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.