Raila cannot be a neutral mediator

The appointment of Prime Minister Raila Odinga as a mediator in the Ivory Coast crisis is a wrong choice by the African Union.
This is because there will be no neutrality in the mediation process since Raila has publicly declared that incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo should be forcefully removed from office, even if it is through military force.
{Geoffrey Kangogo, Eldoret}
Kudos to Raila on his appointment as mediator to resolve the standoff between Mr Gbagbo and the man widely acknowledged to have won the Ivory Coast election, Alassane Ouattara.
However, last week, Raila said that Gbagbo should be forced out of office. He said Africa should not look at power sharing as a solution to electoral woes because this would only lead to incumbents clinging to power even after being defeated.
We agree with Raila but he, too, is a recipient of power sharing and we wonder how he will convince Gbagbo to step down. Can he walk the talk and ensure that Gbagbo hands over power?
{David Motari, Nairobi}
The decision by the AU to declare Raila Odinga as its chief mediator in Cote d’Ivoire is misinformed.
Since the PM is on record advocating for the use of force as one way of ousting the incumbent from power, how can he now talk about peace? Raila has also gone further and accepted Mr Ouattara as the winner of the contested election results. There are several other reasons why Raila is unfit to be a mediator in such crisis.
First, he has no track record of advocating for peaceful, amicable reconciliation. Everyone knows the role he played after the 2007 General Election. His party called for mass action, which led to a lot of deaths and displacement of people culminating into today’s IDPs.
Second, in 2002, Raila then a key luminary in the National Rainbow Coalition threatened civil disobedience if former President Moi showed signs of not vacating State House.
Raila has little traces of diplomacy in his talk and political manoeuvres; he is a politician who is focused more on the end than the means to achieving that end.
{Innocent Kimanthi, Masii}
I heard that our Right Honourable Prime Minister has been selected as a mediator in the Ivory Coast crisis.
How on earth can he be a mediator in a matter where he has already reached a verdict that Gbagbo lost the election and should be forcefully removed from office?
I hope that AU Commission Chief Jean Ping meant that Raila had been selected to go and do what he likes doing best, that is, to monitor, oversee and co-ordinate efforts to restore peace to the Cote d’Ivoire.
{Justin Osey, Mombasa}
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PM must stand up for IvoriansKudos to Raila for his appointment to spearhead efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Cote d’Ivoire presidential stalemate.
This added responsibility symbolises the respect Raila and Kenya have earned over the years. However, it will be incumbent upon the PM to keep his eye on the ball and stand up for the popular will of the people of Ivory Coast as democracy demands.
{Timothy Bolo, Nairobi}
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Gema MPs guilty of abandoning their ownJohn Trapp must have had in mind central Kenya MPs when he said that unity without verity is no better than conspiracy.
Nothing illustrates this better than their inaction to the perpetual violence that occurred every five years in the Rift Valley from 1992.
During these politically-charged campaign periods, many Kenyans lost their livelihood while others were killed in tribal cleansing, the epitome of which was in 2007.
To present, thousands of IDPs have not found balance in their lives and continue to live in horrid conditions in camps.
As campaigns for political seats heat up, especially the presidential race, politicians from Mt Kenya region prevail upon their kin outside the province to vote for them.
This is one source of conflict between those in the Diaspora and the indigenous communities in their areas of migration. But after the elections, central Kenya politicians normally forget about these peasants who undergo humiliation and untold suffering.
Hypocritical
Thus, it is hypocritical for these leaders to insinuate that the community will raise funds for one of their own who has been named by the ICC, as this individual is not poor by any means.
These politicians have not in the past considered to rally their community to raise funds for tribesmen who are uprooted from their homes or those that are killed every election year.
Those leading calls for a "community fundraising" have never contributed food to internally displaced Kenyans stuck in camps. Some have large tracts of land, which they could donate to the displaced individuals but they have never seen the need.
A good starting point for such a fundraiser should be by donating land for the resettlement of IDPs because this is not only a priority, but a human rights issue.
As Aesops said, let the rallying call for the community not be during critical moments when the powerful need the weakest, but all the time. United we stand, divided we fall.
{Charles Waigwa, Nairobi}
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No funding for Ocampo SixIt is irresponsible for MPs to ask Kenyans to contribute towards the legal fees for suspects of post-election violence.
One wishes leaders would channel such energies in supporting the less fortunate or even IDPs, who have suffered immensely.
{Christopher Khamasi, Eldoret}
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Racial prejudice at a Malindi hotelIt is disgusting and disheartening that even after celebrating 47 years of Independence barely two weeks ago, some hotels at the Coast still practice racial discrimination.
I had only read about prejudice based on one’s colour in history books before coming face to face with it on Boxing Day when my friends and I visited a leading beach hotel in Malindi.
I don’t know whether it was because of the hordes of tourists present but the waiters were extremely rude to us to the extent of refusing to take our orders.
It was appalling to see the same waiters falling over themselves to serve the wazungus who were walking into the hotel. To the hotel staff — their supervisor included — we were nothing more than paupers.
{Daniel Psirmoi, via e-mail}
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Feedback
Armed youth keep vigil to prevent resettlement of IDPsA hitherto peaceful country is now resettling its people using force. IDPs who were violently ejected from their homes will now be resettled forcefully. Why?
{Hezbon Odiero}
It is sad that some communities have been led to believe that they have more rights to land than others. And with the new Constitution, who are these ‘outsiders’?
{William Gitonga}
All this time why had they not attacked the previous landowners to reclaim ‘their land’?
{Eric}
It is time the Government took action against leaders inciting the youth otherwise there will never be peace.
{Patrick}
What youth? Those are old men inciting young men to cause trouble.
{Ken Kabau}
What happened to the land where our unfortunate brothers and sisters came from? Or were they landless before being uprooted? So, is this exercise a resettlement or relocation?
{Mugah George}
When will the youth refuse to be used to incite violence? When will they change and end the impunity?
{Mwendwa Chelsea}
This matter should be taken seriously. The Government should look for alternative land and help save lives and livelihoods. At the moment, there is no consensus and the locals view the IDPs as invaders.
{Kipchumba Thomas}
Why settle IDPs on a piece of land that is bound to bring conflict rather than peace?
{David Gichana}
We have two issues here. First, what is causing the standoff and second, what happened to the land the IDPs occupied before 2008?
{Maurice Muendo}
The Government should flex its muscles and do what it takes to resettle those IDPs. After all, they are not Ugandans.
{James Mwaura}
The Government should not use force. It is best to solve the matter amicably.
{Salome Mueni}