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Friday, June 30, 2006

My Old Schoolmate Davies Gachago And Others Walk To Freedom After One And Half Years In Custody Accused Of Drug Trafficking




Davies Gachago: Apart from the scar, his facial features have never changed since our school days.


The first time I met Davies Gachago (released this week for lack of evidence after being charged with others for drug trafficking) I was in primary school at Lavington Primary school in the upmarket Lavington Green area. Not that I belonged to the Lavington crowd, in fact we lived in a middle class neighborhood that neighbors Lavington. Most of the other kids at the school came from all sorts of different backgrounds including a fair number from the sprawling Kawangware.

But young Davies definitely hailed from that Lavington crowd. This was before his father was jailed for smuggling coffee. Many believed that the older Gachago was used as a scape goat because there were scores of important people making money at like-there-will-never-be-tomorrow pace doing the illegal coffee smuggling trade in those days. Some Kenyans are who they are today because of illegal coffee smuggled from Uganda in those days.

By the time Davies arrived in class (standard five I believe) he had already been expelled from dozens of other schools in the country. There is no way that one can remember everybody they went to primary school with, but Davies was the sort of character that you did not forget.

We were all fascinated by him and eager to get a glimpse at the sort of things he had done that had gotten him expelled from so many schools. We were disappointed, at least for the first week or so. He just sat there and didn't talk much. The only subject where he confidently answered questions and appeared to do well was in the English class. He even talked with an accent that reminded us of the Chuck Norris versus Bruce Lee movies that we were all so crazy about in those days. At break time he didn't play soccer with the rest of us. He just sat and watched, always with a generous supply of sweets from the school canteen that he didn't share with anybody.

Then once without any warning he dived to the ground and jerked up a girl's skirt to take a peek under it. We were shocked. Being young mischievous boys all of us, we marveled at his daring character and the whole originality of this mischief.

Davies got into a lot of trouble for this stunt but he remained at Lavington Primary for what we were told later was a record one term. He had never lasted that long in any another primary school. Inevitably he left. I'm still not sure whether he did so by his own violation or he was expelled once again.

The next time I met Davies, was many years later (roughly 27 tyears later) I was down and out in Nairobi going through a rather difficult time financially, he stopped his car, a Toyota Corolla to give me a lift for which I was very grateful for. The sun was very hot and I had been walking for quite sometime. There was a beautiful young lady seated next to him on the front whom he dropped off in a residence somewhere near Adams Arcade shopping centre. He then generously gave me a lift in the direction I was headed.

We talked about everything except our days in primary school (what was there to talk about that anyway?). Mostly we talked politics because we were in the run up to the historic 2002 general elections. We were many months away from Kibaki emerging as the main opposition candidate and we both agreed that it was rather sad that Ken Matiba's health did not allow him to run for president because he would have made the ideal candidate. There was nothing else we agreed on. I found his political views rather radical, even for a die-hard anti-Kanu opposition man like I was in those days.

We promised to stay in touch, but we never did and his mobile telephone number remained stored and unused in my phone for many years.

The next time I saw him, his cool collected face was staring at me from the front pages of the newspapers below screaming headlines about the largest ever drug haul in the history of East and Central Africa. I felt sadness deep in my heart and lingered over his photo for a long time. I thought to myself that this looked like the end of the road for Davies. A sad life, I thought to myself. I was wrong. This week the man with nine lives bounced back and was acquitted by a Nairobi court for lack of evidence. Co-accussed David Mugo wasn't so lucky and was found guilty, jailed for 30 years and fined 20 billion.

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See Other Kumekucha Features:
******************
* You Too Can Launch A Part Time Business. But Here Is The Big Problem You Need To Overcome

* Kumekucha declares his interest in the Presidency

* Surgeon Catches Limuru Chief In Bed With His Wife

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Why The Next President Of Kenya Needs To Be A Young Person

Management style of Two Most Recent Presidents Of Kenya And Why The Next President Must Be Young, Healthy And An Early Riser

Attention Managers; There's Plenty To Be Learnt From Comparing Moi And Kibaki Management Styles

The management styles of former President Moi and that of President Kibaki as analyzed here are as different as night and day. But what is more important are the lessons they teach which clearly points us to the kind of CEO we need to take over the reins of running Kenya Inc. after the next general elections.

Former President Moi
Former President Moi must thank the Almighty for blessing him with such good health, which allowed him to keep a very punishing schedule, considering his age (84).

The former president would usually be up by 4 am every morning and would start the day just the way he often ended it, with a glass of milk (Moi has always been a teetotaler who doesn't touch alcohol). He would usually start the day by carefully going through the newspapers. The former president is reputed to have been a ferocious and avid reader of newspapers.

Depending on his program for the day, he would usually then start seeing people as early as 6 am. During Moi's administration two sets of diaries were kept. One was with the comptroller and he personally kept the other that was often packed with the many appointments that he gave to many, including ordinary Kenyans as he criss-crossed the country during his long days.

As the city started to wake up he would usually get a security briefing from the intelligence service which allowed him to face the day with the confidence that privileged information always gives to any person. This blogger knows a person that was very close to the former president and it is believed that Moi used the early hours of the day to reflect and make or postpone important decisions. This is usually the best time to make decisions, free of fatigue or the influences or hassles of the day.

By the time early office workers were arriving in their offices AT 8 am, the former president had already been at his workstation for four hours (about a half of a working day for most people).

What would usually follow was a long day of meetings, meeting people, roadside chats and so on. Mercifully the former President would tend to go to bed early. His night cap more often than not would be the legendary glass of warm milk.




The reason as to why such a brilliant man and the most successful finance minister Kenya ever had, has made such a blundering, shaky President, despite under-studying leaders like Jomo Kenyatta is really not a mystery. It rests with the decision making process. This is a very critical aspect of successful management anywhere.


President Kibaki
Due to recent health problems that have dogged the President, many of them triggered by a near fatal road accident in the run up to the last general elections in 2002, The President usually starts his day late morning, sometimes as late as 11 am. Another reason for the late start is that unlike his predecessor, the current president does not go to bed early. He tends to enjoy his night cap, which for him, like for most of his age mates is a nice beer at the right temperature. He usually continues working even as he prepares to end his day. There are unconfirmed reports that sometimes the President's working day ends late into the night.

Early in the Kibaki administration The Economist did a story that claimed that there was often heavy alcohol drinking going on at State House around the President in the evenings. The Narc government was at the time still very popular and the story died as quickly and quietly as it had emerged and is now long forgotten.

One of the advantages the current president has is that unlike Moi, he lives in State House. President Moi would usually retire to his Kabarnet Gardens home, off Ngong Road and just adjacent to the sprawling Kibera suburb, mostly in the evenings between 6 pm and 7pm.

President Kibaki's work day is very different because he does not shuttle all over the country meeting and addressing the people like Moi did. Neither does he spend several days every month receiving delegations from different parts of the country coming in to pledge their loyalty like Moi did. He is mainly an office person apart from the few public functions he attends from time to time. This caused a former Sunday Nation columnist Mutahi Ngunyi (now a close political advisor to the president) to pose an interesting question. What does the president spend most of his day doing considering his preferred laid back administrative approach that relies heavily on delegating a lot of power to his cabinet, he asked? Ngunyi even insinuated in his then well read column that the President actually sits around relaxing most of the time, literally doing nothing more than enjoying his trappings of power.

Even if this were true, recent political developments and the rapidly approaching general elections would not allow for such a lifestyle. In fact the first lady herself, Lucy Kibaki has said in public more than once that there are some politicians who have literally been causing the President sleepless nights. Meaning that the poor man does not get much sleep any more. This rings very true to anybody who has been closely following recent political developments in the country.

It would seem that many of the President's now painful decisions (that is another management truism, the more you delay decisions the more painful they become when you finally have to make them) are made during the agonizing of the night. Or maybe in the middle of the day, in the heat of things. My Dad whose thinking is very similar to that of the President (and he's also from the same generation) makes most of his decisions over his evening Tusker as he reminisces, sometimes with his close buddies. Whatever the case, we can be sure that crucial presidential decisions these days are hardly made at 4 am in the morning.

A Fascinating Comparison
Comparing the two most recent Kenyan presidents is a fascinating study in management styles and techniques and how they are influenced by personalities and character traits rather than educational backgrounds.

Former President Moi never saw the inside of a high school. This is in sharp contrast to Kibaki who was the first African to score a maximum six points (six top distinctions in six subjects) in his O-levels as a student at Mangu High School. He was also one of the first Africans to attend the London School of Economics where he excelled. By the time Kanu was getting him into politics, Tom Mboya had to personally fetch him all the way from the world famous Makerere University in Uganda where he was a lecturer in Economics.

Yet most people grudgingly agree that Moi was clearly the better manager. Moi's street-smart instincts seem to have given him an uncanny ability to make the right decisions at the exact right moment. One example stands out. After fighting multi-partyism vigorously for years, Moi sensed danger and suddenly changed tact announcing his decision in a memorable Kanu meeting in 1991. Hilariously, party pointman Shariff Nassir, stood up twice in the space of a few minutes to strongly support two very divergent views. First he stood up to suggest that multi-partyism would be implemented over his dead body. Then when Moi announced that he had changed his mind, Nassir was the first on his feet again to say that he too had changed his mind and that multipartyism must be re-introduced at all costs. Kanu delegates rubber stamped Moi's decision to scrap the notorious section 2 (a) of the constitution and bring back multi-partyism to Kenya.

Other one-party despots of the time who did not read the winds of change to make the right decision quickly found themselves out of power and dead shortly after. President Mobutu Sese Seko of Congo is one such example. As is Kamuzu Banda, the former strongman of Malawi.

President Kibaki on the other hand unlike Moi, hates to make decisions and more so, the direct confrontation it brings about. So quite often he waits until it is too late to make any decision. By keeping the LDP rebels in government for too long, he created a serious crisis for himself when he finally sacked the entire cabinet (another move that avoided direct confrontation. It would have been more prudent to sack only the culprits). Keeping them gave them time to gain more public sympathy and support for their cause, which in my opinion was simply not practical. The simple question here is, can a memorandum of understanding over-rule a constitution, which the president has taken an oath to protect? In the end because a decision was delayed and no action was taken in good time, it didn't matter who was right and who was wrong and the president emerged as the culprit in the eyes of the people. He has the results of the referendum on the new constitution as proof of this fact.

Ages before President Kibaki ascended to power, political columnist Kwendo Opanga described him as the politician who "never saw any fence he did not want to sit on". Former DP deputy leader Agnes Ndetei said on her return to the country this year, that the main reason she fell out with her then party boss, Mwai Kibaki was because the man would not make decisions ven when they urgently needed to be made. Incidentally it was this very trait that landed Kibaki the presidency because when you avoid confrontation and making decisions, you end up making less enemies. Out of all the front runners for the presidency in 2002, Kibaki is the man who had made the least enemies despite his long political career and was therefore the most acceptable candidate amongst his peers, long before Raila uttered the now famous words, "Kibaki tosha."

The Next President
There are many reasons why it is important that a younger person of the so-called dot com generation should now rule Kenya. To start with none of the immediate former presidents have strong IT or Internet skills. Which puts them and the country at great disadvantage in our very wired world.

One of the reasons behind Bill Clinton's successful presidency was the efficient use of information technology, email in particular was very heavily relied on. There is little doubt that despite the Monica Lewisky sex-scandal, no other president in American history has gotten so much done in such a short space of time.

The time has come in Kenya where we need to move away from that situation where every communication requires a secretary to sit down and type out a letter or even email. We need to graduate to quick emails personally from the head of state and even his key people, which will suffice and get things done a lot quicker. It is a sad fact that there are too many old people in the current administration whose generation are the sort that get intimidated at the mere site of a computer. This is one of the reasons why this administration has been far from efficient and have often been very sloppy and slow in getting anything done.

Kenya has been put many years behind by recent decisions and policies of the previous president and the current one as well. What this means is that the new president will hardly have the time to sleep. He will need to be both an early riser Like Moi and he will also need to work late into the night like President Kibaki, for him to have a fighting chance of making a reasonable impact.

He will also need to find a middle ground of sorts between shuttling around to every corner of the republic like Moi and efficient management both in the office and on the move with the use of laptops and mobile Internet connectivity.

Just another very good reason to prove that it is time the generation of our fathers and grandfathers, now still clinging to power, packed their bags and went home to rest. It is time to pass on the baton of leadership to a new generation whose age is closer to that of the nation.


See Other Features:

* You Too Can Launch A Part Time Business. But Here Is The Big Problem You Need To Overcome

* Kumekucha declares his interest in the Presidency

* Surgeon Catches Limuru Chief In Bed With His Wife

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Tribal Chiefs Continue To Emerge From The Bush: Joseph Nyagah Officially Declares Interest In The Presidency

The usual tribal madness associated with the race for the presidency in Kenya is now in full gear. Over the weekend Gacoka MP Joseph Nyagah son of veteran Kenyan politician Jeremiah Nyagah announced his bid for the Kenyan presidency.

The really disgusting thing, at least according to this blogger, is the fact that he did it with all the usual tribal rituals – he was sanctioned and anointed to pursue the presidency on behalf of his tribe by some so called tribal elders.

Mr Nyagah did not fail to mention the fact the 1.6 million (tribal) votes he represented "should not be taken for granted."

The writing is clearly on the wall. This is just the beginning. As things gather momentum, tribal chiefs will be literally coming out of the woodwork. All will do one of two things. They will either come forward to announce their support for a particular presidential candidate or to declare their tribe's interest in the presidency. For the uninformed, the whole idea behind a "tribal chief" announcing their interest in the presidency is not to necessarily stand and actually win the presidency. It is to attract the highest bidder out of the two major candidates. Or to get a share of the national cake from the person who inevitably forms the next government. In other words we have effectively moved on from the era where it was said that it is the turn of this tribe to "eat" and they should therefore not be hindered in their quest for the presidency. We are now in the situation where every so called major enlightened tribe has to position itself to help somebody into power but with a clear power-sharing and share of the national cake allocated and given in return as a reward. This is the kind of politics that we have been reduced to and we, the people of Kenya, definitely do not deserve it.

Enough is enough. Even as the tribal madness is set to continue, you and I can do something about it, we can launch a third alternative, a different kind of campaign, based solely on issues affecting our country and not tribes or personalities.

The time for the wazees (the whole lot of them) to pack up and go home for good has come. We want our country back.

It is for this reason that Kumekucha has today launched a somewhat crazy campaign for the presidency (that is still looking for a candidate. That candidate must have been born in 1963 or thereabouts). This campaign for the presidency is one that has a sharp focus on the key issues in Kenya today and what needs to be done to unlock the vast potential Kenya has.

I appeal to all Kenyans everywhere to arise and grab this moment and opportunity in history to make a difference. We will carry this Presidential campaign column regularly and we invite Kenyans to support it with their ideas and comments. All presidential campaigns in Kenya these days starts with the raising of funds and some careful strategizing based on tribal arithmetic. This one you are witnessing today starts with ideas and issues, let the people of Kenya (that is you and me) decide whether there is any merit in it and whether the trouble to find and support a candidate to carry this agenda through will be worth it.

This latest development will not in any way hinder the objective reporting, coverage and analysis that you have come to expect and rely on from this blog. In fact you will notice that we are making efforts to make our coverage and content even better. For example, also launched today is an inspirational business how-to regular post. Other additions and new features will follow.

See Other Features:

* You Too Can Launch A Part Time Business. But Here Is The Big Problem You Need To Overcome

* Kumekucha declares his interest in the Presidency

* Surgeon Catches Limuru Chief In Bed With His Wife

Monday, June 26, 2006

Raila Phobia? Why The Emotional Comments?

No topic in this blog has provoked so much emotion and comment as tribalism and Raila’s candidature for the presidency. At one point, one dear Kenyan actually used abusive language against this blogger (it is the first comment I have used below.)

I have decided to reproduce some of these comments scattered all over the kumekucha blog so that our readers can get a “feel” for themselves of what chances Raila has of winning the presidency in 2007.

Let me make it clear once again that this blog is not supporting Raila for the presidency. Anybosy who will take time to read this blog will know our stand very clearly, which has never changed. And that is, it is time for a new generation of younger Kenyans to take over power. In fact tomorrow we launch a campaign by our very own candidate – a born ‘63 Kenyan whose campaign is based on issues).

However the point here is that we are very much against tribalism and are blowing the whistle over the fact that this great Kenyan (Raila) is being judged purely on tribal basis.

It is my strong conviction that tribalism is an issue that Kenyans need to face squarely and resolve in their hearts before the next general elections.


Comments from readers of this blog on the Raila Presidential bid And On Tribalism in Kenya

Anonymous said...
Chris, Adolph Hitler also had a final solution to o you have one for the two problem tribes as you call them.....Stop showing your Myopia The trouble with democracy is that even Idiots like Chris have to be heard.
Kikuyu.

chris said...
I have published this abusive comment so that readers will be able to make up their own minds about the sort of person who wrote it. And the sort of thinking we have in Kenya today.

Would a non-tribalist publish a comment hiding their real name behind some anonymous tag and then call me by name?

I have realized that the other really big problem with tribalism in Kenya today is the fact that everybody is in denial.

At no time did I suggest an Adolf Hitler solution to the problem, sir.
6:55 AM


chris said...
Then the guy signs his letter 'Kikuyu'. Is it possible that he could be Luo? When people hide behind masks they could be anything.

You've gotten democracy all wrong, buddy, it's not about abusing the other person, it is about debate and articulating your point of view.
6:58 AM

Anonymous said...
raila is great politician - but presidentially he reminds me of
mugabe,chavez,castro i fear for a raila presidency
10:25 AM


Anonymous said...
I was really psyked to read your article until I reached the part where you think Raila would make a good what???? PRESIDENT? The man is a walking & talking distaster. Can you tell me what he did during his stint as a Minister? He ran around making roadside comments instead of working. He went to Malaysia, came back and did not even once comment on the great infrastructure he saw there? (Fine Mbagathi is being made out of cement malaysian influence; but that has always been in the pipeline). Did he put forth any other great workable plans? NO!

I think to be accepted as a Presidential candidate you should present a resume stating what one has done and where you've succeeded. Currently, Raila has done us a great favor but causing havoc everywhere he has been instead of sitting down and actually doing something tangible for the nation. A great activist, a great politian but a great President? Knowing him, he would be at a loss over who to blame for shortcomings as a sitting President.
10:33 PM

Richard M.K. said...
Raila is advertising during all games involving an African team. Seems to be doing it thro’ an ad agency.

Am glad you stopped writing him off. Let’s face it, this guy outsmarted MOI at the end of it. Were it not for him, NARC would not be in power today. He has already gone into our history books whether he ever becomes President is now irrelevant. As I keep answering his detractors – “show me a politician who is not greedy for power (ambitious) and I will show you a cat that detests milk”.

I feel glad that I can appreciate a politician so far away from my tribe, (oops, sorry community.)

A true Kenyan I am.
5:42 AM


Robinson Malala said...
The isssue about Raila not making a good president is an obsolete idea.How come we trust and beleive in the candidates he creates and backs yet we say we don't beleive in his candidature.Raila has made many and it is time for the maker to vie.Are you afraid of loosing him from the oposition because his absence is quite imence and the gap he leaves cannot be filled, so he is the best option in terms of maintaining daring government checks? Lets give him a chance before he becomes Kibaki's age.
Ministers perfomance is also difficult to measure especialy if you only stay for less that 5 years. What did Musyoka, Ruto,Mudavadi, Mwiraria,Murungaru,Murungi, Saitoti, Kibaki and Moi achieve as ministers of state?
So who do you prefer?
1:42 AM

AK said...
well, one way for Raila is to change his tactics and start talking about real issues that affect Kenyans.

I have never read that Raila talked about the economy, disease, education, poverty or am I not reading from the same script as the rest?

He should talk about possible solutions to these. If every other statement he makes has to refer to someone else, it's never going to work.

Let Raila revolutionize Kenya's politics by moving it away from petty issues that revolve around 'enemies' and power.

He played a critical role in moving Kenya away from strong-man antics, he can still help change the direction of debate away from personalities to real issues!

People, especially his fellow Mps are always keen to hear what he has to say. He should exploit this interest/audience for the good of the country. Many people, not driven by tribal sentiments, may just love him for his ideas.

Until then, adieu!
9:02 AM


Shiroh said...
I am tribalist in your definition: Bite Me!!!

And yes your metaphor of using a pregnant woman and virgin is indignation Period.
10:47 PM

chris said...
Shame on you my dear but thanks a million bob for being sincere and honest.

Sorry about the metaphor but tribalism is as dirty and stinking and defiling as that... that's what I wanted to get across.

Let me tell you a secret. Do you know what tribe you are? Are you sure? With all due respect to our mothers even I am not absolutely sure. My mother may have just gotten careless with this Luo! Or Kalenjin, or Kikuyu. It happens all the time.

See how silly tribalism really is?
7:21 AM


AK said...
Oh! I forgot to request u..please pass on my comments to Raila..
5:46 AM

chris said...
What a cheeky comment. What are you you implying here? how do I pass on any message to Raila?

I've posted your comment and maybe somebody who is able to fulfill your wish will read it and act. But as far as this blog is concerned, we have NO links to ANY politician let alone a presidential candidate.
3:25 AM


Vee said...
YES I'm a tribalist and so is every other Kenyan! We should start looking at it as a virtue and not a vice cause that way it'll continue to pull us apart.

Meanwhile, the day the sun will rise from the West is when Raila will make a self-sacrificing comment on how to better this country and not his political career.

Richard MK Said…
It is interesting that people are calling you an idiot. As some people say it is either of the two tribes. That abuse came from the latter.

Don’t be upset, this is normal. You are good when you support my tribe. If it’s your turn, people start asking if you are "cut"!

What does foreskin have to do with leadership?

You see past and present day regimes (kikuyu mostly) fabricated bad things about the only community that seemed to be a threat to them.Raila was good to them when he said Kibaki tosha.

Strangely when you really push them to a corner they end up making ambiguous statements like:

…”you know he's too ambitious “
…”you know how proud Luos are.”

I have a lot of respect for this man and up to this day he still 'sells' - ask any serious editor in this country and they will testify to this. The story is not complete until Raila comments.

Since you launched the blog has anyone abused you because of a comment/opinion?

He is spending equivalent of Kshs 100,000.00 on those ads whenever they appear. Only question am asking is who is he targeting?

Seems to be globe-trotting looking for money (was overseas & only returned on Saturday). Maybe the ads are targeting specific donors.

One thing am sure of this guy is not as stupid as some tribalists think.

How many politicians have resigned parliamentary seats to seek a fresh mandate from the electorate?


Anonymous said...
You are wrong. Raila will be president.
7:57 PM


Anonymous said...
raila will be president one day 1
8:39 AM

Anonymous said...
Raila, the true patriot kenyans miunerstand. the only sage politician, always consistent with his vision for kenya. always open to dynamism as posed by the world.
1:31 PM


Anonymous said...
Raila will never be Kenyan President NEVER
1:43 AM

Anonymous said...
LETS WAIT FOR THE ELECTIONS

JUST LIKE THE 3 TIME LOOSER THE SLEEPER IN CHIEF WON THEN ANYONE CAN WIN
5:35 AM


Mimmz said...
Quit sugar coating tribalism! Both of you. Anyone that thinks the tribe of a president will affect leadership just isn't with the program. hawaelewi our real issues!
9:24 AM


obamab said...
Tribalism is much deeper than what the Digo woman has suggested, The 2 tribes story is really touching but does not tell the whole deal about the political and social/economic problems that we have in Kenya. By just summarizing it to be caused by the tribes we are being to simplistic and may be doing a disservice to the poor Digo woman. Faulting her would not have been the best thing by point here in the right direction, point out other factors that could have caused the political issues, but alas we will never get to see her or hear about her again.
12:28 PM

Ms K said...
Well, I'm going to stay away from your "two tribes should be kept out of Kenyan politics" drift and comment instead on the issue of tribalism.

I was talking about this with my boyfriend who happens to be from one of those two tribes you've mentioned and I'm from the other.

Our conclusion was that as far as killing tribalism in Kenya, our generation, 18-45, has already failed. I have friends my age who are pathologically tribal. To hear them talk just saddens me.

What I know and have experienced is that it goes beyond the two tribes you've mentioned, and actually encompasses all other tribes.

I don't agree with you that Luos and Kikuyus are holding Kenya back. But I do believe tribalism is.
2:46 AM


chris said...
I'm willing to bet you my lunch for a week that everybody who has commented so far hails from the two problems tribes of Kenya.

I have a story for Ms K. First I want you to know that I really wish you the best in your relationship and if you made me President in 2007, the first thing I would do is ensure that marriage across tribes is encouraged (officially). I'm willing not only to give 100% tax waiver but to also give cash grants (instead of spending it on corruption and Anglo Leasing-type projects) to couples who marry across tribal boundaries. This is one powerful way of dealing with tribalism.

Actually I should be an authority in this matter because my mum was a Luhya and my dad is A Kamba (East and Western Kenya tribes).

My story for Ms K is about the best friend I ever had who did more for me than any man will ever do. He was a Luo man married to a Kikuyu lady. They started off well but when they reached that point where every relationship gets tested, the family (especially on the Kikuyu side) hounded the relationship to it's death. Actually it all ended with the tragic shooting of my friend in what was clearly a hit.

So I agree with you Ms K when you say that this generation has failed to overcome tribalism. The problem is that we think we have. The truth is that we haven't. Look at marriages (I don't beleive that folks in Nairobi just happen to fall in love with girls from their own tribes), listen to people talk and then put everybody in a situation where push comes to shove and their true colors emerge.

A good example was last year's referendum, which the country is yet to recover from. The wounds will take a very long time to heal.

God help Kenyans fight this brute of a monster.
6:17 AM

Ms K said...
Pole sana about your friend.

Chris, remember when Kalembe Ndile said that the government should start a programme to encourage people to marry from other tribes. People laughed him off, but I think it was a moment of genius!

Luckily for me, and I hope this doesn't change, my family doesn't meddle much in my life, and my extended family only features during weddings and funerals.

As for the mister, all his brothers have married outside the "tribe" and his father really wants him to marry from the "tribe". I'm told it wouldn't be a problem but still I wonder.

You're so right. The trouble is we think we have overcome tribalism, when really it just seems to have gotten worse.

During the referendum, I was shocked when someone very close to me shouted "These [insert my tribe here] are not getting it again" to my face. I was shocked, saddened, appalled and ashamed.

God help us indeed!

Ps/ Chris for president!!!
3:15 AM


cliff said...
It is sickening to see educated poeple(coz you know how to use a computer) blaming tribalism for Kenyas woes. Just in case you forgot those 2 tribes have not been in power or in a position to influence government policies for the last 18 years. Kenyas real Our problem is short sitedness and illitracy.
3:36 AM
chris said...

Ms K, Kenya is relying on you. Follow your heart to the ends of the earth. True love knows no boundaries, least of all tribal ones.

I have a dream...
that one day, from the shores of Lake Victoria to the beaches of Mombasa and from the heights of Mount Kenya to the remote Nothern frontier, Kenyans will be one tribe, one people and that Luos and Kikuyus will walk together hand in hand and their relatives will not notice that they have married from the "other tribe."

I have a dream...

Maybe somebody should start an anti-tribalism movement and finance candidates whom we are sure are non-tribal and understand the damage tribalism has done in Kenya (is your boyfriend interested in politics?).

P.S. Looking forward to meeting you at my swearing in ceremony (where I will announce the tribalism incentives). Dec 30th 2007, Uhuru Park. Pls don't be late.
3:45 AM


Anonymous said...
Chris,Adolph Hitler also had a final solution to o you have one for the two problem tribes as you call them.....Stop showing your Myopia The trouble with democracy is that even Idiots like Chris have to be heard.
Kikuyu
6:18 AM

chris said...
I have published this abusive comment so that readers will be able to make up their own minds about the sort of person who wrote it. And the sort of thinking we have in Kenya today.

Would a non-tribalist publish a comment hiding their real name behind some anonymous tag and then call me by name?

I have realized that the other really big problem with tribalism in Kenya today is the fact that everybody is in denial.

At no time did I suggest an Adolf Hitler solution to the problem, sir.
6:55 AM


chris said...
Then the guy signs his letter 'Kikuyu'. Is it possible that he could be Luo? When people hide behind masks they could be anything.

You've gotten democracy all wrong, buddy, it's not about abusing the other person, it is about debate and articulating your point of view.
6:58 AM

Vee said...
I am a Kikuyu after being a Kenyan after being a human. YES! Truth be told we are a very tribalistic people. Our pattern of voting is a clear indication of that... can everyone stop pretending and taking offence about the suggestion that we are a problem to the whole national development and instead analyze it and find ways to sort stuff out...
5:44 AM


chris said...
Will somebody give this Kenyan a medal, QUICK!!! If I knew your physical address I would try and scramble together some shilingis to send you some flowers draped in the national flag colours, of course.

This is further proof that inspite of everything it is wrong to judge a tribe by the actions of the majority (that is also tribalism) because there will always be a level-headed Kenyan somewhere prepared to face the problem with the intention of tackling it.

Once again kudos Vee... if only there were a few more like you, we would change Kenya tomorrow.
===================
Other Raila Odinga Articles In This Blog;

Raila Phobia: Why The Emotional Comments And Abusive Language?

Raila Odinga’s World Cup Ad

What Raila Should Do To Win The Presidency

Is ODM Finished?

'82 Coup Plot Revelations: Raila Odinga's Biggest Political Mistake Ever

Friday, June 23, 2006

The Nakumatt Supermarkets Money Laundering Mystery | Money Laundering in Kenya history





Opposition Shadow Finance Minister Bill Kerrow shocked parliament this week by tabling documents that linked one of Kenya's best loved supermarket with Money laundering.

This writer has always found the operations of Nakumatt Holdings extremely fishy long before the current controversy where the opposition shadow finance minister Billow Kerrow has this week tabled documents in parliament linking Kenya's most popular supermarket and Charterhouse Bank to alleged tax evasion and money laundering.

Over the years, even as I have enjoyed walking into Nakumat's well-stocked units all over the country, questions have continued to haunt me at the back of my mind. Mostly the following three:

1. How did the Supermarket chain manage to expand so rapidly within such a short time? A supermarket is a business that requires a colossal cash outlay to launch. You just need to do a quick calculation of the value of goods stocked on any small shelf area to realize the kind of finances required to get just one supermarket branch in a chain up and running. Even where suppliers offer credit facilities, a supermarket cannot avoid paying for huge stocks in their books long before they are ever sold.

2. Why was the supermarket closed briefly in the late 90s over some alleged controversy involving some "mad cow disease" canned beef? Why did the whole issue "evaporate" even quicker than it had started a few days later without a proper explanation, leading to the re-opening of the supermarket? It was at about that time that the rapid expansion gained a new momentum and vigour.

3. How is the chain able to sell highly taxed imported products at such low prices?

There is no denying that apart from poor management from a team that hardly understood the retail trade, Uchumi's problems were also caused by what can only be termed as unfair competition from Nakumatt. According to Kerrow it was discovered by Mullei and his team that although Nakumatt were doing about 20 times the kind of sales Uchumi were registering, it was not paying anywhere near the same VAT or taxes that Uchumi was.

Then there is the other anomaly where it is said that Nakumatt has never declared profits since inception. How do you continue to expand indefinitely while paying your suppliers with no signs of strain, when you are making losses? Of course none of it makes any sense.

There is little doubt about where Mr Kerrow sourced his information. It is clearly from the immediate former Central Bank governor, Dr Andrew Mullei who is currently facing charges of abuse of office brought by the Kenya Anti-corruption commission. Mr Kerow claimed in parliament that the real reason Mullei was suspended was for raising the issue of Charterhouse Bank and Nakumatt. It is said that Charterhouse bank was in the middle of all the tax evasion and money laundering moves of Nakumatt and a number of other companies named. Kerrow said that Mullei was suspended for asking Finance Minister Amos Kimunya to withdraw the License for Charterhouse Bank.

So what is the Nakumatt story?

For years rumours have been circulating about the real source of the supermarket chain's seemingly bottomless deep pockets of cash. However with the tabling of the documents by Hon Kerrow in parliament this week, evidence is now beginning to emerge which seems to support the rumours.

For a long time the real ownership of the giant chain of supermarkets that is said to have started as a single unit selling blankets in Nakuru, was linked to one of the son's of former President Moi. The brief closure of the supermarkets in the late 90s was linked toa struggle between the management and certain political interests keen on a hostile takeover (Kenyan-style).

Later even more shocking rumours emerged linking the chain to money laundering.

When you hear the term money laundering, more often than not it is linked to the illegal drugs trade. That is what is so abominable about this whole issue. Could it be that one of Kenya's most loved brands was financed by cash from the underworld? (see full explanation of what money laundering means).



The papers tabled by Kerrow in parliament persistently and directly point to that possibility. One particular name mentioned by Kerrow in parliament stands out like a sore thumb that begs for attention. And that is the name of a company called, the John Harun Group. There is a very high chance that the man behind this company is none other than John Harun Mwau a man who once stood for the Presidency of Kenya (in 1992) and a former police officer and sharpshooter who suddenly got very wealthy, very suddenly under mysterious circumstances.

We all know where Bill Gates' fortune came from and even that of the two young men that own most of Google Inc. But in Kenya we really don't care and don't want to know how people make their money, we simply roll out the red carpet the minute they prove to us that their accounts have plenty of zeros that follow the first few digits.

Mr Mwau has been publicly linked to gun running for years. His political enemies have often said that he deals in drugs. No proof has been found or brought forward, but Mr Mwau remains a very wealthy man without any tangible money generating assets to justify his wealth.

You must be reading this and wondering if we're still talking about Nakumatt. Yes, we are. The documents tabled by Kerrow indicate that all companies mentioned have very close links to the whole Nakumatt claims.

But there is something even more disturbing.

Why did the Narc government that included the likes of characters that have now distanced themselves from it like Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga not do anything when they took over the reigns of power? If their true motive was to fight corruption then their zero tolerance for corruption should have caused them to immediately blow the whistle on Nakumatt. If Mr Kalonzo Musyoka is really genuine and Raila Odinga as well, why did they not blow the whistle?

More evidence on what may be the repugnant answer to that question are beginning to emerge.

Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, the Trade minister told parliament that Nakumatt executives called him last week and demanded to know why he was making efforts to revive Uchumi. He even went further to say that the managing director of Nakumatt called him and dared him that if he had "so much money to waste" why not give it to Nakumatt. The cheek!!

As revealing as this confession from the minister is, it also suggests that these Nakumatt officials were extremely familiar with government officials and the Trade minister in particular. How else could they make such cocky statements? How did they get access to the minister in the first place?

If truth be told, nobody in parliament has the moral right to say anything about the Nakumatt controversy, because it is clear that both the previous and current governments know a lot more about this than they would ever like to let out. Could there be a link between the Mullei-instigated revelations of Nakumatt and the swift government decision this week to revive Uchumi Supermarkets? Did somebody know that Nakumatt controversy was coming and decided to quickly cover their tracks? Until we can get some evidence, your guess is as good as mine.

Understand this story better by reading about Al Capone and the brief history of money laundering.

Sharp Shooter Cop Who Suddenly Became A Billionaire

Is it okay for a drug baron to be in government and to even fund ODM?

=============
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Nakumatt And Money Laundering Allegations: What Is Money Laundering?

Money laundering or “cleaning of money is the practice of engaging in specific financial transactions whose sole objective is to conceal the true source and/or destination of money. Often this is due to the illegal source of the cash and or for the purposes of tax evasion.

It is said that money laundering was invented or initially brought to great prominence during the prohibition in the United States when alcohol selling and drinking were a criminal offence. Many methods were created for disguising the origins of money (usually huge sums) generated from the sale of illegal alcoholic beverages. The art was perfected by drug dealers who started dominating the underworld or so called underworld economy, in the 1950s.

Experts often describe money laundering as occurring in three stages, namely placement, layering and integration. Placement, as the terms suggests is the initial point of entry of the illegal funds, while layering refers to the creation of dummy companies and shell companies as well as the creation of complex networks of transactions whose aim is to hide the initial entry source of the funds. Integration is the entry of the funds into the legitimate economy for later withdrawal.

Let us take an example of a person making huge sums of money dealing in drugs or some other illegal business. One way of keeping his transactions secret is to give his money to an individual who is already legitimately taking in and banking large amounts of money daily. This individual (in this case an intermediary) would then deposit the funds in their account without raising any suspicion and naturally take a handsome commission for their trouble. They will then write out a cheque to the drug trafficker who can then deposit the money in their account without raising any suspicion. This will work perfectly for a one-off deal but for repeated transactions, the cheques will create a dangerous paper trail that can later raise suspicion. You can now understand the reasons for forming countless shell companies and dummy corporations who will pretend to be suppliers to the said company or business “cleaning the money”.

A politician wanting to hide the real source of his funding can also launder money by setting up trusts and non-profit organizations to move money between the sources he wants to hide, the trusted companies and himself.

During the Watergate scandal former President Richard Nixon’s “Committee to Re-Elect The President” moved illegal campaign contributions to neighbouring Mexico and then channeled back the money through a US based company receiving payments from out of the country.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Kibaki Will Step Down For Uhuru Kenyatta: Are These Nairobi Rumours Nonsense Or Are They A Possibility?

Nairobi has always been famous for its' rumour-mongering and the reason why rumours thrive is that too often they have ended up being the truth. (Leave out the times when the notorious Special branch of old used to spread rumours for "research reasons." Like the time in the late 80s when they started a rumour that President Moi had throat cancer and was dying. The president and his inner circle must have had lots of fun observing the politicians all re-positioning themselves carefully for the eventuality of Moi's exit).

Where there is smoke, there must be fire, they say.

One rumour that has been gathering momentum amongst those who take the time to carefully analyze the political situation in the country, is that President Kibaki may very well step down for somebody else at the 11th hour leading up to the 2007 general elections.

The first reaction would be to dismiss this as utter nonsense. We all know that something happens to people's brains the minute they enter State House grounds as head of state. Level headed democracy activists suddenly turn into notorious dictators who suddenly clamp down on the press that got them there and want to hold onto the presidency until-death-do-us-part. Suddenly they develop acute blindness to problems of ordinary Kenyans that they previously saw and articulated on very clearly during their campaigns for the presidency.

So why should President Kibaki be any different and just leave the seat he has fought so ferociously to retain, to somebody else?

There are a few things that have changed dramatically and radically in Kenya since the constitutional referendum last November that have brought this possibility closer to reality.

A reader in a recent comment asked me to discuss political inheritance and lamented how nobody in Kenya seemed to be bothered about it. The truth of the matter is that if things continue the way they are, come election day 2007, Kenyans will be very bothered about this political inheritance thing.

One of the things that has changed dramatically since last November is that all the major political families in Kenya are now reading from the same script. The families are the Kenyattas, the Mois and the Kibakis. Prior to November 2005, only the Kenyattas and the Mois were speaking the same language. In fact these two families stretched their resources and connections to the limit to defeat the proposed new constitution. The reason was one little clause that was going to create a law forcing the country to investigate past sins of past administrations in great detail ensuring that justice was dispensed. That little piece of legislation would have wiped out the vast Kenyatta family wealth (mostly held in grabbed land) and left them paupers. It would have put two of Moi's sons into prison.

The Kibaki family was not seated at this royal table because that was before the Anglo-leasing scandal broke. I do not want to be branded a conspiracy theorist but the mystery behind why a newspaper that had been avoiding controversy amongst the high and mighty in Kenya like the plague, suddenly changed character and started behaving like a 10 bob scandal sheet (only that it did it with more finesses and skill) remains an unsolved puzzle in my book. Who was behind the Angle-leasing expose and why? Grateful as the people of Kenya are that this thing came out in the open, it is equally important to find the answers to some of these nagging questions.

Suddenly after the Anglo-leasing scandal broke, the Kibaki family started seeing things in exactly the same light as the Mois and the Kenyattas. The scandal initiated the Kiabkis to join this grouping because now the family was linked to a scandal involving grand corruption and the theft of resources belonging to the people of Kenya.

One does not need to be a genius to see the direction in which the country is dangerously heading to. It is a place called "payback time." You know how in those predictable and fun action movies the star gets all sorts of nasty things done to them and then conveniently around the middle of the movie, they say enough is enough and start to fight back? Well, in this particular Kenyan movie we are already at that half-way mark. It is a much wiser electorate that politicians are going to face next year and in my opinion many of them are in for the shock of their lives.

The Moi family (with it's well-documented giraffe-like tendencies which enables a person to see what is coming in the distance, well before it comes into view for other ordinary mortals) can already see what's coming. They have therefore joined hands with the Kibakis and Kenyattas to ensure that somehow we never reach that place called "pay back time."

Pay-back-time means that what the Kenyattas and Mois fought so hard to avoid in the proposed new constitution will be back with a vengeance. If you read the newspapers in Kenya every day and listen to the news, you will be able to feel the "pulse of the nation" and what ordinary Kenyans want to see. Actually the truth is that Kenyans are fed up of empty rhetoric. They want action, they want the corrupt (who make up the most powerful and rich families of Kenya) to pay back what they have taken.

What everybody sees now is Moi suddenly campaigning very hard, as if he were still president. Meanwhile the real president seems to have suddenly vanished. We also hear many dissenting voices within Kanu asking the former president to stay out of politics. Meanwhile the people who should be complaining the most, the Kibaki administration, are dead silent. What the noise-makers in Kanu do not seem to realize is that the old constitution that gives the President of Kenya powers that are close to those of God over people's lives, is still in place. Meaning that whether we like it or not, Moi is now one of the most powerful men in the land. It is clear that he has been given the assignment of keeping the royal families from harm's way. Lots of power has been delegated to him to achieve this objective.

In private when the royal families sit down for some nyama choma, what do you think they discuss? Poverty levels amongst ordinary Kenyans? Lack of jobs? Rising crime? You must be joking! They discuss investments and mostly they discuss the future. The future they would be most comfortable with. You can be sure that the future they would be most comfortable with is not the same sort of future you and I would be comfortable with.

So picture this situation. Uhuru's popularity is constantly on the rise but President Kibaki keeps on campaigning unto the eleventh hour. Then he suddenly steps down and supports Uhuru. Every fool knows that the entire Kikuyu vote with just a few pockets of supports elsewhere in the country is enough to win the presidency. So before anybody can say nyumba ya Mumbi, the elections will be over and the royal family will still be safely in control.

Or picture another eventuality. Kibaki and the Narc Kenya party officially merges with Kanu at the 11th hour that means that Uhuru Kenyatta is on the same side as President Kibaki. KANU then presents a vice presidential candidate. Uhuru remains the leader of Kanu. That candidate could be Gideon Moi, or it could be William Ruto. It could be anybody but the important thing is that once again Kenya's royal families remain safely in control.

With the royal families united, anything is possible (Yote yawezekana) and the sad thing is that their interests are in direct confrontation with the interests of the people of Kenya.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

What is happening right here in this blog July 5th 2006?

It’s big… really big.

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Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Kenyan General Elections 2007: Scenario Moves Closer To America Presidential Race 2004

It is never a good idea for a writer to keep on saying, "I told you so," when their analysis proves accurate. It is a sign of a writer desperate to be proved right and not the sort of analyst people like to read because they trust his or her judgement and analysis of issues.

So I try very hard to avoid that petty I-told-you-so nonsense.

However events in recent days have confirmed that we are rapidly heading towards a two-man horse race for the presidency. We already know who one candidate is, courtesy of his bold wife who told us quite early that not only is her husband standing, but she too will seek political office. First Lady Lucy Kibaki has been much more decisive and consistent than many in the Kibaki administration. The other candidate remains a guessing game but regular readers of this blog will already know who it is going to be.

Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi, speaking in his Kimilili consituency over the weekend took yet another pot shot at his party chairman, Musikari Kombo saying that it was unrealistic for Ford Kenya to join the LDP alliance (ODM in other words). Kituyi predicted that LDP and Raila will find themselves in the opposition after the 2007 polls.

In Vihiga, former Sabatia MP and the man who has the distinction of having held the Vice President's seat for the shortest time in Kenyan history, Musalia Mudavadi was saying the opposite. Mudavadi urged Ford Kenya to make their decision quickly and join LDP.

Notice that nobody is talking about any other grouping. Of course KANU will make every pretence that it is going it alone but all this is playing to the gallery and also ensuring that the "bride price" for the inevitable marriage will be as high as possible.

The biggest point of contention for readers of this blog has been just how powerful and influential Moi is. It is the feeling of most that Moi is no longer a power to reckon with. What with all the statements being made by Kalenjin leaders to the effect that the old man should stay out of politics.

Thinking that Moi is powerless is a great miscalculation. As I have said before the old man has made a career out of being underestimated. Just look carefully at how he played his cards. First he came out strongly opposing the proposed new constitution in the run up to the November referendum. Then shortly after that he was seen as President Kibaki's side.

I will tell you a brief story to put this issue of Rift Valley support to rest once and for all.

In the run-up to the 2007 polls, there was a lot of opposition to Moi within Rift Valley. Many Kalenjins who are non-Turgens (Moi is a Turgen) felt at the time and still do today that they did not enjoy any part of the national cake during Moi's tenure. They believe that this was reserved only for Turgens who are very few in number and are considered to be the least developed of the Kalenjin tribes. Nandis are the ones considered to be the most developed. What makes them even more bitter is the fact that they have had to bear the brunt of the backlash on the Kalenjin community from other Kenyans especially over issues of corruption and other perceived sins of the Moi presidency.

In 1997 I got very excited when I noted this rebellion amongst the Kalenjin. I was sure that the opposition parties, divided as they were had a fighting chance against Moi. And so did DP presidential candidate then, Mwai Kibaki who intensified his campaign in the Rift Valley.

When the election results started trickling in, I was amazed. Rift Valley stuck with Kanu and Moi. The answer to this mystery was simple. Moi like George W. Bush is a pro at using "fear" to get votes. George W used Osama bin Laden to get re-elected in 2004. The message to Americans was simple, vote for the guy you’re sure can handle Bin Laden. It worked. Moi used the phobia of Kikuyus to get re-elected in 2007.

He simply told the Kalenjin community to choose between him and a Kikuyu presidency. This is one of the reasons why he found it so difficult to sell Uhuru Kenyatta (a Kikuyu) to his own tribes mates in 2002. They got very confused after what had happened in 1997 and Kikuyu phobia was still very much in them. They preferred the Kikuyu candidate who had a strong alliance with other Kalenjin leaders and a vice presidential running mate (The late Wamalwa Kijana) that they trusted.

All that Moi will need to kindle this time, is the long held mistrust between the Kalenjin and Luo tribes that has been going on for centuries. This is assuming that Raila Odinga will be the ODM candidate.

I am now convinced that Moi seems to have a score to settle with Raila. The old man has something to prove once and for all before he goes quietly into retirement proper.

Kenya Budget 2006/7: Brief Budget Analysis

The Only Budget Analysis You Will Need To Read To Be Very Informed. Takes Less Than 5 minutes To Grasp

As predicted in my pre-budget post, the budget turned out to be a campaign re-election tool for the President and his men and women. This is bad news for Kenyans because whenever politics enters something (anywhere in the world) the result is the same. It become short on substance and high on rhetoric and hype or in other words "hot air."

One key issue in budget 2006 will affect Kenyans this financial year. Finance Minister Amos Kimunya's budget indicates that the government is intending to raise Kshs 29 billion ($402.8 million) from domestic borrowing.

Compare this projection to last year's actual figures where it was set at 25 billion ($347.2million) but how much did the government end up borrowing locally? A slightly more than a staggering 38 billion ($527.8 million) That's well over 50 % above the intended figure.

This means that this year's estimate is a joke. Maybe to use nicer language, this year's figure is part of the Narc Kenya PR and re-election campaign strategy.

The truth is that the government will borrow much more than projected, the effect is that there is bound to be lots of inflationary pressures and also pressure on interest rates. This is bound to have an impact sooner or later on the current strength of the Kenya shilling against major world currencies. Just the sort of scenario that is quite the norm in Kenya in an election year.

Friday, June 16, 2006

The Kenyan Tribal Test

Are You A Tribalist? Here is a quick test to help you find out for sure…

(i) At the sight of this article headline, you sigh and wonder why this blogger just keeps on bringing up this boring topic of tribalism and why he keeps on insisting that it is the major issue in Kenya today while you know every well it is not. You don't need a psychologist to tell you that every time you hit a raw nerve or you start getting touchy, iko kitu.

(ii) What is the tribe of your spouse? Did you fall in love with somebody else first (of a different tribe) but chose to marry your current spouse because "it was the wise thing to do?"

(iii) Even worse, are you married to a member of another tribe but view the marriage as temporary and look at your children as belonging to a different tribe from yourself? Do you frequently make comments of your children like; "you certainly did not pick up that habit from our people."
I'm married to a Kikuyu and in the first few years of our marriage her friends used to greet her with the remarks, "Are you still with that Man?"

(iv) Do you feel that Raila Odinga is not Presidential material? List the reasons why? Do you know that out of all front runners for the presidency currently (Raila is a front runner because he was third in 1997 with over a million votes. The only other current front runner who has previously stood for the presidency is Uhuru Kenyatta) he is the person who has played the biggest role in helping bring reforms and the much-talked-about second liberation? Raila has given the most sacrifice for his political beliefs being detained by two presidents and narrowly missing the gallows over the 1982 coup? At one point he spent such a long time in political detention that his wife was virtually "inherited" by a relative because nobody believed that Raila would ever be released alive. He is also scandal-free despite concerted efforts to pin several scandals to him.

(v) Or do you feel that as a result of President Kibaki's tenure this seat should never go to a Kikuyu again? What are your feelings when you see President Kibaki? Deep hatred? Do you switch off the TV or quickly change channels when President Kibaki appears? The facts are that the President has been terrible at playing politics and has scored low on issues like fighting corruption. But today the Kenyan economy is the strongest in the region and policies like allowing the Kenyan currency to strengthen against major foreign currencies has cushioned the Kenyan people from rapidly rising world oil prices that have hit neighboring countries like Tanzania very hard indeed. Free primary education and the constituency development fund are initiatives of the president whose positive impact on the nation will be felt for years to come. In my book he has President Kiabki has also scored much higher than former President Moi in the issue of tribalism and appointments influenced by tribalism.

(vi) Do you get a warm comfortable feeling whenever you see on TV or read about a presidential candidate hailing from your tribe?

(vii) Do you keep on sending comments to this blog like "You are wrong Raila is going to be president." Or do you get abusive to this blogger over his balanced comments on tribalism in Kenya?

(viii) When you meet a person for the first time, do you subconsciously reserve your judgement until you find out what tribe they are? The way to tell this is when the first question you really want to ask every time, is what tribe they are, but instead you ask leading questions like, how do you spell your second name? Or "who do you think should be the next president?"

(ix) Do you remain unmoved when Kenya wins yet another 3,000 metres steeplechase race, just because the winner reminds you of Moi's tenure as president? The facts are that no tribe has brought more positive international glory to Kenya than the runners who mostly hail from the Kalenjin tribe. A few of them have changed nationalities but the fact is that were it another big tribe you and me know about, virtually all top runners would have changed nationalities for money by now.

(x) Are you one of those people who made a certain tribal radio station an overnight success? Are you one of the people who saw red when it looked like President Moi was about to ban that particular radio station?

(xi) Do you always look at the national soccer side selections in terms of which tribe has the majority of players?

(xii) Do you feel irritated whenever you hear a certain tribal language being used in your presence or within ear shot?

(xiii) Do you believe that some tribes are more corrupt than others?

(xiv) Do you always love to talk your mother tongue at the least excuse.

(xv) Do you use your mother tongue to gossip about people even when they are within hearing range?

(xvi) Do you get a warm fuzzy feeling every time somebody talks to you in your mother tongue?

(xvii) Do you insist on conversing in your mother tongue even when you know that there are several people in your company or around you who do not understand it? It matters little that you take the trouble to translate what you have said later.

(xviii) Look at your email in box now. Is most of the mail you receive from members of a particular tribe? Could that tribe happen to be the same tribe that your mother and father belong to?

(xix) Do you always visit a certain web site that bears the name of your tribe?

(xx) Or even worse, does your email address contain the name of your tribe somewhere?

If you have answered all these questions honestly, you will have realized that everybody is a tribalist in one way or another it is the degree of tribalism all of us that varies.

There is a very high possibility that in the coming elections tribalism will really rear it's ugly head. This is because the two front runners are going to be members of different tribes. This will be coming at a time when the wounds of the November constitutional referendum have not yet been healed. This is also unlike the situation in 2002 when a lot of tension was diffused by the fact that both leading candidates were from the same tribe. In my opinion this was divine intervention based on the great mercies of God.

This is the reason why the issue of tribalism must be discussed openly and it must be discussed now, before the politicians get their tribal-animosity-provoking-campaigns under way.

The reason why I consider myself an expert on this issue and able to contribute to this debate in a big, informed, positive way, is simple. My father hails from the Akamba tribe but my mother was a Bukusu (part of the Luhya tribe). I am very happily married (for over 20 years now) to a Kikuyu and my grandson who is very attached to me was fathered by an Embu man. My first born daughter who spent a lot of time at her grandmothers in the early years of our marriage while me and her mother were struggling to get a home going, speaks fluent Kikuyu, but my son does not speak any vernacular language. We communicate in sheng, swahili and English in the house and our favorite song is the one where every tribe of Kenya is mentioned and requested to step forward and do their thing.

I know what some of you are asking in your minds as you read this. You're saying, "Cut the **** **** (waste of a certain animal whose female counterpart produces milk for human consumption) and tell us what tribe your children consider themselves to be. That's a simple one and I'll answer it without hesitation. Their tribe is Kenyan.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

The Great Artur Margaryan Head Shape Debate

…Artur's head is shaped like that of a typical Kikuyu called Mwangi or something. Can't blame the lady for instinctively falling for him.

Never has a post generated so much heat and debate in this blog. Our editor invites reader comments on the comment above made by somebody calling himself or herself "Wishi".

To assist you I have published a photo below of the said head and comments that had been made in the previous post at the time I was writing this…

Karibu.







=======================
Oloo said...
I saw the photographs you are talking about. You don't put your hands all over a woman like that if you're not sleeping with her. So what are we saying here? Was the whole Armenian hullabaloo was about sex with a Nyeri beauty who happens to be the president's daughter? Unbelievable!!!


Wishi said...
I don't blame the Armenians. I've dated ladies from Nyeri. They're Hot with capital "H". I also notice that Artur's head is shaped like that of a typical Kikuyu called Mwangi or something. Can't blame the lady for instinctively falling for him.

I say forgive the Armenians especially lover boy Artur Margaryan and let's have a royal wedding in Kenya to take our minds off all the stress.


Sila said...
Hot? You must be plain out of your mind. The girl has a gap between her front teeth. That means she's sizzling, mwoto ya kuotea mbali sana, sana, sana, sana.

Poor Artur Margaryan.

President Kibaki's Daughter Was Caught On Camera In Intimate Pose With Armenian

So the Armenian brothers finally got deported and it took a serious security breech at JKIA and a rapidly approaching election to do the trick. Now every Kenyan wants to know why they did not stand trial for what were clearly serious criminal offences first.
Winfred Wangui: Mwai Kibaki’s Controversial Daughter Who Almost Married Armenian (Standard newspaper raid and allegede assassin hired to finish Raila Odinga) Artur Margaryan.

But this spine chilling cliff-hanger of a suspense-filled soap has not seen the last episode just yet. There is a parliamentary committee that has been set up to shed more light into the whole Armenian brothers' saga.

This is where the real action starts. Just looking at the list of people who have been summoned to appear before it, one name stands out and she's bound to be the person with all the information that's required to unlock the mystery that has been haunting fans of this bizarre soap for a long time.

Winnie Wangui Mwai: The strikingly beautiful daughter of the President by his second and now disowned wife (Mary Wambui aka Wambui wa Munene). Pictures have been published in a local daily of the Nyeri beauty looking romantically into the eyes of one Artur Margaryan, the main Armenian in the whole scandal. The picture seems to have been taken at a public drinking hole and the Armenian has his hands all over the President's daughter. There are also what appear to be some stiff-looking drinks in front of them. These are not Tusker people, you can be sure.

What is even more telling is the fact that the pictures were "hidden" in page 4 of the said newspaper, when they should have been on page One, where they would have no doubt helped to sell an extra 100,000 copies or more of the newspaper. You can guess the answer… they wouldn't dare!
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Judy (not her real name) is still serving time but is optimistic that one day she will be free. Her son who saved her life is now about 7 years old.
(From Kumekucha archives. First published WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008. This story-part of it- hit newspaper headlines in Kenya that year.)  Forward this true story and share widely if you have a sister, daughter or some woman you care about who may fall in love tomorrow and throw caution to the wind with dire consequences.

A President Who Can't Sort Out His Domestics

What would happen if you were to call a meeting in the local shopping centre near your house to announce something important. Everybody would come not knowing what you have to say. They would come because they would be sure that there were some critical issues you wanted to bring up, maybe something to do with security in the neighborhood or something else really important.

Imagine what the people would feel when they discover that you simply called the
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meeting to introduce your family which everybody is already very familiar with and to disown your second wife (whom everybody knows even better.)

One thing the Kibaki presidency will be remembered for is sick humour of this kind. When the country has just experienced a serious security breach and has numerous other serious problems that are being ignored, it is not funny pulling off antics like the one the President did this last weekend. Why doesn't the President keep his domestic issues where they belong, why wash his dirty linen in public?

The question Kenyans need to ask themselves is if a person cannot keep his own personal house in order, how do you expect him to rule a nation? Sadly this is a president that now has a very high chance of being re-elected even as Kenyans busy themselves with issues, tribal.

All The Budget Analysis You Need

The government needs money to run the country, more so when donor funds are not forthcoming.

So far the country has one thing going for it. A strong shilling which has cushioned the public from spiraling oil prices.

So the budget's main focus and where it will affect Kenyans most is where Finance Minister Amos Kimunya seeks to raise revenue to finance government expenditure over the coming year.

Possible areas that might suffer increased taxation include the mobile phone industry and imports. Cigarettes will most probably be left alone in view of recent developments that threaten its' current revenues in an unprecedented way. This is the banning of smoking in public places.

There is also increased pressure on the government to seek new revenue sources especially after KRA recently reported it's first bad year since President Kibaki's administration came to power. During the nine months to March this year, the taxman recorded a shortfall of Shs 7.4 billion having collected shs 215.1 billion against a target of shs 222.5 billion.

Some analysts believe that this could be a budget of surprises as the general elections are too dangerously close to upset the voters too much with some unpopular tax increaments.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Raila Odinga's World Cup Ad

Agwambo announces his presidential bid to the world

It came as a total shock. We were settling in to watch a World Cup game and opted to use one of the DSTV channels, there, immaculately dressed in orange was Agwambo himself in a flashy TV ad.

There was a hint of tears in his eyes which had more to do with the bright lights rather than emotion. He boldly announced that he is a pan-africanist and took the opportunity to congratulate all African countries that were participating in the World Cup. The ad ends with the Raila presidential bid web site advertised (www.raila07.com. Interestingly there is nothing on this site except a few photos and empty pages. Why is raila promoting an empty website?).

In another version Raila is dancing with some traditional dancers wearing the same orange outfit and dances rather elegantly with his shoulders, he then announces that he wants to stand for president of "the republic of Kenya" in 2007. Loud cheers are heard as the address of the web site for his presidential bid comes on screen again.

I was even more shocked that no major media house in Kenya had picked up this significant event. For better or for worse Raila Odinga is definitely going to be one of the presidential candidates in 2007.

Before I analyze what impact this is going to have let me remind readers once again that I am a staunch ODM supporter and that my personal opinion is that Raila would make a great president. Just look at his organizational abilities to get a hint. However emotions and wishful thinking must always be separated from the reality on the ground for anybody in politics, especially those analyzing it.

The clever thing to do is to coldly analyze the reality on the ground and then go out and create your strategy. Blind loyalty and emotions will get you absolutely nowhere in politics.

Picture a situation where President Kibaki is standing against Raila Odinga as the main opposition candidate. This situation will neatly emerge before your eyes very quickly because most of Kanu will go with Moi and you would have to be more than blind not to see that an alliance has already been formed between Kibaki and Moi for 2007. At least one other major presidential candidate will be talked into giving up their ambition in return for a guaranteed vice presidential slot in President Kibaki's second term administration.

ODM will re-group. It will not be as powerful as before but it still has a huge following countrywide, although not big enough to win the presidency decisively.

These are the two men most likely to face off in 2007 as the main contenders. You may like Kalonzo or Ngilu or Uhuru, but like the Americans found out in the gruelling 2004 Presidential race, it is not who you like but who you prefer. The problem is that this will further split the country right down the middle and Mr Daniel Arap Moi, as chief Kibaki strategist will make sure that it is an ugly tribal affair. So who would you prefer for President, Raila or Kibaki? Sorry non-of-the-above will not be one of the choices open to voters.



In fact with Raila as the main candidate for the presidency, everything changes. Tribalism is bound to rear its' ugly head once more. (Read the post I made last week)

This will suit President Mwai Kibaki's plans perfectly because whenever the tribal demons come out, the Kikuyu have been known to quickly close ranks and blindly support their man (with their education, degrees and all one would have thought they would have known better. But then the demon of tribalism has scant respect for a persons' intelligence or educational background). Remember the November constitutional referendum?

Other major presidential candidates will quickly fizzle out when this scenario develops and even if they insist on standing, they will not be contenders. Thanks mainly to the recent work of former President Moi, the country will be divided along tribal lines. It is absolutely hypocritical how the former president can accuse Raila of fanning tribalism or playing tribal politics when that is exactly Moi's speciality. Did you see the speech he recently made to members of the Kalenjin tribe about what he called mass sackings of Kalenjins when he came out of power? And how the Kalenjin politicians did nothing? If this is not fanning tribal animosity and tribalism I don't know what it is.

Moi's politics is telling each tribe why they should not vote for the tribe opposing him. So in 2007 you are going to hear a lot of anti-Luo statements, which is okay except that it will work in getting votes away from Raila and to the Kibaki/Moi camp. Moi's strategy is going to be simple (I'm ready to bet a week's lunch that he will be the chief strategist of the Kibaki camp). He's going to tell the Kikuyu, (nay, remind the Kikuyu) why a Luo presidency would spell disaster for the nation.

The advantage that Raila has on his side is that there is time. Time enough to create a counter strategy to ensure that the anti-Luo sentiment does not take off from the ground, let alone fly. I actually present one such strategy in the next post that will actually make Raila unbeatable in 2007.
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Other Raila Odinga Articles In This Blog;

Raila Phobia: Why The Emotional Comments And Abusive Language?

Raila Odinga’s World Cup Ad

What Raila Should Do To Win The Presidency

Is ODM Finished?

'82 Coup Plot Revelations: Raila Odinga's Biggest Political Mistake Ever

What Raila Should Do To Win The Presidency

Important note: If you cringe when you read this article or feel that Raila Odinga is not presidential material, then chances are high that it is the demon of tribalism inside you that is reacting. Many readers have written rude comments in this blog claiming that tribalism does not exist in Kenya. To say there is no tribalism in Kenya is like a pregnant woman claiming that she's a virgin. It is possible (I am told modern technology and test tube babies work) but highly unlikely. Let us all arise to defeat tribalism in Kenya.

This blogger has not been offered any money by Raila Odinga and neither do we support him for president. (our official candidate remains somebody from the generation of Kenyans born at about indipendence and in particular one John Githongo. The following article and other recent posts on Mr Odinga are simply political analysis

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My son is a great fan of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). There is a wrestler called triple H who carries a sledge hammer that is nicknamed "the great equalizer."

It is called “the great equalizer” because no matter how strong the opponent is and no matter how close to victory they are, the "great equalizer" neutralizes them pretty quickly.

What Agwambo needs in his camp is a "great tribal equalizer". No doubt he is going to make many alliances, between now and election day 2007. But he needs to reserve his Vice presidential slot for a candidate who transcends tribal barriers. There is only one way of doing this in Kenya and that is to have a person who has parents from different tribes, preferably some of the major tribes in Kenya other than Raila's tribe.

Raila should then concentrate the efforts of his campaign in getting “this vice presidential candidate” known countrywide. When push comes to shove, this candidate should be able to go to the tribe where his mother comes from and appeal for reason. They should also be able to go to his father's tribe and talk to them. The equalizer here will be that nationally it will be impossible to see that candidate as hailing from one tribe. This is probably the only thing that can save the Raila presidential bid.

Politics is indeed a dirty game and if this is not done then the Kibaki/Moi camp will simply wait for the right opportunity to show their true colours and all the tribal demons will come out to deny Kenya the president it deserves.

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Other Raila Odinga Articles In This Blog;

Raila Phobia: Why The Emotional Comments And Abusive Language?

Raila Odinga’s World Cup Ad

What Raila Should Do To Win The Presidency

Is ODM Finished?

'82 Coup Plot Revelations: Raila Odinga's Biggest Political Mistake Ever

Expanded Business Section Coming Up

We are expanding our business coverage considerably, as you will notice in the next few days and weeks to come.

This is from the realization that unlike in the West where the World Wide Web is so much a part of life that people look to it mostly for entertainment and communication as well as business, in Africa the Internet is primarily a business tool. Every day when numerous Africans come online, either in their offices or at a cyber café near them, they have business on their mind.

Although we have built considerable regular readership in this blog for political articles and analysis, recent articles that we have done on business have yielded amazingly huge audiences, which confirms our research findings.

What is Happening at this blog on July 5th 2006?

Too important for Kenya. It is more than a prophecy and prediction on the future of our beloved motherland.

It is the biggest Kenyan event that has ever taken place in the blogosphere. To ensure that you don't miss out, please subscribe to our email newsletter now. Send a blank email now to; kumekucha-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and I'll alert you a day before, as well as send you other important alerts and breaking news in future.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Is ODM Finished? Is Raila Odinga Finished?

The last two weeks have been a terrible nightmare for ODM light Raila Odinga and his "baby" ODM (Orange Democratic Movement). While the future in the United Kingdom cell phone industry still looks like it will be orange, the future on the Kenyan political landscape now looks like it will certainly not be orange.

++++++STOP PRESS+++++++++
Armenian Brothers arrested in the early hours of this morning

A total of about 7 people were arrested a few hours ago, including the controversial Armenian brothers (Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan) who are said to have earlier refused their bags to be searched by customs officials at JKIA airport as they returned to the country from an indisclosed destination. In the raid, the gate to their plush Runda residence was pulled down with the help of a lorry when the Armenians ignored a police order to open it. Government car number plates, military uniforms and hoods were amongst the items recovered by police from the scene. About 50 police officers were involved in the raid led by Gigiri police OCS Patrick Lumumba. The raid took place at about 1 am Kenyan time.

++++++STOP PRESS+++++++

It started with what appeared to be a small and unrelated incident, about a month ago. Retired President Moi came back into mainstream active politics rather quietly with a visit to the northern frontier remote part of Kenya of Marsabit and the environs. The meet the people tour which in retrospect can now be seen as a meticulously calculated political move by the self-proclaimed professor of politics had politicians panicking. Most wondered what all the fuss was about an old man former president visiting some remote almost-forgotten part of the country.

Hate them, like them, underestimate them, even ignore them, but you will not change the facts on the ground. The facts are that this is the new team to beat. This blogger thinks that all things remaining the same, they will be impossible to defeat in 2007





A week or two later, Kanu chairman (handpicked, anointed and installed personally by Moi himself) Uhuru Kenyatta, announced firstly through a trusted aide then personally that he was pulling out of ODM. It still didn't look like a big deal until Kanu, the largest single political party in the country officially announced after a stormy meeting that the party was pulling out of ODM.

Whichever angle you look at things from, the cause of ODM’s troubles is former President Daniel Arap Moi. Judging even from the comments in this blog, many people have not been taking citizen Moi seriously. The assumption is that without the power of the presidency, he is harmless. It is absolutely fascinating that Moi has made a brilliant career out of being underestimated.

Western powers underestimated out of the belief they have always had at the back of the mind that if somebody can’t speak flawless fluent English, then they are not intelligent. Moi run circles around them for 24 years without their ever knowing what hit them.

Meeting At State House After President Kenyatta’s Death

It is said that shortly after President Kenyatta’s death while in office in 1978, a secret meeting took place in State house where the Kenyatta’s kitchen cabinet plotted on how they were going to take over power. Everybody in the meeting branded the quiet, not-very-bright-looking Moi as a passing cloud. Only one man, the late Paul Ngei warned the group not to underestimate Moi and that once he ascended to the presidency for even one day, it would be impossible to remove him. Ngei was ignored by the powerful kitchen cabinet members that included the likes of Njoroge Mungai and Charles Njonjo and yet his warning and prediction was bang on target.

With the re-introduction of multi-party politics in 1992, everybody was sure that Moi was finished. The opposition underestimated the man and Moi remained one step ahead of everybody until his retirement in 2002.

An emotional reader of this blog recently posted the words; “You are wrong, Raila will be President.” Personally I think Raila Odinga would make a great Prsident and I am as alarmed as other Kenyans at the way things have suddenly gone with the ODM. But in politics it is very important to make a clear distinction between emotions and wishful thinking and the reality on the ground.

Raila Odinga is a rebel who has helped Kenyans achieve a lot. But what is the fate of rebels? Do they ever get to rule? Read history and answer that question for yourself.

The rebellion that led to the murder of Julius Caesar was led by the likes of Brutus. But it was Mark Anthony with that classic I-have-come-to-bury-Caesar-not-to-praise-him-speech at the funeral who worked up the crowd and ascended to power.

As we head towards the general election I can see nothing but a Kibaki re-election win. Remember how George Bush won re-election? I think the Kenyan electorate will be split exactly like that with those for Kibaki and those for the opposition. I also believe that in spite of everything that is currently happening, President Kibaki will face one major opponent from a fairly unified opposition.

That is the reality. What is in my heart is really irrelevant but let me just say it.

The only thing that can save Kenya right now is the election of a young Kenyan (under the age of 45) who has never been in politics before but understands the country well enough and has a vision of what needs to be done. That is the only way Kenyans can get the new beginning that they so strongly desire.

I will be the first to admit that this is quite a long shot because most Kenyans under the age of 45 do not understand politics, let alone the Kenyan situation. They make intelligent philosophical statements based on American politics in the city and assume that the ordinary Kenyan voter thinks exactly like them.

Is it going to be Raila Brutus or Raila Mark Anthony?



They have never for instance visited Turukana a place where it is difficult to believe that one is still in Kenya. And where dead dogs (accidentally crashed on the road by one of the rare vehicles seen in the area or killed by wild animals) roasted over a fire are a rare delicacy and probably the only time these Kenyans get to see meat.

To answer the question I posed in this articles’ headline at the beginning. This is what history says about the matter. ODM will re-group and re-organize but Raila Odinga and ODM will never again enjoy the power they previously did during the referendum and from now on, it will all be downhill. This is very bad news for Kenyans and I apologize that I am the one who has to deliver it.

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What is Happening in this blog on July 5th 2006?

Too important for Kenya. It is more than a prophecy and prediction on the future of our beloved motherland.

It is the biggest Kenyan event that has ever taken place in the blogosphere. To ensure that you don’t miss it subscribe to our email newsletter now. Send a blank email now to; kumekucha-subscribe@yahoogroups.com