Fireworks Ahead: Kumekucha Awards for 2012

In keeping with this blog's tradition, we wrap up the eventful year 2012 with out annual Kumekucha Award. It has been a long journey started in 2005 unpacking all matters political in our motherland Kenya.

Kumekucha's singular is still anchored in the maxim of leaving no subject as a taboo. While the jury may still be navigating the rough seas, when they dock the verdict will no be resolute. This blog blazed the trail of political blogging and we owe it to founding bloggers some of whom have mutated or become inactive.

The heat is on as we usher in 2013, the year of the SNAKE. While the tongues of the ragging flame is threatening to consume us, the twin TOWER of BABELS (coalitions) will come and go leaving Kenya intact.

Starting with the sad news, the year 2012 witnessed massacre of over 40 police officers in Baragoi. That came hot in the heels Tana Massacre Phase one which was gruesomely followed by Phase two few days back. Many may see these as our five-year-cycle murder rituals. But you cannot fail to associate these with lack of true leadership from infront and by example.

That said, the sunset of 2012 sparked the political inferno with formation of two formidable coalitions. While the Jubilee coalition of the accused is still tottering in the brinks, thanks to son of Musa, CORD may well prove too sturdy to tow the other coalition to either nirvana or permanent retirement.

Back to Kumekucha, this blog continues to breathe political fire and brimstone just like when it was launched way back in 2005. Accolades are due to Chris for letting the political bile ooze in these pages, his occasional disappearing acts notwithstanding.

You have to be here to meet our one and only Mwarang'ethe. He comes loaded, spews his intellect with passion and leaves maany mesmerized as he retreats to enjoy. Mwarang'ethe's provocative posts are often enshrined in his fidelity to matters economy and history. His threaded quotes, philosophy and patented PASSION once again earns him top spot of Kumekucha awards.

Make no mistake, no blogger will escape the tongue-lashing of Kumekucha's e-cop. A founding blogger, Luka never tires to cater for the interests of numerous kids and nannies visiting this blog. Chris will not escape his anger with any explicit adult language or suggestive photos. He grabs the coveted vigilante ward.

Another founding blogger Phil may have gone mute in 2012 but he won't fail to occasionally mount his horse and ride it here. He must have developed thick skin to the brickbats he invites from his posts. For his tenacity, Phil bags the valuable (hide-and-seek) award.

The final KK award goes to all the numerous anonymous bloggers who are both the light and the spice of Kumekucha. Finally we the blog would be incomplete without the numerous anonymousness who often You may be faceless, but you set the agenda here with your insightful posts. You often come loaded with both tit bits and vitriol in equal measure. Kumekucha won't have asked for better spice.

The anonymousness may not know it. But your custom makes this blog a daily must-visit to many Kenyans around the globe who wants to feel their country political pulse. The diversity in your lot is exemplified by exported village bias albeit with a touch of sophistication. Hats off to the anonymouses as you receive the KK Wenyeji award.

So the race is set for 4 March 2013 and the heat is on. We lived through the 2007 near-Armageddon and told the story. 2013 promises even more fireworks. Well, book your front seat here at Kumekucha and brace yourselves for a political battle royale.

My utmost sypathy for the faint-hearted and PENSIONERS.

Kibaki's Legacy is a Fallacy

This week, PPS Published a 64-Page Special Supplement on Kibaki's 10 year legacy, while all major TV channels were airing hour long documentaries on the same, onstesibly to showcase the so called  achievements of President Kibaki's 10 years in office.


Few were convinced.

Lipstick on a pig doesn’t make the pig something else. A pig is a pig. Kibaki’s record is his record…a colossal failure to lead…failure to unite…failure to stabilize…and failure to progress. Only success at fleecing public resources…and entrenching institutionalized tribalism.

Tribalism, insecurity, runaway corruption, the Great Somali Migration into Kenya & terrorism, PEV, extrajudicial assassinations, drug and gun smuggling, the Artur brothers, a rogue police force, impunity, impunity, and impunity ain’t anything to write home about. This fella delayed Kenya’s takeoff by years. It’s a dark legacy. Even former Kibaki stalwart Martha Karua has rated impunity under Kibaki worse than the Moi era impunity – a very fair assessment!

This goes down in history as the only regime that opened its paramilitary barracks (& uniforms and guns) for PEV operations to kill its own citizens…blood-chilling things that Kenyans previously only read about regarding Idi Amin’s Uganda. Talking about lopsided development is an understatement regarding the Kibaki era.

If roads were built, they weren’t the priority roads for the nation (Msa-Malaba or Msa-Busia border). If donor funds were restored, most ended up in non-prosecuted corruption. If relations were established with the East, it only brought a flooding of cheap counterfeit goods into our market (with simultaneous smuggling of our exotic resources). Where FPE or AIDS fund were introduced, cash cows were established for connected bureaucrats. Every noble idea was hijacked by the mafia.

10 years under Kibaki saddled the country with hundreds of billions more in debt…for the Anglo Leasings, Ken Rens, and massive transfer of public wealth into the hands of a few greedy oligarchs (the Trans Century looters)…from our Railways, our Ports, Tana Land, Airport Land, Telecommunications, Grand Regency, Oil Refineries, and almost all other public entities….all skewed to Kibaki’s cronies and connected & corrupt foreign oligarchs.

These dirty deals leave outstanding debts that Kenyans and their children WILL BE paying into future…paying for the transfer of public wealth into the hands of a few well-connected thieves aka the Shetani crew (as per Uhuru).

That same enriched shetani crew is now diving the country politically, slicing and dividing voters, in readiness to perpetuate their stranglehold on the country’s resources. After robbing the poor of all their resources (public assets and land), their next agenda is to milk from the budding middle class.

Kibaki has deliberately timed his exit with yet another resounding warning to landlords who have worked so hard (sometimes in distant lands) to invest in real estate. The handpicked KRA boss (Njiraini) is now arm-twisting tenants (starting 2013) to issue personal details of their landlords for future assessment of more taxes – to be looted by the greedy lot. It’s not as if we are not already paying annual property taxes and land rates! The fraudster in Kibaki wants such misguided economic policies to be effected under the legacy of subsequent President…to justify his current massive borrowing under taxpayers name. Talk of an experienced thief!

Yet another of Kibaki’s dark legacy is the blurring of state matters with private financial concerns (ala the hanky-panky between Equity, CBA, Family Bank, Coop Bank & CBK), dalliances which depreciated the Kenya shilling massively. Illegal overnight borrowing from CBK’s discount window has minted a few Kibaki-crony billionaires.

Kibaki and friends at Equity Bank even get to collect Tourism revenues at Kenya’s biggest tourist attraction – Maasai Mara Park. Who the heck is going to know how much cash in reality came in, or how many tourist visitors checked in? They might as well report that no tourists came this year? Ama? These people think Kenyans are a bunch of idiots to be fooled and robbed from mercilessly without consequences. Mta do? That’s their attitude.

Right now as we speak, Uhuru Kenyatta’s banking concern, Commercial bank of Africa (CBA) has been parachuted a multi-billion shilling deal to be the official Shylock of ordinary Kenyans under a program disguised as – the MShwari savings and loan product (mooted along the MPESA model) – with collaboration with Safaricom. This 7.5% interest loan SHARK mooted under Kenyatta’s tenure as Finance Minister, will virtually wipe out SACCO societies.

Kenyatta wants to mop up all little change from struggling Kenyans using the State as business anchor. After all that is how they get all their businesses…all tied to the state one way or another…if not supplying VW Passats to the government, loaning Treasury at exorbitant profits, or hosting public bureaucrats in non-essential seminars at their five star resorts. Isn’t this the real reason why they won’t let go the Presidency and levers of State?

If not thinking how to fleece Treasury… its how to fleece unsuspecting investors (toxic stocks at NSE with crooked brokers stealing investor cash and getting away scot free)…fleecing investors of their life savings at Syokimau…or fleecing folks with pyramid schemes…and now Uhuru plotting to rob jua kali traders with his Mshwari toxic loan….This is one freaking rotten and distressing legacy….as has been the last Jubilee.. It has to give way!!!!!!