PLUNDER

An uneasy cold engulfed the Kirio City skies from a distance that night, perhaps a premonition of events to precede. Clouds engulfed heavily the night, blocking the view of the moon. Oriku was seated in the front yard facing the vast array of his ten-acre farmland on the outskirts of the city, a farm which had withstood the test of time and had been passed down eons of generations. This particular evening mzee was wearing a rather dull face considering there was nothing to smile about. On his hand, the latest gadget, ‘Invicib’, a rather nifty device I might say. Can you believe it was a see-through top-of-the-line gadget manufactured right here in the country? Proof that technological advancement was happening and not a facade in Kenya. He was watching the 9:00 P.M. bulletin a habit he'd cultivated since his heydays. Once he found us watching a DJ. Afro translation movies (which were favored over Kenyan films by youngsters then and even still today) during prime time news, I swear one would be able to see the anger in his bloodshot eyes. Then, he'd proceed to say, ‘ Kenya inaeza kua inachomeka sahii na kazi yenu ni movies’ (Kenya might be in flames right now and you are watching movies). Well, I guess it was very Kenyan of him to be pessimistic because each day something terrible was happening on the news.

Even after ten years, of promises by Chief Governor Oliek to intervene just like his predecessors, a similar problem still plagued the Kirio Valley Region and residents were at the end of their wits.

‘Bandit’s Plunder’ the headlines read.

‘News coming in indicates a group of armed vagabonds have attacked a village in Turkwel municipality and wiped out the entirety of them all we go to our reporter on the scene for more updates.’

Then a reporter with a helmet and bulletproof vest attire at the scene which made him look like a mushroom proceeded,

‘Mercy, the situation here is harrowing and sadly we can confirm that villagers of Solik were engaged in the annual Goat auction and festival late into the evening when they spotted a group of around twenty hostiles approaching them armed with machetes and homemade guns. They began their onslaught on the people gathered at the festival shooting and slashing, as they made away with the entire herd of over a thousand goats. What followed then were agonizing screams and pleas of mercy from them as they tried to. Earlier on we were lucky to be joined by two eyewitnesses and this is what they had to say.’

Then a scroungy-looking woman was on record narrating what she saw firsthand.

‘Malikuja na panga na binduki akaanza kupiga Kila mutu. Sisi hakujua amefanya nini. Kisa makachukua mbusi sote. Manataka serikali asaidie sisi.’

Then the Chairman of the auction who'd escaped death only because he had come late to the festival went on air and said, ‘Tomorrow we will begin demonstrating in Kirio City to the Turkwel State Lodge up until the day our grievances are solved fully. This cannot go on Mr. Chair Governor Oliek, you promised us banditry would be a thing of the past when you took over the reins of power. We have lost countless innocent lives and goats for a very long time and enough is enough. It seems this administration even though they have been in power for over ten years, the problem of banditry is still here with us. It's time we take the initiative on our own since the government has been feeding us lies. I mean there are security personnel all over and still, we are attacked. What is the role of these security officers if we keep on suffering?’

He concluded his address with chants of members of the public and families of the aggrieved who'd gathered behind the rather bulky chairman to show solidarity with him.

‘Oliek Must Go! Oliek Must Go! Oliek Must Go!’

They chanted their lungs out with the dire situation worsening by the minute. Not that those chants ever bore fruits, rather this was a tactic to get the ear of the Chief Governor. This would later turn out to be the tipping point of the angry residents of Solik. One young man had already fished out a placard with the said words and an empty teargas cannister flailing it around as if he'd been waiting for this very moment all his life. One would wonder if he had been hiding it under in his belly and at the right time gagged it out and paraded it for the masses to show brevity or that he didn't fear the security personnel perhaps.

‘Well there you have it, Mercy, the Chairman says they'll commence their demonstrations tomorrow up until the government addresses their grievances. The deaths of these villagers of Solik have shaken Marigate. I'll keep you updated as events unfold, and back to you in the studio.’

Back at studio the journalist Mercy was condoling with the aggrieved while Oriku’s concentration went elsewhere.

‘Jesus! What is happening to our country?’ muttered Oriku.

‘Mojo!... Mojo!,’ He called me

‘Yes, Dad.’ I answered his call from the living area and proceeded to the balcony where he was.

‘ Can you imagine bandits have struck again? I remember ten years ago- it was 2023 if I'm right they had also gone on a rampage and stolen countless livestock from citizens in that area. God, the number of people who have lost their lives over the years is preposterous. I remember the minister then had come up with some operation dubbed Maliza Uhalifu ’. The newsrooms reported that he'd been able to deal with over seventy percent of banditry activity and only thirty percent was left. Well if you ask me these ten years have surely proven that all the operation was for naught.’

‘Dad, you know at the time I was still in high school and I never bothered to watch the news. I felt like since it was never a concern of mine then there was no need to follow it up. You know the phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’, well that was the case with such news.’ I told him knowing very well that was the case still.

‘ You never change son. But I'll keep advising you to watch the news often. Keeping up with current issues in the country helps you understand where the country is headed. Well, you ought to liken it to a democratic right just like voting. Understanding what our leaders are doing in the positions of power bestowed to them by us is essential just like the bandit news shows us that our leaders are not taking it seriously. Try it you'll never look back.’

‘Ok, dad will do. Also, you've said there are demonstrations headed to Kirio town so perhaps we should avoid the town center tomorrow. I don't think I'll open up the shop because of the high security risk you know how the town is on such days.’ I told the old man.

‘They is fine son, we should rest tomorrow.’ nodding his head in agreement.

It was getting rather late and the long conversation had me dizzy. There being no other business, I bade my father goodnight and retired. However, he still had a worried look on his face as I left him over on the balcony. Maybe the reason was my inability to watch the news or the demonstrations to be held tomorrow- I was not sure.

Morning came pretty quick and it felt like the anticipation did not want to rest either. The normal hooting of the hover cars I usually heard from a distance rushing to pick up the Kenyan workforce from their estates on the outskirts of Kirio City was missing this morning. The early morning sounds of chirping birds were missing perhaps a sign that it wouldn't be a good day. Oriku, my father had woken up and was already scrounging the internet looking for any news regarding the planned demonstrations.

‘Well someone is addicted to news.’ I mumbled to myself knowing that it had also been my intention to check the tabloids for developing stories. Previous demonstrations in the country had been married with bouts of violence and looting- considering it had been a ‘Kenyan culture’ when such events occurred, one ought to be informed of how they unfolded. I was worried that my cereal shop in the town center was not safe. It seemed that the planned demonstrations had brought the nation to a standstill considering that an entire village had been wiped out by bandits. Vengeful emotions were pungent in the atmosphere but the culprits had not been caught. The demonstrations were a revelation that the menace of the vagabond's hand touched a nerve in all those who sympathized with the aggrieved. Most had turned to the internet to follow the proceedings of the demonstrations and that is where the demon's propaganda and fake news came in.

One Mister Kilote, in the revered two application, mentioned that he'd lost all his cousins at the goat auction and accused Chief Governor Oliek of allowing the culprits to commit atrocities on his family. Countless Kenyans flooded him with messages of condolences and pointed fingers of blame towards the Chief Governor. Another added that the Chief Governor was among the financiers of the culprits which sparked an uproar against the Chief. Nearly twelve hours had passed since the incident and Oliek had not made any public appearance to clear any allegations made against him or condole with families of the affected. Well, one would assume he was ashamed since his minister had failed to deal with the problem in the region despite the huge chunks of funds he'd channeled towards the course. In the past, it had been reported that security personnel had been deployed to the area and were tasked with the process of dealing with the bandits and rebuilding the livelihoods of residents of the regions affected by banditry.

On television, every station had suspended normal programming to focus solely on the planned demonstrations in Kirio City. An early morning press briefing by the Minister of Security, Mr. Adanda gave warning to any citizen who would be participating in the planned demonstrations to try at their own risk. All this was because it was unconstitutional and prior notice hadn't been given to the respective security personnel.

‘We have taken steps to ensure no demonstrations will happen anywhere near the town centers so Kenyans can go on with their activities with assured security for their property. We will also ensure that any citizen caught destroying public property or causing unnecessary disturbance will be dealt with decisively’ He said with finality.

‘Well, at least we are assured of the safety of our shop Mojo.’ My dad who was glued to the television told me.

‘I think this issue is heading in the wrong direction, Dad. Both sides are in the wrong and ought to sit down and find a better way to resolve the issue. We Kenyans like to resort to demonstrations each time it feels like we are wronged because it's how the Governor will listen to our pleas just like past experiences.’

‘Son you said it all that is how all our grievances have usually been solved.’ Mzee Oriku added.

Then all of a sudden the newsroom brought out the famous Breaking News headline to signify a developing story. Security personnel who had been placed all over the city had begun encountering demonstrators who attempted to access the town center. It was 9 A.M and teargas cannisters began flying over the morning sky like birds. One group in particular was larger than the rest as reported. It was led by the Chairman of the goat auction followed by a huge crowd of youth armed with huge rocks- seemed the rocks carried them youths instead, considering how scronny they appeared with their thin hands. Well, if you wanted to hold demonstrations youths were the perfect pawns to utilize. Behind them were huge trucks with cattle, goats, and sheep inside. Huge herds of cattle, sheep, and goats had also been ferried to the demonstrations. Seemed they wanted to use them as distractions to wreck the town center. They matched holding hands and chanting ‘Oliek Must Go! Oliek Must Go! We Want Peace!’ Some had placards which read ‘Tumechoka!’ (we are tired!). They were determined to reach the state lodge to present their ultimatums to the Chief Governor- but this would soon turn out to be an uphill task.

Running battles between security officers and demonstrators immediately ensued and the first person to flee the scene was the Chairman of the Goat auction, leaving the youth who'd accompanied him to fend for themselves from the rain of teargas canisters launched by the security. They were under clear instructions not to let any citizen proceed towards ‘State Road’ as it posed a security risk to the Chief Governor who was staying there for the weekend. Security personnel would throw teargas canisters to disperse the marauding crowd, only for it to be returned to sender followed by a torrent of stones. The demonstrators were overwhelmed by the teargas with tears trickling freely in their faces. That was when things took a turn for the worse.

At noon, after a considerable running around by the youth, Richard, a demonstrator decided to open the truck doors to let out the cattle, goats, and sheep to serve their purpose of distraction. They had to reach the state lodge by all means and that meant pulling all stops. First, it was one cattle running Helter across the road throwing both security and youth in limbo. Then came the rest of the herd, and all went to hell. From the back, Richard shouted, ‘ Comrades, it's now or never. Forward Match!’

A thunderous roar from his colleagues rocked the air amidst the confusion of the herds as the angry youth without their leader, the chairman, made their way towards the State Lodge Road. Security personnel noticing they were being overrun decided to apply the oldest trick in the book. First one bull fell with a thud then another. All demonstrators stood in the middle of the road transfixed, unable to comprehend why bulls were suddenly dropping dead. Then… ‘pa! pa! pa!’ live bullets started flying all over. It was all under five minutes and the herds of cattle, goats, and sheep were all on the ground. Nearly half the number of demonstrators were on the ground.

Then came shrieking cries, ‘ Jozzy! Jozzy! My brother what have they done to you.’ Jozzy lay there bleeding vehemently. All this in live television, with Mzee Oriku among the many viewers watching it all unfold in real-time. That was when it all began…