Say No.......

There have been mixed reactions with the concluded 7 day sex boycott in Kenya. A group of Gender based Non Governmental Organizations by the name G10, chose to take the war on poor, greedy and close to nonexistent leadership by the male dominated coalition government, to a new level.

Since the March 28th signing of the National accord Agreement of 2008, it was expected that the differences would be set aside, after months of violent protests of the election of the incumbent; Mwai Kibaki. It was belived that the way would be paved for reconciliation, recovery and rehabilitation of the country. That hasn’t happened.

Watching local news for many Kenyans has been reduced to a painful ordeal. Each bulletin guarantees an almost 3 stooges, high school popularity contest, coverage on infighting, bickering and focus on unnecessary protocol. Just recently on an official visit around the country the Kenyan Prime minister was concerned about the length of the dignitary red carpet that seemed shorter than the Vice President’s. He also complained of not being received by local leaders, as well as other things, I frankly call petty and nonsensical. Especially when you still have people dying of hunger and disease in IDP camps across the country. Women and children being raped, inflation sky rocketing, however much it is stated it's at the 25% mark, on the ground it is pretty clear that it is much higher.

You have a rising number of University graduates unemployed, frustrated and some turning rogue. You have a well organized terror gang, Mungiki, imposing taxes and levies on locals and butchering anyone who doesn’t conform.

With all that going on it only made sense that after all the picketing, war cries and ‘kumbaya’ singing along the streets, in major towns and cities across the country, wouldn’t work. The next best bet was a 7 day celibacy, with prostitutes being urged to also forgo their livelihood and receive remuneration from the NGOs during the period. The President and Prime Minister’s wives were also urged to join the boycott, naturally it would be more effective if they joined in, to literally ‘let the pain hit home’.

(Right: Kenyan prime Minister, Raila Odinga and his Wife; Ida)

The protest is over, but it is hard to rate the success level, unless you include the couple that went public supporting the protest. Other than that, a drive along Nairobi’s equivalent of a red light district; Koinange Street, proved quite the contrary in the course of the protest. The ‘madams’ of the high street were all geared up for a night of business.

There was an overall uproar with the sex boycott, some seeing it as a reversal of the gains by women over the years; reducing them to sexual play things. Though a quick case comes to mind, proving that sex can be used as a political WMD. In Liberia, when a group of women came together and bravely took on the warlords with a sex boycott during the 14 year long civil war, they successfully brought fighting to a halt.

All in all, it is quite exhausting and very agitating when our so called leaders on this continent, seem so deaf, mute and blind to what is right in front them. They need to realize that it’s just a matter of time before the citizenry will say no more, and this time won’t fight each other for them, but will fight the African bourgeoisie leadership for their real liberation.

Africa’s revolution is not as far as you may think it is.