Thread by @wmnjoya

Corruption doesn't start at the public purse. It starts at the basic idea that people can be stupidly rich from no work of their own, but of others.

So until we deal with the monstrosity of the title deed, we will not fundamentally address corruption in Kenya.

That system of stealing people's work starts with the title deed.

What is a title deed? It is not the land. It is the legitimacy of her majesty the queen to own and decide what happens with land.

When someone has a title deed, they are saying that the queen has allowed them to use that land mentioned in the deed, and that the queen is committed to using force to validate that deed.

The problem is, who gave the queen the authority to guarantee use of the land?

The only way she got is is through stealth. Or what others politely call "enclosure."

What is an enclosure, and why is it a form of corruption?

Imagine we are that romantic non-colonized village that our elites like to con us about. We live next to a forest. The forest provides our food, fuel, building materials and trade. And through our culture and rituals, we replenish the forest, hold it sacred and protect it.

Then, Madame me decides that I'm tired of working like everybody else. What happens?

The next day, you go to the forest to hunt or to pick firewood, you find that I've put askaris at the entrance to the forest. You're told that you cant enter unless you pay an entrance fee.

Then you ask: who said? Askari anakwambia -madame.

As who? You ask?

Ah, Bishop Fulani annointed her the other day in church as God's custodian of the forest. So she owns it by divine right. If you want to use the forest, you have to pay to enter.

And he points a spear at you.

So you say "fine. How do I pay, and I have nothing on me?

Askari says: Unaweza ingia basi, but whatever you get from the forest, a portion of it must go to Madame.

Now before Madame put the askaris at the forest, you used to pick dry sticks and just enough for your family.

But now that you need to pick enough to pay me for being God's annointed, you start cutting trees so that there's firewood for you and me.

You give me your tax. And so does everyone else. So I receive firewood, building materials and meat without doing any work myself.

I get richer and fatter from all your work. I use a portion of it to pay more askaris to guard the forest. I hike the entrance fees, you deplete the forest to pay.

Since I dont work, I'm bored. So I pay people to make magnificent clothes for me, entertainers to sing my praises.

The clothes are extremely important because any time a village madwoman tries to ask "who gave madame the right to control the forest?" I just show up with PAs, body guards and journalists to mesmerize you. Maybe I even throw a party for the village once a year.

So next time the village madwoman tries to ask about the forest, you say "umemwona madame? Nobody can be that rich or beautiful unless she was annointed. That's why she's the custodian of the forest."

I'm getting to the title deed.

Once the system is in place, I appoint a few wanyapara who owe their loyalty to me. So I tell them: you can take the forest on the other side of the mountain. If anyone asks how, show them this paper with my signature that says I've allowed you to do so.

Hiyo ndiyo title deed.

Title deed is a paper saying that I have allowed you to take land, and it alerts anyone who raises questions that I, Madame, God's annointed custodian of the forest, am willing to send warriors to descend on anyone who challenges your use of that land.

And you pay me, of course.

So as more wanyapara pay me, the more soldiers I can afford to protect my territory and theirs, and the more territories I can grab and the more you have to work to make me afford my growing empire.

That's colonialism.

Askaris to force you to accept this system are not enough. I also create schools that teach you to accept it, and tell the Bishops to keep telling you that this system is God's will. I walk around in expensive clothes dishing handouts so that you think that I'm so kind.

I'm getting to corruption.

Now, eventually this system becomes too much. You are working more but getting hungrier and hungrier. You're starting to ask questions. I get a few of the noisemakers speared, but it makes you even more bitter.

Eventually, enough of you are comvinced that this "annointed by God" story is bs. We are all created equal, and we have an equal right to the forest.

What do I do?

I give you elections to pick a council which will decide what is done with the resources from the forests.

I also say that the council you elect will take care of your welfare. Instead of you paying me, you will pay the council and the council will decide how the taxes you pay will benefit you also, not just me.

But of course, I corrupt the elections. I incite you to hate the villagers on the other side of the mountain. I pay off or kill the candidates who ask questions about the title deeds and my anointing. I distribute askaris and send some to threaten you if you dont vote how I want.

By the time you arrive at the ballot, you are so driven by love for the candidates and hate for the villagers on the other side of the mountain who are suffering just like you.

So you vote for my puppets.

Here's the corruption.

Those people whom you voted as politicians and appointed as civil servants to distribute resources from the forest?

Ha ha. You idiots. They get close to me, and decide to be rich like me by taking a cut from your resources which they were to distribute.

How is their corruption linked to the title deed?

There would be no government for you to elect if I didn't need to protect myself from your anger from this system where I grab the forest and coopt sell outs into this theft by using title deeds.

The politicians you vote are able to manipulate you through campaigns funded by resources from the forest I grabbed and the taxes I earn from title deeds as promises to protect other thieves of natural resources.

So now we have a system where all title deeds trace back to the Queen of England. Muigai's title deeds are not protected by GoK but by the UK's willingness to send troops to crush us if we occupy his land. In return, he owes London, and we work to pay. newstatesman.com/global-issues/…

Remember that that is how the Mau Mau were crushed. Not by the colonial government here, but by troops from London. Anywhere in the world, if you dare challenge this system, UK and US will kick tantrums with guns and nuclear weapons.

Question the system of title deeds, and you'll start undoing corruption.

And in case you think I'm thinking too far, remember that wazungu are currently fencing off Mt Kenya amd Kakamega forest, and hiring brainwashed Kenyan academics to put a monetary value to our lakes and other natural resources. Someone offered to buy Mt Kenya at 8bn. Ask @m_ogada

So as they cheat you about conservation, they are enclosing off God's resources while politicians entertain you with #BBINonsense.

Remember Madame me, God's custodian of the forest before you go dancing with these fools. They are pied pipers leading you to slavery.

End.

Addendum.
"Essentially, the monarchy is corrupt. If corruption is the abuse of public office for personal gain, that is what the monarchy does. And it’s routine; it’s built into the system.”
Graham Smith newsweek.com/royal-family-m…