Had he been conscripted in the white man’s army, President Kibaki could perhaps be in the top most ranks in our armed forces today. He had a passion to defend his country from any external aggression. However, the colonial government shattered his boyhood dreams.
The white man could not trust a native of Central province in the army. Undeterred, he consumed the white man’s books with an unparalleled appetite. He wanted to become a Professor of economics. His academic conquests awed many even though he did not go beyond a masters degree. As fate would have it, his entry into the thick of politics saw him become Kenya’s Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. His boyhood dream was thus fulfilled.
But the Kibaki who last week graced the swearing in ceremony of President Museveni was a stark difference of the younger Kibaki. He quietly smiled as his host Museveni ranted about the principles of mutual respect for territorial integrity, nonaggression, noninterference, equality and peaceful co-existence with neighbours. As these words rolled off his tongue, his army was busy displaying the grandeur of its power by terrorising Kenyan citizens on Migingo and Ugingo.
Some of our political elites had visited Todonyang, Turkana the previous week. They were shocked at the massacre visited upon the Kenyans as well as the extent of annexation of Kenya’s territory. Upon their return to Nairobi, they were patriotic enough to move a motion on the floor of the House urging the Kenyan government to safeguard our territorial integrity, sovereignty and security. In short they were telling President Kibaki to smell the coffee.
Buoyed by President Kibaki’s silence, the government has increasingly spoken at cross-purposes on an issue as sacrosanct as our sovereignty. Two years ago, the government spokesperson (whose views are largely reflective of PNU`s body politic) was of the view that Migingo Island was too small an Island to put strain on bilateral relations between Kenya and Uganda. He seemed to be saying that we could trade off this ‘insignificant” island with bilateral relations! Besides the political class, Kenya’s army is another terrible eyesore. To begin with, it is populated with sons and daughters of the rich. In the street parlance they are called Cerelac babies. A couple of months ago, I heard a story of how so many of the army cadets fainted in droves during a week’s expedition on Mount Kenya. They could not just pass the fitness test.
Runaway corruption is also responsible for the procurement of dilapidated equipment. The disadvantage in equipment as well as in training makes our army a less formidable force perhaps in the whole of Africa.It therefore follows that unless and until we address these inadequacies, we may be contended with the fact that our army will continue to earn huge perks as well as promotions up the ranks through demonstration of their valiance in combats that only succeed in killing innocent Kenyan babies as happened recently at Maroroi in Ngong.
Just in case President Kibaki is unaware, let him know that the public is annoyed. They want him to be the commander that he so earnestly wished to be. They want him to revamp the army so that it can jealously guard our integrity and sovereignty. I presume that President Kibaki would not want to be remembered as a Commander in Chief “whose voice was unheard in the army; a Commander in Chief who never said a foolish thing, but one who never did a wise thing either.”
Tome Francis comments on topical issues.
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