Referendum: Journalists and Polls rescue Kenya

There is a deadly plan to scuttle the forthcoming referendum. And a plan “B” to plunge the country in total chaos if the “YES” votes win. These shocking revelations have been exposed by Kenya’s courageous Fourth Estate, which is covering the referendum story in the most professional manner, perfecting the craft of interpretative journalism. When nonprofessional writers, however, put their pen to paper on this issue, they expose their rawness in the calling by letting their emotional feelings control their thinking.

This truth was brought into light over the weekend when both the Sunday Nation and the Sunday Standard splashed exposes which revealed the sinister motives of the “NO” voters. This is despite the nonprofessional defence of the “NO” votes by Mutahi Ngunyi’s shallow, and extremely emotional argument rejecting the Proposed Constitution.

Very much like the professional journalists , the Infotrak Harris public opinion polls also professionally revealed that Kenyans are determined to have a new constitution despite all the dirty work of those who want to wreck the referendum by illegally inserting the words “national security” in the Proposed Constitution ; or confuse the voters through dubious court ruling on Kadhi courts.

The Standard story talked of powerful forces secretly working to scuttle the referendum. Before the publication of that expose Msemakweli was the first to come up with that revelation which is now a subject of public debate enlightening Kenyans about the truth behind the rich peoples’ scheme to keep the poor perpetually down trodden while they remain on an ivory tower enjoying their ill-gotten wealth. Because of the stand taken by Kenyan journalists, justice is about to be done in Kenya in the most revolutionary manner as Mutula Kilonzo would put it.

In his biased and unprofessional column, Mutahi Ngunyi argues as a man “previously from the Gema Nation”. Throughout the prejudiced article, however, he propagates the Gema bigoted views, as he normally does, against the Proposed Constitution. Very Much like John Michuki he talks of “angry Armed Forces over unionization”. Again, very much like John Michuki , who walked out of Parliament when it was discussing the Proposed Constitution claiming he cannot back it because it makes members of the armed forces join union , Ngunyi refuses to accept the fact that the Proposed Constitution does not allow members of the armed forces to form or join any trade union.

For the information of the confessed Gema writer Article 24 (5) on limitation of rights and fundamental Freedom of the Bill of Rights in Chapter Four clearly limits those rights to persons serving the Kenya Defence Forces or the National Police Service on matters concerning privacy , freedom of association, assembly, demonstration , picketing and petition. The deliberate amnesia by the rich Gema people about this part of the Proposed Constitution when they ridiculously claim that it allows soldiers to form trade unions is most puzzling. Paradoxically it happens to be the same part of the Proposed Constitution where the infamous words “national security” were criminally inserted in a clandestine manner.

Journalists Emeka-Mayaka Gekara and Njeri Rugene of the Sunday Nation will go down in history as the courageous professional writers who told Kenyans that politicians opposing the Proposed Constitution do not do so out of principles but out of fear of Raila Odinga using the referendum as a political platform for the 2012 presidential elections. After reading the views expressed by the two professional journalists Kenyans must have wondered why the politicians fearing Raila don’t use the same referendum to promote their chances of winning the 2012 elections.

The answer to that question is simple. The Proposed Constitution creates the office of a President with a running mate who would end up as the country’s Vice President. Those who want to form tribal alliances to take over the leadership of this country are not quite comfortable with that arrangement. They want a constitution similar to the one used to govern this country now through a coalition Government because in it there are offices to be occupied by all the tribal leaders who join hands to win the 2012 elections as a group.

Looked at closely all the leaders in the KKK are actually still together behind William Ruto in opposing the Proposed Constitution. If the Proposed Constitution is not accepted there will still be a hope of Kikuyus under Uhuru Kenyatta, Kambas under Kalonzo Musyoka and Kalenjins under William Ruto forming a government with one of them taking the office of the President, the other one occupying that of the Vice President and the third one taking over the office of the Prime Minister.

There is little wonder that the latest opinion polls shows the elders of these communities are yet to accept the Proposed Constitution. They youth throughout the country, however, are united behind the proposed constitution and are determined to show the youth power during the referendum. Backing the tribal KKK grouping in the hope of forming the next Government in Kenya is the most shameful thing that can happen to this country.

It is therefore not quite baffling that Kalonzo Musyoka still has cold feet about sharing a platform with Raila Odinga in support of the “YES” team. Kiraitu Murungi appears with Anyang Nyongo at a press conference backing the Proposed Constitution wearing very dark glasses hiding his eyes to the journalists when he condemns those who don’t back the Proposed Constitution firmly. Whether his dark glasses were for medical or political reasons people’s perception saw a chameleon that had no courage to face journalist in an eyeball to eyeball situation.

Journalists Oscar Obonyo of the Sunday Standard exposed a shocking fact that the opponents of the Proposed Constitution have now resorted to burning copies of the Proposed Constitution. They don’t want the people to read the document and make up their minds whether to vote “YES” or “NO”. They want people to make that decision based of tribal considerations. That is why they ask Kalenjins to say “NO” because the proposed Constitution, according to them, is no good for the community. The Meru people have been told to vote “NO” as a tribe because saying “YES” would mean all their miraa farms would be taken over by Somali Muslims. This of course is a white lie.

The Kamba people have been told to say “NO” as a community because saying “YES” would give Kalonzo Musyoka no chance of becoming the next President because the Proposed Constitution would wreck the KKK alliance, which is the only hope of Kalonzo ever becoming a president in Kenya. All the tribal tricks have failed to knock down the Proposed Constitution because the youth of Kenya have rejected tribal nationalism. The attempt to polarize the country on religious grounds pitting the Muslims against the Christians has also been rejected by the people of Kenya.

The credit for all this positive thinking among the people of Kenya goes to the journalists of this country who have now decided to become true professionals for the sake of the Kenyan nation which, they have now all agreed, should not be used as a battlefield to pour the people’s blood because of a few greedy tribalist politicians. The opinion polls have also helped in revealing the true feeling of the people of Kenya.

Because of the polls, today it is quite clear that in areas where the Proposed Constitution has not been read by the people; the “NO” votes are predominant. But in areas where the contents of the Proposed Constitution are known to the people, the majority of the wananchi are for the “YES” vote. So it is up to the journalists now to popularize the contents of the Proposed Constitution through their newspapers, radio stations and television stations.

After all, tribal sectarian trouble makers are busy burning the Proposed Constitution to make the people not read it. Now it is absolutely clear that they don’t want the people to know the truth about the Proposed Constitution because deceit has always made them triumphant both politically and economically.