STATEMENT FROM KDPM:

Whereas all the peace efforts that have been tried in Kenya have failed so far and;

Whereas the UN, the US, the UK & other big powers seem either to underestimate or not to understand the urgency of the Kenyan situation and;

Whereas innocent and precious lives continue to be lost in Kenya and;

Whereas the focus of the problem seems to be shifting from the stolen elections to other more serious challenges that have never been addressed adequately since independence and;

Whereas the Kenyan armed forces (Army, Air force & Navy) have remained professional so far;

KDPM wishes to state as follows:

1.THAT we fully support the views of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

2. THAT it is a high time that the Kenyan armed forces took over the leadership of Kenya.

3.THAT the armed forces form a transition goverment that will organize free and fair elections in Kenya within 3 months.

Gerald Baraza, President
KDPM


Response:

Hi Gerald,

While I understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, I totally disagree with you recent position on the military solution for the following reasons:

1. The military and the police forces seem to be serving their own interests, so Kenya will only have more of the same but this time, instant 'justice' will be dispensed arbitrarily in the street behind the barrel of a gun. I would only agree to this if we could be certain that the military put the interests of Kenya ahead of their own, and if they were wise, non-partisan, experienced, and widely respected military generals. Kenya does not appear to have this caliber of leader right now! Which one of these professionals gave the approval to shoot dead, in the back approx. 70 or more fleeing protesters in Kisumu ? Arrest the protesters and try them in court, but don't shoot them dead. Otherwise why have courts and laws? Which one of these professionals told the press that they used live ammunition only because they ran out of rubber bullets? What about the "Rambo" comment? What about the videos broadcast all over the world where a man is walking along and minding his own business, when he passes a military man and the military man suddenly attacks him with no provocation? How about the man who was returning from work and he walked up to the military guy to ask him what was going in and the military shot him in the chest and he died on the spot! It is the same all over the world, the military are trained to kill not to govern!
2. What makes anyone think that the military will agree to cede power within 3 months or whatever the interim period is before elections are held? "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!" Make no mistake guns imbue people with power over others.
3. Please bear in mind that the recommendations came from a military man from Rwanda. What else would he be expected to say! He may also be a military man of character, which fKenya appears to lack, just based on events on the ground in Kenya.

My suggestion is that someone on the caliber of Nelson Mandela (perhaps he is ill-I don't know), or Barack Obama be approached to quell the violence. Kenyans need a moral, non-partisan globally-positioned leader that the whole society can identify with, and who can provide vision and hope to all Kenyans. Obama has been spreading a message of hope. Kenyans could use some hope right now!

Ciao
Achieng W
USA

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