By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib

We are watching the situation in Kenya very closely. The presidential election here in Somaliland is at our door step. Senior cabinet minister was in Kenya during the election rigging and there is every suspicion that the present administration want to learn many lessons from these elections.

Kenya is an economic centre not only for east Africa but too many parts of the continent. This country won independence from Britain in 1963 and since then it was stable. The prominent political figures at that time were Jomo Kenyata the first president of Kenya. and Raila Odinga the first vice president. Nagala was the opposition leader. He visited Mogadishu and Hargeysa before independence.

Kenyata is from the Kikuyo tribe which is about 23% of the population of Kenya. Raila Odinga is from the Luei tribe which is 13% of the population. He is the son of the charismatic and nationalist leader who became the vice president of Kenya for a short time. He refused a deal from the British government before independence to be the president of Kenya. He pressured the colonial administration to release Joma Kenyata who was in prison before independence. They have struggled for independence together.

Kenya fought one of the toughest struggles with the British called the Mao Mao. Joma Kenyata was actually the symbol of independence but unfortunately when he became the president started to build a kikuyu dynasty. Odinga opposed the policy of divide and rule and was relieved from his position as vice president. Daniel Arab Moi who is from Kalinja tribe was appointed the vice president. Moi was loyal and followed the foot steps of his master Kenyata. Odinga became their number one enemy. He wrote the famous book [Not yet Uhuru] meaning there is no independence yet in Kenya.

After the death of late president Kenyata Daniel Arab Moi became the president of Kenya and ruled the country for almost a decade and there were no free and fair election. When Moi was leaving office he hand picked the son of late president Kenyata to contest in the Kano party ticket. Most of the other opposition parties joined Naak party. This was the only time the election of Kenya was free and fair and the incumbent president came to power. Raila Odinga was the strongest ally of President Kibaki. He played a prominent role in this election and Uhuru Kenyata and the party Kano that ruled the country from independence was defeated in the election. Raila was given a cabinet minister under the presidency of Kibaki.

Raila Odinga was keeping an eye on the top job and distanced himself from the policies of favoritism and corruption of the president. He then formed the orange democratic party [Odm] which resembles the orange revolution of Ukraine that restored Ushenko to power when the election was stolen from him. The difference here the police was firing life bullets and killed 200 people. People were demonstrating peacefully but criminals took an advantage to loot in most slum areas like Masaaro and Kibera. In Ukraine there was no tear gas and the police was not killing the people and the civil disobedience restored Ushenko to power.

In Kenya the election process was very smooth and peaceful. Opinion polls were predicting that Raila was ahead of Kibaki and the people of Kenya started to sing for a change. He won six provinces and a good number of votes in the other two. The announcement of the election results was delayed and the people suspected that the government wants to rig the election. No body was thinking Kibaki who is 77 and who can hardly walk will steal the results of the election in his favor

Most of his cabinet ministers lost their seats. The process of rigging was the worst ever. The government commission was forced to change the figures and make kibaki the winner. He was then sworn in for president in haste. Uncle Sam immediately congratulated Mr. Kibaki for winning the election. This gave him a moral boost to refuse any political settlement. Kibaki was the strongest ally of the United States and Britain in the war of terror and Kenya was base for their operations in east Africa.

They saw Raila as tough guy that cannot be easily manipulated. On the other hand he opposed strongly the human rights violations that happened in Kenya under the disguise of war of terror. The withdrawal of acceptance of the election results was very late. The delegation headed by Jondai Frazer to negotiate a deal is seen that the United States is putting pressure on the opposition party to accept a national unity government.

The people of Kenya irrespective of their tribe voted overwhelmingly for change and to be Uhuru for Kenya. The people rejected Uhuru Kenyata the son of Jomo Kenyata. Daniel Arab Moi's 3 sons lost seats in their strongholds.Most the prominent figures of Kibaki's corrupt regime lost their seats.

Britain the former colonizer of Kenya has the greatest responsibility to pressure Kibaki who robbed the election to accept a re-run after 3 months and make a caretaker government that can take the responsibility of conducting free and fair election. This election should be monitored by the international community observers. This is the only painful concession that the opposition can make. It is painful to accept the result of an election that you are pretty sure you won it. The opposition leader has every right to demand the resignation of Kibaki who is responsible of what is happening in Kenya today.

Ibrahim Adam Ghalib

Borama, Awdal.

kaalib33@hotmail.com