Reasons and responsibilities

It started off looking like I was entirely wrong about the Education Ministry’s embezzlement of primary school education funding, and the amount involved was a mere 100 million Shillings (see blog: “In-DFID-ent ..”). I was mortified – nay, slightly embarrassed - that perhaps I had quoted the wrong figure. I mean, 100 million Shillings is only 1.Something million Dollars! That’s a very small thing in Kenyan corruption terms. Hardly worth mentioning actually …

But now the truth is out, and it seems I didn’t mishear the original report from DFID. Yes, the education corruption scandal has seen the theft from Kenya’s kids of a mere 10 billion Shillings (only 133 million US Dollars!). I guess it is not such a small thing …

Of course, Permanent Secretary Karega pleads absolute innocence as the does the (very) Honorable Minister for Education Ongeri. Again asked their views in polled opinion on KTN, a small 83% of Kenyans say the two gents are lying about their innocence. The remaining 17% of SMS’s were probably paid for, to be sent in the Ministry’s favour.

But coming hot on the heels of this scandal comes another:  This time it involves the alleged payment to ‘Big Fish’ of various huge sums of money. This, for the vacation of (illegally ‘invaded’) land in the (now decimated) Mau Forest (land that is being reclaimed for its ecosystemic importance).

Minister of Finance, Uhuru Kenyatta, flatly denies that this payment is being effected.

But can he really be believed? He escaped, unscathed, with a 10 million Shilling ‘typing error’ in his first budget. Actually, there have been two ‘typing errors’ in his recent tenure as Minister of Finance. I cannot even remember the details of the second one. He is also accused of more recent shepherding of a ‘preferential’ tendering process in the supply of 140-something new VW Passat’s to government’s 42 Ministries (the highest number of ministries in the world).  

So I am sure his denial of Mau payments is true.

(Note: ‘Typing errors’ can occur because government is not computerized here. This due to a concerted avoidance of technologies that will permit ‘paper trails’ to be found for any and all transactions).  

But denials, and other jokes aside, I almost get the idea that the Kenya government actually pursues new scandals with great vigour. This, so that the previous scandal simply disappears from the news (as always seems to happen!). No sooner has one scandal hit the streets than another comes up. And the story of the first scandal gets lost forever in yellowed newsprint on Kenya’s kitchen shelves.

It is so easy to do here, and wouldn’t that be an amazing strategy:

Government of Kenya 101:

1.) You shall steal from the people of Kenya

2.) To get away with one huge scandal, simply create another that is even bigger!

3.) Then call on rafiki sana (our good friends), the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (sic), to ‘investigate the matter’.

4.) Go back to 1.)

But the point is this, really: One scandal is simply replaced by another. There’s never any follow up of these, from any quarter:

Surely, one could hardly expect honest follow up from this government. They are all in on the act.

And the KACC remains a joke for now.

But it leads me to question seriously the integrity, tenacity and investigative skill of journalists in this fair country too. And do not tell me that journalists are ‘threatened’. That is what is supposed to happen with journalists. Especially in a country that needs the ’winds of change’ (from wherever they blow) so desperately.  Journalists have a social, moral and very ‘civic’ responsibility to pursue these issues with great zeal and energy.  But I don’t see any of this here.

I used to read South Africa’s Weekly Mail (now Mail and Guardian) every week. It was a serious force for change during its early days and remains an important source of the facts in an increasingly corrupt South Africa.

Kenya? Journalists gani?

Journalists win substantial international awards and gain international recognition for serious investigative work. But I am not packing a Kenyan flag for any ceremony just yet …

 Sure, the public have a responsibility to act and agitate as well. But the channels are simply not there. Youth ‘movements’ in Kenya have historically been controlled by The State. But John Githongo says it’s all changing.

I chatted with some senior members of Bunge la Mwananchi (‘The Peoples Parliament’) the other night. They are inspired for sure. And motivated to do something.

But what?

They don’t see ‘avenues’ for expression at all. Hey, where’s the “spirit of adventure” guys? Even my simple suggestion of Kiswahili sticker-slogans - to stick on every matatu - was met with undue surprise. Come on ...

Sheesh, I remember unlawful marches in the streets. I remember baton charges on campus lawns. I saw live rounds being fired at close range. I saw friends knocked from their feet by dogs and water cannons. I remember tear gas tossed at anti-Apartheid concerts. I remember a church, wrapped up like a present, with a bow, on the bleak landscape of District 6. I remember the security police searching my red Datsun (with the letters ‘KGB’ in the number plate). I remember Terror Lekota, in hiding and ‘on the run’, staying at various safe houses in our village.

I remember, too, kitambo sana (a long time ago), when Soweto erupted, and when Steve Biko died. When David Webster was assassinated and when Neil Aggett disappeared from his house. I remember when Tokyo Sexwale was assassinated too. There were others. Sana.

But I also remember, very very well, the day that Madiba got out. And I watched it live on ITV, London. And I remember ‘coming home’ and standing for hours to vote. For the man I most admire today.

Kenya, you are “as mad as hell”. Surely.

But when will you say: “… AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!”

Kenya, anything is possible “for an idea whose time has come” …

Your time has come.

Maybe one day (as I once heard) someone will say “we’re a mile wide and a hundred people deep. Shoot me, and there will be others”.

But, right now, the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step …

Kenya? Future gani?

Amani na upendo,

B=))

Happy Christmas all.

‘John’ the Baptized

As of Sunday 6^th December 2009 he shall be known as ‘John’ Maina Njenga; for he has been ‘born again’ and baptized such at Bishop (and Assistant Minister for Housing) Margaret Wanjiru’s ‘Jesus is Alive Ministries’. Until recently, he was boss of Kenya’s horrific Mungiki sect (see a few previous blogs). Now he says he’s “a fish”. ‘John’ is clearly a changed man.

Bishop Wanjiru took the trouble of telling us on TV that ‘John’ was ‘serious’ about his new self and that the landscape of Kenya was forever changed. I thought this was quite strange because never before have I heard of a newborn being given high-level support regarding the genuineness of his infant status. There she was, smile fixed on her face, eyes darting from side to side, as she made public her statement on ‘John’ the Baptized. John’s brief swim (in what looked like a cattle dip pen) was reportedly followed by a brief swim by a few hundred other Mungiki members (or should I say ex Mungiki members?). Not all were dipped into the flock. Some will have to come back again next week.

Until 40 days ago, Maina Njenga was sitting at King’ong’o maximum-security prison in Nyeri. He was previously at the infamous Kamiti Prison and while at Kamiti he had threatened to ‘name names’. Among those names were reputed to be senior government officials and MP’s responsible for sponsoring Mungiki in certain ‘dirty deeds’. Maina was moved to Nyeri. Everyone thought he had disappeared. As in, permanently disappeared … But no, he was safe in Nyeri.

Then, just as suddenly again, Maina was released from prison. And he was released on the same day that saw the release of Thomas Cholmondeley (pronounced ‘Chomly’), grandson to Lord Delamere (now-deceased), one of the “Happy Valley” (as in “Rift Valley”) group that the book and movie “White Mischief” was based on.  Cholmondeley had been given a term of 8 months after being convicted for the murder of an alleged poacher. This happened on the 57,000 hectare Delamere farming estate, near Naivasha and was his second charge of murder. He served a little less than the allotted 8 months …

It was of course hoped that by releasing Maina and Thomas together on the same day, the peoples’ outcry would surround Cholmondeley’s premature release and no one would notice that Maina had been sprung too. The fact is that there was hardly an outcry about either release. A bit on TV. A front page of the daily papers on the Friday they got out. But no follow up. No analysis pertaining to why they might have been both released on the same day …

So what is one to make of all of this?  

‘Street opinion’ is that Maina's threat to ‘name names’ was met, quite simply, with a very serious threat upon his life.  But he could not die mysteriously in prison. In this case, Mungiki would have made one of their notorious revenge attacks – perhaps in Loresho or Karen – and perhaps one or two of local MPs’ family members would have been found, sans head, in the street (or perhaps with their eyes gouged out). Rather than face this possibility, it is widely believed that the guilty MP’s thought it wiser to organise the release of the Mungiki leader ...  But with an offer he couldn’t exactly refuse. 

The script would go something like this:

“We release you, and you shut up. You go with Margaret and get born again. Then everyone will think it’s legitimate. Or … we send the hit squad (with their AK47’s) to kill you in the street (as has just happened to Mungiki’s second-in-command) and we say we got a tip off that you were about to commit a crime. And you see this pistol …? We will plant it on you after you are dead, to prove that you were up to no good.

Whaddya say Maina?”

[Maina nods in solemn agreement (in what's known as a 'win-win' situation!)]

Upon handing down Thomas Cholmondeley’s sentence, the judge said there could only be “one justice” in Kenya and there should not be favouritism before the law, just because of historical roots, blah blah blah.

Interesting observation really.

Maina was facing something like 28 charges of murder (not sure exactly how many, because we didn’t get to hear the docket read in court). His historical roots are contemplated with terror by a great many people here. There was no way he was going to defend himself successfully against all the cases (even WITH the threatening of witnesses). And murder carries the death sentence in Kenya. 

Very strange too that he was released after serving much less time than old Tommy (who eventually faced only a manslaughter charge). The police didn’t even bother to defend themselves (not that there was any outcry, as I have said).

Let’s face it. They both should have been convicted and should have served very long terms.

Murder aside, if we look in another arena of ‘equal justice’, it is interesting to note that there has NEVER been a successful prosecution of high-level corruption in Kenya (and I don’t think there’s been much by way of indictment either).

And more: Wednesday (December 9^th) is World Anti-Corruption Day. There is a big exhibition today, with displays by the many (and effective!) interested parties. It is being held at ‘Integrity Centre’ (sic), the head office of Kenya’s Anti-Corruption Commission (sic). I am very excited. I really must go.

Footnote: ‘Equality before the law’ is an ideal towards which every society should strive. But the realization of this hope is really a dream (virtually in every society).

The concept is a joke.

In Kenya the joke is truly hilarious. But as President Kibaki would put it, this is simply "Our Kenya".

With concerned thoughts …

B-)