Wananchi admire the custom-made bus - aptly named PENTAGON 1 - featuring an open top and branded with party colours, that ODM luminaries rode on into Uhuru Park. Although the government recently quietly imported a fleet of Mercedes Benz limousines that are intended for use next term by the president, the ODM are leading by example. The bus was fabricated at a local leading motor vehicle dealer, and was used for a road show in the early hours of Saturday.The Thunder Rally - Uhuru Park 6th October 2007
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and its presidential candidate made a solemn vow to give Kenyans real and complete change as the party officially a kicked off its presidential campaign.
In a memorandum read by William Ruto, in front of a crowd estimated at 400,000, four main issues would form the basis of an ODM administration:
a) Economic re-generation and reconstruction (not economic recovery)
It seems the current government is contented with a 6% annual economic recovery hence its campaign based on continuity.
The ODM has a sound plan towards achieving double digit annual growth. Massive resources will be injected into the development of infrastructure. Modern road and rail network, efficient port facilities, affordable low cost housing, reduced energy costs and cheap access to information are some of the areas that an ODM government will embark on immediately it assumes power.
b) Devolution and equitable distribution of national resources through the enactment of the Bomas Constitution Draft
Speaker after speaker at the rally talked of sustained marginalisation of certain areas in Kenya and a an unfair resource distribution over the last fourty years. The ODM recognises that only a devloved constitution will bring control of resources to the hands of the people. The proposed devolution of power is not aimed at disenfranchsing sections of the Kenyan society as one Daniel Arap Moi wants us to believe.
c) Zero tolerance to corruption
As has been said before, corruption robs the country of its enormous resources while choking its potential. Corruption is not only immoral, but is also the main cause of endemic poverty and gross inequality in Kenya. The ODM will simply not tolerate corruption in public offices. Anti corruption institutions will be strengthened and provided with necessary powers so as to effectively impede this vice.
d) Improvement of education and accelleration of fight against poverty.
The ODM will improve the provision of free basic education and extend the service to free secondary education. The ODM will promote Public/Private Sector Partnership (PPP) initiatives and private businesses will be supported through elimination of government bureaucracy and review of taxes. The ODM will set aside designated areas for hawkers and other small business.
The event was broadcast live by all major media houses in Kenya.
I just cannot wait for this government to take over.
Phil, I heard that before. Sounds exactly like NARC in 2002. Me, I'm holding my excitement.
ReplyDeleteHail the 6% growth rate, Kibaki administration or not!
ReplyDeletePhil,pardon my little knowlege of this foreing language (!) but economic regeneration, reconstruction, rejuvenation, recovery or whatever word tha means improvement aint easy as 123, like posting on this blog. Point in case-there is absolutely nothing you can do about 'unfair distribution of resources'. You can never move Lake Victoria to Central Kenya so Kikuyus benefit from fishing, neither the coastline to Lodwar so the Turkanas and Samburus benefit from the gains from tourism it generates. How about labor as a resource, maybe you could move more people into the already overcrowded Nairobi?? Move industrial area to Central Kenya, where there are more people per sq km than any other rural area? Capital; will you give it to people so they can, say run a tourist business, regardless of skills or experience?
Your 'our time to eat' attitude is in for a major surprise.
Phil prefix 6% with a zero and its DOUBLE DIGIT (06%), trye or false?
ReplyDeletePKW, thats right - it sounds like, BUT it is not.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if you look at Amos Kimunya's budget for this financial year (2007-2008) it reveals many skewed allocations. One wonders what or which government considerations are taken into account when making allocations. Is it tribe, region or what? For sake of avoiding controversy, I shall not name them, but I invite you to take a look at the budget yourself. FYI, Devolution is certainly not about relocating natural resources or giving capital to the masses to start businesses.
Similarly, unlike your ilk, the ODM attitude shows that the party recognizes that Kenya is a country of more than 33 million people from diverse origins and with unique cultures and needs. Something which Kibaki and group seem to overlook each time they open their mouths.
Phil,
ReplyDeleteYou conveniently skirted around my questions, or gave it a twist of your own. At no point did I refer to devolution. I know it has to do with the 're-allocation power',and I welcome it with mikono miwili. Miguu pia, to add emphasis.
Here is the part I'm referring to;
"..Speaker after speaker at the rally talked of sustained marginalisation of certain areas in Kenya and a an unfair resource distribution over the last fourty years. The ODM recognises that only a devloved constitution will bring control of resources to the hands of the people. The proposed devolution of power is not aimed at disenfranchsing sections of the Kenyan society as one Daniel Arap Moi wants us to believe."
Question: how will the ODM govt bring the control of resources to 'the hands of the people'? Who are THE PEOPLE? Who are not the people.
PKW,
ReplyDeleteThe majimbo system will bring the power to the people so that they are not at the mercy of MPs in Nairobi, so they can have access to local gov't that affects local issues back by an encompassing National Government to oversee the devolved local governments. With that said the 6 percent growth is good but it is not enough and should in fact be better since this government obviously has time as it is not seeking to tackle corruption or create jobs.
Dream on Phil - give you the keys to Central Bank? So that you can buy more hummers! What successes is your ilk duplicating to the larger kenya. None i know of. Not a dot..who are they fooling?
ReplyDeleteThe problem with you phil and other silly goons on this site and out there is that you have a problem professionally known as "" selective thinking""". Just as PKW (Proud Kikuyu Woman) has put it across, what new substance are you offering the "people"?? Hakuna, just propaganda from a power-hungry bunch of boys. Am satisfied with 6% growth but could always do with a higher digit. So lets stop being too greedy and count our blessing when we can. You think that you'll get rich by taking away resources??? Think again. Its practically impossible! Shift your focus and think like an independent man (coz you're already colonized by the master of all colonial rule - tradition & culture)
ReplyDelete(mr. steel pulse)
Thanks Phil for this,unfortunately I couldn’t attend the Rally but passed near Uhuru park on my way to do some errands on another part of town in the morning hours. The other reason was to take my kids to the show. At least I managed to watch part of it on TV. Those who thought ODM and Raila are not popular saw it all. It was a big crowd that reminded me of what people thought was the 2nd liberation of Kenyans from suffering which did not turn out to be.
ReplyDeleteI hope and pray that this is the 3rd and final liberation of Kenyans from poverty and suffering. By the way this year's show proved it all that there are Kenyans who cannot even afford the entrance ticket to a public fare like the Nairobi Agricultural show which cost the same amount they earn per day as casual laborers. Let me do a post on that.
Euphoria will get Raila in. PNU rallies are boring and uninspiring.
ReplyDeleteAm sick and tired of lame promises, we've had them a billion times before
Stop dreaming about what ODM is going to achieve.... the aim is simply to get power through lies and antikikuyuism. It seems we have forgotten the 24 years of economic stagnation and we cannot appreciate the economic recovery in the last 5 years under kibaki due to tribal hatred preached by Raila.
ReplyDeleteLet me clarify something here to you PNU supporters.
ReplyDeleteSince you have chosen to concentrate on only one of the ODM tenets - a new devolved constitution, I want to remind you that ODM will not implement this constitution without first subjecting it to a referendum. It is the Kenyan population which will approve / disapprove. This has nothing to do with ethnicity.
Secondly - how is it you have nothing to say about ODM's plan for corruption? Last week we read here how Githongo was forced into exile and how the people he implicated are working as lieutenants for Kibaki. What has he done about Anglo-Leasing or Goldenberg or Kroll?
At the rally, Raila was very categorical about economic growth. There is a solid plan to achieve at least 10% growth in its first year of governance. Raila gave an example of Mozambique and Rwanda which are countries emerging from deadly civil wars. Their economies are growing three times the rate at which Kenya's is growing. Even Somalia, which is classified as a failed state, has better infrastructure (roads, telecomms) than Kenya. We cant be blinded by economic recovery yet we know our potential is to be a NIC within a decade!!! Poverty cannot be eliminated if grand corruption is allowed to go on unabated.
Lets debate issues instead of interpreting the ODM plan as a plan to segregate some tribes!
Can one trust the promises of a kihii? Especially one who denies age by painting his hair black? Kenyan, do not be deceived by cheap talk of 15% economic growth when he cannot even implement projects to help kibera people.
ReplyDeleteRaila can make Kenya a NIC in 10 months. He has brilliant ideas on how to improve the economy. All what he needs to do is to build the infrastructure. say, a new railway line from Kisumu to Karungu bay can open up the whole of Nyanza to tourism which has remained untapped. He also needs to build 5 new universities in nyanza (one in Kisumu, one in Homa Bay, One in Siaya, one in Kendu bay, and one in Migori) so that the region can compete with Mt Kenya. Patrick Opondi.
ReplyDeletePatrick Opondi. What is the level of your education? are you a primary school teacher like Kalamari?
ReplyDeleteI have been reading various articles,in this blog and many forums of similar context,where certain articles are purpoted to have been authored by me(patrick opondi).
ReplyDeleteThe other of the naive literatures has taken advantage of the internet site,where identity authenticity is not a prerequisite to publish any article,either to drag my name in the mud or just a silly attempt to potray my name negatively,due to the numerous articles published in my name in reputable newspapers,in which i have faulted the government in key issues.
As you continue to enjoy reading articles on the blog,be informed that some are posted by individuals with unclear motives.To achieve the goals,they attribute their inferior literatures to people not connected with the source.