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Sunday, July 06, 2008

How Sacred A Cow Is Amos “I am innocent” Kimunya?

It is clear that Amos Kimunya is no ordinary Finance Minister. Analysts are now asking themselves the one million shilling question. Why was it easier to sack (by asking them to resign) the President’s close friend and confidante for years, former Finance minister Daudi Mwiraria? What is so special with this Amos “Safaricom IPO” Kimunya?

Even as you read this post, frantic consultations and meetings have been going on all weekend to map a way forward. But what Kenyans do not know is that Kimunya’s being retained at treasury despite all the pressure is a “smoke screen” to cover what the president and his kitchen cabinet are really concerned about.

What this writer finds really fascinating is the uncanny similarities between this latest Grand Regency saga and the Anglo Leasing affair which unfolded during President Kibaki’s first term and caused former ethics PS John Githongo to flee the country into exile in the United Kingdom.

Those familiar with the goings on then will know that many people went into a lot of trouble to keep some certain prominent names very close to the president (blood relations) out of the scandal. Those efforts largely succeeded.

Once again this time round the same thing has to be done and that has been the number one agenda in the dozens of crisis meetings that have taken place through this weekend. The issue of Amos Kimunya’s resignation has oddly been missing. While it is obvious that Kimunya was the perfect “smoke screen” to use to divert the attention of the increasingly “nosy press” (who appear to have taken a break from their usual furious note taking and dictation duties from politicians to start doing some semblance of journalism work), questions still linger.

Will Amos Kimunya be used as the sacrificial lamb to cool down temperatures countrywide and more so in the August house where legislators have made it clear that they will accept nothing less than the satisfaction of seeing Mr Kimunya seated in the back benches for the first time in his political career? That is a question I cannot even speculate about at this time.

However my research has unearthed the key role in the Grand Regency saga of a person very close to the president (see details in the latest raw notes). This is what has stopped many in State House from sleeping too well over this mostly chilly weekend that is now coming to a close.

But even more deadly and of great concern to State House is the unprecedented resolve that has been witnessed amongst legislators of the 10th parliament. The battle against Kimunya has been very personal but it is also clear that MPs are taking this opportunity to stamp their authority and indeed put the executive on notice that they are not going to be push overs. The effect of this has been to shift political fault lines of power tremendously with the main beneficiary of it all being the Prime Minister Raila Odinga whom analysts see wielding tremendous powers in the weeks to come. But there is a big “IF” here. And that is if ODM unity holds. Insiders know that this is far from being a foregone conclusion because the former president, his son Gideon and others have been working tirelessly to put a spanner in the works.

What I can conclusively report is that Kenyan politics has changed once again and things are far from being what they seem to be on the surface.

P.S. Poor Tom Alwaka of the Weekly Citizen seems to have run out of stories to publish. What is it with this blatant cutting and pasting of stories from Kumekucha into his newspaper (without giving credit)? We on the ground have urged Kumekucha to take serious action because this is NOT the first time that it has happened.

Surely Tom, umesoma mpaka University my friend and if you like Kumekucha articles so much you can copy them but put a brief note at the end, even if it is in 8 points or smaller saying: courtesy of Kumekucha.blogspot.com. That is the only way to do cutting and pasting LEGALLY.

So you think alone, you can’t do anything to change the politics in Kenya?

23 comments:

  1. Well, enjoy your digging... meanwhile, here is food for thought>
    1. Any scandal that touches the president is a matter of National Security. We will do whatever it takes to make sure the president is secure and is able to steal and loot at will.
    2. It is the duty of any respectable Kenyan to help divert attention from any scandals that touch on his holiness the president
    3. Kibaki will complete his 2nd term, mpende msipende. Money wasn't spend in buying a win in December for Kibaki to sit and relax in state house - it is time to reap profits. What the heck... he won't be standing again. And nobody will do a thing about that!
    4. It is time to change the topic to the Kisumu Molasses Plant. Prophet/God RAO will be standing for the presidency... let him carry the Molasses Cross!

    Martha Karua after Kibaki.

    Kazi iendelee

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  2. Excuse me Oscar, What have you said in this post. I am miffed that nothing has come out of your write-up. Oscar with due respect, you say that there are similarities between Grand Regency 'scam' and Anglo Leasing. The difference is, there are no similarities. Not one and never. Anglo Leasing as it was was money going out of the government coffers and Grand Regency was an investor bringing the money into the country. John Githongo fled at his own volition. By the way, Raila Odinga said that he was going to bring him home if they ‘form the next government’. I think he is in the government!

    The reason Amos Kimunya is being retained is not a smokescreen or anything of that nature, but a simple fact that ODM got it all wrong from the beginning in their scheme to bring down the government. If someone in the calibre of the ODM leader can ask for the sidelining of occupants of some of the most important office on land over nothing, then something is wrong.

    If you ask for finance minister, security intelligence chief, CBK chief to step aside, you are being mischievous, that is why the ODM ploy of making the ‘cabinet’ decision public fell flat on its face.

    That ODM wanted a way of getting the government on the wrong foot but it has all gone wrong. Very wrong that they do not want to give reason a chance. Why is the ODM brigade not asking why James Orengo never opened his mouth prior to the deal going through?

    No, ODM will not have another chance of putting Kenyans lives at their mercy. They will not be allowed to organise stoning events and it will never happen for as long as some of us are alive that ODM put the country at ransom. Never put Kenya at ransom.

    If you have found Kimunya to be on the wrong, why wait for the cabinet? Why make the findings public before even discussing it at a cabinet level. Sympathy or public support?

    Kimunya is not going anywhere, where for reasons of blood relations or tribe. He has done nothing wrong.

    As for Alwaka, God forbid

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  3. Anon 4:58
    Well said. We learned from our mistake of Dec 2007. Our man should've been ahead in vote-tallying from the word go. The important thing is that our plan succeeded and however much ODM may cry wolf, our man will be in State House until 2012, then sign a life-long immunity agreement with a friendly successor.WataDO? RAO will never step in State House as we vowed. Not because of crosses on ballot papers. If it is the crosses that matter, we will make millions of our own crosses whenever we need to.

    Our man has benefited from Anglo-leasing, GR... wataDO?

    Let's work on the post-Kibaki plan. The mistakes from last year should help us have plain sailing all the way.

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  4. As it is Oscar, the embattled KIPIPIRI Member of Parliament has decided to call a public rally that is going on now with Uhuru Kenyatta as the guest of honour.

    Interestingly, the rally is being aired live by Citizen TV as "advertiser's rally" but with a lot of editing due to the tribal bigotry that is emanating from the rally. It basically means Kimunya has paid for this rally to be aired live.......on citizen.

    Uhuru has been receiving numeorus calls on his cell phone and whispering to Kimunya and George Thuo who are both sitting next to Uhuru. Only Kimunya and Uhuru are the cabinet ministers present.

    Most of the local politicians who have so far spoken have THREE messages: First Kimunya is going nowhere. Second, Why organise a public demonstration calling for Kimunya's resignation/sacking now over a mere Grad Regency AND YET nothing was done when 'our people' were killed in Eldoret and driven out of their homes in Rift Valley. Is the Grand Regency more valuable than the lives of Kikuyus killed in Rift Valley? Third, ODM is undermining the government of President Kibaki.

    It appears the live airing has been canceled after speakers started attacking the PM as one who has engineered Kimunya's troubles. Looks like the calls Uhuru was receiving on his mobile were to ask to ask speakers to tone-down their tribal hatred.

    More later.

    PS. Having kept abreast with current NEWS, Taabu, do you now believe what I said in my last post? That it is business as USUAL???

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  5. @ 5:11, Please stop it. It is not funny anymore. I am not laughing and so are many others

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  6. Phil,
    Sometimes it is SAFE to have no beliefs. I am not sure whether any political beliefs exist in Kenya. The pain may overwhelm all else.

    That said the script sounds so familiar so much so that one is left wondering have we ever MOVED an inch. Back to the days of RENT-a-MOB rallies. Mhhhhh.

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  7. Predictably after retreating to 'tribal bases' and holding numerous kitchen cabinet meetings, I expect to see and read more declarations and support for Kimunya. What people like Uhuru fail to realize is that for 'the ODM part of government'(let's not pretend that there is only one gava), it is not business as usual. Can someone explain to these tribalists that Kimunya must step aside and wait to be proven innocent , even though we all know he flouted certain laws. Uhuru has much more to worry about after his 'councillors nomination spree'. I find it laughable that he says the local gava minister has powers to nominate, while conveniently ignoring the finer details for the rules for such nominations. He then stupidly says that someone should correct him if he did something wrong.
    As for Kibaki, I can't stand another four and a half years of indecisiveness and impunity. NSIS, you mention that Kibaki will complete his term come rain or shine, GOD, doesn't he care for his legacy? Does he want to be remebered for all the wrong reasons?

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  8. That is why I love politics. Especially when people decide to play it dirty.

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  9. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Mr Kimunya activities as concerns Delarue, SafariCON IPO and the latest Grand Regency scandal can be described in three words: FRAUD, DECEPTION and THEFT. Isitoshe, he is being protected by Kibaki who also believes in the same primitive set of attitudes and behaviors.

    Except for a tiny minority (Wangari Maathai, Maina Kiai, Muthoni Wanyeki and a few others), the rest of the members of the Kikuyu community are completely devoid of any morals and civilized values. FRAUD, DECEPTION and THEFT are their modus operandi,

    As much as members of this community are subjecting us to numerous cases of bad manners and scandals and making the general environment in Kenya STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN, I still have hope that Kenya will one day be free from their FOUL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS. Ask me why? The answer is found this short sentence: EVERYONE REAPS WHAT THEY SOW; THE DAYS OF A THIEF ARE "40.". When the chickens - chickens the size of ostriches - eventually come home to roost, that is when Kenya will take a turn for the better.

    They have sown FRAUD, DECEPTION and THEFT by the ton almost daily (Like we have just been informed that speakers at Kimunya's Kipipiri rally are blaming Kimunya's woes on Raila. Did Raila tell Kimunya to engage in FRAUD, DECEPTION and THEFT? NO!!! Kimunya STOLE of his own volition - this just shows you the ridiculous lengths that these fellows can go to Justify their PUMBAVU attitudes and behaviors)

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  10. It is ti be expected I guess. The whole coalition government was supposed to be temporary and a facilitator of proper elections. This grand coalition is not going to solve the problems that we all witnessed post election. Rather, it simply covered them up.

    Hence, Kimunya and some PNU will retriet to tribal cabals as they high tail it to safety. Every problem to them is because of Raila. Never mind that they haven't learnt anything from Anglo leasing.

    Thankfully, there seems to be emerging some sensible figures in PNU who are beginning to realize that a leopard can not change its spots and are letting mheshimiwa carry his own cross.

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  11. Oscar, the 10th parliament is expending too much energy on hot-air theatrics based on false patriotism. why don't they put their efforts towards over-seeing how the budget is being utilised for this financial year?Kenyan politics has changed only to remain the same and we are no better for it only worse

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  12. Kimunya has claimed Orengo was demanding Ksh 3m to cooperate with Grand Regency sale from Adan and Wetangula advocates...and to prove it, Kimunya says there is enough evidence for his allegations. Since Major General Gichangi of NSIS is involved, he must have used his boys to entrap/eavesdrop/tap on Orengo's calls 24/7!

    Bado Mapambano!

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  13. Chris
    m equally afraid that kimunya is too sacred , you know their are some cows that are more sacred than others .I dont think kibaki can dispense kimunya he is the nerver centre of the kibaki re "election" and firing him will be like stamping his own vote of no confidance.What i would like to ask you chris is ,why was kibaki moved from the finance miniatry by moi, the answer to that question will unravel even more details .they say that kibaki was the best finance minister kenya has ever had , why then was he moved to the min of health a field that he is not schooled in?

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  14. Obviously the issue is not Kimunya's innocense, but rather -'everyone who ate should go'. Why can't Kimunya first resign and then 'spill the beans in a court of law'. Surely, don't they have faith in the justice system?
    Then, he can tell us how much Laila, Olengo and Wako were paid.

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  15. Kimunya says in the Kipipiri rally that he'd rather die than resign. Seems he's not going anywhere.

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  16. Kenya's or rather PNU- kibaki branch seem to forget- kenya is not owned by kibaki and kimunya- Kenya is owned by all the people of Kenya so they can not hold the country hostage and continue looting-
    Kibaki- is bring up his own down fall sooner than he thought- coalition is not in place to appease looters, thieves and thugs and yet Kenyan tax payers are dying with the weight of paying the 10th parliament salaries!!who do they think they can fool?

    nxt week demonstration arranged
    1. kenyan citizen
    including
    University students from all the universities in kenya
    2. workers Union
    3. MP
    4. and all kenyans that can't feed their families because kibaki and the likes of people like kimunya stealing from them

    I'm waiting to see whether kibaki will give his shoot to kill order to the police

    and for those central province people talking about people being killed-( they don't want even to touch that- 4000 youths missing under the order of kibaki?? i hear now a team of independent journalist have found evidence of body parts in mass-( burned and buried but the sad thing is some bones didn't burn to ashes( they have taken all the ash samples and some of the bones have been flown out of the country so that the real forensic experts can confirm
    kenya is going to blow up on kibaki's face

    Grand Regency is just a tip of the ice berg wait and see- we are in for a quick rough ride- and i mean quick- kibaki and kimunya will not last a vote of no confidence

    i hear even some central province mp are ready to vote no Kibaki's confidence vote in parliament because they feel - he is not helping their cause for the next elections - you see kenyan politicals have changed i believe for the better of the country.

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  17. hey chris- can you let people post their views freely?? why are you controlling posts when kenyans are very un-happy and this is the place where blogger need to post their thoughts and feelings?

    some bloggers are complaining that you maybe using their information in your raw notes instead of posting it on here for everyone to read?? is it true?

    anyway there is a debate raving on in kenya and this is not the time to control bloggers- let people post their views please......

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  18. Oscar,

    I will answer your question thus....Kimunya is a very sacred cow!

    Kimunya is the reason Kibaki is still enjoying th lawns in statehouse and as we all know, Kibaki, will do nothing!

    As Wanjiku has already said above, Kimunya has said he is not badging, the last time a certain demented woman said she was not moving from statehouse she stuck to her guns and she is still there!

    That will be the same case with Kimunya! Unless Kibaki and friends bribe him with all the grand regency money he has stolen and beg him to resign to save Kibaki's face.

    I can't tell you how much I am waiting for this thing to unfold I see how it will end....I have to say though, I am very proud of our parliamentarians this time round,

    And what is this story of people stealing stories from Kumekucha? They dont know anything about plagiarism and referencing?

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  19. well well

    this just shows that, its not just the PM or ODM that has no clout. the entire parliament has no clout. there are some here rejoicing, but this just shows how hopeless our situation is. only one man can act or do anything (for those claiming its his advisors, kitchen cabinet etc please note the authority is in the one man period.)

    the next logical step is for a hung parliament

    that is if at all the MPs realize the need to stamp their authority on governance.

    and the last bit is if parliament cannot debate motions such as budgets and spending, then what?

    lets see what the new game plan will be.

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  20. Listen people, it is no longer a question of whether Kimunya ate a goat or not. The question is: which Kenyan politician hasn't eaten a goat? If Kimunya has to go, then let's start with Kenyatta's family, let's haul Moi amd his cronies to court, and then we can ask Kimunya to resign.

    Corruption is part of our very own Kenyan culture. It is with us, it will be with us... so get used with it! Nobody is resigning.

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  21. anon10:51 AM

    How dare you even suggest that corruption is part of kenyan culture?? I'm Kenyan and I ain't corrupt and it is definitely not part of the culture I grow up in - in my family household or where i have worked- so speak for yourself and your family , friends and cronies- if that is the way you have chosen to led your life- DO NOT PUT TAGS OF CORRUPTION ON OTHER KENYANS- KEEP OFF!

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  22. Lesotho is the way to go. I'm sick and tired of this impunity and the perception that the country is some kind of personal business.

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  23. "Vuta Kimunya aliye mumunya pesa zetu" Overheard in a street protest.

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