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Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Mutahi Ngunyi Versus John Githongo Who Will Win This Battle Of Wits?

John Githongo vs Mutahi Ngunyi: The Government's Enemy Number One Versus The President's Advisor; They go a long way back these two

It is rather fascinating that one of the President's most powerful advisors currently (Mutahi Ngunyi) is a man whose path has crossed with that that of John Githongo in the recent past in a rather dramatic way that has yet to be resolved.

Political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi's NGO - Series for Alternative Research in East Africa (SEREAT) hired Githongo as Editor of his political economy magazine, East African Alternatives

The magazine however went belly-up shortly after launch because one of the main donors, The Ford Foundation detected some anomalies in the way their funds were being utilized. An audit by FORD detected evidence of misappropriation and collusion between Ngunyi (the executive director of SAREAT) and Dr Jonathan Moyo who was then a program officer at Ford Foundation overseeing the resource allocations to the NGO. Both gentlemen have been sued and the case is still pending in court.

What is even more interesting is that Githongo is supposed to be one of the star witnesses for the Ford Foundation in the upcoming court case.

But as fate would have it, before the two men can face each other on opposite sides in court, they are already on two opposing sides locked in a fierce battle for the future of Kenya.

Ngunyi is advising the President and the whole objective is to retain the status quo and probably engineer a successful re-election bid for the President. Githongo has endeared himself to the hearts of Kenyans determined to hold on to a dream of a new Kenya. He is in fact being increasingly tipped to end up in politics some day.

Who is winning currently and who will win? One thing I am sure of is that we will not have to wait too long to find out the answer to both questions.



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George Wajackoyah, the controversial bearded lawyer and Roots Party presidential candidate is now “government property”, and he has a security detail to show for it. Indeed, it is in the government’s interest that the professor stays safe. But who is George Wajackoyah? Has he been sent? And if so by who?
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Amid whispers of shocking secrets of exposed leaked details of Ruto's meeting with Raila in Mombasa and then followed by the presser where Azimio rejected Kenya kwanza issues for talks, most Kenyans are confused.
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Ruto Prophecy By Kalenjin Elders? Meshak Yebei walked out to buy something at a chemist shop in Eldoret on 28th December 2014 only to vanish into thin air. The events that followed both mystified and shocked the nation. Now many years later his name has started coming up again... a lot. Watch full video on the Yebei saga; Kalenjin Elders Ruto Prophecy on Yebei killers
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Patrick Shaw The Shocking Untold Story: The inside story of the legendary Nairobi super cop Patrick Shaw. A biographical detailed documentary of the man. Watch now; Patrick Shaw Legendary Nairobi Super Cop Who Was Assassinated
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Did what was said in this video come to pass? Or did it not? Will the rest come to pass? 
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The high court will today (11th August) give direction in a most fascinating, unprecedented case where one of the big ethnic communities in the country seeks secession. Read full article; Court to issue directions where 10,000 Luos want to form their own brand new country

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The Azimio coalition intends today (11th August) to parade caskets of victims of police brutality as a rebuttal to statements made by Police Inspector General Japhet Koome that Azimio "hired bodies" to disparage the police. Prayers will also be offered today by Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya in memory of the supporters who died during anti-government protests in Bondo, Siaya County. Read full article; Azimio to prove today that IG Koome's claim of hired bodies is a lie and is just UDA insensitive propaganda
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Yesterday (August 9th), the value of the Kenyan shilling versus the dollar reached an all-time low, heralding inflation, rising import costs, and putting the nation at risk of increasing electricity costs and debt payment hardship. Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) show that on Wednesday, the shilling averaged a record-low 143.4441 versus the dollar. Since the birth of the Kenyan shilling, the local currency has never ever sunk that low. Read full article; Kenya shilling makes history (negatively): Strongest currency in the region sinks to where it has NEVER been
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The emergence of Jackson Mandago's name as one of the possible persons of interest in the Finland Scholarship scam (after all he was governor when the scheme was launched) is bound to raise political temperatures considerably at a time when the Ruto administration is so shaky and under so much pressure.

Mandago finds himself in a vulnerable position due to his love-hate relationship with Ruto in the past opening the possibility of the president succumbing to pressure and throwing him under the bus. Read full article: Mercy Tarus and Uasin Gishu Finland scholarships scam: Political reason why justice will NOT be forthcoming easily

SEE ALSO:

Mercy Tarus exposes Mandago who asked for ATM cards

Revealed: How Mandago Outwitted DP Ruto And Deep State in 2017 elections

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Kalenjin elders Ruto prophecy: Will it come to pass?

How a Kenyan tribe rendered powerful British guns USELESS

Mercy Tarus exposes Jackson Mandago corruption of Finland scam

Jimmy Wanjigi night meeting with Ruto and Kalonzo: The truth

Japheth Koome speaks like a UDA activist and yet he is the top cop

Will Kalenjins ever forgive Raila Odinga's "secret" mistake of 2007?

The strange Kalonzo Musyoka 4am incident

Kabuga accomplices: ICC prosecutors have names of Big Fish in Kenya

Kakmega Primary tragedy: What really happened? Juju?

The very strange and bizarre Karanja Kabage death

John Githongo Biography

I have attempted to put together a brief biography of the man of the moment for critical analysis by Kenyans. We hope that the gaps left out will be filled with time.

John Githongo was born in 1966 barely 3 years into Kenya's independence. The bitter political struggle between the get-rich-quick kitchen cabinet crowd surrounding President Jomo Kenyatta and politicians who still believed in the dream of the independence struggle like Tom Mboya had already started taking shape. The first Anglo-leasing-like deals had already been done and sealed.

Interestingly John Githongo's own father was soon to join the Kenyatta government and end up as a long serving PS (Permanent Secretary).

St Mary's Years
The most fascinating thing about Githongo's life is how despite his privileged upbringing going to school with the sons of the high and mighty in Kenya at St Mary's School, he still managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

St Marys was the school where the children of all prominent Kenyans went. Fellow students at about the same time were Uhuru Kenyatta (the current leader of the official opposition), former President Moi's sons, and the Kibaki children.

With his burly figure that brought him out as much older than his true years, classmates whose average weight and size was smaller, quite often made fun of him. Young Githongo did not particularly excel at anything. He did not become exceptionally good at games like rugby which were particularly popular at the school and where his built would have come in rather handy. And neither was he exceptional in his academics.

John Githongo's Comic Book Idea
One thing however clearly occupied young John Githongo's mind in his last years of high school. It was the publishing business.

In 1985 I had started an entertainment fortnightly called After Hours. Githongo heard about it and came to me with a grand idea of starting a popular comic book periodical. The world loves a story and with the masses of Kenya being quite often criticized as poor readers the idea was to produce movies on paper that they could relate to.

Personally I thought the idea was brilliant. A few weeks after we first met (I don't remember if we were introduced by a mutual friend, or he simply introduced himself), Githongo showed me some pages of his proposed comic book. He wasn't the artist, he explained, he just wrote the story and somebody else did the art.

Some 3 years later a popular men's magazine called Men Only would burst onto the scene in Nairobi with a very similar concept and equally similar deft art work in its' approach to the several pages of each issue that it devoted to picture stories. Well know local artists like Paul Kelemba (Maddo) were to emerge from that time. It was people like Kelemba who were to later break new ground in political commentary cartoons in Kenya with the Daily Nation.

Then our lives quickly moved in different directions and we lost contact. I was to learn later than he never really launched his pet publishing idea, probably because he was not able to identify a willing financier for the project. In the mean time he left for the UK where he studied Economics and Philosophy at the University of Wales.

The Executive Magazine Years
The next time Githongo reappeared in my life he was working for a well-known Business monthly, Executive Magazine. Strangely enough we never bumped into each other again despite the fact that I was then editor of a regional business monthly called Business Trend Review which covered a lot of similar ground.

At Executive Magazine Githongo got an opportunity to interview President Yoweri Museveni in State House Entebbe. His questions were carefully crafted but you could see the failed attempt to delve deeper into his subject. I enjoyed reading the interview remembering the man as the prospective comic book publisher who was now getting very seriously into business and regional political writing.

The EastAfrican Columnist
I believe that the Museveni interview was the sort of work that attracted the attention of the revolutionary founding editor of the EastAfrican, Joseph Odindo. The regional weekly newspaper was launched by the Nation media group in the mid-1980s. Githongo started off as one of the main columnists at the newspaper, commenting on a wide range of issues in Kenya as his two other columnist colleagues did the same for the other East African countries of Uganda and Tanzania.

There is no doubt that Odindo is one of the most gifted newspaper editors in East and Central Africa today. His work and ideas have come to the forefront in recent years as he has transformed the Daily Nation from a boring tired newspaper virtually stuck in a time warp, to the sort of vibrant human interest modern newspaper that is fitting increasingly well besides the increasing power of TV and the Internet in Africa.

Githongo greatly benefited from working under Odindo and I have no doubt on my mind that this period in his life greatly influenced his current thinking. Kenyan journalism is full of colorful selfless characters who have given their entire lives to practice a profession they love - journalism and writing in a rather harsh environment where it has not always been easy to write about most political subjects. Many of these characters have little to show for their years of devotion and dedication. In the West some of them would be celebrities. In Africa that time has not yet come.

I followed Githongo's columns in the EastAfrican closely, (many of them are indexed online as the EastAfrican is also partly available on the World Wude Web). I watched as he developed from a hesitant columnist trying to swim in a pool that seemed too large and too deep for him, to an authoritative and captivating columnist.

He quickly found a pet subject in the rather sensitive topic of corruption and now he seems set to make a career out of it.

Why Moi Is The Greatest Stumbling Block To A New Generation Taking Over Kenyan Politics

One of the greatest threats to a successful attempt by the post independence generation to take over political power in Kenya is in the person of retired former president, Daniel Arap Moi.

The man who has been ,ade to look like a hero by the blundering Kibaki administration, has seen his influence grow in leaps and bounds in recent times.

All indications are that he is going to be a major influence in the critical political events of the coming months. The set-up in Kanu is a mixture of experience and youth but don't be fooled, the real power is in the hands of the wazees. Wazees like Moi.

What is badly required in Kenya is a clean break with the generation that is chiefly responsible for many of our current problems. Sadly the argument that Moi and company will be putting forward is that even as the youth take over, they will need the guidance of the older and more experienced. And the sad thing is that Moi will increasingly get the ear of many Kenyan voters who now remember his dark days as "better days" in comparison to the current situation.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Contents - Thursday Edition Published Feb 23rd

Kibaki’s Vice Presidential Running Mate in 2007 Will Be From Moi’s Kanu
More Evidence That The Current War On Corruption Is A Train Heading To A Place Called “Nowhere”


Murgor Fights Back


Weekly Citizen Staff Charged Using Old Colonial Law

Kibaki’s Vice Presidential Running Mate in 2007 Will Be From Moi’s Kanu

More Evidence That The Current War On Corruption Is A Train Heading To A Place Called “Nowhere”

It will be the happiest day of my life and a historical day for Kenya if I’m proved wrong. But I repeat that the current war on corruption is a smoke screen. Or in other words, a train heading to a place called nowhere.



Former President Moi. Sly old fox of a politician who never went to Makerere University (or any other university), excellent horse trader running circles around the Kibaki administration.

Here are my reasons

1) The old tell-tale signs of past so-called wars on corruption have began to show where the government starts prosecuting small fry (heads of parastatals) to divert attention from the big fish. Many ‘small guys’ are being arrested or relieved of their jobs pending investigations, all over the place to give the impression that the government is serious about fighting corruption. Meanwhile the big fish are starting to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

2) The Kibaki administration started off in what seems to have been the right direction by including Goldenberg in its’ net. If we’re going back why not go all the way to where it all started with the Kenyatta regime?

It is a big joke that Uhuru Kenyatta is heading the Public Accounts Committee investigating Anglo Leasing when his father, Jomo Kenyatta, oversaw the beginning of corruption in high places in Kenya. A careful investigation of President Jomo Kenyatta’s assets when he took office and at his death will lay bare the facts. Uhuru grew up with cash from grabbed assets and grabbed land. Not to mention the fact that this was also blood money because innocent Kenyans who dared to attempt to blow the whistle on corruption lost their lives. Kungu Karumba (whose remains were never found), Tom Mboya and JM Kariuki, to name but a few.

Some senior people in the Kibaki regime who were around in the Kenyatta days and some who made money from their positions as heads of parastatals etc. need to come forward and clear their names of corruption suspicion.

For instance Hon. Mr Michuki a member of the Kibaki cabinet, needs to explain why the period he accumulated most of his valuable assets coincided with his tenure as the chief executive at the then government owned, Kenya Commercial Bank. There are many others.

The Moi family also needs to answer to the Kenyan people about corruption of which the Goldenberg scandal is a drop in the ocean.

These are the real big fish and the government has no moral justification prosecuting PS’s, lawyers like Philip Murgor and managing directors of parastatals before the big fish are first prosecuted.

The truth is that there are some stones that are too heavy for the Kibaki government to turn and that’s why this whole war on corruption is a train headed nowhere. A smoke screen to hood wink the people of Kenya so that the government can win the next elections.

3) The game plan here is to make a deal with the powerful Kanu faction that controls the vast Rift valley and to go into the next elections with a Kibaki/Kanu coalition which should be enough to win President Kibaki another term. There is even talk that the deal calls for the powerful KANU faction to put forward a vice presidential running mate for President Kibaki. Remember our earlier prediction about the political games being played within Kanu? Chances of Uhuru being that candidate are nil. He is a Kikuyu like President Kibaki and it will be impossible to sell a Kikuyu partnership to the electorate, especially when there is so much anti-Kikuyu sentiment in the country after the referendum. Chances of the so-called rebel William Ruto being that candidate are extremely high. Watch this space. Watch also the developments close to retired President Moi and his Kanu faction.

In return the Moi sons will not be prosecuted and as for Goldenberg, the minnows will be sacrificed to appease the people. This is not good news for Kamlesh (aka Paul) Patni (he changed his name you know), all those PS’s linked with Goldenberg and probably Prof George Saitoti. Gentlemen you may just have to carry the cross for the big boys. Sorry, that’s what happens when you get mixed up with politicians.

I’ll be the happiest Kenyan if I’m proved wrong and all those on my list of big fish either stand trial or clear themselves of charges of grand corruption.

Murgor Fights Back




Philip Murgor: Knows Too Much About Goldenberg?

It is not surprising that Philip Murgor wants to continue carrying a gun around. In becoming one of the richest lawyers in the land, he’s naturally made a lot of enemies.

Picture this scenario. You are a lawyer and are defending a client charged with theft. Naturally he has to tell you a lot before you can successfully defend him. Then somewhere in the middle of that long trial, you switch sides and end up representing the complainants (the guys who got robbed). As they desperately seek for redress.

That is the situation with Murgor. He represented both Patni and the Central Bank of Kenya in Goldenberg-related cases. Technically there is nothing wrong with that, morally, it’s another issue altogether. But then morals do not make lawyers rich and Murgor has made a fortune from the Goldenberg cases. But that is not the issue here.

There are few people alive today who know as much about Goldenberg as Murgor.

This smart lawyer knows the game the politicians are playing and so he’s decided to take them head-on and play their game. He’s now trying to sue police bosses for dragging his good name into Goldenberg. I hope he succeeds because it will bring to light this whole current anti-corruption circus going on in Kenya.

Actually this is more evidence that the so-called war on corruption is selective and definitely headed in the wrong direction. What does a lawyer who represented the thief have to do with the theft itself? Lawyers get paid from Bank robber’s loot all the time in Kenya. A lawyers’ job is to defend their client, not start an investigation into where the money to pay for their services is coming from.

Weekly Citizen Staff Charged Using Old Colonial Law

There is a law from colonial days that has remained in the constitution and this week the Kibaki administration took full advantage of it. The entire Weekly Citizen staff were charged with publishing an alarming report. All 11 of them -- the accountants, the messengers, the whole lot. Except the senior editors and some reporters who are still at large, including Tom Alwaka, the Chief Editor himself. Only 7 appeared in court yesterday (Wednesday February 22nd). A warrant of arrest has been issued for the other four.

The 7 were released on a bond of Kshs 100,000 each. The hearing has been set for May 9th 2006.

43 vendors who were also arrested for selling the newspapers have been behind bars for 3 days and yesterday were set free without being charged. Reading between the lines, the whole objective was just to intimidate the poor newspaper vendors so that they’ll be frightened to sell the next issue of the Weekly Citizen.

The whole idea is a damage control strategy to rein in the vibrant alternative press which has been on overdrive since the sensational Anglo-leasing bombshell first hit the streets some weeks back.

Yet another Narc election promise – freedom of the press - has gone up in smoke.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Contents Tuesday Edition; 21st Feb 2006 (updated 22nd Feb 2006)

Murungaru's Eventful Day In Court
Drama At Nairobi Law Courts As...
...Anglo Leasing Suspects Begin To Crack Under Pressure


CONFIRMED: Mutahi Ngunyi Is Now The Chief Advisor To The President
Who is this man Mutahi Ngunyi?



Weekly Citizen Impounded: Crackdown On Offending Kibaki Article
What Offending Article Did Impounded Issue Carry?


Business Special: Interview With Myjobseye CEO
Coming Soon To Kenya: Matatus Full Of People With Laptops Surfing The Net


New HOT comment on Kibaki's Anti-Corruption War

New HOT comment on Kibaki's Anti-Corruption War

Received Via Email (umissedthis@yahoo.com, you can send yours too..although it is easier to post a comment directly on the blog.)

"It seems the system has managed to hoodwink majority of Kenyans. We need to be cautious on this corruption war.Kibaki should not try and make it a witchunt of sorts or revenge mission.

Why is the police commissioner asking Goldenberg/Anglo Leasing suspects to return guns to the government?

Why disarm them as if they can resist arrest/pose danger to police detectives?

Why are we backdating corruption? Not that I am supporting the former corrupt KANU regime in any way!

We have Anglo Leasing evidence ready for prosecution - why go back to Ndungu report dating to the 70’s?

Moi & Kanu never won an election on an anti-corruption platform but NARC did.

That is the difference."

R.M. - Nairobi.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Contents Tuesday Edition; 21st Feb 2006

Murungaru's Eventful Day In Court
Drama At Nairobi Law Courts As...
...Anglo Leasing Suspects Begin To Crack Under Pressure


CONFIRMED: Mutahi Ngunyi Is Now The Chief Advisor To The President
Who is this man Mutahi Ngunyi?



Weekly Citizen Impounded: Crackdown On Offending Kibaki Article
What Offending Article Did Impounded Issue Carry?


Business Special: Interview With Myjobseye CEO
Coming Soon To Kenya: Matatus Full Of People With Laptops Surfing The Net

Murungaru's Eventful Day In Court

Drama At Nairobi Law Courts As...
...Anglo Leasing Suspects Begin To Crack Under Pressure


There was a very popular German detective series that used to run on KBC TV called Derrick.

This detective’s method of solving murders was easy. He just kept the pressure on the key suspects and sooner or later they cracked.

Last week on Friday some of the key Anglo leasing scandal suspects started to crack under pressure and to make mistakes.

Mistake Number One:
The Meru people are known for their vicious tempers and true to form former Minister Kiraitu Murungi could no longer hold back his anger towards the press. When asked what he was doing at former powerful Minister Chris Murungaru’s court appearance, he told off the media in no uncertain terms and blurted out that they were the cause for his losing his ministerial position.

Aha! So Bwana Kiraitu did not resign and step aside for investigations to be done, as we were so eloquently told? So he was actually fired by a considerate boss who wanted him to regain his dignity? “Yes, yes, I was fired and you were the cause,” he said angrily pointing out that the press had hounded him out of office.

Note: This blog indicated from day one that nobody resigned. Ministers in Kenya never resign. They were all asked to resign (the true and only translation of that is that they were fired… softly.

Mistake Number Two:
Former Minister Kiraitu Murungi, and former long serving aide to President Kibaki, Alfred Gitonga were in seen in court with former Minister Christopher Murungaru as the latter was charged with failure to disclose his wealth to the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission.

Why were Murungi and Gitonga there? What vital clues does this event have concerning the mysterious goings on behind the scenes of the Anglo Leasing scandal?

The mistake the trio have made is in the fact that their presence in court spoke volumes. It sends forward the following clear message;

1) Whatever Murungaru is being accused of and whatever his current troubles are, they are in on it. They have a lot of information.
2) They are angry with their boss for firing them and want to send a subtle message to him that they are united in grief and could easily start talking. In other words their presence in courts was a threat, because they knew full well that the press would go crazy photographing them.
3) One person’s absence from the scene also spoke loudly. That of former Finance minister Daudi Mwiraria. He is very close to the President and he predictably stayed away. Whatever message he has for the president he is well able to pass personally without using such mafia tactics as his former colleagues were forced to.
4) When you take Murungaru’s recent comments where he said the President and the entire cabinet were all aware of the Anglo Leasing contracts and that the President approved them, then this latest development adds up. Meaning that the mastermind behind this side show is none other than Mr Murungaru himself.

Conclusion
Playing Detective Derrick here, the only conclusion I can draw is that the government has no intention of going through with the prosecution of Anglo Leasing suspects. They cannot afford to because to quote a popular Mafia phrase the guys will start “singing like some lousy birds”. The song they will sing will implicate so many other people that it will not be possible for this government to survive.

And that is why bringing in the Goldenberg scandal makes sense to the whole game plan. Involve so many powerful people that prosecution will be impossible. So what will happen here is that the court appearances and circus will continue until the general elections where all attention will shift towards those elections and hopefully the whole thing will be forgotten or the pressure will ease adequately for the government to use the tired old line; “we are still trying to gather enough evidence to get successful conviction.”

Not a bad strategy except for one thing. Things have changed in Kenya and this will no longer work. Let’s wait and see shall we?

P.S. Poor Mrs Murungaru.
Why drag her along to court for this circus? She’s married to the man but she has hardly been tugging along to other public functions. Now when the man is in some trouble, she suddenly makes an appearance. To make matters worse it is a well know fact that like most senior politicians in Kenya today, her husband has been quite close to some other women, including a well known nominated Member of Parliament. I will say no more because this blog was never intended to be a scandal sheet.

Please leave your poor wife out of it, sir.

Anyway having a few girl friends on the side is no big deal in Kenyan politics. Almost all politicians have them.

CONFIRMED: Mutahi Ngunyi Is Now The Chief Advisor To The President




Mutahi Ngunyi
Who Is This Man Mutahi Ngunyi?

It is now clear that what many Kenyan blogs have been harping about for some weeks now is true. President Kibaki’s main political advisor currently is none other than Mr Mutahi Ngunyi.

It is easy to analyze this man and his thinking. We have a huge bunch of columns written for the Daily Nation analyzing the political situation in Kenya, including his current boss.

So it is quite easy to read his next moves (keep reading this blog and we’ll give them to you regularly).

One thing we have to say for the man and his services, at least we are now seeing for the first time, a clear direction in the President’s moves. No longer are we being treated to the haphazard decisions we witnessed before that ended in a serious crisis for the government.

Something else we have to give to the man is that he has a very clear understanding of the current crisis. However the truth is that it is a little late to salvage this government.

I was recently looking at a Mutahi Ngunyi column he wrote in the Nation in September 2004 and I found it very, very fascinating. Read it here.

Weekly Citizen Impounded: Crackdown On Offending Kibaki Article

What Offending Article Did Impounded Issue Carry?

On Monday this week Kenyan police raided the offices of the Weekly Citizen newspaper and arrested 13 employees. The latest issue of the weekly was also confisticated from several vendors who were also arrested. Police said they were acting on orders ‘from above’.

According to sources close to newspaper vendors who had already started selling the offending Weekly Citizen issue, the main splash of the paper this week was:

Wambui calling the shots as questions linger on Kibaki’s health.

Although the President’s second wife, Wambui has always been a thorn in the flesh of this administration, my analysis of the situation is that the Weekly Citizen has landed in trouble for several stories they have carried that have been very critical of Kibaki, personally, rather than this one story. For instance some weeks back the political weekly claimed that President Kibaki’s foreign and Swiss accounts were being investigated by the World Bank. A rather wild and sensational headline aimed at selling copies of the paper rather than getting to the truth of the matter. And the sort of headline that must have deeply offended the President.

Who Owns The Weekly Citizen?
The Weekly Citizen started out as a notorious A4 size 8 page newsletter edited by a Moi University Political Science graduate Tom Oscar Alwaka, who had previously been employed by one of the 8-page A4 pioneer alternative press publications in this category, the Weekly Dispatch.

It seems that he was able to attract a major financer in a well know politician in the current parliament whose identify has always been shrouded in mystery. Many people believe that it is GG Kariuki the MP for Laikipia West.

The Weekly Citizen was transformed into a tabloid size newspaper with the injection of funds from the new mystery shareholder. The paper has however missed many chances to transform itself into a serious weekly to fill the unfilled void of an independent political analysis weekly. Alwaka has always blocked this possibility for reasons that are not clear and the weekly has remained a sensational-screaming-headline-rumour-mongering political weekly. Its’ popularity has however continued to grow, especially in Nairobi and the Western parts of the country where Alwaka himself hails from.

If circulation figures were falling, then the Kibaki administration has just handed the weekly a lifeline as all attention will now turn to the newspaper as Kenyans seek to find out what exactly it has written about that has irked the Kibaki administration so much

Business Special: Interview With Myjobseye CEO

Coming Soon To Kenya: Matatus Full Of People With Laptops Surfing The Net

We continue with Part II of our interview with the CEO of one of Kenya's most visible web based businesses, Myjobseye.com


Neil Robeiro

Who owns myjobseye.com?
A group of Kenyan Investors owns myJobsEye.com

Your initial business model of selling access to your website jobs database through outlets like cyber cafes was not successful. What do you think the reason was?
I will have to disagree with your statement that selling access to our website was not successful. It is very successful. Over 120 cyber locations all over the country sell our cards.

What is your current strategy for generating revenue?
We generate revenue in several ways
* Charging jobseekers to apply for an unlimited number of jobs for only Ksh 300 a month. Job seekers pay Ksh 300 via a scratch card that is available at most post offices and cyber café across the country.
* Charging employers for end-to-end recruitment consultancy services. Here a recruitment team is assigned to the employer, they understand the employers needs, find ideal candidates, interview the candidates, and forward the best to the employer.
* Charge for Banner advertising on our Home Page. 50,000 visitors come to myJobsEye.com every month.
* Charge employers for other HR related consultancy services
* Provide temporary staffing solutions
* Provide payroll processing solutions
There are other innovative products that are in the development phase and will be launched soon.

Is Myjobseye profitable yet?
As you may be aware, a lot of money was spent in creating brand awareness when we launched. A large percentage of the profits are being used to pay back our loans. So, to answer your question, we break even every month because all excess money goes to service our debt, and repay our investors.

What are your future plans?
To continue to make the job market more transparent, more cost effective and more efficient. To continue to develop innovative products to do this.

Is this a good time to start an online business targeted at the Kenyan market? Please give reasons for your answer.
The biggest barrier to doing business online is the payment gateway. Many e-commerce web sites in Kenya face this problem. If you have a payment gateway, yes, now would be a good time to start if you have all your other ducks in a row - Brand Awareness, Marketing, Redundancy in technology and connectivity and Logistics.

Any other comments/details that you would like your potential clients/customers to know about.
Our great grand children will learn about the "Internet Age" just like we learnt about the industrial revolution in a history class. The Internet is here to stay and is changing every thing. If you are not on the bandwagon, you are already behind the curve. In a few years time the $100 "green" laptop will be in the market, and one will be able to access the Internet via hot spots from everywhere in Kenya. (Can you imagine a matatu full of people with laptops surfing the net?) Once this happens, I foresee the stats in Kenya being similar to those in the US - where 98% of graduates use the internet as their primary mode to get a job, and in Australia where 486 of the top 500 companies use only the internet to recruit.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

It’s May Be Just A Game But…

There is a high possibility that all these arrests and withdrawal of passports from key individuals is just a political game.

Some analysts believe that it could be the just the trick to break ODM. You see most of the people mentioned are Kanu. Kanu is still a force because all the stolen money from corruption is still safe and sound in the hands of key Kanu people. Get them on the NAK side and election victory is assured.

These analysts insist that the fellows will have little choice when told to choose between prosecution and supporting the government while their cases are delayed until people forget. People forget pretty quickly. Remember how Gideon Moi was cheered by the wananchi at Uhuru Park in the run up to the referendum.

I have a strong feeling that even if this is the game plan, it will not quite work out like that. See the next article for details.

Even some of the resignations are as a result of pressure from quite unexpected sources. The srticle below has been circulating through email boxes of Kenyans. There is no way we can verify its’ accuracy, so read it with an open mind…

We reproduce it here with spelling grammatical errors, exactly as it is being circulated


Is it stranger than fiction?. OR is it Realpolitik at work?
I think it is apply Machiavellian principle of FOX!!




Mwiraria did not resign specifically because of the pressure of
Anglo-Leasing, a senior government official in the VP office has confirmed.
Friday, last week the United States government wrote to the Prezzy and
copied the letter to Mwiraria warning that unless the Finance minister
resigned or was sacked the US would not grant him a Visa to attend a high
profile donors meeting (IMF and World Bank)in Washington DC.

Monday morning the letters were delivered. Tuesday evening after theWorld
bank underlined their pressure to withhold money and not deal with Mwiraria
President kibaki and his men sense the seriousness of the issue, so
Kibaki summons them to State house for an evening meeting.
the meeting discussed among other things options out for Mwiraria, but
it was agreed he had to leave the treasury to avoid embarrassment by the US
government via a publicly communicated Visa denial.

Tuesday no conclusions, so Wednesday morning, Kiraitu, Mwiraria the VP
and Muthaura gather at State House again, and the option of a minor cabinet
reshuffle is considered but that too was dismissed as a poor strategy.
Mutahi Ngunyi, who has been a key advisor of the government since leaving
the nation is summoned for his intriguing options and he suggests the
sacrifice principle, quoting an incident when Moi had to sack Biwott and
even jail him over the Ouko report to cool down tempers and then release
him and make him a powerful minister after the public had forgotten.
Everyone in attendance agrees, but questions emerge over repercussions of
the resignation to the rest who are caught up in the Anglo-Leasing issue.
At that point the Mutahi says that they should follow up the resignation
with the release of the goldenberg report, which just happened this
morning.

With that a call is made to DP headquarters to have a press conference at
12.00pm demanding the resignation of Mwiraria, at 1: 30 after the lunchtime
news the press release circulates that Mwiraria has a press
Conference....then the guy resigns, more out of donor pressure, a visa
hitch embarrassment scenario rather than to pave way for investigations.
The rest are to stay put to the end.the meeting agrees.no speeches on
the matter.However Thursday morning, the VP is summoned to State House
again this time for a brief that he has to defend himself, stare at the Camera's
and argue that Immigration department has a new minister so you cannot
interfere with investigations, cancel the cabinet meeting earlier called by
Muthaura to ensure the divisions on Anglo-Leasing do not permeate the level
till it sorted out. And that is why Mwiraria quit, like the lamb that was
sacrificed to enable the exodus passover..so was Mwiraria....

=================
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The Season Has Changed

Nothing lasts forever. How true those words have proved to be in Kenya in the last few days.

There was a time in this country when it did not matter how corrupt you were or how you earned your money. What really mattered was how much money you had. It was the season for money-talks-it-doesn’t-matter-how-you-earned-it.

Apart from many politicians making such fantastic fortunes, virtually overnight, it was also a season of great injustices. To date the people languishing in jail are those who did not have the money, and many of them are innocent and taking somebody else’s medicine for them. Meanwhile the real criminals are still free and out there.

That season brutally came to an end in the last few days and as usual there were a number of people caught unawares.

As you read this there are a number of filthy rich (pun intended) Kenyans who can no longer enjoy their wealth. Kenyans whose vast resources cannot help them anymore. The Kenyan public are usually skeptical and you really can’t blame them. They saw Nicholas Biwott and the late Hezekiah Oyugi arrested in connection to the murder of slain foreign Minister Dr. Robert Ouko. They saw the two released when things had cooled down.

But this time, the season has changed and the chain of events is unstoppable. It matters little how serious Mwai Kibaki’s government is about going through with the prosecution of some of the most prominent and wealthiest Kenyans. It is out of their hands.

It reminds me of a little story that was played out in the late 50s. An African cook was going home from work and on passing outside the vast compound of a mzungu somewhere in Karen, a dog came to the fence and started barking at him. He picked up a stone and threw it at the dog. It missed its’ mark but the owner was seated quietly in his balcony and saw what had happened. He went into his house and got his revolver, chased after the poor Kenyan and shot him dead in cold blood. Similar incidences must have happened many times before and the perpetrators had always gotten away with it. But that time was over, the season had changed and Independence was beckoning. The man (I forget his name) was tried for murder and despite many pleas for a pardon from many quarters, he ended up being the first white man to be hanged in Kenya.

The seasons always change. That was the dawn of Uhuru and the Karen cowboy never saw it coming.

History just keeps on repeating itself because we are now in the dawn of the much heralded second liberation for Kenya and Africa.

As George Saitoti, Kiraitu Murungi and a host of others exit the cabinet, it is a clear sign that things have changed in Kenya and indeed in the world. No longer will it be possible to loot national coffers and get away with it, let alone survive politically. It is highly unlikely that those who have gone and those who are still to go, will be back, whatever the outcome of the investigations now going on. The Kenyan people have already passed their verdict and that is what will hold sway, whether it is true or not.

Kiraitu Murungi will be remembered as the arrogant minister who made (what he thought was a joke) about a woman only too willing to be raped. George Saitoti will be remembered as the mathematician who not only moved from driving a VW to immense wealth (within the blink of an eye) but also reached the second highest office in the land. It has always been rumored that he is childless, just as well because no father on earth would like to be in that position where your son or daughter asks you if what they are reading in the papers about you is true. Whether you are guilty or not, what do you tell them?

Former President Moi is in a much more difficult position. For the first time in their lives, his sons will find that there is very little that Daddy can do.

But for the 42-year old lady called Kenya, the gang-rape that looked like it would last forever has now ended – that is for sure. She is badly bruised and traumatized but the physical wounds will heal. However, what remains may prove to be even more painful. She will have to relive and recount the whole nightmare in a court full of men, giving embarrassing details of the ordeal. Not to mention the fact that she will have to look up to identify the culprits. The merciless rapists – one by one. Although the physical wounds will heal there are other wounds that will never mend properly, forever

Let us hold her hand and tell her to be brave. Let us promise her that we will never allow it to happen again. It is the only thing we can do. But let not anybody cheat himself or herself (no matter who they are or how much money they have) that they will stop this rape-trial from going ahead.

=====================
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Why Do Kenyans Like To name Their Babies After Presidents… Even Future Ones?

There was a nyama choma joint at Kariakor that I loved to frequent some years back. They served excellent roasted Goat meat. Sadly it shut down a few years ago. But I remember the owner was a youngster called Nyayo. I think he was Nyayo Odhiambo. I felt pity for the guy because President Moi was not particularly popular at the time I met this young Kenyan. No mistaking when he was born. President Moi took over the reigns of power from the departed soul of President Jomo Kenyatta with the rallying cry of Nyayo (meaning that he would continue where Kenyatta had left off. And that he did in many ways – not all of them good.)

Then there are some other common names in Kenya like Ernest Kenyatta Mwilitsia, Odhiambo-Clinton and Abednego-Nixon not to mention Sospeter Kibaki Ochieng. And oh there is also Kenneth Kaunda Wathome (after former Zambian President). And the Mandelas are just so many that if you stood in the middle of the streets of Nairobi and shouted out the name at any time of day, there is a good chance that somebody will come trotting towards you.

Now some smart Kenyan has agreed with what we are proposing in this blog and they’ve gone and named their son (born last week) Githongo-Awino.

If I brought another soul to this world I would give them a name to make sure we never forget what triggered the whole season-change we have talked about in our lead article today. I’d call them Githongo Dossier Kyalo if it was a boy and Dossier-Githongo Kyalo if they were a girl – Doss to her friends.

Is this the start of anti-Githongo propaganda?

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Tuesday Edition Contents - February 14th 2006

INSIDE YOUR TUESDAY EDITION

Understanding Kamlesh Patni’s Goldenberg Scandal

Goldenberg And Kamlesh Patni’s Idea That Solved A Short-term Problem…

…But Created Another That Our Great Grand Children Will Still Be Grappling With decades from now



When Kings Lose The Vision, They Become Servants

It is no longer a question of 'if' the Kibaki administration will come down but 'when.'


Who Financed The Narc Campaign In 2002?

Githongo: I have No Official British Bodyguards

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Understanding Kamlesh Patni’s Goldenberg Scandal

Goldenberg And Kamlesh Patni’s Idea That Solved A Short-term Problem…

…But Created Another That Our Great Grand Children Will Still Be Grappling With decades from now

In the early hours of this morning I switched on my TV to the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) channel, only to be greeted by a site that brought tears to my eyes.

American inspirational preacher Bishop T.D. Jakes was distributing food to Kenyans desperately scrambling for it. The people whose hands were reaching out in pleas for the Bishop’s handouts were not children but older, once respectable mostly middle aged Kenyans who have now obviously reached the end of themselves.

The Bishop’s words to the sponsors of his ministry in the United States made my tears flow faster. He said, "All these people need is a chance…"

I quickly switched off the TV and sat down to write my blog entry for today, determined to tell the story of how exactly those poor Kenyans screaming and begging for handouts ended up where they are today. It can all be traced back to mega-scandals like Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg.

During The John Githongo BBC interview, he was asked a question that is difficult to answer in one brief comment. The question was, "what is the impact of corruption on the ordinary Kenyan?"

I appreciate that not all readers of this blog are Economics majors from some university so I will tell you a story to illustrate exactly what happened to those poor Kenyans and many like them all over the country. Heck, even to you and me.

Once upon a time there was a peaceful village where every villager had a fighting chance. All they did at this village was rear goats, thousands of them. They ate the meat and drank the milk from goats. Goats were so important that they were the currency or legal tender for trading at this village.

One day the wise old chief of the village died and after they buried him under the mango tree (as he had requested), a new leader took over the reigns of power at this goat village. Somebody advised the new village chief that he would grow popular with the people by abolishing taxes. He was advised go into business for himself using all the vast resources already at his disposal. Since nobody knew any other business at this village, he naturally opted to go into the business of rearing goats.

Within no time, the king had a much larger herd of goats than all the villagers put together. In other words, the number of goats at this village had increased by more than 100 per cent virtually overnight. And surely this was a good thing because there was more wealth at the village and besides villagers no longer needed to pay any taxes to the chief.

However soon the villagers realized that they were facing a serious crisis. The goats were the only currency used at this village. People exchanged goat milk for small items and if they wanted to make a big purchase like buying land, they exchanged several goats for it.

Because there were suddenly too many goats in the village without an increase in other resources, the value of this goat currency fell dramatically. Land that people would often ask 10 goats for, they now asked for 30 or 35 goats. And they still ended up getting a buyer. Usually it was the chief himself who now actively purchased vast tracts of land to graze his rapidly growing goat population, or sometimes it was a member of his family.

So, guess what happened? Prices were raised even higher to 65 to 70 goats for land that was purchased the previous day for only 35 goats. Actually prices were now climbing at an uncontrollable rate. The villagers were simple people and they never really understood what hit them but they noted that their wealth was wiped out overnight, even as their leader and his immediate family got wealthier by the day and ended up owning vast tracks of land.

They had wildly cheered the new chief when he had announced the abolition of taxes. But then shortly after that, everything had suddenly started getting too expensive. Now they longed for the village to go back to the good old days when they paid taxes but were prosperous.

The sad ending to this tale is that the once prosperous villagers all ended up with no goats and were forced to go to work on their chief’s vast tracks of land in exchange for food.

The evil chief had no problem with the new state of affairs. He was now the richest chief ever and his subjects were so poor that all of them virtually worked for him. His political advisors were delighted. It meant that it was unlikely that anybody would oppose him.

Inflation is a complex subject, but this is a simple illustration that illustrates it. Some economists call it the situation where too much money is chasing too few goods. It is important to understand inflation so as to fully grasp and understand the impact of Goldenberg, Anglo leasing and all the other scandals that have conspired to bring ordinary Kenyans down to their knees. Government promoted economic crimes that have turned a once prosperous people into beggars fit only to labor for food on land they no longer own, even as their leaders and his close associates get richer by the day.

Kamlesh Patni’s Business Idea

Those who have been following the Goldenberg saga closely will not have missed Kamlesh Patni’s arrogance. The chief architect of the Goldenberg scandal seems to believe that he is innocent and that he in fact did the country a great favor.

There are those who would agree with him although this blogger is not one of them. Still it is important to understand why Patni believes what he believes.

The World Bank’s decision to cut off Aid to Kenya in the late 80s was just one of the reasons that caused a serious foreign exchange crunch at Treasury. The other reasons were a serious decline of the coffee industry that was politically motivated to neutralize and reduce the financial power of the politically aware Kikuyu tribe. Especially those who had been close to the previous Kenyatta regime and whose stolen wealth was mostly invested in huge coffee plantations purchased from white settlers. Tourism had also slowed down due to increased international competition as previously Eastern European countries started to open up. Actually a combination of many factors almost brought down the Moi government financially.


Kamlesh Pattni: A business idea that cost many Kenyan lives

Kamlesh Pattni was then nothing more than an ambitious young entrepreneur who dared to dream big. One day Patni got what he saw as a brilliant idea to deal with the foreign exchange problem. Why not go into the business of supplying foreign currency to the government? In dealing with precious stones finding their way into the country from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Patni had been amazed at the sums of US dollars available in the local black market. He knew that there were enough dollars already in the country to ease the foreign exchange crisis at the treasury.

Using his contacts, his idea soon reached the corridors of power and just in time for a government now desperate for foreign currency.

The idea was simple, Patni would buy the foreign exchange in the local black market and supply it to the government at a handsome profit. The government would have its’ badly needed foreign exchange and Patni would have his billions. The wananchi would not suffer the consequences of no foreign exchange, which would have been very grave indeed. Like not having paraffin to put in their stoves for cooking or petrol to run the matatus that got them to work. So everybody would be happy.

There was just one little problem. The rate of exchange in the black market was much higher than the official rate in true black market tradition. To solve that problem, the now infamous export compensation scheme was used. In this scheme the government paid out a certain percentage to exporters (in local currency) as an incentive to continue exporting more and thus earning Kenya valuable foreign currency.

We now know that Goldenberg was used to raise funds for the first multi-party elections President Moi’s Kanu faced in 1992. It is said that during those memorable elections money was being distributed in cartons from a building near the University of Nairobi. So rather than the guy calling the shots saying, give so and so so much money, instead they would say give this person 10 cartons, give that other guy 100 cartons. It is said that these cartons of cash were stacked high to the roof and filled a huge un-partitioned office space. All the money was in crisp newly printed 500 notes that came to be aptly known as Patnis’.

The inflationary consequences and magnitude of this stunt and the Goldenberg scum were colossal (please refer to the story on the goat village). Some experts believe that the damage will never really be repaired.

Now you can understand the need to use the term ‘economic crimes’ and ‘economic sabotage’ when describing the Goldenberg and Angle leasing scandals. But then you also need to understand that Goldenberg-like and Anglo-leasing like scandals started at independence. Only that in those days, you would lose your life, if you dared try to expose them. Many brave, patriotic Kenyans including one famous one called JM Kariuki ended up dead in places like Ngong Forest with dismembered genitals.

As terrible as that was, it comes nowhere near the suffering ordinary Kenyans have gone through since independence, all because of corruption in high places.

So what is the effect of corruption on ordinary Kenyans?

Answer; Too tragic to explain in words. Hopelessness, lost opportunities and a situation where working hard and honestly no longer pays. Little wonder that so many youngsters in Kenya today have now opted for a life in serious violent crime. Corruption results in deaths and irreversible damage and suffering to the lives of millions of citizens. It is a great injustice that those who kill one person are hanged and yet those who kill millions by practicing corruption continue to enjoy life and hire expensive lawyers every time their names are mentioned adversely.

Corruption in Kenya has been a great injustice to the ordinary person who wants nothing more than a chance. A chance to fend for themselves and fight for a better tomorrow.

What is the secret that Moi can kill for?

When Kings Lose The Vision, They Become Servants

It is no longer a question of 'if' the Kibaki administration will come down but 'when.'

One thing is for sure, Mwai Kibaki is not enjoying his first, and probably last, presidential term. With all the power the constitution of Kenya gives him and with all the resources at his beck and call, his stay at State House is turning into a nightmare of gigantic proportions.

In fact President Kibaki now has more serious problems to worry about than winning a second term in office. Indeed as events continue to unfold at a speed that can only compare with that of events in some thriller novel (like those popular ones churned out by Robert Ludlum) the “ifs” are rapidly being replaced by “whens”. It is no longer a question of ‘if’ the Kibaki administration will come down but ‘when.’

What makes this particular story even sadder is the fact that the current occupant of State House must have dreamed of holding this job for a long time. Right from his years as Finance Minister in the Kenyatta administration (in the 1970s) to his two failed attempts for the presidency. Not to mention the time when he cheated death during his third attempt to win the presidency. Kenyans anxiously watched him being taken into the emergency ward at Nairobi hospital in the full glare of TV cameras, shortly after a serious road accident along the Nairobi-Mombasa road as he came from a campaign rally in Ukambani.

Kenyan voters are currently in no mood to linger over a nostalgic analysis of what may have gone wrong with the Kibaki administration. They have ‘tasted blood’ with 3 ministers gone (and still counting) and they will only continue to demand for more. It is important to bear in mind that Kenyan cabinet ministers do not resign and neither do they leave office over corruption (in fact they usually get promoted for corruption). We now know that in the past it was not viewed as corruption but “fund-raising” and the minister in question rather than being fired would be promoted as a pat on the back for their “good fund raising efforts.” It didn’t matter that it involved the looting of public coffers.

The latest victims of the Anglo Leasing crisis are Education Minister George Saitoti and Energy Minister Kiraitu Muriungi. Whom the President says have asked to step aside to allow for investigations.

An interesting aside here; when the historians finally get down to analyzing the Kibaki administration, they will note that President Kibaki badly lacked handlers who understand political public relations and the impact of every little thing a President does in public. More so when that President’s government is practically under siege.

For instance, the President has stuck to his televised messages to the nation at a time when they serve no positive purpose. If anything they do great damage and only serve to make him look weak to the people. I would have advised him to instead issue a statement sacking the two ministers and promising more action on corruption. He should have taken some lessons from Moi on how to use 1:00 PM news bulletins on the radio. Currently statements would be more believable than the old tired empty promises we have heard from the President for a long time now, promising to deal firmly with corruption. And then again this most recent move of dispensing with Kiraitu and Saitoti is a decision being taken two weeks too late for impact (see my earlier post two weeks ago about what Moi would have done in dealing with the Anglo Leasing scandal).

It is an attempt to soften the impact and damage of Anglo leasing by drawing some attention to Goldenberg (the Saitoti resignation/sacking). In my opinion it will not only fail to meet its’ objective but it will only serve to increase the pressure on the government and further weaken the Kibaki administration (see separate story on how Narc raised campaign funds.)

The perception that Kenyans are getting is that the occupant of State House is under such intense pressure that virtually all his decisions are a result of him bowing down to pressure.

In other words, he is no longer calling the shots. He is the King who has lost the vision. The good book tells us that such a King becomes a servant. A King who is no longer in control but one who is doing things under instruction from more powerful forces which will keep on driving him in only one direction. I am afraid that direction is towards the very downfall of this administration.

Who Financed The Narc Campaign In 2002?

The question of how a campaign is financed must now take centre stage in every future political contest in the land. It is very important.

In Kenya’s first ever elections in 1963, KADU (the guys who supported majimboism) were financed by the powerful local white settler community who viewed the guys at Kanu as radicals who would kick them out of the country as soon as they came into power.

Kanu’s financing for those elections was a mystery. It was claimed that Julius Nyerere’s TANU (Tanganyika African National Union) supplied the cash. Close observers however viewed this as a clever political gimmick by Tom Mboya. It was unlikely that the cash-strapped TANU (predecessor of the current CCM Chama Cha Mapinduzi) in Tanzania would have supplied the kind of funds that Kanu used in those elections. It is widely believed that a lot of the money came from Tom Mboya’s friends, the Americans. Mboya’s enemies liked to say that it was CIA money. If this was true it was not the last time that contestants in Kenyan elections have received campaign funds from foreign sources. (but that is a story for another day).

Which leads us to the critical question of where campaign funds for the 2002 elections came from. It is said that a lot of the Kanu funding came from the usual sources - government tenders given out at highly exaggerated prices. The Kenyatta family is also said to have heavily sponsored the Presidential bid of their family member, Uhuru.

Where the Narc funding came from is a little more difficult to fathom. However, it is one mystery that is slowly beginning to unfold. We now know that various shrewd businessmen (most of them Asians) who could see the direction in which the wind was blowing supplied lots of cash. And that was where the roots of corruption in Narc were planted because these were favors that would have to be returned in the form of even more lucrative government contracts.

Two other names kept on cropping up when I tried to do some research on this subject in late November 2002, (just before the elections). The names were George Saitoti and Raphael Tuju. Proving yet again the truism in politics that you can buy yourself anything, including a place in the cabinet.

Many Kenyans must have been surprised when Tuju - a first time MP -- ended up in Kibaki’s cabinet. But not close observers who knew how Narc’s bread was buttered.


Raphael Tuju: Helped financed Narc campaign?

Raphael Tuju used his media skills and experience to emerge with one of the first NGO’s in East Africa to embark on the task of sensitizing people about the HIVAids pandemic. He was probably one of the first people to discover the massive funds that were being poured into fighting Aids by numerous organizations around the globe. That was how the man made his money.

Prof George Saitoti's story is different.

It is said that Saitoti used to drive around in a tired old VW (Volkswagon) in his days as a mathematics lecturer. Yet after a short stint in government he suddenly became a very wealthy man. Wealthy enough to make a significant cash contribution to the Narc campaign in 2002. So how did he make his money? Read between the lines and draw your own conclusion.

So if it is indeed true that Saitoti made money from Goldenberg then the sad truth is that the 2002 Narc campaign was partly financed by Goldenberg. Not to mention the other funds flowing in from businessmen who had been closley involved in corrupt deals with the previous Kanu government.

In a way this would explain all the delaying tactics and circus that continues to be played out concerning the Goldenberg mega-scandal. In fact it took the current Anglo leasing crisis to bring Goldenberg back into the limelight and many people believe that it is being used to divert attention away from Anglo Leasing.

In the coming elections the media, including this blog must ask and carefully investigate the true source of funding for various political parties and interests. This is always a very important question that needs an honest answer before one casts their vote for anybody.

Kenyan voters, you have been warned.

Githongo: I have No Official British Bodyguards

During the BBC Hardtalk interview with John Githongo, it was clear that exiled Kenyan is taking his security very seriously. To start with, unlike other Hardtalk interviews, the Githongo interview was carried out away from the BBC studios and in a remote location in what looked like a small private library.

This seemed to support the claim that Githongo is under the protection of the British government.

However during his meeting with the Uhuru Kenyatta Parliamentary select committee, Githongo was at pains to declare that he is not officially being protected by the British government. Which means that he has private “minders” (the popular British term for bodyguards.)

Disgraced former cabinet ministers, Kiraitu Muriungi and Chris Murungaru have called Githongo a British spy. And the duo would have obviously relished a situation where Githongo was being protected by the British secret service. To them this would have been further proof of their wild allegations.

The two former ministers have also been cheekily asking Githongo to come back to Kenya to present his evidence when they are well aware that that would be suicidal. He is a key witness and probably the only one available to give enough evidence to convict those involved in Anglo Leasing.

The latest is that even the AG, Amos Wako has officially invited Githongo back promising adequate security.

In my opinion he needs even tighter security and should give evidence while he is still in Britain and only return when the matter has been concluded. I am convinced that the "friendly advise" Githongo received in his last days as Ethics PS were no idle threats.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Thursday Edition Contents - Published February 9th 2006

* Foreign Powers: What Role Did They Play In Exposing The Anglo Leasing Scandal?
Are The dangers of Kenya Becoming A ‘Yes’ Republic Real?

* New Finance Minister: Possibles And Probables

* 2007 Kenyan Presidential Race: John Githongo For President

* Business Special

"Dozens of Kenyans have found jobs in the Middle East"

Interview with Myjobseye CEO Neil Ribeiro

Foreign Powers: What Role Did They Play In Exposing The Anglo Leasing Scandal?

Are The dangers of Kenya Becoming A ‘Yes’ Republic Real?

Former powerful internal security Minister Chris Murungaru’s press conference at the Serena Hotel was one event this week that journalists flocked into.

But in a way it was a disappointment for them because there was no major announcement. The embattled former minister did not say anything new. Even the wild allegations he made about foreign powers working for a change of government in Kenya was viewed as an elaboration of previous remarks that Murungaru has made. Others saw it as a desperate attempt to grasp at straws by a "drowning" man.

You see when somebody has a credibility problem, most of what they say is taken with a pinch of salt or worse still, ignored. More so for somebody like Murungaru who is rapidly running out of options.

However, as Kenyans become more politically aware, it is important that they also understand that foreign powers of the stature of Britain and the United States too frequently have their way in the internal affairs of developing nations like Kenya. And many times, they go beyond the usual carrot-and-stick diplomacy methods to achieve their goals.

Indeed recent events in the country point to the hand of an extremely powerful person or entity with no shortage of resources, working in the background. The mystery of how a newspaper that has for decades avoided publishing many politically damaging reports involving individuals suddenly reformed itself has yet to be solved. You do not just wake up one morning and decide on your own to take on the mighty government of Kenya. What raised eyebrows even more was the fact that usually such sensitive newspaper exposes do not mention names, even where they have enough evidence to do so. Instead the strategy is always to stir up things so that the players themselves will be provoked to name names. The Nation report went ahead and named names right from day one.

Kenyans will of course be forever grateful for what has happened (and to whoever played a hand in making it happen) because for the first time in history we have a real chance of dealing with the roots of corruption in high places once and for all. However in our self-centered world of today it is always prudent to ask oneself what your helper in times of distress has to gain even as you gratefully accept their assistance.

A telling statement issued by the World Bank and The United States this week further gives some vital clues as to what may be really happening behind the scenes. They have threatened to take further action on powerful individuals mentioned in the Githongo Anglo leasing dossier. (See report brief report at the end of this article)

Do not for a moment be fooled into thinking that such actions are motivated by an urge to give the people of Kenya a better life. The facts are that every government in the world already has its’ hands full dealing with the problems of their nationals - the people who elected them into office. They hardly have the time to put the welfare of the wananchi of a corrupt third world country into their crowded agenda.

Want proof? I’ll give it.

During the cold war, western powers were more than happy to keep numerous African dictators in power so as to counter the threat of communism. They even helped many of these dictators to come to power. They also assisted many of them to murder hundreds of thousands of their own nationals and conveniently looked the other way when the Aid they gave ended up in secret swiss accounts. When communism finally collapsed and policies suddenly changed, some of these dictators swiftly found that yesterday’s friends had turned into today’s arch-enemies.

When British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently suddenly started championing for more Aid money to be poured into Africa, he had not suddenly been transformed into another Mother Teresa. The truth, which you will hardly expect to find in any newspaper headline, is that the problem of illegal immigrants from Africa pouring into Europe in search of a better life has reached crisis proportions. This comes at a time when Western countries are facing serious and unprecedented unemployment and security problems for their own nationals. The only way to reverse this situation is to try and improve life in Africa. The idea is to pour in more money and gradually raise the standard of living in Africa and there will be less motivation for Africans to risk their lives crossing the ocean on a small dhow, headed to Europe. Careful arithmetic will show that in the long term this is a much cheaper option for many Western nations facing this problem. Careful observers will have noted that keeping out illegal immigrants has become an increasingly expensive exercise with countries like the United States carrying out increasingly costly patrols on its’ borders with Mexico. Not to mention the health care and enormous strain on all sorts of resources that unwanted immigrants usually cause.

In fact this policy decision could be linked to recent developments in Kenya. The last thing Blair and company would want is for their Aid money to end up in a couple of secret swiss accounts or in the pockets of some powerful cabinet ministers.

It is difficult to pinpoint for sure the exact policy priorities of our “helpers” which has caused them to get so involved in the internal affairs of Kenya. However it is safe to speculate that security in this age of terrorism and the massive and growing numbers of illegal immigrants are two main issues that have played a major hand.

The Problem With Our Foreign Friends…
I once hosted a person who had nowhere to live in my house, only for them to take over and become so powerful that I suddenly found myself being ruled in my own house. I woke up to the situation but found that getting them to move was not easy. That is the problem when you welcome into your “house” (accept help from) some of these Western powers. You could easily find yourself in serious trouble later.

And be aware that when diplomacy fails, as it usually does, many Western powers will not hesitate to use their deep pockets and even military might to get what they want.

Mercifully the world has now become such a small village that the age of military coups is now for all intents and purposes over. But more often than not, coups have always been financed by outside powers. Foreign interference can also be in the form of funds being pumped in to support a certain cause a foreign power favors (remember the Iran-contra scandal during the Reagan administration?) Imagine the impact of a few hundred thousand dollars in impoverished Africa.

People do not talk about it, but have you ever wondered how a civil war in a poverty stricken country rages for years? Have you asked yourself how people who cannot afford three square meals in a day can afford a gun and the bullets that go with it. Proceeds from the sale of a single AK47 assault rifle can feed a large African family for months.

For years the Americans tried every trick in the book to get President Moi out of power, including pouring massive funds to try and create a people’s popular revolt (like they helped do in the Philippines to remove dictator Marcos. Remember the man whose wife owned over 3,000 pairs of expensive ladies shoes?). Moi somehow outsmarted them every time. Some people would say you don’t outsmart a super power, it was simply the Almighty himself who refused.

So when Moi was finally defeated in 2002, former President Bill Clinton was very eager to meet the one person he viewed as having been at the forefront of it all - the man who succeeded where the mighty United States had failed. And that person according to him was President Mwai Kibaki.

Fellow Kenyans, even as we work to remove this corrupt government, let us be very aware of what is going on. We certainly don’t want to replace one problem with another, do we?

What The US Said About Punishing Corrupt Ministers

US envoy to Kenya William Bellamy said in Nairobi that the US was seriously considering what action to take against Ministers mentioned in connection to the Anglo Leecing scandal. It is believed one of the possible “punishments” will be issuing travel bans similar to the one against former powerful Internal security minister Chris Murungaru.

Bellamy was responding to enquiries by a local newspaper that wanted to know whether the same fate that had befallen Mr Murungaru (who can now not travel to the US or Britain) will befall other cabinet Ministers mentioned in the Anglo Leecing report.

At the same time World bank President, Paul Wolfowitz has promised to deal firmly with governments and officials involved in corruption in developing nations. Addressing staff of the Bank, Mr Wolfowitz said that the bank had with-held loans amounting to $143 million in aid to Kenya in particular. He was quoted as saying that the bank would move even more decisively and energetically” against corrupt governments.