Kibaki Outsmarts Kenya’s Timid Media

Also published a few hours ago: Chris on Kibaki's embarassing press conference

Give it to President Kibaki. In one smart TEARFUL move he masked the joy of KCSE candidates and most importantly deflected attention from quarrelsome ODM demanding reinstatement of political conjugal rights without any marriage in the first place.

But the real LOSERS were the Kenyan press who failed to strike the iron when it was red hot. They failed pierce the soft under belly with KILLER QUESTIONS. The first question asking Kibaki the basis of his clarification that he had only one wife was smart but the reporter failed to nail it with a follow up that would have smoked the visibly agitated Kibaki.

Kibaki's press conference was about one Mary Wambui whose name was not even mentioned in passing. The Kenyan media failed to in an empty goal. They allowed Lucy to chaperon and goad them while silently smarting from her visible threats. Even after inadvertently accepting raiding Nation Media House the press fell for her plastic tears instead of asking her to confirm if she would actually re-enact another attack on KTN.

Our so-called journalists refused to think outside the box. They went to Kibaki’s press conference with a prepared script and shamelessly stuck to thinking in one direction. The killer question would have been asking the president point blank WHO IS MARY WAMBUI. Asking Kibaki if as a head of state he knew Mary Wambui and the state security she enjoys would have left him and his handlers exposed.

Predictably Kibaki would have ducked that question just like he feigned ignorance of the genesis of his artificial foul mood. But an array of smart journalists would have outfoxed him with follow-up questions on whether Winnie wa Mwai was her daughter. That would have now worked up both Kibaki and Lucy to force them into releasing some unpleasant truths albeit unknowingly.

Unimaginative press
The media failed to expand the agenda of the rare press conference. Having denied knowledge of the genesis of his anger, this was the golden opportunity to speak for the masses and exorcist the Grand Regency, Oil and Maize ghosts. But alas the myopic cameras could only flash the familiar faces and missed watering the most fertile ground for a SCOOP in an unrehearsed honest answer.

The media simply played into Kibaki’s hands when he showed emotions to mask the facts. Politics is not meant for the faint hearted and if you cannot stand the heat you vacate the kitchen. Seasoned journalists would have disabused Lucy of her crocodile tears.

We have surely perfected the art of living national lies and made it our pastime. A lie repeated several times must mutate to truth according Kibaki. Otherwise why would a whole president call three press conferences in as many years to deny his own blood and wife?