Comments on: Its out turn to eat: the return of fear? or just fear of libel suit?

By: stivbico

stivbico — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:20:14 +0000

its about nine months gone and the issues raised in Wrong’s/Githongo’s book seem like a distant past, long forgotten. is it because the issue is no longer the center of attention or that more damning issues have been revealed since then? i read this book and i think than John did the right thing to leave the country at that time. i also know for sure that Kenya is not a book reading society…i admittedly am one of those Kenyans but the book confirmed my layman’s suspicion and theories of the goings on in power circles all along.that goes to say that Kenyans know what is going on but the question is whether these vices will cease; i think not.
on whistle blowers, it is obvious that our society has no room for these sort of heroes, don’t be fooled, i wonder how Ocampo is dealing with that and finally on healing…Kenya has been “healing” since independence and the drama goes on…as a citizen i remain optimistic about my country’s future but the only irony is that my country belongs to someone else.so, do i wait until it’s my turn to eat?

By: Kingwa Kamencu

Kingwa Kamencu — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:03:01 +0000

GPO Oulu and Oscar King’aara as well, to give a further example of what happens to truth tellers. Good discussion going on here. Want to invite you to carry it further. PEN Kenya is holding readings and discussions of Michela Wrong’s ‘It’s out Turn to Eat’ on Sunday the 14th of June at the Kenya National Theatre from 2 to 5.30pm. We also have copies of the book on sale at ksh. 900 only. See you there and do spread the word, entry is free.

By: Edward Miller

Edward Miller — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:23:24 +0000

Bantu Mwaura is dead. This is what we do to truth-tellers….

By: afriend

afriend — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:04:10 +0000

The amazing thing is that many critics of Githongo’s book do not contradict or counter any of the information contained therein but instead chose to attack his choice method of delivery i.e by documenting the grand scale corruption in the form of a book. Engaging in sideshows to be precise.

This information and method is not unique to Githongo, indeed, Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Koigi Wamwere have also done likewise.

So lets narrowmindedly focus on the sideshow,

Questions to ask would be,

a) would it have been better to lock horns with those whose turn it was to eat and get fired/sacked, stood up and possibly assassinated and all this remains under the carpet?

b) should he have taken the matters to the AG, KACC, Ali and other similar agencies that always get tongue tied when dealing with the fat cats? thus join a long list of pending cases shrouded in mystery

c) held kamukunjis at uhuru park and provide entertainment and exercise to wanainchi and GSU

etc

Note that he already did the first step at the time which was to inform and keep in the loop the chief executive (i.e the one who has all the right buttons to press to mobilize action) and was stunned at the amazing silence

Now what could Githongo possibly do, if with hindsight, Karua who was the Min for Justice has in her own words after 3 years at this position (considered even more powerful in many ways than a mere PS that Githongo was) has conceded that the Justice system is corrupt and unmoving due to a cabal of operators close to the chief executive.

Actually my prefered method of delivery would have been to ask Githongo to personally handcuff or shoot to kill those whose turn it was to eat, but for now am content to read the book.

Peace out

By: Edward Miller

Edward Miller — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:32:36 +0000

The real question: What do we do with whistleblowers and truth-tellers? Do we have room in our society for them? Do we have a mechanism with which to deal with them? At this point, regrettably, it seems we do not. David Munyakei is perhaps the most infamous case – the Goldenburg whistleblower who did receive one award post-whistleblowing, but who languished, and eventually died, in obscurity and poverty. How many Kenyans consider him a hero? Many fewer, surely, than attend Kamlesh Pattni’s church. It is distressing to hear Githongo villified, to see that 60 percent of viewers during a TV interview with him last year considered him a traitor (via an sms poll). After all, the issue is not really whether he and Michela Wrong are telling the truth. Most of his detractors do not claim that he is lying… they simply question his motive for baring all, and they wonder why he did it in that particular way. Some (see David Ndungu above) do mistrust Githongo and Wrong’s information. But I can’t for the life of me think of one reason why anyone would fabricate all of that. Besides, the evidence is there in the tapes. So, back to the big question: Why can’t we celebrate truth-tellers? Why aren’t all of us, Kikuyus and everyone else, hugging and thanking the people who have revealed truth about this government? Because there is no dignity in that? Should thieves be surrounded with dignity? Or because, while everyone acknowledges existent corruption, we needn’t make Kenya/Africa look bad, especially to a former colonial power? From me: thank you, brave truth-tellers. Thank you to the investigative journalists who have uncovered the truth about the corruption, nepotism, cronyism, greed, and contempt for the law of the Bush administration. Thank you to the critics of the Obama administration. I believe we need to tear down certain current social mores and remove the straitjacket of etiquette… and demand honesty and accountability from our employees – MPs and ministers, prime ministers and presidents. After all, we hired ‘em…

By: Andrea Bohnstedt

Andrea Bohnstedt — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:52:16 +0000

I’m a big wimp. You don’t need to threaten me with death-by-car-accident for me to tuck my figurative tail between my legs and run. I also think accusing Githongo of insufficient heroism is besides the point and a detour from what the book is about.

By: Andrea Bohnstedt

Andrea Bohnstedt — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:44:21 +0000

David,
Whistleblowers getting killed under the current regime: Off the top of my head, I can think of the police man who testified about extrajudicial police killings and was shot down the road from Sarit Centre. This was a broad-daylight execution in the middle of the street. No efforts to even disguise it as a traffic accident or so.

By: David Ndungu

David Ndungu — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:50:13 +0000

One more quick thought; Githongo is not the only person that has crossed the path of the Kibaki administration. How many people have “mysteriously disappeared” or been involved in “freak car accidents” courtesy of the Kibaki government for John Githongo to use that excuse to abscond?

By: David Ndungu

David Ndungu — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:10:54 +0000

There is a marked difference between selling the book and reading the book. If anyone fears reading the book in public, that is self-instilled fear since there’s no law against reading libellious material but there is one against publishing it and distributing it.
Secondly, John Githongo has with the assistance of the media created this angelic image of himself so that anything and everything he says is taken as Gospel truth. While I do not hold brief for any of the corrupt government officials in the current or past Governments, let us not blindly accept everything Githongo or Wrong (no pun intended) say. Remember they had a book to try and sell so the need to make it as entertaining and sensational as possible could have led them to cross certain lines.

I have read the book and while it has some damning details, it does read like a good novel.

By: Javas Bigambo

Javas Bigambo — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:53:19 +0000

The reading of books, to a greater extent, is a vital attempt to removing some of the rubish that lies in the way to knowledge. It’s self defeatist for one to argue in support of progress and development, when when at the same time is fithting the acquisition of knowledge.
Sharon has a good view about the Githongo book, but i contend that the view,hitherto, is not necessarily right. It shall suffice to my present purpose to submit that for books to be bought, bookstores must exist, and do well. This,basically, is the sociology of education.
We all fathom the political climate in Kenya,especially when it relates to combating graft. One may argue that it was cowardly of Githongo to escape to other lands,given the cases he was handling. But then again,it’s highly probable that Githongo might have “disappeared” or murdered in cold blood, were he to remain around and expose what he exposed.
Between what is what what is not comprehensible by us is that it’s the elit who fuel the perpetuation of graft in the body politic by philosophizing on the “definition” of graft,and throwing our intellectual weight on specific sides, oblivious of the fact that we are only appeasing the monster. The Githongo book should be sold. Let people read. Why should we fail to condemn the selling of Pornographic literature on our city streets and all,and are smart enough to thwart the attempts by a progressive to get good ideas accross? Githongo’s efforts,in my estimate, are largely lodable. Let us ask ourselves what we have done thus far,to support the demise of graft in Kenya.