REVEALED: UGANDA CATALYSED PAST POLL VIOLENCE IN KENYA

<BY BENJAMIN OCHIENG

 

ONE year on, Kenyans will hardly forgive Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni for his contribution in chaos that rocked the country, when disputed
presidential poll result went on air.

 

They direct accusing fingers at Museveni for having misadvised Mwai Kibaki to use the military force under his command to retain the presidency.

 

President Kibaki who frequently made trips to Uganda before and immediately after polls lingered questions into the minds of peaceful democrats in Kenya.

 

Museveni whose Lord Resistance Army LRA invaded Busia Kenya in 1987, a year after grabbing power from Miltone Obote who he engaged in a heavy gun battle, deserved a date with the international criminal covered in Hague and be charged for massacre, forced child soldiers, a sequence of rape, destruction of properties and to mention a few human rights abuses.

 

His involvement into Kenya’s democracy pumped interest as why he forgets very fast the guerrilla tactics he used to spring to state
house and blames rebel leader Joseph Kony.

 

Kenyans view that before Kony is a reigned before ICC, they should first pick Museveni to make them share the taste of the same charges.

 

On that day, Kenyans trailed the presidential results with hopes that Raila Odinga of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had outsmarted Mwai Kibaki of Party of National Unity (PNU).

 

Those in the outskirts of Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi where tally of votes was carried glued themselves on the radios and TVs for first hand information.

 

But things started falling a part when Kenyans lost patience and demanded the release of the delayed poll results.

 

Then, army vehicles started patrolling around KICC raising suspicion and spreading fear.

To make
matters worse, the state owned Kenya Broadcasting Co-operation KBC was the only media granted permission for live coverage on both TVs and Radios. The rest that include Kass FM, Capital FM, Easy FM, Royal Media and to puke a few, were banned.

 

The acts that clearly summed up that the government was rigging by use of force. “The lives of 35 million Kenyans is in your hands do not do anything that may drive this country to another Kosovo, Sierra Leone, or Rwanda” Raila warned electoral commission of Kenya (ECK) chairman Samuel Kivuitu whose mandate according to the constitution was to announce the result, after he sensed danger.

 

Finally, on the night of 31st Dec 2007, a surprise black out marred KICC and when the lights resumed normal, Kivuitu was flanked by heavily armed General Service Unit police (GSU) and it was at this moment that he announced Kibaki as a winner.

 

Kenyans watched desperately as Prime Minister Raila Odinga burst in tears. Angry voters who felt their democratic right was denied responded by burning vehicles, breaking premises, and killings and engaged police in running battles.

 

As a result, 1200 died, 350,000 displaced and properties worth billions destroyed by arsonists and loot in the skirmishes.

 

It is during this avenge that 68 people were massacred in Eldoret when a church they had sort refuge gutted fire, burning them beyond recognition.

 

ODM disciples consistently maintained non-governance paralyzing transport. Schools remained closed and no economical activity that was done as “No Raila No peace” chants rent the air.

Museveni’s hand emerged in the civil war when Ugandan troops crossed the no-man’s land to aid the few Kenya police that had been overpowered. Busia, Malaba, Mt. Elgon, Rusinga, Malakisi and to reveal a few were flocked by jungled LRA troops. The Lake Victoria that stretches to the 3 East Africa states (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) had LRA spy boats that patrolled in readiness.

 

 “These people could hardly communicate in Kiswahili. Their work was to shoot anybody at night.” Said Prof. Joseph Ayoti who lectures at Maseno University.

 

ODM won the hearts of Kenyans and swept votes by land slide in Nyanza, Western, Coast, Rift-Valley and North Eastern. Eastern went to V.P Kalonzo Musyoka ODM-Kenya as Kibaki dominated Central province.

 

“Kenya has 42 speaking tribes. You won’t rule the country with support of 3 tribes (Kikuyu, Embu and Meru) that are locked in one province” Raila told the press.

 

The chaos greatly affected bilateral trade in East Africa Community (EAC). Imports from US, UK, China and Australia destined to the port of Mombasa could not be worked out because of security threats.

Track drivers from Congo, Uganda, Rwanda docked at Kisumu’s Kenya pipeline deport for petroleum but could not access the precious products as Kisumu turned to a no-go-zone.

 

Peace was restored at last when former United Nations, Secretary General Koffi Annan drugged Kibaki and Raila in a round table for chit-chat.

 

In the process the coalition government based on 50 – 50 power sharing was agreed and treaty signed. The media covered the historic development as Kenyans responded in jubilations.

When Raila was on his visit to Bondo, he stopped over at Moi stadium in Kisumu to give thanks to Kisumu people. He was accompanied by among others, Tanzania Fisheries Minister John Mapesa who involved Uganda in his speech. The crowd heckled at him, a clear translation that Museveni’s deeds didn’t please Kenyans when he fueled the country’s past polls violence…

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Reporter’s contact: BOX 9117,KISUMU

KENYA. CELL:+254 720767447

 

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Commentary to the above story:

 

Dear Mr Chief Editor,

I wish to comment on the story titled, “REVEALED:
UGANDA CATALYSED PAST POLL VIOLENCE IN KENYA”. By the
way, why have you closed comments to this story? It
would be much easier to comment on the website.

Anyway, the story is full of rumors that have been
disproved by numerous internationally recognized
reports. The rumours I am talking about concern the
presence of Ugandan soldiers in Kenya during the post
elections violence. This rumour was repeated by ODM
supporters without any shred of evidence.

To begin with, the story, REVEALED: UGANDA CATALYSED
PAST POLL VIOLENCE IN KENYA, is full of inaccuracies
which should have made you realize that the author
does not know what he is talking about.

Since when did the Ugandan government start employing
LRA rebels to fight on its behalf? The LRA is a
northern Uganda rebel group that has never operated in
the south of the country, let alone Kenya. Infact, as
we speak (write), the Ugandan government is busy
bombing LRA bases in North Eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo with the cooperation of the DRC army and
SPLA.

Secondly, and this is a question that I always ask
those who claim Ugandan soldiers were in Kenya:

- Where were the so-called Ugandan soldiers sleeping?
Which bases were they using?

- What were they eating considering that blockage of
roads was preventing food supplies from reaching
western Kenya? At one point, places like Kisumu had
run out of food, medicines and other essential
supplies.

- How could such a large contingent of Ugandan
soldiers move when all roads were blocked? And how
could they move when fuel had run out?

These are the questions that your writer should feel
challenged to answer.

Otherwise, I wish you a Happy New Year 2009

Godfrey M. Kimega
TEL: 0734 417139