It has been a gruelling path to victory.
”… when we told people to move to higher ground to survive the tsunami-they thot we were joking” quipped Raila.
When Kajwang shouted “we are the people!” they said we were starting a revolution. We asked them to sit down and discuss the issues, they said no-the people have decided. They became abusive and threats followed. But we kept our cool.
As results started trickling in at 10.00pm on Monday, it was an anti-climax of sorts. Calls to Banana leading lights and their supporters went unanswered. As the Kikuyu of central Kenya and parts of rift valley were “voting for their tribesman”, the rest of the country was rejecting the draft. When President Kibaki voted that morning, he assured his constituents they had won the referendum. At around the same time, the Nairobi P.P.O. was ensuring the G.S.U. platoon had set up camp at uhuru park(venue of the planned sit-in if Kibaki rigged the exercise).
At 3.15 am panic gripped the orange side when results from mt.kenya and parts of the settled rift valley started coming through. The Merus have been rewarded by this regime and they turned up 95% to vote. At 4.45am the ukambani figures came through and the celebrations started. It seems that the Kambas always hold the tilt vote.
The message was clear: Kikuyu voted for their man-not the document. Despite their high literacy levels, they went round cheating Kenyans the draft was good (they now admit they never read it).
As we start the healing process, we feel content that the Hutus of Kenya now understand that Kenya iko na wenyewe!
Now the struggle for a new constitution continues. Aluta Continua.
This came in from our main correspondent on the ground covering Nairobi and eastern province.
The views of this blog remain the same. And that is the docuent rejected by Kenyans on Monday gave the country the best chance for a fresh start -- the opportunity has now been lost.
However we are delighted that an Orange vistory was the best thing that could have happened for Kenya because it defeated the ugly head of tribalism that in recent months has been rearing it's ugly head once again.
Congratulations all you orange supporters who read this blog. Let us agree to disagree without emotions and violence. That is democracy.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
President Kibaki's Think Tank Wins
Contrary to our analysis, the Orange team prevailed and reminded us of an earlier analysis in this blog where we said that the President was in a tails-I-win-heads-you-lose situation. In simpler language, as far as the referendum was concerned, he was in a win, win situation.
Had the bananas carried the day, the President would have been slightly less powerful but the important thing was that it gave the country the best chance to change things. Now that opportunity has been lost, and the President still retains his powers.
The constitutional review process is now legally over and the country will continue to be governed by an all-powerful presidency. One wonders what the Orange team are celebrating. All indications are that most of the Orange ministers will be sacked from the cabinet.
What next for the millions of Kenyans who voted against a constitution that presented them with the best chance of changing things? They were promised that the Orange team would get the Bomas draft passed. It will be interesting to see how exactly they get this done.
Especially when it is clear that future reforms will now be guided through the current constitution in which the President calls all the shots.
It was the view of this blog that the draft constitution offered the best chance to changes things in Kenya.
Nobody is talking about the billions on taxpayers funds that was squandered during the whole circus.
My hope is that we do not sink back into the frustrating Moi days of fighting an almost hopeless war against an all-powerful presidency.
Provisional results from the Electoral Commission of Kenya indicate that the Orange camp won 3.5 million votes and is ahead of the Yes or Banana camp by slightly over 1 million votes.
Had the bananas carried the day, the President would have been slightly less powerful but the important thing was that it gave the country the best chance to change things. Now that opportunity has been lost, and the President still retains his powers.
The constitutional review process is now legally over and the country will continue to be governed by an all-powerful presidency. One wonders what the Orange team are celebrating. All indications are that most of the Orange ministers will be sacked from the cabinet.
What next for the millions of Kenyans who voted against a constitution that presented them with the best chance of changing things? They were promised that the Orange team would get the Bomas draft passed. It will be interesting to see how exactly they get this done.
Especially when it is clear that future reforms will now be guided through the current constitution in which the President calls all the shots.
It was the view of this blog that the draft constitution offered the best chance to changes things in Kenya.
Nobody is talking about the billions on taxpayers funds that was squandered during the whole circus.
My hope is that we do not sink back into the frustrating Moi days of fighting an almost hopeless war against an all-powerful presidency.
Provisional results from the Electoral Commission of Kenya indicate that the Orange camp won 3.5 million votes and is ahead of the Yes or Banana camp by slightly over 1 million votes.
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