Followers

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Let Me Tell You Why This Is So Funny

Have you noticed the way Kenyans are screaming themselves hoarse about the parliamentarians' taxation issue? It's so amusing. Just in case you forgot how this works, let me jog your memory. Last year, just before the elections, the electorate in Kenya was out there stalking the parliamentary candidates' cars. In fact, some of the candidates who ran last year have told me that some voters were in their homes by 5:30 a.m. asking this: How can a man/woman who wants to be an MP be asleep at this hour? You know why the voters were there? They wanted money. Pesa. Is that raw enough? Let me put it another way. They wanted their vote bought by the candidate.

---------------------------
Some people have made millions from the Obama name... how unfair
0000000000000000000

That candidate, over the five years before the elections, had worked hard at his/her business and made good money to run for Parliament. In his/her mind, the calculation was that this money would be put back when he/she made it to the August House. In other words, he/she consciously decided that Parliament was an extension of his/her business empire. So he/she was going to use money to make money. You get the drift?

Fast forward.


That man or woman who the Kenyan electorate ambushed at his/her home, in the local bar, by the wayside and in the churches across the constituency, is now in Parliament. He/she is now called Mheshimiwa, and he/she is supposed to be looking out for the needs of the desperate constituents. But he/she is not doing so. According to Mheshimiwa, looking out for the people wasn't part of the deal. It never even came up. In fact, when the Mheshimiwa is in his/her bathroom adjusting his tie or her skirt just before riding to Parliament in the morning, he/she sometimes carries out this conversation with him/herself.


What's wrong with Kenyans? Why do hey want my salary and benefits taxed? Don't they remember that when I campaigned I never discussed any substantive issues? Don't they recall that when I was at the rallies it was all about small talk and fun? And don't they remember that I gave each of them one hundred shillings? Wait a minute, wasn't it I who bought and distributed bhang to that band of youth who acted as my security? Oh, how can I forget that it was I who invented the plan that was implemented to cause chaos as the votes were being counted so that the returning officers would declare me the winner? It was hard work, and I did it all for the people. How can they now be so mean as to want my hard-earned money taxed? And can you imagine that they want to tax it in my first year...not even the fourth? Why can't these idiots understand that I've got to put back the money I gave them, plus make a little profit? To hell with them.


That's Mheshimiwa talking. And who can blame them? When the voters were collecting bribe money from these guys, what were they thinking? And when they allowed the MPs to buy their votes, what kind of an MP did they expect to have? Couldn't they see that a man or a woman who was willing to pay to buy a vote was never going to be a moral leader? You'd hope that after this tax betrayal by Mheshimiwa, the folks would learn. But will they? Just watch 2011. You'll see the process repeat itself. The man or woman who'll go out there to campaign on ideas and a promise to actively and honestly seek solutions to the myriad problems faced by the people will be shunned for the chap who shows up with money.


So the question pollsters should ask the Kenyan voter is this...Are you aware that our MPs are the way they are because of you?


To that question, most Kenyans will say No. That will be a lie.


So this is the circus we must deal with, folks. We eat during the campaigns. The MPs eat in Parliament. And the song plays on and on like we are that proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. But surely, with an electorate like this, why do I hear people talk of a Kenyan Obama? I have a feeling that if an Obama showed up in our midst and started asking Kenyans who are fed up with the status quo to donate to his/her campaign for change, people will laugh and walk away. Mjinga gani huyu, they'll say.


Hhmmm!


With an electorate like this, who needs an enemy?

Download free DVD movies, Nairobi, Kenya

Unique quality African fusion restaurant in Nairobi that you will never forget


53 comments:

  1. A little simplified but entertaining way of putting your point across.

    I'd add that the electorate votes on personality and tribe before issues. The only folks in Kenya who vote on issues are the wealthy upper class. You can equate these fellows to the so called special interests like Big tobacco, big oil, detroit, big phamarcuticles, big sugar etc in the USA. These are the same folks who have bank rolled Kibaki and Raila and Moi and the kenyattas and so on. Their issue is business monopoly of some sought, favors towards securing tenders, loans, etc.

    The little peasant asking for a couple of shillings to put food on the table or beer in the belly during election time really doesn't have much sway over what goes on in the long run. By accepting some money for his vote, he has shown his interest i.e. food or beer or shopping or whatever he chooses to use that bribe for. That is where his interests start and end.

    The middle class however is a more intriging animal. These folks vote on issues that would affect their lives directly but I think they are a shrinking class.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MP'S MUST PAY TAXES LIKE ANY ORDINARY KENYA. PERIOD..

    sasa since we employed this MP's?? what have they delivered??
    Zilch nothing but noise and abusing each on national T.V(by the way they all look well fed) even the ones that were looking sick and thin during and immediately after elections..

    hey check their suits now.. I hear some commenting ati they can't eat Ugali bila nyama.. when kenyans look around there are IDP's everywhere and ordinary kenyans can not afford a bag of maize mill!!

    while Ruto gives Ababu and Jirongo contracts to buy and sale maize at a higher price to make money.. enough is enough....

    we are tired of shenzi committees that end nowhere while all this goons pick up their cheques paid by the Tax payers money every month..
    time up.. disband the coalition government we all know it is not working and who the hell is running the country?? there are many hands in the pot and this is a recipe for disaster.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Let's not forget that we are third world and our politics will remain just that. Anyway, what language does an hungry desperate population, driven to unimaginable levels of poverty understand other than asking for handouts to put ugali on the table. Our politicians are happy with this state of affairs so that they can manipulate the masses with handouts every five years.
    It's a vicious cycle and we are not about to break lose even with an obama inspiration - at least not with so many old rich men clinging to power and pulling strings to protect their stolen wealth.
    It's good to have lofty dreams but let's realistically give ourselves another century.

    ReplyDelete
  4. NewsFlash:

    Message for MP Jirongo

    We understand even from here abroad that around in Lumakanda and Turbo division forcing land owners from their land in favor for people that campaigned for you in this area... and forcing the chiefs to give the land to his buddies this man should be stopped or he will bring back clashes like the Moi ones in the 70's in the same region..

    you have no right to take land from ordinary had working kenyans by force...

    I hope someone intelligent enough reads this and gives you that message.. or else we will plaster you on the news --cell phone pictures and tape was made of your meetings with the chief's and sub-chiefs telling them to force people off their land for your buddies... watch out Jirongo!!! you want bloodshed... people are ready to fight for their land!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. "The man or woman who'll go out there to campaign on ideas and a promise to actively and honestly seek solutions to the myriad problems faced by the people will be shunned for the chap who shows up with money."

    May be. But let me remind you that Nothing Lasts Forever ... and people do change. The yesterday kenyan is not the same kenyan you will see tomorrow ... my friend times are changing and rapidly so.

    ReplyDelete
  6. anon12:57 PM

    What!Jirongo should be ashamed of himself it is a wonder he is following Moi's fata Nyayo like hell he thinks he can take other peoples land and give it to his friends who campaigned for him.

    People in that area should hold rallies against him the thieving goon-

    I will pay space in all the newspapers and advertise this theft from a sitting MP in Parliament..

    didn't someone post on here that the same Jirongo and Ababu are the ones in the shady maize mill deals??

    Mpumbavu sana if it was my land he was coming for I would fix his rear end..
    The People of Lumakanda and Turbo should teach him a lesson this guy is silly. YK goon Moi's dirt^^^

    When Kenyans are try reconcile and come together as kenyans you find the Jirongo's of this world playing dirty tricks and keeping their old thieving habits- this guy must be stopped!

    ReplyDelete
  7. anonymous 12:57 PM

    Please remind me which party Jirongo(MP) is in? is it ODM or PNU before I comment on your serious post?

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Samo"
    let me get this straight-are you saying MPs are the way they are because of we the voters?then the opposite must also be true(i.e. we are the way we are because of MPs)
    In other words this is one vicious blame game cycle ultimately there are no winners and the more things change they stay the same, however....

    Once in parliament its MPs responsibility to ensure the following: -

    1)the better services they promised in their campaigns are delivered to the electorate before their 5 year mandate expires

    2)they do long-term thinking of what is in the best interest of the country?fixing a broken system leaking like a sieve or wrappining the voter in swathing bandages as we continue to sink in sand?

    "Samo" after December 2007 the kenyan voter is too old to cry foul anymore but it hurts too much to laugh. we need to break free and dance in God's love

    ReplyDelete
  9. Posted By Job Vintage Member on Jukwaa Blog

    DEVELOPMENT:INFRASTRUCTURE, CORRUPTION, LEADERSHIP
    « Thread Started Today at 12:09am »
    Have you ever wondered why private-sector-driven development never seems to reach the grassroots in Kenya?

    I know most Kenyans based out of the country love investing in real estate, always shying away from the service sector.

    Setting up business in Kenya’s service sector especially in the provinces outside Nairobi, is painfully difficult if you live abroad. Now, try to do that during these times of global financial difficulty and food shortage to fully appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

    My friends, corruption and red tape bureaucracy have penetrated deeply into every fiber of the nation across all its corners.

    Everyone (I mean, all Kenyans including our own family members) have become savvy kick-back specialists adept at literally lacing every delegated assignment or expenditure/cost with a self-serving commission. The folks in Kisumu, Athi River, Eldoret or Kakamega are as street smart as their Nairobi peers, That’s fact number one and you have to convince me unique scenarios exist.

    A step further, ALL officials both in the public and private sectors, are adept at outlining complex bureaucratic procedures that sound almost impossible to surmount, then quickly offer expensive but simpler alternatives.

    Whether in Nairobi or the provinces, from lands officials, council agents, ministry or departmental licensing or permit officials, the provincial administration, the police, and even neighbourhood chiefs, all have their own sets of winding ‘guidelines’, each requiring a fee and a mandatory waiting period. This is ridiculously crazy!

    Navigating these complex webs and mazes sometimes requires equally complex-sounding and commission-extracting lawyers. Sometimes by talking with these folks, you almost get the feeling you are breaking the law just by simply investing and creating a few jobs for locals. And the financial, physical, psychological and time drain is enormous.

    Another thing, despite rigorous and diligent observation of the due process, anything you purchase from land to other properties, leaves you with a scary feeling of an impending dispute - a very creepy feeling that has become part of the Kenyan psyche. What if someone shows up with a fake title to the same property? And you bet right, they are always quick to show up.

    This is worse with recent property and land transactions, all those acquired a while back never seem to be inflicted with these latter-day 'disputes'. Apparently as I'm told, these types of 'conflicts' should not supposedly be a surprise to anyone Kenyan. Holly Something!

    How can a conflict or dispute in legally acquired property not be a problem?

    I'm told again, that such fake disputes are always engineered by those who have irregular inside connections to respective local corridors of justice. The same people who participate in the process of transferring titles, conspire to defraud and extort more from the purchasers.

    They have ties to local magistrates and the court system, and work in collusion with local and often idle lawyers, lands and local council officials, and others. They have made this a very thriving and lucrative business. This trade that targets recent property and land transactions is thriving all across Kenya, even in towns you think are sleepy.

    And sure, as soon as you complete your transaction/ acquisition, there are many scare hawks who will never hesitate to extort a few thousands (if you allow), in the name of ‘remember that requirement we side-stepped’ or ‘our guy there has been transferred’ or ‘let me fax you the dangerous letter they just wrote’.

    Continuous extortion is the name of the game, no different from the Mungiki, who demand ‘protection fees’ from local traders.

    Anyway, that was not my point today.


    My issue is about something bigger. I have recently appreciated that the real big impediment to doing service business in Kenya is simply lack of efficient infrastructure that makes the cost of business exorbitantly high.


    We have no efficient infrastructure to speak of.

    Terrible, terrible roads that wear down vehicles like nowhere else, expensive electricity bills, frequent power outages, lack of treated water or good sewage systems, are all contingencies one must deal with when considering even a small investment.

    In case you are to build a facility for your business, you must; have back-up generators and extra solar panels to save electricity costs, drill/build independent water and sewer systems, and be prepared to spend heavily on transportation in view of the pathetic infrastructure.

    I will not even talk about lack of, or the expensive costs associated with drawing internet services in certain locations. While very crucial in some businesses, the latter may not yet be cost-effective due to concerns of economy of scale & scope. The government has failed millions of Kenyans and almost all regions due to a lacking focus in developing requisite and necessary infrastructure.

    While trying to navigate the terrible lack of infrastructure, the cost for doing even basic stuff becomes too expensive. Then comes the extra business cost necessitated by gross poverty in neglected regions.

    For every item or service you order, be ready to spend an additional cost ranging anywhere from 10% to 100% (sometimes higher) so long as there’s someone in between you and the product/service source. Its worse if the intermediary person is smart and poor.

    Without getting into more details, I now fully understand why foreign direct investments are too slow to pour into peripheral Kenya.

    In a developing country like Kenya, economic growth and sustainable development requires this one important thing - the provision of efficient, reliable and affordable infrastructure in all regions.

    That means provision of good transport services (roads, railways, ports, airports), water and sanitation, power (electricity), and telecommunications. That is what will improve local economic activities and businesses and boost local people’s quality of life.

    Kenya cannot link into the global economy, or effectively tap its great tourism potential or even export products at competitive prices without sufficient -- and good quality -- electricity, telecommunications, and transport networks, and without other basics such as widespread access to drinking water. That’s just the reality.

    Our government has failed to use resources effectively to build-up infrastructure, largely due to (a) misallocation of capital, (b) grand corruption, and (c) lack of economic vision based on infrastructure as the engine of growth (mediocre leadership).

    Does Kenya look likely to engineer massive infrastructure investments in grassroots across all regions in the foreseeable future?

    The answer is a BIG NO.

    Little hope seems likely especially considering our recent history after the 2007 stolen elections and related violence.

    First, private overseas investors will be reluctant to invest in large-scale infrastructure investments because of the risk posed by Kenya’s unstable economic and uncertain political conditions. The grand coalition government itself has shown that infrastructure development is not a great part of its top priority.

    While the Prime Minister Raila Odinga captured the need to develop our infrastructure so effectively during his campaigns, he is now in government and the grand coalition seems to have buried all the grand plans for infrastructure development – especially opening up remote and forgotten regions through new roads and other networks.

    Besides the Mombasa port expansion and a few road additions, budgetary allocations and project implementation records reveals little focus on infrastructure. The railway concession mess is another part of this failure.

    [image]
    Mombasa port, badly needs expansion to compete with regional neighbours

    Second, corruption will continue as a way of life in Kenya judging from the way the grand coalition government is conducting business. Looting is continuing as we speak, in awarding government contracts, in payments for Anglo-leasing promissory notes, in clearing of Goldenberg suspects through courts and such.

    Look at how the Grand Regency Hotel was corruptly (via under-valuing) disposed with attempts to grant amnesty to Goldenberg architect Kamlesh Pattni? What of the recent constitutional court rulings barring future prosecution of corrupt mandarins named in various commissions of inquiry? With continued state corruption, there can be no grassroots infrastructure developments, period.

    Third, on misallocation of resources, let’s look at a few instances of appropriation by the grand coalition government, starting with the plans for massive infusion of close to a billion shillings to purchase an office for the Prime Minister. Surely, is this a top priority for Kenya? Do you know how many kilometers of tarmac road that can build?

    Another example, Kshs 1.229 billion is allocated to state household and press services of the three top families in government (Kibaki’s, Raila’s and Kalonzo’s) in just one year – almost double the amount allocated for the Youth Enterprise Fund (700 million) to deal with the problem of youth unemployment for the close to 20 million jobless, landless youths.

    That means the president, prime minister and vice president’s comfort budget is more than Kshs 6.2 billion in a 5-year term.

    That’s enough for constructing 270 kilometers of highway, or constructing 600 kilometers of a lower grade tarmac road, or in terms of maintenance, upgrading thousands of kilometers of our pot-holed roads – that could spur local business and regional economies.

    The government chooses to pamper a few political leaders rather than develop the nation for the benefit of millions of households.

    How about if the Kshs. 1.229 billion were spent on drilling boreholes in arid areas?

    According to Marsgroup Kenya statistics, that’s more than 2,450 boreholes at a cost Kshs. 500,000 per borehole. If the idle military were mobilised to drill the boreholes, then that amount may be enough to offer a permanent solution to the water and pasture problems, and down goes one infrastructure headache.

    Misallocation of taxpayer funds is just annoying. While poor Kenyans have seen the cost of food and basic items (Unga, kerosene, sugar & cooking oil) quadrupling since January 2008 - with Unga now reaching Kshs. 100 - the so called Grand Coalition deems it fit to respond by adding the wives of the PM and VP millions more to feed the ‘important families’ and their ‘important guests’ (thanks Ida Odinga rejected the crap).

    Misallocation of funds is a cancer that’s too painful to swallow. According to Mwalimu Mati’s Marsgroup Kenya, Kibaki’s State House household alone will consume more money (Kshs.888 million) than the amount allocated to Cooperative Development and Marketing (Kshs 882 million) in just one year.

    The Vice President’s household will eat more money (Kshs. 231 million) than what is allocated to Northern Kenyan and Arid Lands where Kenyans, including those in Ukambani Vice President Kalonzo’s backyard who continue to starve to death (Kshs. 228 million).

    Lastly, on lacking economic vision (mediocre leadership) in Kenya - that sees the importance of infrastructure development, does anyone see any hope through a preponderance of brilliant visionaries among the current political jostlers for power?

    Frankly, apart from one or two, there’s completely no hope in the faces parading themselves before Kenyans in a bid to lead it. As a matter of fact, it is only Raila who has voiced anything substantive about infrastructure being the engine to fuel economic growth in the various corners of Kenya.

    Others have been singing the silly 'just work hard' song for far too long.

    Just empty suits who only see their personal power aggrandizement as befitting to lead Kenya just for the sake of being president. It seems we are stuck.

    Without infrastructure development in respective regions of Kenya, poverty and under development are here to stay with us for several generations to come.

    ReplyDelete
  10. why not just post the link you retard? not everyone gets horny by the blather from jukwaa.

    ReplyDelete
  11. b-carotene

    Blah blah blah!!! you have nothing intelligent to post here you retard and that is why when i find intelligent post. I post them here in full not by link since some retards like you don't even know how to click on links you fool!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. anon12:57 PM
    My cousin was sort of married to Jirongo, I hear you, this former YK thug is a really a full blown thieve, I wouldn't put it passed him to try to steal land from poor Kenyans.

    Someone should address it in Parliament before Xmas before new clashes start in this region engineered by the likes of Jirongo-

    kenyans do not want more land bloodshed.

    ReplyDelete
  13. anon@2:48 pm.
    I see nothing intelligent about that post, indeed it just reiterates the culture of whining that has taken over the kenyan public led by your bent version of intellectuals.
    Why not post a concrete action plan? I think I see more elements of an action plan on KK lately than this shallow, imported, verbose article offers.
    Kwenda huko!

    ReplyDelete
  14. you are right, for me it is not a big deal that mps pay tax, this guys already they are paying tax indirectly to the public. Some of them cannot break even.koros

    ReplyDelete
  15. cannot break even because they elevate their lifestyle;addtional wives bigger cars and houses and mistresses to boot.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sayra,

    I know things are changing, but will the change affect how we vote in 2012? If it doesen't, will we bring back in another set of tax evaders? That cycle is what I'm lamenting.

    ReplyDelete
  17. e-change,

    What I'm saying is that if our voters send to Parliament the man or woman of integrity, one who will tell them the truth about what he/she can do, then we'd have a Parliament of the peolpe. Till then, this circus will go on.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think that some people in kenya are just plain idle. The Mps salary is an issue that should just be let to die its a waste of time.....my take is that they should actually be payed more.
    We are focusing our attention in the wrong place, taxing them...how will you accomplish that? they make the laws.....what we need to do is make them accountable for that money......a realy efficient hard working mp actually needs more money, more support staff....part of the reason is because life in kenya is simple expensive owing to poor or none existent infrustructure......Some more developed countirs can pay their mps less becuase they can use a safe and organised public transport, telecomunication is cheap,and so on. We must never forget that kenya is very close to a failed state, we don't rank too far from a country recovering form war...lets not pretend that we are a modern contry....this is a shit hole that we have to crawl out of.
    The so called excess money that the mps get is not the solution, we need creative, progressive solutions, most of us could use our energies better lobbying the local councils.....we focus so much on our mps and some of us don't even attend PTA meetings if we started by getting together in local school, neighbourhood groups thats where the activism starts...if we engage at that level we will be effective.....one other advantage of that is our neighbourhoods are mixed and have the same concerns so tribal issues will take a back seat...its mp level politics that tribalises this country.

    Sir Alex

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sir Alex,

    When people ae starving across the nation, it's a little difficult to not see the flashy cars, designer suits and the sprawling bungalows our MPs live in. You want to give them more? What will the small man get?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Okello thats my point exactly there is no relationship between that suit and the poor guy. The poor guy is probaly poor because he/she is not empowered...there is enough to go around what he needs is a job or opportunity created and that is waht we need to fight for.....even if the mp was taxed how do you ensure that that tax money is utilised proper in such a manner that this poor guy gets to eat....?
    What we sould focus on is making sure the existing tax....which cannot do much anyway is properly used and find a way of making kenya attractive for cash injection, by forigners and kenyans who have stashed money abroad....SA did it its practicaly impossible for a south african to keep money abroad....Nothing will get this country going withough a massive cash injection and better accountability and directing of that cash...Mps tax is so tiny and irrelevant its not worth mentioning. What we need is a safe environment to invest, something predictable and stable, good infrustrcture and transparency.....lower rates on phone calls, ensure we pay less fuel and other such initiatives that people cleverer than me can come up with.....

    Sir Alex

    ReplyDelete
  21. Funny? Not funny i have never followed the convoy of my MP, I have never written to him asking for a favor (funeral expense/wedding or education fund)....Trust me i dont even know the name of my local chief, DO, councillor etc.....So why do i need a govt? If 100 Mps from somali can come and get holed yp in Kenya for a whole month and i didn't hear Somalia being shut down? So do we really need these people?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ivy there is nothing the politicos like more than to be left alone, ignored so that they continue to enrich themslevs and even worse make it unesserarily dificult for you and me to progress. Kenya belongs to a group of counrties were the populace stopped looking to those who govern them as service providers but there are some countries where citizens keep the governments on toes...and somehow they get their voices heard. The problems of kenya are so basic and solving them so un glamorous so we run from it all..hoping somehow it will solve itself and when its tries to catch up with us, off we move to other countries.....we are in trouble my dear......those with the money that can make a difference are investing in the NYSE,LSE......


    Sir Alex

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ivy,

    I take it you've never voted either? If smart people like you don't vote, guess who elects the man/woman who represents you in Parliament.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sir Alex,

    How do you kep a bunch of deaf people on toes. The problem in not with the currect crop of leaders. These are the people Kenyans elected. Kenyans are responsible for putting this bunch of loosers in Parliament. To get better leadership, this is the time to start asking the electorate to think differently. People have to think about the issues that affect them before they vote...or they should stop shedding tears when the people they elected turn out to be scoundrels. In other words, you can't plant mangos and expect to harvest oranges. Right?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Sam Okello

    I voted for the 1st time during the referendum....the 2nd time is when Kivuitu decided my vote wasn't worth counting.

    In 2007 i voted just because i was too pissed off to have garbage/rubbish shoved down my throat by "the political elite"...But a question to ask is are kenyan leaders cut from a different cloth from kenyans? Yesterday's reformers have become today's demagogues....

    Sir Alex i hear you....The most painful thing for me is that in this age....This era there are people who are earning a gross of 10-20K and they are taxed....I am wondering where Kalonzo's dream of not taxing jamaas who are earning a net of 30K and below went...Or was it hot air? I thought he was in govt....Wondering a loud who will solve kenyan problems, the kenyan way?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ivy,

    I see you've been a good citizen. I think the question that we must all answer is: What can we do to ensure Kenyans are educated enough to vote on issues and not on the vigelegele and pesa politics.

    Sometime last year, or was it this year, I heard a suggestion here at KK that a group of youthful, visionary guys were going to run in 2012, sponsored by friends and well-wishers of this authoritative blog. Could this be one of the approaches to take this problem on?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sam Okello are you in any way suggesting you are our "Obama"?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Sam Okello said

    "I heard a suggestion here at KK that a group of youthful, visionary guys were going to run in 2012, sponsored by friends and well-wishers of this authoritative blog. Could this be one of the approaches to take this problem on?"

    No....What is so special about these youthful men/women...Ababu,Kutuny,Uhuru,Ruto etc are young people...Is there anything outstanding in them? NOTHING infact i think Michuki is a better manager than all of them combined.Is is not about age, it has never been and it will never be, just because Obama is The president of US of A and he is young doesn't mean that all the 47year old in KK can make good leaders...Leaders don't come from east or west, they come from our midst, the moment they are elected...there perception changes...The day Uhuru will be the president of Kenya, that will be the day i will seek asylum.(What is it that can make me choose Uhuru? His dad's achievement? which are these things that Jomo accomplished during his reign?
    The problems we are facing right now in this country is due to Jomo Kenyatta and Moi fuatad his foot prints.

    ReplyDelete
  29. authoritative blog where people a busy calling each other matako.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Maybe just maybe we can leave the politicians do what they know best (Kelele na kuhongana) then we can have the ministries run by CEOs who are not politicians sycophants/bootlickers or cronies to run the ministry just like any other organization/company.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Ivy said,

    "...The day Uhuru will be the president of Kenya, that will be the day i will seek asylum..."

    You better seek the asylum now, Kalonzo will be the next president.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Did somebody ask if I'm suggesting I'm the Kenyan Obama? The answer is no. Do I want to be like him? The answer is yes.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ivy,

    You are right. It's not about age. How about vision?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Yes, you have mentioned it all. Fools get what they deserve.
    Kenyans, like Nigerians, love money than life.

    They follow wrong people and at last vote for the pigs. Look at Jirongo. A poor man who rose to become a billionare within a year because of YK 92. He stole all the public money which was at his disposal. One must be a pig to vote this stupid dog.

    Look at Saitoti. He has been negatively mentioned everywhere since he left teaching. This man (a multi billionare) could be the next Kenyan president. A real thug, a true thief who has now the duty to protect our lives. One must be really crazy to give him even a half a vote.

    Look at Uhuru. Inherited a murderer's blood. A multi billionare, who can not spell a Matatu. A product of impunity, tribalist No 1, doesnt know the suffering of Kenyans. Is not ready to return any single square meter his father grabbed. Is likely to be the next president. You must be really a thick pig to vote in your butcher.

    Wake up Kenyans, educate your people to elect clean leaders. Ask for development after elections and not money before erections.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Sam,

    Interesting.. you are starting to appreciate what we are up against. Yeah, the City might look cleaner but we only pushed stuff under the carpet.

    I must say that was fast!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Uhuru is NOT a butcher and he spells VERY well. And yes, this fine young man will pay for the sins of his father just like many before and after him. Deeply regrettable.
    Instead of trashing him, why dont you propose your Obama and sell him to the rest of Kenya? Is that not a more productive move? Why not spend your energies on the possibilities--or is that too much of a cultural break?

    ReplyDelete
  37. Kenyans need to spend more time thinking of WHAT CAN BE DONE AND HOW. Instead of wasting time, energy and passions on the kind of crap spewing forth from anon 4:14--what's new there anyway?

    ReplyDelete
  38. kk why not shed some light on the female NMP who's divorced her husband after her boyfriend in ODM pentagon secured her the post in the 10th parliament.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Joe,

    What are you talking about?

    ReplyDelete
  40. I think anon 4:14 has a point. The question is...is there a way to defeat these people?

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anon 4:14 P.M

    You are very right. We are to be blamed for our own woes. Uhuru can easily be voted in in 2012, in the same way as Ruto and Jirongo.

    It's time that we should all come together and start sensitizing people.... I hope this can work.

    ReplyDelete
  42. I plead ignorance. Who is this ODM MP who was put in by a boyfriend? And who was the boyfriend?

    It's Friday, guys, we can gossip a little.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Sam Okello @ 7.06, i thought u are a christian, why do you want to gossip?

    ReplyDelete
  44. anon 7:06,

    Of course I'm a Christian. Din't you know that we make some of the world's best gossipers? Now who is the woman...and who is the man?

    ReplyDelete
  45. SAM
    Yes we can!!!!! If you ask me how, then let me remind you how we defeated Moi’s regime and brought BABA down to his knees till he accepted multi party and remember we forced him to retire. If it wasn’t the mass actions carried in the streets 90’s do you think Moi could have retired from politics? I doubt. Peaceful public demonstration was the answer then and it will be answer now. That is the only voice our political leaders can hear.

    We better start organizing the first one on 12 Dec demanding not only the taxation of the Mps allowances but also cutting there salary to a half .

    Currently neither do we have the mandate to call for fresh election nor patience to wait and gamble on new leaders (potential thieves) but am sure we can force these current thieves we have elected to do what we want by putting pressure on them from the streets. With better plan and united we can force them do a lot of changes including a new constitution.
    Anyway, that is my take.

    ReplyDelete
  46. The probelm with these protests is that it's the poorest among us who always participate then the rich among us enjoy the fruits. Look at who fought to force our politicians to come to their sense after the flawed elections. Look who is enjoying the fruits while those poor chaps can't afford to put ugali on the table. If we ever call for protests again, the middle class must lead the way or forget it.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Then I ask what is stopping the middle class to lead the way?

    ReplyDelete
  48. SAM the reason as to why we (the middle and lower class) always suffer while our political leaders enjoy the fruits of our struggle is that we forget to put our leaders on course, we forget to demand what we were promised by them during election period. For example If we could have protested after Kibaki trashed the M O U or when the Rainbow coalition forgot to bring a new constitution as per their election promise, could there have been bloodshed in Kenya?

    Our major problem is that we keep waiting for the next election year to come hoping to elect better leaders.

    In a nut shell what we need is not teaching the electorate how to elect good leaders but teaching them how to demand for the election promises their leaders make.

    ReplyDelete
  49. what does middle class (in kenya)mean?

    ReplyDelete
  50. In my opinion, the middle class was that group of people who mostly rented or owned a small flat or house (most of south C, B, Harlingham,etc) have jobs, a car and basically taking their kids to school. They weren't super rich but could afford a family vacation.

    This group of people is shrinking. Their children still live at home in their 20s and 30s because life has just become too expensive to live alone.

    Pay MPs more money because we are a poor country????

    ReplyDelete
  51. Kibaki and Ruto in secret talks

    Could this be the beginning of a plot to keep leadership within the 2 communities to cover each others' nakedness?

    Cabinet minister William Ruto has been holding private consultations with President Kibaki over implementation of the Waki Report, the Saturday Nation can reveal.

    Sources familiar with the meetings said the President may have influenced the Agriculture minister’s sudden change of heart to back implementation of the report which he had earlier vehemently opposed.

    Trade minister and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is said to have attended at least two of the meetings, the last one which was held on Wednesday, the eve of the Cabinet meeting which named a 10-member team to study and set a programme of implementing the Waki recommendations on post-election violence.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I find it amazing that forty years on and numerous election cyles later we still complain of the same issues i.e. the M.P has not brought maendeleo, the M.P has forsaken us, the home coming two years later (of course financed by the MP), the M.P is too greedy and is busy amassing wealth at our expense, the M.P will ignore us until election time blah blah blah... and yet we elect either the same people or those of the same cloth again and again again... Me says, we are barking at the wrong tree, we should only only look in the mirror to see what the problem is! we are the problem, there, I said it, if we do not stop moaning, grow some b@lls and make the elected accountable, then we may as well shut up and enjoy the fruits of 2007 - 2012 vote...

    Ps. (anon 11/27/08 11:48) Could someone please explain/ describe what middle class is in the Kenyan context, and I do not mean just nairobi, provide examples covering the whole country up to and including Mandera!!

    Ken Thumbi

    ReplyDelete
  53. This is super insane.
    I have one question for every whinning Kenyan. What can we do to stop the MP who has powers over his power for money???

    ReplyDelete

Any posts breaking the house rules of COMMON DECENCY will be promptly deleted, i.e. NO TRIBALISTIC, racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive, swearing, DIVERSIONS, impersonation and spam AMONG OTHERS. No exceptions WHATSOEVER.