Who is the Defender of Citizens in These Secular Colonial States?
Kenya has witnessed a number of incidents even though from different areas and institutions yet all indicate the same context. The first incident is the demolition of houses to pave way for the expansion of Mombasa-Malindi and Mombasa-Mariakani roads, which according to KeNHA and NLC their owners will not be compensated because they had built them on road reserve! [Standard Digital, 9th March 2018]. The second incident is that of demolition of structures for selling ‘muguka’ in the county of Mombasa with the pretext that the product is harmful and causes loss of libido to users even causing cancer! [The Star, 6th August 2018]. The third incident is that of the National Assembly on Thursday, 9 August 2018 shooting down the report on counterfeit sugar where some MPs claimed that it was targeting top government officials without considering the protocol of firing them from office! [Daily Nation, 10th August 2018]. The fourth incident is that of demolition of building built adjacent to river banks which started recently led by the President through a special committee consisting of intergovernmental agencies in Nairobi! Where the President said that the exercise is targeting to fight corrupt acquisition of land in accordance with the ongoing anti-corruption war. [Capital News, 9th August 2018]
To the citizens who lack insight they will support these incidents and see them as government’s initiatives in managing citizens’ affairs. However, the truth is all the incidents point towards failure of these colonial secular states run on the basis of benefit/interest and not the urge of caring and valuing their citizens. As witnessed below:
The first incident: Where was the government when citizens were using their hard earned wealth building/investing in those buildings?! This is clear that the government does not care for the welfare of its citizens and is ready to sacrifice them in order to meet the conditions relating to the so called development loans and that is why currently it is staring at the huge sums of the loan after signing a deal with the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) to finance the first phase of the expansion from Mombasa to Kanamai. Their interest is to receive and plunder the loans and put the economy of Kenya on the noose of unpayable interest!
The second incident: What criterion was used to distinguish between the harm from khat, alcohol, bhang, drugs (heroine etc), shisha and muguka? Is the harm from muguka only to the exclusion of the others? The truth is, since the beginning of the muguka business many khat traders were complaining of the fall in their sales considering that muguka is cheaper than khat. The truth of the matter is, the county government has no otherwise but to jump into the wagon of the public emotions – especially at this time where it is at its last term and some of its top leaders are focusing on the 2022 politics – so that they can be said to be diligent and also use the citizens as stepping stone to the negotiating table of distribution of spoils of 2022 politics. If truly were concerned with citizens, they would have banned all the intoxicants since in origin they are all harmful to human health. However, this is just a tactic to appease khat traders and citizens while suppressing muguka traders!
The third incident: MPs purporting to have been elected and given authority to go to parliament to legislate laws that give priority to citizens in bettering their lives. However, since parliament is a setup of the democratic system whose foundation is similar to that of the spider web, it is therefore always weak to contain the bribery tide! In addition, that confirms the reality that MPs are there for their own vested-interests. The shouting we are hearing is caused by some of them worrying that they might be voted-out in 2022 politics where their opponents might take advantage of this incident against them. Therefore, they are trading accusations so that they paint themselves as white (free from blame) as the snow before the citizens!
The fourth incident: Where was the government when people were building/investing in those areas?! It means that within government there is a specific plan to cause loss or intimidate some wealthy individuals so that they eliminate them towards the 2022 political plan. Instead pursue the roadmap drawn recently on the 9th March 2018 by the colonialists via the agreement between their agents! If truly the government cares for its citizenry through the recent agreement, it would have started with implementation of the TJRC report which would have indicated that indeed there is revival in the country!
All the incidents indicate that citizens have no defender, what they have been electing year in year out are ‘barbers and given authority to shave them more!’ Sadly, is seeing citizens in general laying blame on certain individuals or tribe to be the source of the poor state of the nation. And claiming that the solution lies on changing them and electing new ones or from other tribes. Whereas the fundamental problem lies with the secular capitalist ideology ruling in Kenya. Through this ideology and its corrupt and oppressive systems no one is safe from it.
The solution lies within Islam as a complete way of life emanating from the Creator of the heavens and earth. Through the Islamic ideology, an Islamic Khilafah State emerges under a righteous leader and is established upon the basis of Quran and Sunnah (whose measurement of actions is halal and haram and not loss/profit/benefit/interest). Therefore, the citizens’ defender is the global leader, the Khalifah (Caliph), who defend Muslims and non-Muslims wherever they are so that they are saved from the exploitation and oppression of the secular capitalist governments. The immediate step to be taken now by Muslims is embracing the call to work for the resumption of the Islamic way of life so that rank and status are realized on the face of the earth and in the hereafter by abiding to the commands of Allah (swt). As for non-Muslims they should give Islam a chance and thoroughly study it as an alternative ideology capable of burying capitalism in the dustbin of history and in its place stand Islam to manage their affairs with justice that never has it been seen in this capitalist century and the preceding socialist.
Written for Radio Rahma by
Ali Nassoro Ali
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya
Article No.7 Friday, 6 Dhul-Hijja 1439 AH | 2018/08/17