It is clear that national debate is framed by politicians and the media, often as they feed their fantasies and frenzies.
The civil society (read the human rights types and others) and wananchi at large are idea-takers--sort of. They come in last, sweating and panting, reacting, with very low probabilities of making meaningful difference.
I generalize somewhat, but my concern lies with the mwananchi and my desire to see wanjiku and others to some extent drive our politics. Indulge my naivete.
Well, some person once said (paraphrased)the "third estate is everything but it currently is nothing, but can be something." I prefer not the path of a violent revolution and believe there are ways in which wananchi can get to directly frame national debate. I prefer not the pathway of the so-called "civil society" as their channels of accountability are frightening, often upwards and outwards to their foreign funders. Their accomplishments in Kenya's recent political history are yet to be objectively documented.
But I do think that there is another path: a people-to-people dialogue and empowerment. One that draws upon the distinct (and somewhat mundane) strengths of the Kenyan people--their local level associational lives. People cooperate in many different ways towards many different purposes (ummm let's exclude vicious crime gangs and witch-burning types) as they solve their problems. It seems to me that anyone interested in shifting the tenor of the debate, sustainably, would have to engage with the very local. Here lies an excessively manipulated, overexploited, underappreciated, self-deprecating fountain of strength.
So there are constraints, but how can this people-to-people thing (for lack of a better name) at the grassroots be organized? That, I believe, is part of our future.
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8 comments:
"But I do think that there is another path: a people-to-people dialogue and empowerment. One that draws upon the distinct (and somewhat mundane) strengths of the Kenyan people--their local level associational lives."
You are right in noticing the inadequacies of even the so called civil societies. They are hardly a representation of Wanjiku's thoughts.
We are yet to have a conversation that is not yet pre-packaged for us, one that is not yet framed by those who claim to know better what the common mwananchi should be concerned about.
We are at the mercy of these organizations and the media...the same media that was scared "bowel movement-less" by Lucy Kibaki...she dared them in the full glare of the media! And they chickened out!
Cicero
Media all over the world are same.. sale the same message to the common man because they are controlled by higher orders (media owners + politicians) so I ask myself why do we as peoples demand on the media for the truth? I could take that yes as an answer 10-15 years ago but now we have the internet where everyone in the global world can post facts and truth.. yet still we all still relay on media which is a source of plenty of propaganda and untrue source of information-
As for Kenya as a country - it is only the peoples strong movement to remove the current coalition government that the country well be able to turn round and people the peoples government.
Kenya is still the corporations, Banks and politicians government ruled by them.. and the rest of Kenyans are herded around like goats and sheep being told what to do and if you don't you are either jailed or assassinated or the government uses hunger to oppress kenyans.
When will this stop? who knows only when the ordinary people of Kenya decide to take back their country.
talking, screaming ,shouting from behind homes & computers won't stop the nasty people in office - we as Kenyans need to form a strong powerful movement to take back our country !!period
The USA congratulated Kibaki even when their intelligent showed that he had rigged( why because he is taking care of their vested interests in Kenya)
but now KIbaki and Raila seem to enjoy the statuesque and don't seem to care anymore especially on corruption..
MAYBE OR I BELIEVE THEIR ARE BIGGER FORCES CONTROLLING AFRICA AND ONLY THE PEOPLE OF EACH COUNTRY CAN SET IT FREE. PEOPLES REVOLTS HAVE WORKED LOOKING AT HISTORY ... KENYANS MUST TRY OR ELSE FOREVER KEEP QUIET AND AGREE TO BE HERDED LIKE SHEEP'S.
Africa continent is a puppet to the wealthy few who control all our oil and minerals in the continent.
All presidents in Africa are puppets except for Mugabe(though he was a puppet before then turned round against his masters- British/Americans
So if Africa wants to stand up and take back it's continent then the minerals, oil controls by foreign companies must be addressed- this are the people who put this presidents in office with the support of their own USA or British governments because they are also in control in thier own countries (FEDERAL RESERVE BANK! ROYAL HOUSE OF ENGLAND E.T.C
who has brought down the world economy? what was their plan of action? to bring down the economy bankcrupt the population and businesses turn round and buy them back for few dollars( Look at federal reserve and American government plan of action that was outlined this week on the way forward buying of bad debtd by some banks and corporations? should I say more?(it is also happening in kenya- Safaricom, grand regency, and other house of card business plans like Anglo leasing e.tc
I guess what I'm pointing out is
unless the people themselves are ready to fight back then there is no hope-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnbpabrLLQA&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfwRXocHvgc&feature=related
(question- who controls the USA? don't tell me Obama- we all know the shadow powerful government- and if you look for all the facts and confirm this as true then surely as Kenyans we have a rocky mountain to climb to remove control from this paid puppets in the coalition government
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx7Pruu722g&feature=related
This "people to people" dialog should start here with us. Soon enough other Kenyans will be able to join in after high speed internet becomes widely accessible.
Click here to read about the fibre optic cable network project, TEAMS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TEAMS_(cable_system)
When the human rights activists issue their statements and demands, they usually do that flanked either by US, UK or German ambassadors or some mzungu or other. (They are now including the prime minister as well, which in my opinion makes much more sense than the former).
Why do they do that? All the time?
If they are truly speaking on behalf of 'ordinary' Kenyans, why dont they present those demands flanked by the Kenyans whose interests they claim to advance?
What is so difficult about that?
B-C, don't you think they do that to a large extent to play up on the Kenyan perception of a jungu?
You and I know a white face is supposed to be a stamp of approval and Kenyans very much gravitate towards that myth.
Anon @ 6:49 am:
True. True.
This obsession with omsungu is reinforced quite nicely at the top. Note the PMs rapid, uncritical we-will-implement type response to Prof. Alston's report, or his somwhat amusing fascination with FBI and Scotland yard, or mwananchi's uncritical acceptance of 'exit' polls conducted by an omsungu (which btw took another African-omsungu mere seconds to see right thru)......ad nauseum. So, yes there is a rather broad acceptance of whatever the omsungu says and does.
But my question is somewhat targeted--why the ambassadors? Any rag tag (no disrespect) omsungu in a suit is enough to convince the public, dont you think? Very dangerous too.
The point I am trying to make is very simple. If these human rights types were genuinely concerned about improving the status of human rights in the country, they would be engaging with people at the very local level--working with them to build the kind of norms necessary to support a broad human rights agenda. If these human rights types were not a bunch of greedy, self-serving, attention-seeking thugs, the approach to human rights in Kenya would be different. Indeed, if they truly were effective in what they do, there would be fewer to no incidence of this uncontrolled murdering of so-called 'witches/wizards', among many other things.
But instead and quite predictably, they seek to buttress the omsungus prejudices about African states, as that is a sure path to fattening their purses.
I think these human rights money guzzlers (i.e NGOs) should be subjected to a very serious audit, commissioned by an independent body and conducted by another independent one. Yup, no rigging on this one!
Below an excerpt from Eric Ng'eno
http://www.kenyaimagine.com/Politics-and-Governance/In-Case-Of-Accident-Do-Not-Admit-Liability-and-other-beefs.html
Listen to Michael Rannenberger, Walter Lindner, Eric van derLinden and Philip Alston speak: clearly, they have a low opinion of Kenyans ofall walks of life. Their condescension stems out of a raw racism: that we arestupid, thieving, lynching, AIDS-ridden; that we haven't the slightest bit ofself-interest, and that on account of their skin colour, all wisdom,philanthropy, wealth and ethics innately repose in them, with the onerousmandate to save Kenyans from themselves.
See Telkom Kenya. A sixth executive resigned yesterdayciting a difficult working environment, defective corporate vision, impingementof business practices and a recklessness at the top.Telkom is still publiclyowned. The resignations come after complaints about the arrival ofextravagantly pampered, over-remunerated, utterly unskilled, white expatriates.The jobs they do so poorly can be done by Kenyans for less. Telkom hurtlesinexorably to ruin. Somebody at Immigration is busy giving away Kenyan jobs toforeign nincompoops purely on account of their skin colour. And we talkeveryday of job creation.
Yet the culture of self-prostration before White Men is notnew for us in Kenya. Our introduction to western education unstintingly drilledinto us the White Man as our Big Brother, Benefactor, Guide, Image of God andGenius. Who brought us the Word of God? Who established the first schools? Who wroteour laws? Who discovered Lakes Turkana and Victoria, Mount Kenya, the Nile? Whoestablished Nairobi? Who built All Saints Cathedral? Who?
Christianity, historically, and with a more poignantrelevance here at home, has always been about the adulation of the White Man asa critical function of service to God. That is why churches that post noticesof white preachers from USA, and wherever else, boast enormous congregations.That is why we would rather hear the poisonous, depraved emanations of RevHagee, Graham and McRepublican, when we can have the myopic and virulentlyignorant and intolerant Rev Dr Githii.
Those Kenyans directly educated by white teachers holdthemselves superior to the rest of us; those whose children go to school withwhite children are better human beings; those who fornicate with white peopleare nobler; those companies with white directors and whatnot are more'blue-chip'; the KFF faction with more white skin is more legitimate; theverdicts of Kriegler, Alston, Hey, and all the other white skinned men the PMis yet to invite and the dictatorial, illegal, shameful uninvited interferencesof white ambassadors are somehow good for us.
I want to know what the Ugandan High Commissioner, Djiboutiambassadeur, Moroccan Consulate and other AU envoys think, if we must submit tothis abject self debasement before foreigners. But my chances of hearing whatthe Burkinabe Mission in Kenya want the Coalition government to do, or not todo, are slim indeed.
That, ladies and gentlemen is what I would callConstitutional Racism.
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