Is Raila’s Life Really in Danger From Terrorists?

Politics is a dirty game, they say. The main reason why they say this is that many times the end justifies the means when it comes to decision making in politics. Meaning that a politician will do anything to win an election and the same for their survival. And when I say "anything" I mean anything in the full sense of the word.

The local media made a curious report yesterday which appears in today’s dailies. We are told that the police are on a high alert over a terror attack threat on Prime minister Raila Odinga. We are told that terrorist kingpins are upset over Kenya’s continued support to America in their fight against terror. We are even told the exact nature of the planned attack (something unheard of when it comes to terror attacks). It is said that the evil plotters plan to bring down a helicopter that the PM will be traveling in.

Of course it is possible that terrorists have suddenly gotten extremely rusty and have allowed information on their exact plans to filter out (when we know even the people carrying out the terror missions never have the full details until the last possible minute). But it is also possible that this whole thing is a hoax designed to achieve certain political objectives.

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All my warning bells went off when I read this report and further inquiries amongst those who understand this business concurred with me. Terrorist are first and foremost politicians and the current situation in world politics with a brand new administration in Washington is NOT conducive to a terror attack anywhere in the world just now. To make matters worse the man sitting inside the White house now has a Muslim name “Hussein” and is much admired amongst a vast majority of the people whom terrorists will always seek sympathy from for their heinous actions.

Then to target Kenya just now would not make any sense at all. Further it is imperative to note that one of the reasons why the Americans got very nervous about a Raila Odinga presidency stemmed from the fact that his presidential bid received enormous support from a number of Arab countries. This makes it very difficult for me to believe that terrorists would want to target the PM of all people, even if they wanted to carry out an attack on Kenyan soil.

So what would the possible motive of this curious report be?

Every politician knows that public sympathy is an extremely powerful weapon. It wins elections and can magically turn the tide of public opinion. There are many examples where politicians the world over have used sympathy to win public support but let me give an amazing example from a neighbouring country.

When president Jakaya Kikwete was running for the presidency in 2005 on a CCM ticket, a curious incident happen during a public meeting in Dar-es-salaam. It was clear even at that point that Kikwete was going to win. But his handlers probably wanted to leave nothing to chance. So the presidential candidate was invited to speak and he just said a few words and then fell and passed out in full view of TV cameras and the mammoth crowd. Later he held a press conference to say he was okay and was probably just a little tired. He also added that he had been fasting. I was in Tanzania at the time and I can tell you the mood of the country changed dramatically after this drama and in the end rather than winning my a simple majority, Kikwete won the presidential vote with a staggering over 90% of the vote.

We know that politically Raila Odinga is struggling at the moment. Indeed he has entered the political struggle of his life. Some analysts even say that he is finished politically.

If we take these facts and put them next to the alleged terror scare on his life, things begin to make a little sense.

Because after all, any serious security person will tell you that it is a big mistake to reveal the fact that you are aware of an attack on a person you are protecting. The best policy would be to pretend that you have no idea. That way you will be more prepared. In the Kenyan situation we are even telling the terrorists that the PM will now be using military helicopters which are harder to target. Wow!!!!

Why Kibaki And Raila Must Go

What is ODM? What is PNU? What do those strange abbreviations mean?

There was a time in the 10th parliament when things were pretty predictable. If ODM voted in a certain direction, you would be sure that PNU would vote in the opposite direction. So if the two principals wanted something done they rallied their troops and then came to parliament and everybody would obediently rubber stamp what they wanted done. That is how the crucial Anan bills were passed in record time.

Now all that is ancient history. The only place where people are still divided along those old party lines is here in Kumekucha. Go out and talk to the Kenyan people on the ground and you will quickly discover that "ODM" and "PNU" are very very dirty words these days.

Yesterday the 10th parliament embrassed the two principals by defeating a constitutional amendment bill in their faces, whose intention was to establish a local tribunal to try post-election violence suspects. Some MPs have been heard saying that Raila and Kibaki should prepare themselves for more nasty surprises and embarassments. This was only kionjo.

I hardly ever agree with what Mutula Kilonzo says. However what he said yesterday I agree with 1000%. He said that Kibaki and Raila should now resign because their troops have lost all confidence in them. Mutula was being kind because what we saw in parliament was a clear message from the people of Kenya. They are tired of impunity and they want justice. They want big names behind bars for their crimes and they do not not trust the local justice system. And most of all they are tired of the grand coalition government.

I would go further and say that a government as divided as the grand coalition government is at the moment is a serious threat to our national security. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for us to approach the threats against our country with a divided multi-agenda-laden cabinet? What kind of things to these guys get involved in individually in private to further their own selfish motives?

If Kibaki and Raila really loved mama Kenya, they would heed Mutula's call and resign right away, paving way for us to look for a way to hold general elections ASAP.

Fresh elections are the only way we can avert disaster which hangs like a dark and persistent cloud over our country.

Let me end by saying that the way the politics in Kenya is shaping up, anything can happen and the 10th parlaiment looks like the parliament most likely to move a successful vote of no confidence in this government and thus send themselves back to the electorate for a fresh mandate. Naturally any MP who appends their name on such a motion would guarantee their place in the 11th parliament.

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Lest you take comments in Kumekucha too seriously;

What I said 2 weeks ago;

Excerpts;

It is sad reading through the comments in this blog daily where well-educated Kenyans are still thinking in terms of PNU and ODM (and the gods they worship, namely Kibaki and Raila) when the vast majority of Kenyans have already moved on. More so when it looks like even most legislators have moved away from those tribal groupings as was seen yesterday in parliament...

Of great interest are the new political re-alignments that are now emerging and more interestingly the motivation behind them...

Many other legislators who had nothing to do with the post-election troubles have a lot to gain by blocking the bill and causing all the suspects to end up at the Hague. It will obviously eliminate a lot of the competition for their grand ambitions.

I doubt whether most of the political class conecerned slept well last night. You see the game plan was to have a local tribunal and then intimidate all the witnesses from coming to give evidence (already a number of key Waki witnesses have received death threats). Now it seems that the Hague beckons for sure...

What a Kumekucha commentator said about the post;

Anonymous said...

Chris, Please come back from fairy land. The bill will be passed and there will be a local tribunal.

Read the full post Here

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Between the Rock and the Deep Blue Sea

Which Way For Confused Kenyans; Hague Or Local Tribunal?

It was fairly easy for some nasty Kenyans to fuel the horrors of the post election violence in Januray 2008 by inciting angry Kenyans and by paying for the chaos to happen. Sadly it is proving to be extremely complex to get justice for the dead, raped, maimed and traumatized folks who through no fault of their own will carry terrible scars for the rest of their lives.

My heart goes out to all those Kenyans in agony over this frustrating turn of events.

For those of us who wait for the foreign ambassadors and heads of mission to speak first before we form an opinion on anything, it has been particularly difficult and confusing time as most locally based envoys seem to favour a local tribunal over taking the cases to the Hague.

Then there has been all the technical issues of entrenching bills in the constitution and votes in parliament that cannot be taken due to lack of quorum.

Well, I love to simplify complex stuff and so let us cut to the chase of this matter in a few brief sentences.

It is true that if all the cases to try post election perpetrators ended up at the Hague it would take ages. Decades actually. Conservative estimates put it at 15 years but most likely it could easily go over 20 years for many of the major suspects to be tried and hopefully convicted.

It is true that a local tribunal would take a much shorter time. However knowing the Kenyan judicial system it is NOT unrealistic to estimate that a suspect with the right crafty “well connected” lawyers can keep the thing in court for over 15 years (ask Brother Paul Pattni of Goldenberg fame for tips on this).

My view is that a local tribunal would be a big waste of time and taxpayers money. We just need to look at what has happened in the past in this country even in big criminal cases to pass the accurate verdict that justice in Kenya is extremely selective and notorious for being "bent" to favour the rich and powerful over the poor ordinary folk. Those foreign envoys and civil society guys pushing for a local tribunal are in dreamland. Kenya bado mapabano.

So what would be the solution?

Glad you asked.

The way forward would be for us to go to the Hague for now. Even if it takes 100 years. At least victims have a fighting chance that their unborn ancestors will be around to one day reap the satisfaction of finally receiveing justice.

Of great urgency are fresh elections?

What do fresh elections have to do with the post election justice issue?

Well it is very simple. What we have in Kenya now is a case where some suspected violent robbers and key suspects are acting as consultants in the manner in which they will be tried and making all the rules and laws that will control their trials. So what do you expect?

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Kumekucha titbits: Laptops get dropped all the time. Did you know that this can easily cause your hard drive to crash with vital data and information trapped inside? Hard disk recovery in Kenya exists and could be your only option if such an eventuality emerged.
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Is it surprising that one of the popular clauses on both sides of the house currently that is being pushed for is the ridiculous idea of having suspects continue to serve in public offices until proven guilty. The suspects of course already know that it will take decades for their cases to be determined and are looking at maybe two terms as a cabinet minister as the case continues. Incidentally this is another reason why some of the same suspects are pushing for the cases to go to the Hague where they will obviously take longer.

So we need an election to rid us of as many of these nasty characters as possible. While it is true that many of the undesirables will still find their way back to parliament, the truth is that there is enough evidence on the ground to suggest that a vast majority of them would shockingly be sent home if an election were held today. Hopefully the next government will be in a much better position to seek swifter justice for post election victims.

The second reason is that Kenyans are keen to halt the current massive stealing going on with the grand coalition government. Not only that. The expenses to "keep this monstrr fed” are crippling the country’s economy and well-being. So it is very urgent that the grand coalition government goes ASAP. Hopefully the ridiculous project of building the Prime Minister an office whose cost will ultimately touch the one billion shilling mark can be halted.

So despite all the many obstacles that stand in the way, a general election is a very urgent issue in Kenya just now.

P.S. A blogger gave us an amazing insight yesterday about how virtually every single presidential election we have had in Kenya since the advent of multi-partyism has forced the Kenyan people into a protest vote. It is very important that this time round we avoid this situation and the way to do it is to seek possible candidates early.

Khalwale’s Sinister Populist Agenda, Playing Politics with People’s Lives.

Guest Post: By Denis Otingo-Onyango

Also published earlier today: Open Letter To Phil of Kumekucha



Last weekend Nation’s article ‘Khalwale: Is he a political gun for hire or reformist?' was very catchy in its title on the backdrop of the ‘Unga Saga’ proceedings but was less intriguing to read though after fulfilling a much punier task of deciphering what the subjected Member of Parliament stands for or represents. In my humble view, he is not a political gun for hire but the ‘new-kid-on-the Populist Political block’ without any real reform agenda. Even more sinister, he can be viewed as a pretending reformer but for popularity sake but at the expense of the deeply vulnerable and clinically disenchanted Wananchi. I might be wrong but spare me your judgement before reading this.

At least now it's official. Let all the media outlets and the public be warned that "Political Populism” of the eighties is back with a big bang and it’s the new flavour in politics, and the Unofficial Opposition is lapping it up. Clouding the citizenry with mixed feelings also in the process, because the "populist" stories have a perennial quality in style and rhetoric but however leaves one wanting if you are in search for true substance. It’s more about grabbing the next headline and making news than speaking for the downtrodden in bid of real reforms, and doing so with anyone or anything whose appeal ‘seems’ down home, down to earth or down market right. Khalwale has not stolen anybody’s show, apart from Kalembe Ndile, Wafwoli Bwakwoli and Ramadhan Kajembe. He is effectively the new Martin Shikuku and Kamau-wa- Nyoike hecklers type but only just without a bow-tie. His Budalangi counterpart has chosen a pocket handkerchief rather than a bow tie.

Notwithstanding, the unofficial opposition and with its new ‘political populism’ as championed by Khalwale, Bwafwoli, Namwamba and et al have been fortunate to have gigantic scandals like Grand Regency and The Unga Saga play into their hands promising great hopes to the oppressed of possible breaking of the yoke of Poverty institution. If they could have fully capitalized on them in their submissions and deployed the stick ability endurance in a seeking to convert them to bold Bills that can bring amendments and subsequently fundamental reforms. Comparatively with what presidents have been impeached about in similar other cases are realistically whimsical in proportions compared with our sagas.

The Maize Scandal in retrospect is an example of classic case that exposes the ‘Populist Politics’, here Khalwale and Co failed to see the inextricable link between ‘Ugali’ hunger of the common voiceless mwananchi they claim to speak on behalf with the Sangwachan Tanker Disaster only to let the culprits of other sagas that have taken bread out the hand of suffering like Kroll Saga and Anglo Leasing go and lecture peoples on totally peripheral issues on how to avoid similar catastrophes. I’m sorry these people do not know the pain of losing a loved one and not to have a grave to remember them with because of poverty and they should leap back into their choppers of X-4’s back to their palatial homes. A ‘Sangchangwan Bill’ would have been a progressive populism move of forcing the government to renew its commitment in fighting endemic graft that is killing its citizens with poverty, luring some of them to death like a mouse to a mousetrap. The sub-sections of the bill would suggest that, it would be a criminal offence punishable with two years imprisonment if one is found guilty of trying to siphon petrol from a Tanker illegally because the thought of serving a term might give one hind sight with the care of their loved ones in mind.

In ‘The Grand Regency Saga’ and ‘The Kimunya must go’ rendition, Khalwale in my view did not fair better than the state house draft players live alone some other chess players. He could not predict the shuffling of the furniture and his unrepentant return as if to say ‘Kwani uta do?’ meaning ‘I don’t care attitude’. With apparent signs of sending Kimunya packing, Khalwale preferred glorying in stealing the show from Bwafwoli Wakoli and his new title of the ‘Bullfighter’ from Ikolomani than considering fully the implications of his motives whether it’s about publicity or reforms. If it was for the latter rather than the former, he could have checkmated the government by tabling a positive ethnic discrimination bill for the any further appointments to the sensitive Finance docket in the spirit of New Accord and the desperation for healing following the events of last year. In my opinion with this second example, Dr.Khalwale is like a wicked Gynaecologist inducing labour in a birth process and walks away leading to still baby deaths’. He and his cohorts have lacked a hot headed analysis that can confront a national decline from top-down with all their ugly manifestations.

In a more pragmatic sense, may be some of these ‘new populists politicians’ like Gitobu Imanyara yearn to begin the kind of broad-gauged assault on the status quo as the real reformers of our historical past in the seventies and eighties such as the ‘Seven Bearded sisters’ George Anyona, Koigi Wamwere, Mwashengu-wa-Mwachofi and James Aggrey Orengo just to mention a few. They had a genuine concern about the paupers and the gap their opulent ‘masters’ lived in and did not stop at anything or anybody. They were fearless bullfighters who were not shy on taking the state machinery head on even with detention gates within sights. Here the begging question is , where is the ‘Unofficial Opposition’ party's comprehensive critique of the delay of Agenda 4--not just the wild indifferent delay but the corrupted nature of it that has left all the state security apparatus in the hands of an elite Kenyan society. It’s a factual statement that such state machinery is the primary sustenance of inept leadership with all manner of ‘Muppet Show’ presidents like in our neighbouring African countries.

Nowadays, ''power to the people'' is a slogan used even by both Microsoft and I.B.M. and '' a man of the people'' by a man who with his several wives cannot go without his favourite ‘Ugali’ and ‘mrenda’ usually has a sarcastic inflection. Dr Khalwale was reported in the article as a staunch opponent of taxation of MPs’ perks. He was also quoted to be s saying that such a move would render legislators “as poor as their constituents’’. I rest my case, this is tentatively playing politics with people’s lives and leaving the historic meaning of reform politics corrupting and trivializing it with as a sentimental oddity known as ‘New populism’ invoked by the press and embraced by powerful interests operatives. They are not any different from Newt Gingrich and George Galloway of western world’s politics who leapt at any ‘hot potato’ media issues to be relevant with the latter even going to a greater length of dining and seizing a photo opportunity with Saddam the tyrant.

The ‘Progressive Populism’ which I subscribe to is exemplified by the Obama’s ’08 Movement; it was creative and robustly defiant of the entrenched power. Giving hope to the disillusioned people in their bleakest of circumstances and with their five, ten dollars, they forged their own politics and audaciously took on the Washington’s establishment and Wall Street. Setting their eyes on the ‘big price’ and armed with one solid agenda that was ultimately going to change their nation. It was rich in big ideas about how they were going to use government to protect their society from further depredations of concentrated wealth and corporate power. They then incorporated the intellectual seedbed of socialist scholars like David Axelor to influencing the change agenda with tangible health, social and economic justice policies. Climaxing with a delivery strategy that culminated to the ‘New America’ they are now experiencing.

Hey, let us be warned, these ‘new populist politicians’ are just talking as if they might actually do something for the common folks. How quaint or daft, it is all ‘domo’ meaning rhetoric and impossible in our current political system that is accustomed to serving a particular interest. If they are absolutely serious, they should stop these media antics or risk being branded as ‘‘wild-eyed, rattle-brained fanatics'' or disparage demagogues hecklers without any concept of sustainable strategy. They should then start advocating for the breaking of the corporate power, the chief perpetrator of the quagmire we have found ourselves in with a ‘hands-tied-in-the-back boxer’ Prime Minister Raila Odinga as graphically describe by the former Anti-Graft tsar and an Oxford Scholar John Githongo.

The writer is a UK Based Kenyan, Progressive Populist Political Activist.

Open letter to Phil Of Kumekucha

My dear brother and fellow lover of the motherland,

I hope this note finds you well. You are lost. It is so long since you did a post and I have been wondering what is wrong.

Let me start by stating once again that I sincerely have the deepest respect for you. I can assure you that if the situation was otherwise, I would not have bothered to pen this note to you. Am sure many oldies will agree with me that you did an excellent job leading up to (and after) the botched up presidential elections of 2007.

I read your latest reply to my previous post and it worries me to no end for various reasons.

You said;

Yes Bwana Chris, Ruto must Go, but for God’s sake Kiraitu Murungi Must Stay! Right?
Now where did you get that one? My position, I thought, was clear. The whole LOT should go home. To be honest I have no idea why Kiraitu is in the cabinet in the first place. The latest Triton scandal is just a confirmation that this is a man who has no business being responsible for a cattle dip project, let alone a multi-billion ministry that is vital to the country.

If you have been following the saga of maize in this country, you would not be make such outrageous claims as you have made today. Whatever happened to the real authentic Kumekucha who towered above all blogs including mainstream media?

Obviously, Chris - like thousands of many other clueless (and ohhh yes voteless) diasporans, you have chosen to be drafted into that club which believes that bashing ODM and its leaders will take away the problems bedevilling this country. How sad and unfortunate. As far as I can see bashing ODM only increases web page hits!

To begin with, according to Kumekucha jungle laws, Kenyan ministers are now supposed to resign because there was once Kimunya’s censure motion in parliament which was successful and that he went ahead and resigned. How laughable!


Laughable? Is it? What happened to the old fearless Phil I knew? Are you now siding with known thieves like Ruto? For what purpose? To keep ODM intact so that Raila Odinga becomes the next president? Tut! Tut!

I have a theory my brother. I believe you love Kenya with all your heart, the only problem is that you love Raila more.

And I also believe that the biggest political mistake Raila has ever made is to fail to realize that Kenyans did not vote for him in 2007, they voted against Kibaki. With kibaki out of the picture this time round, things will be very different I assure you. By the way I also voted for Raila but I love Kenya more.

What is amazing is NOT that it has taken so long for someone to come up with the idea of sending Ruto home. What is actually amazing is that Chris imagines 10 million Kenyans are starving because Ruto purportedly sold two million bags of strategic grain reserves (SGR)! It is truly a pity Chris because if you would have taken time to research a bit deeper you would have discovered that ;

One – Kenya depends 100% on rain fed agriculture. In this era of global warming and unpredictable weather patterns, this was the first major cock-up of the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki regimes. It is as if Ruto is God the almighty so as to dictate how the weather will be in Kenya!
Two – the current food shortage was predicted as far back as 2007 (yes the election year), but Kibaki and the then Agriculture minister Kipruto arap Kirwa were so busy night running and dancing PNU songs to imagine Kenyans would need food in beyond 2008.

You are right my brother. What I admire about you is the research you apply to many topics before you write. However I put it to you that you are completely ignoring other pertinent facts here. There is actually a lot that Ruto, Raila and Kibaki would have done in March last year which would have helped things a great deal. I mean any primary school child would have told you after the post election troubles that there was going to be a serious food crisis in the country. Have you forgotten those TV clips of maize being burnt? And everybody knows that farming activities have not gone back to normal in Kenya’s bread basket.

But the problem is that Ruto, your beloved Raila and Kibaki should NOT be leaders in Kenya because they are utterly irresponsible and selfish. What were they doing forming a bloated cabinet that is costing us a fortune when they should have been making arrangements in March last year (not now!!!! Surely!!!) to ensure that no single Kenyan (the folks who lined up for hours to vote for them) would die of starvation.

So my answer is that while Ruto cannot control the weather, he should have planned ahead otherwise he has no business being in-charge of the ministry of agriculture. Let us not even go into the maize scandal for now.

Three – and perhaps most importantly, the SGR was just 2 million bags. How on earth Chris was this going to be enough to feed 10 million starving Kenyans, even if it was to be distributed for free to deserving cases?

Four – Of the total 2million bags of the SGR, 1.6 million bags was sold to millers and 0.4million to the so called individuals including the First Lady Lucy Kibaki trading as Gangilly Kenya Ltd (jangili kweli). What is unlawful about this to warrant the resignation of the Agriculture Minister? The fact of the matter is that the SGR was released to the market late last year in a cabinet approved plan aimed at moderating the skyrocketing prices of UNGA.

What are you saying Phil? That because the maize in question was not enough to feed the country, it was okay for people to make money selling it and to cause prices of maize flour to shoot up? Please confirm because this is what comes through from your writing.

Incidentally, prices of food have sharply risen globally over the last two years so this situation is not unique to Kenya nor is it a creation of ODM! I would be pleased if you could please quote for us the relevant LAW/S OF KENYA that says selling or trading in maize is illegal? Or it is the usual yada yada of mere talk and no solid proof to back up claims?

Five - According to the Global Information and Early Warning System of the UN-FAO, their report on Kenya food security situation first anticipated in the early part of 2008 and also indicated that our country would face a serious food insecurity situation due to a combination of factors: Displacement, insecurity, poor rainfall, rising food and other commodity prices, reduced cereal production and livestock diseases; The resignation and/or sacking of the Agriculture minister will never mitigate these problems! Please.

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Six – contrary to your assertion that Ruto must resign and that there is no other option to alleviate the starvation of Kenyans, there are indeed countless alternatives government can do in order to improve the tragic situation. You further seem not to be aware the government has already declared food shortage as a national disaster and in the process asked for international help on the same. It is an admission that we play too much politics and forget to plan for our very livelihoods. I am hoping that the goodwill of this blog will one day be used to educate Kenyans on issues of that will bring positive change into their lives rather than what is happening now.

Ruto’s resignation is a good place to start because he did nothing. Since March last year he did nothing. It would have been better if he tried and failed. But did he even try? Let us be honest with ourselves Phil. The guy did not have the time of day to do anything about the crisis he knew was coming. How would he when he was already making plans to profit from it. Sorry Ruto must GO!!

By the way the factors that have caused food prices to shoot up globally have nothing to do with what has been happening in Kenya. The Kenyan crisis was created by profiteers in government and everybody knows that.

FYI- Odinga need not to have been Mboya’s political friend. One does not attend the funeral of one’s enemies. Perhaps you could care to tell us why Mboya’s life friends (Kenyatta, Koinange, Njonjo, Moi, et al) kept away from his funeral and only what you call his friends in death (Odinga, JM Kariuki, et al) attended it? Fear of the unknown? You bet!

Mboya and Odinga represented a stark difference in ideologies. It is like trying to mix oil and water! You and I know which side Mboya represented. You and I also know the public service record of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (may God rest his soul eternal peace) is equal to NONE – dead or alive.

Public service record of Jaramogi???? What??? Anyway let me not say anything about that for now. Wacha I go re-read my history because there is obviously something major I missed here. Strange how ythis public service record is NOT reflected anywhere I know of. Not even in Nyanza. The good and evil that Mboya did can be seen everywhere.

Ohhhh I forgot. I know you love Kenya Phil, the only problem is that you love the Odingas more.

By the way let me end this open letter with a question for you Phil. Don’t you think the fact that the country wants to spend close to a billion shillings on a new office for the prime Minster confirmation that our leaders have lost it? How do you beg for food with one hand while with the other you sign contracts with contractors and pay out hefty suns of public money for an office that will cease to exist when we go into the next elections.

Please answer that one, my brother.

P.S. I hope you will not take this letter personally. You are still my friend and I am really looking forward to the day you will resume your posts in this blog so that you may help us return to that “fearlessness” you keep talking about. As always you are free to post what you want because I do not have to agree with what you say.

Is this what Kenyans are really saying on the ground? If so most bloggers should be ashamed of themselves.

Why Ruto Must Go

William "NSSF plots" Ruto, the current minister of agriculture and ODM kingpin.

How times change.

The other day it was Kimunya and now the troubles of agriculture Minister William Ruto are mounting even as some parliamentarians led by Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale are preparing a censure motion against him in parliament. You will remember that the last censure motion caused one Amos Kimunya to reluctantly let go of a job that he had began to view almost as a birthright.

Actually it amazes me why it has taken so long for somebody to come up with the idea of sending Ruto home. The agriculture ministry made a very bad move that will result in over 10 million Kenyans being faced with starvation. Whether Ruto was personally involved or not, he must surely take responsibility for what went on in his turf (how can he not?). Who else can be held responsible other than him? Fascinatingly this is the gist of what Assistant Finance Minister Oburru Odinga has said. It also suggests that this is the position of the Prime Minister which seems to have been further confirmed by the fact that he has ordered an audit by a foreign firm on the goings on in the national cereals Board to cover the period from July last year to date. Some political analysts say that the PM will not be sad when Ruto goes. But that is besides the point. The issue here is that Amos Kimunya stepped aside to facilitate investigations into the Grand Regency saga last year, albeit under considerable pressure. So why should Ruto be treated any different?

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What Kimunya did was bad but what Ruto is alleged to have done is tragically terrible, because it will result in a few Kenyans dying the most terrible death—by starvation.

For those still in the dark over what the maize scandal is all about, let me explain. The Agricultural ministry authorized the Cereals Board to sell maize to brokers who in turn sold it to millers at inflated prices thus creating both a shortage and also causing the prices of maize flour (a critical staple for Kenyans) to suddenly skyrocket. Ordinarily the Cereals board should have just sold the commodity directly to millers, as it is the transaction was such that in many cases the millers ended up collecting the maize themselves from the Cereals board but after paying an inflated price for it to middle-men who added no value whatsoever and seemed to have been introduced as a way for somebody to make a lot of money from the transaction at the cost of ordinary Kenyans.

Sources have mentioned two names to me of people who were the main architects behind the maize scum. They are Cyrus Jirongo and Ababu Nwamamba. Little wonder that the latter used brilliant diversionary tactics of introducing other prominent names to divert attention away from Mr Ruto, probably fearing that too close a scrutiny of the scandal would lead to the unearthing of his own name.

Ruto must now resign to pave way for serious investigations into this maize scandal. I am afraid there is really no other option here.

Interestingly, looking into Ruto’s past, the man made a lot of money being allocated and then selling off public property in broker deals fairly similar to what went on at the Cereals Board.

So do people really ever change? You tell me.

P.S. I have abandoned my predictions on the future of Kenya for now. Apart from upsetting my dear readers, a few believe that I am using voodoo or witchcraft to make these predictions. This is of course NOT TRUE. My predictions are all based on analyzing all the information I receive daily (both what is in the public domain and what is NOT). Of course many readers here do not want to hear about any kind of chaos happening in Kenya. Actually neither do I, but what do you expect as impunity continues even as the suffering of Kenyans increases? I will of course continue with my usual hints at what the future holds in my normal posts.

P.S. It seems that Raila Odinga is a liar. His father and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Tom Mboya were NOT friends. What was Raila trying to achieve with his remarks at Pamela Mboya’s funeral? Jaramogi and Mboya were sworn political enemies? That is the truth.

Jaramogi only sided with Mboya in death and was appalled at the way he had been assassinated by the very people he had been working closely with to not only destroy Jaramogi’s political career but to push him completely out of politics.

The Hague: Proven Euthanasia to Impunity

The engines of The Hague express are revving and rearing to go. Kenya’s GATE KEEPERS are scared to the bone marrow.

True, impunity mutates and in Kenya it has a price tag. Thank Mother Nature to small mercies. By one stroke of genius, Justice Waki sealed all the loopholes and the rats are enjoying the run to no where inside the maze.

The political savages are out renting MPs. The big boys weaned on Kenyan’s blood and sweat are doing only what they know best, throwing KES 1m loose change to rookie MPs salivating to gobble as much as they can fearing for their political future. Given this poisoned political environment, Hague remains our singular refuge from this bunch of scoundrels.

With phase I of the GCG premised on entrenching SECURITY IN NUMBERS with regards to corruption and grand looting almost accomplished, it is time to scheme big with eyes singularly trained on the ultimate political trophy come 2012. So why not rent mouths to take Kenyans one more circular round doled in a local tribunal as the vultures cycle carcase Kenya for the choicest of remaining skeleton.

You don’t need to be a NASA scientist to see what the attempts to trash KNHRC findings amounts to. Forget the street rants packaged as pedestrian justification of the right to be hard. The war lords were unreachable and untouchable when they were busy marshaling their militia to decapitate fellow Kenyans. Emptying Nakumatt shelves of all machetes was more of a priority than appearing before civil shenanigans masquerading as seekers of justice.

Judicially failed state
Make no mistake. No Kenyan big gun is comfortable with the Hague where Moreno Ocampo reigns supreme with his meticulous and ruthless prosecution that no wallet can buy. When push graduates to a shove even our local Pol Pot is not sure when the Khmer Rogue generals will spill the beans detailing the massacre organized at his address. Al Bashir may soon be in good company and benefit from Kenyan version of security in numbers.

Most of the MPs are only playing hard ball to hike the value of their lips. Inadvertently Kenyans stand to gain immensely in their selfish plot to derail the formation of a local tribunal which only flag off Hague Express. Speak of unintended wider gain.

Let the faint hearted and smaller version of the present political vermin wax patriotic all the much they wish. We are already a failed state except in name. Let the Hague help sort us out from our perennial mess. We already have our national bum aired to the world and no more share in exposing the smelly rot underneath to the international arena.

In our collective and shameless penchant to live a national lie, we have slept so long with fleas oblivious of the danger thereof. Well, only The Hague can comprehensively disinfect us as a nation.

Engineered Hunger is Crime Against Humanity

Mama Ethuuko Nangole has become the sad face of a starving Kenya. The grim pictures from other part of the country epitomize the VALUELESSNESS that singularly defines our national leadership.

The guilty are VERY AFRAID running scared and shadow boxing. Following Kimunya’s steps, besieged Ruto has retreated to drumming ethnic support from his political backyard to ward off culpability in the maize scandal. The adage of those refusing to learn from history being condemned to repeat has never been apt. Caught with pants dangling below the knee Bill still shamelessly still borrows Kiraitu’s hitherto sturdy noose in declaring the maize fraud as THE SCANDAL THAT NEVER WAS.

Well, it is true every Kenyan has a right and freedom to buy cereals from NCPB. But you don’t con Kenyans by reverting to painful old corrupt ways of offloading to brokers subsidized grain meant for millers. Samoei should have upped his game to the league of REAL GATE KEEPERS who milk us dry without pedestrian trace of evidence.

Also true is Kiraitu’s neck deep involvement in the Triton oil scandal. But Ruto must know better than poorly mutating the SECURITY IN NUMBERS gimmick. Kibaki and his cronies may have perfected that vice it to an extent nobody in the GGC is left is with any scent, but Ruto’s cheap shots just fell below par. You don’t run after the second thief before dealing with the one already caught.

And Ababu Namwamba’s juvenile jibe of detraction was the last straw that must disabuse us of the deceptive and hollow pride anchored in generation change. Bony Khalwale the bull fighter permuting his political price till the right bidder comes calling but so far he is the only one MP in the company of Imanyara left standing.

Eyes on 2012
The maize scandal may be the eye opener to gullible Kenyans who recycle scoundrels to parliament after every five years. Now they are smarting and earning at individual level the wages of national corruption. The big problem lies in cheap politicization of such grave crimes just like Jimmy Kibaki is doing with thinly-veiled campaign to succeed his father in 2012. If Jimmy thinks Nithi MP deserves full cabinet post, he is better placed to canvass for him from his own dad.

Corruption is what feeds impunity that is presently chocking Kenya. What part of its anatomy can be uprooted that must start from somewhere with somebody. Even Martha Karua’s sermons atop hills is hollow knowing that hers is premised on expediency and self-preservation both disguised to mask her political tantrum. We live in politically volatile and interesting times. The pangs may be painful but the future is promising.

Kutakucha Kweli: The Coming Unrecognizable Kenya

Today I would like to start by helping some folks to save their valuable time. These people imagine that when they rubbish my posts here it hurts my feelings. There is a huge difference between constructive criticism and what I am talking about. Indeed I welcome the lively debate that takes place here sometimes (albeit momentarily before insults and name-calling take over).

Let me tell you a story. Shortly before the 2002 general elections (I had not launched Kumekucha in those days) I had a political discussion with some colleagues. Actually they were my employees in a business I was running then. I told them that President Moi was going to front Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor for president of Kenya. They listened and asked me a few questions. A little while later I came back into the office unexpectedly and was so shocked at what I heard them say. I stood at the door in disbelief as they called me some nutcase and even mentioned that the vehicle I had just purchased was proof of my bad judgment. Well everybody is allowed to have their own opinion on stuff, but the truth is that I was very hurt that day.

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Kumekucha titbits: Did you know that corporate team building programmes have been known to turn around previously loss-making companies the world over?
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But I have a come a long way since then. You will know that what I told those Mr-Know-it-alls was absolutely accurate and Moi ended up fronting Uhuru as the Kanu candidate in 2002. What has helped me grow a considerable thick skin is that “stupid stuff” I have said has tended to come true. Sample a few;

a) That certain “circumcision regions” would vote Raila Odinga in 2007. A certain old man at the Coast almost hit me with his bakora when I said this. He alsmot had a fit when I added that my research showed that Raila would carry most of Kisii.

b) I expressed great fear that Mwai Kibaki would not hand over power peacefully of defeated by Raila Odinga.

c) That Obama would be the next president of the United States (My dad told me in the face that he understood Americans much more than I did and that I was dreaming. He reckoned Hilary Clinton would effortlessly make it to the White House).

d) The next president of Kenya after Kibaki will be a younger unknown man who is completely new to politics. (Lets wait and see.)

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Kumekucha titbits: After your long flight into
Kenya, do you want to seat in a traffic jam for
hours as you try to get into chaotic Nairobi? Or
would you prefer a budget hotel in the outskirts of Nairobi?
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Indeed this last prediction is the subject of my post today.

Brace yourselves, I am about to say stuff that will make your ears ring. Some of it sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Please save this post and lets compare notes again sometime in 2013 if God keeps us both.

This is the chain of events I believe the country is about to go through.

1. The birth pangs for mother Kenya to give birth to the new Kenya are about to start. My prayer is that they are going to be as short as possible. Kenya is about to explode.

Now an interesting aside here is that I am utterly shocked at the fact that a vast majority of commentators here do not understand the common man in Kenya as evidenced by their comments about people stealing fuel from overturned trailers and trucks. I just want to put it very simply. I have had the opportunity of being down and out once in my life and I can tell you that when even 2 square meals a day becomes a struggle, the whole thinking of a person changes. For instance life becomes pretty cheap and you start wishing for death. I can assure you that if I was anywhere near a some trailer that overturned when I was down and out, I would have been the first to rush to the spot to “save” the pouring fuel and sell it off later for some cash, irrespective of the dangers. I know most of you cannot understand this “stupidity” and that is because you have never gone hungry.

Now the problem we have is that there are too many Kenyans who are struggling to put just a single meal on the table every day. That number is set to grow swiftly over the next few months as massive layoffs hit the economy (read this shocking article). This coupled with the massive corruption, skyrocketing food prices and the show of affluence by those Kenyans who don’t have cash problems, is going to trigger some sort of unrest on an unprecedented scale. Up market neighborhoods will be raided by the poor and beautiful houses even razed to the ground. My heart goes out to those few Kenyans who have made their fortunes without corruption because the angry mobs will not be able to differentiate.

2. When calm is restored the elections that Kenyans go into will have at least two completely new faces (who have never set foot inside parliament as legislators) running for the highest office in the land, and being front runners in that race. The old guard will of course put up a spirited fight by fielding a candidate who will be badly defeated when the results come in. People like Raila Odinga will rapidly vanish from the radar to the utter shock of some Kenyans who still don’t believe that Raila Odinga will never see the inside of State House as president. Nice man. He’s done a lot for Kenya but that’s fate’s verdict.

3. Prior to the unrest I mention above, political assassinations will hit the country in a big way causing major fear and anxiety. Many personalities will flee the country for fear of their lives. This will extend into the election period where the people who currently own Kenya will do everything in their power to stop any changes that will threaten their current good life.

4. After the troubles, the next government that comes into power will amaze skeptical Kenyans. For the first time we will have enough selfless leaders to cause massive badly-needed changes in the country. Kenya will be transformed literally overnight into a booming African economy and a model for others to follow. For the first time it will be possible for a nobody to make it big in business, just after Kenyans have voted a nobody into State House. Corruption will dramatically reduce and a new extremely prosperous middle class will emerge and take up a very powerful position in the new Kenya.

That is enough for now. Please digest it and tomorrow I will give you some more shocking predictions as I go into more detail concerning why things will happen in the way I am suggesting here. As I said earlier, save this post and hold me to account later.