntarily or are forced to take part, many Kikuyus believe they will be struck dead by sacred spirits if they break the pledge. In this case, according to reports in parliament, the Kikuyus would stand naked in a dark room in a house on the grounds of the home of President Kenyatta and take an oath that they would never allow the flag of Kenya to leave the house of Mumbi, as Kikuyus call their tribe. Other tribes believed this meant that the Kikuyus wanted to keep the presidency indefinitely and dominate them forever. The other tribes were angered and frightened even more by the seeming acquiescence of Kenyatta. In October 1969, with elections only a few weeks away, Kenyatta decided to show the country that he was still its national leader. He drove to Kisumu, the main town of Luo land, to dedicate a Russian-built hospital there. From the first, he was received with anger. Luos held up signs asking, Wheres Tom? Some threw stones. Many shouted the slogan of Odingas opposition party. This enraged Kenyatta. In Swahili, he shouted at the crowd at the hospital, I can assure you, my brothers, that anybody who brings trouble . . . will be taught to know that Kenya has a government. He cursed at his opponents and boasted, We are going to crush you into flour. The crowds grew disorderly again after the speech. As the Presidents motorcade drove out of town, the Luos threw rocks and surged toward the car of the President. This panicked the bodyguard, and they fired into the crowd. The toll was 11 dead and many wounded. Kenyatta blamed Odinga for both the insults and the carnage. He banned the opposition party and detained Odinga and the other seven opposition members of parliament. With their two leaders gone, the Luos dropped to the low point of their fortunes. On the eve of elections, the party that most represented them was banned. This was probably the most critical moment in Kenyas history since independence. The plight of the Luos seemed desperate. To outsiders, it appeared that Kenyatta and the Kikuyus had gone too far. The horror of Nigeria was on everyones mind, and many waited for an explosion. Instead, Kenya dropped into a calm. It is not exactly clear why this happened, but several reasons can be suggested. First, Africans live in tribal societies that respect authority. Kenyatta asserted his authority in an uncompromising way and made it clear he would continue to do so. This shocked the Luos and sobered their rage. They withdrew like a child slapped by an angry father. Second, the Luos, though emotional, have a tribal personality that allows them to accept adversity in a fatalistic way. Their grievances were bitter, but this did not provoke them into acts of revenge. Instead, they bemoaned their fate. Third, they realized how little they could do. Western Kenya was not Eastern Nigeria. Unlike the grieving Ibos, the Luos did not have a government or even a radio to rally the people. In centralized Kenya, these instruments of secession belonged to Kenyatta in Nairobi. The Luos could not have broken away even if they had wanted to.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 11:14:35 +0000
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