Pundit, a few years back I saw a show about the Maa and their land and realized they were very bitter about the land thing, I had no idea. Among them are a significant number of Kisiis who have bought a lot land and have small businesses all over the place with Gusii names. I remember being irritated by the Maa speakers because they saw it not only as individuals owning land but as a sort of cultural displacement. The whole time I was telling the telly "but no one forced you to sell your land!"
Regardless of whether they were right or not, I have come to appreciate that their perception is there nonetheless and I don't see Raila's telling them not to sell to be any different than what I was saying when watching that show!
I have major problems with him calling outsiders invaders. I think that alone is what has made it possible to add a layer of malice to his words. But telling Maa not to sell? Not at all. That is recognizing an existing grievance among the Maa and telling them the only thing to do is to retain their land as well as promising to deal with the poverty that forces them to sell their land in the first place. If you feel your indegnious group is under some kind of cultural threat, I dont see anything wrong with holding on to the land.
I see a big problem with saying discriminate based on tribe, but I dont see a problem wishing to retain the Maa identity of a certain area by encouraging those who are complaining not to sell. To me it is a complicated issue. But Raila speaks without nuance and also, its not a necessary issue to bring up so why talk about it at all? Its just stupid.
Also, Pundit, a lot of the matusi Uhuru hurls around is also hateful and unnecessary.
Raila never incited ethnic attacks in 2007. Madoadoa was ALWAYS in reference to party not tribe. PNU propagandists tried to spin it but it was always telling people not to give PNU parties any seat which is the job of every party to do is to campaign for all seats not just some.
Demonstrations are not the kinds of things ICC deals with. Luos in Nyanza did not carry out ethnic cleansing, instead they were shot by cops while rioting and looting. Ethnic cleansing was a Kalenjin-Kikuyu affair in 2007, that is just a fact. The rest of the unrest was in the general rioting category that did not blatantly target either Kikuyus (and others) or Kalenjin (and others) directly and specifically. It happened among others, yes, but only in tiny amounts. Not widespread like in Rift Valley among Kalenjins and Kikuyus.
ICC would have gone after Raila too I believe if Luos rather than mainly rioting decided to attack and kill Kikuyus instead and then Luo lieutentants of Raila were caught encourging this ethnic attacks on radio and similar media. Its hard to claim disorganized rioting is ethnic cleansing even if the prosecutor is desperate to nail Raila on something. Raila has always "incited" mass action but mass action, even if turns into rioting, is not a crime against humanity.
