You Can Shout, Spit Or Whine But Reggae Is Unstoppable, Philip Etale Director of Communications ODM Party tells DP

You Can Shout, Spit Or Whine But Reggae Is Unstoppable

The other day the Senate Majority Leader Mr. Kipchumba Murkomen said and I quote “We shall bury BBI in Nakuru”, this was after he hired innocent students of the Meru National Polytechnic to cheer him up as he tried to flex his muscle in Meru during the last BBI rally which was attended by all the leaders from Mt. Kenya region and graced by the ODM leader Mr. Raila Odinga.

While in Meru, Mr. Murkomen, accompanied by the MP for Gatundu South Mr. Moses Kuria made reckless and careless remarks targeted at Mr. Odinga who took it easy just like a father would sit down and listen to a son ranting over nothing. You know, the Swahili said, “kelele za chura hazimzuii ng’ombe kunywa maji” and that is exactly what Murkomen’s noise was to Mr. Odinga and the entire leadership of Mt. Kenya.

The objective of the Mt. Kenya rally was achieved and even the walkout by the two leaders couldn’t change a thing. The rally went on as planned, the region’s memorandum presented in a colourful way and the people told what they wanted to hear. The rest is just ‘hasira za kuku kwa mwewe’.

It is no wonder when Mr. Odinga said Nobody can stop reggae, many started jumping up and down, others off the rhythm. There are those who described began to hate reggae simply because Mr. Odinga loves it. What the haters of reggae fail to understand is that the message in most of the songs in the genre of reggae is derived from the Holy Book.

Bob Marley sang music that still rocks todate, 39 years after his death. People like Joseph Hills, Gregory Isaacs, Peter Tosh, Dennis Emmanuel Brown (the Crown Prince of Reggae) may their souls rest in peace, Winstone Rodney aka Burning Spear, Freddy McGregor, Bunny Wailer, Ijahman Levi, Glen Washington et’al have songs whose message is derived from the teachings of the Holy Book. So anyone who says reggae music is for bhang smokers and mad men is just but a hater of God.

We are taught by the Holy Book to love one another just like we love ourselves and methinks it is high time people stopped hating other simply because they do not subscribe to their school of thought. If you hate your neighbor, then you hate God. That should sink in their heads.

Back to the BBI rallies and attempts to stop reggae, President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday made it clear that he trusts Mr. Odinga with BBI. This confirms his commitment to having a successful end to the BBI journey.

It doesn’t matter how high one jumps. You can hold your stomach in appreciation of the message, or spit in dissatisfaction, Reggae will remain reggae. President Kenyatta’s message to the Governors from the Rift Valley was, BBI is the way to go.

Although the media failed to bring out the message the way it was supposed to be, they chose to quote Governors who sing the song of Sen. Murkomen. However, immediately after the State House meeting, Sen. Murkomen seemed to change tone and began to sing “Nobody can stop reggae”. His message to Rift Valley leaders was clear, ‘guys we have to get on board and sing reggae music again’. He threw in the towel so fast and furious and swallowed his previous words.

Uhuru Kenyatta was categorical in his message to the people of Rift Valley; that in Raila Odinga, I am fully represented. His message was a clear as sunlight, that ‘you have been asking why I have not been attending BBI rallies, I want you to know that Raila is competent enough to represent me’. That was the coded message by the head of state. So any other rhythm, ohangla, benga, chakacha, mwomboko, mugithi or the tunes of the former Kalenjin Sisters, Reggae still stands tall and high.

As I said, it doesn’t matter who receives memoranda from Rift Valley Counties, whether they are handed over to the President, his Deputy, Sen. Murkomen or the sassy Senator of Nakuru County Ms. Susan Kihika, Mr. Odinga will not be bothered at all. After all it is all about uniting Kenya.

The writer is the Director of Communications of the ODM Party.