Also published a few minutes ago: The sins of Raila Odinga
Dear Mr President,
Let me start by congratulating you and wishing you all the best in the herculean task you have ahead of you.
I am of course aware that you have a lot on your mind just now and the subject of this letter may look like some annoying nuisance just now, but please sir, hear me out.
There are a lot of terrible things that your predecessor George W. Bush did that will take a long time to be corrected and some may never be put right at all, even in the next 1000 years.
The subject of this letter is to draw your attention to one such mistake made right here in Kenya which is going to cause serious trouble very soon if nothing is done.
I am sure that you are aware that American policies over a long time have allowed impunity to thrive in Kenya and other third world countries and this culminated in the post-election skirmishes in December 2007. As usual the Americans took the lead in solving the problem which ironically they had played the biggest role in creating. Am sure you are already aware of what I am talking about.
Now, Mr President the poor Kenyan people who voted decisively are stuck with a coalition government that they did NOT vote for. We are stuck with an American idea created to clean up a mess which the Americans heavily contributed to. This bloated cabinet and government is a huge burden to the people especially when you add the huge salaries legislators have ordained for themselves. Not to mention the fact that this coalition government has already registered itself in the annals of our history as the most corrupt ever.
The main reason for my writing you this note is that even as you read it, dark clouds are rapidly gathering in the horizon that will culminate in such a serious blood bath in Kenya that the last skirmishes where thousands died will look like Christmas party (to quote the words of a Judge Kriegler).
The Kenyan people have been able to take a lot lying down over the years however even a cowardly dog becomes extremely dangerous when it is cornered. I am afraid that is exactly where the Kenyan people are now. And this could not have happened at a worse time because there is serious hunger and famine sweeping across the country. Add that to the deep still-unresolved-wounds of December 2007 and the aftermath and you will realize, Mr President that what we have here is a keg of gunpowder and gasoline with sparks flickering only inches away.
Your administration does NOT need an extra crisis of this magnitude in Africa and I think you can take some steps early using your good office to right some of the wrongs that have been done against the Kenyan people and in the process pre-empt what could be as big a blood bath as the Rwandan problem which co-incidentally happened the last time a democrat was in the White House.
I think you need to help Kenyans return to the polls as soon as possible maybe with a foreign or international constituted body to run the elections. The truth is that Kenyans are fed up with the current crop of leaders. One really sickening thing is that they are still thinking and planning their things along tribal lines. For example a recent cabinet re-shuffle by the president illegally in power put his Kikuyu tribesman in the powerful Finance portfolio, which his opponents have correctly interpreted to mean that he is digging in for war.
I am persuaded that after your inspiring election win against all odds, Kenyans are ready to vote out their tribal chiefs and usher in a brand new generation of leaders who will make Africa proud. I think that in planning any election, efforts must be made to register as many young people to vote as possible. Sir, the youngsters of Kenya are crazy about you and I think they are ready to do something really big here in Africa.
In writing this I know you are bold and have already demonstrated that in so many ways. So let me admit that in helping out your Kenyan brothers in this problem, I am sure your critics will be many both in America and even here in Kenya. But you will be doing the right thing. I am sure. And with a strong stable new democracy in place in Kenya, it will make your work in the region a lot easier.
Good day Mr President and thank you for your time.
Also published a few minutes ago: The sins of Raila Odinga
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Who is afraid of Kenyans in the diaspora?
Go Sam Okello Go
ReplyDeleteGo Chris Go
Let me counter the argument before it comes.
People are going to give us that crap about Kenya being a sovereign nation.
Well sovereign nation my a** wen we are being raped every minute tena wen we are dry down there.
Kenya needed some outside help to get independence from the Colonialists. We now need it again to get independence from the band of thieves and tribalists who rule us.
Chris you want Uncle 'O-bomber' to read KK and come to our aid? Let us wait and as we wait, maybe I should apply for a green-card in the meantime to the land of opportunity. Kenyan political affairs have overwhelmed me! We definitely need outside assistance. There is no difference between Kenya today and Zimbabwe....this is torture!
ReplyDeleteEish! Anon 12.49, lingo!....but I totally agree with your sentiments.
:From the White House:
ReplyDeleteDesk of The President of United States of America.
: To Kumekucha, Kenyans,
The issues you have well articulated are all self inflicted wounds, which have been cultivated and entertained by the ordinary Kenyan's ignorance.
Even if fresh elections were called today, ordinary Kenyans would still elect warlords like Ruto, Ntimama etc back into power and corrupt men like Kimunya who has since been sneaked back into the dinning table through the back door.
You can also bet that the well known cabinet ministers who were arrested with prostitutes in Koinange street a few years back would be re-elected. And so would MPs involved in Maize and oil scandals and clowns like Namwamba. Serious guys like Tuju, Wangari Maathai and PLO Lumumba would be shown the door. Seriously, how can I help on that?
I note that churches in Kenya which run into thousands are always packed with believers who happen to be God fearing. But why do these same people entertain genocide as happened last year? Politicians may have incited war crimes, but it's the ordinary person who raped, looted and killed. My take is that they throng into churches to hide their evil ways and hypocrisy.
Before I even contemplate helping my father's land, maybe you people need some soul searching as a nation. Nevertheless, I wish you well as you are already aware that I have a mountain of mess to climb which was left behind by Dubya Bush.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama.
Agreed M-pesa.
ReplyDeleteThugs would still make it to power even if elections were held today. They lied to us when they said that "wakenya wameerevuka".
We don't need outside help, only we can redeem ourselves.
Check this; the government is pleading for donors to offer aid to buy food. Food which they stole! What guarantees that money from donors will not be misappropriated?
M-Pesa, you are sooooooooooo right! How does someone even start helping Kenya with leaders like the ones we elect?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to say this, but I am of the opinion that donors should STOP giving the government money and any other sort of aid! Donor money does not come cheap we pay for it dearly and every time they send it, politicians busily scheme how to steal it. Let them come and administer their programmes themselves or they stop sending that cash!
I watched TV some other time and some Americans (USAID) had sent corn only to find themselves involved in endless bureaucratic procedures at the Mombasa port and misery of all misery, the same donors could be seen lining up at NCPB after efforts to trace their corn failed completely. Surely, how do you help such a people?
Mpesa,screamer and Mama,
ReplyDeletewell said. If ordinary Kenyans still see these crop of politicians as their saviuors then they are beyond help. Its really sickening to see the hate that some posters here peddle. They are either beneficiaries of the corruption and hate or they are simply morons.
Venus
M-Pesa, Mama,
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with u people.
Ur talking history. The situation 6 months ago maybe.
But now everything has changed. Do you know how hungry people are in Central province? Do u know wat they are saying?
I have fasted successfully for 40 days. To understand why Kenyans have changed, just go hungry for 2 days!!! 2 days only.
Ur thinking is transformed. Too many Kenyans are hungry just now.
That's why we need elections NOW. Don't worry about hand outs and their effects on the vote. Just ask the immediate former MP for Kathiani Kaindi Kyalo he will tell you. And Kathiani is one of the most backward, poverty stricken constituencies in the country.
Kumekucha
Dear Mr.President,
ReplyDeletei would also like to extend my congratulations to you on your becoming president of the USA however i feel that you should stay out and indeed keep right out of the inner working of Kenya's internal affairs!
"chriso" we are the ones who got ourselves into this mess and we're the only ones that can get ourselves out of it!its unfortunate that America had to get involved in the middle of things and its even more unfortunate they played the part of a partial referee in deciding on our matters but may i remind you-USA are not the ones who rigged an election, neither did they loot and kill our people-we did that, and for that we have to pay the price!
How convenient us Kenyans think! no one else is interested in us and our myriad of problems-we had better learn to stop putting blame on others and bite the bullet-we seek outsiders help when it is convenient however we shun them when it is convenient
i hope we never get any more "help" from foreigners again so we learn our lesson-when you make your bed you lie in it don't try and get someoneone else to sleep in it with you
As usual Kumekucha commentators are shooting their mouths first and asking questions later.
ReplyDeleteJoe the choma man, you obviously do not know who helped Kibaki rig and one of the first foreign countries to congratulate him on his "win"
The "hidden hand" of foreigners is very much to blame all over Africa. Do you know the real situation in Congo? Who helped keep Moi in power for 24 years?
Dear President Obama,
ReplyDeletePlease do not listent to Chris.
My prayer is that we be fenced-off like a zoo so that we don't spread the fleas of self-mismanagement to our neighbors. With time, we should either pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, or be allowed to perish from the surface of the earth. And if we perish, there should be a marker placed upon our grave saying we chose death instead of life, we worshipped our leaders and deserved what we got!
I hate Raila
ReplyDeleteI hate Raila
I hate Raila
I hate Raila
I HATE RAILA ODINGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris,
ReplyDeleteHow do you expect Obama to save us from his Ka-Chini, Raila Odinga. This is what Kenya Times quoted Raila as saying in Kibera this Sunday:
"... the PM cautioned the media against blowing issues out of proportion on the pretext of unearthing corrupt dealings in the country. Said he: "Although we are committed to press freedom, the media should exhibit responsibility and stop misleading Kenyans by propagating propaganda on graft deals."
The media is getting to cloose to his family scandals for his comfort. Forget the story of his son and maize going to Southern Sudan - that is just an appetizer. The Triton Oil scandal is where the Odinga's family main course is. The people are just focussing on those who released the oil to Triton from storage irregularly. The main story is where the pressure to release came from and who were the main retailers who benefitted from the released oil, and whether those retailers paid even a single penny to Triton. The son of Oburu is one of them; the other is Raila's son, and Raila himself. And this is not to mention that Raila's sister had brokered three months ealier the same oil to Triton in the high seas - 200 miles off Mombasa.
Na mambo bado!!!! The template is to create, like Moi sons, a team of monied sons called Luo Princes (LPs my friend calls them). And these LPs must be minted in a hurry while the Coalition stands.
Before Obama sends his marines, if ever, against his Ka-Chini, the rape of Kenya by these ravenous hyenas will be over. It is only us who can stop this nonsense!
Anon@2:48
ReplyDeletedoesn't matter whether or not i know who helped who do what where and when
now that you know so much about who is doing what with whom tell me how has that knowledge made Kenya a better place?
it is people like you who would do just exactly what MPESA@1:25am said
anyway, i congratulate you on knowing about Congo, Moi etc. lets see you use your knowledge to take away provide food to central province-or is the hand of foreigners also behind the starving people?
Obama has no time for kenyas stupid politics ya watoto.
ReplyDeleteAnon 3.01,
ReplyDeleteits okey to hate Raila so long as the reason is not because he is a luo.The same way it is okey to hate Kibaki and any other selfish politician not because of their tribes but their deeds.
Venus
Many ODM sycophants have fed us with a diet of half-baked facts and figures that are conspicuously a set of lies agreed upon. For example ODM claims they won the elections, probably they did, but can they prove it? I think it would be easier to prove they lost than to prove they won. But that not withstanding, and I appreciating that the polls were marred by irregularity, I must admit that not to oppose error is to approve it, but worse, not to defend truth is to suppress it.
ReplyDeleteSo justice ought to be done here. ODeMons must GO!!
Churches in Kenya which run into thousands are always packed with believers who claim to be God fearing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, their collective behavior tells a very different and sad story. Why do these same people entertain and support the STEALING of elections, corruption, fraud and deceit. My take is that they throng into churches to hide their evil ways and hypocrisy.
Before I even contemplate helping my father's land, maybe you people need some soul searching as a nation. As you are already aware that I have a mountain of mess to climb which was left behind by Bush.
Kenyans, get your act together! Stop the HYPOCRISY, FRAUD, DECEPTION and THEFT.
Barack Obama.
Kenyans, you are your own WORST ENEMIES. You have no one to blame for your crazy problems. Kenyans, get your act together! Stop the HYPOCRISY, FRAUD, DECEPTION and THEFT.
ReplyDeleteAnd, again, STOP LIVING A LIE.
Barack Obama.
Choma man give us a break. Bush is to blame as far as the condoned rigging, subsequent announcing of doctored results,twilight swearing ceremony of the thief-in-chief and of the "coalition government" proposal. Raila should have stood his ground and not given in. They are now both in government and since they are both looting the coffers, no one can cry foul! This is impunity at his best and the sky is the limit for these characters.
ReplyDeleteKenyans should not expect any special treatment from the Administration of Barack Obama. You have to stop your HYPOCRISY, FRAUD, DECEPTION, THEFT and CORRUPT ways that start all the way from the top (Kibaki) to the bottom (the average Kenyan Mwanainchi) before he even considers just even giving you guys a glance. You are an embarrassment to him!
ReplyDeleteWhere are those loud mouths who used to shout themselves hoarse here how Raila is the anointed one,the Moses to lead his people from 'misri' to canaan,the bridge from the evils of the past to the prosperous future.We used to hate Moi,but it galls me to realize the old man could have been so right,some people should never be let anywhere near power!
ReplyDeleteChris, talk is very cheap my dear. Are you willing to bet good money that in the next elections the good residents of Eldoret North are not going to elect Ruto? And Langatarians will not elect RAO? Likewise are you willing to bet good money Fred Gumo will not make it to Westlands na Gatundu-South MP the same?
ReplyDeleteSadly, the way I have seen, Kenyans will always be Kenyans. As our good friend Phil has reminded us in the previous post.....RAO tainted with corruption or not....still enjoys a 65% backing from sampled Kenyans. I wonder why?
KK, why should a principled, iconic intellect like President Obama give your lazy thinking the time of day? Why should he pay attention and look down at you from Gods intellectual mountain peaks at a mkokoteni thinker pushing a jalopy of tribal bigotry and resentment deep in the gorge of hypocrisy and hate, and who goes on to foolishly implore his help on the basis of being a victim of the very vice he practices?
ReplyDeleteFor your information, Obama is now getting previously classified high quality Country intelligence reports from up to 14 Intelligence organisations for every Nation on earth where there are US interests including Kenya. He does not get intelligence from Kogelo or from ODM, and most especially NOT from Raila anymore. As a matter of fact, you can be sure he is very probably getting eye popping revelations on the true nature of the ODM beast, its evil, malevolent leadership and their pitifully ignorant followers.
To then appeal to Obama's sense of fairness while posturing as a victim of tribalism, but then betraying your romance with it at the same time by complaining that Kibaki has appointed a 'Kikuyu' finance Minister, is truly foolish. By inference, Obama would be right to conclude that even if that post was competitively sourced for and won by a Kikuyu, you would still have a problem with that, as if Kikuyus are lesser Kenyans. Do you now see the flaw in your warped thinking? Bure Kabisa.
Dear Kenyans,
ReplyDeleteI have a dream that one day you will remove the blindfold placed on you by your tribal politicians and see issues as they are. That you will wake up to the realization that government is not the solution, government is the problem. Kenyans, we have to seek ways and means to remove this corrupt goverment called the GCG, its a waste of taxpayers money and very useless. While at it Kenyans, why can't we remove 99% of these leaders in an election? And the sooner the better.
The constitution should be ammended so that only university graduates are allowed to vote. The masses need to be saved from themselves by being disenfranchised.
ReplyDeleteYou see, if I was the chairman of say, the Kenya Medical Association or the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, I cannot dare take members for a ride. But if I was an MP, I can take my constituents for a ride and get away with it since the masses, like children, need to be saved from themselves. If there was democracy in a household, then the kids would vote overwhelmingly to watch telly the whole day, to each junk food only, not to shower, etc.
Even if my constituents don't re-elect me, I'd pocket KSh 72m over 5 years (KSh 1.2m x 60 months) which is more than enough to retire on and spend my days deep-sea fishing in Watamu.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Only university graduates allowed to vote? Jamani leo kuna mambo ama mambo?
ReplyDeleteLet me tweak my earlier suggestion (anon @ 11.44am) kidogo. The constitution should be amended so that only the following citizens can vote.
ReplyDelete1. Graduates from recognized universities.
2. People who qualify to join a recognized university.
3. Students at recognized universities.
That way, we don't shut out people like pilots and some CPAs who never went to campo despite obtaining good high school grades, and campo students.
Kenyans are ripe for a revolution and a clean slate. Raila, Kibaki, Ruto, Karua..wote. OLD NEWS! Kenyans wake up and take action before we become a basket case country!!!!!
ReplyDeleteanon 1/26/09 12:25 PM,
ReplyDeleteUniversities like Harvard which I went to and obtained 2 PHDs.
We should only allow voting to all those with who went to Harvard.
ama UXrlnc?
Raila's current trend is very worrying, he seems to be very intolerant. Surely a leader should be able to take some criticism without going around threatening media houses. I think we should vet him first as a PM before we can even think of him being the president; I have a feeling we have not seen his true colors yet.
ReplyDeleteI have seen some very stupid graduates do some very stupid things despite the masters and phd's
ReplyDeleteThe idea to have only graduates voting would lock out more than half of Kenyans and create big problems of exclusion. The American founding fathers (sorry, no women!) faced exactly the same problem of uneducated masses. The solution: open up an environment of freely flowing ideas so that people can get as much information as possible from all political sides. This is lacking in Kenya. For example, candidates cannot campaign freely in Kenya for fear of antagonizing rival communities. We have ODM zones, PNU zones, KANU zones, etc. That is how politicians take advantage of people, making them beleive that other Kenyans are their enemies
ReplyDeleteThe idea of graduates only voting is ludicrous. Just can't work. Have you ever seen SONU elections at the university of Nairobi? There Luos vote for Luos, Kikuyus for Kikuyus, its other tribes that have no candidates and those who share no tribal affiliations that break the deadlock. Ant these are the people you are willing to bet on to choose leaders?
ReplyDeleteWhat we need is to classify voters according to level of education. One pool will have those without any formal education, next those with basic (primary school education), next high school dropouts, next those with a college degree or diploma, next the postgraduate degree and professionals. Then design a system on how they can effectively participate in an election. Or if need be come up with an electoral college.
Sereast says,
ReplyDeleteWhat we need is to classify voters according to level of education. One pool will have those without any formal education, next those with basic (primary school education), next high school dropouts, next those with a college degree or diploma, next the postgraduate degree and professionals. Then design a system on how they can effectively participate in an election. Or if need be come up with an electoral college
In this case, would we still be a democracy? Isn't it better to educate Kenyans instead of disenfranchising those we have failed as a nation?
Talking of education, why do we recruit our teachers from the bottom third of the graduating class and expect our graduates (at whatever level) to be world class?
Fellow Kenyans, it is time we stopped doing the same bad things and expecting different results. We MUST wake up and do something about it.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe constitution should be ammended so that only university graduates are allowed to vote. The masses need to be saved from themselves by being disenfranchised.
Comment:
Well said. This view is informed by the idea that there is a difference between an educated and an illiterate African.
We disagree. There is no difference between an educated and illiterate African.
the age limit for voting should be 16 yrs because most of these youngsters are in constant clash with old timer mentality. If not all youth should turn out to vote as their masses surpass the old generation. NB this wont work on a rigged election
ReplyDeleteJust compare organizations like Kenya Medical Association (KMA) and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) on the one hand, and land buying companies (LBCs) on the other. Why do KMA and ICPAK run so well while LBCs have so much drama?
ReplyDeleteThe members of KMA and ICPAK are well educated so it's difficult for officials to take them for a ride. As for LBCs, the members tend to be poorly educated so it's fabulously easy for an official to sucker them.
So long as we have universal suffrage like India, we shall remain wretched like India. Just read up on post-independence India and Singapore in Wikipedia and you'll see that for rapid economic growth over several decades, we need a semi-democracy like in Singapore.
That's why it's important that only people who are MORE difficult to sucker are allowed to vote. I propose the following.
1. Graduates from recognized universities.
2. People who qualify to join a recognized university.
3. Students at recognized universities.
Of course it's not impossible to con an MIT PhD holder. Just look at the Madoff $50bn scam. I'm just saying it's much more difficult to sucker an MIT PhD holder than a Std 4 dropout.
Kenyan
Nairobi