Then to those left on his left he would say,
Away from me
Away to the eternal flames
I was hungry
You would not feed me.
Then they would answer him,
When did we see you
Hungry, naked, a stranger
And did not attend to you?
Then he would reply,
Whenever you refused
Any of these least important ones
You refused me.
Then they would lament,
These least important ones you talk of
These least important ones were us –
Hungry, naked, strangers … us!
Then he would be tongue tied.
©2011 Otiato Opali
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Conversation with Ngugi Wa Thiongo
Before our last General Elections in 2007, Ngugi Wa Thiongo wrote an article about his take on the politics of the time. Read the article here - Ngugi Wa Thiong’o reflects on Mwai Kibaki and the 2007 Kenya General Elections I particularly took issue with some of the ideas fronted by my greatest writer on earth and did a comment on the article. Allow me to share the comment here since next year is an election year and the players are still pretty much the same. The issues too haven't changed a bit!
(It would be worth noting that Ngugi's article was written before Kibaki (allegedly) STOLE the elections leading to the post election violence in Kenya. Mine comment was written after the violence)
Mr Ngugi,
To say I am an ardent fan of yours would be an under statement. I named my pet dog after your character Matigari. Having studied Literature at the University, you struck me as Africa’s best yet but things are changing and am sad to note so.
This article is naive to say the least. It might have been written before the violence flared up and its no wonder it has such glaring gaps. In the article, you rightfully note that there are the haves and the have nots, Kibaki never changed this.
It took Kibaki Five years to do what Moi did in Ten years of his rule, create disparity between the rich and the poor. You remember, when Mwaura in the Petals of Blood led the villagers to the Golden Heights cave In illmorog, that is what the poor did after Kibaki’s government disenfranchised them. Like the crowd in Matigari, the people burnt down cars and houses in protest.
Dont misunderstand me, I am one of the most faithful students of your socialist take. ’Great Hapiness I saw among the women and the children, even a bean that fell on the floor was shared among them.’
The Viloence that occured after the election did not have a socialist push to it, and its because you have deserted us and there is no one to give us that guidance. What we have are politicians who take the revolutionary in us and make it flow along tribal lines. That is why it was a tribal upheaval and not a socialist one.
Though you display concerns in the article for the motherland with the mention of the Armenian brothers, the Anglo leasing scam and the ’Standard’raid, alot that goes on misses in the article. One cannot talk about the politics in Kenya and mention Kibaki’s name thrice without mentioning Raila even once.
You talk of your encounters with Kibaki, how he transformed from a hardliner for Kanu to a president and that was a good analogy but how about Raila. What about the almost ten years he spent in detention cells under Kibaki’s supervision. He shared the same detention facilities with you. How has he developed and what has he become. we need to hear your take on this. What’s more, Raila shares your communist ideals.
When your people tell you Kibaki has given them electricity, Kibaki’s allies have been given more than electricities. His friends businesses are growing threefolds. When he came to power, bread was Ksh 22, It is now Ksh 32, only after five years and the economy is growing. And the poor us have to buy this bread at the same price with the rich them.
One thing I am sure about you, Ngugi, is that you are biased towards the poor. It is for this reason that I ask you not to praise Kibaki because he has not helped poor kenyans anyway anyhow. And am talking about the kind of help you advocate for, not some small electricity here and some few boreholes there.
You remember when Gikonyo in A Grain of Wheat was swindled out of buying the settler’s farm by the politicians, that is what Kibaki has done to Kenyans. They trusted him to help them get prosperity like Gikonyo trusted the Politician and he took all the property for himself.
My biggest challenge to you, come back home. Dont be Like Leopold Sedar Senghor who wrote so much negretude against the french only to go and spend the rest of his life in France.
Otherwise, I am still your fan, I have read all your books except Murogi wa Kagogo and I still kind of worship you.
Otiato Opali (20 February 2008 at 14h16)
(It would be worth noting that Ngugi's article was written before Kibaki (allegedly) STOLE the elections leading to the post election violence in Kenya. Mine comment was written after the violence)
Mr Ngugi,
To say I am an ardent fan of yours would be an under statement. I named my pet dog after your character Matigari. Having studied Literature at the University, you struck me as Africa’s best yet but things are changing and am sad to note so.
This article is naive to say the least. It might have been written before the violence flared up and its no wonder it has such glaring gaps. In the article, you rightfully note that there are the haves and the have nots, Kibaki never changed this.
It took Kibaki Five years to do what Moi did in Ten years of his rule, create disparity between the rich and the poor. You remember, when Mwaura in the Petals of Blood led the villagers to the Golden Heights cave In illmorog, that is what the poor did after Kibaki’s government disenfranchised them. Like the crowd in Matigari, the people burnt down cars and houses in protest.
Dont misunderstand me, I am one of the most faithful students of your socialist take. ’Great Hapiness I saw among the women and the children, even a bean that fell on the floor was shared among them.’
The Viloence that occured after the election did not have a socialist push to it, and its because you have deserted us and there is no one to give us that guidance. What we have are politicians who take the revolutionary in us and make it flow along tribal lines. That is why it was a tribal upheaval and not a socialist one.
Though you display concerns in the article for the motherland with the mention of the Armenian brothers, the Anglo leasing scam and the ’Standard’raid, alot that goes on misses in the article. One cannot talk about the politics in Kenya and mention Kibaki’s name thrice without mentioning Raila even once.
You talk of your encounters with Kibaki, how he transformed from a hardliner for Kanu to a president and that was a good analogy but how about Raila. What about the almost ten years he spent in detention cells under Kibaki’s supervision. He shared the same detention facilities with you. How has he developed and what has he become. we need to hear your take on this. What’s more, Raila shares your communist ideals.
When your people tell you Kibaki has given them electricity, Kibaki’s allies have been given more than electricities. His friends businesses are growing threefolds. When he came to power, bread was Ksh 22, It is now Ksh 32, only after five years and the economy is growing. And the poor us have to buy this bread at the same price with the rich them.
One thing I am sure about you, Ngugi, is that you are biased towards the poor. It is for this reason that I ask you not to praise Kibaki because he has not helped poor kenyans anyway anyhow. And am talking about the kind of help you advocate for, not some small electricity here and some few boreholes there.
You remember when Gikonyo in A Grain of Wheat was swindled out of buying the settler’s farm by the politicians, that is what Kibaki has done to Kenyans. They trusted him to help them get prosperity like Gikonyo trusted the Politician and he took all the property for himself.
My biggest challenge to you, come back home. Dont be Like Leopold Sedar Senghor who wrote so much negretude against the french only to go and spend the rest of his life in France.
Otherwise, I am still your fan, I have read all your books except Murogi wa Kagogo and I still kind of worship you.
Otiato Opali (20 February 2008 at 14h16)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Dedan Kimathi Waciuri
Still wanted in 2011. Still at Kamiti prison. Impression at parliament building
Friday, July 15, 2011
Kim Jong-iL
Recently someone wrote some graffiti in North Korea and the whole city of Pyongyang was almost shut down as they looked for the culprit responsible. In this day and age! When the world is so Liberal that Kenya has a Chief Justice donning a stud and the Anglican Church is ordaining gay priests, people still live in a country where graffiti is a sin!
Kim Jong Il is a shame and a sham! He doesn't deserve to lead human beings living in this millenium.
Am therefore sharing the graffiti with all who'll be able to see this (it was taken down immediately). Kim should know that the world is now a village and it is a matter of time before North Korea becomes FREE!!
The graffiti read;
“(The late South Korean President) Park Chung-hee, a dictator who helped develop the nation’s economy; Kim Jong-il, a dictator who made people starve to death.”
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Kim Jong Il is a shame and a sham! He doesn't deserve to lead human beings living in this millenium.
Am therefore sharing the graffiti with all who'll be able to see this (it was taken down immediately). Kim should know that the world is now a village and it is a matter of time before North Korea becomes FREE!!
The graffiti read;
“(The late South Korean President) Park Chung-hee, a dictator who helped develop the nation’s economy; Kim Jong-il, a dictator who made people starve to death.”
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Ha, She Virgin!
No greater irony
Has man than this.
That a woman
Should have a husband
And still become
Our all time
Blessed Virgin!
©2011 Otiato Opali
Has man than this.
That a woman
Should have a husband
And still become
Our all time
Blessed Virgin!
©2011 Otiato Opali
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Good Uncles.
Junior, my uncles are better than yours
Look! Ten shillings
Yesterday’s uncle gave me
Junior, my uncles are more than yours
Every evening mama goes out
Mama comes back at night
Every night a new uncle!
Junior, my uncles love mama than yours
Every night they come with mama
They go with her to her room
To protect her – mama says
So that thieves don’t steal her from me.
Junior, my uncles are bigger than yours
I saw one on T.V
I saw another in the newspaper
They say they are M.Ps
M.Ps and Ministers.
Junior, tell your mama you need uncles
Many uncles,
Good uncles!
©2011 Otiato Opali
Look! Ten shillings
Yesterday’s uncle gave me
Junior, my uncles are more than yours
Every evening mama goes out
Mama comes back at night
Every night a new uncle!
Junior, my uncles love mama than yours
Every night they come with mama
They go with her to her room
To protect her – mama says
So that thieves don’t steal her from me.
Junior, my uncles are bigger than yours
I saw one on T.V
I saw another in the newspaper
They say they are M.Ps
M.Ps and Ministers.
Junior, tell your mama you need uncles
Many uncles,
Good uncles!
©2011 Otiato Opali
Friday, July 1, 2011
Richard Gizbert - Updated
On September 30 2008, I uploaded a blog post named Richard Gizbert. Now for the dis-ambiguation of the post. I titled the post so because I used to love a programme on Al Jazeera called the Listening Post. The presenter for this programme was known as Richard Gizbert.
In the programme, the media would analyse how the media covered news. I adopted this name because the shots in my Gizbert posts show a place where Opali would go, sit and analyse how Opali does things in his life. Some musician (Chris Martin) called it The Chill Spot I call mine the Listening Post.
Its 2011 and I still use the facility. It used to be a vast open field but as you can see in this shot, development is catching up and with time it will be crawled upon by the Concrete Jungle.
In the programme, the media would analyse how the media covered news. I adopted this name because the shots in my Gizbert posts show a place where Opali would go, sit and analyse how Opali does things in his life. Some musician (Chris Martin) called it The Chill Spot I call mine the Listening Post.
Its 2011 and I still use the facility. It used to be a vast open field but as you can see in this shot, development is catching up and with time it will be crawled upon by the Concrete Jungle.
 |
| The Listening Post today |
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| The Listening Post back in 2008 |
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About Me
- Poetikally Korrect!
- Though I might look like your common guy next door, there's more to me than meets the I. If you get the chance to meet the I, you will find out more about me.
