Sovereignty vs Reality

the debate started , she asked: " what happened to our sovereignty? why are our leaders being tried beyond our borders, Are we not a sovereign state?

Another one answered "That is wrong! sovereignty does not imply license to impunity-that is why we have the Responsibility to Protect as an internationally accepted standard that allows states to intervene in a country where there's evidence that there's gross violation of human rights...Hence, sovereignty is a conferred right not an assumed right. meaning if the indictees committed the atrocities but assumed that they will be protected by virtue of the sovereign office then this is wrong because the intent of leadership is to confer to a person who is above social reproach in terms of integrity. In drafting the constitution, we envisaged a president who does not bear the stain of international/domestic crimes..."

However another one asked: "How comes some of these countries that have been pushing for these trials are not even signatories of the Rome statute. And also why do the west act as the leviathan yet we do not have that in the current international system?"

Another said, "I believe in equality...just because you can Marshall up a greater economic power, doesn't mean you are more sovereign than others"

Yet another one had an answer to counter that. And this was the answer: "That is the wrong way to interpret things-its narrow way of disguising Pan - Africanism as a ticket to impunity.. Just because we are Africans, does it mean that we should not be held accountable for atrocities we commit?" USA might not have signed the treaty but then they hold the veto power over the ICC and this is a procedural issue to which the accused consented to in their individual capacities not a selective issue.

Some answered: "I bet you are biased!"

Yet there was an answer: "I am talking as a student of international law not as a politician...I request you to assume for once these same case would be taking place in country X-as a scholar would you find my points fair..?"

 

“ If our people lose the courage to confront what is wrong then we become collaborators.”-  Jerry Rawlings (Former President of Ghana)

THE UNREACHABLE, THE DEMOCRACY

Kenyans, we may go to the streets a lot, we may match a lot, we may chat a lot about Democracy,
we may compose poems, brainstorm on slogans, we may sing songs many for Democracy,
we may talk a lot, we may hold dialog es, we may have conventions, hold conferences all in the quest for Democracy,
we may thirst for it, yearn for it, look for it but never realize Democracy..

we are a nation under seize, as a matter of fact we are not a nation yet!
we are people under division, a people that are apart, a people that do not understand each other.....
we are a people that does not tolerate each other, a people who do not know the word acceptance, and if they know of it the are not willing to practice it....!

yes that is the reality on the ground..

we are good at denying it, we sweep things under the carpet, we bury our head under the sun, we have decided to ignore it, and never to talk about it..

yet, this is what hinders us from achieving that which will benefit our well being, this is what make us toss in our beds, this is what hinders the countries development both economically and politically. It is this societal  makeshift divisions, that make our lives unbearable, it is what make us weak and not powerful, it is what makes our control not to be felt by our leaders.. it is that which makes this thing called Democracy to far to reach .. it is that which makes our feature so hazel...

“I think, tribalism is a mental prison…and pride of identity coupled with arrogance is one of the leading factors that limit one’s ability to abandon it.” ―
           Duop Chak Woul 

THE OCCUPY LEADERSHIP

The leaders run as fast as they could to find out what lay on the other side.. They pretended to care and the run was for the good of all.. The villagers applaude  them, cheered them, watched them, fed them, supported them... They saw a good opportunity to go up, the villagers saw a people who were to push their agendas all for the good of all, They saw a great way to bring every persons  needs out to the public eye, to empower them as a people, to strengthen their economic welfare, to represent their petitions, to be good ambassadors....

However the situation changed as as the BIble says" only God can judge the motives and the desires of the heart"... they changed! They started dancing to their own tune, they for went their calling,  They forgot, they set themselves apart, they  became selfish! Lost focus! Sought for their own good!
So they started asking for wealth, the proceeded to demand! When it it did not work, and they did not get what they wanted, they proceeded to scheme on how to rob ... They became forceful, they stole, they stole and the villagers could not take it no more,

...and they reacted, they were tired, they were exhausted, they decided to take matters into their hands... They decided to take the leadership positions, they decided to take matters into their hands, they decided to # Occupy Parliament and #reload it...Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently and all for the same reason.  ~José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, translated from Portuguese

THE CARD FACTOR

we have a big job ahead of us, we have alot of development agendas to pass, we have a country to build, a citizentry to uphold, a people to create jobs for, a nation to provide basic needs to; health, education, housing...

yet we are have a choice to make, one that will raise our living standards, one that will make the lives of our kids better, one that is going to lighten grand childrens loads...

we have to use the card well, use it to make objective decisions, that are not influenced by your ethnic affliation... it needs to make our voices heard, our problems known, our issues solved, we need unity of thoughts.. good thoughts, informed, wise thoughts..

come march 4th, remember the struggles of kenyans, remember the current situations being faced, remember the future of our grandchildren, remember how we got into this pitiable state, evaluate your options, choose the best, choose in accordance to the best future of this great country kenya...

     #God bless Kenyans, God bless Kenya#

DRIFTER

I heard someone say that ethnicity had been dealt with, that we would not go back to where we were in 2007-20008, that we had learnt our lesson, that we had matured, that we had gained sense..... But these we the optimist talking, the modest, the so called peace lovers.. For those who did not share the same views as they did, they branded them as the pessimists, not lovers of peace.... But how sure could we be, when we swept our dirt under the carpet, when we buried our face into the sand....

However, if you were not so much of a critic you would have believed them, the Kenyan people put up a well rehearsed show, an equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster... the cast being the Citizenry who were trying to redeem their Humanity, since they had lowered it to man butcher man scenario... The solution was to get the so called Civil Society to educate the Kenyans about how, not to kill each other, better known as; civil education on promotion of peaceful co existence....  the donors, but to be correct; International partners, were doing the funding.  And the teaching began and went on to the grassroots, the government joined in. In addition,  political kings and queens joined in the campaign, but after all they were the ones who were being fought for...

4 years latter and the Kenyans seem to have forgotten the education they received about peaceful coexistence.... similar to the 8-4-4 system where you cram your way into getting an 'A' and as soon as you leave the exam room you have forgotten what you learnt.....

Now it seems like the optimists are weeping full of disappointment. 4 years later the kenyans are regrouping into their ethnic cocoons ready to lash out at anyone who opposes their so called political leaders/ ethnic leaders/ their peoples' choice.... 

Sadly the youths are back into the game. included are the educated youth, these are supposed to be the clear  minded opinion shapers or leaders. In contrast, they are proudly and are vehemently campaigning for their ethnically inclined leaders. This is evident in the debated on the Social Networks like: twitter, Facebook. In addition, the bloggers have not been left aside. And to me it looks as the perfect recipe for chaos.

One question though:  As a Kenyan where do you lie, are you on the side that is propagating ethnicity or are you on the side that is propagating objectivity in our rather pitiful political, social and economic arena. You cannot be in both, you either in one or the other. And each has either a direct negative or a positive consequence and effect. So which is it?