What's the fucking issue?

Am back to watching the news again, and it isn't funny anymore. The politics was kinda funny because the citizenry reflection was not this animistic and blood thirsty. In the last couple of months, Tana River burnt and we just sat and watched, at least people spoke when Eastleigh was being bombed because their anger was not directed towards the terrorists based on what they did but what they represented. It was more inclined towards the hate spewed towards the Somali community in politically accepted words, which do not necessarily insult them (although some of the rhetoric on social media was downright scary), but to inform them nevertheless that they presence is not as welcome as they once thought. But it made us angry that Eastleigh was being attacked, funnily enough Tana River killings do not elicit such strong emotions from us, the same way the Baragoi killings of 40 police officers did not. It shows how selective we are on who we sympathize with, those we empathize with and who we are apathetic towards their plight. We are Kenyans, it's what we do.


Something else happened, the Mpigs finally coerced the president to pay them a really good home sending package of Ksh 2.6 billion but they can’t ensure there are affordable health facilities in every provincial hospital to handle terminal illnesses like cancer, right after treasury approved Ksh. 10.1 billion for the completion of the pending CDF projects and after reports of Ksh. 25 billion being lost annually on CDF graft projects, it's safe to say we cannot be sure if this money will be used to complete these projects or serve as hand outs for party supporters. It's election year, where the two most important issues for these politicians is money and empty rhetoric. We however should recognize the 10th Parliament achievements which warrant this send off, starting with the extension of the final party lists publishing from 4th December 2012 to the new 18th January 2013 date according to the Miscellaneous Law Amendment Bill 2012. We cannot forget the the lack of quorum in parliament which has made it impossible to implement the Constitutional deadlines, nor the bribery allegations when it came to bills that touched on house integrity or interest rates by fellow members (Ms. Karua and Ms. Odhiambo), or the tearing into shreds the Leadership and Integrity Bill as they sat on Ksh. 200,000 apiece seats. 

And then, the big news is on who has the better horse come 4th March. After realizing that the police do not know who they take their orders from, the nurses have being denied their constitution right to form a workers union, a 50% of the population lives below poverty line, unemployment rate being around 40%, and corruption and poor leadership pin-pointed as the main cause of almost all of our problems, the issue is not the integrity of the aspirants, nor is it internal security, or the ongoing Somalia occupation by Kenyan Defense Forces. The issue does not come close to the poor state of our schools despite it being free, nor does it touch on the leading cause of death in children (diarrhea and malaria), the high cost of living for the common man, perennial floods and droughts, tribal animosities which cost us lives daily and tend to climax during the election period......*feel free to add your own*....the issue is ....aah...aahh... WHAT IS THE FUCKING ISSUE?  

On terrors and fears

On Monday, October 8, we had a couple of MRC leaders arrested with Mr Mraja, Mr Gwashe and Mr Mwachaunga charged with counts of incitement to violence, Mr Mwanguza was charged with being in possession of articles of witchcraft, and Mr Ngome was charged with illegally collecting money to fund MRC. Barely a week later, the president has assented the Prevention of Terrorist Act 2012, with minimal disregard of how this act will affect the rights of the Kenyan people as a whole and not the fears of a few people. If we look at the bill closely, one of its definitions of a "terrorist act" is “an act or threat of action which prejudices national security or public safety; and which is carried out with the aim of advancing a political, religious, ethnic, ideological or other cause; and causing fear amongst the members of the public or a section of the public, or intimidating or compelling the Government or an international organization to do or refrain from doing any act;” 

In a situation where the government uses it’s machinery in an act or threat of action which prejudices national security or public safety (e.g refusal to pay doctors leading to loss of life – public safety, refusal to facilitate security personnel to increase security within its borders – national security,) uses public funds to further advance a political, religious, ethnic, ideological or other cause (GK vehicles in campaign trails, religious gatherings), and causing fear amongst the members of the public or a section of the public (citizens being falsely accused of crimes they haven't committed and sometimes losing life in the hands of government officials) can we prosecute the government or is the government (or any part of it) above the law? What do we do if terrorism is used by state authorities (and individuals with access to state support) to delegitimize political or other opponents?