Esther Timberlake To the Luo Community: It's Our Time - Let's Grab it

My fellow Luos, I thank you very much for having paid my family's tickets and accommodation to be here because you invited me to discuss some political issues. Most important we're going to win because our cause is right. We make history this day not for ourselves but for the ages. The choice we make in 2013 will determine not only the future of Kenya but the future of peace and freedom in the world for the last third of the 21st century, and the question that we answer today: can Nyanza meet this great challenge?

Let us listen to Nyanza to find the answer to that question. Nyanza is suffering due to our blinded minds. We've been attending the political class for the past decades under the deanship of Rt Hon PM Raila Odinga. He's taught us by his politiodrates. At least he expect that we quit the spirit of babyness and evolve in to political maturehood where we should begin to feed on solid food. Solid food here is the fact that we must accept genuinely opinion of other communities and accept that we've had our wrongs and are to unite with others and make a break through. We've had enough of big promises and little action. The time has come for an honest government at the State House to germinate from Nyanza seedbed.

Look at our community that am proud of. It has produced gigantic movers of the well being of Kenya, Africa and the world.

They work in American factories, they run American businesses. They serve in government; they provide most of the soldiers who die to keep Kenya free. They give drive to the spirit of the World. They give lift to the Kenyan dream. They give steel of know how to the backbone of Kenya.

Like Rt Hon PM Raila Odinga, they know that this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it's a good place for all the 42 communities to live in. He is about to quit politics in the next episode, the question lingers..who is ready to step in his gigantic shoes?? Not anyone around him can. The answer is the current youth fresh from the outside August house.

And so this day I do not promise the millennium in the morning. I don't promise that we can eradicate poverty and end discrimination and eliminate all danger of political "wars" in the space of 5 years. But I do promise action. A new policy for peace locally with our neighbors from the Kalenjins in the Rift Valley, Kikuyus in Mt Kenya and to abroad where we're mixed up in love and one flag, a new policy for peace and progress at home.

Look at our problems back in the lake region. Do you realize that we face the stark truth that we are worse off in every area of the country than we were 30 years ago? That's the record. We lead with bad records in Kenya's development arena. From HIV pandemic, poor education results, bad treatment of girl child, being misused by established politicians, poor road network affecting our produce, over fishing due to lack of proper income, bottom ranking ICT, poor health facilities and bad relationship with our neighbors (other communities).

And there is only one answer to such a record of failure, and that is the complete house cleaning of those responsible for the failures and that record. The answer is the complete reappraisal of current parliament's policy in every section of the country. We shall begin with complete constituency clean up in each and every part of the province so that we retain the working MPs and kick out the "domo domo" ones. Especially those ones who've been busy expelling and pushing away other communities from our region thus we loose inter communal trade, education, marriage to terminate tribalism, religion, business set ups and e.t.c.

We cannot go it alone, we need others to win, but first, we must insert the hard disk in their hearts and minds that we're a changed society and ready to mingle and rumble together for the betterment of this nation. What other communities are still scared of is our "politics approach." Let's say NO to the MPs coming with bad motives in this era chanting slangs synonymous with other tribes. Lets not forget they boosted us in 2007 general elections. The question is; why did they trust us? The issue that sent them to trust us, don't you think it can be revived and set sparkling and sprinkling with euphoric chants to the ballot box again??

We all hope in this room that there's a chance that current negotiations may bring an honorable end to this tribal war against Luos. And we will say nothing during this campaign that might destroy that chance. Lets let go of other things that have for a long time angered other communities. Remember, letting go doesn't mean we're weak, it means we're strong.

This period in which we're entering - I think we will have the greatest opportunity for inter-community peace, but also face the greatest challenge of being ridiculed at any time in our history. Just use me and my husband Quincy as an example, we endured and continues to endure all the hate speeches against us. Why? We show the deepest maturity inside of us. And my husband taught me a very unique quality that I couldn't have in my TV days. Letting go, it means one is stronger that the hate lyrical twister.

I believe we must have peace. I believe that we can have peace. But I do not underestimate the difficulty of this task.

Because, you see, the art of preserving peace is greater than that of waging community "war", and much more demanding. Now there is no quarrel between progress and order because neither can exist without the other.

So let us have order in Nyanza, not the order that suppresses dissent and discourages change but the order which guarantees the right to dissent and provides the basis for peaceful change.

And today it's time for some honest talk about the problem of order in the Nyanza. Let us always respect, as I do, our women and the youth, but let us also recognize that some of our leaders in their decisions have gone too far in weakening the peace forces as against the community forces in this country.

Let those who have the responsibility to enforce our inter community laws, and our traditional judges who have the responsibility to interpret them, be dedicated to the great principles of council of elders' rights. But let them also recognize that the first civil right of every Nyanzian is to be free from freedom of expression violence. And that right must be guaranteed in this country.

Because, my friends, let this message come through clear from what I say today. Time is running out for the merchants of crime and corruption in Nyanza society. The wave of crime is not going to be the wave of the future in the Republic of Kenya. Let's reestablish freedom from fear in Nyanza so that our lovely Luoland can take the lead of reestablishing freedom from fear in the Kenya.

And to those who say that law and order is the code word for racism, here is a reply: Our goal is justice - justice for every Luo and other Kenyan communities. If we are to have respect for law in Nyanza, we must have laws that deserve respect. Just as we cannot have progress without order, we cannot have order without progress.

I pledge to you this day that we shall have new programs which will provide that equal chance. We make great history today. We do not fire a shot heard round the Kenya, but we shall light the lamp of hope in millions of homes across this Nyanza in which there is no hope today. Then the famous luo slogan of "GONYWA URU" shall be killed and buried Why? Because this is how our politicians trap us. They ensure that we remain poor for a 5 year term until they revisit us again. Then towards elections, they come back very sure that we'll run towards them with desperate faces and two arms stretching forward crying.."YAWA GONYWA URU YAWA." Its become a business you know!!

Let's look around see other tribes thriving and swimming in wealth. CDF should be turned to benefit the Luos directly. By creating women and youth groups. Borrow money from CDF coffers, perform commerce returns and then refund the capital back to the public accounts with no interests after an agreed period. After all, its constituency's money instead of a few committee officials pocketing millions and leaving constituents suffering.

We're not goats to be used during campaigns only to send a bunch of crooks to parliaments with intentions of enriching themselves knowing in mind they won't be voted back again..they spoil ruthlessly. Let's transform stones to friendship with other communities via social media. Let's stop this mentality that every time our PM Raila's name is mentioned, we should all come out outrageous with poisonous words. For we're not building him for the Hill but assisting with destroying his chances to presidency. Let's put it this way, every insult hurled at another community member because of our PM, one vote is gone for him. We ruin his chances to the State house.

Let's also stop being elected for leaders. No one should appoint leaders on our behalf as we know what we want and why want the appointees exclusively by us. When someone is appointed on our behalf, they don't have any attachment with us because they know they got a backing from their "godfather"whether they fail to deliver or not. Let's kick out anyone who uttered hate speech and other incitement crimes against other communities. Atop all, let's avoid social network vulgar language that may only but provoke others to a long stored anger with scores only settled at the ballot box.

May God bless you, Luos, Nyanza, all other communities and Kenya. Amen.

By Esther Timberlake.

Esther recently delivered this message to Kenyans in Yokohama, Japan

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