If Raila Were the President

A Christian newspaper in Tanzania, Mwamini Mungu, yesterday alleged that Kenya would be ruled by Sharia Law if Raila were the president. In fact, this was the lead story in the newspaper.

It continued to say that the arsonists who torched churches in some parts of the country were in fact venting their hatred and ire for failing to achieve their goal of turning Kenya into a Muslim state. The nitty gritty of how this would have been accomplished was set in a secret meeting that was held on 29th August, 2007 in Mombasa between Raila and a cross section of Muslim leaders.

The fact that only churches, and not Mosques, were targeted is reason enough to believe the crisis in Kenya is not only fuelled by political reasons but also by religious fanaticism.

One of the reasons that was tendered to prove this claim was the secret MOU which was signed between ODM‘s Raila Odinga and the chairman of the board of Islamic leaders in Kenya Sheikh Abdullah Abdi.

This MOU said in part that once Raila took the helm he would acknowledge Islam and accord it special treatment.

Another politician who is believed to be party to the secret MOU, which the paper claims to have a copy of, was Najib Balala (a Muslim and a leader who is very popular at the Coast especially in Mombasa).

Among the ‘demands’ tabled by the Muslims in the event that ODM won the presidency was a change to the laws of the land to set apart Coast and North Eastern Provinces for Muslims. Muslims would have complete control of the regions’ religious matters.

The Council of Muslims would be responsible to go through requests to start religions other than Islam in these regions. They would have the final say whether to accept or reject the requests. This would be for the purposes of rooting out any “imani potofu” and Satan worship.

Within six months of the ODM in power, a new constitution would be drawn. This new constitution would embrace Islamic laws (Sharia Law) to be at work in the regions set apart for Muslims.

The ODM government would sack the Police Commissioner with immediate effect. It would also ‘break’ the special Force that deals with terrorism (ATPU) which is believed to be ferrying some Kenyans( mostly Muslims) who are suspected to be terrorists to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Raila, it is said, agreed to the creation of Kadhi Courts in each and every District in the republic when he ascended to the highest office in the land. Madrasa classes (classes where Islam is taught to children) would also be incorporated in the school system. Each and every primary school would have Madrasa for the Muslim students. Religious open air meetings (such as crusades) would not be allowed in the Coast and North Eastern Provinces.

The MOU also stipulated that all areas where 40% of the people are Muslims, alcohol would not be allowed to be sold. Also preaching that is accompanied by signs and wonders of miraculous healing would be illegal in such areas.

The killing of 14 Kenyans: Something just does not jell

It has been reported in the Tanzania media that:
• Plans to execute them had long been planned
• Tanzanian police pretended to be robbers


The newspaper Sauti ya Watu Tanzania Daima (a Tanzanian daily) on Monday September 17th, 2007 carried a very controversial version of the story about the killing of 14 suspected robbers of Kenyan origin in Moshi a few days earlier.

According to the newspaper, the killing of the Kenyans was something that had been planned and staged. It is said that some Tanzanian police travelled to Kenya and posed as accomplices in criminal activities and succeeded in luring these people to Tanzanian soil

According to a source who divulged information about the whole plan, the ground where the police executed their heinous act was a clear ground with no obstructions. So the question is: If there was a shootout between the police and the robbers, why were there no police casualties?

It is alleged that these ‘robbers’ were taken to their supposed hideout in police cars that did not have number plates of the police force. Here the police sprayed their car and that of the ‘robbers’ with bullets in a bid to ‘hide’ the truth of what actually happened.

Just to show that the whole event was like a drama of sorts, a police car (registration number T 168 AEA Hiace GLX) was sprayed with bullets on the top of the body. Its windscreen was, incidentally, not broken. This is something that is very unlikely in the event of a shootout.

Questions arise here:

• If there really was a shoot out, why was there no glass that was broken in the vehicle of the police?
• In the alleged shoot out, why were there no casualties on the side of the police?
• If it really was a planned event, what was its aim?
• Was the aim of the ‘event’ intertwined with the supposed Tanzanian police’ heartfelt desire to show their president that they are working?
• Under whose direction was it?
• Is theTanzania Daima account a true representation of what happened on the ground? If it is true, what are its dynamics?

Can the Tanzanian police force come clean of these serious allegations? Kenya does not need nor does it deserve the heartrending bashing that it has been receiving from some quarters of Tanzania of late…
(Tell the writer of this blog what you think.)

Kenyans are Just Being Themselves ; Playing the Excuse Game?

On Tuesday, September 11th, 2007, Habari Leo newspaper carried a story titled “Wakenya waanza visingizio” (Kenyans now start looking for excuses) on its front page.

The article started by saying that Kenyans were complaining that they were finding it increasingly hard to cross the border into Tanzania as they were being mistreated by immigration officers at the borders.

For instance, at the Isebania border post, there is a heavy presence of immigration officers hell bent on checking the ‘insalubrious’ influx of Kenyans into Tanzania. Kenyans found without the requisite travel documents have had to go through harrowing experiences.

This has left a bad taste in the mouths of Kenyans as they rightly ask why they are being mistreated while the Tanzanians crossing the border do so without a fuss being raised.

In the past, Kenyan businessmen were crossing the border on their way to Tarime (which is 25 kilometres from the Isebania border post) without any problem whatsoever. But now, according to these businessmen, things have changed.

There are many Kenyans working in Tanzania, the newspaper continues, and hundreds of Tanzanians working in Kenya as small scale business people, bartenders and sellers of second hand clothes (Mitumba in East Africa speak). This is slowly becoming a thing of the past as mistrust stealthily creeps between the two countries.

This mistrust has further been amplified by the recent armed robberies on Tanzanian soil thanks to robbers of Kenyan descent. This state of affairs has received the full vent of Tanzanian President Mr. Kikwete and the Minister for Internal Security Mr. Bakari Mwapachu.

The good intention of the East Africa Community, where it behooves us to live as brothers and sisters, is being sacrificed at the altar of bureaucracy and misconstruction. In fact, things are being taken for what they are not – literally speaking.

That’s my take. What’s yours?

These Kenyans - A Pain in the . . .

Of late Kenya has been featuring in the Tanzania Media (and all manner of stories told) in not too flattering a light.

The general opinion of Kenya and Kenyans carried by the man on the street in Tanzania has been greatly and immensely dented by the heavily opinionated press that is Tanzania’s watchdog.

Kenyans, in Tanzania speak, are a byword for armed robbers; illegal immigrants; conniving schemers (perpetrators of pyramid schemes and other such hair brained ideas); sticklers for diligence and industry on the job (the trump card they save for the opportune moment!); opportunists (who are out to wrench and wrest job opportunities from Tanzanians’ hands); possessors of a rude and uncouth disposition and a host many more.

This blog is out to bring to you what the Tanzania media says about Kenya (and Kenyans). It is also out to investigate the general feeling and opinion carried by Tanzanians on matters concerning Kenya and its citizens.