Kipchumba Murkomen

Kenya: Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO) – A Call for Accountability and Truthfulness by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) – “Denouncing the False Information and Harmful Consequences of Disinformation” (25.03.2023)

Opinion: CS Kuria – If you copy a tyrant your practically enacting a tyranny…

“He’s had it for too long. He has had it good for too long. He had it with Kibaki (Mwai Kibaki). Kibaki is no more. Kibaki is dead. Kibaki is gone. He had it with Uhuru. He will not have it again, take it from me you cannot then there’s not going to be any dividend for democracy” (…) “We had very transparent elections, we went all the way to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court pronounced itself, you know, every time coming to prosecute an election, then it means that we’re going to deal with him the way Kagame (Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda) deals with his opponents. The way Museveni (Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda) deals with his opponent. There’s no other way” – Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria (NTV Kenya – ‘CS Kuria suggests govt could use tactics similar to Museveni, Kagame to deal with Raila’ 25.03.2023).

We are seeing the ignorance and the disgraceful defence of the indefensible. This time, one of the ministers and allies of the Kenyan President, CS Moses Kuria. He has uttered certain words and it has to be addressed. Because, no one in the right minds want to promote or have the systems, which he says Ruto should copy. Especially, if you want to speak of democratic principals and institutions…

CS Kuria don’t want to see extra judicial-killings goes unsolved. Neither does he want to see fellow countrymen and activists being arbitrary arrested, kept incommunicado or tortured in ungazetted “safe-houses”. I doubt the Minister and High Ranking Officials will have questionable deaths, assassinations and mysterious endings of vocal critics either. All of this is what he is proposing. In addition, to arraign civilians in military courts on political charges. That’s also a thing happening on the regular…

So, the CS should know better. There is enough murders in the city and the Missing Voices coalition has already alerted the authorities on this. Nevertheless, the CS doesn’t care and seemingly this doesn’t face him.

It is like the CS wants to bastardize the political landscape. Ensure the state can charge Odinga and his allies for “treason”. Keep him house-arrested and silence him to oblivion. That’s what Museveni does to his biggest threats. They are kept in the loop of the authorities and within reach of the law enforcement. These are incepted and captured, their rallies are blocked and their parties can only function in their headquarters, even there they can be raided and be attacked by the state too.

So, hearing a man who first speaks of democracy and democratic credentials for the current administration. That a man of that stature wants to emulate and copy the likes of Museveni or Kagame is outrageous. It shows lack of concern, care or empathy for his opponents. No one should go through this and no one should promote it.

Certainly, CS Kuria should know better. His a grown man and in his fifties. However, he rather make Odinga a felon and an outlaw. Just to prove a point and humiliate old “baba”. That’s what his saying and certainly the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition Party should retort to this. Because, who wants to copy tyrants and enact by definition a tyranny? Who in the right mind thinks that a solution and a way to go?

CS Kuria thinks Ruto should be a vicious and bloodthirsty tyrant. It is tragic, but here we are. Peace.