British Governement enslaves and tortures Kenyans

“We understand the pain and grievance of the Kenyan people under the colonial government. The British government sincerely regrets that these abuses took place and that they marred Kenya’s progress towards independence. Torture and ill-treatments are violations of human dignity which we unreservedly condemn. ” the secretary of State said today in a speech that was aimed at giving a public apology to the torture, pain and deaths that were undertaken by the British during colonial rule.

Their stories

“I remember what happened to me when I stole food, I was beaten by my master. He never gave us enough food and even sometimes he never gave us any food at all. So I was just taking what was mine and fighting for my rights. I was then taken to a room and blindfolded. They tied my hands up to a metal with a hard rope. My legs were then tied apart then a person came in with a pliers and castrated me. It was very painful.” A man recounts on documented evidence.

“I remember when I was on a trip going home with my husband and four children. We were stopped on the road and then ordered to lie down. My husband was castrated and then killed in front of my children. I was then stripped and they put a bottle in me. I was pregnant. They killed my children and I have gone through all this pain and I need to be compensated so that I can be satisfied.” A woman says in documented evidence.

Over 90,000 men were killed and thousands and thousands were castrated. These trials began early 2003 and justice has taken this long to determine that the British were in the wrong side of the law and need to at least offer an apology to these people. Remember that these are survivors of the evils that took place 50 years ago and by now they are very old, still seeking justice.

The British government made the statement of regret earlier today and awarded a compensation of 20 million pounds (approximately 30 million USD) to the 5,200 claimants.

It is, however, important to note how the justice process went  in order to get to this number of claimants. This number, 5,200, has been dwindled from an initial 50,000 who the Kenyan Rights Commission (KRC) identified have admitted to claims of torture. It is then said that the KRC did investigation and found 15,000 could support their claims with substantial evidence. Then the 5,200 are the ones who could identify that they were held in British places of detention and were tortured and abused.

This is called separation of wheat from wheat flour.

This shows that the justice game has been used to down play the figures in order to determine the amount of money to give for compensation. Certainly, you don’t just give money to any Kamau and Wangare who claims detentions and abuse, even if they have some evidence.

This kind of justice deserves crucifixion. I am not arguing from the point of view that it is wrong to determine value of a human being in monetary terms because these people want the money, referring to this as an act of slavery can be right too. All I am against is the length of time it took these people to get justice and for the British to admit wrong and evil. Did they really have to be told to do it? Then is this genuine?

What do we say anyway against those days of enlightenment, the days when we were brought to the light with men that were burdened with it. We were in the dark and perhaps it is true what Kimunya always tells me that, “When you go to Rome do what Romans do”. So in a way we deserved blind dark justice, and apology.

by Dennis Kariuki

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Harambee Stars Vs Super Eagles Incentivised loss

The recent case on whether incentives work should be re-evaluated incorporating this as a new found example. The Nigeria Vs Kenya match ended at 1 – 0. This football match was held in Kenya and as many people would agree, this was the best chance for Kenya to qualify for the world cup. Following public demand for the real evaluation on how outside influence affected the outcome of the match I will start form the beginning.

The Harambee Stars of Kenya in early March of this year traveled to Nigeria for the first match and as history had it, the Kenyans were fated to another loss. We were not in any way conceivable to beat Nigeria and their Super Eagles knew this well.

Thus, the Kenyan team was not given good reception, they slept in dorms, they were denied access to places of practice and a nasty bus to take the “Pathetic team around.

The Nigerians seemed not to understand what was motivating these boys to face fate and they were trying to kill their morale. They trained and worked their morning practice in the all-weather playground and awaited their match.

Mike Sonko, the newly elected senator of Nairobi, was interviewed on Livewire of Nation TV and he said that he had promised the Kenyan team one million Kenyan shillings ( around USD 11,751) for a win or a draw. To get a million Kenyan shillings is a dream that many wish will come true before their death.

This is a very good incentive for a team, the best of the many that there ever was. He also revealed that he had talked to the president and he had agreed to offer the team 3 million Kenyan shillings for the subsequent match that was going to be played at home.

The Kenyan team went confidently into the field and managed a draw and Mike Sonko delivered his promise on their landing in Jomo Kenyatta International airport, Kenya. He was very excited and Nigerians were really amazed. A team that they were predicting 4 – 0 or even many more managed a good draw of 1 – 1. Then the incentive worked and delivered results.

The next match was held yesterday and this was not a one million but a four million match. If incentives do work, if more incentives are added then better and better results should be attained. This is just pure logic. The outcome this time defied logic and Kenya lost 1- 0 to Nigeria. Then should we just say that the Kenyan football team is just bad and that is why they lost or that there are other factors affecting success other than incentives.

We should be inclined to take the later with caution because incentives never work. If you ask me, I will tell you that the incentives caused the loss because it stimulated individualism in a game that requires team work for success. Everybody wanted a share of the grand price, so there was competition which destroyed the effectiveness of the Harambee Stars. This is just another one of those things that is explained by; good intentions that lead to bad outcomes. More is needed in order to ensure future success for the Kenyan team other than incentives.

by Dennis

- See more at: http://awakeafrica.org/archives/1035#sthash.cnfIb1Rk.dpuf

I feel HATE

Why do people want to kill me? Why must I have two hands to be appreciated? Why? my lady? Why are all these two legged people walking always staring at me? Must I be disgusted and laughed at by these small children who I have never met? Why does is look like I am a burden? Am I even human? I wish to bury my face under the surface of the earth, and die.

I remember a conversation I had with three of my friends in my room in high school. We spontaneously started talking about how we came to be where we are. Spontaneity led us to understand that one of my friends was supposed to be killed in his childhood.

Let us call him Kofi. He was born in Northern Ghana and during his birth, his mother died. A child born to this reality is believed to be a curse and hence he deserved to be killed before it brings troubles to the community. He was rejected by his father and he was left there alone to the mercy of the myth makers. He was rescued in the night by a sister who worshiped nearby. Now we are sitting here, such a man with a wonderful character deserving of death, absent.

Death is a crime in Ghana but not death from a cultural perspective until the past few weeks.

I remember the first time I met a man who fits partly the dictionary definition of a cripple. Tinges of fear rose in me and all these thoughts occupied my 5 year old mind. Then I disliked the man without even talking to him because he was, as my kindergarten teacher said, abnormal.

I was taught with a cane, occasionally, to repeat that a normal person had two feet, two hands and he/she walks with his legs. When he grows up he is independent from his parents and should get out of the house. There was never an “abnormal” person in my school only outside and I leaned to believe that we are inherently different from them.

Do you know why most of the “abnormal” people are thought to be detestable and dirty by our children and ourselves? It is because we are teaching them this and then go ahead to exercise it. We therefore end up giving ourselves an upward mobility and denying the so called abnormal school and other resources, it is logical. I feel hate.

I feel hate but I do not know who to direct it to. Must I go through all the hustle just to convince you that I am a human being. That I am capable of thinking, breathing, and being clean? Who are you anyway to judge? This language of hate should be crucified, pierced and laid in a heavily guarded tomb. In order for Africa to prosper we have to learn to appreciate each other and desist from discriminating against fellow humans. Rise up and talk about it, at least.

I do not intend to create a perfect world but a world where we are sane. I feel hate mostly because I feel the same about you too and that you made me feel this way.

Send in your stories on same subject at dkdkariuki3@gmail.com

by Dennis Kariuki 

- See more at: http://awakeafrica.org/archives/910#sthash.tt2LWRCR.dpuf