Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya [Hardcover]

For 50 years Kenya has been led by thieves and murderous. Miguna spent time in the torture chambers of Daniel Arap Moi, Kenya's second president. Moi's regime like his predecessor's Jomo Kenyatta was thieving and murderous -- in which repression, detention without trial and torture of people who advocated reforms was a norm.

Moi's vast criminal enterprise raped Kenya bare, looting an estimated £1bn+ from public coffers.

That puts the Mois on a par with Africa's other great kleptocrats, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) and Nigeria's Sani Abacha.

The massive theft and plunder conducted by Moi, his family and cronies spilled over to the Kibaki regime -- a carbon copy of the Moi regime, which in order to retain power -- massively rigged the 2007 presidential elections, leading to the worst eruption of tribal violence in the history of Kenya -- featuring criminal gangs, blood-drinking Mungiki militia thugs, machetes, bows and 'poison-tipped' arrows.

In February 2008 a power-sharing agreement between opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki was reached -- and Kenyans cheered and danced in Nairobi streets and elsewhere -- in the hope that years of economic robbery and merciless plunder was about to come to an end -- with Raila Odinga, the "freedom fighter" as Prime Minister "watching over" the excesses of Kibaki and fellow looting criminals.

A hypocritical and parasitic coalition riddled with fraud and breathtaking corruption on both sides of the power axis ensued.

In "Peeling Back the Mask" -- Miguna notes that after 20+ years in exile, he returned home to work for Prime Minister -- Raila Amollo Odinga (widely seen as a front-runner in next year's presidential elections), as a strategist -- hopeful that Kenyan leaders had banished their looting ways. In Raila Odinga he saw "reformist", a fellow ex-detainee with "impeccable progressive" credentials.

Miguna explains why he eventually rejected the Prime Minister and subsequently exposed his "lack-lustre leadership," while questioning his progressive credentials and claim that he is an agent of change.

It is my opinion that Kenya needs many more Migunas -- to expose the rot, murder and looting within the government of Kenya in the last 50 years.

"Peeling Back the Mask" reads like a thriller novel. I couldn't put it down.

Miguna's detractors may claim that he wrote the book as payback for Odinga firing him. Some even claim he(Miguna) was paid off by his Odinga's enemies.

Whatever the case -- an objective reader should be able to read in between the lines and note that the power barons of Kenya are still as corrupt as they have ever been -- probably worse.

This is a must read for all Kenyans and all those interested in de-corrupting beautiful Kenya.

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Offers an insight into the recent political in-fighting in Kenya and makes one wonder about the forthcoming elections. A bit long winded at times.

An educative political book which one can use to learn what happen behind closed doors in the corridors of power.A great book to learn about politics and civics from a Kenyan standpoint. MIguna Miguna has opened the eyes of Kenyans and removed their political naivity by exposing how politicians brainwash them to become their blind followers and Idol worshippers. Its a revelation of who and what politicians really are behind the scenes , they are ordinary human beings,not to be feared and certainly not gods to be worshipped.That they cannot always be trusted, they lie,how they loot,bribe, get bribed,steal from public coffers of the very citizens they purpote to represent. Their public antics can be well " stage managed circuse " to deceive the citizens their words can be meaningless "hot air", saying one thing and doing another or talking from both sides of their mouths.
Miguna has rightly taught kenyans that Politicians not always to be taken at "face value" as kenyans usually
do.Indeed they are to be handled with a "grain of salt".he reaveals How they use their previledged positions not as servants of the people but to enrich themselves from tax payers(public coffers)money,or from money allocated to them for development,as their followers wait in vain for empty promises made during campaigns.Kenya has a history of so many broken promises from politicians.A pity.
The book spells about how they jostle for power, the bickering, cutting of secret deals between themselves ,and even with dubious and criminal elements ,all for selfish interests,not for the love of their people and country and the "Boss" syndrome they feel "entitled" to ,a traversy of democracy,as this goes againt the grains of their job discriptions which allow them to be servants ,probably because the illgotten wealth which they can use to "greese the wheels" enabling then to be "above the law" and operate with impunity.The by product of coruption at the highest "top" levels is manifested "down" by ordinary citizens as poverty,high inflation,joblessness, lack of oportunities,infrastructure,basic ammenities , descent housing,water,electricity etc.
The author talks about his struggle to fight this vises,his dissapointments in a seemingly lone crusade for reforms and his vision for a better gorverned Kenya without corruption,tribalism,nepotism,and broken promises.After reading this book you will loose your "political virginity" and start seeing things you never saw ,the fine print, the devil in the details etc,and develope a "7 th sense" of political disernment between the real political sheep and the wolves in sheep's skins or is it "masks"?.
You learn to be smart politically ,of what to do before voting, the importance of analyzing politicians by getting their life historical data to educate your self and if need be "unpeel the masks" to exposes their real attributes ,any unvail any hidden "skeletons in the closet".From this you can make an informed decision rather than an immotionalone.The "unpeeling the mask" is your personal responsibility as a vetting exercise to find out about their past any crime record ,family life,if any scandals,education levels,health,etc.This history is to be compared for any discrepansies against what politicians do or say to voters in public,and gives one a fairly accurate sence of who they are and their potential future characters.I find the author's criticism of his former boss of whom the book is primary based on,fair and balanced because he has also also zoned on to other players from both sides of the kenyan political devide.
The author talks about his early life in magina village ,the poverty,his hate of alcohol,the generocity of his mother,her stuggle to bring him up as a widowed single parent.What is most striking is the high moral lessons his mother taught him honesty,intergrity,determination, and hard work.Together with lessons leant from his brothers and sistersshaped his character at an early age .His sheer determination to overcome poverty, to educate himself ,eventually landed him in Canada as a political refugee, educated himself,and started his own succeful lawfirm in Canada!.A self made man of intergrity,he became a political refugee as a result of fighting against the injustices,corrupt,and dictatorial perpetrated by the Kenyan gorverment while studying at the univercity of Nairobi in the late 80's .He did this with others "radical" students knowing the risks ontheir lives,Probono for the greater good of his country.!I appreciate him and thank him for this.
To say Miguna is a man ahead of his time is an understatement .Having lived in Canada for 20 years,what he writes about has been practiced in more advanced democracies for a long time including the US.Kenya is a young democrasy some democratic principles could seem alien to some Kenyans.Miguna has pioneered this exercise through his book for kenya.Kenyan,s must understand they have a constitutional right to know the personal lives of their public servants by vetting them through questioning,investigations,critizims,etc without fear.They have a right be served by their leaders ,who have high moral values and who they know well,so that they wont be easily swayed by the usual empty rhetorics, money,freebees they are given to vote for them. This will also stop them voting emotionally for "their man" because he happens to come from their tribe.Development is not only building infrastructures,or creating jobs, but also mental development through knowledge.Under the new
constitution ,Kenyan citizens must understand they are the bosses and whoever the President,Gorvernors,senators, mp's are their servants.Bye Bye to the Boss syndrome,no more fear of leaders, just mutual respect.That is why Miguna Miguna probably once said "When i see him (the subject),i dont see power, i see a normal human being".
Don't scorn MIGUNA MIGUNAS book. Read it let it educate you, renew your minds and get political deliverance for those who have not seen the light .Kenyans must learn to scrutinize all leaders well or "upeel the masks",to be able to judge them by the contents of their true characters.If not kenyans shall always vote for the wrong leaders full of
corruption,scandals,because they judged the "Masks" they wear.Then they will sing the same old kenyan political spiritual "our leaders are doing nothing for us ,they are all corrupt,all they do is "eat" (a kenyan metaPhor for stealing tax payers money)".Renewal of minds will allow kenyans to do things differently and get different results.You can't expect different results when you do things the same old way .The power to develop Kenya,is the onous of Kenyans.The ball is in you court Kenyan's,play it.