Three days have elapsed since renowned Kenyan human rights activist and lawmaker Susanna Njoki Ndungu presented her report to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chaired by Congressman Donald M.Payne here in Washington D.C. Most of the Kenyans who either attended this session or watched it on TV are yet to believe that the Kenyan lady who appeared before that Committee was the same Njoki Ndungu that they know.
Ndungu not only lied blatantly but she also unashamedly twisted facts to suit, support and defend Mwai Kibaki’s actions.In the end she found that trying to defend Kibaki was like trying to turn around the sinking Titanic in the middle of the ocean! It was indeed surprising that it is Congressman Payne who seemed to understand the feelings of most Kenyans when he said the people of Kenya voted for change but what they were given was the status quo. While Payne knew and said clearly that the General election results announced by the ECK do not reflect the wishes of the Kenyan people Njoki Ndungu never admits anywhere in her report that the election was stolen. Instead she keeps on insisting that the election was “too close to call” and that either candidate could have won! This is ridiculous. In the end she stumbles in her thinking and states that both sides rigged the elections. She forgets that only Kibaki had control over the ECK Chairman and his commissioners.
Njoki lists places and provinces where Kikuyus were evicted but she deliberately does not mention the violence vested on Luos, Luyiah and Kalenjins by the Kikuyus. Then when she starts to trace the historical background to the current problem, our “learned” sister either ignores or diminishes the magnitude of some critical events. She changes direction over the MoU and plays down the fact that it was a major cause for the fall-out between Kibaki and many of the Narc leaders. To her the issue of the MoU was immaterial. She does not even acknowledge that it led to great mistrust between Raila and Kibaki.Njoki Ndungu even claims that there were two MoUs!
To add salt to injury, Njoki incorrectly misleads the audience on the reasons for the denunciation of the Wako Draft without stating that Kibaki had rejected the Bomas draft and written his own for a referendum. If she were a credible lawyer Njoki could have done better to explain why all the possible drafts were not presented to Kenyans to choose from.
Unlike Njoki Ndungu, Lawyer Maina Kiai, head of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights came out as an exemplary citizen and true leader of Kenya. He rose above petty tribalistic tendencies and defended justice, truth and democracy. He supported neither ODM nor PNU. He only presented facts without any fear. At the end of his report many of us were left wondering if he is indeed a Kenyan. That smart lawyer has no particle of tribalism in his blood!
Announcement:
The leadership of the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS) led by Tonia Compton and Ruqaiyah Rogers are meeting with Congressional leaders here in Washington DC with the aim of advancing the causes of graduate students. This is a chance for international graduate students to meet these great leaders.
Gerald Baraza
International Student Affairs Coordinator,
Midwest States.
No comments:
Post a Comment