Kenya: The Loss of Innocence.

It is slowly becoming clear that the violence in the slums of major Kenyan cities and the bushes of Rift Valley have as much to do with the outcome of the elections as with the resentment of perceived Kikuyu domination. Any lasting solution towards peace must involve avenues to address and possibly dismantle the perception that Kikuyus are out to systematically reap where they did not sow. It is time to be real my friends.

Before we can move on, we must all agree that the manner by which Kibaki was installed president does not help the situation. In fact, the arrogance portrayed by his key players, from KICC to State House and beyond, has only cemented the ill anti-Kikuyu sentiments spreading like wildfire across the nation. Even the Kikuyu elite and some poor Kiambu village folks are patting themselves on their backs in congratulatory acknowledgment of having stolen this one 'legally' . The rest of the country is in awe and amazement at how this heist of voting rights was completed in very short order. FACT: The presidency was stolen. Yes my friends, it is time to face the truth.

Back to the violence. Every chap of average intelligence is well aware that the burning of churches in Eldoret will have to be avenged. The killing of Kikuyu folk countrywide will have to be avenged. Let us keep it real folks. Mungiki folk have been sharpening their pangas since the eve of Dec 27th, 2007. Yes my friends, these jamaas are fast regrouping and this time with the support of every Kikuyu who saw pictures of heavily protected Kikuyu-folk-laden convoys enroute from RV to Central. We will never be too sure but we have an idea of what the humanitarian govt. forces deployed in opposition areas are all about. Looking for answers in the bullet riddled bodies in Kisumu morgues is of no consequence. Yes my friends, ukweli ni mbaya. We are all victims.

So what next? Mungiki will soon strike and more tears will flow. The govt. will then follow-up and use all its military might to purge any signs of anti-govt. rebellion. After a couple of weeks of running battles, the Kenyan people will get tired and slowly revert to their normal day to day activities. They will give up to the powers that be at which point, Kazi Itaendelea. Yes folks, let us not imagine that Kibaki will step down or budge from the seat of power. The reality is that Kenyans must pay rent and put food on the table. We actually will have no choice but to retreat to our obscure shelters as we watch Kimunya, TransCentury and other assorted Kibaki lieutenants share out Safaricom among other delicacies. Yes folks, with one policeman on every street for months, an uneasy peace will return to Kenya. What about the anti-Kikuyu sentiments? What of those who say that Kibaki's action has legitimized every fallacy they've heard of Kikuyu's before? Yes we will walk the streets again, but what will happen when lets say a Luo man driving in the deep of Nyeri accidentally knocks down and kills an old Kikuyu woman crossing the street? Do you now see the type of scars a stolen election has etched onto the Kenyan psyche? Will we ever be brothers and sisters again under a tattered flag that does not recognize the value of our votes? These wounds will remain with us for years after these jamaas have retired to their Muthaiga homes. These wounds will follow us to every ballot box going forward. These wounds will determine the city we choose to work in, the schools we send our children to and the areas we choose to open up businesses. These wounds will make us turn a blind eye to the evils committed against our brothers from other communities. With these wounds, the jokes of Bwana Ojwang and Mama Kayai will loose meaning. With these wounds, some sheng words such as Musakhulu, Musapere and Mujaka will no longer be politically correct. The reality is that some of us are very happy with the turn of events. Some of us are mad as hell. All of us will remain insecure for years. Ask yourself why, the next time you board matatu number 16A to Kayole.

We will return to our work stations throughout the country and use the next five years trying to relocate to work areas close to our native homes. Only an insane Luo man will take up that promotion in Muranga town. This is serious trouble my friends. You see, the thing is that as a country, we have lost innocence. We can never talk of Rwanda with a chip on our shoulders. In all, the theft at KICC has made us grown men. Never again will we be able to propagate the notion that Kenya is a peace loving country. We are as fallible and as volatile as all other African countries. Kenya, as a bastion of democratic ideals, has been buried by the actions of Mwai Kibaki. This is the only man who could have ordered the PNU machinery to stop and desist from topping up the vote results from his strongholds. This is the man who may have chosen to resign after seeing the questions raised by the ECK chairman and some commissioners, observers etc. Any prudent man of singular leadership qualities and intelligence would have averted the crisis at KICC by doing the right thing......i.e. let the people decide.

But more importantly, when the election news is old news, what will Kenyans do to ensure peace in future? This is what I suggest. First and foremost, the fallacy that Kikuyus are bent on dominating other Kenyans must be dismantled. Let us choose to really get to know our neighbors. More often than not, you will find out that the struggles faced by most Kikuyus are similar to those faced by all Kenyans. They are just as poor and led by a coterie of the same bunch of inept leaders that the rest of the country displays. Whereas it is unlikely that you will find other communities doing business or settling in Central Kenya, the prevalence of Kikuyus in other areas may well be a simple result of population growth. If we have ever needed each other, this is the time. This is the time for national healing and reconciliation. Do not expect solutions from political leadership. Let us join multicultural churches. Let us demand that our workplaces reflect the face of the country. Let us choose peace.

If we continue fighting and shedding blood on behalf of our political leaders, nobody will be left behind for them to lead.

A Minute of Honour

Away from the sickeningly boring and seemingly unending mediocrity bedeviling Kenya, it is only fair for us to take a minute to congratulate Barrack Obama for his loud victory in the first primary in Iowa. We can only hope that he continues to put up the same show starting with New Hampshire on Tuesday, onto the other states and even the election proper in November. As much as Barrack is not Kenyan, we should be proud of the association we have with his family roots. We are proud of you Barrack, congratulations!

What Will Happen In Kenya Next

If you are on roof of your house...

Find out at the bottom of this post why frequent updates are no longer possible in this blog

The most dangerous thing you can have in a situation like Kenya’s is somebody who thinks they understand the situation but actually DO NOT.

It starts with cocky know-it-alls leaving comments in this blog about “incitement” characters like John Michuki who are sure that this is Luo problem.

In my view Raila Odinga does not have the power to stop the chaos, even if he went on his knees on live TV.

The statement by the President yesterday tells you pretty much what is going to happen next. I don’t want to say it because it would be incitement.

The solution?

I have already appealed to Kenyans to reach out to our Kikuyu brothers and isolate the small clique of mad men and women who have caused all these problems. From the tone of comments in this blog, that has mostly been ignored.

So I am afraid the next agenda is to worry about your personal safety if you are in Kenya and to get to some safe place and pray very hard.

God have mercy on Kenya.

I came across another article by another inciter who is not even a Kenyan. He’s based in Trinidad. He says;

But don't blame it on mere "tribalism". Kenyans are not fools, and they know they have been betrayed.

Read the full article here

P.S. To date Uganda is the only country in the world that has congratulated Mwai Kibaki on his “re-election.” The US quickly withdrew their congratulations hours after they had announced it.

P.S. 2 The news from Kenya is all very bad and if we were to report the true situation and give you updates, it would be incitement according to Michuki and most Kenyans. If for example I told you that most of the killings in Nairobi are being done by Mungiki wouldn't you classify that as incitement? We all have to tone down the news and report very carefully while still giving Kenyans a ray of hope while there is really none.

Who Can Save Kenya?

The Mirage of Politics, Policies, Interests, Investments, Returns in Government. How can the common mwanainchi also get a piece of the cake?

In view of the recent bloodshed, hate speeches and polarized elections outcome. We ought to evaluate what is more important in relation to the sacrifice and constitutional rights in our beloved country Kenya.

Who will be at least generous to share in their fortune after the aftermath of the nations outcry, if we in turn, we must slaughter one another?

We have the “Safari Park, one million per plate campaign benefactors” popularly referred to as Kibaki’s cronies. Awori, Kombo, Tuju, Nyachae, Uhuru etc. They have all placed their bets and stakes at the big office. It’s all about business and capitalism where the little man has to be contained and put in check…Enriching themselves, while the rest dwell in economic stagnation as they benefit from the so-called improved economy just for the upper class.

Mutula Kilonzo, Moi’s lawyer and Kalonzo’s chief negotiator not to forget Maanzo ODM-K chairman. Who got a little boost from Moi. “Hata bwana Gideon Moi yukona ODM-K” said Kalonzo at Uhuru Park. The meeting with Nyayo at his retirement home should have raised eyebrows. Everyone has to have funding for his or her campaign vehicle. What did he offer in exchange if that was the case? He denied meeting Moi but said Mutula was there with other “parties”.

Raila is claimed to have funded part of Kibaki’s 2002 campaign we can tell where he might have gotten his campaign money…other Governments business moguls with foreign interests and investments that benefit from Infrastructure projects, redistribution of equitable resources and human labor.

In awe to this, each and every political aspirant has to answer to someone after they get elected. It’s like when Nyayo did Harambees he always used the phrase “yangu na marafiki”.

If Raila, Kibaki or Kalonzo could tell us who the benefactors are right now, what would they say?

Who has more at stake? Is it the guy who got the least number of votes at the polls who might form a coalition with Kibaki and get the VP post? The man who has unelectable cronies and fewer seats in parliament and Moi’s family protection program? Could it be someone who has majority seats 112 MPs, constituents to answer to, believing he can offer an alternative measure and a share of the piece of cake with amounted pressure to keep that promise and glimmer of hope for the less fortunate few?

Before we point fingers at our leaders we must realize what kind of pressure they are under to deliver results. How can the nation also benefit? Who has at least the best deal for the common mwanainchi in mind?

They have a sacrifice to make and some have even sold half their souls. ”Ewe Mungu Nisaidie”

Guest post by Kombo George

War Against Self

I am fresh from a long and tedious flight during which I got to think through the Kenyan situation. We have just had elections which were closely contested. It is unfortunate that hundreds of innocent people are dying as a result of either politicians wanting to cling to power or ascending to power for the first time by all means. I said here before the poll many times over that both Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga are not fit to lead Kenya. If anybody still has doubts about this one fact, then they can do with some prayers. Look here, this violence is not about Kenya or its democracy. This violence is about two people who clearly have no agenda for the country but who want to rope it in for their own very shallow and selfish reasons. The most worrying thing however is that none of these guys has out rightly called for an end to the violence. All we have heard are half hearted statements that are quickly followed by “buts”. Raila Odinga, who is central in the crisis, has not said a word about the need for humanitarian aid to the displaced and the injured. He is giving interviews left right and centre where he goes on and on about how he is “the rightly elected president” with no mention at all on the plight of innocent Kenyans (even when asked about it, he somehow gets away with it with little excuses of how democracy is being muzzled). The same thing goes for President Kibaki. Kibaki, just like Raila, is responsible for the genocide in Kenya. He is a fabulously rich person and he has not offered a cent towards resolving the mess, a mess he is directly responsible for. He has similarly continued to issue half hearted statements that are capped with the words “after the free and fair elections”. Granted, the government has offered some humanitarian aid but then this is not about the government. This is a war started by Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga as individuals. It has nothing to do with the interest of the country. I have seen Kalonzo Musyoka donate Kshs 500,000 through Red Cross. Now Kalonzo is not the richest of the three. He is not at the centre of the dispute like these other two guys either but he has repeatedly spoken for the innocently suffering Kenyans. I believe I am different from most other people because that is what I call leadership. Raila’s and Kibaki’s are leaderships to death and destruction. Now, what exactly is the bone of contention? The elections are over and there is no formal dispute, but people keep fighting. I blame Raila Odinga’s supporters (if not Raila himself) for starting a war for no reason. I blame Mwai Kibaki for failing to clump down on perpetrators of runaway hooliganism as the head of state. Here is why I blame Mwai Kibaki; you cannot claim to defend the rule of law and democracy if you have no respect for the same. Why do we have the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections regulations providing for petitions? We have these provisions to take care of any emerging disputes. Since the ODM which claims to have been rigged out does not have the guts or the civility to file a petition with the high court, Kibaki should have instructed his Attorney General to file one. The Presidential and parliamentary elections regulation states that any registered voter can file the petition. Out of the aggrieved hooligans, none has filed the petition. It also says the AG can do it. This is where Hon Kibaki should have stepped in and demonstrated leadership. It is only through petitioning that the poll can be treated as disputed. Right now, what we are seeing is an uprising that has no basis. Raila Odinga is the biggest protagonist in this entire circus. He lost the elections (either fairly or unfairly) and decided that the election was not free and fair. He wants us to believe that Juja Constituency registered a voter turn-out of 30%. He also feels that Tigania west, Nithi, Central Imenti and South Imenti all registered their lowest ever turn-outs since the introduction of multipartysm and that Karachuonyo, Ndhiwa and Kisumu Rural registered their highest. Fine, may be he is right, but is going on a slashing and looting spree the best way out of the predicament? I believe that if anybody has any respect, let alone love, for their country, they have to adhere to the rule of law, the force of the constitution and the power of tradition. The best way would have been to file a petition. We are not a jungle nation whose problems are solved using pangas. I also believe that Raila will be the sure loser if he continues with the route he has taken and if Kibaki continues with his exaggerated degree of rigidity. You cannot lay unreasonable conditions for negotiations with the president who not only has executive power, but who also feels he was democratically elected. That is like shooting yourself in the foot because nobody is going to bulge. I once said here that Raila Odinga is a leader unto darkness, anarchy and death and people accused me of hating him. I have watched him on TV totally unwilling to take even a modicum of responsibility. He passes the buck all the time even when his most ardent supporters are dying. But for how long are you going to duck responsibility Mr. Raila? What is remarkable about Mr. Raila’s passion for anarchy, beyond its intensity, is the ease with which he wins over converts. He has always tenaciously clung to his unverified beliefs which he confuses with fact and often inflicts this confusion to his supporters in his struggle to resolve any situation to his favour. When many people are persuaded to subscribe to the same pretense, of course it can gain the aura of objectivity. The trick is simple; depict yourself as persecuted and you will surely win sympathizers. If this is not delusion, tell me what it is. My humble submission is that the ODM need to petition the outcome of the election in court. Nobody can reverse the ECK chairman’s announcement, not even the president or the AG. Amos Wako is just being afraid of taking an unpopular decision. The best way to resolve this quagmire is telling people the truth which is that the ECK which had a pre poll approval rating of 75% announced the results and anybody dissatisfied with the verdict should either go to court or to hell. We cannot continue being a country at war with itself. When the losses are counted believe you me, ODM supporters will be the most affected. It is a pity that our so called educated, exposed and enlightened brothers continue to urge the idle and jobless youth to go on the rampage. I want to see Anyang Nyong’o, William Ruto and Raila Odinga themselves throwing stones and looting in Nakumatt. I want to see Sam Okello in hospital nursing a bullet wound sustained during “a fight to save his country”. Only when that happens, shall I acknowledge that Kenya means anything to any of these people. Meanwhile, the government should continue being ruthless when dealing with perpetrators of violence. It is indefensible when someone breaks into an innocent person’s property or when people torch a poor man’s house all in the name of fighting for democracy. That is stupid fundamentalism.

Why America And The International Community Are Responsible For The Rising Body Count In Kenya

Plus: Tear gas and heavy police presence stop ODM rally from taking place

One of the saddest scenes in the Kisumu morgue that brought tears to my eyes yesterday was the site of a woman’s very stiff and dead body neatly placed on the floor next to that of a little girl who everybody presumed must have been her daughter. Both had bullet wounds.

And then the utter horror of having women and children trapped in a church where they thought they were safe being burnt alive. Can you imagine the terrible screams of distress and unimaginable pain as they burnt to death? The human body is mostly made up of water and therefore there can be no pain worse than that of being burnt alive.

The victims in the morgue were Luo while those who died the most terrible death were Kikuyu.

The ODM rally as expected has so far not taken place as the heavy police presence at Uhuru Park and in the slum areas surrounding the city has held tight. Nairobi appears to be calm at the moment but violence in the rest of the country is spreading. In fact it may have been a better idea to have let the rally happen so as to ease tensions somewhat. Now that it did not happen, the violence and outrage in ordinary Kenyans is bound to cause much more trouble than we have so far seen.

Thus far we have talked much about Kibaki’s hand in the current crisis but we have left out other major culprits in all this mess. Namely the international community and especially the United States.

For starters, there is evidence that the American intelligence services may have had a hand in the intricate plan to rig the elections. You will remember the Gallup poll just before the elections that took everybody by surprise by showing Kibki slightly ahead of Raila. All other polls gave Raila the lead. The Kumekucha poll (which I believe with all my heart was the most accurate as the voting patterns clearly showed, before the rigging kicked in) gave Raila a lead of well over 60%. But even more interesting was the exit poll also done by an American outfit that showed a Kibaki win. It is clear that somebody was very determined to prove that Mwai Kibaki had a chance of winning against all the evidence on the ground that contradicted this.

Then it was the Americans who were first to congratulate Kibaki on his win. So what changed their mind to such an unprecedented extent that they withdrew their congratulations and instead questioned the poll? There is a possibility that the American’s intelligence service which works most of the time, showed them the real situation on the ground which cannot sustain a Kibaki presidency. Too late!!! The blood of all those dead Kenyans is already on their hands.

But the international community too is guilty for ignoring numerous warnings that all was not well with the Kibaki regime. The most obvious example of this was the Anglo Leasing scam that forced one John Githongo (former ethics PS) into exile because his conscience would not allow him to take easy money from his fellow Kikuyus and shut up.

How did the international community react to that? It reacted by pouring in even more aid into Kenya. In fact the international community is guilty of giving the corrupt Kibaki administration much more breathing space for corruption than was ever given to the Moi government which incidentally was much more of mindful of ordinary folks. The golf playing elitist Kibaki administration has clearly demonstrated that they are completely out of touch.

Well, Kibaki cronies have tasted the contents of the corruption in high places cookie jar and now they will not let go. With support from the Moi family plans were already under way in the run up to the election to ensure continuity even in 2012 through the hands of a trusted new lieutenant Uhuru Kenyatta.

Now as the International community scrambles to find a solution to the escalating crisis in Nairobi, they too must take responsibility for the deaths including that of the mother and her small innocent daughter lying at the Kisumu morgue.

And as they do so, in the next few days they will discover the true character of a man called Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki. I can assure them that they will not like what they find. Already the statement by the government that Kenya does not need a mediator is only a taste of things to come.

Fellow Kenyans let me take this opportunity to admit that I was wrong when I predicted this government would last 3 days. I thought that smart people in State House would quickly read the situation on the ground and do what is sensible. I was wrong. I fear that we now need to dig in for a long long time as one old man called Emilio ensures that now that his legacy and image in the world has been destroyed forever, that there will be no Kenya left for anybody else to have a chance to do a better job than he did. Watch this space as we highlight the true developments in a country where the media has already been gagged and a least one site, Mashada.com is reported to have been shut down.

P.S. Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM-K did not attend the State House meeting between newly elected MPs and the president. The press were shut out of the meeting. ODM-K say that the reason is that they were not invited properly. No ODM MPs attended either.

P.S. 2 The Uhuru Park Rally has been called off as the AG has called for the formation of an independent body to scrutinize the presidential votes of the recent rigged presidential elections.

Raila Odinga Sets The Record Straight

Kibaki Must Step Down

Published by Coalition of Kenyans and Allies for Democracy on Dec 31, 2007
Category: Human Rights
Region: GLOBAL
Target: International Community
Description/History: The international community is very much aware that Mwai Kibaki and his Party of National Unity (PNU) rigged the December 2007 Kenyan presidential election.

In recognition of this fact, the European Union, Britain, and the United States have refused to recognize the Kibaki government as legitimate.

As members of the international community, we do not intend to allow this blatant act of disregard for the rule of law and for the will of the people of Kenya to go unchallenged.

The list of evidence of election irregularities compiled in this petition contains widely known facts and has been corroborated by various news sources.

1. All polls taken before the election favored Raila Odinga and his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with Odinga leading Kibaki by a margin of 4%. A mid-December report by the government's own intelligence service gave Raila Odinga an even larger lead of 8% to 15% over Mwai Kibaki. As the election drew near, the Steadman poll, which is conducted under the leadership of George Waititu, a close friend of Kibaki's, showed Kibaki catching up to Odinga although the total for the three leading candidates added up to 101%.
2. The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported that Muslim voters, most of whom were expected to favor Raila Odinga, were denied voter cards in the leadup to the election.
   
3. Prior to the election, Raila Odinga warned that Mwai Kibaki and his party planned to illegally deploy Administrative Police (AP) as poll agents for the purpose of intimidating voters. While Mwai Kibaki originally denied these allegations, subsequent events showed that Odinga was correct--the East African Standard reported that 65,000 APs were in fact illegally deployed to various parts of the country.
4. Prior to the election, the impartiality and credibility of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) was jeopardized by Mwai Kibaki's control over the appointment of foreign observers. The East African Standard reported that ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu had himself accused the Kibaki "government of selectively inviting international observers for the December polls." Member of Parliament William Ruto of ODM also voiced concern, stating that "Kibaki has gone against a precedence that even brought him to power. The President alone has appointed ECK commissioners. He alone has picked foreign observers. When you put these two issues in the wider picture of the run-up to elections, you see we have a reason to doubt the fairness of the coming polls."
5. Early in the election, when Raila Odinga went to cast his vote at a polling station in his constituency of Langata, he found that his name was missing from the poll register. Furthermore, names beginning in 'A,' 'E' and 'O'--traditionally Luo and Luhya names--were missing.
6. Raila Odinga's ODM party firmly secured the Parliament, winning more than 45% percent of parliamentary seats--that is, at least 95 out of 210 electable seats--compared to Mwai Kibaki's PNU party which secured only 37 seats in total and lost 22 of its original 32 seats. The ouster of the majority of Kibaki's cabinet was regarded by many as a bold statement to the degree to which the majority of the electorate had lost confidence in the Kibaki administration.
7. In Garsen, a mob destroyed 35 ballot boxes on suspicion of rigging.
8. One constituency, Maragwa, reported 115% voter turnout.
   
9. Although voting ended on Thursday, December 27, the announcement of results from some polling stations was delayed for more than two days because:
   

a) The aforementioned irregularities compelled numerous complaints from candidates of both parties.
b) ECK returning officers from disputed polling stations could not be located by Kivuitu and had turned off their cell phones.

10. Samuel Kivuitu, chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), himself acknowledged that the delay would have allowed time for these missing officials or others to rig votes. "This is where cooking could be taking place," said Kivuitu.

11) The ECK failed to address the majority of these concerns raised by Raila Odinga, his ODM party, and the general public and proceeded to announce the obviously illegitimate results, thereby failing in its responsibility to the people of Kenya and lending validity to the debacle.

12) After the ECK announced the results, declaring Mwai Kibaki the winner, the East African Standard reported that an ECK officer alleged that there had been "blatant and shameless alteration of documents" primarily by "information technology officials." This officer said that the Coast and upper Eastern provinces were most affected by rigging, but also named the constituencies of Moyale, Laisamis, Saku and Matuga.

13) A Reuters article also quoted an "election observer who asked not to be named" as having "very little doubt" that the election was rigged.

14) Furthermore, before Kivuitu declared Mwai Kibaki the winner, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, chief European Union election monitor, stated that there was ``a big question mark over the tallying of results.''

15) After Kivuitu declared Mwai Kibaki the winner, Lambsdorff repeated his misgivings. "We regret that it has not been possible to address irregularities about which both the EU and the ECK have evidence ... some doubt remains as to the accuracy of the result of the presidential election as announced today," said Lambsdorff.

16) Lambsdorff has again gone on record as saying that the tallying process lacked credibility.

17) Prior to Mwai Kibaki's secretive swearing in ceremony, the Kenyan government suspended all live television broadcasts. Coverage of post-election violence, including the government's use of armed police in suppressing demonstrators, has therefore been difficult to verify. In view of the above irregularities, this has had the effect of further eroding any semblance of democracy.

18) Finally, tallies reported by the ECK differed from those announced at polling stations and on television news broadcasts. The New York Times reports that, "The European Union said its observers in one constituency last week witnessed election officials announce that President Kibaki had won 50,145 votes, but on Sunday the election commission increased those same results to 75,261 votes."

Taken as a whole, this evidence is more than enough to declare the presidency of Mwai Kibaki illegitimate and to install the legitimate winner, Raila Odinga, into that office.

Petition:
The international community is very much aware that Mwai Kibaki and his Party of National Unity (PNU) rigged the December 2007 Kenyan presidential election. In recognition of this fact, the European Union, Britain, and the United States have refused to recognize the Kibaki government as legitimate.

As members of the international community, we do not intend to allow this blatant act of disregard for the rule of law and for the will of the people of Kenya to go unchallenged. The list of evidence of election irregularities compiled in this petition contains widely known facts and has been corroborated by various news sources.

Taken as a whole, this evidence is more than enough to declare the presidency of Mwai Kibaki illegitimate and to install the legitimate winner, Raila Odinga, into that office.

In light of the aforementioned evidence, we, the undersigned, condemn Mwai Kibaki's theft of the Kenyan presidency. We recognize Mwai Kibaki's actions as a declaration of war on the opposition and hold him responsible for the ethnic bloodshed that has proceeded from this heist of the presidency.

We do not condone violence and urge all parties to avoid violence. Instead we urge for peaceful protests and negotiations and non-violent protests.

Nonetheless, we demand that Mwai Kibaki abdicate the office of the President of Kenya and that the legitimate winner, Raila Odinga, be instated into that office immediately. In the interest of peace, we respectfully request your assistance in ensuring that this affront to democracy is repudiated and nullified.

Sign petitition here.

Destroying Evidence Of Defeat?

Are you a Kenyan? What you can do to help end the violence.


This is from an article appearing in today's Standard;

Forms 16A missing

Matters were further complicated for ODM when the controversy that has dogged the outcome of the presidential poll took a new twist amid reports that the crucial Form 16As kept in a safe at the KICC by some returning officers had disappeared.

There was tension at the ECK operation centre on Wednesday morning after some returning officers openly protested that the Form 16As, which they had kept in a Cabinet at KICC, had gone missing.

"We came here this morning and they told us that the forms had been stolen," an official told The Standard as tempers flared.

Read full article

MISSION STATEMENT - COALITION OF KENYANS AND ALLIES FOR DEMOCRACY

The mission of the Coalition of Kenyans and Allies for Democracy (CKAD) is to protect Kenya's fragile democracy and to restore peace to the country. In order to accomplish, this agenda, we demand:

1) the removal of Mwai Kibaki from the seat of President of Kenya;

2) the instatement of Raila Odinga as President of Kenya;

3) humanitarian aid from the United Nations, Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and other reputable agencies;

4) the assistance of the United Nations, European Union, Britain, and the United States in creating a democratic and peaceful Kenya via:

a) the prosecution of those involved in ethnic cleansing, including foreign and Kenyan military personnel and foreign and Kenyan civilians;

b) protection of and asylum for political refugees;

c) the creation of a system of checks and balances to ensure that the President of Kenya is accountable to the entire Kenyan electorate and that power is not concentrated in the executive branch;

d) respect for freedom of the press at all levels of government;

e) respect for freedom of speech at all levels of government;

f) respect for free and transparent elections at all levels of government;

g) the prosecution of elected officials engaging in corruption or other forms of illegal activity.

Remember Moi's Comment About Not Knowing Defeat?

Welcome to Kenya's Unofficial Monarchy

KANU will never die a pact was made with the Wazees with blood and water and in their death beds...whether or not there's a coalition with other parties "Kibakis", " Musyokas", "Kombos" and Nyachaes, they will always answer to the main body, The Queen Mother "mama KANU" just like the ants colony. Everyone has its duty to fulfill to exist. It is beyond the common Mwanainchis grasp "they are merely nonentities, voices in the wilderness". Some ants are just there to mate then die others are workers that fuel the main body of the colony to nourish and flourish it. Kazi Eendelee! Hapa Hapa!

The Odingas therefore are also a great asset to The Queen Mother; they rally up the "common mwanainchi" and secure the main seat, then relinquish it "Due to their Good Nature", to the mightier governors "names withheld". It has been so since the "Kapenguria 6" days. In every colony there has to be casualties, sacrifice and duty…again, no need to name names.

Whatever it takes "PNU" oh sorry! "KANU" will always stay in power! The common mwanainchi needs to wake up from their dim slumber…Kumekucha! "Let us dwell in peace and liberty, plenty be found within our borders"

Rumored Vice President Honorable elect Kalonzo Musyoka's miracle will indeed take place "somewhat short lived if all goes as planned"; there's no need to reiterate what some would consider common sense…history repeats itself once it began in 1963…Whether EU likes it or not, as Cesar Augustus Kivuitu "the fugitive with a home somewhere else" mentioned, hopefully China will be more than willing to ignore the flaws in light of the expected EU sanctions and still be in business with those who really matter most…as he was dangling the results at the nonentities.

Fuata Nyayo! Kazi Eendelee! To UHURU 2012!

"Hi KANU, inakaa inawenyewe basi tumewawachia" Disillusioned, Lieutenant William Ruto in a state of reverie during the conception period of ODM…

The Anyang' Yong'os accolades have once again, been trampled and outwitted by Nyayo's "Professor in Politics", mastery of Machiavellian Politics…a mere care taker to the Queen Mother's throne while she is in labor.

"Pahali niko nime wai shindwa?" He asked wanainchi as he campaigned for UHURU sorry "Coup D'état Gentleman and Economic Whiz, President Kibaki"…both candidates…the common mwanainchi laughed and even drew cartoon about it…HA HA who's laughing now? Ask yourselves!

Let's pray for at least a peaceful colony, sad or not we need not kill each other as we are brothers and sisters with no stake at the big Queen Mother's cocoon…

Guest post by Kombo George

Breaking News: Violence Reported In Emali and Isinya

Just when it appeared that calm was being restored, new reports indicate that violence has broken out in Emali (on the Nairobi Mombasa highway, not far from Voi) details are still scanty from my sources but there is definitely a serious problem there. It seems that members of the Kamba community in the area have been attacked by Masais allegedly because of Kivuitu's actions on Dec 30th.

Isinya is normally a quiet sleep Masai town and latest reports are that the usual peace has been shattered and there are skirmishes there also.

Political leaders need to move fast because most ordinary folk are now getting hungry after days of unrest and the hungrier they get, the more dangerous and daring they will become.

Quotable quote from the many conversations I have had today:

"It is clear that at some point Kibaki will vacate State house but the sad thing is that by the time this man with a history of indecisiveness does that, we will not have a country left."

Kenya Killings: What You Can Do To Help End The Crisis

...As Kenya Military is deployed and Kibaki meets all newly elected MPs in State House

Most of the world press is reporting that the war in Kenya is between President Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe and Raila Odinga’s Luo tribe. That is what the world believes.

This is exactly what the man men currently sitting comfortably inside State house would like the world to believe.

This is just NOT TRUE. Some of he most violent protests in the country have come from Rift Valley and the tribe here are not Luos. They are Kalenjins. Most of the violence in Nairobi has been in slums where there is a mixture of different tribes from different parts of the country. The same can be said about Mombasa, Kenya\s coastal town. In other words what we have in Kenya is a popular uprising against a rigged election where some people have taken advantage to settle scores related to ethnicity. Like the Kalenjins who have been opposed to Kikuyu settlement in their land that happened in the 60s supervised by Kenya’s first president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

It gets more complex because most Kenyans seem to be venting out their anger on Kikuyus.

This blog has right from the beginning championed the cause of the voiceless masses in Kenya and this is why foreigners reading it are saying that it is pro-ODM. The truth is that we are pro-the masses of Kenya. Although we have ODM insiders writing here, we also have PNU and writers who support different causes writing. Therefore it will be difficult to get a more balanced blog on Kenya, if you understand that posts here are made by other writers as well as the main blogger qho has written this piece you are reading.

The time has now come for patriotic Kenyans to do something very important. We must all reach out to our Kikuyu brothers and isolate the Kibaki regime. It is NOT the Kikuyu who stole the election. In fact the election was stolen by Kibaki with the help of many individuals representing a lot of different tribes including Luos and Kalenjins.

It is important that we all unite against the dictatorship of a man called Mwai Kibaki. This what this whole Kenyan crisis is about.

I kindly appeal to all of you out there to come up with ideas to help us reach out to each other to end the violence and address the real problem. The name of the real problem is Mwai Kibaki. It is Mwai Kibaki (whom most Kenyans did not know very well before the events of December 30th 2007) who is the real Anglo Leasing and Ken Ren. Two scams where the Kenyan treasury lost billions of shillings. Most of that money ended up in accounts belonging to Mwai Kibaki and his cronies. It is Mwai Kibaki who ordered the raid on Standard newspapers (something that even dictator Moi did not do) and throughout his term he was consistent in pushing forward bills to muzzle the press, including the one that is now being used to stop live broadcasts.

While it is true that most of our Kikuyu brothers voted for him, that is their democratic right and besides many of them regret voting the way they did now.

Let us reach out to all our Kenyan brothers because once we are united, we will make short work of the mad men inside State house. Very tribe has mad men and it jut happens that the ones we are dealing with currently are Kikuyu. But the important thing here is unity against them.

P.S. My ung the term Mad men may sound a little overboard. But just consider the actions of Mwai Kibaki leading upto the elections like;

- Appointing his cronies to replace most of the ECK commissioners, obviously in readiness for his evil rigging plan.
- Appointment of court of appeal judges and high court judges the day before the elections. The assumption was that after he rigged ODM and Raila would have rushed to court, where his cronies would be waiting.
- Organizing a swearing in ceremony before the election results were in.
- As people continue to die like chickens countrywide Kibaki ha no sense of urgency in him and rules out mediation by outsiders and calls for dialogue instead, which he will not take part in personally. That’s leadership for you. etc.
There is nothing Kikuyu about these points. In fact the last decision will cause a lot of continued suffering for our Kikuyu brothers and sisters.

STOP PRESS: President Kibaki has invited all newly elected MPs to a meeting in State House this afternoon (the meeting should be going on now) 3:30 pm Kenyan time. Kumekucha will brief you of the outcome later.

Military deployed to areas where there is trouble. Government claims to help in humanitarian efforts but many analysts have doubts. For example will they be sed to stop tomorrow’s planned meeting from taking place?


Bodies strewn all over the streets.

Kenyans’ Blood is Crying Out

Mungiki-related murders; beheadings,
Violence, chaos, lawlessness,
Rivers of tears wept,
Hundreds of hearts wounded, punctured, frayed.

Parentless children,
Widowers, widows on the increase,
Dreams, aspirations, shattered;
The stark aftermath.

Extra-judicial executions,
The Force hauled over the coals,
Lambasted, cornered, quizzed
Denial came just naturally.

Mt Elgon, Kuresoi,
Pre-election violence, machetes at the ready,
Blood spilled, hundreds dead,
Homes fled, despair looms.

Post-election, Pandora’s Box’s yanked open,
Mayhem, anarchy, chaos, conflict,
Tribalistic chauvinism at its best,
Senseless killings reign supreme.

Innocent children, men and women,
At the mercy of unruly youths,
Nay, the Police with a tall order,
An order to shoot and kill.

Churches, not a safe haven,
Refuge seekers’ lives ‘strangulated’,
Burnt to ashes, they are,
Men, women, children.

Bullet-ridden bodies lie in morgues,
Hungry citizens await respite,
To start living again;
A murderous resolve solidifies.

Charred stumps,
Dot the hollowness in our hearts;
Smoldering embers,
Keep our latent emotions alive.

Sirs, Messrs Kibaki and Raila, save us from a possible full scale tribal conflict. Kenya is much larger than the political differences of its people.

Dr. Alfred Mutua Betrays Kenyan Public

As Kenya continues to burn, Government Spokesman, Dr. Alfred Mutua continues to issue partisan, ill-informed and outrageous statements. Luckily for him, State broadcasters KBC and Citizen media are all ears. I am not!

Yesterday, Dr. Mutua accused ODM's Raila Odinga of 'ethnic cleansing'. Many Kenyans may not have voted for Raila but they consider him one of the leading patriots from this part of the world. Before that, Dr. Mutua was quoted as saying President Kibaki's supporters have not been 'reported anywhere' engaging in acts of violence or looting. Clearly, the government spokesman has already taken sides as has the Police Commissioner.

It would be useful for Dr. Mutua to remember he is not spokesman for PNU but a senior public servant employed to serve all Kenyans without any favour.

This blogger is close to some of Dr. Mutua's juniors whom he reportedly told to pack and look for alternative employment two weeks before the elections. This means he knew in advance that (a) President Kibaki would not be re-elected, and (b) he would be sacked by the new government that would take over.

Instead of explaining how the government is consoling and sheltering victims of violence spread all over the country, Dr. Mutua has already passed judgement on the opposition in total disregard to the civil servants code of conduct. The entire humanitarian crisis was first triggered by stolen elections, then accelerated by police violence on unarmed civilians and has now been turned into a national disaster of untold proportions by a 'government' that wants to force itself on the electorate!

Dr. Mutua's other utterances, in an attempt to justify unconstitutional actions by 'government', are completely uncalled for and only add fuel to an already volatile situation. For example, when asked why the opposition's rallies are being banned, he retorted that until the situation in the country 'normalises', all political assemblies are outlawed. What nonsense! Kenya is an independent, multi-party democracy, if I choose to assemble Kumekucha Party members at Uhuru Park, so long as I notify police as required by law, the meeting cannot be outlawed from some dingy red-carpet office in KICC! In trying to justify another massive cock-up, Dr. Mutua says that live media coverage ban was meant to prevent spreading public animosity. In reality, the media ban is meant to deny ODM a means of communicating with their supporters and is the reason why rumours and propaganda have persisted and ultimately resulted in needless violence and loss of life.

Right from the start of the elections to this day, Dr. Mutua's official website has been posting electoral results that totally contradict those purportedly released by the ECK, which we all know are fraudulent. My humble submission is that Dr. Mutua has got no business commenting on political matters and he should instead channel his energies towards helping those displaced unfortunate Kenyans whose choice of Government has been brutally taken away from them.

The Red Cross and some of the private sector like Nakumatt and Kiss100 FM have already started mobilising humanitarian help to be ferried to displaced Kenyans in the countryside and slum areas. Meanwhile, the government needs to be seen to be sheltering its disenfranchised citizens apart from sending trigger-happy security forces to tear-gas and batter hapless villagers.

Kibaki’s Swearing-In Ceremony Was Organized Long Before Election Results Were Announced

One of the things the first blundering Kibaki administration will always be remembered for is incompetence. This clearly came out in the just concluded general election because the administration failed to even rig the general election competently without getting caught and left behind too much evidence forensic and otherwise.

It is now emerging that the swearing in ceremony was conducted minutes after the election “results” were read. Meaning that it had been organized well in advance and guests invited and seated, even before the general election results were known. There are even disturbing suggestions that it may have been done before the results were announced! Those suggesting this point to the swearing in footage which was done outdoors in relatively broad daylight and yet the results were read late in the day as it was getting dark. In 2002 the swearing in ceremony was done a day after the results were officially announced but this time there was a big hurry.

Sources close to PNU had even suggested to their close friends that the swearing in would be at 2:30 pm, hours before Kenyans even knew who had won the general elections.

This was the last big blunder made in a long list of blunders that have driven Kenya to the brink with unprecedented turmoil and damage to property that does not come anywhere near what happened during the 1982 coup attempt that lasted just day but took years to fix and affected the economy for years on end. It is anybody’s guess how long the current turmoil will affect the economy for because it is in fact far from being over. Not to mention the number of deaths which will probably never be known because stretched security agents still find it necessary and vital to heavily guard the City Mortuary.

One reported incident still hangs heavily on the conscience of many Kenyans who voted for Kibaki. And that is his disturbing words spoken to a BBC reporter when asked if he would concede defeat and have over power if he lost.

His reply in swahili: Usiniulize maswali ya upumbavu (Do not ask me idiotic questions).

As the death toll in Kenya rapidly rises, legal experts are now suggesting that President Kibaki may qualify to face an International court for war crimes in the future, even if he completes his fraudulent 5 year term.

What the world is being told about the Kenyan elections by an executive who got out of the country just days ago.

“Britain looks forward to working with a legitimately elected government of Kenya…” A hint from the British government of things to come? Read the story for yourself and decide.

WE WILL MOURN LATER

Guest post

This is not the time to mourn. And it's not the time to celebrate the new year. That will come after the Hon. Raila Odinga is sworn in as the nation's democratically elected president. We've indeed heard wrenching stories about the brutality of the GSU and police officers who've turned their guns on the people. We've seen pictures of dead children and women. And we've heard accounts of morgues filling up with bodies of innocent Kenyans. All that is enough to make us buckle to tyranny and accept hopelessness as a better alternative, but I call on Kenyans to never give up. Victory is at hand, and it will be sweet. We have only this one chance to wrestle the nation from the jaws of a future too horrifying to contemplate here.

I thank the Kenyans of the diaspora for taking up the cause of keeping the flames alive and forcing the evil going on in Kenya on the consciousness of the world community. As we struggle here, I want our brothers and sisters in Kenya to know that we stand with you shoulder to shoulder. We will not give an inch and we will never accept anything less than an outcome that reflects the will of the people.

So let's all sign that petition Ms. Anna Sidigu has going around. It will find it's way to world bodies and western capitals with any capacity to bear down on the authorities in Nairobi.

For now, I continue to call on all Kenyans to do everything you can, wherever you are, to hasten the demise of this ill-fated government. We will all mourn when freedom is restored and our tears can make sense to our compatriots who've lost their lives.

Sam Okello
President & CEO
Sahel Books Inc.
P.o. Box 6451
South Bend IN, 46660-6451
USA
Phone: Toll Free: 1.877.297.2435
samokello@sahelpublishing.net
www.sahelpublishing.net

Are Ugandan Forces Being Used In Kenyan Violence?

Reports indicate that the GSU presence in Kisumu, Eldoret and Nairobi are not Kenyan GSU but UGANDANS GSU sent in by Museveni (as requested by Kibaki and Michuki). As you will see on satellite television, the men are not talking whilst beating up and shooting people, this will give them away as not being Kenyans.

Unconfimed reports indicate that both the Kenyan military and the Police declined to the 'Order of shoot to kill' as commanded Kibaki and Michuki'.

Sources say that this will be highlighted at the planned Thursday Rally in Nairobi.

Kumekucha is stillseeking further confirmation of this report.

ECK Chairman Kivuitu Now Admits That He Was Under Pressure To Announce Suspect Results

Breaking News
It seems that the truth about what happened in Kenya on 30th December 2007 is now unfolding at break-neck speed.

Barely a day after 4 ECK commissioners boldly told the world that the 2007 presidential elections were rigged, the ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu himself has come out to admit that he was under intense pressure form PNU and ODM-K to announce suspect results.

Phil said in an earlier comment:

Yes, I confirm Sam and others, Kivuitu appeared on prime time news this evening saying he read the results under extreme duress. Pressure was from PNU/ODM-K, and heavily armed government agents were slave-driving around.. Others like Maina Kiai pleaded with him to defer announcing presidential poll. He offers very little comfort when he suggests ODM seeks legal redress. But then, everyone knows he had no choice. He was a HOSTAGE and even now, I doubt whether he is free because he spoke at a room that resembles a hospital bed and he was dressed in some sort of pyjama uniform without any vests....

Read the full story here

Samuel Kivuitu: The Most Dangerous Kenyan? Asked if Kibaki Won, His Response; That is a very difficult question

----

PNU's Dirty Games

As the ODM prepares a comprehensive report on election malpractices and presidential vote count escalation in favour of Kibaki, media got hold of this hand written ballot paper summary for the Langa Langa polling station in Nakuru Town constituency.

It is obvious even to most illiterate eye, that "0" was added by Kibaki supporters to inflate his vote from 79 to 790 and thus earn him an extra seven hundred dishonest votes. Obviously, with these sort of mischievious games, PNU's Kinyanjui Lee Maiyani emerged the winner.

This reminds me the Kisauni by-elections petition case which has been proven several times over was stolen by Anania Mwaboza from LDP's Ali Hassan Joho. Another example is the Magarini by-elections a few months ago which were a BIG FRAUD. Where is Hon Kombe today?

Because of this open fraud the country continues to burn and innocent Kenyans continue to die.

Is Kenya Becoming Another Rwanda?

Women and children set ablaze and burnt to death inside Eldoret church

A few moments ago in Eldoret, 40 women and children who had fled into a Kenya Assemblies of God church to seek refuge from protesters were burnt to death. Other figures put the number of those who perished in this heinous crime at 100.

Rwanda is unfolding in Kenya before our very eyes as the City Mortuary is heavily guarded by the GSU to prevent the truth of the deaths happening in the country from ever coming out.

Officially, barely 200 people have died countrywide since this mess started. What a joke, only that it is not funny.

Kumekucha Special Appeal: In my view the priority now should be peace and an immediate stop to the killings. Please appeal to your relatives at home, especially in Rift Valley, Coast and Nyanza that we have not exhausted peaceful means. Emphasize to them that peaceful protest always achieve much, much more. Violence only begets more violence and it can be difficult to end. Please let's act NOW to stop violence.

Safaricom Now Joins Partisan Politics

After reaping billions of shillings in dishonest profits from politically oppressed Kenyans, cellphone services provider, Safaricom Limited, has the nerve to send unsolicited text messages to its subscribers on behalf of John Njoroge Michuki. The contents of the SMS are as follows:

"The Ministry of Internal Security urges you to please desist from sending or forwarding any sms that may cause public unrest. This may lead to your prosecution. (sic) From: SAFARICOM."

In multi-party politics, private and public business corporations are not supposed to engage in partisan politics. It is inconceivable that Safaricom have opted to support the evil needs of a cabinet minister who has little respect to freedom of speech and freedom of movement - all of which, Safaricom conveniently forgets, are basic human rights.

One fails to understand how Safaricom, owned partly by Vodafone PLC and the Kenyan public through the Government of Kenya, can allow its network to be misused for political gain at this critical time while it failed to do absolutely nothing when fake propaganda was circulating within its network prior to the general elections. Perhaps the profits were too sweet to turn down, huh? The latest short text message is in fact tantamount to Safaricom turning into a state broadcaster and I dare add, a direct infringement on the privacy of its subscribers.

As we debate here, it baffles me that after 45 years of self-rule, Kenyans do not presently have free access to information after the overzealous minister banned live media transmission. Worse still, for the last two days, millions of residents have had state-sponsored violence unleashed on them and their fundamental freedom of movement curtailed by paramilitary forces because the corrupt and illegitimate regime knows it has a lot to hide from the electorate.

Q: What better option does this leave Kenyans?

A: Continue the fight to Making Life Better for all Kenyans!

Noose Tightens Around Fraudulent Kibaki Regime As EU Bluntly Says Polls Were Rigged

...As security tightens around City Mortuary

In an well attended press conference in Nairobi that ended a few minutes ago, the EU has bluntly said that the just concluded general elections were rigged.

Led by EU Chief observer, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff the EU team told journalists at the Intercontinental Hotel that the exercise fell short of the UN Charter on Civil and Political Rights which Kenya is a signatory to. They recommnded that an independent audit be done of the presidential election results.

Clearly the preassure on the frausulent Mwizi Kibaki government has rapidly been increasing over the last few hours. With Britain and the United States not on their side now, it is only a matter of time now. Kibaki and his hawks could of course prolong the painful process for as long as they want, but the conclusion will be the same. This government will not survive.

Read Daily Nation report of the EU press conference.

Meanwhile there is something really evil going on in Kenya as heavy GSU presence is maintained at the City Mortuary. Dead bodies being guarded from looters?

Or does this have something to do with reports that hundreds of people have been killed countrywide but somebody somewhere is very determined to keep the real figures secret?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kumekucha rarely quotes other newspapers but this one from the Telegraph in Britain is a gem;

What is shocking about the rigged poll is not the fact of electoral manipulation, but its blatancy. President Kibaki's partisans barely troubled to cover their tracks.

In one instance, observers saw one total being recorded at a local polling station, and a different one reported to the national electoral commission.

Government supporters would have us believe that Kenyans voted decisively against the ruling party's parliamentary candidates, that they turfed out the vice-president, but that they then split their tickets to return Mr Kibaki.

...Commonwealth leaders should suspend Kenya from their ranks and retain the option of further sanctions unless the election is re-run. If the Commonwealth fails, all Africa will fail with it.

Read the complete article.

This election prophecy given early last year predicted bloodshed. Look at the other amazing things said. Who is the leader plotting to shed blood for example?

Just What Made ODM Postpone Swearing-In Ceremony?

With many internet connections jammed for the last 36 hours, I have not been able to make any post, but congrats Chris and the thousands of Kenyan patriots out there, you have sustained the tempo very well.

After spending the whole day with ODM top brass on new year's eve, I can authoritatively inform the world that this country is headed for a confrontation that will leave deep scars which will last decades to heal. Suggestions of a power sharing deal have been totally rejected by ODM which is demanding that Kibaki concedes defeat and hands over to Raila Odinga. This, according to ODM, is not negotiable. The ODM is working on mobilizing Kenyans to revolt against the PNU so as to force it to resign and give way to the ODM government. This tactic is already working as ALL social and economic actives are presently completely paralyzed. What is making life unbearable for many is that food stocks are running short and the internal security minister has deprived them of information. Food, water and electricity supplies to Kibera have been cut-off and the poor slum dwellers of Kibera are bearing the brunt of Michuki's draconian decrees.

Whereas many will have already dismissed rumors of mass resignations from top public servants, its very true that 80% of them are on the side of ODM, going by the messages of goodwill and solidarity received by the party. The list of ODM well-wishers includes who-is-who in local and global political and business circles. I personally doubt whether Kibaki's PNU composed of the Wekesas, Mungatanas and Kiunjuris of this world will be any match.

When ODM threatened to swear-in the people's president, it took the intervention of top diplomats, world leaders and PNU members known to be close to ODM to forestall what would literally been a creation of a stronger parallel government. Just how was President Raila meant to receive the sword? Who would administer the oath of office? Who were the invited dignitaries? These questions remain unanswered for now, but as someone close to ODM insiders, "everything had elaborately been put in place to ensure a successful official inauguration for Raila."

As the leading political party in this country, the ODM has opted that instead of giving Kenyan security forces an excuse to batter innocent wananchi, it is advising party supporters to follow the law and the ODM yesterday submitted a prerequisite notification to the police of intention to assemble at Uhuru Park on 3rd January 2008 - in what is called the one million protest march. Several resolutions will be made at this rally which will give the general direction which the ODM intends to take in its quest to unseat the PNU.

Many diplomatic and political observers were shocked by the haphazard manner in which Kibaki and his ilk hijacked Kenyan voters. Why you may ask? Well, not only was the vote seen to have been stolen but also for example, during Kibaki's supposed inauguration, THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WAS NOT PLAYED OR SUNG during the entire ceremony as required by law. Remember for the last fortnight, the Kenyan military have been busy rehearsing an official hand-over ceremony at Nyayo stadium. Although the president is constitutionally also the commander in Chief of the Armed forces, all those important military protocols were thrown out of the window by PNU at State House and this may have upset some military top brass some of whom are seriously contemplating resignations. It seems the PNU are more interested in grabbing political power than following what is the supreme law of the land.

Experts on Kenyan law who read this blog will tell you that the Kibaki presidency is not just a sham but it is in reality a coup de' dat on the Kenyan people.

Diplomats and political observers have offered numerous solutions but these have all been rejected by ODM. This blogger received information that Michuki John Njoroge is now "ruling by proxy" and that there is a group of individuals with connection to Kenya's infamous and powerful corruption networks who have made it their business that the ODM must not be made to take over government at whatever cost.

ODM-K Presidential candidate - perhaps unaware that his past behavior and actions are indirectly responsible for Kenya's sad state of affairs - is now making it his business to contact ODM in a bid to have them "talk" to PNU, the same thing that he himself totally rejected when ODM-K's council of elders and Mrs. Charity Ngilu attempted to do so as to keep the orange families united. In my opinion, Kalonzo Musyoka's political career is moribund and after having roped in the Akamba community into his ill-fated presidential bid, he is the least qualified to act as a mediator in a conflict which pits parties that garnered more than 10 times his own presidential votes. This is made even worse by the fact that Kalonzo's ODM-K took sides at the most crucial point in endorsing a great injustice during the time ODM was making gallant and spirited efforts in stopping a kidnapped ECK Chairman reading illegitimate presidential results. Observers feel the two opposition parties should have been standing in solidarity after blatant robbery of votes from Eastern Province where ironically the ODM-K's presidential candidate hails from.

Meanwhile ODM calls upon its members to remain peaceful in the interim period, but mobilise in their millions to participate in country-wide mass action on Thursday 3rd January 2008. It will be a long and expensive struggle.

ECK Commissioners Say Election Was Rigged

Today the fraudulent government of Mwizi Kibaki is on day 2. It has survived the last few hours by deploying the largest deployment of security personnel countrywide in the history of the nation. And also by banning live broadcasts and intimidating the media.

Yesterday President Mwizi Kibaki opened his mouth to speak and one would have expected a statement calling for calm or to help heal the wounds. Instead he vowed to crack down on rioters countrywide. Interestingly many Kenyans still believe that the evil man in this regime is John Michuki. Wake up Kenyans, open your eyes and see for yourselves where the real evil is.

And now a bombshell. Yesterday 4 commissioners from the Electoral commission called a press conference to tell the world that there was something badly wrong with the election results. The 4 heroic Kenyans who have done what is right are; Mr Jack Tumwa, Mr D.A. Ndamburi, Mr Samuel arap Ngeny and Mr Jeremiah Matagaro.

Read the full story HERE

This blog is an open public forum and therefore one would expect all sorts of characters (including State agents). Some of them have repeated the point that there were also irregularities in ODM strongholds like Nyanza. Any fool knows that the opposition has no capacity or access to state machinery which is the only way to rig elections these days.

It is interesting that in a conversation online just before the polls with a prominent personality easily recognizable worldwide, who wanted to know my thoughts on how the Kenya elections were going to go I mentioned something that easily explains what may have happened in opposition areas. Excerpts;

Me: If it is free and fair, this will NOT be a close election. My figures show a clear win of well over 60% for Raila Odinga.

Prominent personality: That contradicts the opinion polls. I am receiving plenty of contradictory views. It was not like this in 2002.

Me: It depends on where you are getting your info; Muthaiga or Mathare

PP: Hmmm.

Me: But having said that there are other factors that could greatly reduce Raila's big win.

PP: Like?

Me: Delays in opposition strongholds and lack of enough ballot papers to reduce the number of people who vote. And then the usual vote stuffing. It will also be done in opposition strongholds to create the impression that the opposition also rigged.

PP: You think so?

Me: These guys are in no mood to accept defeat.

PP: But that is surely a recipe for a blood bath.

Me: Correct. But they really don't care.

(This is a gist of how our conversation went. I was not able to retrieve the exact words but I know in the near future this well known personality will be in a position to confirm that this conversation took place to anybody who cares to ask.

I leave you with an article from a recent post many of you appear to have missed:

Monday, December 31, 2007

International Community Has A Responsibility To Save Kenyan Lives

Sympathy is a very powerful force in politics and the mood on the ground in Kenya at the moment is a lot of sympathy for Raila Odinga whom many Kenyans believe had the presidency stolen from him in a most crude manner.

That is for those who have yet to be victims of the anti-Kikuyu and anti-PNU violence sweeping across the country like wild fire.

The fascinating thing here is that there is sympathy from people who only a few days ago were greatly opposed to a Raila presidency.

For instance my impeccable source on the ground in Naivasha puts it thus;

Things here are okay and its back to business as usual ... the difference is that you will notice that people are still in small groups talking. Most them despite being PNU supporters agree that what we have here is a stolen presidency.

So what happened to change people's minds?

Part of the reason is the extremely obvious manner in which this rigging was done. One Kenyan commented to this blogger; "Why didn't Kibaki get some rigging tips from Moi? Moi never used to get caught and it was impossible to prove anything."

After some strange results in parts of Western Kenya, Ukmbani (Eastern province) Kibaki cronies held back Meru results and simply waited for Raila votes to come in and then doctored Kibakis so that they were more. It was vote rigging done in the most obvious manner in full view of the world.

This is why gthe decision by the International community and especially America to retract their statement recognizing Kibaki's win is significant. It will save a lot of innocent Kenyan lives and send the right message to other power hungry despots in Africa who equate the lives of their citizens to that of mere chickens and simply want to hang onto power at all costs.

See earlier post on International community retracting support for Kibaki.

Mombasa Needs Urgent Attention

Matters may be seriously getting out of hand in Mombasa.

Apart from door to door searches for perceived PNU sympathizers, reports just in from Likoni indicate that members of the Kamba community are now also in hiding. Apparently they are being targeted because the ECK chair Samuel Kivuiti hails from that community.

Police have clearly been overwhelmed in Mombasa and angry mobs now rule most of the town especially the Kisauni area.

You Can Do Something Peaceful To Save Kenya

Dear Friends,

I am contacting you because you have either expressed a desire to create a movement to demand that Kibaki step down and that Kenya's democratically elected President Raila Odinga be instated or you were recommended by another ally.

Sam Okello has suggested that we join ODM in wearing black arm bands on Thursday. I would like to second that motion and suggest that we publicize this effort broadly.

I would also like to update you of an online petition on this issue that you can sign at
http://www.gopetition.com/online/15969.html

Our working title is Coalition of Kenyans and Allies for Democracy. I think it is important that we frame our movement in terms of democracy and human rights. I also think it is important that we condemn violence and encourage those at home to avoid it until we have done all that we can do.

Please read and sign the petition. Also, please feel free to copy and send it to your elected officials. It would be wonderful, as well, if you forwarded the petition URL address and told your friends and colleagues why you think that their signature is important. We need to build critical mass quickly so anything that you can do in that regard is very beneficial.

Of course, please send any suggestions, ideas, and comments that you have to this dislist. We have a monumental task and cannot afford to lose any time. If you are interested in being part of the leadership of this effort, please reply.

Peace,
Annah

Reply to: annah_sidigu@yahoo.com

A question for Lucy and Mwai Kibaki: 'Can you sleep at night?'

STOP PRESS: International community retracts support for Kibaki win


Can you sleep peacefully in your comfortable State House bed(s) knowing that innocent people have died because of you?

Numerours people have died - husbands have lost their wives - wives have lost their husbands - and children have lost their mothers or fathers ......

So I am asking you as a mother and a father: Can you sleep at night? Can you really take this on your conscious? Can you?

Is it really worth it? Is it worth that people loose their lives because you have compromized to 'protect' the former President Daniel arap Moi? What did he promise (or pay) you to do this?

I think that nothing is justifying to have people killed - no money in the world can be enough to pay for their lives.

So I am asking you again Mr. President: CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT ???????????

Marianne Briner

Do We Mind The Lives Of Innocent Kenyans?

I am very much shocked with statements in Kumekucha calling for uproar and choas.

Don't these people - and this includes Hellen and Sam Okello (and please do not think that I am protesting their thoughts because of my personal grievance with them) understand that something like this will claim the life of innocent Kenyans? Kenyans who have gone to poll in a peaceful way trusting that their votes will be important not only to the future of Kenya but more important to their own life and future of their children?

And if people of the 'Kenyan Diaspora' continue talking like that, ask them to come back to Kenya and do what they ask now others to do, i.e. die ..... would they be willing to leave their safe sanctuaries behind and die on the streets of Kibera, Mathare and Kisumu ? Would they really?

I am sure they won't - and that's why I am asking them:

please stop asking for violence - unless you are willing to die yourself stop this call .... or I and others will challenge you to come back to Kenya and do what you ask others to do ...........

You have to understand that you are only playing into the hands of people like Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, Mutula Kilonzo and others to 'prove' that Kenya and its people are not 'ready' to 'understand' the true meaning of Democracy !!!!!

Prove these people to be wrong - prove them to be ONE country - ONE People ...... but please, please STOP these call for violence !!!!!!!!

International Community Retracts Support for Kibaki

The US has retracted a statement congratulating Kibaki on his false victory. They now express overwhelming concern about "serious problems experienced during the vote counting process".

Even the Red Army could not muzzle the peoples voice for change. Let us not relent in providing Kenyans their rights. See following link:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/28569052-b7b8-11dc-96f3-0000779fd2ac.html

International Community Has A Reponsibility To Save Kenyan Lives

Sympathy is a very powerful force in politics and the mood on the ground in Kenya at the moment is a lot of sympathy for Raila Odinga whom many Kenyans believe had the presidency stolen from him in a most crude manner.

That is for those who have yet to be victims of the anti-Kikuyu and anti-PNU violence sweeping across the country like wild fire.

The fascinating thing here is that there is sympathy from people who only a few days ago were greatly opposed to a Raila presidency.

For instance my impeccable source on the ground in Naivasha puts it thus;

Things here are okay and its back to business as usual ... the difference is that you will notice that people are still in small groups talking. Most them despite being PNU supporters agree that what we have here is a stolen presidency.

So what happened to change people's minds?

Part of the reason is the extremely obvious manner in which this rigging was done. One Kenyan commented to this blogger; "Why didn't Kibaki get some rigging tips from Moi? Moi never used to get caught and it was impossible to prove anything."

After some strange results in parts of Western Kenya, Ukmbani (Eastern province) Kibaki cronies held back Meru results and simply waited for Raila votes to come in and then doctored Kibakis so that they were more. It was vote rigging done in the most obvious manner in full view of the world.

This is why gthe decision by the International community and especially America to retract their statement recognizing Kibaki's win is significant. It will save a lot of innocent Kenyan lives and send the right message to other power hungry despots in Africa who equate the lives of their citizens to that of mere chickens and simply want to hang onto power at all costs.

See earlier post article on International community retracting support for Kibaki.

My Chilling Predictions: Oh How I Wish I had Been Wrong

Plus Vikii's strange comment: Did Vikii know the President's strategy in advance?

I get super-busy sometimes and don't notice even recent work that I have posted.

My attention was recently drawn to this post that I made just before the general elections on Dec 24th;

Monday, December 24, 2007

Elections 2007: What Consequences?

As we head to the elections after Boxing day, I find that I have less and less to say to you my dear readers and more worrying to do.

If Raila wins, what will the consequences be? Will the Kibaki administration hand over power peacefully? Will they accept defeat?

If Kibaki wins what will happen to Kenya? Will Kenyans in 6 provinces accept the results? Will the multitudes of Kenyans desperate for change—any change accept such a result?

How long will it take to heal the wounds that started with the terribly expensive referendum of 2005 which cost Kenyans much more than just a lot of money?

What if the elections produce a constitutional crisis that the current constitution can never handle?

And most of all my eyes are firmly focused on the Langata constituency where nobody quite knows what is going to happen.

Enough has been said and now is the time to sit back and see what happens. Now is the time to let the people of Kenya speak. My prayer is that they will speak so loudly and clearly that there will be no constitutional crisis. My prayer is that precious lives will be spared. The truth is that no politician is worth dieing for let alone our current crop of selfish, self-seeking ….. (I restrain myself from using abusive language).

The truth is that even as Kenyans shout themselves hoarse in support of their preferred candidate, this is a very dangerous and unpredictable time for Kenya.

I take this opportunity to wish you all my dear friends, a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year, 2008. Thank you for your support and most of all thank you for your patience as I have rumbled on and on throughout the year coming up with views that have been very different from the ones you hold dear. Nothing personal though, I just love my country too much and I am sure the same is true with you and that is why you have chosen to spend valuable time here with all the characters that have made “kumekucha” their home.

Please don’t run away in shame if the election results don’t go the way you want. Let’s keep talking here and learning from each other so that we quickly get to understand why the election results go they way they will.

Let’s continue to love our country, irrespective of our poliyical leanings. After all Kenya is bigger than out preferred candidate, bigger than our issues and feelings.

God bless Kenya. God bless us all.

How I wish I had been wrong.

You can see the post here;

http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/2007/12/elections-2007-what-consequences.html

These were the 2 comments on that day. Notice Vikii's chillingly accurate prediction;

Anonymous said...
There you go again. PNU already said that if they lose, power will be handed over. But how come you cannot fathom an ODM loss? I believe there would be a problem only if Hon Raila loses. Most ODM supporters exude confidence that their man shall win- that is OK. Most of them would really like him to win- OK. But what IF (big IF) Hon Raila loses in a fair contest?

Hmm, lemme guess. Then ODM will say, " We reject results, we have always said the Govt would rig. Here is the proof. We lost!"

I hope ODM proves me wrong, in the unlikely event that they lose.

2:34 AM
Vikii said...
My take is that the consttution, though not perfect in as far as transfer of power goes, it leaves no room for a crisis. It is simple; win the majority vote, get 25% in at least five provinces and win your parliamentary seat. There will be no crisis. If one wins the majority vote and fails to meet any of the other two requirements, that is not a crisis. We just go for the run-off which Kivuitu has already budgeted for.

Just a reminder; Those Kenyans in those 'six provinces' may not have a choice. The presidential vote is not about how many provinces one wins but how many votes one gets. They may just decide to take a walk on the streets and that will be it.

CNN Puts Death Toll At 124 As Other Sources Say Over 500 People Have Died

With a virtual news blackout in Kenya, it is getting very difficult to get any information on what is going on.

However I have been able to establish the following facts;

a) There has been killing on a massive scale in the slums of Kibera and Mathare as well as in several parts of Kisumu. Gun fire was heard coming from the Kiberta slums from about 8 pm last night to early this morning. It is unlikely that the police were on target practice firing blanks overnight. Bullets are usually fired to kill.

b) Dozens of suspecting innocent Kikuyus countrywide have been dragged from their homes or caught in the streets and killed by angry mobs. This has mostly happened in Eldoret but reports of beatings and possible killings have also come in from Mombasa. Many Kikuyu business owners countrywide have suffered great losses in looted and burnt property.

c) Police have been given clear orders to shoot to kill so as to scare people back to their senses as quickly as possible.

CNN have put the death toll so far at 124. Kumekucha sources say that at least 500 people have died so far and the number is probably much higher because the country is now a police state where information is scarce and residents in many parts of the country have been ordered to stay in their homes, even if they do not have food supplies. Which is just as well because there are hardly any businesses open anyway.

The most worrying factor here is that it is obvious that this trouble will not end any time soon. Raila Odinga, the man who clearly won the election before the introduction of what international observers said were "clearly cooked figures" (see CNN story) is a master of of this game of creating chaos to bring about change. Already we have seen numerous SMS rumors being circulated mainly by ODm sympathisers whose main aim is to clearly destabilize and cause even more tension and anxiety.

Today small groups of Raila supporters were easily neutralized as they tried to make their way to Uhuru Park for the proposed ODM rally/swearing in ceremony of the so-called parallel ODM government.

Tension is very high in Nairobi and there are reports from parts of the city that huge numbers of dead bodies have been seen lying on the streets.

Some Kenyans Spent The Night At Polling Stations Waiting To Vote The Next Day: Behold The Reward

I was very proud when I saw the way Kenyans waited in line (some even since midnight, as it was reported on all European TV-Channels) on December 27th - peacefully and full of trust that finally their voices will be heard.
It made me proud.

Then came the counting and my heart sunk..... every fear I had, every nightmare I could imagine was becoming true.

And I became first sad, then angry and now I am furious like hell. Does this never end ? Do the people never have any value ? Can it be that the same group of people who almost destroyed the country, still dare to decide on its fate and on the life and future of its people ? Should this be accepted ?

One comment in the German Television was: "Though there some hopes before this Election that Kenyan was going a different path now, the swearing in of President Kibaki for a second term even before the final election results are known shows that Kenya still has a very long and thornfull road ahead before its leaders will finally understand what Democracy really means.......".

There were many signs before who had put some doubt into me:

One was that Kalonzo never joined Raila and with Mutula Kilonzo in ODM-K, their goal was clear: keeping 'dry' - and Mutula is becoming the next Attorney General making sure that no Goldenberg, Anglo-Leasing, any other corruption and/or killing and even the criminal way in which this Election has been handled is ever investigated. I do not like to repeat it, but I said this already some weeks ago as Lucas Mboya in one of his comments remembered).

And there are more 'moles' even in ODM --- too many of Moi's and Kibaki's friend had changed sides on the surface making sure to go into Parliament on an ODM-ticket (I just mention Prof. Kamar - Biwott's wife ....) - but there are many others who should have never been accepted. On the surface it looked all very fine to have them 'joining' ODM - but it somebody ever ask why they did this? Why all of the sudden split from the forces who have financed them so many years? Did nobody question their real intentions?

Yes, there is the possibility to put a vote of no-confidence in Parliament..... but just wait what Mutula Kilonzo will reply to this ... and then - even if it is possible - wait how some of these re-born ODM Members will vote ..... I bet with you that there will be a certain number who will vote against it ...

It is indeed a sad day for Kenya.... one 'incident' gave me almost the assurance that it would come out like that:

When Lucy Kibaki got her 'salary' almost doubled, I knew that this the confirmation that they would continue for the next 5 years - everything was clear even before the Elections had taken place .... why else did she increase her salary just a few weeks before having to leave State House and even risk the outcry of the public? Because she knew she would continue being there for the next 5 years ........ she and her husband knew that it was not all over ..... and just wait and see, also Kibaki will 'accept' the increase in his monthly payments and even more ......

Like I said before, it is a very sad day for Kenya - only a miracle can save it now.

Guest post by Marianne Briner

P.S. Happy Birthday, Chris - although I can guess how you must feel right now. You told me so many times to cheer up, to believe in faith, to believe in the Kenyan People - so this time it's me telling you this. Things will change, I am still sure - but not with creating chaos and uproar. Here only the innocent and poor will suffer and maybe even die. There has to be another way, I hope.

Police Deny Rumours That Raila Odinga Has Been Arrested

Police have denied claims that Raila Odinga has been arrested.

Interestingly they have said nothing about the other Pentagon members.

Police have also declared this afternoon’s planned ODM meeting and swearing in of President Raila Odinga and his parallel government illegal.

Meanwhile the usually peaceful Mombasa city has degenerated into a no-go zone in most areas. Kumekuchan Danileve was stopped by a huge violent mob thus morning in the Kisauni area of Barsheba near Mwandoni as he was looking for a Cyber café from which to send in information to Kumekucha from. They robbed him of cash and valuables but amazingly did not take his cell phone which contained amongst other things photographs of poll violence at the Coast which we will publish later.

The mob beat him badly and only stopped when they confirmed that he was NOT PNU or a Kikuyu.

There are unconfirmed reports from Nairobi South C that the heavy GSU presence is not allowing people to leave Nairobi and has ordered residents to go back home and stay in the house.

There are some other sensational SMS rumours that I am currently checking out.

Mwai Kibaki’s Terrible Miscalculations

Mutahi Ngunyi said it first and I joined in and repeated it several times; there was no way that Mwai “stole the 2007 presidential elections” Kibaki was going to hand over power peacefully if he lost an election.

Most Kenyans believed that was just porojo. After all the grandfather-image Mwai Kibaki was a harmless old man who hated political confrontation. As you read this many Kenyans are still looking for the evil culprit within the Kibaki administration who has caused the mess that the country is in at the moment. They have refused to believe that there is no man in the Kibaki regime who is more evil than Mwai Kibaki himself.

Yet the signs have been there for a long time. The harmless grand father seated inside State House was asked by a BBC journalist 3 days ago whether he would hand over power peacefully if he lost the elections. His reply was in Swahili and so rude that many Kenyans reading this will still not believe that it is Mwai Kibaki. He said: Wacha Kuniuliza swali ya Upumbavu. (Stop asking me a stupid question.)

Tracing back Mr Kibaki’s actions leading up to the events of yesterday it is clear to see his thinking. He made a big issue out of appointing as many new Electoral Commissioners as possible. Just hours to the general elections he appointed new judges.

The plan was simple. To rig the elections after which he expected ODM to seek redress in the courts where he would be ready for them and besides petitions can be made to last 5 years or more by which time he would have completed his fraudulent second term.

Kibaki also assumed that Kenyans would meekly accept the event of yesterday. But above all else the vote thief was most confident with support from the Americans, nothing will shake his government. You see he has pleased Uncle Sam a lot with his stand on terrorism and terrorism suspects. And everybody knows that the Americans will give you anything as long as you support their war on terrorism to the hilt.

Big time miscalculations. Kenya has changed and the State House should have seen that clearly from the way Kenyans countrywide voted. The thinking within State House is that ODM is a Luo political party with pockets of support from Kalenjins.

Secondly ODM have said that they are NOT going to court. Nobody knows what they will do instead. But already we hear that a parallel government ahs been formed. And to make matters worse the swearing in of that government is taking place at Uhuru Park at 2 pm. GSU have sealed off Uhuru Park and declared the meeting illegal so we wait to see what happens.

Now the entire country has degenerated into violence and many innocent hard working Kikuyus have lost property and some their lives. FOR WHAT???!!!! So that somebody can stay in State House for another 5 years fraudulently?

I have been able to establish that many people who voted for Kibaki are now deeply regretting their action. Apparently they thought they knew the person they were voting for but have found out when it is too late that they made a big mistake that has cost some of them their lives.

Why Kalonzo Musyoka Should Turn Down A VP Appointment From A Fraudulent Regime

Interestingly the feeling amongst the Akamba people in Eastern province in the run up to the recently stolen elections was deep hatred for Raila Odinga whom they felt had denied their son Kalonzo Musyoka the presidency.

Amazingly that has now changed and there is a lot of sympathy for Raila in Ukambani at the moment and many are even loudly declaring that if the polls were to be repeated they would vote for Raila.

This is just one reason why ODM-K and Kalonzo Musyoka should turn down all advances from the evil PNU government that wants to rule against the will of the majority of Kenyans.

It should be obvious to Kalonzo that the new Kibaki government will not last, no matter how many Kenyans are shot dead and no matter how many media houses are shut down. If Kalonzo wants to keep his eyes firmly focused on 2012, then joining the PNU vote thieves will be the worst political mistake of his career.