NAIROBI, KENYA–There’s a famous Swahili proverb that goes “Anaye kupa kisogo sio mwenzako.” Basically, it’s essential to know whom to trust and who not to.
Once again, the poor working-class Africans in Kenya have been taken for a ride by their neocolonial imperialist serving “leaders.”
It is no accident that Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta’s unexpected “truce” coincided with the visit of former U.S. secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, to the country.
The United States has been blatant in its support for Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, whom they consider the best bet for preserving the colonial, parasitic and imperialist system that safeguards their interests above those of ordinary Kenyans.
The squabbling between black petty bourgeoisie so-called leaders Odinga and Kenyatta over the last 8 months has slowed down American “business interests” in the country.
It took the weakening of the dollar for America to “intervene” and coerce a ceasefire between their two neocolonial puppets.
The blood and tears of a suffering working-class and peasantry were not factors.
This infamous handshake (now dubbed as the “handcheque”) was met with suspicion across the political spectrum. These two petty bourgeoisie elitists are responsible for deeply polarizing the country and their unforeseen “faux unity” reeks of opportunism.
Raila Odinga has been exposed for what he has always been─a revolutionary cosplayer.
This “handshake” farce illustrates his single-minded focus to access the presidency by any means possible.
His petty bourgeoisie aspirations of getting a seat at the table of impunity were clearly more important to him than the democratic ideals he’s been claiming to fight for.
Odinga’s actions smack a veneer of disdain upon the millions of poor working class Africans in Kenya who have been duped into believing that he was championing for radical change in the country’s policies and that he was for the liberation of the poor.
Meanwhile, Uhuru Kenyatta is content. Odinga has symbolically accepted him as the legitimate president of Kenya and by doing so, endorsing all the ills that represent his Jubilee administration.
It is laughable that these two neocolonialists are delusional enough to think that we’ve fallen for this circus hook line and sinker.
As the poor working-class, we’ve been here before. Agreements between political rivals have long substituted for real action to address the underlying, fundamental and systemic issues that ail Kenya and all of Africa.
This opportunistic farce is just a band aid to festering wounds. In essence, deals between politicians end up satisfying their selfish ambitions while the people’s problems remain unsolved.
If there’s another “handshake” that exemplifies this, it’s the 2007/2008 post-election violence that necessitated Agenda 4─The January 2008 National Accord talks. That also ended up with a handshake between Odinga and Mwai Kibaki.
The accord had four key points, which included ending the violence that followed the 2007 election and addressing the political predicament that ignited it. Agenda 4 was meant to address long-term “historical injustices’’, discuss constitutional reform, police reform, land reform, poverty, inequity, joblessness, national cohesion, accountability, corruption and rampant impunity.
Those were unimportant issues to Raila and Kibaki, however. They wasted no time in implementing the parts of the accord that benefited them most—political accommodations, which generated new positions and bureaus they could occupy.
A coalition government was formed and an uneasy calm returned to the country. For the next 5 years, the opportunistic “marriage of convenience” has caused unimaginable suffering to the proletariat, as both Kibaki and Raila’s “yes men” looted the country.
P. Gatara, writing for The Post, states that “To be sure, there are a few crumbs thrown our way, but even here, substitution persists.
“Promises to fight corruption are prefaced by a reminder that it is the citizens who are corrupt, rather than the victims of corruption; electoral reform is preceded by a rebuke to Kenyans who make too big a deal of electoral competition; and promises of aid for the hungry rather than addressing the systemic causes of chronic hunger.
“Tellingly, the joint statement concludes by promising to roll out a program to implement the “shared objectives” of Kenyatta and Odinga. Again, not those of Kenyans”.
As the poor working-class in Kenya, we must recognize that Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta solve problems for their own class and power hungry selves.
As long as we unite with their leadership, we remain divided regardless of whether they reconcile their differences as leaders or not.
The colonized African masses of Kenya must build the African Socialist International (ASI) by joining and organizing the African People’s Socialist Party.
Every country with a significant number of African workers is going to have a winning African People’s Socialist Party. This is not wishful thinking. We can already see it happening!
Treat these “faux unity opportunities” with the contempt they deserve.
Join the Uhuru movement.
Be part of the winning team!
