By Odhiambo Levin Opiyo via FB

Haiti and the Congo factor.
DRC has been beset by political violence for decades despite being one of the richest countries.
Even though this may be attributed to external forces and economic factors, rebellion among the Congolese is a deeply entrenched culture that dates back to the period of Kongo Kingdom.
Of the five major Central African kingdoms that were located in the Congo Basin, the Bantu kingdom of Kongo remains one of the most historic.
Its history dates back to one of the largest and longest movements in human history, the Bantu migration, starting from West Africa in around 1000 BCE.
The ancient territory lines created by the Kongo Kingdom leave the descendants of the Kongo fragmented between three present-day countries.
Many of them are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while others are in Congo Brazzaville and Angola.
However, the Kingdom was plagued by a series of internal conflicts and experienced one of the longest civil wars that lasted from 1665 and 1709, over who was to be King.

The decline of public order created a perfect environment for the capture of Kongo kingdom subjects,who were sold to local merchants, and brought to the coast for resale as slaves.

French and English shippers sent them to Saint-Domingue in the present day Haiti and Dominican Republic.
That’s why the story of Haiti can never be told without studying the history of the Kingdom of Kongo.
Slaves from the Kongo Kingdom made up the majority of those imported into Saint-Domingue before the Haiti revolution.
David Geggus, who studied plantation inventories in Saint Domingue, concluded that in the 1780s “Congos” made up 60 percent of the slaves in the North Province, where the Haiti revolution began, and about the same percentage in the south.

They were common and influential enough among the rebels that Congo became a generic term for the rank and file of the slave rebels .
The most popular early leader of the revolution, Boukman Dutty, though certainly not a Kongolese himself, was still known by a Kikongo nickname, Zamba (probably nzamba, or “elephant,” )

Some historians have always considered the enslaved Kongolese as the ideological source of the Haiti Revolution.
This is because the civil wars that plagued the Kingdom of Kongo were fought at least in part to resolve constitutional issues and determine who was the king of Kongo and what were his powers.

Many of those enslaved and eventually sent to Saint-Domingue had served in Kongo’s civil wars or were caught up by them. And it is most likely that the issues that shaped the civil wars in Kongo might well have shaped a different civil war in the Caribbean.
In other words the Kongolese slaves brought their ideological orientation to Saint-Domingue (Haiti).

In June 1793 after a body of rebellious slaves had raided and looted Le Cap François (now known as Cap Haitien in Haiti) their leader, known as Macaya, retreated to the hills and swore allegiance to the king of Spain, who had supported the rebellion for some time.
When Étienne Polverel who had been sent to suppress the revolution tried to persuade him to return to the republic, Macaya wrote back:
“I am the subject of three kings: of the King of Congo, master of all the blacks; of the King of France who represents my father; of the King of Spain who represents my mother. These three Kings are the descendants of those who, led by a star, came to adore God made Man.”
It is therefore not by accident that the Congo and Haiti have continued to suffer cycles of violence, invasion and repression for most of their subsequent histories.

While the Independent Haiti had the totalitarian Papa Doc Duvalier, the Congo had the despotic Mobutu Sese Seko.

By Odhiambo Levin Opiyo via FB

Haiti and the Congo factor.
DRC has been beset by political violence for decades despite being one of the richest countries.
Even though this may be attributed to external forces and economic factors, rebellion among the Congolese is a deeply entrenched culture that dates back to the period of Kongo Kingdom.
Of the five major Central African kingdoms that were located in the Congo Basin, the Bantu kingdom of Kongo remains one of the most historic.
Its history dates back to one of the largest and longest movements in human history, the Bantu migration, starting from West Africa in around 1000 BCE.
The ancient territory lines created by the Kongo Kingdom leave the descendants of the Kongo fragmented between three present-day countries.
Many of them are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while others are in Congo Brazzaville and Angola.
However, the Kingdom was plagued by a series of internal conflicts and experienced one of the longest civil wars that lasted from 1665 and 1709, over who was to be King.

The decline of public order created a perfect environment for the capture of Kongo kingdom subjects,who were sold to local merchants, and brought to the coast for resale as slaves.

French and English shippers sent them to Saint-Domingue in the present day Haiti and Dominican Republic.
That’s why the story of Haiti can never be told without studying the history of the Kingdom of Kongo.
Slaves from the Kongo Kingdom made up the majority of those imported into Saint-Domingue before the Haiti revolution.
David Geggus, who studied plantation inventories in Saint Domingue, concluded that in the 1780s “Congos” made up 60 percent of the slaves in the North Province, where the Haiti revolution began, and about the same percentage in the south.

They were common and influential enough among the rebels that Congo became a generic term for the rank and file of the slave rebels .
The most popular early leader of the revolution, Boukman Dutty, though certainly not a Kongolese himself, was still known by a Kikongo nickname, Zamba (probably nzamba, or “elephant,” )

Some historians have always considered the enslaved Kongolese as the ideological source of the Haiti Revolution.
This is because the civil wars that plagued the Kingdom of Kongo were fought at least in part to resolve constitutional issues and determine who was the king of Kongo and what were his powers.

Many of those enslaved and eventually sent to Saint-Domingue had served in Kongo’s civil wars or were caught up by them. And it is most likely that the issues that shaped the civil wars in Kongo might well have shaped a different civil war in the Caribbean.
In other words the Kongolese slaves brought their ideological orientation to Saint-Domingue (Haiti).

In June 1793 after a body of rebellious slaves had raided and looted Le Cap François (now known as Cap Haitien in Haiti) their leader, known as Macaya, retreated to the hills and swore allegiance to the king of Spain, who had supported the rebellion for some time.
When Étienne Polverel who had been sent to suppress the revolution tried to persuade him to return to the republic, Macaya wrote back:
“I am the subject of three kings: of the King of Congo, master of all the blacks; of the King of France who represents my father; of the King of Spain who represents my mother. These three Kings are the descendants of those who, led by a star, came to adore God made Man.”
It is therefore not by accident that the Congo and Haiti have continued to suffer cycles of violence, invasion and repression for most of their subsequent histories.

While the Independent Haiti had the totalitarian Papa Doc Duvalier, the Congo had the despotic Mobutu Sese Seko.

By Odhiambo Levin Opiyo via FB

Haiti and the Congo factor.
DRC has been beset by political violence for decades despite being one of the richest countries.
Even though this may be attributed to external forces and economic factors, rebellion among the Congolese is a deeply entrenched culture that dates back to the period of Kongo Kingdom.
Of the five major Central African kingdoms that were located in the Congo Basin, the Bantu kingdom of Kongo remains one of the most historic.
Its history dates back to one of the largest and longest movements in human history, the Bantu migration, starting from West Africa in around 1000 BCE.
The ancient territory lines created by the Kongo Kingdom leave the descendants of the Kongo fragmented between three present-day countries.
Many of them are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while others are in Congo Brazzaville and Angola.
However, the Kingdom was plagued by a series of internal conflicts and experienced one of the longest civil wars that lasted from 1665 and 1709, over who was to be King.

The decline of public order created a perfect environment for the capture of Kongo kingdom subjects,who were sold to local merchants, and brought to the coast for resale as slaves.

French and English shippers sent them to Saint-Domingue in the present day Haiti and Dominican Republic.
That’s why the story of Haiti can never be told without studying the history of the Kingdom of Kongo.
Slaves from the Kongo Kingdom made up the majority of those imported into Saint-Domingue before the Haiti revolution.
David Geggus, who studied plantation inventories in Saint Domingue, concluded that in the 1780s “Congos” made up 60 percent of the slaves in the North Province, where the Haiti revolution began, and about the same percentage in the south.

They were common and influential enough among the rebels that Congo became a generic term for the rank and file of the slave rebels .
The most popular early leader of the revolution, Boukman Dutty, though certainly not a Kongolese himself, was still known by a Kikongo nickname, Zamba (probably nzamba, or “elephant,” )

Some historians have always considered the enslaved Kongolese as the ideological source of the Haiti Revolution.
This is because the civil wars that plagued the Kingdom of Kongo were fought at least in part to resolve constitutional issues and determine who was the king of Kongo and what were his powers.

Many of those enslaved and eventually sent to Saint-Domingue had served in Kongo’s civil wars or were caught up by them. And it is most likely that the issues that shaped the civil wars in Kongo might well have shaped a different civil war in the Caribbean.
In other words the Kongolese slaves brought their ideological orientation to Saint-Domingue (Haiti).

In June 1793 after a body of rebellious slaves had raided and looted Le Cap François (now known as Cap Haitien in Haiti) their leader, known as Macaya, retreated to the hills and swore allegiance to the king of Spain, who had supported the rebellion for some time.
When Étienne Polverel who had been sent to suppress the revolution tried to persuade him to return to the republic, Macaya wrote back:
“I am the subject of three kings: of the King of Congo, master of all the blacks; of the King of France who represents my father; of the King of Spain who represents my mother. These three Kings are the descendants of those who, led by a star, came to adore God made Man.”
It is therefore not by accident that the Congo and Haiti have continued to suffer cycles of violence, invasion and repression for most of their subsequent histories.

While the Independent Haiti had the totalitarian Papa Doc Duvalier, the Congo had the despotic Mobutu Sese Seko.

By Babu owino Via fb

RUTO’S CORRUPTION CARTELS FIGHTING MATIANGI

My attention is drawn to efforts by a small cartel of rent seeking Members of Parliament on the payroll of Sugoi to derail H. E President Uhuru Kenyatta’s development agenda. I am reliably informed that these unscrupulous MPs lined up to receive twenty thousand shillings each in Karen on Tuesday, June 29, at 11:00am to impeach Super CS Fred Matiangi.

I think I speak for most Kenyans when I say that we are sick and tired of these repetitive extortion shenanigans by a few misguided legislators with nothing better to do than auction themselves cheaply for the equivalent of a bottle of whisky.

Kenyans want President Kenyatta to fulfil his mandate uninterrupted by these noise makers. Kenyans want development. We are tired of DP Ruto’s endless politicking and undermining of his Boss, the President. He should be patient and call off his dogs. Give the President space to do his work. When you fight CS Matiangi, you are fighting the President. We will expose these mercenaries and their pay bills so that Kenyans can know how low some of their leaders have sunk!

May Allah save Kenya from greed and bad leaders!

Comrade Babu Owino,
MP, Embakasi East.

By Gordon Opiyo

As usual, I never post anything without proof… And I have repeatedly stated that Ruto passionately hates the Luo and Luhyias O names…
Let me prove, with facts… Solid facts

1. Open discrimination in visits…. Based on newspaper reports, I have compiled the areas that Ruto has visited as DP since 2013
He has visited Kisii and Kuria areas 84 times…. He has visited Siaya 2 times, Kisumu 5 times (mainly visiting his Kalasinga Sugar Barons) Migori 4 times and Homa Bay 2 times…

Compared to Luhyia land, Coast and Central this is open discrimination….

2.As we speak, Ruto has received the Economic Plans from the Mt Kenya, Coast, North Rift, Western, and Kisii regions… He has not hidden his contempt for the Luo by refusing to visit Luo Nyanza to receive the Economic plan…

3. Ruai Land…. When he assumed power in 2013, he went to reclaim his grabbed land that was grabbed after Moi left power. The land initially grabbed by Renton in Ruai had both Luo and Mt Kenya settlements… But he only kicked out the Luo settlers in Ruai and never touched the Mt Kenya settlers who grabbed his grabbed land.

4. Public Service When he assumed power in 2013, he intentionally kicked out senior officials with O names. Several Luhyias with O names suffered after being mistaken for Luos. I have a long list across the Board that suffered from the ethnically motivated purge by Ruto..

5. Public Comments… By Ruto and his close Allies like Sudi, Aaron Cheruiyot, Cherugai and others show open disdain for the Luos…..
I can go on and on….

This attitude is fueled by the Moi and Kanu Era, where Luos were classified as “Adui” and Ruto is a classic Moi student….. Wacha Uhuru… Ruto ndiye Moi damu inside out……..

I know this does not change his popularity in any way, but let the Luo and Luhyia Nation just know that under Ruto, it will be kulia na kusaga meno….