“Burn Kenya, Burn.” Think About This..

A man rides a motorcycle past a burnt petrol station and a charred building in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, on June 20, 2014. More than 60 people were killed over two days. PHOTO / JOAN PERERUAN >> NATION MEDIA GROUP

Article By : Peter Gaitho

“I have seen the script more times than I care to remember. A spark is lit in an unpretentious manner in a far-off outpost, just like Mpeketoni.

Two days later, the small embers generate some heat. 65 dead turn to 100, then 300. Before long, thousands are dead. Massive rapes, wanton destruction of property; the whole land is lit.

This is how it begins on social media; “Kill them, useless people,” “Hang all by the neck until they die,” “Circumcise them with a blunt knife,” “Washenzi, kill them all, your tribesmen think they are the best, we’ll finish them.” The vitriolic battle on Facebook and Twitter is real.

Soon enough, they generate enough heat, then hell breaks loose. The first victims are far off. Then the battle drums are beaten in your county, then in your district and ultimately in your neighbourhood.

Long before the battle reaches your village, you soon realize that you cannot access the nearest town, hakuna magari, hakuna unga in the shops. You cannot even get a Safaricom scratch card to buy internet bundles. So you are cut off from the social media. The same one you used and depended upon to “kill” your presumed enemies.

Before you know it, you escape death by a whisker, but with a deep cut on your right shoulder. No dispensary is open anywhere. No hospital either. The fight for your community’s right to be included in the government turns into a fight for your own life.

The leaders who egged you on are nowhere to be seen, or heard. They are watching events unfold in the safety of Sheraton Hotel by the Nile River, Uganda.

Humanitarian organizations hurriedly put up refugee camps. Maybe in a Catholic Church compound. Maybe the UNHCR has erected tents in Busia, Uganda, or Moyale, Ethiopia.

The UN compound in Nairobi is turned into a huge meeting place where all communities gather. And you end up in one of the camps.

Fighting for the few tents becomes the order of the day. A few rations reach your parched throat three days later. The gush on your right shoulder in gangrenous.

The overworked Medicines Sans Frontiers doctor is busy with a dying child next to your bed in a stinking, wet, humid tent hospital. There is wailing outside. You pray for death, but it takes its sweet time.

MASS, UNMARKED GRAVE

Anderson Cooper from CNN and his trademark black t-shirt have made it to your camp. The wide view camera catches you gnashing your teeth with high fever and bloody bandages over your right shoulder.

Your picture is seen worldwide, thanks to globalised, 24-hour media.

Omondi meets with Karanja and Omar and Werunga in the camp. They converse in low tones in Swahili wondering where the rain started beating them. They cannot remember when they last took a bath. They share a lone cigarette bootlegged into the camp by Mutiso.

In the meantime, in the Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, the political leaders hammer a truce negotiated by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn and the AU. They share out government positions.

But you cannot celebrate the truce. For you see, three days before it happens, you, together with 43 others, are buried in a mass unmarked grave 12 miles outside the refugee camp.

None of your relatives will ever learn of your fate. Your amputated right arm is food for the vultures and hyenas in the refugee camp dump site.

Yes, my fellow countrymen and women, war is real. It kills real people; it leaves real women widowed, real children orphans, real men maimed.

Before you click ‘Send’ on that bigoted, egotistical hate message on Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp, Think Twice.

 

Peter Gaitho is a PhD student in Communication Science at the University of South Africa (UNISA)  

 

“..Michelle hates fat people..”: Why Oprah got the cold shoulder from the White House…

Strained relationship: President Barack Obama and the First Lady with Oprah Winfrey during the taping of a TV special, Christmas at the White House. Picture: AP Source: AP

OH my. Barack Obama’s caught in a love triangle and it may harm his election chances.

The Amateur, written by Edward Klein, a former editor of the New York Times Magazine, says the First Lady became jealous of Oprah’s access to her husband shortly after he won the 2008 election.

 

It claims Mr Obama used to drop everything to take Oprah’s calls and the talk show host began to believe she had earned right to shape White House since she was instrumental in helping him win the election.

But the relationship soon started to cool, as extracts of the book published in the New York Post make clear:

“It soon became apparent that something had gone wrong between Oprah and the new administration – or, more precisely, between Oprah and Michelle Obama,” Klein says in the book.

“The problem seemed to originate from two of Michelle’s advisers, Valerie Jarrett and Desirée Rogers, the new White House social secretary. They resented Oprah’s meddling. Among other things, Oprah had a plan to redecorate the Lincoln bedroom. She also had ideas about how Michelle could put more zing into White House social events.

“As the person who controlled access to the first couple, Valerie Jarrett saw Oprah as a potential threat to her power. If Oprah went unchecked, she would bypass Valerie and go directly to the president and First Lady. And so Valerie set about turning Michelle against Oprah. Oprah was too close to the president . . . Oprah was acting like she was the first lady . . . Oprah didn’t know her place . . . Oprah was a bad influence . . . Valerie advised Michelle to ‘distance herself’ from Oprah and cut her out of the White House inner circle.

“It didn’t take much to convince Michelle. As far as Michelle was concerned, Oprah’s billions and her elite lifestyle disqualified her as an adviser to Barack.”

The book further alleges that Mrs Obama made a jibe about Oprah’s weight and refers to an alleged disagreement the pair had over Mrs Obama’s childhood obesity campaign.

Oprah allegedly screamed out to a friend after being dropped: “Michelle hates fat people and doesn’t want me waddling around the White House!”

A White House spokesman has said that Klein has made up stories to sell his book. “Nobody in their right mind would believe the nonsense in this one.”

Although the Obamas have appeared on Oprah’s shows since the alleged rift, Oprah isn’t as close to Obama’s election campaign as she was in 2007 and the book will put a further strain on the relationship.

….as they say with great power comes great responsibility…..or is it, keep your friends close,but your enemies closer..?? whatever the case, they rich, they’re powerfull…this shouldn’t affect you in any way whatsoever.?!! I think!