Mohamed and Onsarigo embody courage that overwhelms impunity

By Hassan Omar Hassan

I read about KTN’s Senior Investigative Editor Mohammed Ali’s arraignment in court on ‘theft’ charges in the social media on May 14. I immediately called him. The phone went unanswered. I called his colleague Ahmed Darwesh to establish what was really happening.

He gave me some insights. ‘Moha’ as we usually refer to Mr Ali then returned my call. He told me what was happening. I told him to take heart noting that no one ‘buys’ the fact that Moha can ‘steal’ a phone.

I went for a Radio Maisha interview on May 15, a day after Moha’s court arraignment. He came to the studio to greet me. As he walked in, I jokingly held onto my phones. The police are trying to tell us that Moha has a penchant for peoples’ phones?

I told Moha that I was happy that The Standard Group had stood by him. He told me that his next “Jicho Pevu” was going to be really big. I was persuaded that the investigation he was working on had influenced police action. I told him not to fall prey to intimidation. He seemed inspired by his ‘predicament’.

I was driving home on Friday when ‘everyone’ kept calling and asking whether I was watching Jicho Pevu on KTN. I got home slightly late and watched the tail end of the episode. I am sure many Kenyans tuned in for KTN’s 9pm bulletin to watch “The Inside Story”. Equally Dennis Onsarigo, Moha’s investigative ‘partner’ was in his best form.

The ‘ghosts’ of Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan had returned. And this time around the ‘ghosts’ were talking! Telling it all as it was. The entire organisation of Government being ‘used’ like a village soccer tournament organising committee to facilitate the commission of crimes. Disheartening and outrageous.

State House operatives, senior police officers, bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen who abuse the trust vested through the authority of State. “Our man is in power” is their overarching paradigm.

It is not the first time Kibaki’s State House, its operatives or confidantes are accused of ‘facilitating’ crimes. That’s the most archaic abuse of power.

Do you recall ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s allegations of possible State House meetings leading to allegedly commission of crimes against humanity?

State House is on an overdrive to subvert justice at the International Criminal Court. Futile theatrics at the United Nations, the African Union, the East African Parliament and everywhere else they can think of.

These uncivil, uncultured, ill-mannered people appeared overwhelmed by the unexpected capture of State power. They do not possess the sophistication, composure or humility that goes with high responsibility. Bathed and clothed in impunity, they are unable to remove the veil of the barbaric age. They thought their 1960 era was back again with ‘idiot’ Kenyans having no recourse.

That is why I salute the courage of Mohamed Ali and Dennis Onsarigo. The quality of their investigations and journalism meets the required professional threshold. Their candour overwhelms impunity.

If there was a necessary quality towards Kenya’s transformation, then it is courage. I greatly admire men and women of courage. It will take courage and a little bit of ‘madness’ to overwhelm and overcome impunity.

What is so hard about getting a degree or degrees? Then brandish your papers saying how you have the knowhow to build Kenya. But how many of us acquire knowledge that illuminates and inspires our various discourses? How many of us have the courage to stand up and be counted notwithstanding adversity? Kudos Mohamed and Onsarigo!

The writer is a lawyer and former commissioner with the KNCHR.