Letters
Peaceful polls good tribute to Saitoti
Today is the last of three national mourning days following the deaths of Internal Security minister George Saitoti, his assistant Joshua Orwa Ojode, and four others in a chopper crash in the Ngong Forest.
So many messages of condolence have been expressed with most mourners describing the fallen leaders as individuals of virtue, intelligence, diligence, and dedication.
The inevitable question is whether the two ministers had to leave us so soon – at a time we needed them most?
Just before their untimely deaths, the two had attended a forum on peaceful elections in Mombasa. It is still fresh in our minds how Prof Saitoti emphasised the need for having peace during the polls. He maintained, and I agree, the world is watching and Kenyans are not ready for the 2008 experience of election violence.
This shows how dedicated he was in ensuring a peaceful Kenya. There is no doubt Saitoti and his assistant had great plans for the Provincial Administration and Internal Security ministry and understood their role in maintaining law and order during elections. Thus, their deaths are indeed a blow to the nation.
Therefore, as we mourn their passing on, we should honour them in an immense way. As Prime Minister Raila Odinga said during the Monday Cabinet meeting, ensuring peaceful elections is the best gift we could give to the two.
Our leaders must therefore ensure this is achieved. They should make sure that the fallen ministers’ wishes for peaceful elections and country are fulfilled.
God bless Kenya and rest their souls in eternal peace.
{Nixon Kanali, Nairobi}
Perhaps, the best tribute the country can give the late Saitoti and Ojode, is by holding peaceful polls.
The speech Saitoti gave during the workshop on peaceful elections in Mombasa showed a man who is passionate about the stability of the country, which should not be disrupted by the passion of elections.
That he would speak with such passion and conviction and coherently on this topic without reference to his prepared speech demonstrated Saitoti’s courage in facing up the fears and apathy many Kenyans are holding for the elections. His prepared speech, which he continually referred to after emphasizing a point was equally strong and carried high convictions.
Congratulations to whoever was behind the forum preparation. Indeed, it is the high moral tone in that speech that motivated Saitoti to speak off the cuff as he did. We never see more of these convictions coming from technical speech writers.
It is possible that the speech writer must have taken cue from the minister and drafted the speech as it should be: To address the fears and hopes Kenyans have of the elections, given the mayhem that followed the 2007 General Election.
Many have come to associate local elections with violence.
That Saitoti and Ojode died together while going to serve in the latter’s constituency demonstrates, more than anything else, the call on politicians to bury their political differences, and sell their abilities to Kenyans without straining the bonds of nationhood and patriotism that we sorely need to have a peaceful and violent free elections.
Again, the best tribute we can give to the fallen heroes is a peaceful election.
{Kennedy Buhere, Nairobi}
On behalf of the council, members and staff of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya, and on my own behalf, I wish to convey our sincere condolences to the families of the late Saitoti, Ojode, and the four others who died during the air crash on Sunday.
We join with the entire nation during this period of national mourning and grief.
However, the greatest tribute we can give to the departed fellow Kenyans is to continue to maintain peace and security at all times and, more so, during the next elections.
May God rest the souls of the departed in peace.
{Catherine Musakali, Chair - Icpsk}
It’s time we drove Mungiki to oblivion
It unfortunate that the outlawed Mungiki sect is back in the news with politicians being associated with it.
The atrocities that members of this sect meted on innocent people over the years cannot just be wished away like a harmless nightmare.
That the condemnation and demonisation of the sect should invite fervent defense from high profile individuals raises many questions but few answers.
The world is teeming with individuals made overnight by the media vis-à-vis those it ruthlessly destroyed. Therefore, the role and power of the media cannot be underestimated nor overlooked when considering the rise of certain groups and individuals on the political and social landscapes.
If it’s true that the duty of any self-respecting media is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, more so when evidence abound as to the culpability of the comfortable, then the media seems to have conveniently neglected the oppressed in favour of the powerful.
This state of affairs underpins why the Ocampo Four are forever making headlines in the major dailies while the internally displaced Kenyans are wallowing in want and filth in camps.
Black out sect
Similarly, the celebrity status has been accorded to Maina Njenga, the erstwhile Mungiki leader who has since morphed into a man of the clothe. While he’s basking in the limelight of his newfound glory, the same cannot be said of the rest of the sect members.
Isn’t it the duty of the media charged with gathering and dissemination of information, and addressing issues of public and national interest to rein in on the likes of Mr Njenga and drive them to obscurity and oblivion where they rightfully belong?
It is unfortunate the media has assigned itself the role of nourishing fanaticism and ignorance for public consumption.
The media as the only remaining credible watchdog in the face of a dying and gerrymandering opposition in the Legislature must not be seen to be straddling the fence on issues important to the well-being of Kenya and her people.
{Stella Owuor, Kisumu}
We shouldn’t miss chance to market Kenya at Olympics
Kenya is a leading producer of Olympic champions in Africa and the world. This is good news for us as the London edition of Olympics beckons. But how we take the advantage of the games to promote tourism is the biggest question.
Past competitions have not been exploited to market Kenya as a destination of choice. Our sports men and women have gone to the hosting countries without the policymakers in the industry.
Do our tourism marketers – Kenya Tourist Board and Brand Kenya – have any plan for promoting the country at the prestigious sports showbiz? Or will it be another lost opportunity?
There are many initiatives which can be undertaken to market destination Kenya.
We can parade past Olympic medalists and our diverse cultures and tourist attractions. An elaborate stand showcasing the Kenyans products, including agriculture and horticulture, should be erected.
How do we explain missing out on such golden chance?
{B Amaya, Nairobi}
The announcement by the International Olympic Committee that all people in the sub-Saharan countries will watch the Olympics via their mobile phones on YouTube is a good move towards embracing technology.
Not only shall we watch the streaming of the competition, but also watch the live highlights and full events including the coverage of the medal finals. The live streaming will also have comments in English.
The best of all is that the streaming will be free of charge.
I, therefore, encourage all Kenyans with smart phones or with Internet enabled phones to simply purchase or subscribe to unlimited Internet bundles and watch our athletes as they represent our nation in the competition.
{Julius Otieno, Eldoret}
No substitute for voter education
The Sh17.5 billion allocated to IEBC may limit it to some point in meeting its targets for the coming elections. However, it has no option but to ‘squeeze’ whatever allocation it is granted to meet the benchmark of a free, fair and credible election.
One key area IEBC must not sacrifice in ensuring fairness is voter education. With less than eight months to go a viable voter education programme should be quickly put in place to thoroughly teach voters on the basics of voting.
Simple voter mistakes should be a thing of the past as we edge to become a model democracy.
{Robert Amalemba, Kakamega}
