On Monday night, youths in Kibera destroyed some of the NYS projects launched by President Uhuru and Devolution CS Anne Waiguru. The residents were soon labelled as ungrateful and generally lacking intelligence. Talk of the town was that the government should divert any more money that was planned for the slum upgrading to other ‘grateful’ Kenyans, but media personality Caroline Mutoko is maintaining a sober approach.
Here’s a letter she wrote the President yesterday.
Has our politics descended to such a low that, to hit at Government and at Ann Waiguru in particular, people would actually incite Kibera residents to destroy their own?
Question for you, me and media as a whole: Will we seek to spin the news and avoid hard thinking and hard analysis by resorting to vapid justifications of what is pure vandalism, spite and political infantilism on the lines of “the Kibera community was not involved in the planning of these developments, didn’t own them, etc”? Or will we ask the tough questions and shine a spotlight on where it really matters and refuse to be dragged into shallow analysis and story-telling.
Human beings are stubborn, irrational and maddening creatures, and governing and leading them is and always has been a thankless task- it goes as far back as Moses and the ungrateful Israelites he led out of Egypt.
The Bible records the experiences of the ancient nation of Israel—who also constantly complained and murmured.
After 430 years of slavery to the Egyptians, the Israelites, through God’s miraculous intervention, were released from bondage.
As they left Egypt, God allowed them to collect riches, cattle, food, gold, jewels and supplies.
God performed many miracles as they traveled through the wilderness.
He selected them as His people, promising to take them to a land “filled with milk and honey.”
Upon approaching the Promised Land, the Israelites were instructed by God to send spies to survey the land.
It was located between other nations that were enemies of Israel.
After forty days of spying the land, they returned. And presented to Moses, Aaron and the congregation of Israel the fruit from the land, saying, “We came unto the land whether you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey…Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great” (Num. 13:27).
Caleb, one of the spies, asked Moses for permission to take the land. But the other spies—except for Joshua—lied to the people, claiming that it was infested with strong, powerful giants.
“And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!…
“And wherefore has the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt” (Num. 14:2-4).
Israel was so blatantly ungrateful that they wanted to go back to Egypt—where they had undergone many hundreds of years of brutal slavery. “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people PROVOKE Me? And how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them…” (Num. 14:11-12).
“How long shall I bear with this EVIL CONGREGATION, which murmur against Me?
I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me.
“Say unto them, As truly as I live, says the LORD, as you have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you: your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness…you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein…But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised..
You, me, Kibera – we are the modern day descendants of the Israelites.
Ingratitude is a DEADLY SIN! The consequence for this sin is grave—and not to be taken lightly!
Uhuru, Waiguru, NYS- Back to you.
Visit Kibera pronto and give that message, pour resources back and dare the so called activists to try again. If they do go on another rampage, then rest your case…..
The alternative and not too smart way to go about it, is to turn your back on Kibera. The bullies will win if you do and worse still,
you will appear spiteful for abandoning Kibera now.
Get up, get back in the ring and do it again.
Get up!! Round two!!
Source- nairobiwire.com
