With just 28 days to go to the mother of all Kenyan general elections, a dramatic and mind-numbing new twist made its’ grand entry into the unfolding drama.
A number of people including two Administration Policemen were caught red handed in Rift Valley distributing anti-Raila hate propaganda posters. And even as this bizarre incident unfolded police headquarters was busy denying that any such posters existed and said that they were unaware of any such distribution, hitting out at Prof Anyang Nyong’o for “spreading self-seeking damage control propaganda”. The folks at police headquarters have now become experts on party propaganda and publicity-seeking tactics and every single statement of denial now includes that pet subject of the police commissioner and his lieutenants at Vigilance House. It will be interesting to hear what they say in reaction to the latest arrests.
Oddly enough the APs confessed to interrogators that they had received their orders to distribute the posters from a superior, actually some SSP (senior Superintend of police) whom they even named.
Even more interesting is the fact that an anonymous reader tipped off Kenyans right here in Kumekucha about the said posters even as they were leaving Nairobi for distribution in Rift Valley.
It would appear that there is a very loud message coming from the people of Kenya. It seems that they are saying they want a clean break with the past where such dirty missions were kept secret as those involved looked the other way. The fact that the 2 APS were arrested clearly implies that a number of Kenyans refused to look the other way and pushed for action to be taken. It is highly likely that all those involved in exposing the heinous actions of today are civil servants.
Earlier today a Kumekucha source who rode on a Matatu today said that he was taken aback and very surprised at what he describes as the anti-government venom they witnessed in a Matatu that included at least 20 per cent of persons who appeared to government sympathizers.
Here’s how he describes the incident in his own words;
Everything was quite in this matatu until somebody turned to a colleague and loudly started proclaiming the main PNU slogan. The first to react was an elderly woman in her 70s.
“What are you saying about kazi iendelee young man, when Kenyans are suffering so much?”
That provoked a heated one-sided debate as the man who had originally set the ball rolling kept silent with a slight smile on his face.
The tout complained how they worked so hard these days and had nothing to show for it and how Moi was a much better president because the common man was able to easily earn an honest living during his tenure.
The heated monologue was still going on when I reached my destination and alighted from the Matatu.
What struck me in that vehicle Chris, was the deep anger and frustration expressed by ordinary folks and it all seemed to be directed at the current government. For the sake of those who will read this if you publish it in Kumekucha. Let me honestly say that there was no single Luo in that matatu. But you could tell who the PNU sympathizers were. Apart from the person who spoke, there were two other gentlemen who kept silent as virtually everybody else let their frustrations out.
This kind of thing personally makes me very nervous. This “anger” said to be in the hearts of some Kenyans against the current government is not a good thing. How would they react if for example PNU won the elections?
There are those who believe that this “anger” has been fanned and incited by ODM leaders as part of their strategy in campaigning. In fact this anger was first seen during the referendum of 2005 when ODM leaders went round the country telling the people all sorts of lies about the proposed new constitution.
ODM sympathizers would be the first to vehemently deny this and will point to the fact that PNU leaders have been the ones who have provoked ordinary folk by painting a rosy picture of the country and President Kibaki’s achievements when most Kenyans are struggling very badly.
To me the argument of where the anger came from is of little significance when you compare this to the possible damage that could be done prior to and after the December 27th polls. Every peace loving Kenyan has reason to be extremely worried.
