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Monday, January 07, 2008

After The Cellar: A Citizens Pathway To The Future

Where it all begun: A Compelling Case For A Goverment of National Unity (GNU)

Published below is the executive summary produced out of a more detailed document titled "Citizens Pathway to the Future" after last week's meeting at The Cellar. The group has now grown considerably and the draft of the framework as discussed last week provides part of the 'mass' of the iceberg which has been shared with as many common interest groups as possible with a view to coalescing to a common position that will be endorsed by all and that forms the 'Citizens Agenda' for resolving the current political crisis.

CITIZENS PATHWAY TO THE FUTURE-EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The country is in a crisis following the disputed presidential elections. The evidence of this is clear to all:

  • Over 300 Kenyan’s are dead, perhaps many more unknown
  • Over 200,000 Kenyan’s, mainly women and children have been forced to flee their homes.
  • People’s life-work and livelihoods have been destroyed
  • Business has come to a standstill with dire consequences on economic performance and in particular domestic revenue collection. A country that was proud of its recent economic achievements may now have to take out its begging bowl.
  • Investor confidence in the country has evaporated overnight resulting in the diminution of the value of our national assets (falling exchange rate, what is the value of Safaricom today?)
  • The international image of the country continues to deteriorate as horrific images of chaos, death and destruction dominate the international media
  • The economic and democratic gains since 2002 are quickly being washed away and could be completely eroded by continued mass action.
This crisis is going to be further deepened by the hard line positions taken by the key protagonists:
  1. We need to recognise that none of the opposing sides can claim an overwhelming popular mandate. More than 50% of the electorate rejected either candidate. Further we have a hung and fragmented Parliament making Parliamentary business at best fragile.
  2. One of the emerging hard line positions is that PNU can cobble together a government with other parties. Should this happen without a negotiated settlement with ODM, it will be a further step into the abyss as ODM may have no alternative than to pursue mass action, disruption and other non-constitutional means. Kibaki and his government has not and will not have international legitimacy with consequences to our country’s ability to participate in the international diplomatic and financial arena.
  3. The other hard line position taken by ODM is that Kibaki is illegally in office and must be forced out either through mass action or an early re-run of the election. This stance is likely to lead to more loss of life and the entrenchment of the image of ODM leaders as insensitive villains ready to sacrifice the country for their selfish pursuit of power.
  4. Whereas, the urban disruption could be quelled in the short term, rural insecurity will be much harder to police and will stretch our security forces, further exacerbating the security situation. The very fabric of our society is threatened and could collapse.
  5. Kenyan’s are feeling the pain of having contributed positively by voting and yet obtained extremely negative and painful outcomes for themselves – death, loss of property, mental anguish, fear, hopelessness and tribal tensions. The highly charged political atmosphere is likely to remain because many Kenyans who made personal commitments and sacrifices in the election process feel disenfranchised by the disputed results and the continuing stalemate. Civic education and the relatively more aware and enlightened populace compound these feelings.
  6. Unless the situation is resolved urgently, economic meltdown will become certainty. As trade is disrupted by violence and mass action and investor confidence plummets, economic activity will come to a standstill with reverberations being felt at all levels of the national spectrum: from key business leaders to the very poor, who also happen to form the political support base of all the actors.
  7. The regional economies are and will continue to suffer disruption as a result of the Kenyan crisis. Some of the countries in the region have been known to intervene to protect their national interest and are not expected to sit back as Kenya causes them internal strain and possible strife.
  8. As more people suffer the unfolding events will be blamed on the key individual protagonists (as has already begun to happen) to whom the hard line positions will be attributed. This could have long-term and dire consequences for Raila and Kibaki personally including exile and international isolation as pariahs.
Despite all this, as citizens we believe a window of opportunity exists to turn this situation around and put Kenya on a path of peace and broad based development. This opportunity lies in a negotiated settlement that will include:
  1. Beginning the national healing - bring an end to the violence – cooperative effort by all parties including bringing on board the post-serious incident therapy professionals.
  2. Trust and confidence building measures for the political players need to be instituted
  3. Election closure
  4. Composition and duration of an Interim Government/ Government of National Unity.
  5. Priority agenda for the Interim Government/ Government of National Unity to take account of some of the key issues that have accentuated divisions,
  6. Administrative, legal and constitutional reforms to be instituted before the next election;
  7. An agreed timing for Presidential and/or National Elections after Interim/ GNU
  8. Global agenda to restore regional and international respectability
If handled with sobriety and enlightened leadership, Kenya can still emerge from the current situation as a strong nation that has its pride of place among nations of the world. We can all return to one common purpose, one that unites us together in the development of our nation:
To earn and uphold our pride of place among nations as a sovereign and remarkable country of outstanding people enjoying a high quality of life

This is the agenda that we, as citizens of Kenya have for our country. Our leaders as agents must implement the will of the people.

CONCERNED PROFESSIONALS

92 comments:

  1. Ok. You have met, and you have talked. Now what?

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is it?

    So, which one of you will tell Kibaki?

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a good proposal but where is it taking us?

    Who is the head of this government of National Unity? It cant be Kibaki or Raila? These two are at per and no winner is known even by Kivitu?

    My suggestion is that a two level of goverment with equal powers be created if possibly. If that is not possible then call for re-election. The issue of courts in Kenya is out of discussion.These courts are not fair and they will favour one side; the government and the process will be completed at the end of 2012.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anon 1 and 2, assuming you are Kenyans, the sooner you start thinking of your country, rather than post idiotic questions here, the better it will be for this you. The above post clearly says it is only an executive summary and the full report is much more extensive. Or you want that posted here for you as well?

    All political players are aware and are being briefed on everything that this group is doing. Some political parties actually sent representatives to last week's meeting. It is an effort that is a far cry from many comments left by anonymouses!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have always followed your blog reliously but until you published or allwed falsehood to be published i gave up.You should always verify your facts b4.No buses were burned in Naivasha.Call Kijabe hospital, Naivasha cops, naivasha caltex or kenol.You Approach will divide and harm kenya.As for celler ..these are relatives of powers that be and have exhibited partisan ship before...pinch of salt.

    ReplyDelete
  6. However , we dont throw the baby with the dirty water ...any good effort is appreciated .Cellar guys continue to meet but actions always support words...All the best.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Calm down guys.

    No fight. We are trying to get a way out of this violence. If one person suggest somerthing there is nothing wrong about that. If the issue of Naivasha is inaccurate please forgive the writer.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The "Cellar Group" should be commended for attempting to find a lasting solution to the problem our country is facing. Therefore, those armchair theorists busy pouring cold water on their endevours better take note and emulate, rather than sitting helplessly infront of their PC. After all, isn't this our country? Wont we all suffer if economic meltdown occurs?

    ReplyDelete
  9. The cellar group has nothing to offer to Kenya. These are just middle class or rich kenyans who have MUCH to lost from what is going on. These are just selfish KIKUYUS tryign to eat.
    Having said that, RAILA is a stubborn Bigot who needs to have sense pumped in his LUO mind. There is no need to keep on holding Kenya ransom.
    Concede defeat, be sworn in, move on and have Ruto prosecutered for crimes in Eld.North wherein he was birthed and has condoned acts of war against fellow human people.!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The above comment seem very arrogant and abusing. I wish it could be deteted. I dont think it helps to bring peace but it is very irrigating, tribal and segretating.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Its very commendable that people are trying to do something to sort out this mess that ECK has created! The economic fallout for this country will be huge, and if we are ever isolated by the international community, then we are surely headed towards an economic and political abyss. The losers will be the people of kenya!

    What has transpired was totally wrong, and to undo requires immense efforts on both camps. The problem significantly lies in the issue "TRUST", no party trusts each other, and this is now even drawing the Kenyan people not to trust each other. Its tearing us apart!


    By going to the negotiating table, it basically means that we the Kenyan people are recognizing that Kibaki is the legimate president, and must be acknowledged as such. IF we do this, then even a GNU has no meaning because as it stands, the president has all the pwoers to ignore any agreements within the GNU as it has been done previously.

    Our consituition needs to change to ensure immeditaely to ensure that no such fiasco happens again. With the current government in place, it will be a slow process, and can be dragged for a long time!

    The easier solution would be that there is a transilitional government in place that allows for a re-run of the election in 6months or 1 year, and in the meantime there needs to be a healing process to ensure that we bring some respect to the people of Kenya.

    This is a stern test to our democracy and will of the people to change things! I just wonder what will happen when or of the re-run happens!

    The longer we drag this process the dangerous this will turn out for this country. The people of Kenya must be assurred that their votes count, not "hijacked".

    I am not a legal expert on what is the best outcome, but I hope that some views can be appreciated, and maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel, otherwise the worst hit will be people of Kenya, and not the "rich" politicians.

    WE Kenyans must show the world that we have the will to resolve this peacefully and we can bring justice to our country.

    Its foundations has been ruptured, but we still have time to restore it. Let's not break it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Phil,

    With all due respect. I know you are in touch with Raila. The same cannot be said about Kibaki. He is hard to reach, and judging from his latest utterances, hard to convince.

    Being skeptical does not equal being an idiot. And i have good reasons to be skeptical. I believe an apology is in order.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @anon 4.45am,
    Given that the Cellar Group are mostly made up of high net worth kikuyus, it is wrong to assume that they are in your words 'trying to eat'. Kenya is a capitalistic state, so whether u like it or not, it is their Constitutional right to actively participate in business. Therefore, i feel such comments are unwarranted, and only serve the purpose of deflecting attention from the main issue. However, i must concede that u are spot on with regards to Ruto. He has to be charged with crimes against humanity, esp because it is rumored that the vigilantes causing chaos in his backyard are in fact his hirelings.

    ReplyDelete
  14. esp because it is rumored that the vigilantes causing chaos in his backyard are in fact his hireling.

    Those are just that. Rumours. However, that can be established in a truth commission. The same cannot be said about Mr. Kivuitu though. What he did is just criminal.

    ReplyDelete
  15. What peace are we advocating for by trying to fix Ruto.Ruto is innocent.It is the injustice by Kivitu and those that manupulated him to falsehood that triggered all these.

    Let us not advocate for revenge, we need peace that cannot be achieved if we go for others blood.This type of rumour is dengerous please leave it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have a suggestion which could assist in promoting peace in Kenya. The ODM should force Raila Odinga to resign from politics and allow Musalia Mudavadi to take over the party. This is what happens in a true democracy. If you lead your party to defeat, then one has to resign. What Kenya needs at the moment is not confrontational and tribal politics. we need PEACE. We are one country with one President. Let all kenyans heed to President Mwai Kibaki message of peace and all will be okay. The year 2012 is not far and President Kibaki has promised to step down although some of us want want a third term for him. Happy new year to all and please preach peace. Kioko, BC, Canada. Kazi iendelee..

    ReplyDelete
  17. i now regret that my comment about the cellar group has drawn soem arrogant and unking comments from soemcontributers.All i said is verify facts before publishing them and dont throw the baby with the dirty water.Truth and mercy , justice and peace is the bedrock of the the way forward.Please before you publish ask..is it true ..is it necessary .. is it kind // just as we learned in primary and nursery school.Cellar guys ...march on ...do your bit ...if it it has a hint of falsehood it wont hold ....

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anon@5:53

    If you lead your party to defeat, then one has to resign.

    Truth be told. ODM was not defeated!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Think you should read this article doing the rounds today..and pass it on to the Cellar Group


    Hi, I trust you are well and back to work. As we seek to find solutions to the current political stalemate and lasting peace, I'm forwarding you a very interesting article written 4 years back. It's so prophetic to be true..., read on!
    ------------------------------------------------------
    Barely less than four years down the line Ngunyi's prophecy has come to pass.
    Sunday Nation, Dec 2003
    Why our second liberation is yet to be completed

    By MUTAHI NGUNYI

    This week I want to give a suggestion to President Mwai Kibaki: He
    should fire his speechwriter! If we lived in a ''banana republic,''
    these people would have actually been charged with sabotage.
    What they gave the President to read on Jamhuri Day was flat and
    shoddy.

    In fact, his speech on this day sounded like recycled material from
    the Madaraka Day and Kenyatta Day addresses. And what is worrying is
    that his speechwriters did not even seem to notice the repetitions.
    The question we should ask here is why?

    The answer to this is simple: Maybe they also slept through the
    speeches! The long and short of things is therefore that someone is
    being negligent.

    Let us now turn to the fact that the President has finally put his
    portrait on our currency. In my view, there is absolutely nothing
    wrong with that. In fact, there would be nothing wrong if he put a
    family portrait on one of the currency notes.

    What we must understand here is that President Kibaki is a human
    being. He has urges and excesses. To deny him some things is
    therefore ridiculous. It is like placing a pot full of honey in
    front of a little boy and expecting him not to dip his finger into
    the stuff! In other words, our new President is cuddling in the
    warmth and comfort of the institutions that shaped former President
    Daniel arap Moi. And, if this is the case, why should we be
    surprised if he ''hatched'' into a dictator?

    What we have witnessed in the last one year is the degeneration of
    President Kibaki from a reformer to a ''Toad King''. This process
    begins with the President becoming insensitive. At this point, he
    breaks one pledge after another without feeling a thing. And, as he
    does this, the question in his mind is: Where can you take me?
    In the case of the MoU for instance, we took him nowhere. The
    begrudged politicians yapped until the cows came home. Now the
    President has put his portrait on our currency and we will take him
    nowhere. The general attitude here is this: If you do not like it,
    you can sit on a pin!
    Numbing his sense to popular voices will definitely degenerate into
    a state of paranoia. At this point, the President will make one
    blunder after another. And instead of correcting his mistakes, he
    will increase his speed in the direction of the wrong. This is where
    former President Moi was when he introduced ''Project Uhuru'' to the
    country. The crowds booed him, his loyal followers in Kanu abandoned
    him and even his own people questioned his wisdom. But the more we
    rejected his ''project'', the more determined he became.
    There is a lesson for President Kibaki here. He is increasingly
    becoming like Mr Moi during the 2002 elections. He is not yet
    paranoid, but his insensitivity could develop into ''political
    blindness''. Who knows how low he will have sunk by the 2007
    elections? And this is what worries me.
    Consider a hypothetical situation here. What would happen if
    President Kibaki decided to run for re-election in 2007 and lost?
    Would he and his men have the grace to hand over power peacefully?
    From the way they have behaved in the last one year, I doubt it. And
    where would that leave the country? At the risk of sounding crazy, I
    want to suggest the following: If we thought that Mr. Moi would
    plunge the country into civil strife, he proved us wrong. Narc is
    the party to plunge the country into civil strife. You just have to
    listen to the FM stations and the call-in television programmes to
    see a pattern. From the name of the caller, you can almost predict
    what they will say and what side of the divide they will take. In a
    disputed election, such polarity would certainly take ugly
    proportions.
    But there are two possible ways out of this. The first one has to do
    with the agenda of the second liberation. This process was meant to
    achieve two things - to remove Mr. Moi from power and replace him
    with reform-minded leaders. This was done successfully. However, as
    we are beginning to realise, Mr. Moi was not the problem.
    The problem was the institutions he inherited from the Kenyatta. To
    change the leadership without changing the institutions is like
    treating cancer with Malaraquin. This is partly why
    the ''institutional cancer'' in the presidency is beginning to
    affect President Kibaki.
    Putting his portrait on our currency and junking the pre-election
    MoU are just manifestations of this cancer. This is why the other
    agenda of the second liberation was institutional reforms. Until
    this is completed, the second liberation will not have happened.
    More specifically, this refers to the constitutional review process.
    And, at this point I would want to address the delegates preparing
    for Bomas III on January 12, 2004.
    It is my hope that you have had time to reflect on the issues at
    hand in Bomas III. We are also told that the politicians have spent
    this long break to bribe you. In my view you should take the bribes
    and use the money to enjoy your Christmas. You must realise at this
    point that you are involved in politics and that in this game there
    is no morality. As such, you should have fun on someone else's
    account! However, when it comes to voting, you must reject
    the ''bribe givers'' and vote for the country.
    This is important because of the following reasons. If the second
    liberation had two phases, the first phase of replacing the
    leadership had to be carried out by 3.1 million voters. Replacing Mr
    Moi and his cronies was in my view the easy part. The second phase
    is the tough one. And this is where you come in. You are only 600
    people, and the future of our country depends on you.
    I have two questions for you at this point. One, as you vote for
    issues, will you be thinking of your ''tribal chief'' or your
    children? In my view, your tribe is your children. If you make a
    constitution for your children, you will have made a constitution
    for Kenya.
    Two, consider the question of the Prime Minister's post. And the
    question to you is this: If this post had been created before the
    2002 elections, do you think President Kibaki would have ''trashed''
    the MoU? Do you think he would have put his portrait on our currency
    and retained corrupt ministers in his Cabinet? If the answer to
    these questions is no, then the cure to the ''institutional cancer''
    in the presidency is the creation of this post. Do think about it!
    The second possible way out of civil strife has to do with the
    Kikuyu. Now that the presidency has returned to the ''House of
    Mumbi'', some people from the community are convinced that it is
    there to stay. In my view, this kind of thinking is retrogressive
    and could result in ethnic animosity.Kikuyus should come to terms
    with the possibility that they could lose the presidency in 2007. As
    such, they should do two things: One, ''bank'' with the other
    communities. This is important because they cannot survive alone in
    future. Two, they should disown the Kikuyu ''sharks'' in the Kibaki
    government.
    Unless they do so, the entire community will be blacklisted simply
    on account of a few people. In future, a Kikuyu presidential
    candidate would be rejected because of the misdeeds of isolated
    people. My submission therefore is: They should not support this
    regime blindly!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Think you should read this article doing the rounds today..and pass it on to the Cellar Group


    Hi, I trust you are well and back to work. As we seek to find solutions to the current political stalemate and lasting peace, I'm forwarding you a very interesting article written 4 years back. It's so prophetic to be true..., read on!
    ------------------------------------------------------
    Barely less than four years down the line Ngunyi's prophecy has come to pass.
    Sunday Nation, Dec 2003
    Why our second liberation is yet to be completed

    By MUTAHI NGUNYI

    This week I want to give a suggestion to President Mwai Kibaki: He
    should fire his speechwriter! If we lived in a ''banana republic,''
    these people would have actually been charged with sabotage.
    What they gave the President to read on Jamhuri Day was flat and
    shoddy.

    In fact, his speech on this day sounded like recycled material from
    the Madaraka Day and Kenyatta Day addresses. And what is worrying is
    that his speechwriters did not even seem to notice the repetitions.
    The question we should ask here is why?

    The answer to this is simple: Maybe they also slept through the
    speeches! The long and short of things is therefore that someone is
    being negligent.

    Let us now turn to the fact that the President has finally put his
    portrait on our currency. In my view, there is absolutely nothing
    wrong with that. In fact, there would be nothing wrong if he put a
    family portrait on one of the currency notes.

    What we must understand here is that President Kibaki is a human
    being. He has urges and excesses. To deny him some things is
    therefore ridiculous. It is like placing a pot full of honey in
    front of a little boy and expecting him not to dip his finger into
    the stuff! In other words, our new President is cuddling in the
    warmth and comfort of the institutions that shaped former President
    Daniel arap Moi. And, if this is the case, why should we be
    surprised if he ''hatched'' into a dictator?

    What we have witnessed in the last one year is the degeneration of
    President Kibaki from a reformer to a ''Toad King''. This process
    begins with the President becoming insensitive. At this point, he
    breaks one pledge after another without feeling a thing. And, as he
    does this, the question in his mind is: Where can you take me?
    In the case of the MoU for instance, we took him nowhere. The
    begrudged politicians yapped until the cows came home. Now the
    President has put his portrait on our currency and we will take him
    nowhere. The general attitude here is this: If you do not like it,
    you can sit on a pin!
    Numbing his sense to popular voices will definitely degenerate into
    a state of paranoia. At this point, the President will make one
    blunder after another. And instead of correcting his mistakes, he
    will increase his speed in the direction of the wrong. This is where
    former President Moi was when he introduced ''Project Uhuru'' to the
    country. The crowds booed him, his loyal followers in Kanu abandoned
    him and even his own people questioned his wisdom. But the more we
    rejected his ''project'', the more determined he became.
    There is a lesson for President Kibaki here. He is increasingly
    becoming like Mr Moi during the 2002 elections. He is not yet
    paranoid, but his insensitivity could develop into ''political
    blindness''. Who knows how low he will have sunk by the 2007
    elections? And this is what worries me.
    Consider a hypothetical situation here. What would happen if
    President Kibaki decided to run for re-election in 2007 and lost?
    Would he and his men have the grace to hand over power peacefully?
    From the way they have behaved in the last one year, I doubt it. And
    where would that leave the country? At the risk of sounding crazy, I
    want to suggest the following: If we thought that Mr. Moi would
    plunge the country into civil strife, he proved us wrong. Narc is
    the party to plunge the country into civil strife. You just have to
    listen to the FM stations and the call-in television programmes to
    see a pattern. From the name of the caller, you can almost predict
    what they will say and what side of the divide they will take. In a
    disputed election, such polarity would certainly take ugly
    proportions.
    But there are two possible ways out of this. The first one has to do
    with the agenda of the second liberation. This process was meant to
    achieve two things - to remove Mr. Moi from power and replace him
    with reform-minded leaders. This was done successfully. However, as
    we are beginning to realise, Mr. Moi was not the problem.
    The problem was the institutions he inherited from the Kenyatta. To
    change the leadership without changing the institutions is like
    treating cancer with Malaraquin. This is partly why
    the ''institutional cancer'' in the presidency is beginning to
    affect President Kibaki.
    Putting his portrait on our currency and junking the pre-election
    MoU are just manifestations of this cancer. This is why the other
    agenda of the second liberation was institutional reforms. Until
    this is completed, the second liberation will not have happened.
    More specifically, this refers to the constitutional review process.
    And, at this point I would want to address the delegates preparing
    for Bomas III on January 12, 2004.
    It is my hope that you have had time to reflect on the issues at
    hand in Bomas III. We are also told that the politicians have spent
    this long break to bribe you. In my view you should take the bribes
    and use the money to enjoy your Christmas. You must realise at this
    point that you are involved in politics and that in this game there
    is no morality. As such, you should have fun on someone else's
    account! However, when it comes to voting, you must reject
    the ''bribe givers'' and vote for the country.
    This is important because of the following reasons. If the second
    liberation had two phases, the first phase of replacing the
    leadership had to be carried out by 3.1 million voters. Replacing Mr
    Moi and his cronies was in my view the easy part. The second phase
    is the tough one. And this is where you come in. You are only 600
    people, and the future of our country depends on you.
    I have two questions for you at this point. One, as you vote for
    issues, will you be thinking of your ''tribal chief'' or your
    children? In my view, your tribe is your children. If you make a
    constitution for your children, you will have made a constitution
    for Kenya.
    Two, consider the question of the Prime Minister's post. And the
    question to you is this: If this post had been created before the
    2002 elections, do you think President Kibaki would have ''trashed''
    the MoU? Do you think he would have put his portrait on our currency
    and retained corrupt ministers in his Cabinet? If the answer to
    these questions is no, then the cure to the ''institutional cancer''
    in the presidency is the creation of this post. Do think about it!
    The second possible way out of civil strife has to do with the
    Kikuyu. Now that the presidency has returned to the ''House of
    Mumbi'', some people from the community are convinced that it is
    there to stay. In my view, this kind of thinking is retrogressive
    and could result in ethnic animosity.Kikuyus should come to terms
    with the possibility that they could lose the presidency in 2007. As
    such, they should do two things: One, ''bank'' with the other
    communities. This is important because they cannot survive alone in
    future. Two, they should disown the Kikuyu ''sharks'' in the Kibaki
    government.
    Unless they do so, the entire community will be blacklisted simply
    on account of a few people. In future, a Kikuyu presidential
    candidate would be rejected because of the misdeeds of isolated
    people. My submission therefore is: They should not support this
    regime blindly!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anon@5.24,

    Okay, I withdraw the word "idiot" from my earlier remarks. Its difficult to answer "anonymous" enquiries without any added value of a view/comment.

    In order to avoid these sort of issues, if you are Kenyan it would be appreciated if you could also share with us your thoughts, just like you have done in your second comment. Thank You.

    It would also be useful if you may post your comments with a name (real or pseudo) so that we can identify you as part of the Kumekucha forum.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Good work Phil and Cellar Group. Ignore the armchair hecklers who have nothing constructive to say. Keep us updated on how the protagonists react to the suggestions.

    It may also be a good idea to publish the proposal in the national media to allow as many Kenyans as possible to 'own' it. Lets try and build a critical mass around it. Lastly, is it possible to provide the detailed proposal...may be as a PDF document?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anon@6.15 it is possible, and I hope Chris will do that later today.

    FYI - ODM has suspended its call for protest rallies in order to give international mediation a chance. President Kuffuor is due in tomorrow and together with Desmond Tutu and President Kabbah plus other high ranking international diplomats, some sense can be driven into the Council of Elders at State House who are ruling Kenya illegally by proxy and that their puppet Mwai Kibaki will awake from the dream that he won the elections. ODM is open to all proposals except Kenyan courts or ECK re-counts or a full term GNU.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks Phil, apology accepted :D

    Lets have the proposal so that we can comment on it.

    Does Mutahi know something the rest of us don't? Perhaps we can enlist his services...

    ReplyDelete
  25. I was thinking about this and it hit me so hard that I could not resist posting it here.
    Truth be told, Hillary Clinton is a tough person and could make a very good president...however she is SO POLARIZING that people have settled for Obama...who seems honest and easy to work with.
    Same case applies to ODM and Kenya. I do believe that Kenyans even in Gemaland want change...but they dont want Raila. I belive that they did not vote FOR Kibaki but AGAINST Raila. However, had Kalonzo or Mudavadi stood with an ODM Ticket, even Gemaland could have voted for ODM...
    Do you think that ODM needs to have Mudavadi run for president?...Trust me, that will work for them than having Raila...for now, he is way TOO POLARIZING...even an ODM win with Raila on top does not guarantee UNITY.

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  26. Read Sam Okello's THE WAY FORWARD in jaluo.com

    I've finally found a proposal Kenyans can rally behind.

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  27. Kenya has over 40 tribes. All we hear is just Jaluos and Okuyos. I'm a Maasai and I'm wondering, When is our time to "eat" coming.... if ever? Thanks!

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  28. Anon@7.10am. Your time to "eat" is over. Enough people have been "eaten" in your area...you cannot lead if you are not responsbile. Wait for 2032 to EAT.

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  29. The entire Economy of the North Rift is dead. Infact only buildings remain.

    Raila, Ruto & Kosgey knew what they meant by preaching Majimbo - ETHNIC CLEANSING.

    What else can you do after killing the innocent and burning property.


    Those people evicted will rebuild their lives elsewhere and the new place will develop just like the North Rift.

    Everyone is a loser in this but I think the people left behind will have to bear extra costs. A town or a place develops because of people notland or buildings.

    Right now those who had gone to North Rift cannot be able to get back because there are no PSVs. The farmers in Northrift who depended on Eldoret will have to get their supplies all the way from Nakuru.

    Ironically most Kisiis voted for Raila yet they are being targeted by Rutos & Kosgeys warriors whic is very sad in deed.

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  30. First lets get things right,RAILA ODINGA won this election without doubt.Anybody in the world knows this.
    KUMEkUCHa if you read this comments I want you to tell raila(i know u know him personaly) that even as he negotiates
    to bring kenya to peace he should keep the kenyas in mind.The people who have given him this mandate are kenyans and with our support the international community are willing to negotiate on our behalf.Odinga what we want is a fair playing field in business,court system.I say this because any fool can create jobs and revamp an economy on a level playing field however the court system stinks.One example from a micro view point is my personal business.I recently opened an air ticketing franchise(STA) in kenya.I put my brother and sister to run and manage this company.Now for the past six years I have seen no returns.The court system is always manipulated by this two by means of bribing authorities.Since i am based in the usa.It has became increasingly difficult to have justice prevail.Now this situation is happening to alot of us here in the usa.We invest back home but no means of effectively running business unless you are there.
    MY words to Odinga we want a clean hands judiciary,non partisan constitution and government systems that work.WE in disapora have lots of money to invest back home however some concepts can not work with all this unneccesary bureaucracy.WE want to bring our know how and finances and i believe we will make kenya better for the future generations.Longlive odinga and Ida.Bwana odinga this is my take knowing the kenyan people i did not have the slightest idea that you would win but you proved us wrong.who would have ever know that Mwai will actually still kajaruos votes nobody.Bwana odinga through the campaing you engaged us in the political game educated us and now we are enlightened.DO not and i repeat do not abandon us at this time,do not let the western world armtwist you.Stand firm and negotiate on our(kenya) behalf.If you begin backing down we are ready to go with Ruto,one of your most lethal leutenants.RAO keep it real with kenyans.

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  31. anon 7.22 what this means is that investors will only be willing to invest any but not beyond Nakuru. All the Asians have left Kisumu & Eldoret and anybody will be thing twice before putting his money beyond Nakuru.

    Obviously the Kikuyus will benefir more by this. Belive me the prices of property in the central region from Athi River Nakuru then from Kajiado to Isiolo might double in the next 5 years.

    Its funny other some tribes are happy Kikuyus are being killed and displaced but they are laughing at themselves. Kikuyus are happy that Kibaki was rigged in but they have no idea that this has created a wound that perhaps will never heal. The blind hate directed at them just exploded.

    In my view had Kibaki conceaded defeat and handed power democratically fewer kikuyus would have been killed and displaced but this would have earned them sympathy from other tribes. Now they have been killed but they are still being condemed.

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  32. Anon@7:36,

    Athi River, Isiolo and Kajiado has its owners. Don't you forget that.

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  33. This just in:

    http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070911.html

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  34. Dear Kenyans,

    Most contributors appear to have learned very little from the current despicable events in our beloved country. No lasting solution will come out of skirting the truth and blaming victims and the culprits alike. Glossing over the cause of the problems in Kenya simply to find a quick fix will be more detrimental in the long. Whereas, I commend the “Cellar group” that is attempting to start a dialogue, it must be clearly understood by all that the level of mistrust has been increasing steadily and is currently at its zenith. Most, if not all, Kenyans are searching for a tribal angle to any group or suggestion that immerges, and they can not be blamed. This leads me to re-enforce the need for an independent arbiter to facilitate cessation of violence, in the short run, and to institute an all encompassing public forum to deal with the tribal equation in the country for the sake of the future of our descendents. Those who are opposing this obvious suggestion must be myopic and focused only on the immediate political and economic gains, at the expense of the lives and future of Kenyans.

    To most observers, with real interest in the country, the ugly events that have transpired in Kenya were bound to occur sooner or later because of the simmering mistrust among the various tribes, arrogance of the ruling class and the lack of genuine open discussions on how to form one cohesive country actively comprising the various tribes. There can not be a better time to resolve these issues openly without deluding ourselves. We must accept our tribal differences and account for them in all political social and economic dispensations

    AJA

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  35. Raila's style of politics is what messed him up. His arrogance and manipulative techinics coupled witha a fanatical following pissed every one in power. His fantatical supportes did not either. It just helped instill fear among those in power.

    Surely it cannot be coincidental. Everyone knows the election was rigged. Everything on 30th Dec looked so well arranged as if those in charge knew waht they were doing.

    First ECK kept people waiting until 5pm to announce the results. I dont think Kivuitu wanted to declare Raila the winner whether he had won genuinely or not. The armed forces and police too were complacent and seems they didnt want Raila as their CIC. Remember how Major Ali warned that supporters of winners and losers should not riot - it seems he knew something other did not know. The entire city was cordoned off from Parliament Road, Harambee Ave, City Hall Way up to Kenyata Ave at the Nyayo Hse Round about.

    Through out his political career Raila has conducted himself like a Hitler in the making. From attempting coups then dissolving his party to work with Moi with a base of fanatical supporters.

    Am not sure but it is said that Raila phisically confronted Kivuitu on when he was pressuring him to declare Kibaki president in Dec 2002. That was very shamefull considering it was obvious Kibaki had won with over a million votes with all votes counted. It seems Kivuitu had a personal grudge against Raila. No wonder Kivuitu had warned that he needs the army to protect him when announcing the results. The same guys in ODM were shouting as if the world would come to an end if Kivuitus term was not renewed.

    In short RAILA WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT OF KENYA.

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  36. Anon 7.44 even Nakuru, Naivasha, Ngong, Laikipia, Rongai, Subukia & Kiserian are not Kikuyu names but they dorminate there. In fact they bought out all the Maasai there and they can never be displaced there. With the exception of Rongai all these places have Kikuyu MPs.

    The name of a place is irrelevant.

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  37. Raila thought the masses in the slums would creat soemthing like an orange revolution and remove the government in power. I wonder whether any of those supporters of his writing here can stand in this January sun of Nairobi to protest and be clobbered - cowards.

    It is very shamefully for middle class and elite jaluos and Kalenjins to use thier kinsmen in the slums to commit crime against humanity of butchering innocent women and children.

    Raila, Ruto & Kosgey ought to know that they have succeded in driving kikuyus & Kisiis from Rift Valley and Kisumu but they will never live in peace in this Nairobi. They na be comfortable for now in their palatial homes in Karen but let them now that the bllod of the innocent will haunt them and their generations.

    They succeeded in preaching ETHNIC CLEANSING aka Majimbo but the same sword will boomerang on them.

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  38. KIBAKI IS A FAILURE

    kibaki is a FAILURE. like it or not he has failed u too. he is the worst mistake kenya ever made. anyone backing him is either a fool or an ignorant (very ignorant) kikuyu. and that means you-yes wewee..


    this is about a nation whose promise has been shattered by someone too scared to leave the confines of state house.

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  39. Voice of Reason said...

    Gitau Warigi said, ‘Yet the mere resolution of the presidential election dispute is not going to erase the ugly ethnic hatred that has finally been exposed. Dialogue is the first step but, inevitably, some lasting constitutional or other pact must be worked out to ensure everybody will forever feel safe. And, ‘the facade of a peaceful Kenya has always been intended to obscure from view the deep fissures in the country’.

    This is a very patent observation and I propose the following:
    -Given that Kenya is now so ethnically divided and every issue is assessed thro' the tribal prism
    -Given that the Kenyan psych is that the tribe benefits when their own is the president
    -Given that political parties in Kenya are not ideologically-based but rather, mere "vehicles" to political power

    I propose that:
    1. We divide the country's population into ethnic blocks such as GEMA, KAMATUSA, LUHYA (icluding Kisiis),Luos (including Suba), Miji Kenda (including Swahilis and Somalis (including Borans and those other NE tribes).This list is not exhaustive.
    2. We then allow each of these groups to present presidential candidates in turns, in an order determined through tossing of a coin (i.e randomly). If you noticed, the first time Kenya actually had the least tribalised election year was 2002 when the two leading contenders were both from GEMA, i.e Kibaki and Uhuru. Kalenjins voted for Uhuru and Luos voted for Kibaki etc.
    3. For a start, the GEMA and KAMATUSA will be excluded from the random selections since they have already "eaten."
    4. By the time all the groups will have gotten their turn, Kenya will have been so de-tribalised that it will no longer matter who becomes president thereafter.

    Is there anyone out there who supports my proposal?

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  40. Hang on my friend is a Meru why should he be lumped in with the Gikuyu?

    My neighbor over here is Maasai and wants nothing to do with the Kalenjin.

    Luhya, I'm Maragoli, not Luyha.

    You get my drift.

    Problem #2: We should all "eat" legally. No more kleptocrats.

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  41. Gitau warigi is a PNU mole-what does he propose of the stolen votes? the cure is a re-election

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  42. Voice of reason, you have a valid point. There is no need to cheat ourselves that Kenya is not devided. We need to adopt a Majimbo constitution that allows presidency to shift from one region to another, this can work if backed by strong laws, independent insitutions and goodwill. In the long run, we may detraibalize the country.

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  43. I just had that Raila called off the planned Tuesday mass protest and Kibaki has invited him to state house on friday. More details to follow.

    My take, there is evidence that both sides rigged the election, only the extent of rigging varies. Tallying the votes will not solve anything. The two should agree to form an interim gov. whose main purpose is to draft new bullet proof laws, reform the judiciary and ECK and organise new presidential elections in a years time.

    Now since the two have vested interests, they should not offer themselves for elections. Uhuru, Musalia and kalonzo should stand. Kibaki and Raila can then only come in latter as prime ministers in a new constitution

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  44. Gitau Warigi..chunga sana

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  45. Do you think Raila will let up without a fight? This guy made a lot of promises to many people just to get elected as president. His thirst for presidency has driven Kenyan into despicable chaos and bloodshed. Brother against brother, sisters against sister.
    The people living in slums revere Raila as their savior. Savior? Really? What has Raila done for these people since he took over as langata member of parliament in the 1980? his charismatic character and clever publicity stunts have only been directed to his own endeavors and have deteriorated the living standards of many Kenyans who look up to him.
    According to Raila, this people are dispensable and are highly critical to wards driving through his political mandate.

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  46. rhyymemaster>>> We have in the past disagreed on a lot of things but I have to say....brother tuko pamoja on this one!!!!! Kibaki and Raila should not be allowed to hold the seat

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  47. Anon 10.01, I used to admire Raila and think he meant good for the country, but I think his presidency will polarise Kenya. He is better off leaving the seat to his running mate. So is Kibaki. Who knows if Musalia was on the ballot, the recentment wouldn't have been much.

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  48. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8zaFvPMLX8&feature=related

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  49. yeah gitau wa rigging is a PNU mouthpiece, apotelee mbali!!

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  50. Enyewe this is not Kibaki and the rigged election anymore. It has however conspired into something more disastrous than kenya could have imagined. Raila has no humane feelings nor respect for the rule of law. He has taken the opportunity to use the kenyans in the slums to commit crime against humanity of butchering innocent women and children. he knows they are very vulnerable to dirty political ideology due to their dire living standards.

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  51. Another view point. I remember Ali Mazrui's article last week "which prince charming will bring back democracy in Africa". He tries to analyze reasons why democracy has failed in Africa. One of his point is that in Africa we try to duplicate everything that ia western without thought as to the suitability in our societies. Fact, Africa is as diverse as can be, the same cannot be said of the west. If we need to have stable democracies, we need to go back into the past and analyse how we used to settle disputes. Were we not as diverse as we still are? Our traditional societies used to have ways of settling disputes, what happened? Do we look so down on them that we cannot learn a thing or two on how they operated. We need to go back, into the past, and implement some ways in which they settled disputes amicably. Entrencing some of these into our adopted "democracies" might make Africa a force not to reckon with. The so called African democracy!!

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  52. I am watching KTN News now...why does Raila seem to burn so many bridges in his Career?....once friends with moi, now enemies and teh list continues---Muite, Uhuru, Kalonzo, Orengo(now friends after being enemies), KIbaki etc...plus remember how he called out on Mudavadi in the run up to 2002 elections?
    Raila...new elections YES,,,but raila NOT on the ballot...Mudavadi maybe...Ruto doesnt need to worry...he will be in prison for incitement

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  53. Kenya: Odinga - Do Not Betray Those Who Have Died for Your Country


    Dear Brother,

    In the intervening period I have unsuccessfully been inquiring from friends about your mobile phone number so that I can volunteer some urgent piece of advise. I have opted to write to you this letter in the alternative in the hope that you will be able to read this newspaper, which I believe, circulates in Nairobi and is also available on the Internet.

    My advice, in the light of the intense regional and international pressure is: Do not succumb to machinations and manipulations as offered by the powers that be in this world to any thing like being part and parcel of a government of "national unity" in your country nor engage in a "dialogue" between your party and those who have robbed your victory with wanton abandon.

    Those who are pressurizing you to engage in a dialogue know only too well that there has never been a dialogue between a thief and a victim anywhere in the world, has there?

    This is a small world my brother, Raila, more so for us East Africans. Long before Mr. Samuel Kivuitu announced his doctored tally of votes which he has himself admitted that he announced them under duress, someone here had forwarded to me a text phone message from a source right from the Kenyan Electoral Commission) (KEC) to the effect that "State House Nairobi had ordered the tally to read in favor of Mr. Kibaki"!

    This text message was later vindicated by Mr. Kivuitu himself when he later declared that he "did not know" whether Mr. Kibaki was the winner of the elections saying in many words that he had announced the results under pressure from the Kenyan presidency.

    From here, we recall the drama leading to how Mr. Kibaki swore himself in. I have information that the "command post" in the rigging and subsequent swearing in of Mr. Kibaki is allegedly headed by Kenya's Internal Security Minister and a couple of other powerful individuals surrounding the 76-year old Mr. Kibaki.

    The story taking the rounds here in Dar es Salaam is that the Chief Justice of Kenya was dragged from the church where was taking part in a service and commandeered to State House Nairobi where he found the President's wife, family members and those powerful individuals surrounding the President ready for the swearing in ceremony!

    I know you have a sense of humor and this is why I have mentioned that powerful wife of H.E. Mr. Kibaki deliberately because someone jokingly volunteered his own "information" here that the wife had threatened to "slap" her husband should he be foolish enough to let the presidency slip through his fingers while he had everything at his beckoning - the army and what have you that goes with state power!

    But this is no laughing matter, our compatriot, Raila. It is grave. And it is sickening that a couple of people allied in a lootocracy of their country can be so callous as to cause hundreds of death of their fellow countrymen and still manage to look at other men in the eye that all is well and that they have a people's will as their source of power!

    If one was to take them at their word that they are installed at State House following the will of a people in a just vote, why won't they let you go ahead with just one rally at Uhuru Park? What are they afraid of?

    Judging from what is going on right now and the diplomatic flurry of activities to persuade you to engage in a "dialogue" and to "reconcile" - at the end of the day, these same people will turn around to accuse you as the author of all the deaths, internal displacements and sufferings of the people of Kenya. They are going to accuse you as a "tribalist" and "violent" man.


    But levelheaded people in Tanzania, in your country and elsewhere know the facts better. Far from a tribalist, you are, above all a Kenyan and African nationalist with an agenda in the interest of the poor majority of Kenya who, in essence, have been the ones who have been robbed of victory at the polling booths.

    I have written elsewhere in a parallel column in the robust Tanzanian press that the vote in Kenya has been a contest between the haves and have-nots with you spearheading the latter. My argument is that the Kibera slums billed by the West, as the largest slums in Africa are not exclusively inhabited by your home-mates the Luo. Every tribe is there. So talk of tribalism in this vote is nonsense.

    But the most interesting analogy one can make on the current situation in your country is that Tanzanians seem to hurtling and hurriedly rushing precisely towards the direction where Kenyans are running away from - as reflected from their burning country.

    Whereas Kenya embraced neo-colonialism and multinationals roughly four decades ago immediately after independence prompting your father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga to pen a book, 'NOT YET UHURU' Tanzanians, thanks to their leaders who have embraced neoliberalism hook, bait and sinker are being drugged into the dragnet of multi-nationals allied to local political and economic foremen.

    In Tanzania today, it is no longer unethical to perform public office as well as engage in business. The consequence of all this will produce a Tanzania with more Kibera slums, and a leadership grounded on looters (mafisadi) rather than moral ethical values. In that event, there will be nowhere to run to for the small people of East Africa. God forbid.


    As I urged you from the outset of this communiqué from Dar es Salaam, please do not waver in your stand in so far as this theft of a people's will is concerned. The people who have died, in their hundreds thus far have died so that from the streams of their blood a new Kenya will be born - a Kenya in which social economic equality and the dignity of man will prevail over greed and imperialist sycophancy.

    Rest assured that the majority people of Tanzania know what has happened to their neighbors and they support you in your steadfastness and resistance because this is the only option left at your disposal to correct an injustice.

    Fraternally.

    - Makwaia wa Kuhenga is an author and journalist

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  54. anon 10.18..do you know that Mr Martin ngatia has a credibility issue. I mean this is a guy who once stated that kenyans should vote for MAJIMBO.
    http://kenyastockholm.wordpress.com/2007/12/23/video-upload-mr-martin-ngatia-says-kenyans-should-vote-for-majimbo/
    does anyone know the association between wordpress and ODM?

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  55. I think Kenyas should forcefully reject even the thought of dynasties, I think there are thousands of people who are better than Uhuru , we have to reject this offsprings of dynastical tyrants and make a clean brake with the past , Uhuru will only bring back these home guard connections wich will eventually take us back to step one. Kalonzo has been schooled in the system and I dont think he has anything new to offer, he knows how to game the system and that what we don not want - Gentlement we NEED A CLEAN BREAK, DUMP THE GABAGE. The offspring of a snake is a snake and there is nothing you can change about that

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  56. @Makwaia wa Kuhenga...you say Raila represents the havenots? Please, look@ your facts carefully.The politicians in our country today are NOT representing the poor...they are RICH RICH RICH Filthy Rich...for instance...to run as an ODM MP you had to cough about Ksh.100,000...to even qualify for nominations. and many never made it despite giving the required 100,000. All Pentagon Members gave Ksh.1 million to even be considered for Presidency---that includes your poor Raila.
    As if that is not enough, each ODM person gave so much money for the Campaing....
    Now imagine if even a FRACTION of that could be used inthe SLUMS you now see on TV.
    So Mukia wa Kuhengio....listen...YOU ARE WRONG...secondly, concentrate on TZ Politics...how is Kikwete? Uhuru was sent there...je alifika salama? Je amempa Ujumbe kweli? Tunaelegwana Jameni?

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  57. i read that Standard article which suggest that Orange revolution will never happen in Kenya the Ukraine way because the middle=class stay away from rallies and protests.

    In Kenya the majority are the poor, the jobless and the slum dwellers. Who needs the middle-class?

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  58. Mwahenga, well spoken. Your comments resonate with the vast majority in Kenya

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  59. anon 10:30 Is there anything wrong to ask people to vote for Majimbo ? Dont tell me that it will bring bloodshed the QUESTION is why should it bring bloodshed ?

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  60. Anon 10.42. I won't go into that discussion right now. We have already debated about this a few times already.
    Lets blog about the real issue that is facing our people right now. posting blogs like these won't get the message across. Lets be in the same praragraph here.

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  61. A peaceful resolution, if by Transitional GNU, is very welcome. The key word is 'transitional'. Although such an arrangement is provided nowhere in law, it is times like these that such ad hoc precedents must be set.
    You see, Kenyans will not allow ODM to sanction a fabricated five year Kibaki regime….even if Raila is made VP with thee ministries under his docket. It is important to emphasis that the majority of Kenyans voted for change. Raila and ODM were simply vessels used by the people of Kenya in pursuit of change. That said, any shenanigan that will see us remain in prolonged servitude to characters like Michuki and Karua must be wholly rejected.
    Further, the only way Kenya can redeem it's supposed 'democratic' credentials is by overturning the abuses showered on its people by the ECK in concert with Kibaki. I think we remain an oasis of mature democracy in Africa….. provided we show Kibaki the door through a repeat presidential election overseen by an organization of good repute... other than the no-credibility ECK. So be it if Raila looses.

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  62. Anon 10.42 Root course thats key. And please recognise it as a conflict if you seriously mean to solve it, there is no need of superfically being on the same page. Thats what got us here in the first place.

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  63. Silaha @9.27
    the proposal I made is in e very raw state and needs to be refined. I just gave groupings that are known to make the point. If the idea is acceptable then tribes that "like" one another can be allowed to form a group with full knowledge that when their turn comes, they will present candidates as that group. For instance, if the Kambas, Borans and Rendiles of Eastern Province reach a consensus that they like one another then they can form their group and when their turn comes, they can put up two or three of them to fight it out for the presidency.

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  64. Like all before them (except Uganda), the USA has acknowledged that the elections were rigged.

    http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?breve6604

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  65. Did Uganda send observers for the elections ? or where they already seated in Statehouse waiting like our judicial brothers !

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  66. Kalamari @ 10.54
    The truth of the matter is Kibaki and Raila can NOT work together in any form of unity ever again. And even if they are forced by external pressure to do so, they will begin to blackmail, backstab, undermine and intimidate one another before the ink dries. And it is the Kenyans who will suffer (as we are doing now). I support those who say that Kibaki (and Michuki, Karua, Kimunya, Uhuru, Tuju) Raila (and Ruto), Kivuitu (and his team), Kalonzo (and Kilonzo), Chief Justice, Wako, Ali, Dr. Mutua and KBC MD should all be left out of the team if a coalition or GNU or interim team etc is to be formed.

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  67. Constitutional reform and laland reform and corruption should not be left out, so little has been done about corruption that one wonders, remember the fires in city hall etc etc those have to be resolved

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  68. Sons and relatives of home guards should be definately left out, they are a big part of this mess. Ofsprings and relatives of tribal chiefs also out. We need a clean slate. But they have to return the looted land and monies, let the games begin.

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  69. We should just delete the whole political lot, send them all to hell. We need new leadership, and judging by some comments on this blog, leaders are readily available.

    In my personal opinion, Kenya will remain Kenya long after we hit the soil, civil strife or no president.

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  70. Hey,
    First of all, I feel so encouraged to see people actually meeting to discuss and come up with proactive and strategic solutions to the strategic crisis.As a Kenyan in the diaspora my question would be: How can we help? Do you have any ideas about how we can contribute to the long term health and prosperity of the nation at this time? I apologize if this is putting too much weight on your shoulders, I think even one idea could be a great spark that will assist us in assist our motherland.

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  71. The Displaced African, you are one great mind. Thank you.How I wish we could have people with a GENUINE concern for the country like you in this blog. All I see here are dogs barking, barking and barking again. These dogs can bark!

    Count me in. That is exactly what we should be bothering ourselves with. But then again, who am I to propose that after not having voted and not planning to ever vote for "the messiah"? Good thought though.

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  72. Now Kikuyu`s have realised how much other tribes hate them.

    Particularly Luo`s, kalenjins and Luhya`s.

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  73. two steps forward, 15 steps back. for every proposed solution, some idiot has to butt in with some ethnic crap, chauvinism, chest thumping, arrogance, bitterness, baying for blood ...... etc

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  74. This is all about the death of democracy in Kenya. If you noticed, voter turn out was high in the rural and slum areas. These are the people who felt that Kibaki's government did not give them much.. afterall, their basic commodities have become more expensive since 2002. They felt they needed a change and in their eyes, ODM was that change. Come Dec. 30th,they are robbed of their democratic right and in turn they react in the best way they know how - violence. They also descend their wrath on the only thing they can associate with Kibaki - a Kikuyu.

    My solution: Have an interim GNU for 3 months then return to the mwanainchi their power as the president's employer. It is their democratic right.

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  75. tnk , freedom of speech , get used to it. Interesting article from uganda http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/opinions/Africa_has_no_presidents_but_remodelled_monarchs.shtml

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  76. Vikii, The Displaced African, tnk:

    I'm in too. I sometimes feel that the pro-Kenya people are a minority here, everybody seems to be pro-this-candidate-or-the-other. There is too much spinning here, too much propaganda (or they are enthralled by the trivial - in comparison - saga of the Okellos and Briner).

    The Cellar Group actually got off their butts and did something. It's amazing and therapeutic y'all should try it sometime. If you have issue with something that they are proposing then address that issue. What difference does it make if the idea comes from a Kikuyu or a Martian? Are you not confident enough in your own intellectual capability to discern a good idea from a bad.

    At the end of the day, like it or not (mtake, msitake) Kikuyus are Kenyans. There wash, rinse, repeat ... Kikuyus are Kenyans, just like the other 40+ groups in our wonderful country.

    And for those of you who are asking when your time to eat will come, you need to be taken outside and spanked. Kenya needs no more kleptocrats, period.

    My $0.02 (probably a little more).

    -Silaha

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  77. POLITICAL RECYCLING: Nicholas Sengoba " Election theft in Africa is tribal war. The corruption thereafter is modern day plunder. Kibaki’s preposterous attempt at creating a government of national unity and accommodating the opposition plus weather beaten sycophants is the equivalent of assimilating conquered slaves.

    Because at the moment the war (election) is already in the bag, Kibaki can afford to lose the battle; ie allow the Raila Odingas in a power sharing arrangement. He will then use the all powerful institution of the presidency to undermine the opposition. And like John the Baptist, prepare the way for another Kikuyu messiah to take over in five years.
    Raila Odinga should watch his back!"

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  78. Re-run of the election or bust
    Kama ni mbaya ni mbaya, the so called middle class should be forced to make a stand not come up with “appeasement “theatrics that will send our children back to the drawing board in the not so distant future, shame on you, it has taken the courage of the slum dwellers to make the possibility of permanent constitution reforms a reality. The “ cellar crowd “ [ MIA ] should invite some of these courageous men and women and who don’t have a cellar to hide in and request them to draw up a realistic list of priorities that they would like to see tackled, I would not be surprised if it is quite different from what the “middle class “ with fancy tittles - incidentally who are in the minority are crafting - [ their worldview from the cellar ], the same people who did not dare to come out of their comfort zones to say loud and clear what they saw the system inflicting on their brothers until now - am looking forward to see good proposals but without honest confessions to how an why the situation got this far without the middle class protestations is quite telling, this is another exercise of political correctness but tomorrow is biz as usual.


    I remember quite a powerful analogy which most of you know or have heard of” when they came for me you kept quite, when they came for you there was nobody left” or something to that effect, lets not pretend, lets start by loud confessions weather be it for tribalism, nepotism, chauvinism, corruption whatever [not very easy eh...] deluding ourselves building castles in the sand will not help. Otherwise we divide ourselves into tribal states and work our own problems from there, after all the State of Kenya is an artificial creation of the imperialists and we have replaced the original one with one that looks like you and me. If we are really serious to make this work, we have to first loudly confess and then have a honest national dialogue of the way forward after seriously discussing what got us in this mess. I suggest the clergy should lead us not only in prayers and guidance as they are doing now, but they should be the first to confess about the abundant ethnic hatred and profuse corruption and amassing of wealth that has occurred and they have benefited from over the years before we give then a special place in our society, incidentally which some deserve. - Everybody should be under a microscope and people should not be given a pass just because they wear a collar.

    We should also separate completely matters of religion and state, be it Christian, Muslim, Hindi, Mokorino or Legio Maria

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  79. Why do we need an interim GK or GNU??? It just doesn't make sense to me.

    What we need is a re-run or re-vote between Raila and Kibaki. During elections, the GK is run by the permanent secretaries. Let them oversee the running of the ministeries as a re run is set up within 90 days.

    This business of GNU means that folks are going to collect paycheques and who knows for how long this GNU will exist.

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  80. My fear... What happens if there is a rerun of the election and... Kibaki wins? Are we ready for that? Are we ready to go through this all over again?

    -Silaha

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  81. Silaha: If the current ECK is disbanded and a new one formed in acordance with new legislative provisions(i.e. not dictated by the incumbent who will also be a competitor)and the rerun is appropriately monitored and safeguarded, I believe the loser will not only accept but will be under pressure to accept the results.

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  82. The cause of the violence was not loss. If it was, then there would have been even more violence in 2002 when Moi and Uhuru Kenyatta lost.

    The cause of the violence was the rigging of the election which left most Kenyans feeling that they had been divorced from the democratic processes.

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  83. Why are you assuming that Kibaki will win? Kibaki may indeed win but so may Raila. If Raila wins freely and fairly will Central Kenya go on the rampage?

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  84. @Anon 7:00PM -

    Don't misunderstand me, I was not assuming that Kibaki would win, I was asking "what if",

    But you do have a somewhat fair point - we should consider all the options, so in reality we have a 2x2 matrix. On one axis we have winning candidate: Raila vs Kibaki (I'm assuming Kalonzo or any other candidate will not factor), on the other axis we have election perception: Fair vs Rigged.

    What happens in each of these four scenarios?

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  85. Great work Cellar group, I think all Kenyans should work to build institutions that they can respect and that actually work for Kenyans. Tell me again why Judges wear white wigs? . The problem here is that Kenyans never got their independence, Tulipata Uhuru ya Karatasi. As soon as Brito Left, Kenyatta took over opressing Kenyans, sure a handful of People in Kiambuu/Gatundu Benefited but even other Kyuks were opressed and even killed (Kibaki should remember the famous quote that the "presidency will never cross the Chania River")
    Next came Moi and look at people in N. Rift today, again only a handful have benifited, Kibaki has brought in His State House Mafia again, same result.
    I say no to violence but Kenyans have to attain their civil rights and their freedom . It is not a question of Raila. As mentioned in this thread, this very situation was predicted in 04.
    Unless we do something drastic.. I don't even want to think about 2012

    Anyway the short of it is that. Kenyans have to be given a real Uhuru and be responsible for their own future. If Kibaki cannot give Kenyans that... He should step down. Otherwise just like couples who divorce after 50 Yrs, since they can no longer stand each other, lets have a referendum and every province chooses to go their own way, Russia did it, ChechoSlovakia Yugoslavia.. are these places not begining to thrive now?.
    We can try other things like the EU (Rotating presidency every 6 months) in our case we can make it every 5 years/8 Provinces.

    Only in having a broad based government where as many people as possible have a stake, can stability be achieved. Otherwise all we have is a fragile system that can tip over into Anarchy with one Vote or one Anouncement.

    But We have to be Real and talk about these issues openly and implement concrete reforms. Saying peace love and unity and singing Kumbaya is exactly what has brought us this tragedy.

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  86. I have a problem with Number 6, The constitution must be signed and instituted into law asap within 6 Months - 1 Year Max

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  87. Everyone knows the elections was rigged, How sure is the celler group that both Raila and Kibaki are 50% popular with the electorate? what are they basing this on? we're not even sure Kibaki or Raila each got over 4 m votes

    assuming that this is the case then it would only be fair for peace to prevail in the short term for kibaki and raila to form a coalition govt.

    but just like one person commented the election fiasco has exposed an ugly deep seatted ethnic hatred.

    it would take a truth commission to look at all past injustices dating back from Kenyatta days to find out the root cause of problems

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  88. I forgot to mention that Raila was well aware of the long standing tension between the kikuyus and the kalenjins in the RV. and mostly had to do with land, That is why it was his plan to institute a truth commission when his govt too over

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  89. @Anon 11:02PM
    If you read the Cellar Group document it says "More than 50% of the electorate rejected either candidate" which is certainly true, both had between +-45% of the vote.

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  90. charles darwin concept survival for the fittest.I see things shaping up and you like it or not the best shall be left standing.
    You see this poor kenyans who went out there voting have never had a place in kenya.They should continue being houseboys and maids rather than enter into a game they neither understand and eventually get killed.The fittest are those with money irrespective of their tribes.Please answer me,how many rich people have died or how many rich kikuyus kales or luos luyhas have died? answer zero.
    Now on the other hand a wide variety of poor people of all tribes have died.
    At this moment only the people with money are the fittest.However this math can change with a couple of million bucks.If arms are put in hands of poor people they will be the fittest because they have nothing to loose there homes have been destroyed their children killed and their land taken away.
    Now i am sure the people in power should have figured this situation out by now.so let us criticaly look at both sides of the divide.
    With all fairness.what has happened has happened.I can give you one example of a sibling in my family.This sibling actually married her first cousin got two kids is living happily bila shida.We can not kill this kids and say this is a taboo and all that bull.We have forgotten and moved on .And by the way these are my nieces.Now kibaki has rigged in return lots of kikuyus have been killed chased from their homes.With this in mind i see the war worsening if kibaki is hounded out of office either by recount or re-run.MY proposal is that we give Raila the post of excutive prime minister to run government affairs and let kibaki lead the country as a ceremonial president.In this respect Raila can implement his much talked about constitution and infrastructure building which he beleives can make kenya a better place.On the hand Kibaki will have a soft landing and kikuyus will not villify him for letting go of power.lets give the wounds a chance to heal before we can engauge in combat.Stupid but well thought.
    Kumekucha again talk to RAO.

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  91. We should not reward bad habbits its what we twll our kids everyday

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  92. Thank you very much for your kind words silaha and vikii.
    I may not know much but my own personal experience and what I have learned has told me that in life it is extremely difficult to consistently focus on what is truly important, so I definitely can't judge people for a sin I have committed so often. However, I think it's not too late for us to take baby steps just little baby steps-or HUGE STEPS if that's what floats your boat to:
    a) Feed the Kenyans who are hungry right now or better yet use this chaos as an opportunity to find ways to feed them perenially
    b) House the 50,000 displaced Aficans, who knows maybe this is our chance to review land rights among other things that are going wrong right now which we can use as opportunities to make a better tomorrow (how many times have we heard that one, sorry for the cliche)

    So if anyone has any positive steps that I can pass on to the diaspora please leave a comment here or at my blog, whatever floats your boat.

    Yet again thanks for the kind words, truly appreciated

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