•Wednesday, December 10, 2008
On 12th December 2008, Kenyans will be celebrating 45 years since we gained our independence from the British.
Kiss FM breakfast crew led by the almighty Caroline Mutoko, Larry Asego and Mzee Jalang'o has been campaigning for the last few weeks and beseeching Kenyans to protest on Jamhuri day to our rogue leaders through "mass action" that we are not happy with their mis-governance of Kenya.
Among the guests on the show has been SONU student leaders who claim to have mobilised university and other tertiary institutions' students to appear for the Jamhuri day celebrations across the country - that is, at the provincial headquarters - and make our rogue leaders listen to them.
SONU is the Student Organisation of Nairobi University. Whenever the rogue leaders stand to address the gatherings, the protesters will stand up and wave placards decrying the high food prices, MPs refusal to pay tax, poor infrastructure and other ills unleashed to Kenyans by our rogue leaders who we elected a year ago. Just this evening, the rogue leaders in our hallowed parliament passed to law what is considered in the media circles as a draconian Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008.
The students have promised that they will not throw stones and that no looting will occur.
I do not know how well this strategy will be successful which has prompted me to imagine what would happen if all Kenyans and the media, except the rogue leaders and their spouses, boycotted attending the celebrations. That will be way cool.
Carol Mutoko has been working tirelessly to reach out to the middle class to turn up for the protests as history has shown that if the middle class does not cooperate, protests abort.
The question is, will the middle class in Kenya rise to the occassion or will they act up? Has the middle class felt the pain of mis-governance and high cost of living enough to make them protest enmasse? Will they be strewn in their couches with a remote in one hand and enjoy the free drama and action on their "idiot boxes" as poor students are clobbered and teargassed for heckling the prime minister and the president? Will it be another nyama choma joint date and a prolonged trip to the watering hole?
My thinking is, either there is no middle class in Kenya or the Kenya middle class is a cowardice caste. You can suck the last drop of their blood and they will not twitch. You can wring their ribs dry and they will not even wince. They are a hopeless lot that cannot stand and fight for their rights. Just like the presumed low class, they are full of tribal bigotry, hateful vitriol, are corrupt, oppressive and line up every five years to elect from the high class the rogue leaders they deserve.
Kiss FM breakfast crew led by the almighty Caroline Mutoko, Larry Asego and Mzee Jalang'o has been campaigning for the last few weeks and beseeching Kenyans to protest on Jamhuri day to our rogue leaders through "mass action" that we are not happy with their mis-governance of Kenya.
Among the guests on the show has been SONU student leaders who claim to have mobilised university and other tertiary institutions' students to appear for the Jamhuri day celebrations across the country - that is, at the provincial headquarters - and make our rogue leaders listen to them.
SONU is the Student Organisation of Nairobi University. Whenever the rogue leaders stand to address the gatherings, the protesters will stand up and wave placards decrying the high food prices, MPs refusal to pay tax, poor infrastructure and other ills unleashed to Kenyans by our rogue leaders who we elected a year ago. Just this evening, the rogue leaders in our hallowed parliament passed to law what is considered in the media circles as a draconian Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008.
The students have promised that they will not throw stones and that no looting will occur.
I do not know how well this strategy will be successful which has prompted me to imagine what would happen if all Kenyans and the media, except the rogue leaders and their spouses, boycotted attending the celebrations. That will be way cool.
Carol Mutoko has been working tirelessly to reach out to the middle class to turn up for the protests as history has shown that if the middle class does not cooperate, protests abort.
The question is, will the middle class in Kenya rise to the occassion or will they act up? Has the middle class felt the pain of mis-governance and high cost of living enough to make them protest enmasse? Will they be strewn in their couches with a remote in one hand and enjoy the free drama and action on their "idiot boxes" as poor students are clobbered and teargassed for heckling the prime minister and the president? Will it be another nyama choma joint date and a prolonged trip to the watering hole?
My thinking is, either there is no middle class in Kenya or the Kenya middle class is a cowardice caste. You can suck the last drop of their blood and they will not twitch. You can wring their ribs dry and they will not even wince. They are a hopeless lot that cannot stand and fight for their rights. Just like the presumed low class, they are full of tribal bigotry, hateful vitriol, are corrupt, oppressive and line up every five years to elect from the high class the rogue leaders they deserve.
