Former speaker of the national assembly Samuel arap Ngeny could be the next chairman of the electoral commission and the man who will be at the helm of the body as the country goes for it’s most competitive and complex general elections to date. Ngeny is also a former MP for Aldai constituency.
If this prediction proves correct then Kenyans have a lot to fear because of the following;
i) It confirms the power and sway one Daniel arap Moi has in the running of the affairs of this country and will also corroborate the fact that he is in fact the chief strategist of President Kibaki's re-election campaign.
ii) The country will have an inexperienced chairman at the helm as it goes into a rather complex and threatening general election with tribal tensions already high and the possibility of a situation that will pit the Luo community face to face with the ruling Kikuyu class in the main showdown for the first time since the so-called "little elections" of 1969 that pitted Jaramogi Odinga Oginga's KPU (Kenya People's Union) against Jomo Kenyatta's Kanu. Needless to say that was one of the most chaotic moments in the history of Kenya.
iii) The replacement of Samuel Kivuitu as chairman will raise the nagging question; what is it about the current chairman that the President and his men are so nervous about and yet Kibaki ascended to the presidency with the same Kivuitu at the helm of the electoral commission? Could it be his impartiality which has been severely tested and tried over time, most recently during the November 2005 referendum over the proposed new constitution, which the government lost badly? Could it be that Kivuitu's impartiality and firmness will not serve the planned strategy and campaign tactics of Narc Kenya well this time round?
iv) The replacement of Kivuitu as chairman will be the latest step in what appears to be a consistent campaign by Narc Kenya to ensure that there is as little reform and leveling of the playing field as possible as we go into the elections. Readers will remember that the same Narc Kenya has consistently frustrated all initiatives at minimum reforms going into the general elections. The really scary thing here is that there are very few other things that this administration has been so consistent at doing.
v) The appointment of the former speaker to the chair will mean that former president Moi needs a man he can trust at the helm and could not have done better than get a man from his own community who already owes the president just too many favors from the past. But the million shilling question is; so that he (Moi) can do what?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
The Bishop Margaret Wanjiru Controversy
Anybody who calls a press conference in the course of today is bound to find the attendance a little wanting at least until the Bishops much awaited press briefing is over. Already leading local FM stations have spent hours discussing this controversy and it is clear (even from the number of hits we have gotten on the story in this site) that this is a matter that has generated lots of public attention.
So riveting has this issue been to Kenyans that it has taken off the heat from the recent "earth shattering" pronouncements from the electoral chair to the effect that elections could be called at any time.
Yesterday it became clearly evident that the Bishop, who is never easily flustered, was feeling the heat, as she issued an apology to Kenyans for her reaction to the man claiming to be the father of her children saying something to the effect that, "…the man with hands that look like they have been attacked by jiggers can go and hang himself and the good Bishop will preside over the funeral." The TV stations' News Bulletins have not missed an opportunity to replay that clip captured at her church as she spoke from the pulpit, over and over.
Probably one of the reasons why this little drama has attracted so much attention from Kenyans is the unexplained mystery of how it escalated into the heated controversy it is today, in the first place. Especially because Bishop Margaret Wanjiru does not deny her humble, controversial past. She even admits that she once washed toilets to earn a living. Neither does the Bishop have any qualms over confessing that before she became a Christian, she was a senior witch who even went as far as casting a deadly spell and bewitching some rival woman so that she went insane and started roaming the city bins picking up papers from smelly garbage heaps.
So the issue is not the fact that some down and out man sired the Bishop's children in her past. The whole weight of the matter now seems centered on the fact that she denies that the man who suddenly emerged from nowhere "is the one" in spite of the fact that her two sons appear to be carbon copies of the man. Then there is the fact that her rapidly approaching wedding to a South African whom she introduced recently could be halted by court action, if the "jiggers" man makes good his threat to go to court to halt the union.
It is the sort of mess that the public will be riveted to for some time to come, more so the Starehe voters whom the Bishop is expected to approach for their votes in the forthcoming general elections.
More Recent Story On Bishop Wanjiru
Court stops wedding
Margaret Wanjiru Joins ODM-Kenya Through LDP
So riveting has this issue been to Kenyans that it has taken off the heat from the recent "earth shattering" pronouncements from the electoral chair to the effect that elections could be called at any time.
Yesterday it became clearly evident that the Bishop, who is never easily flustered, was feeling the heat, as she issued an apology to Kenyans for her reaction to the man claiming to be the father of her children saying something to the effect that, "…the man with hands that look like they have been attacked by jiggers can go and hang himself and the good Bishop will preside over the funeral." The TV stations' News Bulletins have not missed an opportunity to replay that clip captured at her church as she spoke from the pulpit, over and over.
Probably one of the reasons why this little drama has attracted so much attention from Kenyans is the unexplained mystery of how it escalated into the heated controversy it is today, in the first place. Especially because Bishop Margaret Wanjiru does not deny her humble, controversial past. She even admits that she once washed toilets to earn a living. Neither does the Bishop have any qualms over confessing that before she became a Christian, she was a senior witch who even went as far as casting a deadly spell and bewitching some rival woman so that she went insane and started roaming the city bins picking up papers from smelly garbage heaps.
So the issue is not the fact that some down and out man sired the Bishop's children in her past. The whole weight of the matter now seems centered on the fact that she denies that the man who suddenly emerged from nowhere "is the one" in spite of the fact that her two sons appear to be carbon copies of the man. Then there is the fact that her rapidly approaching wedding to a South African whom she introduced recently could be halted by court action, if the "jiggers" man makes good his threat to go to court to halt the union.
It is the sort of mess that the public will be riveted to for some time to come, more so the Starehe voters whom the Bishop is expected to approach for their votes in the forthcoming general elections.
More Recent Story On Bishop Wanjiru
Court stops wedding
Margaret Wanjiru Joins ODM-Kenya Through LDP
Raila Odinga Presidential Bid Part 2: His Father Is Responsible For Luo Misfortunes
There is one decision of his life that must have haunted Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (Raila's father) to his grave. And that little incident is very relevant to Raila's bid for the highest office in the land in the 2007 general elections.
It all happened in the early 60s. Independence was looming and analysts noted that chances were high that the country's first president would be a rather young but brilliant politician who was barely 30 years of age. His name was Tom Mboya and he happened to be a Luo although he was so cosmopolitan that you wouldn't know it. Representing constituencies at the heart of Nairobi all his political life, he drew most of his political support from the Kikuyu.
The much older Jaramogi could not bear seeing Tom Mboya ascending to be the first President of Kenya, he devised a strategy to ensure that the young arrogant Luo's ambition's would be thwarted. There was no way the young upstart who should have been looking up to him as the older Luo would ascend to the presidency while Jaramogi just watched. He stood up in parliament (Legislative Council in those days) and demanded that Jomo Kenyatta be released before Kenya could negotiate independence with the colonial government.
Thus Jaramogi set in motion a chain of events that was destined to ensure that the Luo community in Kenya would always live like second-class citizens, frustrated on every front and with the anti-Luo propaganda that followed the banning of KPU in 1969, the fate of the Luo community was sealed.
Today it is difficult to convince most Kenyans that a Luo can make a good president. Thanks mainly to Kenyatta's vigorous anti-Luo propaganda (naturally targeted at their leadership abilities) the politics of Kenya is such that this community is always at a great disadvantage.
Reading online forums and even messages from readers in this blog, it is clear that most younger Kenyans growing up, unaware of this key historical fact view Luos as violent, uncircumcised trouble makers who are not to be trusted and if elected to the presidency will turn Kisumu into the capital city of Kenya. If that is the view of those who use computers and the Internet, you can imagine how bad things are deep in the villages.
I am not a Luo by tribe, but having studied this subject in great detail over many years, I can confidently say that life has always been and continues to be extremely challenging for any Luo in Kenya simply because of their tribe. Even if a Luo falls in love with some nice girl or gentleman who does not belong to their tribe (God forbid if it is a Kikuyu) chances are that the relationship will be frustrated at every turn. You can imagine losing the love of your life because of where you come from and not who you are (i.e. your character).
To add insult to injury, the number of political assassinations in Kenya has claimed more Luo lives than any other community. Then the three administrations so far have been wary of the Luo and as a result national politicians from the Luo community have always found themselves being constantly pushed to the periphery in spite of their well known potential. For instance the intellectual capabilities of the Luo is very well known.
And woe unto you if you are a non-Luo that tries to analyze this situation from a neutral point of view. You will be quickly branded a Luo. Many casual readers of this blog will tell you that it is financed by Raila Odinga. We have earned that label simply for telling the truth as it is clearly depicted by Kenyan history.
All this was started by a chain of events triggered off by the older Odinga. A rash moment of political jealousy has caused great suffering to the Luo people. There are those who believe (this writer is certainly NOT one of them) that because of this a Luo will never occupy State House.
It is ironic that the obstacles that Raila Odinga has had to overcome in his political career so far were caused mainly by his own father. And if there was a price to be given for the Kenyan politician who has made the most sacrifices, then Raila would win it hands down.
There are some analysts who are even convinced that simply because of this jinx on the Luo brought about by Raila's father, Raila himself will never ascend to the presidency. The facts on the ground and current trends seem to support this view. To start with Raila is running out of time and if he does not make it to State House this time round, then chances are that he never will.
This is a really sad story for those who know the inside details. But it seems that in spite of the fact that Raila and the Luo community have given more sacrifices than any other person and community in fighting for Kenya's second liberation, the mood this time round seems to favor younger leadership and a genuine fresh start for the nation. Sadly Raila cannot provide either.
If we were to place the issue of age aside for a minute, then we would still be left to face the fact that Raila's brainchild, ODM Kenya is packed with former Kanu vultures (all dressed in sheep’s clothing) and victory for many of these leading characters would not augur well for the future of Kenya, let alone give the nation the fresh start it so badly needs. Then there is the excess baggage Raila would have to bring into his presidency, as he would definitely have to reward these characters for helping him to ascend to power. This would make a serious fight against that public enemy number one called corruption, very difficult, if not downright impossible.
It all happened in the early 60s. Independence was looming and analysts noted that chances were high that the country's first president would be a rather young but brilliant politician who was barely 30 years of age. His name was Tom Mboya and he happened to be a Luo although he was so cosmopolitan that you wouldn't know it. Representing constituencies at the heart of Nairobi all his political life, he drew most of his political support from the Kikuyu.
The much older Jaramogi could not bear seeing Tom Mboya ascending to be the first President of Kenya, he devised a strategy to ensure that the young arrogant Luo's ambition's would be thwarted. There was no way the young upstart who should have been looking up to him as the older Luo would ascend to the presidency while Jaramogi just watched. He stood up in parliament (Legislative Council in those days) and demanded that Jomo Kenyatta be released before Kenya could negotiate independence with the colonial government.
Thus Jaramogi set in motion a chain of events that was destined to ensure that the Luo community in Kenya would always live like second-class citizens, frustrated on every front and with the anti-Luo propaganda that followed the banning of KPU in 1969, the fate of the Luo community was sealed.
Today it is difficult to convince most Kenyans that a Luo can make a good president. Thanks mainly to Kenyatta's vigorous anti-Luo propaganda (naturally targeted at their leadership abilities) the politics of Kenya is such that this community is always at a great disadvantage.
Reading online forums and even messages from readers in this blog, it is clear that most younger Kenyans growing up, unaware of this key historical fact view Luos as violent, uncircumcised trouble makers who are not to be trusted and if elected to the presidency will turn Kisumu into the capital city of Kenya. If that is the view of those who use computers and the Internet, you can imagine how bad things are deep in the villages.
I am not a Luo by tribe, but having studied this subject in great detail over many years, I can confidently say that life has always been and continues to be extremely challenging for any Luo in Kenya simply because of their tribe. Even if a Luo falls in love with some nice girl or gentleman who does not belong to their tribe (God forbid if it is a Kikuyu) chances are that the relationship will be frustrated at every turn. You can imagine losing the love of your life because of where you come from and not who you are (i.e. your character).
To add insult to injury, the number of political assassinations in Kenya has claimed more Luo lives than any other community. Then the three administrations so far have been wary of the Luo and as a result national politicians from the Luo community have always found themselves being constantly pushed to the periphery in spite of their well known potential. For instance the intellectual capabilities of the Luo is very well known.
And woe unto you if you are a non-Luo that tries to analyze this situation from a neutral point of view. You will be quickly branded a Luo. Many casual readers of this blog will tell you that it is financed by Raila Odinga. We have earned that label simply for telling the truth as it is clearly depicted by Kenyan history.
All this was started by a chain of events triggered off by the older Odinga. A rash moment of political jealousy has caused great suffering to the Luo people. There are those who believe (this writer is certainly NOT one of them) that because of this a Luo will never occupy State House.
It is ironic that the obstacles that Raila Odinga has had to overcome in his political career so far were caused mainly by his own father. And if there was a price to be given for the Kenyan politician who has made the most sacrifices, then Raila would win it hands down.
There are some analysts who are even convinced that simply because of this jinx on the Luo brought about by Raila's father, Raila himself will never ascend to the presidency. The facts on the ground and current trends seem to support this view. To start with Raila is running out of time and if he does not make it to State House this time round, then chances are that he never will.
This is a really sad story for those who know the inside details. But it seems that in spite of the fact that Raila and the Luo community have given more sacrifices than any other person and community in fighting for Kenya's second liberation, the mood this time round seems to favor younger leadership and a genuine fresh start for the nation. Sadly Raila cannot provide either.
If we were to place the issue of age aside for a minute, then we would still be left to face the fact that Raila's brainchild, ODM Kenya is packed with former Kanu vultures (all dressed in sheep’s clothing) and victory for many of these leading characters would not augur well for the future of Kenya, let alone give the nation the fresh start it so badly needs. Then there is the excess baggage Raila would have to bring into his presidency, as he would definitely have to reward these characters for helping him to ascend to power. This would make a serious fight against that public enemy number one called corruption, very difficult, if not downright impossible.
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