My answers to Questions about Saba Saba rally and why it' s the BEST way forward...

By Joseph Opiyo
2 July 2014 at 11:54

I believe CORD coalition and it' s supporters who are well beyond half of the Kenyan voting population, is on the right path and doing the right things.

I am not a tribalist. Every African, let alone Kenyans who have known me would serve as a witnesses to this truth. Infact, I abhor all kinds of discriminations and I have given my entire life to fighting against them. This principle has won me friends from all over the continent of Africa and beyond. Majority of my Kenyan friends, perhaps to the surprise of many, are from Kikuyu community.

This is purely by coincidence not a free choice. I mean I never ask Kenyans which tribe they were before I extend a hand of friendship. This proves beyond any reasonable doubt that I have no problems whatsoever with people from that community or any other community for that matter.

While still on the same breath, I wana make it clear to the rest of Kenyans that not all Kikuyus are tribalists, not all of them are thieves or armed robbers and not all of them are prostitutes. Just as it happens with every community and nations, there are good and bad Kikuyus out there.. Just make your friends carefully and without ethnic prejudices and/or unnecessary stereotyping. I hope I have made my first point clear.

Secondly, If I were to freely choose to be what I want to be, I would choose to be a Law practioner and not a politician. If anybody sees me as a politician, I wish to say that it' s never my free choice to be but at the same time, I don' t apologise for being one. Circumstances seems to lead me into it. I love my Africa. I retire to my bed as an African, I wake up an African, I walk African, I talk as an African.

I am indeed, an African. I recognize Kenya as a nation with her boundaries, laws and her people but I would have prefered one stronger African federation that brings us, the African people together. If Luos as a tribe and the Swahilis can make a nation, there is no justification as to why the Ndebeles or the Shonas or the Bagandas (Luganda), or the Igbos or the Xhosas and the Zulus, the Tutsis etc can' t form part of that one Nation....but this is for another day.

I accept to hold my patience or even postpone that issue to be handled by my children or my children's children. Let me briefly concentrate on the contemporary Kenyan question. Isn' t it?

Kenya fought hard and bloodily to gain her independence in 1963. Independence is a synonime of freedom. The question is are Kenyans truly free? My asnwer would be as good as yours. They are free in books but not in truth. They are not free. The British oppressors exited, and there entered an African oppressor.

This story, I know, is a replicate in many other African nations...of which I wish to prescribe same medicine to redeem or liberate them. Yes, we can be poor and still be free. I see no contradiction whatsoever about that. Afterall, we aint poor at all. We have mismanagers of our resources masquarading as leaders. The Kenyan population for example, hardly have had a chance to elect freely and fairly their own leadership. In 50 years, Kenya has had only one credible elections that took place in 2002.

I would say that apart from that, Leadership has always been imposed rather than being freely elected by Kenyans. Saba Saba however, does not dwell exclusively on the elections but it does on some of the issues that aggravates life quality of an average man and woman on the street. These are the burning issues affecting my beloved nation and which makes me be a diehard supporter of DIALOGUE (Saba Saba Movement).

My friends who follows my posts will attest to the fact that I was in favor of aggresive revolution long before Hon. Raila Odinga' s CORD came up with Saba Saba's dialogue. Infact, many believes they borrowed this idea from me.

High rate of unemployment (currently standing at 75%).
Insecurity ( Right here on facebook, a friend of mine has posted a potrait of a dead body of his brother who was killed yesterday in the evening).Besides this, we also have the Alshabab terrorist attacks that comes at anytime anywhere within the Republic. This is despite the fact that there is a government that took an oath to protect the lives of the Kenyan people.

Corruption. You can' t get a mere birth certificate for your child in Kenya without being subjected to harrasment and demands for a bribe. Women giving birth bribes their ways into those maternity wards and Mega corruption is the order of the day in the government leadership itself.

Recently, The government of Uhuru Kenyatta paid billions of US dollars of Kenyan tax payer money to various scammy firms. This is regardless of the sorrowful state of the Kenyan man/woman on the street.
Tribalism in the appointment of Kenyan people to national positions. In Kenya, your surname and not on merit (your competence or academic qualifications), either gives you or denies you a job.

Inflation ( Sky rocketing food and basic commodity prices). You get into a Kenyan supermarket, you' d think for a moment that you are somewhere in Europe where the basic salary is 800 euros. The difference is that the basic pay in Kenya is less than 80 euros and 75% of them are actually unemployed.. In the EU and US, less than 20% unemployment.. I just hope some reasonable people are reading this...

Implementation of the Kenyan constitution especially on devolution of resources. Kenya promulgated a new constitution in 2010 after a a twenty year bloody struggle. This document is now under an eminent threat. Women empowerment and devolution of resources are being mishandled with impunity. Infact, the current budget was done based on the 2011/12 fiscal report rather than 2012/13. That' s contrary to the spirit and letter of the constitution.

Implementation of Truth, Justice and Reconciliation report cost Kenyan tax payers billions of Kenyan shillings. This report was out in mid 2013 but since it implicates the family of the President and close confidants, it has never been implemented. He blocks it' s implementation by refusing to approve to it as the law requires.

This report in itself has the potentiality to bring peace in Kenya. It brought a solution to perenial land problems from 1950s, 60s and todate especially in the Rift Valley area.

Last (for now) but never the least is the issue of Kenyan electoral body.. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). This is a rog body by proof of available evidence that it was handled by a Presidential candidate's political party during March 2013 elections. The available evidence was never given a chance to be cited in a court of Law.

I wish to reply to those fellows who says I call for Saba Saba movement while I reside abroad..

I came to where I am today not because of my free choice but because of these same broken system that led to joblessnes of many Kenyans. I had to find a greener pasture somewhere. I am very human as everybody else and with personal ambitions just as yourselves...Freedom fighters must not always do same things all the times..

There will be those volunteers who shall be on the streets, those who shall sacrifice resources in other ways also exists.. Nelson Mandela was in Jail, Oliver Tambo was in exile mobilizing resources.. I, Joseph Opiyo shall fit in any place that my comrades would commend for me..Before that happens, let me be available and be ready to mobilize support from other friendly nations. I am doing it with a passion..

Already, The USA and the UK supports Saba Saba. I may have to consult France.

Note: The Kenyan armed Forces be it the Police or the GSU have no rights whatsoever to kill anybody but if they do, Uhuru Kenyatta' s ass shall be roasted and he'll find himself at the Haque.

I therefore ask all of you to go out there during Saba Saba and help liberate our country. I am very much with you in any support you may stand in need that is available to me.

I love Kenya.. Kenya is for all not just a few.

May God bless Africa.