Wall Photos By Hon Maison Leshoomo · Number 65

Open letter to Hon. Leshoomo. Leshoomo’s position on the Ocampo 6.

Firstly, I must say am very embarrassed by the legislatures who spent millions of tax payers money to travel to The Hague in support of the suspects of 2007 post election violence. As an electorate, such a leader who makes such selfish decisions during hard times is doomed to lead the people to betray their own destiny. The best thing a voter can do, especially in a transitional time like this, is to ensure that such agents of impunity are not allowed back to leadership positions ever again.

The Ocampo ICC process is not against any particular

Kenya ICC case. First hearing.

ethnic group. It is against impunity, crime on humanity and its agents. I belief the majority of Kenyans from all ethnic groups are cheerful that the ICC came to their rescue as the last resort when all other legal systems have failed us. It is now almost 4 years since our country was engulfed by post election violence. We are lucky that the ICC intervened before it was too late.

As Martin Luther King told us, justice delayed is justice denied. Many IDPs are suffering, some have died and some have develop chronic illnesses due to rape, and other trauma they experienced during the violence. They need every help they can get from our leaders. The country deserves to have leaders who makes decisions even if sometimes they’re not popular to everybody. That is why they were mandated to lead the masses. It’s puzzling to see a leader like you deciding to support the Ocampo 6, the suspected perpetrators at the expense of the weak, the victim and the unprotected one.

Although this was not the intention, the ICC intervention has serious balance of power repercussion in Kenya. I see such an effect as positive because it gives Kenyans a chance to move their political reasoning from ethnicity to ideology which transverse all identities. Kenyans will remain true to their ethnic identity in private just as we do with religion while politics is played based on ideological principles. Individuals of different ethnic identities can come together under an ideological umbrella instead of ethnic umbrella. If we want to keep our natural ethnic identities, then we must embrace another way of organizing our politics.

Or shall we keep the devil we know at the expense of our inherited ethnic diversity and the greater peace? What is the need of patriotism if it is not for the restoration of a nation? It is evident now, that those members of parliament who support the Ocampo 6 are patriots without self respect. They, as in the words of PNU nominated Hon. Leshoomo, sacrifice the greater for the lesser. Uplifting wisdom of our first female legislature from the greater Maa people of Samburu group says that such patriots, love the soil, which makes their graves, but have no sympathy with the spirit, which may still animate their clay. Patriotism is a maggot in their heads.

Before Leshoomo’s quest for the support of the Ocampo 6, I delighted myself with her conviction and awareness to the painful truth that as a people, we have lost more than enough; material, lives, finances and most of all, time. As IDPs, we have lost all what you mentioned above and justice after a crime committed against us and the entire humanity. Our very own government is not willing, or is unable to deliver justice because men who are suspected are non-punishable.

Hon Leshoomo, Why do you support the Ocampo 6?

Why not allow your wisdom to lead you to the path of justice you’ve spoken of? Who’ll fight for the marginalized, the IDPs and those who are killed under the sponsorship of the state?

Shall we subscribe to the agent that lies behind our miseries, the idea that (nologol ntokitin?) “things belong to the strongest” and let the weakest die off? If we, the systematically marginalized can not fight for justice and defend other victims against our common enemy (bad governance that leads to injustices and inequalities with Impunity), then how can we morally stand and demand justice and expect anybody to support us?

Or shall we seek equality of justice and fairness in sharing of our national goods and services at the expense of Impunity and its Lords even though they may belong to our ethnic groups, our parties or families? I choose the latter.

The country must find a lasting political solution to these inequalities to prevent such atrocities and crime against humanity from happening ever again.

We the people, gladly send these enemies of our people to, if found guilty, hung in The Hague and may their agents stay there as well, for they can not support the lords of impunity, crime against humanity and all the systematic injustices against our people and still hope to get our vote.

I refuse to let my ethnic identity to be exploited, used by such evil men against my fellow countrymen and women. I want to keep on being, first and foremost, A Maasai, then A Kenyan, and from there, Swedish Kenyan or anything I want to be.

I want, and must be possible to, own such an identity in Kenya or elsewhere, and live in full harmony with the entire world.

I belief that, I can not be a Kenyan first, because Kenya came to being just the other day when the ethnic group from which we perceive to belong to has been there since time immemorial. This case is the same to all 42 ethnic groups in Kenya who have co-existed for many years before the politics of divide and rule was introduced to Kenya.

I belief that our conflicts are based on systematic injustices and inequalities cause by individuals from a section of almost all ethnic groups collaborating to rob the masses from their sweat and blood. They commit these crimes because their fathers and mothers are very strong men hence they are not susceptible to any punishment.

These criminals use ethnic identity as a political tool to accumulate powers and wealth at all cost. They’ll continue to manipulate our minds and make us make dangerous decision thinking we’re defending our ethnic groups, but in reality, we’re defending their powerful positions and wealth at our peril. They do it with impunity unless the international criminal court intervenes to uproot the deep roots of impunity by isolating for judgement, those most powerful individuals who are suspected to have committed atrocities against humanity. The ICC is the last resort for Kenyans because Kenya is unwilling and not capable of bring justice for victims and make the perpetrators to account for their crimes.

For almost 4 years now, Kenya was given the opportunity to prosecute the PEV suspects in a local tribunal but it demonstrated that it was incapable. IDPs are still in the camps and those forced out were disrespectfully dispatched with 1 or 2 thousand dollars as governmental support after such a trauma. Others were denied the right to claim justice or are being a located land at other suppressed community’s lands. Others are kept in the national water catchment areas. The government is not solving any problem really, they’re just moving it around.

That is how much the government things they’re worth. The government is not capable of creating a leveled ground because so much is at stake for those who are holding the country at ransom.

They don’t want to fall to the Class of normal people liable for punishment when they commit crimes. They, defend Status Quo at all cost and they utilize your ignorance to your suffering for their cause.

For them, it does not matter that you belong to their ethnic group or party. You are only significant to them if they can (consume and shit you out) very fast. They call you Kachero (sell-out) the very moment you open your eyes and repel their selfish egos. Now you’re a traitor, a moron and you should be visited to be ashamed in public that you “betrayed the ethnic group” if you refuse to defend corruption with Impunity

This is why I support Ocampo and the ICC process on the Kenyan case.

The main suspects a.k.a. The Ocampo 6 visit to The Hague to answer charges that they curry the highest responsibility for the crimes against humanity committed during the 2007 post election violence is a hope giving. We’re hopeful that justice will one day be found and corruption with Impunity eradicated.

However, the Hague issue has seriously divided the unstable coalition government of Kenya. At the same time, you get an impression that the majority of the Kenyan population are in support of the ICC process. On one side, on a public level, the social media are actively demanding that the suspects should carry their own cross and be answerable to the international binding law court for crimes against humanity. Unlike many politicians, Kenyans want to, and they’re doing everything possible, to co-exist peacefully with each other. Kenyans are peace loving people.

On the authority level, a section of the Kibaki’s party of National Unity (PNU) wants to defer the case while the Odinga’s ODM supports the Hague process. The general mood in the country is that the suspects should account for their crimes at the court which are party to, because the country’s legal system is in a sorry state and lacks people’s legitimacy.

Legislatures from the PNU side things though, that Kenya is doing progress in revamping its legal system so the case should deferred for a year. They consider the Hague as a neo-colonial authority made to prosecute Africans. To the PNU section, justice for the IDPs should be delayed for 1 more year while the country revamp its legal system to accommodate a new local tribunal to take over the Ocampo 6. these delaying tactics are symptoms that politicians have other agenda than restoration of justice and equality of rights in Kenya. This is revealed when the president sent a what-came-to-be-known-as a “shuttle diplomacy” through the Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, to consolidate support to defer the Kenyan case.

This is very unfortunate scenario for Kenya because it tells the truth that the office of the president is not neutral. The president should be for all the 42 ethnic groups and not for a section of high Class individuals. Indeed, such a non neutral office can not protect the people from systematic injustices, crime against humanity and other state aggressions. Luckily, the shuttle diplomacy failed miserably before the entire world.

Immediately after the ICC summon of the Ocampo 6 to attend the first hearing at the Hague, PNU section of the government equipped itself with 40 legislatures to be dispatched to The Hague together with the summoned Ocampo six to attend the hearing. For some reason, they thought that would block the court’s process.

Among them, to the surprise of many, is the PNU nominated MP Maison Leshoomo. Mweshimiwa, this is the worst decision you have ever made in your leadership position. I find solace in putting blame to your personal adviser though.

Leshoomo announced her departure and support for the Ocampo six through her FB profile which she later pulled down after attracting a swam of traffic especially from Samburu and other Maa groups including the writer. Most of the Leshoomo’s die hard supporters are utterly disappointed with the MP’s position on the ICC case.

How can we morally defend the 6 highly suspected individuals at the expense of the entire nation and very specifically, the maimed, raped, forcefully displace or raped members of our nation?

What kind of a Christian is that who inflict more suffering to a brother and sister who is already in deep misery? I wonder if God, being a good father, would be generous enough to hear and answer such crocked prayers! I am sorry Mum, but you loose my support due to your position on the Ocampo 6.

Nevertheless, I found an inspiring note from Hon. Mama Maison Leshoomo retrieved from her FB notes.

I suppose that your support to the Ocampo 6 is very disappointing and hypocritical if at all you belief in the words jotted on your Facebook profile.

Those words are truly resourceful especially this very moment when Kenya and the entire world are in solidarity against Impunity. You should listen more to Ocampo. He says, he’s got nothing personal against the O6. He’s just fighting for the unprotected ones, the victims of 2007 PEV.

In your note Mweshimiwa, you mentioned freedom fighters like Koitalel Arap Samoe, Dedan Kimathi the Mau Mau freedom fighters and so many uncelebrated patriots who paid the ultimate price so that we may be a free nation today. So that we can settle peacefully and re-write our true history and restore our dignity as a diverse nation as we develop together. The colonial government killed patriotic Kenyans, burnt them a life and hanged them in masses without trial and they took it all for Kenya. Talk about patriotism.

Killings and bad governance has continued with impunity ever since the physical independence from the British colonial powers. Samburu East is a good example of systematic suppression sponsored by the government. Remember the Lerata, the baby suckling her dead mother’s breast after the mother being assassinated by the Kenyan forces?

Remember the warriors whose bodies were chopped with knives by police to avoid the sound of gun that might attract the human rights agents who were in the area monitoring human rights abuse by government? What about the assassination of the human rights activists in Nairobi? The massacre of the 8000 Kenyans suspected to be Mungiki? These state sponsored crimes are done with Impunity.

My heart is troubled when I see the Samoe (read Ruto) and Uhuru of today’s Kenya being send to The Hague for as suspects of the highest crime against humanity. Honestly, like Ocampo, I have nothing personal with the 6 gentlemen. But they’ve betrayed all of us including you.

Like the names they bear, they should be better representatives of our history. What would Dedan Kimathi or Menza say about the 2007 post election violence? The killings in Lerata and Kanampiu? The robbing of the Samburu people, taking away their wealth and burning homes?

The inability of the government to create justice even after the Waki Commission recommendations shows beyond all reasonable doubts that the Kenyan governing authority is not yet ready to eradicate Impunity which is seen as the basis of all crimes against humanity and state sponsored killings. Right now, we do not have a better alternative than The Hague. Our leaders must be accountable and respectful to our national diversity and peace.

I full support the ICC process even if my sister or my brother was among the main suspects. Do you? Or do you just support the party that you pay royalty to at all costs?

Dear Mum, I kindly beg you to recognize the plight of the entire nation, the 42 ethnic groups and above all, the worse victims of the 2007 post election violence. Let the ICC process continue in peace because it is essential for all of us. Let the Ocampo 6 account for their crimes if found guilty.

It’ll deter atrocities against humanity including such systematic suppression like what is taking place in Samburu.

Change your position and I will support you again. One vote counts you know?

Thanks a lot.

Your beloved Son.

Saidimu Ole Ngais

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• 6 Kenyans to appear at The Hague on ‘crimes against humanity’ charges – CNN International (news.google.com)
• Kenyan politicians going on trial in The Hague accused of crimes against humanity (guardian.co.uk)
• Kenya: ICC Rejects Delay, Begins Hearings for “Ocampo Six” (sahelblog.wordpress.com)
• “Ocampo Six” Return to Kenya (sahelblog.wordpress.com)
• Kenyans rally for 2 politicians accused of crimes against humanity (cnn.com)
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• Kenya: Case Against Ocampo Six to Go on as Nation Seeks Deferral – AllAfrica.com (news.google.com)