News 2005

KENYA TIMES
22 nov 05

FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ

THE reason the Government last week temporarily shut down KASS FM station broadcasting in the Kalenjin language was because it has been pro-orange team. The fact that the station was initially ordered closed until November 23 when referendum results would have been officially announced is itself emerged as some sort of proof that the station was a threat to some political interests.

It can not be ruled out immediately that the statement by Belgut MP Charles Keter that the closure was meant to give a new Kalenjin station, Chamge FM owned by Royal Media Services, which supports the Yes campaign, a head start in the run-up to yesterday’s poll. SK Macharia owns Royal Media whose Citizen radio; TV, Ramogi FM and Mulembe were at one time or another accused of crusading for Banana team.

The argument by Mr Billow Kerrow, MP for Mandera Central that the closure reflected Government bias because Kameme FM and Citizen radio, which he charged both supported the Yes campaign, had been left off the hook can not also be ruled out as contributing to more hints why Kass FM 89.0 was closed. The station reaches approximately 3 million listeners.

The government of Moi had expressed strong reservations right from the on set of vernacular radio stations, arguing that they had potential to be used to propagate ethnic hatred. The government was specifically casting a wary eye on Kameme FM - then the only privately owned FM radio station which was broadcasting in Kikuyu.

Such stations, Moi believed could be misused to cause anarchy as happened in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

It was alleged that the station was used to portray how the orgy of violence left close to 2000 Kenyans dead and thousands displaced and the reason why no one was punished. It propagated further how prosecution of the corrupt and those behind political violence in Kenya, it has been argued, would only lead to further instability and violence.

But then we have since gone a full circle and with the boot seemingly on the other foot, it is now those in the government that accused Moi of controlling the machinery of political manipulation and misusing the State Radio and Television to propagate ethnic hatred.

And what is more, this is the very government that accused Moi of creating more districts to bribe voters who would appear to be lately doing exactly what Moi was accused of. He was also accused of issuing title deeds for similar purposes.

With only three days to the referendum day, President Kibaki announced 27 new districts as Lands minister Amos Kimunya for the second time handed over plot allotment letters to 4,500 households in Kibwezi in a strategy meant to woo voters in yesterday’s referendum. The land allocation was part of a strategy to stem the Orange wave led by Environment Minister Kalonzo Musyoka.

Apart from unlocking for Ukambani, including Sh4.5 billion road projects, early in the same week after a visit to President Kibaki by a delegation led by Health Minister Charity Ngilu, more gestures calculated to influence referendum outcome followed. There was the state house visit by Matatu owners association, a visit followed by defection of Embakasi MP David Mwenje from Orange to Banana, Cabinet minister Raphael Tuju’s delegation from Luo Nyanza which yielded Sh1billion for upgrading of Kisumu airport--- the catalogue of goodies has been long in recent months but worthy of mention has been creation of districts.

As three of the districts are to be carved from Nairobi Province, in Nyanza, Kisumu District is to be split into two - Kisumu East and Kisumu West - while a new district, Rongo, is to be hived out of Migori as target areas to lure voters come 2007 general elections.

Similar strategy is to be used in Central Province where Kiambu district would give birth to two districts while Nyeri and Thika districts would each have an extra one respectively.

And in Mombasa where Najib Balala has practically turned the area into orange farm, to compete with him the Banana is to be split into two, with a new district to be called Kilindini. Kilifi and Kwale Districts will be split to create Kaloleni and Kinango Districts respectively. This is aimed at planting more bananas targeting the victory come 2007 general elections.

Although in Meru is almost obvious that it is banana region, if Meru North district in Eastern province is split into two new districts, that is, Tigania East and Tigania West this would boost the target of 25 percent required by current constitution for president to win the election.

Three more districts are expected to come out of Kitui, Machakos and Mwingi districts for the same purpose. Among the newly expected districts to be created the one created from Rift Valley Province, which will host most of the new districts with both Nakuru and Laikipia districts being split into at least two more units each, is the best target so far. This would cater for practically people of the same ethnic groups.

The land resettlement in Kibwezi is targeting votes from 1,000 families from Ndile constituency who will be settled on a 6,000-acre piece of land at Kiboko C settlement scheme.

Another target of 3,500 households in the region are to be resettled at Kange-Kathakani and Ndetani Settlement Schemes among others. This is also targeting two other settlements in Kivutha’s and Ndile’s constituencies, the beneficiaries will be expected to pay Sh2,500 per acre over a period of one year.

The latest wave of resettlement, which adds to the 12,000 people in Mau Forest -  who had earlier been evicted but later, reconsidered in order to lure votes were the 10,000 members of the Ogiek community. It will be recalled that President Kibaki disregarded a court order against issuing title deeds to the Ogiek community.

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