What must be the biggest headache to ODM strategists at the moment is the simple fact that Narc-Kenya are hoping that Raila will be the ODM-Kenya presidential nominee because they have already worked out a rather intricate (albeit very dirty) strategy to deal with him.
And to be honest most analysts believe that a straight race between Raila and Kibaki would be a ticket back to State House for Kibaki. This is the fact that Kalonzo Musyoka has been using to justify his arrogance and insistence that he is the only person within ODM-Kenya who can defeat President Kibaki, given the tribal arithmetic and that he should therefore be handed the party nomination on a silver platter. Yet Raila, being human must be spoiling for a direct fight with a president he helped get elected but who then promptly betrayed him and did exactly what Kenyatta did to Raila's own father decades earlier. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga handed the presidency to Kenyatta by insisting that he be released from detention before Kenya could negotiate independence with her colonial masters. His main motive was to stop the then unstoppable Tom Mboya. Kenyatta rewarded the older Odinga with the vice presidency, but soon after that alienated him and hounded him out of office using Tom Mboya's clever political maneuvers.
Frankly, even selecting a high profile Vice presidential running mate will not solve this nagging problem for Raila. Raila himself must be keenly aware that Narc-Kenya plan to provoke the tribal anti-Luo-presidency-sentiments that many major communities in Kenya have deep inside them, firmly planted by years of deliberate propaganda from the Kenyatta administration. The result is that there are a number of major tribes who will hesitate to vote for a man who is "not cut". It matters little that Raila is one of the bravest politicians Kenya has seen—that's exactly what propaganda is designed to do.
Still there is little doubt that Raila Amollo Odinga will this time vie for the highest office in the land. He has already committed himself so much that he has reached that point of no return. His grassroots support and base of loyal delegates is unmatched at Kenya's leading opposition outfit at the moment. Not to mention the fact that time is rapidly running out for the ambitious Raila. Meaning that if he does not get to State House this time round, he is unlikely to ever make it to Kenya's most prestigious address.
Raila is of course not interested in anything less. Not even his already confirmed perch in the political history of this nation.
So what is going to happen?
It is difficult to predict at this early hour, but chances are that a crowded presidential field (that will include Kalonzo running on another party's ticket and a host of other surprise candidates) would result in a run off for the first time in the history of elections in Kenya, as all candidates will find it difficult to garner the required 25 per cent in at least 5 provinces. But even that scenario would not necessarily favor Raila.
But in conclusion, as we have already said many times before, what the country badly needs now is a total change of direction and a brand new generation of leadership, two key things that sadly, a Raila presidency cannot deliver.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Late Extra: Margaret Wanjiru Press Conference Ends In Chaos As Journalists Are Assaulted
The Margaret Wanjiru controversy plot thickened this morning when journalists in attendance were locked up in a room and some of them assaulted.
All seemed to be well when the press briefing started with the popular television evangelist apologizing to Kenyans over her utterances. What followed was her eldest son reading out a written statement to the effect that Margaret Wanjiru was both a mother and father to them and that they had no desire to look for or be found by any other fathers. The youth distinctly said 'fathers' rather than father.
Up to that point, the packed press conference appeared to be headed for the sort of conclusion that would at least yield some answers to this deepening mystery. All the major media house TV crews were there including senior reporters from the local dailies. But what followed was a puzzling drama.
The son had just finished reading his statement and KTN TV anchor Catherine Wambua reached forward to ask the first question when suddenly somebody switched off the electricity supply. The Bishop was quickly whisked away and some very heavily built bodyguards blocked access to her. Journalists tried to take pictures of her leaving while others tried to field questions. That was when the bodyguards got violent. The door through which the Bishop had exited was shut and locked. One well-built man then lifted a journalist high in the air and then threw him down some stairs that the journalists were climbing while following the Bishop to field questions. Then what looked like the same heavily built man started slapping a journalist. All the time, the cameras were rolling. Somebody seems to have been sure that no footage would be obtained in the darkness. But that person has little understanding about the latest digital camcorders, favored by many media houses these days. Later it emerged that the assaulted journalist was in fact a Standard newspapers photographer.
The journalists made statements to the police and one of the bodyguards was being questioned by police shortly after the incident this morning.
Phew!
I have described the incident in great detail because I do not have any answers and neither do I have any guesses to venture. This is just totally extraordinary!
Politically, this would appear to be the end of the road for the Bishop and her political ambitions. Although Narobians in Westlands have been known to be especially fond of electing a very violent MP by the name of Fred Gumo, it is however unlikely that Starehe constituents will follow suit after the shameful and bizarre happenings of this morning.
So many questions now emerge. Was the electricity switched off on purpose so that the Bishop would avoid answering pressing questions? What is it the question about the father of the children that has caused all this chaos? Is he the real father? Why call a press conference and fail to answer pressing questions? Why did she not just send a press release with her questions to the press. Does the prominent Bishop have any advisors? Why did she feel it necessary to hire bodyguards or whoever the heavily built men at the press conference were?
Search engines can give you huge traffic. Here's how a Kenyan company can get thousands of visitors to their site daily.
All seemed to be well when the press briefing started with the popular television evangelist apologizing to Kenyans over her utterances. What followed was her eldest son reading out a written statement to the effect that Margaret Wanjiru was both a mother and father to them and that they had no desire to look for or be found by any other fathers. The youth distinctly said 'fathers' rather than father.
Up to that point, the packed press conference appeared to be headed for the sort of conclusion that would at least yield some answers to this deepening mystery. All the major media house TV crews were there including senior reporters from the local dailies. But what followed was a puzzling drama.
The son had just finished reading his statement and KTN TV anchor Catherine Wambua reached forward to ask the first question when suddenly somebody switched off the electricity supply. The Bishop was quickly whisked away and some very heavily built bodyguards blocked access to her. Journalists tried to take pictures of her leaving while others tried to field questions. That was when the bodyguards got violent. The door through which the Bishop had exited was shut and locked. One well-built man then lifted a journalist high in the air and then threw him down some stairs that the journalists were climbing while following the Bishop to field questions. Then what looked like the same heavily built man started slapping a journalist. All the time, the cameras were rolling. Somebody seems to have been sure that no footage would be obtained in the darkness. But that person has little understanding about the latest digital camcorders, favored by many media houses these days. Later it emerged that the assaulted journalist was in fact a Standard newspapers photographer.
The journalists made statements to the police and one of the bodyguards was being questioned by police shortly after the incident this morning.
Phew!
I have described the incident in great detail because I do not have any answers and neither do I have any guesses to venture. This is just totally extraordinary!
Politically, this would appear to be the end of the road for the Bishop and her political ambitions. Although Narobians in Westlands have been known to be especially fond of electing a very violent MP by the name of Fred Gumo, it is however unlikely that Starehe constituents will follow suit after the shameful and bizarre happenings of this morning.
So many questions now emerge. Was the electricity switched off on purpose so that the Bishop would avoid answering pressing questions? What is it the question about the father of the children that has caused all this chaos? Is he the real father? Why call a press conference and fail to answer pressing questions? Why did she not just send a press release with her questions to the press. Does the prominent Bishop have any advisors? Why did she feel it necessary to hire bodyguards or whoever the heavily built men at the press conference were?
Search engines can give you huge traffic. Here's how a Kenyan company can get thousands of visitors to their site daily.
Kumekucha Daily: Home Page 17th January 2007
Kumekucha Today
Lead Story
How To Rig The Polls By Calling Early Elections
Lead Story
How To Rig The Polls By Calling Early Elections
i) Is Samuel Arap Ngeny The Next Chairman Of The Electoral Commission Of Kenya?
ii) Bishop Margaret Wanjiru Controversy
iii) Raila Presidential Bid Analysis Part 2
Other Stories Today
William Ruto, YK92 And His Presidential Ambitions
Carjackers with political ambitions
Is Bizarre Rumour About Mutula Kilonzo In ODM True?
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The Tasteless Sugar Story.
The Deepest Analysis Of Raila Odinga The Presidential Candidate
How Will President Kibaki Finance His Re-election?
Kenya General Elections 2007: The Latest Prediction
Is Kalonzo The Soft Underbelly Of ODM-Kenya Unity?
Citizen Weekly Editors To Vie For Political Office.
President Kibaki Is Waiting For ODM Split To Call For Early Elections
Why An Early Election Will Favor Narc Kenya
The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know Part 4: How He Grew Up With Witchcraft And Forces Of Darkness
What Was Moi Meeting Kibaki About, This Time Round?
Dangers Somalia Poses To Kenya
The Big Moi Blunder On Somali That Is Being Paid For By Kenyan Blood
Who Will Be President Kibaki's Running Mate?
The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know And His Big Obstacle In His Own Back Yard.
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