Gideon Moi is not an option in the North

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi in past event. (Courtesy)

By: Yunis Dekow

The country has been through the longest electioneering period ever.

It was so cumbersome that we almost lost our flourishing nation in the political power play but with God’s power, the handshake initiative that received broad support from the political divide and across the country slipped into the rising political temperatures.

Even before the dust could settle and the leadership embark on building bridges initiative the 2022 succession is seen to be taking a centre stage. Northern Kenya has been the latest playground for setting up the conversation of the succession politics.

Northern Kenya consist of the current counties of Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Garissa and Isiolo counties.

Former President Moi’s son who is seen to be keen on succeeding President Kenyatta and has been crisscrossing the region to “consolidate support” seems to have not thought of the hegemony and runaway atrocities of his redundant party then led by his ailing father.

Northern Kenya covers 50% of the country’s mass land and has been systematically marginalized, sidelined by the Moi regime.

Comparatively the Kibaki government have shown this counties the concern of atleast being part of this great country, Kenya.

The state planned marginalisation was through an act in sensational paper no. 10 which profiled this regions as unproductive with harsh climatic conditions, this was a deliberate motive that illuminated from the Moi’s perspective over the pastoralist who he viewed as aggressive and brave community that may create mass revolution to topple his government, and for the love of power he maimed, killed and tortured the citizens of his country.

Some may think this is just a made up story to win sympathetic gesture from the Kenyan highlanders but we experienced and first hand recipients of all those atrocities.

Moi and his cruel cronies, like Morris Makhano (the longest serving provincial commissioner for the former North Eastern province) systematically fueled cattle rustling, inter-clan conflicts. Kenya Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) documented this autocracies terming it as the worst state planned genocide.

I am a very concerned and worried as the son of the soil, that Moi Jnr who is seen to be excited and politicising the building bridges initiative that we might find some of our leaders would make us even for a second imagine Moi error again.

I warn the northerners more so the Kanu Mps from the region to shun making us think and contemplate on the rebirth of Moi in the national political cycle.

Northerners are saying in bold and loud voices that there is no allegiance to massacres in the making.

Fafi member of parliament Abdikarin recent invitation of Gideon moi to the region was an insult and should apologize.

I’m so sure this sentiment is echoed and appreciated by many who may not get the audacity to say it, analytically and in bold affirmation the building bridges initiative is not a test of grooming Moi Jnr candidature for the presidency in 2022.

They should not assume that we can easily forget Wagalla Massacre, Bula Kartasi killing, the Isiolo and Turkana siege.

We won’t allow to go back and discuss of bringing back the perpetrators of the said cruelty to our people. No, it can’t and will never be. Its dead on arrival!

Mzee Moi is ageing and I am not mean not to wish the old man good health but we can’t forget the mzee (name withheld) who was tied on a helicopter suspended and flown around the village.

I can’t exactly understand the point the security personals were trying to prove to the innocent villages, but your assumptions are as good as mine.

Hate for the inhabitants of the North. That old man survived but what haunts many to this date is the desperation and the helplessness of those villagers. They couldn’t help but watch the madness of inhumanity in dismay.

We can never forget those sufferings when widows, survivors and orphans of Wagalla massacre still groaning with the pain of loosing love ones in humiliating situation of starvation and thirst.

The deep voices of the victims were said by legislators from Wajir in an event held in Garissa county. Wajir County M.P Hon Fatuma Gedi and wajir West M.P Hon Kolosh, both aired their view in total regard if their people.

The astonishing presser that followed the event led by comprised elders who blamed the Mps of a goof towards the Baringo Senator and son of former dictator was just but a cover-up to the voices of the great people in NE region.

No cover up of what ever magnitude can make us forget the 35 years long curfew, the longest that was imposed on civilians by any government in the world.

At this age of globalization the regions lucks clean water and suffers poor road infrastructure. Energy supply is something of the unknown, for the first time Garissa was connected to the national grid two years ago, thanks to Hon Adan Duale the majority leader and others from the region who managed to serve some few developmental projects from the jubilee URP memo of resource sharing.

I hope the leases would listen and champion the development of region and later deliberate to agree on a Presidential candidate that will understand the suffering, a leader who can attest to what hunger means and not recycling the descendants of dictators who want power to once again infringe people’s rights in order to protect their wealth.