REMEMBER THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
Story By Macharia Gaitho

The Nation, Kenya
Nov 14 2006

There was a Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain
near a dark forest. It was lonely for him, so he devised a plan to
get a little company.

He rushed down towards the village calling out "Wolf! Wolf!" and the
villagers came out to meet him. This pleased the boy so much that a
few days afterwards, he tried the same trick, and again the villagers
came to his help.

Shortly after this a wolf actually did come out from the forest. The
boy cried out "Wolf!, Wolf!" louder than ever before. But this time
the villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was
again lying, and nobody came to his aid. So the wolf made a good meal
of the boy’s flock.

I really wonder whether Mr Raila Odinga has ever heard of the above
fable. He has cried wolf so often about alleged plots on his life
that if some day he has good reason to raise the alarm about an
actual threat, God forbid, it might be taken as just the usual
political theatre.

Well, at least Mr Odinga finally abandoned his defiance and agreed
to record a statement with the police yesterday. We presume that the
information he gave is credible and complete enough for the police
to act on, and not just the product of a fertile imagination or
irresponsible political grandstanding.

Threats to life and limb are not issues to be taken lightly. Mr Odinga
holds a record of sorts in Kenyan politics for the number of times
he has claimed that his life is in danger.

Whether the threats are real or he is just seeking attention, the
onus falls on the Government to thoroughly investigate each and every
reported threat and take the necessary action.

This action may involve identifying and prosecuting the plotters,
if the information pans out, and also providing adequate security
for Mr Odinga and all others who fear their lives may be in danger.

By the same token, anyone making false reports of such nature should
expect to face the consequences according to the law.

Any reports which may be false not only cause unnecessary political
tension, it also diverts much-need police resources from those who
really need enhanced security – the poor of Kibera, for instance –
to stroking the egos of publicity-seeking politicians.

Whatever the case, no reported threats can be dismissed without
thorough investigations. It is easy to say that the era of political
assassinations ended with the installation of President Kibaki’s
government.

But we cannot fail to acknowledge that any administration has its
hotheads who might erroneously imagine they are doing the system a
favour by getting rid of a troublesome political foe.

If this administration has in its ranks, and in its bands of
supporters, reckless characters who hold such thinking, they must be
isolated and neutralised, for, ultimately, they are a danger to the
very system to which they pledge fealty.

Meanwhile, with Mr Odinga’s claims about the threat on his life,
came an issue that must be addressed soonest if this Government is to
retain a shred of credibility – the mystery of the deported Armenian
brothers Margaryan and Sargasyan.

Mr Odinga is always keen to crow that he was the first one to warn
about the presence in Kenya of the alleged mercenaries. He also
points about, correctly, that the Government opted to do nothing
despite wasting our time and resources with a commission of inquiry.

Indeed, the commission chaired by former Police Commissioner Shedrach
Kiruki turned out to be no more than a cover-up. And Mr Odinga became
part of that cover-up when he declined to testify before the inquiry,
a decision which also stripped him of the right to point any fingers.

But all the same, the commission completed its work and duly handed
in its report and recommendations to the authorities. We were told
it would take President Kibaki only a few days to study the report
and take the necessary action.

Days have turned into weeks and weeks have turned into months and
still no word from either State House or the Attorney-General.

The inescapable conclusion is that somebody very powerful decided,
to apply local parlance, to sit on the report.

This action, or inaction, only lends credence to the belief that the
Artur brothers were operating in concert with people very close to
the seat of power.

Maybe the fellows were neither mercenaries nor assassins. The
possibility is that they were just common thugs who happened to
mesmerise some people close to high office and sought to use those
connections to set up a criminal network.

Whatever the case, Kenyans deserve to know the truth and also deserve
to see any individuals who may have misused public office to abet
criminal activities punished. This issue will not go away.

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We saw in graphic detail the other day images of people walking across
the floor of what used to be Lake Nakuru.

We are informed that our most famous Rift Valley lake is drying up
due to massive destruction of one of the most important water-towers
in eastern Africa, the Mau forest system.

Shortly into its tenure, this Government sought to undo the damage of
the Moi years by evicting thousands who had been allowed to illegally
settle in the Mau.

But along the way, there was a change of heart and efforts to restore
the Mau forest were abandoned.

What more evidence do we need now of calamities have been visited on
us due to the destruction of water catchments?

We are currently hosting a major international conference on climate
change, and the effects of deforestation have been high on the agenda.

The delegates should take time out of the gabfest and cocktails to
do something much more practical – a boating trip on Lake Nakuru.

Perhaps the collective outrage that must ensue may shame the Government
into action.

We must realise that we are not just talking about saving one lake and
its famous flamingoes, but an entire ecosystem on which, ultimately,
the lives of millions depends.

Mr Gaitho is the Nation’s managing editor in charge of special projects.