Bodily scars that tell the story of liberation struggle for nations

I am not sure who will leave Kisumu today with injuries that will later turn into scars. It could happen if the threats that have been issued in the course of the week - that no political rally should happen in Kisumu - are anything to go by.

If physical bodies are ever singled out and asked to tell their story as part of history, their narratives may offer compelling lessons and an enduring record for society.

Deep in the past, we have the story of the scars in the palms of Jesus Christ and how he showed them to doubting Thomas leaving him astonished.

In the last decades of the 20th century there was the story of the chopped off hands of liberation icon Che Guevarra whose body was buried without them. And then there is the stolen tooth of Patrice Lumumba and his body dissolved in acid. 

The scarred hands of Jesus, the chopped hands of Quevara and the missing tooth of Lumumba are today metaphor’s of freedom from enslavement and abuse for humankind.

Raila Odinga always had a handkerchief in his pocket which he used to rub his teary left eye- a peculiar scar it was, which he sustained from police tear-gassing him and his supporters during the difficult days that preceded the current constitutional dispensation.

These thoughts came to my mind the other day when I held a meeting with Governor James Orengo to discuss the Kisumu rally due to be held on Sunday.

Looking at him across the table in his office, one of his middle fingers caught my eye. Whenever he folded his fingers one of them remained almost straight.

"Brother, is that the finger that was broken in Kisii by the police?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah, you still remember?" He replied.

Orengo's finger and by extension his hand has a history that ought to inspire at least selective sympathy for him by the Kisumu goons on Sunday April 26th.

Orengo and the Muungano wa Mageuzi pressure group tried to hold a public rally in Kisii which turned out to be against the wishes of the state and sections of the local leadership. This was around the year 2001. The police and goons attacked him and beat him up breaking his finger, fracturing his hand as he desperately protected his head from being clobbered.

He was swiftly driven to Aga Khan Hospital -Nairobi, by his comrade and companion Mukhisa Kituyi. He was admitted with multiple injuries. The meeting he had gone to hold had been disallowed and threats of violence had been made. Looking at the current push by political youngsters leading Linda Mwananchi and their planned rally in Kisumu, one sees similar threats thrown out at them. 

At Aga Khan his finger was plastered. He was instructed not to move his injured hand to allow room for quick recovery – doctors ordered him to remain in bed. Outside the hospital he was admitted, members of Muungano wa Mageuzi resolved that they would go back to Kisii to hold the rally to enforce the freedom of assembly clause as enshrined in the then Constitution.  

Orengo had to persuade his doctor to discharge him and prepare him for the rally.

"Daktari, I must attend that rally. I will come back to continue with treatment" He said and added.

"You will have to remove this string supporting my hand because how will I run in the event that the police attack us again?" Orengo told me at our sitting the other day. 

Reluctantly and against professional regulations, the hospital discharged Orengo but refused to honour his plea to remove the string  supporting his arm.

Those days Members of Parliament were not as "honorable" living in some ivory tower and driving fuel guzzlers as they are these days. They were more friendly and would give lifts to activists. And so Orengo git to Kisii. The government deployed lorry loads of policemen there who caused chaos. Citizens resisted the terror by burning tires and throwing stones.

On my part my mother's Kalenjin blood ensured that I outran the police pursuing me - finding the gate to the hotel locked, I climbed over the wall in time and jumped into the compound. At least on this occasion, our leader, Orengo, survived a second beating.

The story of Orengo's left hand is long. During the "No reforms no elections" rally in the 90s at Kamukunji, his bodyguard stretched out his hand to protect him. The beating got so vicious the bodyguard took off forcing Orengo to protect his skull again using his left hand. He had to be treated again. Unlike most of us Orengo never ran away. I can confidently say that his left hand is more brave than the right one.

Of the scarred hands that would tell their stories to Kenya, no one’s hand has suffered violence more than Rev. Timothy Njoya's left one. That hand was broken three times  as Njoya fought for the right to freedom of assembly and expression. That freedom that the country’s leading lights of the second liberation fought for  is being blocked again- as is feared during Kisumu’s Sunday rally – by state sponsored goons.

On one of those occasions, he was beaten by goons right before my eyes. I stood meters away from him numbed by the degree of violence. We were retreating from Parliament as the police on horseback chased us. I have never forgiven myself for failing to intervene to save Njoya. I had just asked Njoya to address the crowd outside Parliament as soon as I succeeded in getting it to be orderly.

My fear had a background. The same Njoya had earlier on been attacked by the police at All Saints Cathedral and subjected to similar violence. Kepta Ombati, a young activist could not stand the horror. He dashed to Njoya's rescue. The boy was clobbered till his leg was broken. The two shared a hospital ward and carried plasters for long. Talk of comradeship "a word bathed in blood" as stated by Mozambique's Samora Machel. The two casualties have remained inextricably together as family not just comrades. Aware of Kepta's experience, I was not able to help Njoya that day, many years ago – the beating numbed my senses.

On the occasion of Njoya's beating near Parliament, comrade Ndungi Githuku ran towards him and rescued him. Years later at another function that was disrupted at Freedom Conner in Uhuru Park, I stood by him in anticipation of chaos. Unfortunately, for me, the violence did not reach him to give me the chance to apologize with antics in his defense. I instead used the opportunity to apologise to him verbally for my betrayal at Parliament where I had failed him.

Stories about the struggle for freedom of assembly and expression should speak to those planning to disrupt the Kisumu rally to behave well. The rally has interesting parallels with the one hat was convened by Kwanza Member of Parliament George Kapten- deceased, before the 2002 general election. The rally was attended by over thirty members of parliament.

Ford Kenya had broken into two factions just like ODM today. Kwanza MP George Kapten and Kimilili’s Mukhisa Kituyi were on one side while late Michael Wamalwa Kijana led the mainstream Ford-K.

As was with Oburu's ODM faction, Wamalwa's wing enjoyed the support of the government. The meeting in Sabwani Primary School was banned by the government. Wamalwa's wing opposed the rally and embarked on counter mobilization. Information available to me indicates that the same thing is happening over the Kisumu rally.

In Sabwani, goons were mobilized rather openly by then ruling party politicians. Being in charge of field operations, I noted this as I mobilized. Infact when I went to check the venue early in the morning, goons had already arrived and I noted that they had been dropped by two land rovers. Later on, my form one student who later became MP for Mt Elgon confessed to have led the goons. On this occasion he instructed his goons not to attack me as he took cover in a nearby grown grass. In the current setup over Kisumu, political suspect leaders from UDA and Oburu's camp are reported to be already in Kisumu.

The Goons in Sabwani were armed with various weapons: clubs, bows and arrows, a granade and a gun which fortunately malfunctioned at the time it was called to action. If the attack on Senator Godfrey Osotsi is anything to go by, goons in Kisumu are expected to be in possession of guns among other weapons. 

In Sabwani, the civil society led by Kenya Human Rights Commission and the release Political Prisoner's, deployed their personnel on the ground. Infact when a granade was thrown at us, it's Ndugi Githuku of RPP who helped me in the rescue operation for those who sustained injuries as dignitaries like Jirongo drove off in fear. A man was killed by my security team which chased the attackers that were accompanied by then Eldoret North MP William Ruto – now president.

As Sunday Kisumu rally runs, it is important that the civil society of today emulates the civil society of those days by declaring their solidarity with Linda Mwananchi and proceed to participate in the rally. Clearly the rights that are threatened are the ones we fought for during our energetic youth.

Interestingly, Orengo who spoke in the Sabwani meeting and I, who administered the rally in Kitale will be attending the Kisumu rally. We pray that the God who protected him from the granade that was thrown at us be available to do the same in Kisumu.

Just in case a decision has been made to cause mayhem, I plead to the leader of the goons to ensure that Orengo is spared the dishonor of the violence. This is what the leader of the attackers in Sabwani-Kitale did for me because I was his English teacher in form one in Cheptais Secondary School. 

Orengo is undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of our republic. Respect to Orengo is consistent with war ethics. Generals are always spared in wars perhaps because it takes years to create a five-star General like James Orengo.

More than anybody else, Orengo's body bears the story of Kenya's second liberation struggle. He has always been marked present at all turning points in our progressive transition as a country.

When you sit with him, he will tell you the story of the scars on his body and how they coincide with the history of resistance to evil in Kenya. Lest we forget, the good book says, a person of his stature and age has the power to bless and to curse.

Is the Kisumu function a Linda Mwananchi rally? Not at all. "What is at stake is beyond Linda Mwananchi. Freedom of assembly and expression are at stake. Our turn may just come after their experience." Dr Fred Matiang'i has said of the rally, 

Between Ruto and his allies in ODM and Orengo and his allies in Linda Mwananchi, who deserve public attention on matters that relate to national salvation?"

Kisumu here we come.