During my time away from making posts at this blog, I have been doing a lot of thinking and listening. I've mainly been listening to what the ordinary Kenyan mwananchi has to say.
My findings have been shocking to say the least. I have realized that ordinary Kenyans views are the very opposite of those elitist ones expressed online.
Sample the following (mostly translated from Kiswahili);
Kumekucha: Do you read political views on the Internet?
Peasant Kenyan Farmer about 65 years in age: That is for the rich. Poor people cannot afford the Internet in Kenya.
Kumekucha: Have you felt the impact of the expanded economy that has recorded very high growth rates in recent times?
Peasant Farmer: More of my relatives are jobless and sugar is now Kshs 100 per kilo. I have heard the government saying that the economy has improved and I have been looking for somebody learned to explain it to me. Can you?
Kumekucha: What are your views on ODM?
Peasant Farmer: ODM cannot add more Ugali into my Sufuria. To start with there are too many crooks in that party. They all think that they will be voted for the way everybody voted for Narc candidates blindly in 2002. This thing of *three-piece suits voting has ended. Just wait for the elections and you will see. Kenyans will this time vote for candidates, not parties.
* Three piece suit voting refers to the practice of blindly voting for the same party, in presidential, parliamentary and civic candidates.
Kumekucha: Do you think solving the Ouko murder is a priority?
Peasant Farmer: You are joking. How can it be solved when the people who killed Ouko are ruling Kenya?
Kumekucha: Who are these people?
Peasant Farmer: Biwott shot the late minister while Moi was watching. Moi was taken by surprise, but he is an accomplice to murder because he was there and also later covered up. Moi is Kibaki's friend now. So what are you talking about?
Kumekucha: But is solving the murder a priority?
Peasant Farmer: Human blood cannot be lost just like that and solving any murder is a priority, but young man, you need to be realistic. You don't seem to understand Kenya with all your education.
Kumekucha: So who do you think will be the next president of Kenya?
Peasant Farmer: Too early to tell. Ask me in November 2007.
Kumekucha: Raila Odinga?
Peasant Farmer: No chance.
Kumekucha: And why not? He is the cleanest of the lot.
Peasant farmer: Young man you are more stupid than I thought. You don't seem to understand Kenyan politics. Clean people never win elections. You know a man called Tom Mboya?
Kumekucha: Yes.
Peasant Farmer: Who was he?
Kumekucha: The most brilliant politician Kenya has ever produced?
Peasant farmer: Did he become president?
Kumekucha: No.
Peasant Farmer: Why?
Kumekucha: You tell me.
Peasant Farmer: Those who own Kenya refused. Those who own Kenya cannot accept Raila, for the same reasons they rejected Tom Mboya.
Kumekucha: Who owns Kenya?
Peasant Farmer: A small group of rich people who control even presidents. If you refuse, then what happened to Mboya happens to you. Even Raila had to apply emergency breaks. You notice how quiet he is these days. They have already warned him.
Kumekucha: How do these so-called rich people influence voters?
Peasant Farmer: My friend, what can you not do with money? You can rig elections, get people to die of heart attacks, even bribe people who want to help the ordinary mwananchi to abandon their good intentions.
Kumekucha: Where do you get your information?
Peasant Farmer: Experience, my son, experience.
Kumekucha: But ODM will surely win the elections?
Peasant Farmer: No.
Kumekucha: No?
Peasant Farmer: Mzee Kenyatta once said if you want to catch a cow, you do not show that cow the rope? The original Ford made that mistake and now ODM have made the same mistake. The winner of the elections will either be Narc Kenya or another party that will appear at the last minute, within 3 months to the elections. That party could also include some ODM people who will left ODM. It is not a certainty, I am speculating on this other party. But of this I am sure. You do not show the cow the rope early and then win.
Kumekucha: I will publish this interview on the Internet. What message do you have for the Kenyan electorate?
Peasant Farmer: Only God can save Kenya.
Kumekucha: That is your only message?
Peasant Farmer: My friend that is a very loaded message that even those educated friends of yours will take many, many months to chew, let alone digest.
Kumekucha: Thank you.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Kalonzo Musyoka: What Does He Stand For? Who Is He Really?
I am a student of Kenyan history and also a keen student of world politics.
One of the most fascinating presidential elections ever was the 2004 American presidential race between incumbent George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry. No other presidential election has been so fiercely contested right down to door-to-door campaigns. If there ever was a candidate who had been handed over the American presidency on a silver platter, then it was John Kerry. But he blew it… he actually managed to lose.
Why?
I'm sure you've read about many reasons why George W. is still in the White House today, but one writer hit the nail on the head when he said the main reason was that the American public had their doubts about Kerry. They didn't trust him because they didn't quite know who he was. What did he really stand for? He had shifted his position on various major issues so many times that he had left Americans dizzy. In sharp contrast George Bush junior was no fence seater. He had very clear views and positions on every issue. Like him or hate him, he courageously stood for what he believed. And that is the main reason why he is in State House today.
One Kenyan presidential candidate by the name of Kalonzo Musyoka should take very careful note of this fact.
For somebody who has been in politics for so long, he should be keenly aware of the fact that winning the presidency is not about a clever campaign (like promising Kenyans free secondary school education, knowing that this was the one thing that would positively touch virtually every single Kenyan voter, especially because so many have failed to go to secondary school for lack of fees). Neither is it about cutting a new image (joining a street demonstration for the first time ever in his political career. Kalonzo has always avoided confrontation of any kind at all costs).
But what does a Kalonzo presidency have to offer to Kenyans… seriously?
It was reported in the Sunday Nation earlier this year that Hon Musyoka has been doing some very serious but quiet-behind-the-scenes campaigning in Rift Valley. His message? He promised to protect the Kalenjin community, if they supported him for the presidency. From what, they asked him? He probably meant sins of the past. But here he misjudged something. The "sins" he was referring to were committed by individuals. He also failed to realize that within the Kalenjin community, there are many who were very dissatisfied with Moi's tenure and felt that they did not benefit from it at all, but actually suffered greatly because of it.
Kalonzo also remains very close to former president Daniel arap Moi who has refused to let go of politics for obvious reasons.
My honest conclusion? In a Kalonzo presidency we can only expect more of the same. Where president Kibaki has been a fence-seater, President Kalonzo will be even more so.
Right now we need the opposite of Musyoka to sort out our problems. We need a president who can confront major issues without fear. A decisive decision-maker. We need new ideas, not old Kanu re-cycled tired strategy, which is the only thing we can expect from Musyoka.
But what would be even more frightening to Kenyans about a Kalonzo presidency would be the unknown component. Somewhere along the way his true colors would have to emerge. Personally I would rather have a candidate like Nicholas Biwott for the presidency because we would know exactly what to expect (i.e. I would head for the nearest border immediately his victory was announced).
Several polls by Steadmann (until recently) named Musyoka as the most popular opposition candidate and the man with the biggest chance of unseating President Kibaki. It is still a mystery to this blogger how this can be so when some simple tribal arithmetic will tell you different (as I pointed out in an earlier post some weeks back).
One of the most fascinating presidential elections ever was the 2004 American presidential race between incumbent George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry. No other presidential election has been so fiercely contested right down to door-to-door campaigns. If there ever was a candidate who had been handed over the American presidency on a silver platter, then it was John Kerry. But he blew it… he actually managed to lose.
Why?
I'm sure you've read about many reasons why George W. is still in the White House today, but one writer hit the nail on the head when he said the main reason was that the American public had their doubts about Kerry. They didn't trust him because they didn't quite know who he was. What did he really stand for? He had shifted his position on various major issues so many times that he had left Americans dizzy. In sharp contrast George Bush junior was no fence seater. He had very clear views and positions on every issue. Like him or hate him, he courageously stood for what he believed. And that is the main reason why he is in State House today.
One Kenyan presidential candidate by the name of Kalonzo Musyoka should take very careful note of this fact.
For somebody who has been in politics for so long, he should be keenly aware of the fact that winning the presidency is not about a clever campaign (like promising Kenyans free secondary school education, knowing that this was the one thing that would positively touch virtually every single Kenyan voter, especially because so many have failed to go to secondary school for lack of fees). Neither is it about cutting a new image (joining a street demonstration for the first time ever in his political career. Kalonzo has always avoided confrontation of any kind at all costs).
But what does a Kalonzo presidency have to offer to Kenyans… seriously?
It was reported in the Sunday Nation earlier this year that Hon Musyoka has been doing some very serious but quiet-behind-the-scenes campaigning in Rift Valley. His message? He promised to protect the Kalenjin community, if they supported him for the presidency. From what, they asked him? He probably meant sins of the past. But here he misjudged something. The "sins" he was referring to were committed by individuals. He also failed to realize that within the Kalenjin community, there are many who were very dissatisfied with Moi's tenure and felt that they did not benefit from it at all, but actually suffered greatly because of it.
Kalonzo also remains very close to former president Daniel arap Moi who has refused to let go of politics for obvious reasons.
My honest conclusion? In a Kalonzo presidency we can only expect more of the same. Where president Kibaki has been a fence-seater, President Kalonzo will be even more so.
Right now we need the opposite of Musyoka to sort out our problems. We need a president who can confront major issues without fear. A decisive decision-maker. We need new ideas, not old Kanu re-cycled tired strategy, which is the only thing we can expect from Musyoka.
But what would be even more frightening to Kenyans about a Kalonzo presidency would be the unknown component. Somewhere along the way his true colors would have to emerge. Personally I would rather have a candidate like Nicholas Biwott for the presidency because we would know exactly what to expect (i.e. I would head for the nearest border immediately his victory was announced).
Several polls by Steadmann (until recently) named Musyoka as the most popular opposition candidate and the man with the biggest chance of unseating President Kibaki. It is still a mystery to this blogger how this can be so when some simple tribal arithmetic will tell you different (as I pointed out in an earlier post some weeks back).
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