"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
— Martin Luther King Jr.
Kenyans for Justice is a non-partisan, UK-based group of Kenyans and friends of Kenya that feel a great injustice was done to Kenyans during the flawed presidential election of December 2007. The irregularities witnessed during the tallying of presidential results meant that the results of the presidential election were rigged at worst and uncertain at best. Kenyans were subsequently denied the right to protest, to exercise their freedom of speech and the free and independent media was silenced. We believe that sustainable peace and stability in Kenya cannot be restored unless these and other related injustices are corrected. We do not endorse any specific candidate or party but will work with and support like-minded organizations, persons or groups of persons that are working at achieving similar objectives.
Objectives
The main objective of the group is to give Kenyans in the UK and other parts of the diaspora a forum to share ideas for action and to contribute in the fight for electoral justice.
Our goals are to ensure that:
- The correct winner of the 2007 presidential elections is ascertained by an independent body or persons such as the UN;
- Electoral and constitutional changes are made to avoid a repeat of the irregularities and mistakes seen during the 2007 presidential election;
- The restoration of the rights of Kenyans to free speech, the right to protest and free and independent media;
- The arrest and imprisonment of perpetrators of violence against innocent victims including police shooting at unarmed protesters and vigilante groups targeting specific ethnic groups.
We plan to achieve our objectives by, among other methods:
- Lobbying parliamentarians and politicians in the UK to pressure the Kenya government and opposition leaders to address the electoral irregularities and determine the rightful victor;
- Writing to the media and journalists to keep the focus on Kenya alive and where necessary correct misconceptions in news reports;
- Supporting those fighting for justice 'on the ground' in Kenya through petitions, letters of encouragement, etc;
- Organizing rallies and demonstrations in the UK in acts of solidarity with those attempting to peacefully protest in Kenya.
To reiterate, we are a non-partisan group that believe that the injustice that was done during the 2007 presidential election should be corrected, not because we believe any one party should be in government or any specific person should be president, but to nurture democracy in Kenya and enable future generations to enjoy the ability to elect their leaders in a democratic way without having to resort to violent or illegal means. The Kenyans for Justice forum is not a debating forum as to which candidate should or should not be president but a forum for supporters for all parties to come together and work at a solution for justice and ultimately for lasting peace and stability.
Addressing Some Myths
The election was not flawed or rigged
Numerous independent observers including the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) chairman, EU and US observers, The Kenya Human Rights Commission have all testified that the presidential tallying process was flawed and potentially rigged. Based on observations of people in Kenya during and after the elections as well as the opinions of numerous independent bodies, we believe the process was flawed and potentially rigged.
Both sides, i.e. the opposition and the government rigged in some areas
The irregularities reported by independent observers were indeed both in pro-government and pro-opposition strong holds. However, the main flaw in the process was identified as being in the tallying process at the ECK headquarters in favor of the government. Kenyans for Justice would like all irregularities and flaws investigated by an independent body for the rightful victor to be determined. The reluctance of the government to have the results verified by an independent body and the speedy swearing in of the president further fuels the suspicions that rigging occurred.
The violence witnessed is purely ethnically based and has been orchestrated by the Orange Democratic Movement
Although we believe some level of violence is ethnically based (and would have happened regardless of the electoral outcome) we believe there are many Kenyans (from all ethnic groups and across the political divide) who are angry that the democratic system in Kenya appears to have been abused to benefit a specific party and person. Kenyans for Justice believes that there will be sustainable peace only when the perceived electoral injustices are addressed and corrected.
The court system in Kenya should be used to address the disputes
The fight for democracy and justice has to be fought on many fronts. One of this is the Kenyan court system, which several NGOs are now pursuing. However, the court system has been known to be corrupt, biased and slow to justice. Other methods of pressure and protest are not only necessary but, in many cases, the only viable ones for bringing about justice. A case in point is the fight for multi-party democracy in the 1990s that required numerous protests and international pressure for change to be achieved.
We should continue with our daily lives as whoever is president doesn't affect us
Kenyans for Justice is not fighting for a specific person or political party. We believe that for Kenya to develop politically, electoral justice has to be upheld and be seen to be upheld. The process is more important than the individual and we believe the process should be free, fair and just. The process, we believe, is worth fighting for.
Any rigging that was done by the government was justified as Raila is not fit to be President of Kenya
Democracy dictates that the peoples’ choice be respected regardless of what that may be. During the presidential campaigns, both sides had the opportunity to present their credentials and, if necessary, reasons why their opponents were not fit to lead. Once this was done, the decision of the Kenyan people ought to have been respected and accepted.
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8 comments:
We should all be trying to show solidarity and express our disappointment in this time of crisis. The people that have been chosen as reponsible for a nation, our "leaders", are very seriously damaging the nation from within, losing all confidence and respect from its people and severely tainting its image in the international arena; all for power. It appears that our "leaders" will stop at nothing to achieve their objectives, objectives which are questionable at best.
The sheer audacity, blatant abuse of power, and lack of responsibility of our politicians is what upsets me most.
The gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen in Kenya. However, the one thing that makes the poor feel "equal" to the rich is the VOTE.
Now, that vote has been taken away leaving the poor bitterly aggrieved. They go out to express their anger and in the event get killed, injured and displaced.
All this happens as the middle comfortably sit in their couches to watch as "events" unfold.
It is time we all came out of our comfort zones and Do Something for our one and only country!!
I'd like to draw your attention to the Human Rights Watch comments on the violence in the Rift Valley Province. This may help in petitioning for justice to be done.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/23/kenya17859.htm
Below is an excerpt off the Human Rights Watch website - link attached! My greatest concern at this point in time is the loss of life, the destruction of property and the forceful eviction of people from their homes. While I want to see a Kenya with free fair and Independently monitored elections, those are currently lofty ideas that we can address once people's lives and property and livelihoods are secured!
Kenya: Opposition Officials Helped Plan Rift Valley Violence
Police Should Protect Displaced Persons Camps
(Eldoret, January 24, 2008) – Human Rights Watch investigations indicate that, after Kenya’s disputed elections, opposition party officials and local elders planned and organized ethnic-based violence in the Rift Valley, Human Rights Watch said today. The attacks, targeting mostly Kikuyu and Kisii people in and around the town of Eldoret, could continue unless the government and opposition act to stop the violence, Human Rights Watch said.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/23/kenya17859.htm
Hi Karanja,
While I agree that addressing the violence should be done, I believe that doing so without also addressing the electoral injustices will be akin to addressing symptoms of an illness without addressing the route cause.
Until Kenyans feel that justice has been done, the violence will continue and attempting to address it, in my view, will be futile; arrest the present perpetrators and they will quickly be replaced by other angry Kenyans tomorrow. Sustainable peace can only achieved in tandem with justice. Otherwise we'll be "confusing calm for peace".
A good case in point is the Molo clashes. In the past it has been thought sufficient to simply arrest the perpetrators and resettle the affected. However, due to the lack of a proper addressing of the issues, clashes there have continued to rear their ugly head.
Finally, two points. 1) Kenyans for Justice will push for the arrest and punishment of anyone proven to have perpetrated any of the violence we have seen. This includes political party members (on both sides), the police and criminal gangs. We also support peace and relief efforts. 2) Independence in Kenya and equal rights for blacks in America were once considered lofty ideas. They are now realities because some people decided to not sit idly and do nothing. Kenyans for Justice is about Kenyans taking action and not just complaining about the problems.
I totally agree with Karanja that loss of life, forceful eviction and destruction of property are of great concern. But I beg to disagree on fair and free elections as being lofty ideas.
Graca Machel was recently quoted as saying these violence show signs of recurrence unless the root cause of the problem is identified and dealt with accordingly.
But as Koffi Annan said, what we need are short term and long term solutions. One short term solution that different bodies, including the International Commission of Jurists, have suggested is the formation of an interim government led by a group of technocrats as another election is organised. "IF" this is agreed, it should address a core trigger of the problem and should ease the violence, thereby creating a suitable environment for the team to oversee the resettlement of those displaced. This sounds reasonable given the mistrust Kenyans have on the ruling class and more so the lack of belief from many quarters that this government is legitimate.
So long as many Kenyans don’t see the fundamentals of the violence being addressed, it will be very unlikely that people’s lives, property and livelihoods will be secure.
PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION HERE
http://www.gopetition.com/online/16283.html
In 1997, 15 candidates contested the presidency. Kanu, the then ruling party, had President Daniel Moi as its flag bearer. Mwai Kibaki stood on the Democratic Party ticket, Raila Odinga on the National Development Party, Charity Ngilu on Social Democratic Party and Michael Wamalwa on Ford Kenya.
Looking at Kenyan voting patterns, the “three-piece suit” emerged to be the voting style of choice, and hence there existed a strong correlation between presidential votes cast and parliamentary votes cast.
Mr Moi won the 1997 presidential elections with 40.6 per cent of the vote followed by Mr Kibaki at 31 per cent, Mr Odinga (10.2 per cent) and Mrs Ngilu at 7.9 per cent.
Kanu won the most parliamentary seats - 97. Out of this 97 seats, 91 constituencies had voted “three piece”, with the presidential, parliamentary and civic candidates all elected on a Kanu ticket.
The DP won 60 parliamentary seats, followed by 22 for NDP, 15 for SDP and 14 for Ford Kenya. In all these cases there was a strong correlation between the votes cast for the presidential candidates and the party they represented at the parliamentary and civic level. In 2002, the Opposition united around one presidential candidate, Mr Mwai Kibaki, under the umbrella of the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).
The united opposition whitewashed Kanu. There was no expectation that the three-piece voting trend would be any different. A presidential vote cast for Narc in a constituency guaranteed that a parliamentary and civic vote would be cast for the same party almost 80 of the time. Narc won 125 parliamentary seats against Kanu’s 64 and Ford People third with 14 seats.
The 2002 polls reconfirmed to analysts, like in 1997, that because as Kenyans we tend to vote in a three-piece manner, it was possible to predict that the party with the most seats in Parliament would most likely be the party with the winning presidential candidate. In 1997, this was President Moi with Kanu winning majority seats in Parliament and in 2002 it was President Kibaki securing majority House seats.
In 2007, the electoral results confound analysts who rely on empirical evidence to understand and analyse past and future voting trends. The key battle was between President Kibaki’s PNU, Mr Odinga’s ODM and ODM-Kenya fielding Mr Kalonzo Musyoka.
In Parliament ODM won 99 seats, rising to 102 if seats won by its Narc affiliate are added. The number has reduced by one with the election of ODM’s Kenneth Marende as House Speaker.
PNU won 43 seats.
Who are they fooling??
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