Leaders Race for Power while Citizens Die of Hunger

Press Release

The Islamic party of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya feels deep sympathy for the millions of suffering Kenyans faced with starvation. It is traumatizing to witness the images of the hunger stricken families which shows emaciated children looking at their mothers while crying for food and very weak elderly people unable to stand who end up sleeping on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, political divides make empty statements as they continue racing for votes across the country for this August general elections!

We categorically state that this situation is not solely caused by drought as claimed by the government but rather a result of government negligence and irresponsibility in caring for the affairs of its own citizens. Meteorologists in the country warned of the situation earlier but the leaders ignored the warnings.

Kenya has vast resources including minerals, rivers, large tracts of fertile land etc but due to corrupt economic capitalist policies these resources are used only by corporate elites who benefit themselves while the masses end up with empty hands! A responsible government which is serious in eradicating famine should invest in the agricultural sector rather than importing food or depending on foreign aid. In addition the effective regime would buy fertilizers for farmers, provide subsidies for them money to prepare their farms and set up irrigation schemes that will guarantee food security thus eradicating famine. Unfortunately this is not done by a capitalist abounded regime whose politicians monopolize the business of importing maize so that they use hunger as a tool to accumulate huge profits from the importation of the staple foods!

We conclude by urging all wealthy Muslims and non-Muslims to redouble their efforts in helping the hunger victims. We also wish to remind the Kenyan society to stand up to openly expose the evil of capitalism whose politicians inside or outside the government who only work to capture power to fill their stomachs. We believe that the Islamic ideology being fully implemented in the Khilafah system will allow its leader to co-ordinate the rich and abundant resources available in one area to areas that are poor and depleted of resources. This was the case of Umar Bin Khattab (ra) in his Khilafah who wrote to his provincial governors of Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Iraq for aid who responded by sending caravans loaded with food and supplies into Arabia thus hundreds were saved from hunger.

Shabani Mwalimu

Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya

From UQAB Magazine Issue 1