Is a worse scenario looming for Kenya?
By Isaac Newton Kinity
Following the discovery of the consignment of arms by the Kenya security machinery, many questions can be asked regarding the future of Kenya. According to the Standard Newspaper of December 9, 100,000 bullets, Army uniforms , guns and other sophisticated weapons, which can shoot down airplanes, were discovered at a place in Narok.
Although all Kenyans and the entire International community should thank the Kenya Government, which for the first time in the over 20 years of uncertainty, has acted hastily and diligently, the nation may still be sitting on a time bomb. No one knows how many weapons are in the country illegally today, and our prayers should be, that the Kenya security machinery do not rest in their hunt for more illegal weapons that may be hidden in some places, because there could be millions of such weapons in the hands of dangerous people whose agenda is to cause chaos.
A few weeks ago the Kenya newspapers and the BBC, released information on the influx of weapons in Kenya in a manner that had never been heard before. The Eldoret weapons factory has been mentioned often in relation to weapons let out illegally.
A probe committee should be formed immediately to investigate the activities at the Eldoret weapons factory. Reports of sinister activities that took place during the post-election violence, have been reported by the media in the past few months, an indication that it is being misused. A scrutiny of the employees of the factory is very important at the moment.
With this new catch, the possibility of an uncontrollable situation, may not be ruled out if the world does not do something now. Some of those who were involved in the post-election violence were also involved in the 1991 mayhem, and would do anything to prevent any arrest and/or prosecution.
I wish to advice Kenyans and the International Community, to address the precautions and measures necessary to prevent chaos before the ICC commences the prosecutions of the perpetrators of the post- election violence. The time to act is now. Any other time will be too late.
For two consecutive years, before the infamous killings of 800 Kenyans in 1991, President Moi kept warning Kenyans of war and chaos, but Kenyans did not take his warnings seriously. On Sunday, October 18 this year, retired President Moi warned of chaos. I do not know how many Kenyans take President Moi seriously this time.
On August 13, 1994, Kenya would have gone the Rwanda way, had it not been for the quick intervention by the good friends of Kenya. I know that those good friends of Kenya will read this article. Kenya needs help to avert any loss of lives of its innocent citizens.
Kenyans cannot afford to witness more killings. Time is ripe for all Kenyans in the Diaspora to come out in large numbers to demonstrate against those bent on causing chaos. It is time for all Kenyans in the Diaspora to build more concern about their parents, brothers and sisters back home who always become victims of chaos and conflicts. The Diaspora can make a great difference.
Mr. Kinity has once again hit the nail on the head. The discovery of such a large cache of weapons points to the very ills that plague Kenya today: impunity, tribal alignment, corruption, grand theft, lack of patriotism and poor governance among others.
Kenyans seem to be in denial of the fact that when personalities such as Moi warn and speak of war and chaos, it is because he has planned war and chaos for in the past (the 1991 importation machetes and poisoned arrows in 1991 as discovered on entry at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport), the use of the same in 1991 leading to the death of 800 Kenyans; and the construction of an ammunitions factory in Eldoret. In my view, the location of the ammunitions factory in Eldoret was strategic. It was meant to come in handy if some tribal elements in the Rift Valley needed to quickly amass weapons, kill other Kenyans for their own ends and possibly overthrow the government.
The discovery is a wakeup call to all Kenyans around the world that time is up for action. This action should be one that would “clean house” by dismantling various loosely formed terrorist organizations in Kenya, closure of a Eldoret factory after this revealing disclosure, full adjudication of the 2008 violence to include punishment for those found to be culpable, the building of institutions instead of personalities and the voting in of a government that performs, fully accountable to its people and takes their security seriously. As Mr. Kinity points out, failure to take care of the Kenya situation now, especially from the Diaspora, the situation could easily surpass the Rwanda Genocide.
Though the government has acted hastily and diligently in this Narok discovery, they have not gone far enough in protecting the lives of Kenyans now and in the past. Action by the government has always been too little, too late. One of the primary responsibilities is the guarantee of security of its citizens. A good example is activity of the United States and its allies in Afghanistan. In the last 30 years, the security of Kenyans (both physical and food-wise), has been ignored and/or taken for granted.
I call on Kenyans; and especially those in the Diaspora, not just to sit and watch, or write endlessly on blogs and newspapers, but actually congregate, strategize and come up with a concrete plan to save Kenya from divisive and unpatriotic elements that are hiding under the guise of democracy, a draft constitution, commissions of inquiry and dubious investigations. Pressure from the international community helps, but only Kenyans will solve the Kenyan case. To put it even more bluntly, the Kenyan situation is not just a time bomb, it is a nuclear bomb already ticking and only Kenyans know which wire to cut and stop the impending explosion.
Robinson Gichuhi
Chairman
Diaspora Movement of Kenya (DMK)