Kenya as a Police State

Posted by Amkeni Ndugu Zetu! July 17, 2024

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The Legacy of Fear: How the Shadow of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Shaped Kenya's Political Landscape In the annals of Kenya's political history, the events of 1969 stand out as a defining moment marked by fear, coercion, and manipulation. The political tension surrounding Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's candidature led to a series of oath-taking ceremonies in Gatundu that forever altered the fabric of Kenyan society. Understanding this historical context is crucial, especially when contemporary politicians attempt to invoke these dark chapters for political gain. The Fear of Jaramogi and the Birth of the Gatundu Oath The roots of the infamous Gatundu oath can be traced back to the fear and propaganda surrounding Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the former vice-president and then-leader of the opposition. By 1969, the political landscape in Kenya was charged with tension. The assassination of Cabinet Minister Tom Mboya on 5th July 1969 had already set a volatile backdrop. Within this context, Pr...

"You have the emergence in human society
of this thing that's called the State.
What is the State?
The State is this organized bureaucracy,
It is the police department.
It is the Army, the Navy.
It is the prison system, the courts, and what have you.
This is the State -- it is a repressive organization
But the state -- and gee, well, you know,
you've got to have the police, cause...
If there were no police, look at what you'd be doing to yourselves!
You'd be killing each other if there were no police!
But the reality is...
The police become necessary in human society
only at that junction in human society
where it is split between those who have and those who ain't got."
-Chairman Omali Yeshitela in Dead Prez's "Police State" (Let's Get Free, 200)