So what's Githongo doing in the States now? He's all over the place making appearances and giving interviews to the press.
What does that sound to you?
Of course it is a well-orchestrated PR campaign designed to build up a case against the corrupt Kenyan government and to build up the image of Githongo in the key American media. The whole idea is to get the full attention of the American public so that Washington pays more attention.
Two disturbing questions come to mind.
Who is behind all this?
And what is their intention?
All this points to one of the saddest things about Kenyan political heroes. So far they have hardly been homegrown. The path that Githongo is following is very similar to that another Kenyan political hero took in the 1950s (about 50 years ago). I am of course referring to Tom Mboya who received massive support from the Americans and was rumored to have been a CIA agent.
And in what looks like a very carefully orchestrated PR campaign, Githongo denied once again that he had plans of standing for President in next year's general elections.
This blogger is deeply ashamed and disturbed that this blog's favorite candidate for the presidency is being financed by some shadowy guys in the background.
Wait a minute now, those are some pretty hefty, and if unsabstantiated, careless and wild, allegations that you've made there.
ReplyDeleteWhat is with all this penchant for conspiratorial mumbo jumbo that Kenyans seem so adept at wallowing in?
"Who's behind this?"
"Why is he doing that?"
"What's where, which, when and by whom?!"
Petty, petty, petty!
Githongo IS not running for president, either in 2007 or anytime soon.
This, I heard him say, in person, 2 weeks ago in DC, and in an interview with National Public Radio.
Perhaps we are so used to mediocrity and moronic leadership that when we get one brilliant incorruptible guy, we immediately start a witchhunt for ulterior motives and wildly speculate about conspiracies.
The man wanted to do his job well, did it for as long as he could - amid unimaginable barriers thrown his way by the powers that be - and now he's talking about the ills and effects of State-sanctioned corruption in Africa.
Nothing wrong with that.
But Kenyans, in their warped thinking, have let their innate obsession with petty imaginations cloud their judgement and cannot, therefore, understand that Githongo is doing what he's doing so that Kenyans/Africans can be saved from the yoke of bad governance!
It's one thing, and infact it's understandable, when the Murungarus and other corrupt folks question and discredit Githongo in an attempt to save their behinds.
But it's ATROCIOUS when ordinary Kenyans cannot see when they're being helped, and eagerly jump in the mudslinging bandwagon to attack someone who was almost killed for their sake!
Are Kenyans their own worst enemies? You bet!
Githongo has every right to run for presidency, as does everyone else in the county. It is interesting to note how Whispering Inn came to the defense of the guy. There are many possible implication of what Kumekucha's blog is attempting to do,let’s hope discrediting the man who has shown such bravery and disregard for the powers that be is not part of it. Lets indulge in the idea, what if he wants to be president of Kenya, would that not be a blessing, would we not want someone who has virtually no connections to the existing corrupt individuals, who will posses the political will power to turn the country around.
ReplyDeletewhat I’m suggesting is that the fact that he has said No (in my view not a very convincing one) does not mean that the idea has not crossed his mind. We have seen people deny it several times just to admit that that was what was going on behind the scenes. The implication by that he is being groomed and drumming support for his eventual running should be set aside and wait and see what the result of the media bliss he is having in the states will do for the corruption in out county.
Githongo strikes me as a straightforward guy “brilliant incorruptible” not so sure, but would like to think that is possible. Bottom line Githongo running for presidency is not such a bad idea, whether he is going to be a puppet or not at least there would much needed change that would remove the old guard. This would be a positive thing
Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteSo, here is the million dollar question: rhetoric or fact?
I think that Whis is partially right, innuendo alone - which is all we have here - should not be taken at face value. Without corraborating evidence, we have to consign it to the rhetoric bin.
@Anonymous - I absolutely agree with you that Githongo, in fact, every Kenyan, has the right to run for president. And true, folks do deny that they're running, while doing things that amount to running, only to admit it much later.
ReplyDeleteActually, I would absolutely love it if Githongo, brave and all, became president because he
would "turn the country around" as you put it.
However, my issue was with Kumekucha's insinuation that someone is financing Githongo and questioning some phantom "motives" behind what he was doing.
Kenya and Africa receive billions of dollars in aid and we never have anything to show for it, because of corruption.
Yet the world is being pushed, by Blair and Sachs, to pump more aid to Africa. The world wants to understand where the money goes!
How do these corruption networks work? Who's behind them? Are the governments involved?
How does the world get aid money to work; do they go there and supervise the projects themselves (and by-pass the corrupt governments which will steal the money) or do they give the money to NGOs or do they just stop giving money and let the poor Africans suffer?
These are pertinent and very critical questions and the one man who knows, and has experience fighting these networks is Githongo. That's why he's talking and the world is listening.
In fact he had dinner with Paul Wolfowitz, WB president, a few days before the world bank cancelled a 10B aid package to Kenya.
So, you minimize and misconstrue what Githongo is doing when you start assuming that he's talking to earn a few dollars or because some "masters" are controlling him, etc. Folks don't have the right info, and absent of that knowledge, people can let their imaginations run pretty wild.
The reason I used the term "brilliant" is because I looked at the man's work before he became a PS; while he was a journalist and while he was the head of TI in Kenya.
I also looked at how he worked as the PS for Government and Ethics. He got to the bottom of things pretty quick.
Besides, I don't think he would have been appointed a Senior Associate at Oxford if he wewe a dummy, you know.
We would have all realized how brilliant he is had he been allowed to do his job to the end; expose the whole corruption networks and parade all culprits in court with mountains of evidence.
Now, why I think the guy is "incorruptible" is pretty much self-evident - the guy must have been offered copious amounts of bribes (eat with the tribe at the High Table) which he, of course, refused.
Think of how much he would have received in kick-backs to turn a blind eye to corrupt deals of mega-billions' proportions! And he refused to take the bribes or to back down even when the threats came.
The man chose to go live in exile rather than compromise his integrity and give in to rot and threats. Isn't that incorruptible to you, Anonymous?
@Ntwiga - Yes, it would be more credible if there was corroborative evidence, otherwise it's all rhetorical.
History has an ingenious way of repeating itself. We have seen “brilliant” people who have gotten to office and failed to perform (read Mwai Kibaki),there is no denying it, he is brilliant, BUT being able to get the accreditations from the various institutions does not make Githongo the potential messiah we are putting him out to be. The point I was trying to bring across, is that kumekucha has a unpopular point, he is questioning the guy’s motive. Why is Githongo making a big fuss about corruption, what does he have to gain. In none of his speeches has he articulated his plan for Kenya. Kumekucha’s is trying to question the possibility of there being a potential benefactor of the crusade that Githongo has taken upon himself. The fact that he is still fighting corruption is unprecedented in a Kenyan perspective where we learn early that, whatever we do we have to be a beneficiary either directly or indirectly. Githongo has showed himself as a whistle blower but this does not mean the same has not happened elsewhere, where people have exuded the same passion about getting things done right just to turn around and make it as bad if not worse. What I’m saying is (and not trying to ruffle any feathers) Githongo should tell us what he is aiming for, so as we can understand his cause and join him.
ReplyDeleteWe are all anti-corruption, anti-mismanagement and for the fair equitable distribution of the country’s wealth.
Githongo is a personal friend whom I know fairly well. But there is nothing oersonal about the future of our children and grand children. We should never allow emotions or another "tosha" move to hurry us into a decisison we may regret. My point is that debate is healthy and even healthier when people can see both sides of the coin. We've had a second chanc (kibaki) and now our third chance is rapidly approaching. One thing I am sure of is that there will be no fourth chance if we make a mess of this one again.
ReplyDelete-Kumekucha.