Open Letter To Philip Ochieng Sunday Nation Columnist

See the Kumekucha-money making tips exclusive: I live in Tanzania but do business in Nairobi and Mombasa

Dear Mr. Philip Ochieng,

First of all I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your controversial yet thought provoking article titled "our people have lost their sense of heroism" which appeared in yesterday's Sunday Nation; indeed my response to you is based on that opinion piece, and through this open letter which I am sure will reach your attention courtesy of this blog which is fairly familiar in political circles, I wish to draw your attention to one or two issues you raised which i have a healthily different opinion contrary to your own

Your perspective that the only form of politics known by "your people" is empty hero-worship and this is the reason why they are among Kenya's most underdeveloped regions did not go a long way in fully addressing the link between community development,historical events occuring shortly after independence, as well as present day events, all of which have had the impact of collectively sinking Kenyans as a whole into deeper poverty. It is on this basis that you should have questioned the value of "your people's" education in contributing to their development regionally

I understand that your OP/ED was not intended to be textbook cause and effect in analysing the current status quo of your ethnic group; however, because it left alot to be desired, forgive me for going ahead and stating the following obvious observations in relation to it, which I am no doubt sure you are well familar with-

1) Kenyans survived 40 plus years of bad governance that affected the whole country negatively, and against the will of all its individual communities that make up the country.During this time all ethnic groups are guilty of sitting back in their homes and expecting their MP to "bring development" to their region.

2) During this same period of time the same ethnic groups are guilty of endlessly complaining about poor governance and corruption yet refusing to change voting patterns and allowing the same clowns back to parliament every 5 years.

These are just some of the common characteristics which which guiltily bind each and every single Kenyan together, regardless of ethnic background, and in my opinion your assessment of your people was rather symptomatic and stereotypical instead of being helpful in truly identifying the root cause of all our collective problems as a people which have left many innocent Kenyans suffering for the sins of our leaders since independence.

I am happy to note that since yesterday many Kenyans from all walks of life, and in different corners of the globe far and wide have responded passionately to your article, and I will leave them as well as others who might not have had a chance to read it, to make up their minds about whether your well written commentary is true or not.

In conclusion sir, let me thank you for your many excellent pieces faithfully written for the Sunday nation over the years which are no doubt one of the many highlights of that newspaper which many Kenyans look forward to reading every weekend. However it is important that in future anyone seeking to address issues such as the ones you brought up does so in a well balanced manner and takes into consideration that Kenya and all her people are at a delicate time in history where the truth needs to be heard now more than ever before. Afterall, it is what will set us free

signed

A regular Sunday Nation Op/Ed reader

Comical Wednesday:Unseating Corruption One Furniture At A Time

And now for a look on the lighter side of life...


This is PNU/PDM's master plan in tackling corruption.Is it progressivism in taking the bull by the horn head on and with a head butt or just plain thoughtlessness?

On the one hand consider how the wide range of managerial,executive desk suits and funky glass walls present a rather combatant way of ending shady going ons in government corridors of power

Assorted glass desks may just create a difficult to breathe atmosphere for graft as corrupt officials shy away from sliding bulging envelopes stuffed with wads of cash to greedy beady eyed salivating civil servants seated on the other end of the glass house

There would be no need to stop at government offices if this policy works; let it be adapted in all our homes-contemporary bedroom furniture and modern lounge coffee tables should spell certain doom for husband/wife battery,infidelity not to mention rampant theft/armed
robberies

Who Do Terrorists Work For?

Guest Post by Blogger Mwarang'ethe

In the recent past, we have rejected the common wisdom that terrorists are Muslims fanatics working on behalf of their fellow Muslims, i.e. “framework of orientation.” Some readers of this blog have refused to take these assertions seriously. We revisit the story of the “Nigerian terrorist” who “attempted” to bomb the plane on the way to the USA on 25th December, 2009. We hope by the end of this piece, many will be more enlightened as to who these “terrorists” work for and why.

We start with an article appearing in the New York Times by Eric Lipton, Eric Schmit and Mark Mazzetti on 17th January, 2010. The title of the article is “Review of Jet Bomb Plot Shows More Missed Clues, available here.

Firstly, they tell us that, worried about possible terrorist attacks over the Christmas period, Obama met with senior security and intelligence officials on 22nd December, 2009. In a separate meeting, on the same day, Obama was informed of disturbing intelligence from Yemen that Al-Qaeda operatives were preparing to attack the USA especially on Christmas day. However, as we are told, for “unknown reasons”, “no one could connect the dots.”

This was despite the fact that, a UN expert on Al-Qaeda had in September warned USA policy makers that the same device that had been used in Saudi Arabia in an attempted assassination could be carried aboard a plane. More so, in November, 2009, the USA intelligence learned by “intercepting communications” from Yemen that a man named “Umar Farouk” had volunteered for a coming operation. Please note that these two names are the first two names of this Nigerian.

Furthermore, in later December, these so called “Al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen” mentioned the 25th December as the “good date” and suggested that they “looking for ways to get somebody out” or “for ways to move people to the West,” according to one senior administration official.

Going further, according to Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball of the Newsweek, “A White House report on the foiled Christmas Day attempted airliner bomber provided only the sketchiest of details about what may have been the most politically sensitive of its findings: how the White House itself was repeatedly warned about the prospect of an attack on the U.S. homeland by Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen.” Furthermore, they tell us that, “Still, the report refers, obliquely, to what appear to be significant information that had not previously been disclosed by the White House: U.S. intelligence analysts had “highlighted” an evolving “strategic threat” that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP (as the group in Yemen is known) “posed to the U.S. homeland.” See the story here.

However, the “shocker” came during hearings before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee when current Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Michael E. Leiter, made a startling admission. According to the Congress Daily, it was reported that on 22nd January, 2010, the intelligence officials “have acknowledged the government knowingly allows foreigners whose names are on terrorist watch lists to enter the country in order to track their movement and activities."

Leiter is reported to have informed this Committee that: "I will tell you, that when people come to the country and they are on the watch list, it is because we have generally made the choice that we want them here in the country for some reason or another."

Furthermore, according to Congress Daily reporter Chris Strohm citing unnamed "intelligence official" confirmed that Leiter's statement reflected government policy and told the publication, "in certain situations it's to our advantage to be able to track individuals who might be on a terrorist watch list because you can learn something from their activities and their contacts."

When this saga started, the USA officials disclosed to the world that the Customs and Border Protection agency learned about Abdulmutallab only after the manifest for Northwest Flight 253 had been generated and the plane took off.

However, we now know this not true. We now know that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency had information about alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab three days before his departure from Amsterdam to Detroit. This is in accordance with the U.S rules that Under U.S. rules, airlines must transmit "passenger name record" data on passengers 72 hours before a flight leaves for the United States. According to Chris Strohm of the CongressDaily, the United States, and Delta, parent company of Northwest Airlines, met that time line for Abdulmutallab, according to officials. In fact, the Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliot was emphatic, "We were compliant with all requirements for submitting passenger information as it relates to the vetting process."

Now, considering that the names Umar Farouk were clearly known before hand from “Qaeda chats,” by the intelligence, further considering that contrary to earlier information, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency had information about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab three days before his departure from Amsterdam to Detroit, furthermore, taking into account that we now know it is the policy of the USA government to allow well known terrorists to fly into American for “some reason or another” where does that leave the theory concocted by Obama that it was a of “failure to connect dots?”

More so, can one deny that it is entirely possible that these ruthless “choices” made for “some reason or another” which facilitate murder or attempted murder of innocent people while spreading fear are nothing but cynical ways of getting pretexts for advancement of imperialism's geostrategic goals around the world? Let the reader recall what we wrote about Yemen and the, African and Indian Ocean great scramble for big powers.

However, all this is always done in the name of protecting peace, freedom, justice, human rights and such jazz. More so, can we be assured that, the “expected terrorist attacks” by “Somalis terrorists” that Chris has been warning us about, will not be allowed for “one reason or another.”?

In Mein Kampf Hitler said that:

“The great masses of the people in the very bottom of their hearts tend to be corrupted rather than purposely or consciously evil... therefore ... they more easily fall a victim to a big lie than to a little one, since they themselves lie in little things, but would be ashamed of lies that were too big.”

The Nairobi Star: Raila to Become Kikuyu Elder

This article was published in the Nairobi Star on June 5, 2008.

Gema faction prepares ceremony to welcome Raila into the tribe

PRIME MINISTER Raila Odinga is about to be reinvented. On July 20, he will be made a Kikuyu elder in a ceremony to be held at Ruringu Stadium, a few kilometers from Mukuruwe wa Nyagathanga – the mythical home of Kikuyu Adam and Eve – Gikuyu and Mumbi.

The ODM leader will be feted by a group of Kikuyu elders and politicians operating under the umbrella of MEGA in a function organizers say will not only be in full colour and pomp but also significance.

Raila will only be the second non-Kikuyu to be given the honour of wearing the skin loin apron, bear the spear and walking stick and carry the cowtail flywhisk which are symbols of an elder.

Retired President Moi was made a Kikuyu elder in the early 1990s.

The installation of Raila as a Kikuyu elder is part of MEGA group’s succession plan. The group which is opposed to the revival of GEMA, was launched in August 2005 by perennial parliamentary candidate Peter Kuguru, to replace GEMA.

Its objective is to among other things, establish a bank which will advance soft loans to GEMA communities especially Mungiki members.

During the installation, the elders will also launch a campaign to have Raila succeed President Kibaki in 2012. “He is the best candidate and we will support him in 2012,” said Kuguru who is organizing the ceremony.

Kuguru dismissed last weekend’s GEMA meeting at Methodist University as “a waste of time and money”.

“It will not achieve anything. Those people who organized it are too old, irrelevant and only want to further their political interests”, said Kuguru.

Kuguru said the people of Central Province supported the Prime Minister’s decision to talk to member of the outlawed Mungiki sect.

“These old people fighting for the control of Mungiki today are the same ones who used and dumped these young men over the years. If the Prime Minister can rehabilitate them so be it”, said Kuguru.

Former MPs Njenga Karume, Joseph Kamotho and Norman Nyagah have been asking the government to release the leader of the Mungiki Maina Njenga so that he can lead his troops to negotiations with the government.

While Raila has insisted the government will talk to of the sect, Internal Security minister George Saitoti has maintained that the government will not hold any talks with the sect because Mungiki was an illegal organization.

The Prime Minister’s office yesterday said the PM had yet to get the invitation for the ceremony and a final decision on his attendance will be made after organizers give him a thorough briefing.

The decision to make Raila a kikuyu elder has brought to fore differences in the GEMA community less than a week after leaders from Central, Eastern and parts of Rift Valley met in Meru to revive GEMA.

One of the organizers of last weekend’s meeting Jayne Kihara, a former naivasha MP dismissed MEGA’s plan as “dreams”.

“Those are his personal plans. GEMA will discuss the succession issue at the right time. At the moment, we support President Kibaki and his government”, said Kihara of Kuguru’s plans.

Kuguru said apart from making Raila a Kikuyu elder, MEGA will also work to improve the PM’s popularityin Central and Eastern provinces where he got the least votes during the last general elections.

Apart from Justice Minister Martha Karua who has declared her interest in the Presidency, KANU Chairman Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka are also hoping to inherit President Kibaki’s votes in the populous region.

Mobitelea?

Kenyans have been through too much: Please don't RIP them off their 'birth right' this once.

Annan Mediation Failure: Beginning of Self Determination Struggle?

Anxiety and political tension grip Kenya

The ODM is reportedly threatening to relaunch mass protests if the Annan talks do not break the political deadlock. This is what they are saying. What are they (strategically) planning?

Both the PNU and ODM have announced their official positions on power sharing but the difference is a stark as day and night. While the ODM supports a grand coalition power sharing plans that will create the post of a Prime Minister with Executive powers as Head of Government and Kibaki as Head of State, the PNU is hiding behind the current colonial treaty constitution (which PNU ironically agrees is long overdue for comprehensive reform) by saying Kibaki is "willing to work together and share responsibilities in government" with ODM, and that any deal "must be in tandem with the current Kenyan constitution". Can someone tell me what it means to share responsibilities in state governance?

The country is getting anxious and tension is building as signs of failure are beginning to dawn on citizens. Sensing ‘victory’ over the mighty USA and EU, PNU MPs are telling-off anyone who dares to offer advise of the way forward. One only needs to listen to FM call-in programs to gauge the mood of the nation and what the people want.

Even as their party threatens mass action, ODM MPs are said to be seriously looking at pursuing a secession agenda. Some MPs have been overheard saying that ODM can ‘comfortably’ reduce Central Province to an (isolated) country like Lesotho.

Lesotho is wholly surrounded by South Africa and economically integrated with it as well. Its geographical position makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. Would central province be prosperous in similar circumstances if a New Kenya was to secede?

President Bush recent utterances leave little doubt that Kenya will be allowed to degenerate into another African failed state. News from the countryside indicates militia are re-arming. But then like Wetangula says: “Putting a gun on PNU’s head and saying 'either or' will be a making a big mistake”.

All I can say is: We shall see.

Related posts:

The Unanimous Declaration of the SIX United Provinces of Kenya

No Power-Sharing, So Says Dr. Mutua

Reports appearing in Uganda's press attributed to PNU Spokesman on-a-public-payroll Afred Mutua indicate that PRESIDENT Mwai Kibaki has ruled out the possibility of sharing political power with Opposition leader Raila Odinga, with his spokesman saying that would be “unconstitutional”. Dr Mutua is further quoted as accusing ODM politicians of “greed, ignorance about democratic practice and plotting ethnic cleansing” against Mr Kibaki’s Kikuyu kinsmen and women.

Ironically, at his own website Mutua says that the government is committed to dialogue. In other words, Kibaki can only absorb ODM MPs as ministers in his cabinet and they must remain his subjects whom he can hire and fire as he so wishes. Surely, is this man Mutua serious and does he understand the gravity of the Kenyan crisis? Power-sharing (explained at this link) does NOT and cannot mean 'having two presidents'.

In what should be the mother of all cock-ups since his namesake Mutua Kivuitu declared Kibaki the winner of the presidential polls, Afred Mutua says in an interview with Kampala's 93.3 KFM’s Hot Seat programme, that for Kibaki’s PNU to share power with the ODM leaders would be tantamount to allowing the Opposition party to “eat the piece of the cake that does not belong to one”. What nonsense Mutua I say.

President Kibaki's history teaches us he is poor at keeping promises or honouring agreements. It goes without saying international pressure is what has forced PNU into the Annan mediation talks but it is safe to assume that ODM, the international community and Kenyans at large being taken for a ride.

Going by Mutua's rants and that he was speaking on behalf of his boss, it is possible the on-going mediation efforts are but a waste of time and are meant to allow Kibaki consolidate his illegitimate regime. Mutua seems not to be aware that Koffi Annan has called for a special session of parliament and that he has also held several meetings with Speaker Kenneth Marende because the legislature will be a facilitator to the peace deal in creating necessary constitutional amendments to accommodate whatever will have been agreed upon. The IPPGs and MOUs of yesteryears will not do this time and no one will trash anyone.

Meanwhile in USA, another court-jester V-P Kalonzo Musyoka told US officials that a power-sharing arrangement “is not a panacea” for Kenya’s crisis. Mr Musyoka told the Daily Nation on Thursday that he conveyed that message in meetings with John Negroponte, the State Department’s second-highest ranking official, and with Ms Frazer. Kalonzo had earlier bragged to Kenyans in London that the Annan talks are aimed at asking Raila and Kibaki to hand over power to him as a moderate!

Although millions of Kenyans are praying for a deal to be reached soon, it appears 'the duly elected government' is not perturbed by these concerns nor does it care that thousands have died all because of stolen presidential elections.

Trusting that a power sharing deal is not the only option available to ODM, Kenyans must ignore doomsayers like Mutua and his ilk. They know which side of the bread is buttered and are much aware they would not last in their jobs a day longer were ODM to take over government.

Sunday Doodles ‘Attacked’

Yesterday I posted a piece here that was exceedingly censured and trashed as being “irrelevant”. Read it here Shun Laziness at the Workplace.

I reproduce some of the comments below and accompany them with my thoughts (in bold) about the ‘points’ raised in each piece:

q Anonymous said: Ritch, you have the right message but giving it at the wrong time. Which people are you telling not to be slack, the 500,000 who are homeless and have lost their properties? The hundreds who have lost their jobs because they are the “wrong” tribe? The ones who have several people to bury? The landlords whose tenants have taken off due to insecurity? The drivers whose vehicles have been burnt? The industrialists whose premises, machines and stocks have been broken, burnt or vandalized? The Pastors whose churches have been burnt with ashes of humans still in? The hoteliers who have to close the hotels and send away thousands of workers? This is not the time to tell Kenyans to work hard. It is the time to bring about justice, peace and reconciliation; it is about restoring faith in the Kenyan voter. It is about setting up a new constitution that will seal all loopholes for thieves and ensure fairness, dignity, transparency and patriotism. Since you have turned spiritual today, please read Ecclesiastes 3, the whole chapter. It says: For everything there is a time and a season; a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to build and a time to pull down; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing etc. In Kenya, it is now the time to put wrong things right. It is time for wrong doers to ask for forgiveness. It is time for thieves to return what they have stolen and pay back four-fold Zacchaeus’ style (Luke 19)

Anonymous, thank you for painting for us the stark, grave reality on the ground. I believe things are even graver than this. My heart goes out to each of these Kenyan brothers, sisters, children, mothers and fathers of mine. But, going back to your response, I think you got me wrong. You say that there is a time for everything, yes there is. Diligence and industry are to be employed in each of the “time for everything”. Slothfulness, slackness and complacency cannot be allowed to thrive even when things are ‘major’. You fail to realize that I am also telling the people in power, people whom we have mandated to fight our cause, not to be slack but to employ diligence in their everyday duties. The obverse side of the coin speaks volumes, anon!

q Wanjiku – Mombasa said: I spend the cream of my time in the office on the net. That is 8 – 9 in the morning when I am freshest. And yes, mostly on Kumekucha. And a few minutes before I retire to bed. Therefore I stand accused as a thief of employer’s time. But I do deliver on work. Or so I hope.

Wanjiku, let me believe that you are not on the net during “the cream your time” at the expense of something more immediate concerning your job. Anyway, keep it Kumekucha and, I believe, you’ll never regret using “the cream of your time” reading pieces here.

q Anonymous said: Ritch, I love your message, best so far here on Kumekucha…

Anon, I’m rather flattered by the adulation. Thank you and keep it here!

Anonymous said: Ritch, well put. But in view of the prevailing circumstances, your message is ABSOLUTELY IRRELEVANT!!

Anon, variety is the spice of life. And if you read the piece well you will see that I have not tried to touch on the prevailing circumstance. So, what is irrelevant? The gist of the piece? And to whom is it irrelevant? Slackness and slothfulness have never helped anyone. At the end of the day people want food on their tables from their very jobs. How people conduct themselves at their stations of work has a direct impact on their very livelihoods. So, what is irrelevant?

q Taabu said: Ritch, nice one albeit preaching to the bereaved. The message is apt and useful but doesn’t serve its purpose. Going religious is good for a burdened soul but is also escapist. Turning your back to problems at your doorsteps amounts to seeking the presidency via deception ya kupita kati kati. Kenyans remain unrivalled in the field of clever deception – panda utavuna. Realists call it escapism and the faint-hearted call it exhaling, where do you belong and what do you mean? Just curious.

Taabu, my bro, I think the first thing you should have said was “what do you mean?” instead of it coming at the very end. Anyway, Taabu, there is no problem I have turned my back to. You are a witness of how I feel about the whole shooting match (the situation in Kenya) from my writings here and, more so, from our discourses elsewhere. I am neither an escapist nor an “exhaler” (whatever that is supposed to mean). Taabu, there is more to life than meets the eye.

And, with that, I rest my case…

Sincerely Yours,
Ritch (the Doodler).