Kenya: Kenyans abroad angry over arrest of journalist

Kenya Socialist Web Site
www.kenyasocialist.org
[email protected]

Wednesday September 28th 2005

STATEMENT OF KENYANS IN SCANDINAVIA ON THE ARREST OF DAVID OCHAMI BY
SECURITY OFFICERS OF THE KIBAKI GOVERNMENT

Yesterday's arrest of Mr. David Ochami, a Kenyan Journalist, by more than 10
policemen at the premises of Kenya Times Newspaper because of an opinion
article he published in the paper was significant in two ways. It was the
second major arrest of a Journalist since Narc took power while it also
confirmed that President Mwai Kibaki is on a downward spiral towards
authoritarian dictatorship that his predecessor Daniel arap Moi spent 24
years perfecting.

In a typical style only rivaled by illegal activities of a gang of torturers
that were dubbed "Security Home Boys" during the climax of the Mwakenya
crackdowns in the late 80s during Moi's one party dictatorship, Ochami was
cleverly duped by his abductors who whisked him away in a convoy of cars to
his house at Pangani estate. In line with tradition, Ochami's house was then
ransacked for two hours as the Journalist was held hostage.

In a kind of Déjà vu, Kibaki's "Security Home guards" took away newspapers,
note books and an assortment of literature from Ochami's house before
embarking on a "check in-check out" of the Journalist from one police
station after another to hide his case from scrutiny. This is exactly the
same method of intimidation Moi's Boys used with zeal but which failed to
stop the struggle for political pluralism in Kenya.

What crime did Mr. Ochami commit to warrant the wanton intimidation, illegal
curtailment of basic freedoms, sheer harassment and savage violation of his
rights as a Kenyan citizen? The answer is that he published an opinion
article in The Sunday Times of 25th September 2005 titled "Coups in Africa
do not occur out of nothing".

In the article, Mr. Ochami was answering the increasingly familiar and
alarmist outbursts of Mirungi Kariuki and David Mwiraria (Kibaki's key
sycophants) who had suggested that imaginary anti-Kibaki forces (advocates
of the "No" vote in the coming referendum) were out to overthrow the Kibaki
regime.

According to Ochami's thesis, the failure of the 1982 coup attempt may have
been a disaster for Kenya because this historic failure may have prevented
the execution of pre-independence politicians like Mwai Kibaki who was, by
then, Moi's Vice President and who has effectively ended the political
aspirations of over 30 million Kenyans after his election three years ago.

The failure of the President to deliver a new Constitution within 100 days
after coming to power and his fumbling with the Bomas Draft of the
Constitution is a case in point.

Although we have our reservations as to whether the execution of former
Dictator Daniel arap Moi and his Vice President Mwai Kibaki by the 1982 coup
leaders could have prevented 24 years of ruthless dictatorship and an
extension of that dictatorship through Kibaki, we agree with Ochami's
analysis about the circumstances of coups in Africa, his parallels about the
situation in Kenya and his position that Kibaki's mistakes "Have aborted the
momentum for effective change" in Kenya. The journalist could not have put
it better!

That is, we agree with Ochami's view that the Kibaki dictatorship has
hopelessly failed Kenyans and needs to be overthrown by any democratic means
available in the field of struggle.

Ochami was simply telling the truth as it is and arresting him will not
postpone or solve the huge crisis facing Kibaki's government. There is a
crisis of leadership in Kenya and the only reason why Kibaki is still in
power is because there is no credible alternative political force that can
effectively lead workers and the youth to power. If Kibaki has started
arresting Journalists now, what will he do when he loses the referendum in
November or when he senses defeat at the 2007 General elections? Will we see
a return to detention without trial?

The alarm bells have been sounded and Kenyans should once again be on the
alert because all indications are that a new dictator in the name of Emilio
Mwai Kibaki has taken over the State machine which he is now using to arrest
Journalists doing their work at newspaper offices. For conscious Kenyan
minds, Kibaki hatoshi and the best option in the situation is for him to go
now rather than later!

After a string of failures to deliver on key election promises, this latest
arrest of yet another Journalist by marauding security officers with orders
from Kibakis "Internal security" should be the last signal that Kenyans
should return to the path of revolution, not just to overthrow Kibaki but
also to topple the system that bankrupted leaders like him are using to
trample on the rights and freedoms of Kenyan citizens with impunity.

According to Ochami, "Kenyans should be allowed to hope for a blast or blow
of holy wind from somewhere to end this mess". Our view is that there will
be no "holy wind" from anywhere to liberate Kenya from the Kibakis even if
Kenyans embrace themselves tightly in prayer with their heads upside down 24
hours a day 7 days a week.

A revolutionary Movement or Party armed with a revolutionary theory and a
clear revolutionary Program for democratic change and transformation is
urgently needed in Kenya to show the way out of the blind alleys of the
rotten capitalist class rule now tampering with Press freedom in our
country, intimidating and arresting journalists, looting the economy and
using the huge security apparatus as a powerful tool for oppression KANU
style.

We unequivocally condemn Ochami's arrest because it reduces the democratic
space needed for revolutionary activity vital for liberation in Kenya while
it also rolls backwards the democratic gains achieved through blood-shed and
loss of thousands of lives especially during the dark years of the one party
dictatorship of Moi.

In fact, Ochami's arrest is yet another warning to workers and millions of
youth in Kenya that time for revolution to overthrow the system has come
because the capitalist ruling class is the same - yesterday, today and
tomorrow. Kibaki's government is violating the Constitution, a sad reminder
that the ruling class the world over will always violate the Constitution as
long as their class interests are threatened.

Ochami was arrested because Kibaki is using an oppressive system left behind
by Moi, a system that we have repeatedly said, needs to be smashed to pave
the way for reconstruction of the Kenyan society under a new democratic
system led by workers and the youth, not pre-independence opportunists fed
by imperialism to protect foreign interests.

We condemn the Kibaki dictatorship for trying to return Kenya to the 80s
using worn out tactics that had already failed during the dictatorship of
Daniel arap Moi.

Ochami's arrest confirms the dictatorial character the Kibaki regime
continues to assume and the use of State machine to try and re-introduce
"the culture of silence and fear" that Moi planted in Kenya but which was
uprooted through struggle before Moi was himself defeated in December 2002.

We will oppose any charges brought against Ochami and dramatize his case in
the International arena in case the government goes ahead to press for bogus
charges against a conscious Journalist who was simply doing his work.
Kenyans should resist a small gang of wealth grabbers calling themselves
government to hold back a struggle that has been going on for more than 4
decades.

Ochami's article has nothing to do with "incitement" as the police put it.
In the circumstances, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of
Mr. David Ochami and a stop to the arrest and intimidation of journalists
doing their work in Kenya.

Martin Ngatia - Kenya People's Democratic Movement (KEPEDEMO Mapinduzi)
Okoth Osewe - Kenya Socialist Democratic Alliance Desmond Nyamu: Kenya
Social Forum in Norway (KSF - Norway) Betty Shangazi: Muungano Ya Akina Mama
Scandinavia Omariba Kadikiye: Organization of Kenyans in Denmark (OKD)
Christopher Omondi: Association of Kenyan Students in Finland (AKSIF)