Matiba’s solemn plea to Kenyans ahead of Thursday’s poll.
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| Jubilee Party leaders from Muranga, Kiambu and Mombasa Counties during a visit to Kenneth Matiba at his Diani Home. |
Speaking on his behalf at the Diani Beach home in Kwale
County, his wife Edith Matiba asked Kenyans to pray for peace and wished this
electioneering period comes to an end.
“All we want is Peace, Peace and more Peace. I ask every
Kenyan to go out and vote peacefully on the 26th (of October 2017)
and maintain that peace even after the polls,” said Edith.
Edith acknowledged the efforts made by President Uhuru
Kenyatta in bringing this country together as he endeavoured to reach out to
all the tribes of Kenya in an effort to have a unified and peaceful nation. She
added that the Head of State had distributed resources and wealth to all parts
of the country regardless of their political or religious affiliations.
“I would like to point out that these endless politicking is
really hurting us as Kenyans. We have seen Uhuru’s exemplary development record
across the country and had it not for negative politicking, he would have
performed even better. So, let’s us all pray that all this comes to an end and
everyone gets back to work,” she said.
She thanked the leaders from Mt. Kenya region for spreading
the good news about the president to different parts of the country and wished them
all the best in their mission to ‘sell’ President Uhuru to the people of Kwale
County.
While speaking at the same occasion, Murang’a Governor Mwangi
Wa Iria asked Kenyans to practice political tolerance during and after the October
poll.
“Matiba told us to always let the people to decide on their own
destiny. Let no one infringe on another person’s right to vote and choose the
leaders they want,” said Wa Iria.
He reckoned that it was wrong and illegal for the opposition
to use threats so as to scare away people who wished to participate in the
upcoming polls for their own selfish agenda. He appealed to all Kenyans to
stick to where they had registered and exercise their right to vote for the
government they wanted.
Thika MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina said that it was very wrong
for anyone to attempt to ascend to power by abusing the very freedoms that heroes
like Kenneth Matiba sacrificed for, telling NASA leaders their approach to
issues was misplaced and really jeopardising national cohesion and development.
He requested them to practice constitutionalism and abide by its norms instead
of polarising the country for political gain.
“There is always a time for everything. We have politicked
for more than one year now and NASA seems not ready to let Kenya be. It is time
Kenyans said enough is enough and put to an end endless politics by deciding on
their destiny on October 26,” said Wainaina.
Wainaina asked all Kenyans to preach peace wherever they
were and suggested that the proposed political dialogue to hold on until after
the polls.
He acknowledged Kenneth Matiba as an inspiration to his dream
to serve the people diligently.
Former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar thanked the leaders from
the Mt. Kenya region for putting the interest of all Kenyans ahead of
themselves by preaching peace and unity among the coastal people.
“I wish this gesture can be embraced by all and replicated
across the country. Kenya needs to preach peace and unity regardless of our ethnic
differences and backgrounds,” he said.
He also acknowledged Matiba’s struggle to fight for the freedoms
Kenyans currently enjoyed and asked them never to take certain privileges for
granted.
Other who spoke included former Ngewa Ward MCA Karungo Wa
Thang’wa.
In 1990, almost 30 years after Kenya’s independence, it had
become clear that the ideals that drove our quest for independence were not
only unmet, they had also been brutally betrayed and Kenya was marching
backwards. Assassinations
and disappearances were becoming normal. There was an assault on freedom of
thought, information and association.
Hundreds of Kenyans were being arrested or sacked because
they expressed or were suspected to hold opinions that were at variance with
those of the government. To simply put this into perspective, justice was
being denied to Kenyans who were being hauled to jail on trumped up charges.
This is the system that Kenyans in their anger and valour
woke up on this day in 1990 and decided to face head-on. It began with Kenneth
Matiba and Charles Rubia announcing that Kenya was ripe for multiparty
politics.
Matiba and Rubia never got to see the day. A few days later,
police officers were deployed to arrest and detain both Matiba and Rubia. Then
the crackdown began.
Matiba was held without trial at the Kamiti Maximum
Security Prison in 1990 with Charles Rubia, a member of the Kenyan Cabinet
who also called for multiparty democracy.
While in prison Matiba was refused medication and suffered a
stroke, which affected half his body and incapacitated him for some time.
Later, a multiparty system was instituted and Matiba was released.
Since then, Matiba has been dogged by ill-health stemming
from his 1990 imprisonment. His business holdings have also suffered.
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