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Kenyans in the Diaspora asked to help shape the next elections

Hon. Bishop Margaret Wanjiru Kariuki, Assistant Minister for Housing and founder of Jesus is Alive Ministries (JIAM), second left, answers questions from Kenyans during a town hall meeting held on monday this week. With her is Amos Wangombe of Health for Nations Inc. left, Pastor Joshua Wambua of the Diaspora Advisory Council and Rapture Harvest Mission International (RHMI), and Caroline Musyimi also of RHMI. H.Maina/Ajabu Media

By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa, Posted November 18, 2011

WAKEFIELD, Mass.,_Kenyans living in the Diaspora have been asked to take an active role at influencing who will be elected into office during the upcoming 2012 general elections since they have become more educated and exposed to holding leaders accountable for their actions.

If this happens, Kenya would start getting onto a fast track for ending the “demon of tribalism” which has resulted in slow progress in all spheres of life, said Hon. Bishop Margaret Wanjiru Kariuki, Assistant Minister for Housing and founder of Jesus is Alive Ministries (JIAM) in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bishop Wanjiru was speaking to several dozen Kenyans last Monday at the Rapture Harvest church in Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA in a town hall meeting organized by Pastor Joshua Wambua who is also the director of the Diaspora Advisory Council in Boston.

The Bishop attended a 3-day revival conference hosted by the church that ended on Sunday
where she challenged Christians to ready themselves to vie for leadership positions in next year’s general elections. The theme of the conference was cry heal and move on to destiny.

Wanjiru said that the failure by Kenyan leaders to effectively address tribalism has denied average Kenyans a better way of life while the leaders continue to live in luxuries. For example, a Member of Parliament makes about KSH 800,000 ($8,400) a month while most Kenyans can hardly afford two meals a day, she said.

She said that tribalism was largely responsible for the 2007 violence that claimed more than 1,500 lives while leaving thousands without homes.

“Let us kill this demon of tribalism before Kenya goes the Rwanda way. Let us destroy tribalism.” she pleaded with the friendly Kenyan crowd , referring to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Wanjiru advised Kenyans in next year’s general election to do a background check to find credible and responsible leaders committed to developing their regions. She asked Kenyans not to vote for someone with no track record to show.

The bishop asked Kenyans in the Diaspora to lead the way by showing Kenyans back home how to hold their leaders accountable since it is hard to corrupt a Kenyan in the Diaspora into voting for candidates with nothing to show as happens with many voters back home.

She added that since the new constitution will allow Kenyans in the Diaspora to vote, it is critical that Kenyans abroad start asking leaders who come to look for votes about their development records.

Bishop Wanjiru said she was proud of her development projects she initiated in her Starehe constituency since she was first elected on an Orange Democratic Movement Party (ODM) ticket.

She said that even though Starehe has one of the largest slums in the world like Mathare, she has improved the quality of lives in the slums by providing additional housing, clean water and sanitary blocks.

She also said that she has defended slum dwellers in Mathare and Kibera against evictions and rent hikes by “slum lords” who collude with the rich and government officials to fleece the poor.

Wanjiru also said that she has fought against unjustified evictions and recovered stolen land from grabbers.

Answering questions from Kenyans who demanded to know why the Kenya government and the embassy have not started voter registration, Bishop Wanjiru said that it is the responsibility of Kenyans in the Diaspora to ensure that they have opportunity and enough time to register to vote.

“Kenyans in the Diaspora have become very important to the government of Kenya due to the role you are playing by sending much needed foreign exchange. In fact, a Diaspora department was created in the ministry of foreign affairs to deal exclusively with the issues of the Kenyan Diaspora,” said Wanjiru.

Charles Ngeene, the Organizing Secretary of the New England Kenyan Association recounted his moments while working with the assistant minister.

Ngeene said that while serving as the Organizing Secretary of the Madaraka Estate self help group, he worked closely with Bishop Wanjiru to help the group stop an eviction order of more than1, 000 tenants from the estate .

“Bishop Wanjiru helped many families in Madaraka estate to keep their houses when we were getting evicted.” Ngeene said.

However, Ngeene asked Bishop Wanjiru to keep fighting for the poor and for Kenyans in the Diaspora against losses of purchased land through corruption by land surveyors, engineers and property valuers who use shoddy methods to cheat Kenyans out of their investments.

“These people need to go to jail,” Ngeene said. “We Kenyans in the Diaspora ask you to do all you can to put them in jail so they do not cheat Kenyans again,” urged Ngeene, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

Charles Ngeene, the Organizing Secretary of the New England Kenyan Association

Ngeene made several requests to the Kenya government through the Assistant Minister. He requested the government to change the law to allow Kenyans in the USA to import right-handed cars duty free from other countries.

He also asked for tax breaks for Kenyans investing in Kenya similar to the ones given to foreign investors.

“We send so much money home and we feel that we are not treated right by the government about these issues,” he said. “Our investments need to be protected and we need to be given incentives like any other foreign investor,” added Ngeene.

In response, Wanjiru asked Kenyans in the Diaspora to figure out the kind of incentives they would like the government of Kenya to give them in exchange for the billions they send home in foreign exchange.

“You have to figure out ways and mechanisms that you can use to pressure the government of Kenya to give you what you believe you deserve. Governments do not work without pressure,” Bishop Wanjiru advised.

“Start pushing now. Push the treasury; push the ministry of foreign affairs, the president’s office and the prime minister’s office,” she said. “You have the media. Use the media, write, create pressure groups and good things will happen.”

At the same, the Assistant Minister blamed high levels of corruption and poor record keeping at the ministry of lands for the recurrent loss of land by Kenyan investors including those in the Diaspora. She asked Kenyans in the Diaspora to evaluate property deals carefully.

As an alternative, she also asked investors to use local banks for referrals other than using contacts from family and close friends.

She said that reliable financial institutions are handy. “You can’t go wrong with the National Housing Corporation which is under my ministry,” Wanjiru said.

She credited her success as a leader and the rapid growth of her preaching ministry - the Jesus is Alive Ministries - to her equal treatment of all Kenyans with respect from different backgrounds.

“I am one of the few MPs who addresses Kenyans everywhere in the country without fear and I’m always treated with respect; either as a preacher or a leader,” said Bishop Wanjiru.

Wanjiru doesn’t hold her political ambitions back. She addressed the speculation that she could be Raila Odinga’s running mate. She said that if Christians felt that she was qualified to be the vice president, then they need to be louder so Kenyans can hear them.

END

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