Pursuing grabbers of coastal prime lands may placate the MRC

It’s Saturday morning. Mashujaa Day. I have just arrived at Entebbe Airport. My ‘triumphant’ return to Uganda since I was denied entry about two years ago.

I was last here to ‘check’ on human rights activist Al Amin Kimathi and other Kenyans renditioned to Uganda on allegations of participation in the Kampala bombings during the last Fifa World Cup finals.

I know this man Yoweri Museveni. His ‘troops’ can beat up opposition leader Kiiza Besigye and feel nothing about it. What about me?

But it’s Mashujaa Day in Kenya and I’m ‘imbibing’ the shujaa spirit. Not foolishly though.

In my coat for ready and easy production is an invitation letter to Prime Minister Raila Odinga from the Association of Kenyan Students in Uganda inviting him as the Chief Guest to preside over the Mashujaa Day Celebrations in Kampala. The PM had requested me to represent him.

As I filled my arrival card, I stated that the purpose of my visit was to “represent the PM of Kenya”. Again, I know this man Museveni. He could easily mess up my plans for Senator of Mombasa County.

Having to be voted in absentia while at Luzira Maximum Prison. With my ethnic groups giving me a ‘martyrdom status’, accusing Kibaki of fixing me as ‘payback’ for whatever might sound logical. What a country we have and what a region we live in.

The issues I needed to highlight on behalf of the party leader were obvious.

The implementation of the Constitution, voting in the Diaspora, youth unemployment, youth as principle agents of social cohesion and of course the Mombasa Republican Council. 

Many Kenyans in the Diaspora do usually want to know more about the current issues dominating headlines back at home.

The arraignment in Court of nominated MP Sheikh Mohamed Dor is good grounding for the constitutional ‘philosophy’ still dominant in the modus operandi of the Kenyan State.

The security apparatus still ‘live’ in the past. If an MP is arrested and all his inherent rights ‘suspended’ – I am extremely concerned for the ordinary Kenyan. My pertinent question has always been – what chance does an ordinary Kenyan stand in the various facets of our society?

Secondly is a question to my good friends at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions – are these prosecutions authorised by your office?

We deliberated delineated the powers of the prosecution from those of the police to curb the strategy of victimisation and violation, hitherto the strategy of preference within the police.

I trust that charges before the courts without the express authorisation or ‘consent’ of the DPP’s office are improperly before the courts and must not be entertained by our courts.

Though many Kenyans have often asked me on how to deal with the MRC, I have often stated that in my view that a majority of the residents at the Coast do not support the secession agenda.

But issues of historical injustices, land, equitable employment opportunities among others are dear to the people of the Coast.

A crackdown on the MRC will not ‘crack’ these issues.

They will never go away. Rather than simply pursue the MRC, maybe it’s time to pursue the Kenyatta era grabbers of coastal prime lands.

Oops, I forgot! A number of them have reincarnated as powerful members of the Kibaki regime.

Therefore divert attention from the core issues through a state of fear and disguise.

We will ultimately have to deal with these issues. And there is hope. The sun is finally setting on the Kibaki regime.

The writer is a lawyer and aspirant for Mombasa County Senate