Tanzania: Why Kikwete & CCM are responsible of religious intolerance in the nation?

 
Last time I went to Unguja; I must admit, I felt safe and secure and at no time I had any lingering thoughts that my life was in danger and that was 2004. And in comparison with my regular trips to Nairobi, I have always felt insecure in Nairobi, and an alien for reasons which still baffle me even today.

With a number of killings and threats posed by gangs of Islamic radicals in Zanzibar, and knowing my government is long on lip-service but short on tangible commitment, I will think twice now to even contemplate setting my foot in zenji because I no longer consider myself welcomed there. And I believe this perception is shared by many a Christian.

May I outline a couple of reasons which leads me to consider Kikwete & his CCM government are liable and complicit to the religious intolerance now conspiring to tear this nation into many a part:-

1.0 WHERE DID KIKWETE GO WRONG ON RELIGIOUS HARMONY?

a) Over-ambition did it all!

The real costs of this nation accommodating JK's quest to presidency is beginning to be felt across the entire national spectrum. In 2005, Kikwete made it a personal crusade that led to his election as our president which though was anybody's constitutional right, the path that he chose roused, facilitated and precipitated religious frictions never experienced before!

Part of his strategy was to remind his fellow Muslims that it was their turn to eat as Christians had eaten through Mkapa's presidency! What Kikwete forgot was that fanning religious insecurity as a tool to acquire power was a double-edged sword: It benefited him then but now Kikwete had unleashed a monster that is threatening even his presidency. On religious conflicts, many Tanzanians prefer to bury their heads on the sand hypocritically claiming to be above the shore but in reality they are part and parcel of the crisis, and it is only when they are personally victimized that they begin to moan about insecurity!

In 2010, faced with a mammoth challenge from Dr. Slaa, a Christian, Kikwete exploited "udini" to evade confronting gargantuan policy implementation failures on his part. I am still patiently waiting for Kikwete to dilate to the nation what was all about this "udini" beyond scaring voters and balkanizing the nation along religious fissures!


b) Kikwete presidential appointments tilted in favour of his fellow Muslims!

JK considered there were religious injustices inflicted against Muslim by both colonial and post-colonial governments; and ensuing from this, he perceives himself as burdened with redress onus. From this cockeyed attitude, JK has skewed his presidential appointments in favour of his fellow Muslims compromising meritocracy in the process. JK feels that education system and access to government largesse have all been recruited to leave Muslims behind and he has to deploy at least government senior jobs to address the coined imbalances!

In central committee of ccm, number of Christians representation has continue to dwindle rendering it almost impossible for his successor to be a Christian! There are no mechanisms in place in the election of ccm central committee membership to ensure the demographic realities are being captured there. Under-representation of Christians is deliberate to ensure policy directions are geared towards their marginalization despite being the majority in the nation. The Augusta House; to much consolation and relief, captures demographic realities on the ground.

Because JK has shown less sensitivity towards the assault of Christians when on podiums, radical Islam has erroneously intepreted the state is on their side and have been more audacious and vocal to claim what is in many ways unconstitutional rights.

c) Institutionalization of Mahakama za kadhi!

Under Mwinyi; a Muslim, there was no clamouring of Mahakama za kadhi but because of JK's personal intiatives, this is now a national carthasis ready to burst at any moment something a presidential statement to the contrary was sufficient to quell that improper quest for an islamic government.

d) Kikwete refuses to place the religious intolerance blame where it belongs!

I keep wondering if JK really is concerned of arresting simmering religious discontent why does he pass blanket blames even to the victims as if they have incited the treatment they are getting from their traumatizers?

JK ought to criticize his fellow muslims for instigating violence, and that will go a along way to calm the hot tempest now pushing this nation into a cliffhanger.

e) Overlooking the incompetence of the IGP Saidi Mwema!

When a juniour police officer was elevated to IGP post from Interpol in Nairobi, some of us had doubts but politicians hailed the appointment as keen to root our criminality but now time has proved skeptics to be on the right side of history.

Where forensic science is now a leading technolog ical breakthrough in criminal investigations, IGP Mwema still rely on coerced hearsay, tampering of evidence and witnesses to run the police force! It is of little wonder why no progress is ever recorded to arrest and punish those who are hiring assassins to create havoc and insecurity atmosphere around us.

In comparison to Kenya, our police force remains the least professionalized, under-equipped , under-resourced and unfit to do the job they are being paid for. You will be surprised to learn Kenyan politicians; on campaign trail, still talk of furthering their police reforms to the betterment while we keep on cavorting with underachievers!

With the state house connections IGP Mwema has, one had expected him to have done more than less but it is incompetence well captured by his growing obesity demonstrates better. When he was at Interpol he was trimmed and flaunted a lanky figure ready for police work but now he has sired a pot-belly sending a wrong signal for the whole police force he runs. All over the world, police force is known for discipline and physical exercise, but here overweight seems to be one of the mediocre qualifications one needs to have and survive in the police force!

f) Money launderers, drug barons and Islamic radicals have formed an axis of evil.

Though we have painstakingly patched up money laundering laws but enforcement has been the weakest link there. Laundered money is now being used to pay up hired assassins now terrorizing prelates in Zanzibar and nudging Muslims e lsewhere to use violent disobedience as a tool to secure a better religious deal for themselves. Now we see even criminal suspects like Sheikh Ponda do enjoy popular support among Muslims despite being linked with terrorist organizations such as Al-Shabab!

In a summary, Kikwete ought to end his vacation o f doling out an intemperate greenlight to his fellow muslims and take them to task, and salvage whatever is left of our national unity.

g) Surrounding himself with questionable characters.

Those who are being mentioned adversely in national scams seem to have encapsulated and regimented themselves with State house and CCM as their last standing fortress! Kikwete ought to know better that evil company corrupts even good manners.

We still need to know what had happened to the lists of drug barons and criminal suspects Kikwete had collated with his sidekicks if we are to take him serious enough as a committed leader to end a culture of impunity now threatening to drive a wedge among us!

h) Interior Ministerial appointments have always tapped incompetence!

I am bamboozled to learn why ministers of interior never had sufficient exposure to security matters before they were appointed?????? It appears to be a dumping ground for whomever Kikwete wants to hibernate.......It is high time Kikwete is pinched by a reminder that such frivolous and vexatious appointments are putting him in a poor light for being insensitive to the actual needs of securing our collective security.

The only conspicuous similarity I see conjoining Shamsi Nahodha and Dr. Nchimbi at the hip is mediocrity and that tells us a lot about Kikwete as an appointing authority!

Senior appointments in the police force have applauded tribal calculations, loyalty and compromised professionalism and merits! Work morale in the police force has never been in such a shamble!

In such environment, few expect insecurity will be dealt a permanent blow.......