As politics pick the heat in an already pandemic ravaged economy, we list ten reasons why the Kikiyu nation has been left only to seek sympathy.
Here’s why the Kikuyu nation deserves sympathy rather than condemnation as they meander in Ruto’s political darkness.
1. The Kikuyu gave us a global trademark for crafting Africa’s 1st liberation instrument, the Mau Mau. Outcome? forest returnees languished in slums: landless. They have ignored their own pain.
(a) as we grew up robberies and general crime was attributed to the Kikuyu lowly. In Tanzania and parts of Kenya Njoroge meant crime.
(b) Prostitution was launched in Kenya by children of our liberation heroes, Mau Mau. Thank God they were beautiful, we helped them flourish. Now new shareholders have joined in the sector.
(C) Without land stress led them to engage in trade and founded hawking which is now a national lifesaver.
2. Jomo Kenyatta destroyed their soul. Their own man denied them everything including stealing the 5 million pounds donated by the British for the rehabilitation of the freedom fighters. Actually, the money purchased land for the home guards. (Open the link with safari browser its has a pay wall) Kung’u Karumba was killed for protesting.
3. 1969 Kenyatta frog matches the same frustrated Kikuyu to take an oath never to vote for a Luo. The KPU organizing secretary, Peter Young Kihara was buried in sand up to the neck for days for refusing to take the oath.
4. Frustrated, the Kikuyu masses identify JM Kariuki as Kenyatta’s successor and vote him back to parliament despite a ban on rallies. 5 bullets are dispatched to JM’s heart (according to postmortem report in my possession) ending their dream for a better Kenya under a new leader.
5. Then Moi comes and democratizes corruption a bit occasioning the emergence of the “entrepreneurship” of the Kikuyu “hustler” nation. Ohh better! they thought. Truth be told, the Kikuyu business elite may have enjoyed the Moi regime more than the professional Mwai Kibaki.
6. The frustrated youth take advantage of the freedom of association in the 90s to form Mungiki as their shield. They are killed in thousands instead by a multi-ethnic coalition of the rich.
7. On a 2nd liberation crest, the Kibaki regime refuses to address historical injustices through a justice and reconciliation process. The oppressed Kikuyu nation suffers another round of betrayal. Uhuru dumps the TJRC report and launches monopolized corruption by family, partners and allies.
8. Worse still Uhuru stretches his exploitation to target Kikuyu milk farmers lowering prices for his personal benefit. Uhuru further siphons water from Murang’a to his lands on Thika road raising fears of a looming desert in Murang’a according to Raila.
9. Uhuru ditches Ruto when the Kikuyu diaspora relies on stability and peace to secure their lives across the republic. The devil of yesterday must look like an angel in the prevailing circumstances. Ruto must seem to be a snake of the moment in the stormy river where the Kikuyu think they will submerge.
10. Finally, I have no doubt the Kikuyu carry two curses: Dedan Kimaathi’s curse for abandoning him in Kamiti prison and the curse of his younger brother, Prof Ngũgĩ Thiong’o due to what was done to him and his wife.
I believe the two curses contribute towards distorting the vision of the Kikuyu nation that has created room in their hearts for someone as morally decadent as William Ruto
Additional reporting credits to Wafula Buke
