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Pastor Pius Muiru Declares Interest In The Presidency And Changes The Tone Of The 2007 General Elections

Yesterday Kenyans received a glimpse of just how fast the political ball game can change when one of the most popular Christian evangelists in the country declared his interest in the highest office in the land.

Pastor Pius Muiru of Maximum Miracle Ministries launched a new political party called RAK (Republican Alliance Of Kenya) as he announced his presidential bid. He said that he would vie for the Kamukunji parliamentary seat in Nairobi.

There are many Kenyans who strongly believe that religious leaders should stay out of politics. Still, this latest development is the worst nightmare happening for the current crop of politicians and especially the political ruling class that has blackmailed Kenyans for too long now.

To start with Muiru is known to fill stadiums to capacity anywhere in the republic, a feat that only a handful of national politicians can manage at the moment. Not to mention his glitzy PR machine which in fact produced the impressive clip that was aired on national TV last night. The clip was deliberately designed to make the evangelist look very "presidential" and it succeeded. It showed Muiru being welcomed by traditional dancers (as presidents in Kenya always have) and then after the brief speech punctuated by wild cheers, the camera caught his fleet of flashy cars driving away in an extremely presidential style. It is instructive that none of the other presidential candidates so far has come anywhere near in terms of positioning themselves during their launch or ensuring that they look presidential enough.

What is important at this juncture is not whether Muiru has a chance of making it to State House. Critics will be quick to point out a number of political mistakes he made in his move to announce his bid to State House. They will further point to the rough and tumble of Kenyan politics and liken Muiru's entry to the releasing a sheep to a pride of angry Lions (not even wolves). But that is really not the point here.

The really significant thing that happened with yesterday's announcement is that the Kenyan political scene will never be the same again. Not only do we now have a candidate standing on the platform of integrity (at a time when we need it so badly in the nation), but there is also the fact that this is no tribal chief or candidate with a tribal base of any sort. What would have further caused lots of butterflys in the guts of many politicians eyeing the same office, is the fact that Muiru is fairly capable of fully financing a respectable presidential bid.

What all this means is that we are headed for a historical campaign where the rules are being significantly altered.

Interestingly a brief SMS survey on NTV last night showed that only 26 per cent of the respondents would vote for Muiru with those who said they wouldn't vote for him giving various interesting reasons why. One person even said that people of other religions would feel alienated by a Christian president, given the evangelists' high profile religious activities.

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Mutula Kilonzo Senior: The Real Man Behind The City Lawyer

City Profile: Where we intimately profile the movers and shakers in Kenyan politics and business.

See also; Was Mutula Kilonzo murdered?

Prior to the 2002 elections, Mutula Kilonzo was simply known as the president's lawyer and was among the wealthiest 'learned friends' in the country. That was probably all that majority of Kenyans knew about him.

Behind the city lawyer is a man who came from very humble beginnings with his father being a night watchman while the mother was an illiterate housewife who struggled for her two siblings to ensure that they at least got one meal every day.

When young Mutula started going to school in his rural home of Mbooni it became evident that the boy was very clever and managed the first position from standard one to seven

He subsequently joined secondary school and continued with invincible streak before joining the university of Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania where he undertook a law degree and graduated with first class honors.

The young and ambitious lawyer returned to Kenya and opened a law firm in the small town of Machakos where he specialized in land cases and secured victory for most of his clients enabling him to buy a car only after practicing for one year.

As his work load increased, he moved to Nairobi and also started making contacts with the high and the mighty including the illiterate but powerful Machakos Kanu branch chairman, the late Mulu Mutisya who was to change his life forever.

Mutisya is said to have mentioned Kilonzo to Moi and heaped praises about his exemplary ability to argue for his clients and his loyalty to the ruling party then, Kanu.

The rest is history, Mutula became one of the president's many lawyers and in the process got some of the most lucrative briefs including the then notorious NSSF (National Social Security Fund) where Kilonzo is known to have made Sh 900 million from the fund in two deals whose details are scanty.

A philanderer and notorious womanizer, Mutula is a teetotaler but his amorous escapades are legendary as he is known to prefer women of light skin ranging from as young as 16 years. The man is in his 60s.

His own employees have not been spared either, a girl who works as a copy taker in one of the leading media houses told this writer that she had to stop working at Kilonzo's law firm after constant pressure from the randy lawyer to go to bed with him.

"One Friday morning, he called me to his office and told me that I should make my mind over the weekend whether I was going to go to bed with him and if it was not to the affirmative, I should not report for duty on Monday—I decided to quit the job," the girl told me.

Kilonzo is currently in his second marriage after divorcing his first wife who sired him two kids including Mutula Kilonzo junior, who has been pushed by the father to be a lawyer in spite of performing disastrously in 'O' levels where he got a weak division four prior to going to India to study.

The daughter is also a lawyer at her fathers firm but she concentrates in paper work at the office.

Mutula later married one Nduku Musau, a daughter of the late Machakos mega-tycoon Musau Mwania and have been blessed by two boys who are still in primary school.

Through Moi's corruption network, Kilonzo managed to acquire a fortune running into hundreds of millions and has vast investments in agriculture real estate and stocks both locally and abroad.

He could easily be among the top ten richest Kenyans and that could also be the reason why ODM values him so much that they have given him the spokesmans' role.

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If Kalonzo Leaves ODM-Kenya, What Are The Options For Charity Ngilu?

Prior to the 2002 elections, a popularity contest between Charity Kaluki Ngilu and Kalonzo Musyoka was unimaginable as it was obvious that the iron lady of Ukambani politics was miles ahead not to mention she had contested the presidency in 1997 and made history by being the first woman in the country to do so. She finished a respectable fourth, ahead of the late Kijana Wamalwa but trailing winner Moi, Kibaki and Raila in that order.

Plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since then and Kalonzo Musyoka has managed to bridge the gap after he quit Kanu and joined NARC ahead of the 2002 elections.

Now that he is going for the presidency, Kalonzo could be more popular as a result of his campaigns round the country but he has numerous shortcomings, which are proving fatal to his popularity.

Unlike Ngilu, Kalonzo does not assist his supporters uplift their living standards especially the unemployed ones by getting them jobs and he prefers to have them following him around and survive on the meager hand outs that he dishes out to them.

Ngilu is known to have secured jobs for hundreds of her supporters and their relatives in the short period that she has been in government and in Ukambani it would not be surprised if it emerged that she is more popular than Kalonzo in some constituencies. Ngilu's efforts to assist her kinsmen may not be in national interests and one needs just to take a look at appointments in the ministry of health since 2003. They read like a roll call at the popular Machakos Sports Club.

Kalonzo is also known to be aloof and arrogant and cannot mingle comfortably with the down-and-out and poor unlike Ngilu who is a darling to the poor and is known to spend lots of time listening to their problems and making every effort to solve them. On the positive side, this motherly instincts have been responsible for the tremendous job that has been done at the Ministry of Health over a very short span of time.

In fact if Ngilu can play her cards well in the forthcoming elections, she can be very instrumental in checking the influence of Kalonzo in Ukambani and even force a significant split in votes to deny him a block vote from his home area.

In spite of her limited education compared to Musyoka, Ngilu has the charisma to captivate a crowd better than Kalonzo and she is also miles ahead in platform politics compared to the soft spoken former foreign affairs minister who has little time nor patience for 'small people'.

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Why Has The Standard Group Softened It's Critical Stand On The Government?

Not many people are aware of the fact that former president Moi and his immediate family are majority shareholder of the Standard group of companies which includes the premiere TV channel, KTN as well as the daily newspaper. And now that th fomer head of state is working with president Kibaki, the media house seems to have softened its stand against the government.

Since 2003, the standard newspaper has been so critical of the government that in an unprecedented move last year, the NARC regime's agents raided the newspaper offices and not only burnt copies of the newspaper but also destroyed and took away expensive equipment in a bid to cripple its' operations.

Of late, the publication and its broadcasting division has softened its stand and the juicy stories about the first family have been fewer and further between as Moi and Kibaki are in good talking terms with the former even offering advice to the latter's administration which seems to be moving from one crisis to another.

Initially, it was the Nation newspapers which had chosen to be pro government since NARC took over as the chief executive of the publication then, Wilfred Kiboro was and is a bosom and golf playing friend of Kibaki not to mention the fact that they are both from the house of Mumbi.

The Nation's policy seems to have remained the same even after Kiboro was recently replaced by one Linus Gitahi, also a Kikuyu who has overseen a change in the papers physical outlook but the editorial policy has remained the same.

Back at Standard, the paper has recently been injecting fresh blood, mainly in the form of new editors and not surprisingly has been hiring more people from Moi's Kalenjin community and promoting those already there like one Kipkoech Tanui who is said to be an editor with more powers than his colleagues. He is considered to be the eyes and ears of the majority shareholder.

The Standard was previously owned by Lonrho who disposed it after its decision to do away with non-hospitality subsidiaries of the giant conglomerate to concentrate in the hotel business as their core activity.

After major restructuring including changing its editorial policy and making it more brazen towards the government of the day, the flagging paper managed to increase its circulation and slash operational costs hence churning out profits for the third year in succession, recently. In previous years the Standard had been see-sawing between low profits and small losses.

The former president's shares in Standard are being looked after by his son, Gideon who was notorious for dubious deals when his father was in power but has since slowed down and is more involved in legitimate business transactions not to mention the fact that he is now paying his taxes, something he was not used to when 'daddy' was in power.

It now remains to be seen whether the Standard will manage to sustain its circulation figures after softening its editorial policy to the detriment of its readers who are hungry for juicy stories on a government that has proved to be fairly incompetent. The public seems to especially favor stories touching on the first family and high level corruption.

But even more worrying is the fact that as we head to the general elections, the second largest circulating newspaper in the country may not be impartial and will tend to favor the incumbent in their partnership with Moi's Kanu.

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Prof Philip Mbithi And His Strange Predictions: Are They Coming To Pass?

In an interview with this writer a couple of years ago, the former head of the public service turned self proclaimed prophet, Prof Philip Mbithi said Kenya would discover large deposits of crude oil in the near future along with other minerals.

As of today, oil exploration has been intensified along the Kenyan coast and in north eastern province and word is out that traces of the black gold have been found but what remains is to verify its quantity and establish whether it is commercially viable for exploitation.

The energy ministry is upbeat and Kenyans are optimistic that vast deposits will be discovered, which will put to an end the escalating local fuel prices and propel the country to higher economic status let alone ending the perennial problem of abject poverty among the majority of the population.

Prof Mbithi also told this writer that the production will be undertaken by a God fearing government where the head of state will be a deeply religious person along with his cabinet hence putting off the probability of it being exploited during this Kibaki era.

However, oil exploration is not new in Kenya as various foreign companies have over the years been involved in the search for fossil fuel with fruitless results but this time round there seems to be a lot of optimism among the stakeholders.

But again striking vast deposits of crude oil does not mean an end to our energy crisis as Nigeria, which is an oil exporting country has proved. Nigeria which is more corrupt than Kenya in certain respects, still experiences fuel shortages from time to time as a result of poor management and high level graft.

Witchcraft In Kenyan President's Office: The Bizzare Phillip Mbithi Harambee House "X-Files" Episode
Kalonzo Musyoka Was Named In Witchcraft Allegations

Raila And The Presidency Part 3: The Big Headache For Raila Strategists In ODM-Kenya

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.

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?

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Kumekucha Daily: Home Page 17th January 2007

Kumekucha Today

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

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Is Bizarre Rumour About Mutula Kilonzo In ODM True?

Recent stories

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?

The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know: The 5th And Final Part Of The Deepest Analysis Of This Candidate You Will Read Anywhere.

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?

The Big Moi Blunder On Somali That Is Being Paid For By Kenyan Blood

The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know And His Big Obstacle In His Own Back Yard.

Countdown 2007: How To Rig The Polls By Calling Early Elections

Election fever 2007 has hit Kenyans in a big way, more so after the pronouncements of outgoing electoral commissioner Samuel Kivuitu.

But even as the country braces itself for the possibility of having its' elections outside the traditional dates in December just after Christmas for the first time since the re-introduction of multi-party politics, there are a number of concerns that must be acknowledged. The main one is that any date outside the traditional dates will mean a much lower voter turn out. And if a lower voter turn out favors the incumbent (and there is plenty to suggest that it does) then this can be seen as way of rigging the elections.

In this article I will give just one most compelling reason why calling elections on any date outside the usual December date will favor President Kibaki. There is no doubt that the President's stronghold is Central province. As the word "central" suggests, Kenya's largest community is centrally located meaning that it will be easy for them to get to their polling stations to vote even if you call the elections for some strange date like tomorrow.

Some Kenyan communities have to travel for a full day to get to their upcountry constituencies where most have registered as voters since 1992. Traditionally this has not been a major problem because election dates have fallen at that time of the year when most Kenyans have to travel home for the Christmas holidays, anyway. Any date outside the usual one means getting time off from employers and then raising the funds to make the trip. Many Kenyans will just not be able to manage this. And neither will the huge army of small traders be able to make the time to be away from their businesses.

The result will be very low voter turn out, which will also mean that it will be easier for the incumbent to achieve the required 25 per cent of the total votes cast in at least 5 provinces.

There are some analysts who believe that elections may be called during one of the school holidays this year, most probably in August (April is to early to put everything into place). Others are even suggesting that it could be called outside school holidays meaning that the country could go to the polls as early as June.

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Is Samuel Arap Ngeny The Next Chairman Of The Electoral Commission Of Kenya?

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?

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

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.

William "YK92" Ruto And His Presidential Ambitions

On Monday, presidential aspirant William Ruto unveiled his blue print for Kenyans if he were to be elected president in the forthcoming general elections. In his well-crafted speech, the Eldoret North MP said that fighting poverty would be a priority for him.

What he did not admit is that he is one of the handful of Kenyans including other YK92 colleagues and Kamlesh Pattni who single-handedly made millions of Kenyans much poorer overnight by flooding the country with cartons of cash (mainly 500 bob notes) and is therefore a major contributor of the poverty problem. He further engaged in high level corruption during the Moi era.

Ruto is among the ministers in Moi's regime who became overnight millionaires by grabbing prime property in Nairobi and its outskirts and forcefully selling them to parastatals like Kenya Pipeline Corporation at inflated prices.

He is now talking about alleviating poverty and fighting insecurity by arming private security companies with firearms and does not talk of how they are going to control and regulate this considering that there are plenty of bad tempered and frustrated guards in the country.

Talking about bad tempers is synonymous with Ruto who did the unimaginable in State House, Nairobi a few years ago when he attacked and punched Reuben Chesire, an elderly man who could pass for his father. Ruto had accused the old man of going around and tarnishing his name by telling people that he was a con-man.

Ruto, the man who now wants to be president was also an official of the youth for Kanu 92 lobby group which dished out so much money to Kenyans in forms of bribes to ensure Moi's re-elected in the first multi-party elections of 1992. The inevitable effects of suddenly increasing money supply was runaway inflation, and was the point at which many Kenyans entered the deep poverty rut they are yet to emerge from today. That same Ruto now says reviving the economy and creating jobs will also rank high in his agenda.

The former cabinet minister who was very powerful in a regime that stifled the basic democratic rights of Kenyans like freedom of speech and association now says he will enhance and expand the democratic space and ensure Kenyans enjoy all their rights.

As Ruto was reading out his blue print, a lot of cheering was heard in the crowd which comprised mostly of his Kalenjin brethren who also greatly benefited from the Moi era.

The Eldoret North MP knows very well that he cant make it for the presidency but his selfish nature tells him that he has to do this because he wants to be in the high table when the cake is being divided by ODM-Kenya as and if they ascend to power.

Carjackers And Highway Robbers Also Have Political Ambitions

The year 2007 has started on a very bad note with the brutal murder of three policemen by gangsters who made away with Sh 22 million that was being transported to the bank, somewhere in Elburgon, Rift Valley province. Barely a week later, six robbers were gunned down in Kawangware in another incident.

This being an election year, is the disturbing crime rate going to soar taking into consideration that there are politicians who need to raise cash fairly fast to finance their campaigns? All indications are that the answer to that question is a resounding "Yes". More so when you consider the fact that cash sources for a campaign are very minimal considering the fact that banks don’t issue loans for electioneering campaigns as the risks are far too high

Even more worrying is the fact that it is not a new phenomenon in Kenya that criminals also have political ambitions. In fact the trend has been on the rise and a number of Members of Parliament today have criminal records, and in some cases the electorate knew about them prior to electing them to parliament.

A case in point is the Kibwezi legislator Kalembe Ndile. It is whispered that he was a notorious highway gangster during his hey days as a councilor at Makueni county council. He was even arrested by police several times and charged with hijacking trailers along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway but always got away with it due to lack of evidence.

More than half of the councilors from Kibwezi between 1997 and 2002 were said to be involved in criminal activities along the highway with one having opened a large hardware store off the expansive highway at a place called Machinery to sell off goods stolen from carjacked trailers.

It is an open secret that civic leaders representing wards along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway especially in Kilome, Makueni and Kibwezi constituencies have dubious pasts including involvement in criminal activities such as selling fuel siphoned from trailers plying the highway.

A former Kilome MP, the late Tonny Ndilinge who was brutally murdered in Nairobi a few years ago also had a criminal history and it was speculated that his murder had to do with his past as the crime has never been solved to date.

It is perhaps only in Kenya where integrity and probity is never taken into consideration when it comes to electing leaders as the one with the deepest pockets usually carries the day by bribing as many voters as possible with ill-gotten wealth which in most cases must have been acquired through criminal activities. It is difficult to dish money like that that you have sweated for.

I should not be mistaken for a prophet of doom but taking into consideration that this is an election year, the crime rate is expected to soar to unprecedented levels ahead of the polls to be held later this year, at a date known only to President Emilio Kibaki.

Bizarre Rumour In ODM-Kenya About Mutula Kilonzo

Majority of Kenyans are now waiting for one Kalonzo Musyoka to cause a split within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM-Kenya) and the big question is not why but when he will leave.

In recent weeks the former foreign affairs minister has been behaving very strangely from leaving crucial meetings in the middle and crying foul over nothing, even before the long awaited nominations for the presidential candidate have been done.

It is common knowledge that there is no way Kalonzo can beat Raila Odinga for the party nomination and the former has already started weighing his options after his expected exit from ODM soon after the party primary's expected mid this year.

These recent developments have only acted to fuel some bizarre rumours that have been doing the rounds within ODM-Kenya for sometime now. Could Musyoka and his lawyer bossom-buddy, Mutula Kilonzo be moles in ODM reporting to former president Moi? And by extention President Kibaki? One fact that has caused this rumor to refuse to go away is the fact that Mutula Kilonzo is still representing the former president in some very sensitive legal matters steming from the past.

For starters, Kalonzo will have very limited options after walking out of ODM which will include standing for the presidency as an independent candidate (he already has his own registered party—also called Orange Democratic Movemenet but without the "Kenya" at the end. Or he could join forces with president Kibaki to ensure his re-election. The former is unlikely as he does not have the financial capability to go it alone.

And again, Moi will be very interested in Kalonzo to do the spade work for him and ensure that Raila does not make it to State House—a recenet pet obsession of the former president.

Moi has never forgiven Raila for leading the rebellion in Kanu after Moi declared Uhuru Kenyatta the party's presidential candidate in the 2002 elections. It ruined his well laid plans and is one of the reasons why he has been forced out of retirement, even as his health starts showing signs of deteriorating.

Along with Kalonzo is his lawyer Mutula Kilonzo who is still Moi's advocate yet he holds considerable clout in ODM and sometimes serves as the party's spokesman and reads out press statements on behalf of the movement.

Kalonzo has never fallen out with Moi and usually defends the former president at every opportunity he gets. When Moi was involved in an automobile accident last year, it was Kalonzo who came out first asking the government to increase chase cars for the ex- president and enhance his security while traveling by road.

Moi and Kalonzo have always been good friends even after Kanu's defeat in 2002 and the former largely blamed Raila for Kanu's defeat and had nothing against those who ditched Kanu for NARC ahead of those elections.

Mutula owes everything he has to Moi. After being introduced to the former president by the then powerful Machakos Kanu branch chairman, the late Mulu Mutisya, Mutula made a fortune by not only being Moi's lawyer but by also representing parastatals like the National Social Security fund.

It is on record that Mutula made Sh 900 million for two jobs he did for the NSSF and did not pay any taxes on these fees. It is said that he now has an arrangement with the Kenya Revenue Authority which takes almost all his salary and allowances from parliament as he clears his tax arrears which accumulated during the Moi era.

Without Moi, Mutula could not be the multi millionaire that he is today and it goes without saying that the lawyer still takes instructions from the former president and this may just include reporting back to him about crucial decisions being taken by ODM.

The bizarre rumour within ODM-Kenya that has been heightened by the recent behaviour of Kalonzo claims that Mutula Kilonzo and Kalonzo Musyoka are moles in the opposition working for the former president. So could this be true? If we are a little patient the truth will soon emerge, but there are definitely enough signs of smoke here.

Search engines can give you huge traffic. Here's how a Kenyan company can get thousands of visitors to their site daily.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Kumekucha Daily: Home Page 16th January 2007

Kumekucha Today

Lead Story
Bishop Margaret Wanjiru: Will She Recover From Political Blunders?

i) The Tasteless Sugar Story.

ii) How Many MPs Will Make It Back To Parliament?

iii) Narc Kenya Scorecard On Corruption

iv) The Deepest Analysis Of Raila Odinga The Presidential Candidate

Recent stories

How Will President Kibaki Finance His Re-election?

Kenya General Elections 2007: The Latest Prediction

Is Kalonzo The Soft Underbelly Of ODM-Kenya Unity?

The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know: The 5th And Final Part Of The Deepest Analysis Of This Candidate You Will Read Anywhere.

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?

The Big Moi Blunder On Somali That Is Being Paid For By Kenyan Blood

The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know And His Big Obstacle In His Own Back Yard.

Bishop Margaret Wanjiru: Political Blunders One Sunday Morning

Popular TV evangelist Margaret Wanjiru of JIAM (Jesus Is Alive Ministries) is fairly used to the glare of lights and the attention of cameras because that is how she records her rather popular TV shows several times every week.

But last Sunday the numbers of cameras in her church were many more than usual and included cameras from local media houses. This is obviously something that she is not used to, because she made some serious political mistakes.

Ms Wanjiru may not have realized it, but the minute she declared her interest in the Starehe seat, she was in politics. And politics is a very different ball game from what she is used to in her church circles. In Kenya it can be a rather dirty and sordid thing.

This whole saga should be very bad news to Kenyans because Ms Wanjiru's declared interest in politics really excited me and should have done the same for many Kenyans because these are the sort of "different" characters we need if we are to make a difference in parliament and have a fighting chance of getting in the sort of legislators who can change the direction of Kenyan politics. Bishop Wanjiru's track record is admirable. She has demonstrated that she can be selfless and that she can make a difference despite her gender, which tends to be looked down on in Kenya. And most of all she has demonstrated on several occasions that she can swim with the sharks and survive. Church politics is no picnic sometimes, especially for a single mother. Then there is the time that the sellers wanted to con her out of the prime property on Haile Selassie Avenue that houses her church when she had already paid a substantial amount of money for it. These are just a few of the many battles the evangelist has fought and won so far.

The no-nonsense-evangelist makes no secret of her poverty-stricken past and would make the perfect role model in parliament for many Kenyans who badly need to be convinced that it can be done. That just like a person can turn around their lives, the life of one Kenya can also be turned around.

The political mistakes that Ms Wanjiru made that now threaten her bid for the August house was firstly to lose her temper in public. Obviously this man who has come out of the woodwork touched a raw nerve in the evangelist. The timing and execution is such that ruling out a political motive is extremely difficult at this juncture.

For all we know, this could simply be a case of mistaken identity or even dirty political games, but whatever it is, the damage has already been done. The anger of the public was clearly illustrated in the sms poll carried out by KTN last night asking viewers if they read politics in Ms Wanjiru's woes, which clearly showed that most respondents (over 80%) were so angered at her reaction to the man claiming to be her former husband that they did not read politics in the whole saga. A curious assumption for anybody to have under the circumstances. But then angry people hardly reason, less so angry voters.

My hope is that the Bishop wins this latest battle and bounces back like she has so many times before. It will do Kenya a lot of good to have her in parliament.

The Tasteless Sugar Story

The mad genius who first came up with the make-money-from-sugar-overnight scheme has to date made billions of shillings. They were of course close to the Moi administration and they hailed from the Coast.

However somebody in the Kibaki administration seems to have outdone them.

This is how the sugar deal was executed during the Moi era. Using their influence in government, the sugar baron or barons would ensure that virtually all sugar companies in the country closed for annual maintenance at the same time. This would cause a temporary shortage, which would then be promptly filled by imported sugar. There is plenty of cheap sugar out there and even neighboring Sudan produces sugar at a much cheaper cost than we do in Kenya. However the sugar barons prefer to import their sugar from sources that are further away where it is even cheaper.

The mark-ups and profits earned from these deals are mind-boggling and are in the triple digit million figures.

Now somebody else (or is it the same people?) in the Kibaki era has done even better. They've managed to somehow cause a major shortage in the market which had the effect of doubling the price of sugar which at one time was retailing for well over shs 100.

From the time of the Kanu era, well-connected individuals including members of the Moi family made millions of shillings by importing cheap sugar.

It is interesting that a furious minister for Agriculture Kipruto arap Kirwa warned sugar distributors and accused them of unscrupulous business practices and went further and ordered government owned sugar companies to sell the commodity directly to traders and bypass distributors but these does not seem to have brought the prices down to the desired levels. It is strange that the minister expected this move to have any impact in the market since many major outlets in the country buy sugar directly from the factory. For instance supermarkets, which sell a substantial volume of the commodity, have been ordering directly from factories since the early days of the now troubled Uchumi Supermarkets chain in the 70s when it was the only major supermarket in the country.

The minister has now opted for the alternative, which is to allow some selected companies to import the commodity cheaply from the common market for eastern and southern Africa COMESA region in a bid to stabilize the prices.

What Kenyans are finding weird is the fact that the minister is now accepting that there is a shortage when only recently he had said that local stocks were enough and the problem was hoarding.

Kirwa who is among the ministers in Kibaki's government that have amassed large fortunes over a very short period of time has been investigated by the Kenya anti corruption commission but nothing much came out from the investigations conducted last year.

Stakeholders in the industry read mischief on the minister's part and claim he wants to make money from those that he will license to import the commodity cheaply.

Others suspect that the whole saga maybe a ploy to raise money for the forthcoming general elections.

Meanwhile ordinary folks are suffering because, unfortunately, majority of Kenyans cannot go about their business every day without taking a cup of tea in the morning while there are millions of poor rural women who can't get any sleep without a cup of the same at night and all have now been forced to dig deeper into their pockets.

The other alternative is to consume the liquid without sugar, making it as tasteless as President Kibaki's administration has turned out to be.

Elections in Kenya 2007: How Many MPs Will Make It Back To The House?

The current members of parliament are perhaps the greediest lot that Kenyans have seen since independence and it will take a miracle for even 10% of them to be re-elected come the general elections expected later this year.

When the legislators started their term in 2003, they were already overpaid earning close to 400,000 monthly in salaries and allowances but four years down the line they have increases their remunerations even further to almost Sh 1 million and are among the best paid law makers in the world.

This they did in complete disregard of the abject poverty in the country with about 70% of the people living on less than a dollar per day and have to make do with only one meal.

To add insult to injury, the legislators also set for themselves attractive perks like a sh 3 million car grant with the privilege of importing the vehicles duty free. Little wonder that when pedestrians see state-of-the-art vehicles speeding along streets of Nairobi the question they ask each other is which member of parliament is passing by as they are notoriously known for acquiring the biggest cars at the expense of tax payers yet they can also easily pass for the laziest lawmakers in the world.

Apparently, the only time that the legislators seem to agree wholesome on any issue is when they have bills in parliament proposing the increase of their pay.

As if that was not enough, during the last seating before the Christmas break, the MPs passed a bill to increase the president's salary from Sh 2 million to Sh 3.3 million in a move that saw president Kibaki reject the new package after a public outcry from the civil society and church leaders. But what is really strange is why the president did not order his foot soldiers to shoot down the bill while it was still in the house. As it is, there seems to have been some input from state house when it was still on the floor of the house.

Little did Kenyans know that the legislators were only setting the stage to secure their own sh 1.5 million each at the end of their five year term later this year in what they called a golden handshake.

This insensitivity among our lawmakers has also seen them draw lots of cash from the various committees they sit on in parliament not to mention the foreign trips that are so frequent and add no value to the debates or motions passed in the house.

What is most disheartening is that most of these legislators have little academic qualification with even a few of them being semi-illiterate and one wonders why they think they deserve to be paid so much money notwithstanding the sorry state of the majority of Kenyans.

This move has made the legislators so unpopular though many of them have invested wisely especially in real estate and will not live desperate lives when they are inevitably voted out later in the year.

Arrogance has also come along with the big perks and most of them have not only deserted their constituents but when cornered by hungry citizens are quick to dish hand outs while others simply ignore their employers with rude comments like they have made enough money and will not be blackmailed by the electorate.

The lawmakers have now resulted to philandering lifestyles and many of them have been seen picking up prostitutes at the notorious Nairobi red ligh disctrict of Koinange street and paying well for the services they get from the mostly underage call girls.

A common joke in the streets of Nairobi is that city prostitutes have raised their fees to fend off the ordinary citizens as they are now targeting the lawmakers only, since they have plenty of cash and a lot of free time for philandering.

Kenyans are well aware of all this and it remains to be seen how these outgoing legislators will explain themselves to the voters when the election campaigns kick off.

Election 2007 Scorecard: How Does Narc-Kenya And President Kibaki Score On Corruption?

The traffic policeman still collects Sh 50 from every matatu that passes the road block while those fortunate (or is it less fortunate) to meet cops instead f thugs at night on their way home must part with Sh 100 or more to secure their release. Those applying for a passport will have to give the government clerk upwards of Sh 1,000 for their application to be given due attention.

These are just a tiny section of the networks of corruption that continue to thrive in Kenya every day in spite of the government's rather tired song that their policy is zero tolerance towards corruption.

There seemed to be a lull just after the 2002 elections and several traffic policemen and court officials were arrested and charged in court with corruption related offences but the steam seems to have run out as the old networks made a come back with a vengeance—so what happened?

Basically the pledge to fight corruption from the top did not quite take off. High level corruption among senior government officials and politicians is rampant and those that have been exposed by the media are yet to be prosecuted in courts of law. So why should any of the small scale corruption networks not flourish?

A good example is the Anglo leasing scandal where the government paid out billions of shillings to ghost companies for goods, which were never delivered.

To date, a cabinet minister who was linked to the cover up of the Anglo leasing scandal has been reinstated to the cabinet after being sacked when the heat was on.

Kiraitu Murungi who blames his woes on the media has even gone further to ask president Kibaki to reinstate his colleague, David Mwiraria who resigned to pave way for investigations.

That's why the war on corruption has been a very big joke in Kenya costing the tax payer large amounts of money as the Kenya anti corruption chief, Justice Aaron Ringera takes home a hefty salary of sh 2 million monthly with allowances making him the best paid public servant earning more than even the president.

To date the only prominent person taken to court over corruption is former powerful minister of internal security and provincial administration Dr Chris Murungaru who's matter is yet to be heard and determined.

The anti corruption czar says he has given the attorney general several files of prominent individuals for prosecution but the ever smiling AG, Amos Wako says the evidence in those files is insufficient to sustain prosecution.

President Kibaki has been constantly accused of failing to take decisive action on corruption like in many other pertinent issues but the hear no evil, see no evil president has as usual buried his head in the sand and prefers to talk about economic growth vision 2030 (or is it 20300?) and the free primary education program.

Corruption is nothing new to Kenyans and the problem has been with us since the pre-independence era but Kenyans voted president Kibaki with express instructions—on an anti corruption platform and are therefore deeply disillusioned on his failure to show initiative in tackling the vice that has literally torn apart the moral fiber of our society.

Raila Odinga's Bid For the Presidency: Can Kenyans Stomach The Truth?

Raila Odinga is a darling to many Kenyans having fought for democracy for the past four decades but few know that the erstwhile politician is also known to engage in unorthodox tactics to raise money for his political activities.

Having said that, there are those Kenyans who prefer to turn a blind eye to the any weaknesses that Agwambo may have, after all he is almost the only one effectively standing up against the current government which has in many ways brought lots of hardships to Kenyans, and that is apart from the broken promises that are now conveniently being swept under the carpet. It is like the situation with Nelson Mandela where most opted to turn a blind eye to his extreme and suspicious affection for young models. After all the old man suffered for 27 years in detention.

Raila too has suffered a great deal and will probably remain the most detained Kenyan in history since the law allowing the president to detain without trial has since been repelled.

However we have reached a place in Kenyan's long hard work to a second liberation where the truth must be told at all times. Even when this truth concerns our dear proven heroes and heroines and is therefore "painful and difficult to swallow."

Those who have aspired for parliamentary seats in Luo nyanza only know to well that it is impossible to succeed without the nod of Raila, which does not come cheap by any standards.

It is common knowledge that all Luo MPs belong to one of two groups, there are those who are related to Odinga in one way or the other and then they are those who donated generously to Raila's personal account to ensure they won his party's nomination which was and still is a direct ticket to parliament.

However majority of the current Luo MPs belong to the latter group with some donating millions to ensure that they got the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) nomination ticket that enabled them a smooth sailing to parliament.

Heading the list is foreign affairs minister Raphael Tuju who when he fell out with Raila confessed that he donated so much money, that he was given the nomination in spite of losing hands down to his opponent.

In a bitter exchange of words with Raila, Tuju challenged him to tell the world how much he had to cough from his pockets to secure the LDP nominations for the Rarieda parliamentary seat which he represents. Raila remained mum on this issue.

Others who are said to also have given Odinga plenty of cash is former Kenya ports authority managing director Philip Okundi who also sailed smoothly to parliament through the Rangwe seat and a host of other top professionals who are in parliament today because of Raila.

The list is long and these legislators who bought their way to parliament are mostly now on their way out as Raila has already picked a new line up to replace them as he collects more money to finance his forthcoming Presidential campaign.

Among the Luo mps who are in parliament today as a result of being related to Raila include his brother Dr Oburu Odinga, Gor Sunguh, Jakoyo Midiwo among others who have performed disastrously and are also on their way out maybe save for Oburu who represents Bondo, the rural home for the Odinga family.

There are a few others who managed to get to parliament by simply worshipping Raila like Mbita legislator Otieno Kajwang who always thinks, eats and breathes Raila and is usually used as a hatchet man for the maverick politician.

Raila is said to accumulate a fortune ahead of any general election and is the most sought after man in Nyanza as aspirants chase after him in a bid to secure nominations in his party ticket knowing too well that it is a direct ticket to parliament where the salaries and allowances are among the most lucrative in the world.

Mr Odinga has also been involved in other forms of corruption which he has managed to get away with as there has never been sufficient evidence to crucify him and whenever he is accused of any vice, he simply politicizes the whole issue and gets much needed sympathy from his supporters who run into millions as he is perhaps the most popular politician in Kenya today.

Anthe case in point that Raila critics are quick to point to was when he was roads minister in Kibaki's government. It is alleged that he influenced the tendering system for the Nairobi-Mombasa highway where a German construction company, Strabag, was awarded the tender in a process that was not perceived to be competitive.

The matter was brought up in parliament after it was discovered that Raila toured Germany at the invitation of the construction company in a trip that his wife Ida tugged along and more questions than answers arose but Raila claimed it was a self-sponsored trip contrary to emerging facts.

A one time close ally of Raila who works in the roads ministry confided to this writer that Odinga had a more than cordial relationship with a number of road contractors but his dealings with them were so secretive that there was never evidence of him receiving money and favors in return of awarding them lucrative tenders.

"Raila is such a shrewd operator that it's almost impossible to catch him with his pants down or his hands in the cookie jar' The senior government official confided to this writer soon after Raila was dropped from the cabinet for campaigning against the new constitution which saw the government lose.

It is not a secret that Raila is fabulously wealthy and has the capacity to self finance his presidential campaign with little information on the true source of his wealth besides the family inheritance and generous donations from his local and foreign friends.

But his less radical supporters would argue that Raila is no different form the current crop of politicians and if anything stands heads and shoulders above them because his style of making money does not involve fleecing the public and causing a lot of suffering to ordinary folks like some of his former colleagues are notorious for. Surely one cannot compare Raila with for example Chris Murungaru who is said to have grown fabulously rich overnight doing the sort of "business" that attract the attention of International intelligence agencies. Britain banned the former internal security and later transport minister in the Kibaki government after he was seen in meetings with underworld drug barons during an official visit to London.

Still, would Raila make the sort of president that Kenya needs at this particular point in time? Would he for instance fight corruption with the required vigour when he himself has been involved in it, even if it is to a lesser degree than colleagues?

These are some of the questions Kenyan voters will have to answer. It is gratifying that whatever verdict they give Raila Amollo Odinga, one thing can never be denied about him. And that is the fact that his place in Kenyan history is firmly booked.

DON'T MISS PART 2 OF OUR RAILA PRESIDENTIAL BID ANALYSIS TOMORROW.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Kumekucha Daily; Home Page 15th Jan 2007

Kumekucha Today

Lead Story
Is Kalonzo The Soft Underbelly Of ODM-Kenya Unity?

i) The Kalonzo Musyoka You Don't Know: The 5th And Final Part Of The Deepest Analysis Of This Candidate You Will Read Anywhere.

ii) Citizen Weekly Editors To Vie For Political Office.

iii) President Kibaki Is Waiting For ODM Split To Call For Early Elections

iv) Why An Early Election Will Favor Narc Kenya

Other Stories TODAY
How Will President Kibaki Finance His Re-election?

Why Kibaki Government Will Never Understand The Common Man

Such A Hypocrite Moi Is

Kenya General Elections 2007: The Latest Prediction

Recent stories
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?

The Big Moi Blunder On Somali That Is Being Paid For By Kenyan Blood