lettera da korogocho...

["Kariobangi Catholic Church" <combonikario at clubinternetk.com> (by way of Alessandro Marescotti <a.marescotti at peacelink.it>)]

carissimi! jambo!
vi mando la lettera aperta che abbiamo mandato alla first lady kenyana
Lucy Kibaki su una dichiarazione che ha fatto su korogocho....
sfortunatamente...
leggete e divulgate...
se possibile....

tuko pamoja
daniele

WE ARE A PEOPLE TOO…
(An open letter to first lady Lucy Kibaki)
We, the representatives of the people of Korogocho Slums wish to
register our protests over the unfortunate and dehumanizing statements
attributed to you concerning Korogocho.
A section of the press alleged that in a recent stand off with the
outgoing World Bank Country Director, Makhtar Diop, you shouted at him;
‘This is Muthaiga, not Korogocho!’ The press further reported that
you advised those who were attending Mr. Diop’s farewell party to proceed
and continue with their party in Korogocho. We appreciate that being a
resident of Muthaiga, home to the ‘who is who’ of our society and
coupled with the fact that you are a first lady, you may see no reason
why you need to have a lot of respect for mere slum dwellers. 
Your low opinion about the slum dwellers and the underprivileged in our
society is understandable. 63% of Nairobians live in the slums. 
They are a prime target for politicians who flock the slums during their
campaigns. Being poor and always looking forward to leaders, who may
champion their agenda, they record a higher voter turn out.  Once
they vote in the rich, they are forgotten until the next elections when
the same come back loaded with a few coins. Not many people of your class
turn  out to vote. You ought to thank the slums for giving your
husband a job!

Madam, in the past you have presented your self as a champion of the
underprivileged and a mother of the nation. We believe that any mother
worth her title will always treat her children as equals and would not
dehumanize and abuse them. Such a mother will always spend more of her
attention on the children whom she notes require special attention. As a
self-proclaimed mother, we expected you to pay more attention to the
slums and remind the president to consider seriously the issues affecting
them. 

We are therefore dismayed and traumatized that such irresponsible and
careless statements were attributed to a mother of your calibre. We
believe that you are a ‘motherhead’ and a role model to the women in this
country. They look unto you to set a precedent on how to manage families
and the people at large. The way you conduct your public affairs have a
direct bearing on them.

During the early days of president Kibaki’s government in 2002, you were
among the first to visit Korogocho. We saw you dance among the ordinary
women of Korogocho. We were happy that at long last we had a first lady
in the office and one who identified with the slums. We looked up to you
to push the agenda that could improve the welfare of your fellow mothers.

What you experienced in Korogocho warranted immediate action to address.
You met face to face with the local women who worked hard, day and night,
to provide for their children. Many of them were single mothers. These
mothers expected you to address their issuers once you went back to the
office. Instead you kept mum and the next time they heard  you
commenting about Korogocho you were despising and abusing them!

Be reminded that the Kibaki administration came to power in a platform of
economic recovery and National Reconstruction. To achieve this, different
Ministries initiated policies and programs such as Sustainable
Development and Wealth Creation and slum upgrading programs which she
inherited from the previous regime. The slum upgrading facility is now in
a shamble and this is an area we were mistaken to believe you could push
the president to intensify. 

It is time that people who look at things your way are advised to
understand that those who live in the slums are a people too. Coming from
a country where wild animals live better than the majority poor, it may
be difficult for people of your class to understand this. To them it is
fine because they can afford to pay to see the animals. Of course you
don’t expect such people to go to places like Korogocho to see the
animals. The animals must live in the ‘Muthaigas’ where there is
no ‘noise’ like Korogocho!

While the ‘Muthaiga’ class might be ignorant about the realities in the
slums because they have never been there, they are expected to have some
discipline and manners to get facts before commenting on issues they are
not well informed of. People of a certain status in the society are
expected by virtue of their societal standing to exhibit certain level of
dignity and decorum befitting their ranking in the society. When such
people resort to mediocre, arrogant and misinformed approach to issues,
the future of the society is devastatingly threatened.

Madam, be reminded that though Kibaki,s government has abdicated her
moral and political responsibility to provide services to the electorate,
there are people in the slums who work hard day and night to ensure that
the image of Korogocho changes. For many years, the residents of
Korogocho have lived with the pain of not being appreciated and
recognized as a people like the rest of Kenyans. 

The press and leaders like you have described us in the basis of
criminals, prostitutes, destitute, beggars, noisy and ignorant,
misinformed and disorderly. This is the image we seek to change. It is
time the people of the slums are recognized as human beings and be
allowed to enjoy their God given rights. Today Korogocho is home to
several projects aimed at uplifting the welfare of the people. Anybody
visiting the Korogocho Community Center and the St. John Catholic Church
will be a witness to this reality. Korogocho is nolonger a devil’s
dumping site where everything immoral is channeled towards the direction
of Korogocho!

Further, we are increasingly concerned about your behavior in the recent
past. Your relationship with the press, the harassment of your tenant Mr.
Diop and irresponsible outbursts such as these about Korogocho have left
the image of our country completely tarnished.  As a country, we
have an image, which we must patriotically defend. We are  ashamed
to associate with anybody who acts in a manner likely to harm this image.
You may be aware that this image has already been harmed by the inability
of the Kibaki administration to implement her election pledges and the
never-ending wrangles within the government. The remaining little image
will be swept away by your undiplomatic and movie like approach to
issues.

 We therefore demand an unconditional apology on our own behalf ,
on  behalf of all the one billion slum dwellers spread across the
world and on behalf of anybody who has been offended by your unfortunate
‘slip of the tongue’  We the slum dwellers can nolonger
tolerate those who dehumanize us particularly if those people are
supposed to be adults if not leaders!

We the representatives of the aggrieved people of Korogocho slums,
individually and severally sign this protest under our names.


Fr.Daniel Moschetti…St.John Catholic Church / korogocho   
0733/702972
Moses Kiuna…The Baraza, St. John
Japheth Oluoch…Justice and Peace Commission.