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STATEMENT OF KENYANS IN
Yesterday’s arrest of Mr. David Ochami, a
Kenyan Journalist, by more than 10 policemen at the premises of Kenya Times
Newspaper because of an opinion article he published in the paper was
significant in two ways. It was the second major arrest of a Journalist since Narc took power while it also confirmed that President Mwai Kibaki is on a downward
spiral towards authoritarian dictatorship that his predecessor Daniel arap Moi spent 24 years
perfecting.
In a typical style
only rivaled by illegal activities of a gang of torturers that were dubbed
“Security Home Boys” during the climax of the Mwakenya crackdowns in the late
80s during Moi’s one party dictatorship, Ochami was
cleverly duped by his abductors who whisked him away in a convoy of cars to his
house at Pangani estate. In line with tradition, Ochami’s house was then ransacked for two hours as the
Journalist was held hostage.
In a kind of Déjà vu,
Kibaki’s “Security Home guards” took away newspapers, note books and an
assortment of literature from Ochami’s house before
embarking on a “check in-check out” of the Journalist from one police station
after another to hide his case from scrutiny. This is exactly the same method
of intimidation Moi’s Boys used with zeal but which
failed to stop the struggle for political pluralism in
What crime did Mr. Ochami
commit to warrant the wanton intimidation, illegal curtailment of basic freedoms,
sheer harassment and savage violation of his rights as a Kenyan citizen? The
answer is that he published an opinion article in The Sunday Times of 25th September 2005 titled “Coups in
In the article, Mr.
Ochami was answering the increasingly familiar and alarmist outbursts of
Mirungi Kariuki and David Mwiraria (Kibaki’s key sycophants) who had suggested
that imaginary anti-Kibaki forces (advocates of the
“No” vote in the coming referendum) were out to overthrow the Kibaki regime.
According to Ochami’s thesis, the failure of the 1982 coup attempt may
have been a disaster for
The failure of the
President to deliver a new Constitution within 100 days after coming to power
and his fumbling with the Bomas Draft of the
Constitution is a case in point.
Although we have our
reservations as to whether the execution of former Dictator Daniel arap Moi and his Vice President Mwai Kibaki by the 1982 coup
leaders could have prevented 24 years of ruthless dictatorship and an extension
of that dictatorship through Kibaki, we agree with Ochami’s analysis about the circumstances of coups in
Africa, his parallels about the situation in Kenya and his position that
Kibaki’s mistakes “Have aborted the momentum for effective change” in Kenya.
The journalist could not have put it better!
That is, we agree with
Ochami’s view that the Kibaki
dictatorship has hopelessly failed Kenyans and needs to be overthrown by any
democratic means available in the field of struggle.
Ochami was simply
telling the truth as it is and arresting him will not postpone or solve the
huge crisis facing Kibaki’s government. There is a crisis of leadership in
The alarm bells have
been sounded and Kenyans should once again be on the alert because all indications
are that a new dictator in the name of Emilio Mwai Kibaki has taken over the State machine which he is now
using to arrest Journalists doing their work at newspaper offices. For
conscious Kenyan minds, Kibaki hatoshi and the best option in
the situation is for him to go now rather than later!
After a string of
failures to deliver on key election promises, this latest arrest of yet another
Journalist by marauding security officers with orders from Kibakis
“Internal security” should be the last signal that Kenyans should return to the
path of revolution, not just to overthrow Kibaki but
also to topple the system that bankrupted leaders like him are using to trample
on the rights and freedoms of Kenyan citizens with impunity.
According to Ochami,
“Kenyans should be allowed to hope for a blast or blow of holy wind from
somewhere to end this mess”. Our view is that there will be no “holy wind” from
anywhere to liberate Kenya from the Kibakis even if
Kenyans embrace themselves tightly in prayer with their heads upside down 24
hours a day 7 days a week.
A revolutionary
Movement or Party armed with a revolutionary theory and a clear revolutionary
Program for democratic change and transformation is urgently needed in Kenya to
show the way out of the blind alleys of the rotten capitalist class rule now
tampering with Press freedom in our country, intimidating and arresting journalists,
looting the economy and using the huge security apparatus as a powerful tool
for oppression KANU style.
We unequivocally
condemn Ochami’s arrest because it reduces the
democratic space needed for revolutionary activity vital for liberation in
In fact, Ochami’s arrest is yet another warning to workers and
millions of youth in
Ochami was arrested because Kibaki
is using an oppressive system left behind by Moi, a
system that we have repeatedly said, needs to be smashed to pave the way for
reconstruction of the Kenyan society under a new democratic system led by
workers and the youth, not pre-independence opportunists fed by imperialism to
protect foreign interests.
We condemn the Kibaki dictatorship for trying to return
Ochami’s arrest confirms the dictatorial character the Kibaki regime continues to assume and the use of State
machine to try and re-introduce “the culture of silence and fear” that Moi planted in
We will oppose any
charges brought against Ochami and dramatize his case
in the International arena in case the government goes ahead to press for bogus
charges against a conscious Journalist who was simply doing his work. Kenyans
should resist a small gang of wealth grabbers calling themselves government to
hold back a struggle that has been going on for more than 4 decades.
Ochami’s article has nothing to do with “incitement” as
the police put it. In the circumstances, we demand the immediate and
unconditional release of Mr. David Ochami and a stop
to the arrest and intimidation of journalists doing their work in
Martin Ngatia – Kenya People’s Democratic Movement (KEPEDEMO Mapinduzi)
Okoth Osewe –
Desmond Nyamu:
Betty Shangazi: Muungano Ya Akina Mama Scandinavia
Omariba Kadikiye: Organization of Kenyans in
Christopher Omondi: Association of Kenyan Students in
Email: mapambanokenya@gawab.com
Published by Kenya Socialist Democratic
Alliance (KSDA)
email: harakatips@hotmail.com