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Land issue and legitimacy of Kenyan Legal system!

It’s unavoidable to not give credit to facebook for opening up the easier channels for people of all calibers to meet and discuss matters affecting their society.

But the intention why I’m writing this is not to promote facebook but to give my reaction to the question from my facebook friend, M. Rainy about land conflicts in Laikipia.

M. Rainy’s question to me was; what is your reaction to this effort of finding legal address in civil and criminal court action? The question was generated after our discussion before on land issues in Sukuta Oo Marmar.

And so , here I drop myself dead on the question, but I warn you, reader, I got kids running all over here so….:)

Of course I think, in my not premeditated spontaneous reaction, that legal matters in Kenya as well as in any sovereign State must be solved legally with the national or if need be, international laws, governing the specified areas. I think landlessness and land conflict is a ticking bomb in my motherland! If we don’t honestly address the issue of resources sharing (land resource especially), in Kenya, then I am sure that even with the best Constitution, Kenyans will still find themselves in peril.

I imagine of Mukogodo reserve and all the generations from the time of my grand-father ( Il-tareto), who were restricted with Kipande system. My daddy says that, like many other I-tareto in Laikipia, my grand-father died a very bitter man because of among others landlessness and confinement in Mukogodo.

The legal system in Kenya may have a lot of problems when dealing with land issues because of the fact that the laws we inherited from Lancaster may not be the just laws that represent the interest of the citizens of Kenya. Landholdings, transfer, and or acquisitions may not have gone the legal and just way since the British colonial Master left Kenya for Kenyans. Those deeds which were legally acquired under the same Colonial or, if you like, neo-Colonial, may not be legitimate given the fact that some individuals own lands equivalent to a whole division and more while others do not have anything at all.

Protecting the rights of individual land owners is vital just as it is ineluctable to attend historical land crimes committed before and after the colonial era. This is why we need sober minds to tackle our domestic issues based on a legitimate and just legal system. The paradox is that, using the current legal system to settle the major land conflicts, in my personal opinion, will even worsen the situation for the already poor, oppressed and scared land grabbing victims like the Laikipiaks.

Do you think that the legal system that Odinga didn’t dare seek refuge in, during his apparent stolen presidency is now legitimate to act on behalf of the victim? Or, will it be manipulated to protect the resource owning Class that own Kenya at the expense of the poor majority?

Our survival depends upon strong children

Thank you guys for the reaction! We really need more reactions on these paramount matters. The hope is to see us coming out from the 4^th world into the world where most of our country men are in, namely the 3^rd world. The dream is to not drink water with the wild animals straight from the dam.

Child mortality rate in our areas is very high. I think we need to contact our sisters who work with this kind of statistics to help us out. Children are dying among others due to dirty ground water.

Many children are devastated by worms. I hope they still demand a medical checkup before admitting them to secondary school and I think medical checkups should also be introduced to primary schools. Children rights groups in the area ought to proclaim about children right to grow in dignity and protection right?

To migrate our livelihood from the cow-based into something else which does not die during dry seasons? Very many human beings from the pastoral communities are extremely traumatized by the recurring deaths of their animals. Many never recover from these depressions.

It seldom rains in Mukogodo. Water harvesting maybe a debatable project but, underground water, or tapping from Timau is reliable. Both water and electricity can easily be connected from Timau to Kurikuri and to Serials board and Dol-dol town. Thereafter, to Il-polei and Kimanjo. It’s about the will and desire to bring change in as society that is needed.

Resources are there, and they have always been there. Leaders, yeah, they have also been there for themselves and for our containment through working as the national defenders for the elite and their system.

So if we must survive, then we must stop looking upon our leaders but ourselves! What can we do to ensure that our kids’ and coming generations can inherit the pride of self dignity and determination  inherited from God and crowned upon us by our fathers?

CDF committee? Aija, I thought there is a committee already which administers the funds allocation from the headquarters? Or is it the Councilors in Nanyuki county council who administer the whole package? If so, do they know what our priorities are? And if they do, who told them because I don’t think people are involved on the ground level?

But then Dol-dol is now the head quarters of the new district? Please advise me further on this because etejoki naa dei apa ore enemeshula enkikuei naa meshula enkiguana! (Gosh use the online dictionary please) Or maybe Dol-dol is not even getting its funds allocation?

Anyway, we have no cows no more and even if we did, we may no longer be able to sustain them due to climate change. The land in Mukogodo is dead. It cannot sustain any animal rearing and reclaiming it needs heavy engineering maybe imported from Israel or Quit? They know how to utilize dead lands. So cattle idea is gone! Oi kulo parakuo!

So. We need the government to stop that kind of abusive road projects they have! Don’t you guys get worked up when you travel from Nanyuki to Il-polei, and realize the tarmac road ends just by the Makandura bridge by the American children’s home center and there you enter the hell we call home to Mukogodo! That to me is a very significant gesture of injustice! You people don’t mean a thing. The American kids, yeah, they can enjoy the tarmac but not the Maasai’s!

The system does not build roads where there is not economical return..

And how about organizing our society through genuine sports clubs? You see, a society that is going to survive should have strong and healthy children. Our society shall have children who grow knowing that they are champions.

We want to draw attention to Mukogodo and we may not have many alternatives if we do not want to continue acting as tourist objects. We are good runners and we are indigenous people or aren’t we? Maybe the IAAF can focus on equal opportunities to all? Including some indigenous sports men in the neighborhood of indigenous Mukogodo forest? The naked truth that we are facing is that of survival and time is not on our side I fear.. Please Ole Nkapu add up the list and help us survive!

Saidimu Ole Ngais

Mobilize your friend! Get a piece of cake!

Let’s mobilize our community to know their rights.

We are a peace loving people. We try to do the best we can and go along with everybody even when we know we are sidelined. We are a people not well represented. We all know that we ought to be protected by our sovereign state but we are suffering quietly. We don’t like to cry in public and we can take a hit or two and still hold unto our faith.

We can elect the same Member of Parliament even when they reveal to be unwilling to help us as the one who was before him (HIM-not a single Maasai woman elected so far). All our cows can die as we migrate them along a 12m long colonial fence that took away our livelihood and identity and we cannot do anything because they are nowadays wildlife conservancies and we a wildlife loving community. FINE, FINE… YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUR GIRLS ARE CIRCUMCISED BUT WE, THE EDUCATED YOUTH ARE SERIOUSLY AGAINST THE RETROGRESSIVE TRADITION THAT DISCRIMINATE OUR GIRLS FROM ENJOYING THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO THEIR BODIES.

We don’t normally like to talk about sex and anything to do with this topic because is just not anything we do and absolutely not in public. However, the youth are learning how to write and type and even use online video to air their grievances. We, the younger generation of the Mukogodo Conservancy wants to be free from all oppressive ways of life. This is why we want to join our efforts as community mobilizers! That is us the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania.

Muraang Kipish. Yes, it’s about you and me, and Mepukori and, now let’s see the other soldier in Nairobi, thinking, and the other banker, and the other KWS, and the other social worker in Nanyuki? So many well placed Maasai grassroots “Tools”! That is what we need and we already have it.

OK, we know that the government is very heavy and slow! Let’s see what we can do for ourselves first! Can we mobilize each other with the word(s) you have the right to equal participation or you have the right to a portion of the cake! Kila mtoto ako na haki zake sio? Haya ambiya mwenzako(genderJ) lets peacefully and obediently engage in a civilized dialogue with the system.

We need 200 informed mobilizers. You already know what you want but no one gonna give you if you don’t ask for it! 1 step at a time.

Koree Laikitalak loo Laikipiak? Akiti! Eishaitie loodo kilani ntare engae?……:)

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

Agents to meet athletes from Mukogodo

To any agent out there,

This application is to request any athletic agency or sponsor who may be interested in recruiting gifted athletes from marginalized society like for example the Laikipia Maasai in Mukogodo, or the adjacent Samburu areas to kindly get in touch with me or any other Mukogodian to connect you to very promising athletes in Mukogodo RESERVE!

While I was checking out Mike Rainy’s facebook for news updates about current brutality affecting Samburu and Pokots, I came across a facebook event by Gallmann Memorial Foundation. I thought maybe you Rainy can acquire some connections or through Gallmann? Please, consider if you can, to get in touch with really good runners from Mukogodo. A number of them have been asking just to get the opportunity to display their talents. Call the headmaster Dol-dol high for more information.

You can also visit Dol-dol high school and ask the administration to provide the names of the gifted students who can be motivated to probably be the next gold medalists for Kenya?

I would really like to see our flag flying high on the Olympic Games next time with the flag bearer being one of the kids from those neglected frontiers! I am sure there are so many talented sportsmen and women in Mukogodo and those hot areas of Oldonyo Ngiro, Wampa and down to Orpurkel, whose talents go to waste because they never get to market their talents.

So many “leaping Maasai” would make very good high jumpers, long jumpers, triple jumpers as well as long distance runners! And get a descent reward for it. I also know that many Maasai’s are good in throwing javelin. I am sure most of you have seen the Maasai on TV jumping for tourist or for welcoming the tourist home but none of you have ever seen any Maasai competing for a medal for Kenya or Tanzania in any sport.

For you information, (Masai Linet Chepkwemoi) the one who made us all proud when she tactfully ran home a Gold medal on 10.000m stopping the almost unbeatable Ethiopians in 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin is not a Maasai but her father or mother may have been a Maasai? However, I am very happy for her and I celebrated when she cross the line a winner. After all, she’s my fellow countrymen and a cousin (Nilotic) tooJ

Back to the Mukogodo Reserve! Have anyone ever wondered why Maasai don’t participate in the national athletics? Someone may give very different reasons but my spontaneous reason is because they live far away from “Kenya” Laikipia north is quit a distance to travel from Nairobi. You know in Kenya, everything is centrally controlled. Now that President Kibaki made a Mukogodo into a District, I expect his government invest on a Laikipiak athletic center built adjacent to Moru-pusi in Dol-dol area. At least it would be a little step to securing the endangered lives of our youth in Mukogodo.

Major obstacle that stops promising athletes to succeed is the lack good connection. Additionally, most of them are poor. Taking great risks to travel to Nairobi to look for sponsorship is almost unthinkable.

A number of the well known athletes from Dol-dol high are keeping their hopes high that I may in some way find sponsors for them but the reality is very cruel. I don’t have “good contacts” either! I have always tried to let my young brothers and sisters back at home know that we need to organize ourselves and demand recognition. Seeing very gifted people ending up as young alcoholics just because they lived in fantasy that they would make it through athletics only to realize that nobody cares about them is such a traumatic experience.

It’s not easy to find sponsors if you don’t have contact with the “right people” So organize yourself and let the “Right” people start to see you and come to you! However, before this happens, please if you can, get in touch with Dol-dol and arrange an exhibition day! It’s much better that way, that having them displayed like articles in the market for tourist sake!

Mukogodo youth can come together and ask the newly formed Laikipia North District CDF committee, to invest the Community development funds on a sports club in Moru-pusi. That we can do? Just call a Baraza! Get a police permission if need be and Involve the area chief and other traditional elders. Am sure sports will combat a lot of social miseries like diseases and drug use as well as provide opportunity for economical growth.

Again, I call upon anybody who may have connections with any athletic agency who can sponsor very good athletics from Dol-dol High. Mike Rainy, Any good idea?

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

Enkishui E Maa thanks you for your support!

Wamaasai waandamana dhidi ya KWS 16/09/09

Dear All,

We will like to thank you all the Maa community for the support you showed during yesterday KWS demonstration. We are very delighted by your response and support.

 We do show our gratitude to those who called to show their support from here at home(Kenya), Tanzania and abroad, we do appreciate a lot. For those who made to the venue and participated in the peaceful ever demonstration we say thank you and may we always show the same spirit because that is how we can fight our enemies. You can see that together we stand and divided we fall.
To our Tanzania brothers what an amazing support from you. this shows that we are one community despite the boundaries between us and nothing can stop us from bringing together ideas and work together as one people.

We cannot also forget to thank those who did pray for us to make this a success. If you were not able to be there you have a chance today to see this event in your preferred television be it NTV, KTN, KBC…etc. in 7pm and 9pm news.

We do believe that Justice is going to prevail. If it is not the Maa community many game parks and reserves won’t have been in existence and for our people to be harassed, tortured and killed in cold blood is very painful.

To our Samburu brothers what happened yesterday was very sad and we stand together at this difficult moment and may God rest their soul in peace.

Regards

Caroline Patita & Leshan Leshao.

Source: Faceboom Enkishui E Maa

Related Issues.

Samburu massacre: Dozens dead in manyatta raid 15/09/09