I am writing to thank you for your efforts to keep on defending Kenyans in Diaspora whenever need arises. I wish to mention that not much needs to be added to your comments regarding the attack aimed at Kenyans in Diaspora
As you well know, I am part of the Diaspora although most of the times I am in Kenya, trying to advocate for meaningful and ideological changes in politics through our Party the Chama Cha Mwananchi (CCM).
For Clay Muganda to lump all Kenyans in one basket and accuse them of interfering with Kenyan politics as if they are not Kenyans, is a sign of stupidity and ideological bankruptcy. This man forgets that Kenyans abroad are more likely to better understand how their leaders are doing things back home.
They have information from their relatives and friends back in Kenya. They visit Kenya regularly as I do and see things as they are. Kenyans abroad are more ideologically aware of how politics in Kenya is conducted and from this position, they can tell what is being done wrong and by who.
Osewe mentioned that we, Kenyans in Diaspora, are doing many good things back home with the money we work hard for abroad. With our own money, we even send the bodies of Kenyans who die abroad to rest, regardless of their tribes thereby saving their families back home from such expenses.
We have opened schools for the orphaned while we also send, on a regular basis, medical equipment for free to various hospitals in Kenya. We have been sending money to help maintain Kenyans who returned to Kenya to try to bring sanity in Kenyan politics. We have been sending money to help buy medicine for political prisoners in Kenyan jails. We are daily sending money to relatives in IDPS. Recently Kenyans in Stockholm sent about a quarter million Kenyan shillings to assist the displaced. I wonder how much Muganda has spent on IDPS since his money does not come from dish-washing.
We do not only send money to Kenya but we also help keep watch on what politicians are doing when they travel abroad. I remember one time in 1997 when the current President visited us in Sweden through our invitation and we told him our minds and gave advice on the Kenya that Kenyans wanted. I hope Kibaki still remembers what we told him.
Raila also visited us in Sweden and we gave him a piece of our minds. I hope he will do as he promised – to make Kenya a better place for all. Many other politicians whom Muganda finds hard to meet always meet us while abroad and sit with us not as bosses but as fellow citizens.
Personally, what I have witnessed is that Kenyans abroad are most likely, going to be the only voice of reason this time since there is no opposition in Parliament. Kenyans will need to know what their leaders are doing or not doing for them. As Osewe rightly said, we do not only send money to Kenya but are also trying to put some sense of responsibility in our leader’s minds. Angered by what we saw after claims of rigged elections, we find it important to create ideologically oriented parties that will work hard to change the negative thinking among ordinary Kenyans and the likes of Muganda who can’t see beyond the length of their noses, leave alone criticize their tribal chiefs.
I was in Kenya the whole period of elections but I did not catch the first flight back to Sweden after chaos erupted. I remained in Kenya the whole of December, January and part of February, visiting IDPs and giving them any available assistance from CCM. I am still in Kenya to be part of the change we need in our country. We have a long way to go before Kenya returns to lasting sanity.
I have little hope that things will be alright soon for poor Kenyans, but at the same time I hope that Kenyans at home will not go back to cutting each other’s throats.
It’s my hope that as time goes by, Kenyans abroad will increase their resources in other areas such as politics to support true changes. We now have about three parties led by Kenyans who lived abroad just less than five years ago. We have CCM, in which I am Secretary General with Koigi being the founder, SDP with Mwandawiro Mghanga as the Chairman and ODM which Raila leads. He was once in exile too.
As Osewe said, life abroad is not easy and people like Muganda are just making very wrong conclusions. If he gets his way, Muganda would like all Kenyans abroad to shut up and let the Mugandas and his likes active in Kenyan politics spill venom against innocent and hard working Kenyans abroad.
I appeal to all Kenyans not to be intimidated by “frog-noise”. Just go on doing the good work you are doing and let actions speak for you. Have a nice Easter.
Dick Kamau in Kenya
