Showing posts with label TJRC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TJRC. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Refocusing the People on the March to the Second Republic of Kenya

From the Kenyans For Justice and Development

PRESS RELEASE
Refocusing the People on the March to the Second Republic of Kenya

We, Kenyans for Justice and Development, are appalled by the reckless extent to which President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga are going to ensure Kenya doesn’t change for the better. The two and their cronies want to stay in power at all costs, even at the risk of destroying the country. They and their good-for-nothing, bloated, and over pampered Cabinet are politicking endlessly, outrageously wasting our very limited taxes, doing only those things that perpetuate their grip on power, while avoiding those that would unlock our great potential to make us free, with plenty within our borders.

Even straightforward issues like allowing the country to set up mechanisms to end impunity by punishing those who meddled with the 2007 presidential elections, and the masterminds and perpetrators of the resultant post election violence, has turned out to be a task beyond them. Kenyans will not be hoodwinked by the TJRC or any such phoney mechanisms they are trying to impose on us, in the vain hope of confusing anguished souls, so that they themselves can escape justice.

Justice is our shield and defender and we don’t take it for granted. Kenyans will ensure that those who have looted public coffers, grabbed public land and assets, and those who have murdered, maimed and committed other crimes against humanity, face justice. No amount of smoke and mirrors, or running around in circles, is going to fool us. Crimes do not have an expiry date. There will come a time when each will answer for his or her role in the slaughter of innocent Kenyans, the pillaging, and the general desecration of the Republic.

We demand that the Government saves whatever is left of the country by doing the following:

(i) Engage in urgent national re-construction by tackling the skyrocketing prices of basics such as unga, paraffin, energy, water, sugar, matatu fares, house rents, medical costs, and secondary school fees.
(ii) Deal with insecurity and create an enabling economic environment for Mwananchi to thrive;
(iii) Fast track the Constitution reform process to give the country a democratic constitution by December 31, 2009, to mark the end of the failed First Republic of Kenya;
(iv) To hold General Elections under the new Constitution in February 2010 to usher in the new order.


In the meantime, we are constituting a parallel people’s government to widen the battlefield now that PNU and ODM have closed ranks to protect and propagate impunity. The revolutionary People’s Government will be composed of a People’s Parliament and a People’s Cabinet which, together, will create a formal platform for the people to directly monitor and oversee each Government ministry to ensure that the Grand Coalition Government delivers on the demands we make above.

The People’s Cabinet, to be launched in September 2009, will comprise twelve ministries and the Presidency. The Peoples’ Parliament is the people freely organised around their livelihoods and interests nationwide, including workers, farmers, touts, hawkers, students, teachers, professionals, businesspeople, the youth, and senior citizens.

The issues raised by the People’s Parliament will be used to originate pro-people public policies and programmes that we will use to create a national platform for the people’s march to the Second Republic of Kenya, whose DNA is our National Anthem.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

TJRC - NO, NOT NOW!

A message from the Solidarity Network Of Kenya:

"The formation of the TJRC at this particular juncture, when it has been in the offing for over a year, is clearly a red herring. It has been dropped into the public arena to distract us from the debate raging over the Hague v Local Tribunal option. The powers-that-be might even be hoping that we will dump the Hague/Tribunal and settle for the TJRC – this is more than possible as Kenyans are noted for the brevity of their attention-span. Then we shall be kept busy and occupied with endless arguments, protests and debates over a non-functioning, highly manipulated and deceptive TJRC. The process is conveniently set to take 3 years – just in time for the 2012 election when all will be forgiven for the villains to renew their money-guzzling and murderous activities.


And of course the long suffering Kenyans will be expected to feel good, if not actually thankful.

Kenya badly needs the TJRC and that we should take control of it and use it to our advantage. But can we? Is there a single mission or commission that we have taken control of for our advantage? I think not, however, that doesn’t mean we should not try. BUT THIS IS NOT THE TIME. First let us settle the Hague/Tribunal issue – let us do our utmost to ensure that we put in place a tribunal here in Kenya (apart from all else we want to SEE justice being done) with all the necessary safeguards for a just and transparent trial. If we can do that then we move to the next step – setting up a credible TJRC where we have a say in the appointment of commissioners and in the process. If we cannot, believe me the TJRC will just pull the wool over our eyes. Let us stay focussed and not get waylaid.

It is 99% agreed that the TJRC chair is unacceptable! But are we going to fritter away our energy, time and resources to evict this one person. He is not the only problem. I say let us demand: ‘No TJRC for now – We want a Local Tribunal first’ and then let us start organising for the kind of tribunal we want. Annan, Ocampo, Waki, the EU and many many others nationally and internationally are all with us on this. It couldn’t be a better time and a better opportunity for us to build solidarity, plan strategy and organise non-violent forms of resistance. If we can do that then we shall have learnt how to achieve our aims and we will ensure we get a TJRC that truly brings the justice and reconciliation that Kenyans have died for."

Zarina Patel
Solidarity Network Kenya
P O Box 32843 - 00600
Nairobi, Kenya
Email: solidaritynetkenya@gmail.com

SNK is environmentally responsible. It recycles, reduces and reuses all its material

Ongoing Campaigns:

Justice for the Mau Mau Freedom Fighters Now!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/www-khrc-or-ke

"Save Lake Turkana - Stop the damming of the Omo River"
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-lake-turkana---stop-the-damming-of-the-omo-river

Free the Cuban Five Now!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/www-freethefive-org

The Phirilongwe Elephants Need Your Help Now!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/the-phirilongwe-elephants-need-your-help-now

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