NELSON MANDELA'S RESILIENCE WAS GROUNDED ON GODLY CALLING

How did the late Nelson Mandela, a mortal man; born and bred just like all of us, strode the earth with unprecedented tenacity and peculiar character which has earned him iconic status?

Before and after Mandela, passed on early this month, great words have been spoken about the fallen hero. The powerful, famous and ordinary people have given inspiring observations about Mandela's character and legacy; often imploring people especially leaders to emulate him.

Even places of worship have talked openly about the life and times of Mandela, his positive ideation, integrity and passion for a just and free South Africa.

As we continue to shower accolades to the departed South African patriot, we need to interrogate how he managed to endure suffering without faltering or wavering on the hands of the British Empire.

Many of us can collapse in the court room if we were sentenced to serve even two years in Kamiti maximum Prison. Mandela did it with zeal and perseverance. The mystery is how he derived the profound energy and passion to stick to a cause firmly and faithfully.

Mountaineer Edmund Hillary once said these, “people do not decide to become extraordinary.” They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” Mandela did it with tenacity and zeal; without knowing that the World will one day reverence his name with pomp and splendour as seen after his demise early this Month.

Those who thought that Mandela, will come out of jail tormented with rage to pursue revenge on his enemies were shocked when he employed a conciliatory tone. He was ready to mend fences for purposes of reconciliation, racial harmony, forgiveness and building a united post-apartheid South Africa.

We therefore need to question ourselves as to whether it’s easy to emulate the ideals of Nelson Mandela, and apply it in our everyday life because, saying is one thing and doing is another!

It’s ironical that even dictators; leading autocratic regimes have expressed admiration of Mandela, but I wonder if Mandela’s character has inspired them to build avenues of justice, freedom and equality for their citizens.

Mandela cherished freedom and justice. Through is fearlessness, he went ahead to challenge USA President George Bush, for invading Iraq during the second gulf war in 2003. He termed the invasion immoral and an aggression to a sovereign nation.

In fact, he never feared stating his position on controversial geo-political conflicts where many leaders usually remain ambivalent especially on the Israel and Palestinian conflict.

Urging people to emulate certain heroes in society is just mere talk. Mandela talked the talk and walked the walk. His faith kept him going. His jailers had every opportunity to hang him the way they did to our Dedan Kimathi and many other Kenyan freedom fighters but they would not.

From here, we need to look beyond his physical strength but also internalize on how he was able to withstand his tribulations by looking at his divine or spiritual path throughout the struggle.

God bestowed Mandela; with grace, which manifested itself through his passion for liberation and the bravery to endure 27 years behind bars. This is how God works in humans. He uses people to do extra ordinary things in all spheres of human existence. He used Mandela, to showcase his wisdom, based on love, compassion, meekness, humility forgiveness and tolerance.

These universal tenets envisioned by Mandela define the true character of God. While he never talked quite openly about his faith, if Mandela were to be a Christian Minister, a Rabbi, an Imam, a Buddhist or a Hindu Guru, he would have made the best. This is because; all these religions have a similar approach towards humanity.

They all have a consciousness grounded on love of self and love of neighbour; which Mandela, did with excellence; often mingling freely with all and sundry without prejudice or discrimination. He never respected the rich more than the ordinary poor.

In Christianity, God wants us to lead a life of denial, free of vengeance and bitterness. He wants our lives to be tampered in forgiveness, modesty, humility and meekness. As the scripture says in John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

As the fallen South African sage rests in peace, we will always revere him for pursuing the path of rekindling hopes for the afflicted through his own afflictions. Even though he is gone, he will always remain a true replica of heroes and heroines who came before him like: Mother Theresa, Matma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Like Gandhi, Mandela was never aggressive in pursuing material things like most World leaders. Even if he did, it was for purposes of benevolence. Like Mother Theresa, he was charitable and always remembered the poor. Like King, he was prepared to die for a cause in order to liberate the South Africans from racial discrimination.

Unlike men who preach water and drink wine, Mandela’s actions spoke volumes about what he spoke. We knew him by his fruits and he was a good tree, because he bore good fruits if I borrow from the Gospel of Mathew 7:16-18.

Mandela has exited the stage but those who want to bequeath his legacy should evoke God for divine Wisdom to serve humanity well. Those who are fighting to conquer oppression, injustice, dictatorship, corruption prejudice and other vices in order to rekindle hope for the downtrodden, they need to ask God for guidance.

You may never know; the prayer Nelson Mandela said to his God. This is because, extra ordinary qualities by extra ordinary men in the World mostly takes a spiritual or divine dimension. Their efforts are mostly grounded on God for strength and bravery.

From Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa and Matma Gandhi all personified divine strength in their quest to help humanity. In a more direct bearing, our own heroes like Dr. Reverend Njoya, the late Archbishop Manases Kuria, Bishop Okullu and Bishop Alexander Muge; had bravery grounded on faith in God.

Mandela’s character is further illustrated in Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith. This is a reflection that it’s the power of God that worked in Mandela that made him overcome the torture, suffering, anger, hate, revenge and impatience. Fare thee well Madiba. You were born, suffered, endured and conquered. We will always cherish and relish your ideals.

Obama's Complete Nelson Mandela Memorial Speech

Nelson Mandela destroys Ted Koppel Part 1

Newsmaker Interview: Nelson Mandela, 1990

A REFERENDUM TO SCRAP THE SENATE OR MERGE SMALL CONSTITUENCIES WILL HELP REDUCE THE PUBLIC WAGE BURDEN

There is no doubt, the current constitution is better than the one we had. However, the crafters failed to adhere to one fundamental aspect: the ramifications of the bloated legislature and its impact on the national exchequer.

So far, we need to applause the Jubilee government for crafting a lean Cabinet, but the raging debate on the wage bill isn’t something that can be wished away when the national economic indicators reflect a downward trend.

Just recently, the Controller of Budget Ms Agnes Odhiambo, publicily expressed how the Country is being drained on paying salaries instead of development projects. This was the clearest indication that a small government is a panacea for Kenya’s economic success.

It’s through downsizing the public workforce and scrapping unnecessary bureaucracies nationally and at the County levels that Kenya can move forward to become a developed Country.

On the current constitution, we all know that laws are not carved on stones but formed by humans to be changed, augmented, scrapped or improved to suit prevailing governance systems and processes.

It can be remembered that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, hinted during the referendum that any anomalies can be rectified after the passage of the current constitution.

Therefore, since it was not a perfect document during its passage by the Kenyan masses, it means that it can be subjected to amendments to suit the needs of the Country.

The debate to downsize the national assembly has come at the right time when the country is gearing to celebrate 50 years of nationhood. It’s therefore healthy for Kenyans to point out the pros and cons of the current constitution in order to streamline the faulty areas through a referendum.

We need to look at how to scale down the bloated legislator, especially Parliament and see if the country real needs the Senate. There is no reason why Kenya; a nation of 40 million people should have 358 Members of Parliament and 67 Senators. It will make a lot of sense if we either scrap the Senate or reduce the current constituencies by merging them.

Additionally, weird as it may sound; if we had transformed the 8 provinces into Counties, it would have saved the treasury huge expenditure costs because, as it stands today, funding 47 Counties has proved to be a burden. Besides, it’s emerging that the Counties; once touted as the pillars of development are proving to be pillars of disunity and clanism especially those with one ethnic group like Gusiiland where we have Kisii and Nyamira Counties.

Secondly, we need to abolish the apportioning of seats to special interest groups in the Senate and Parliament because, it doesn’t serve any purpose. Laws are not made to benefit a particular group but to serve all every Kenyans fairly, justifiably and with impartiality.

Instead of apportioning seats for special interest groups, we need to strengthen our laws so that every person is empowered through equity and equality. In fact, when the interests of all Kenyans are catered for in the constitution; irrespective of their status, gender, creed, age, physical or mental abilities, we don’t need affirmative action in the legislature for women, youth or persons with disabilities.

Take for instance if our electoral body (IEBC) ensured that vulnerable candidates like youth, women and persons with disabilities were provided with a level playing field during election campaigns, we shall not be talking about merely nominating these groups to the Senate or Parliament.

Otherwise, if the trend is not halted, it will continue to reflect us as a Country with no regard to her vulnerable population. It’s just a piecemeal to merely nominate these people to the Senate or Parliament under the aegis of addressing their interests when we don’t have solid laws which protects all them across the board.

On restructuring our legislature to save tax payers, I support the deputy Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo, who brought up the debate during the burial of former Juja MP George Thuo last week. We need such mature bipartisan approach to scale down government expenditure.

This united spirit to reduce waste is pegged on the national good to help the growth of our economy and therefore, must be pursued from all political aisles - Cord and Jubilee.

I believe that our legislators will help us pursue a path to reduce government spending if they truly care about Kenya. As it stands, we will gnash our teeth to service the current structures under the aegis of devolution if we can’t revise the status quo.

The duplication of roles is also another area that needs to be looked into both at the national and county governments. In the Counties, there is glaring waste … no definite role for the County commissioners when we have elected Governors. This has often created not only a waste of funds but also conflict of interests between the two offices; thereby hampering service delivery.

It’s also worthy to note that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) need to be given more muscles to restructure the salaries of public servants without unnecessary contests especially the one we experienced recently from the members of Parliament.

Finally, a stitch in time saves nine. Flaws in the current constitution have emerged before Kenyans can access its fruits. The best way to go is to have a referendum in order to fix the anomalies.

THE ICC WILL BE RENDERED TOOTHLESS IF SUGGESTED AMMENDMENTS ARE MADE

Its my sincere hope that the Twelfth session of 122 nations who are also signatories to the Rome Statute congregating in The Hague will put emphasis on the genesis and intent to the founding of the ICC before they even contemplate any form of amendments majorly pursued by President Uhuru and his deputy.

Any hasty amendments to the Rome Statute will have dire consequences on the strength, respect and legitimacy of the court in fighting injustice and impunity in less democratic nations.

As they congregate in The Hague, from 21st November, we hope that the plight of the Kenyan victims of the post election violence and those from other nations will dominate the plenary and not the amendments pursued to protect the powerful.

Indeed, if the court was formed to deter people or leaders who use their powers to unfairly torture and kill the innocent, then the current arrangement where the accused are prosecuted irrespective of their status in society is the best option. Those who want to reverse this arrangement are enemies of justice, fairness and the war on impunity which continues to derail democratic success in Kenya.

For purposes of fairness, equality and access to justice, I don't agree with Britain's latest gesture where they suggest for President Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto to be tried via video link.

Besides, why should an accused person- leaders attend court sessions from the comfort of their State palaces to the glare of the victims who are alleged to have been inflicted with pain by the same leaders?

Suppose the evidence adduced by the prosecution in court appears to implicate an accused national leader, will the flexibility pursued to amend the Rome Statute, not give that leader room to build more avenues for dictatorship in order to remain in power and therefore abscond the court process altogether?

I'm not savvy in criminal law, but I'm sure there is no court in the world where an accused criminal dictates the court on the way he or she should be tried. Mutilating the Rome Statue to make Uhuru and Ruto happy is killing the court which is the only haven for safeguarding justice to those who cannot easily get it in their countries.

Besides, perceived dictators and purveyors of impunity need to be kept in check and the surest way it to avoid tampering with the current structure of the Rome statute.

Take for instance the former candidate of the ICC, the late Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, and former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor who has since been sentenced by the Hague court, would they have travelled from their respective countries to the Netherlands to serve their prison terms if they went on trial through video link?

Secondly, will the ICC indictee and President of Sudan Omar Albashir’s regime nurture any democratic reforms in the Country when he is an international fugitive? Mr. Bashir is only interested in shielding himself from trial while consolidating power in perpetuity-life presidency?

Suppose the Sudanese strongman opined to attend his trials via video link from his Khartoum palace, how would one expect him to leave office and travel to The Netherlands to start his jail term if he is found guilty?

Immunity from prosecution for all sitting heads of states will be the best way to make the ICC toothless, create more life Presidents and manufacture more despotic leaders especially in the Africa Continent.

Its ironical that President Kenyatta, who is exerting too much energy to stop his case and his handlers plus his defense team have hinted several times that his case is weak and that the prosecution witnesses were coached by the Civil Society to implicate him. Why can’t he just join his deputy to let justice take its cause while he continues with his Presidential duties?

When the motion for deferral for Uhuru and Ruto’s cases was defeated at the United Nations Security Council, the Kenyan Government has been ballistic; mostly excoriating two key world powers- the USA and Britain, whom they have consistently accused of wrongly targeting Kenya and Africa, unfairly.

It’s extremely undiplomatic for the Kenyan leaders to peg the Country’s foreign relations based on the cases they face at The Hague.
Truly, how can personal challenges facing a President and his deputy define a nation’s global policy? When mortal Ruto and Uhuru will exit the scene, does it mean Kenya will fade from this planet?

In fact, Deputy President William Ruto who openly professes the Christian faith should be the last person to castigate other nations on the nature of their friendship with Kenya. An entire society cannot be punished because of alleged inequities of a few individuals.

Ruto should remember that we are in a new Covenant where you take responsibility for your own actions.

For instance, in the book of Ezekiel 18:20, it's clearly written that, the soul that sinneth, it shall die; a son shall not be punished for his father's sins, neither shall a father be punished for his son's sins.

The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. That is why; I vehemently differ with the deputy President who early this week called the nations who voted against the deferral of their cases, enemies of 41 million Kenyans.

How can you call the USA and Britain, enemies of Kenya, when the two countries have always acted as our bigger brothers? In fact, they are the first to show up during our desperate moments.

If a leader has no intent to cause any atrocities, why is there too much energy from the Kenya leaders to amend the Rome Statute, and pave the way for immunity from prosecution? We will hate to see characters reminiscent to the late Bokassa, Mobutu, Idi Amin, Samuel Doe and Milosevic if the Rome Statute is amended.

The leaders who care about global peace, justice, security and checking impunity MUST resist the intended mutilation of the Rome Statute.

THE ICC WILL TEAR UHURU AND RUTO APART DESPITE BRINGING THEM TOGETHER

We must be worried about the unity of Kenya when the two largest communities- Kalenjins and Kikuyus who voted as a block in the March election to form the Jubilee government are now tearing each other down over the ICC cases.

The cases facing Uhuru and Ruto at The Hague is the major reason why their two communities came together to vote them as President and deputy President. It’s saddening that an issue-ICC, which was the glue in the March elections, is now the cause of tension in the Jubilee family.

Now that the closest confidants of Deputy President William Ruto, have come out openly to demand the resignation of key officials in the Jubilee government mostly from the Kikuyu community, for alleged coaching of witnesses against Ruto, it has put the nation in a quandary.

In the coming days, it will be hard for the two leaders to fully focus on nation building, their ICC cases as well as trying to pacify the animosity which is flaring up between Kikuyus and Kalenjins in the Jubilee government.

It’s very likely that the challenges facing Kenyans will be put at the back banner as Uhuru and Ruto tries to hold the TNA and URP government together.

Truly, it’s too early that history is repeating itself. Virtually 8 months in office, the Jubilee government is embroiled in a similar circus that we experienced in the Kibaki Raila grand coalition government. WILL THE UHURUTO GOVT SURVIVE THE CURRENT IMBROGLIO? TIME WILL TELL.
http://listernyaringo.blogspot.com/2013/11/will-uhuruto-govt-survive-current.html?spref=tw

UHURUTO ICC CASES MAY BE A TOLL TO KENYA’S EXCHEQUER

For any questionable expenditure malpractices in the government, we have a right as Kenyan citizens and tax payers to voice our concerns because in the long run, if we fail, it will affect the larger spectrum of our country’s economic growth.

Therefore, knowing the way the government spends our taxes is not a preserve for those in government but a responsibility for every citizen.
For purposes of fiscal accountability and effective management of our taxes by the government, those tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all is well in the exchequer need to conduct an audit to divulge how the costs incurred on the ongoing ICC case of the deputy President William Ruto, and the shuttle diplomacy for deferral are paid off.

Kenyans need to know who incurred the costs for the recent delegation to the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, whose purpose was not the good of Kenya but to rally the AU for the deferral of the cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy at The Hague.

Secondly, the current delegation in New York which encompasses our national diplomats and several others from other African nations supporting Kenya for the deferral like Rwanda and Ethiopia is a costly affair. We need to know if Uhuru and Ruto are meeting these expenses and not Kenyan tax payers.

Besides, its note worthy that our two leaders are engaging the most expensive lawyers in the world in their cases. Kenyans will want to know who is meeting the hefty legal fees since not many people can afford to hire Stephen Kay, who is also the Queen’s Counsel and the combative Karim Khan for Uhuru and Ruto respectively.

Lastly, the travel and accommodation expenses for MPs who have been accompanying the Deputy President to the Netherlands, is now in a tune of millions. We also need to know who is footing the heavy bill since we all know that, life in Europe is extremely expensive which is often characterized by their strong currency- the Euro.

I’m not trying to imply that our two leaders cannot afford the said expenses but as a nation moving towards high levels of transparency and accountability in the way we conduct our national affairs, it’s better for the tax payers to know who is responsible for the high costs related to the current predicaments facing the President and his deputy.

Uhuru and Ruto are among the few billionaires we have in Kenya, but if they get a loophole to use our taxes for their cases, they may not touch their wallets. This is solid reality if the hustler’s jet scandal which cost Kenya taxpayers a whooping 25 million shillings for Ruto, is something to go by.

Since the ICC is a personal problem to the President and his deputy as they told the nation during the campaigns, wananchi don’t need to pay a penny for the delegation currently in New York and the recent one in Ethiopia. We therefore can’t pay for their personal cases when we are paying for their salaries and heavy benefits.

As taxpayers, we risk losing billions before the end of the ICC cases thus, the need not to assume that all is well, when a stitch in time saves nine.
Finally, as a concerned Kenyan, I evoke the Parliamentary Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the Auditor General to tell the nation the truth on the above. May they effectively monitor government spending lest we end up crying.

This is not an accusation and I do not have any evidence to conclude that our leaders have used state resources in their ICC cases.

HALTING UHURU AND RUTO’S CASES IS DELAYING JUSTICE AND PERPETUATING IMPUNITY

Not many Kenyans are happy to see their President hounded in a foreign court for the worst crimes against humanity. However, the more we think deeper, the more we also reminisce the tragedy of post election violence and therefore, yearn to know exactly what happened, who caused the horror, and why?

Being a member of the Rome Statute in a Continent muddled with political upheavals, impunity and atrocities; which often affect the common citizens, it’s like having medical insurance to cover hospital bills when an illness occurs. Therefore, The ICC is a safeguard for justice and protection to the common citizens.

African leaders wrong on ICC

The recent chorus by African leaders who congregated in Addis Ababa for the AU Summit did a total disservice to their nations and Africa. Many Kenyans wonder where our next door neighbour, and one of the longest serving African presidents, Yoweri Museveni, was when our Country was smouldering as a result of the post election violence.

Pursuing for the deferral or a halt to the ICC cases facing the Kenyan leaders, as shown that President Museveni of Uganda is not fair even to his own people who continue to suffer untold misery as a result of Joseph Kony; an ICC indictee, who is also the leader of the Lords Resistance Army. Besides, the memories of torture meted by the regime of late President Idi Amin in 1970s is still fresh in the memories of many Ugandans and the World.

Secondly, I wonder where the Rwandan President Paul Kagame was during Kenya’s darkest moments during the post election violence; only to emerge from nowhere to support a move which if it succeeds, will put Kenya’s democratic gains and fighting impunity in dire straits.
Mr. Kagame has forgotten the genocide in his country where closer to one million Tutsis were slaughtered by the Hutus in 1994. He should be the last person to castigate the work of The ICC.

How soon do we forget Kenyans? Why are we allowing the charges facing Ruto and Uhuru at the ICC to ruin the future of our Country? Are the three accused larger than 40 million Kenyans or they have a superior human genome than the Post Election Victims?

Even our MPs who saw the role played by the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to trigger a truce between Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki, to pave the way for a coalition government in 2008 are now hurling insults at the global diplomat.

Kenya’s security under Uhuru absence

Many Kenyans don’t buy the view that while President Uhuru Kenyatta, will be attending his trial at the ICC; his absence from the Country may jeopardize our national security especially the war on terror. For me, this is an oblique argument fronted by government sycophants and purveyors of impunity.

By the way, did the President protect us recently when terrorists attacked the Westgate? Was he not comfortably relaxing in State House; enjoying our taxes?

Besides, Kenyans have not forgotten that the Jubilee government and Kenya’s intelligence service were privy of an impending attack but failed to put up contingency measures.

The President will be tried as a regular citizen in the name of Uhuru Kenyatta and its high time he paddled his own canoe instead of dragging millions of Kenyans into his predicament. He contested for higher office knowing very well that he had serious charges in an international court.

President Uhuru doesn’t need to worry much about the security of Kenyans because he is not God. After all, he failed to protect us recently. He is not the police, the defense forces, the navy and the air force.

A cry for Justice

A cry for justice and end to impunity by Kenyans does not imply that Uhuru, Ruto or Sang are guilty of the charges they face at The ICC. In fact, whichever outcome the cases will take, even if it yields to an acquittal, it will be a shy of relief to the post election violence victims.

It dents many Kenyans’ hearts when the nation is imbued with a chorus of protecting two individuals- the president and his deputy from trials when over 1000 people were butchered with almost a million displaced. Uhuru and Ruto have never mentioned anything about the post election violence victims in their usual war drums against the ICC. Not even their supporters especially members of Parliament.

We need to remember that if Uhuru fails to cooperate with the ICC, he will still hang on as our President but the repercussions will be dire to the nation. This is when the real rain will start beating us in all spheres- economically, socially and politically.

Having a President who is a fugitive will be a recipe for dictatorship and perpetuation of impunity. Ask yourself if Omar al-Bashir of Sudan will ever allow free and fair elections in his country; leave alone providing a conducive atmosphere for an effective political opposition?

Kenyans are waiting with bated breath come next month when President Uhuru is supposed to travel to The Hague to for his trial. Justice delayed is justice denied. That is why I personally don’t see the logic for the African Union (AU) to have petitioned the United Nations Security Council for the postponement of the trials for a period of one year.

Why can’t they tell us what Kenya would achieve in one year if the trials are postponed? Secondly, those pressing the ICC to drop the charges altogether and bring the cases to an end haven’t told us what mechanisms they have put in place to compensate or offer reparations to the victims as a way of pacifying the nation!

Where on earth does a court of law yield to the dictates of an accused person? After all, Uhuru and Ruto are judged as individuals; not with their families, community and nation.

For purposes of fairness and justice, The ICC recently provided a detailed memo stating that the President and his deputy are accused as individuals and not based on their current status.

Using non ICC members as scapegoats

Those against the trials of Ruto, Uhuru and Sang have been making pronouncements which lack merit. For instance, isn’t it weird to question why the USA is not a member of the ICC, and that George Bush and Tony Blair committed genocide during the second Gulf War? Are the three Kenyans accused by the USA and Britain or by The ICC; a court which Kenya is a signatory to its founding?

The USA or the European Union has got nothing to do with the displacement and killing of innocent Kenyans during the post election violence in 2007/2008.
The time to put Kenya on a better footing is now where the mighty must face the rule of law. We are tired of hounding chicken thieves to jail and leaving the big guys.

If Kenyan fails this time, then these words by the late Francis Imbuga, in his play Betrayal in the City, will carry greater meaning: “it was better while we waited; we have killed our past and are busy killing our future.” Imbuga provides a glimpse on the characters of African dictatorship and how they have turned the fruits of the independence struggle into a mirage.

AM LIVE Oct 21st 2013; Dr Myles Munroe- A purpose driven life