Mrs Fix-it in Kibaki’s Administration?

There have been a lot of similarities between the Kenyatta and Kibaki administrations. This in itself will be a very fascinating area of study for historians for many years to come bearing in mind the fact that those close to Kenyatta were so opposed to the presidency ever crossing the Chania river that they took several oaths to ensure that it would never happen.

The said river is what divides the Kiambu Kikuyu from the Nyeri Kikuyu. For those who do not know the 3^rd president of Kenya is a Nyeri Kikuyu whilst the first was a Kiambu Kikuyu. And despite all the blood oaths the presidency did in fact cross the Chania River in 2003.

The crux of the problem between the two Kikuyu factions is that Nyeri Kikuyus have always felt that they did the most to fight for independence (Dedan Kimathi and company hailed from Nyeri) while the Kiambu Kikuyus were mostly collaborators with the colonial government and even helped them smoke out and arrest freedom fighters (From Nyeri). And yet when independence finally came, the presidency and all other big positions went to those from Kiambu. The position of Kiambu Kikuyus is that they are smarter, better educated and better entrepreneurs and deserve every good thing that has happened to them in comparison to the lazy dreamers from Nyeri.

The last time this rivalry was played out in presidential politics was in 1992 when Kiambu fielded Kenneth Njino Matiba and Nyeri presented Mwai Kibaki. In those memorial first-in-a-long-time multiparty elections Matiba (Kibaki’s junior officer in government for many years) gave his former boss a through whipping at the polls and ended up as a close runner up to eventual winner Daniel arap Moi. However there are those (including this blogger) who firmly believe that it was Matiba who was the genuine winner of those polls.

The politics between the Nyeri, Kiambu and Muranga Kikuyus has always been explosive and should be the subject of a post here in Kumekucha in the near future. But for today we need to focus on the presence in both administrations of a Mr Fix-it. That was the nick name given to the most feared member of Kenyatta’s inner circle one Dr Njoroge Mungai. Mungai built a reputation as the man in the president’s court to look to when there was a crisis or “an obstacle that had to be removed.” Mungai has been linked to the assassinations of many perceived opponents and threats to the Kenyatta administration.

It is now emerging that the Kibaki administration also has its’ very own Mr Fix it in the inner circle. A person who deals with complex political problems ruthlessly. And in the case of the Kibaki administration it is the last person you would expect. In fact it is a woman. Her name is Mary Wambui (pictured below). That is one name that sends shivers down the spines of many men in Kenya who are in the know. And for good reason.

 

Early in the Kibaki administration she acquired the nickname Wambui wa Munene but has a much more chilling nickname amongst the intelligence community these days.

Interestingly political analysts have never been able to identify the politics played out between the two wives of the president. There have actually been two extremely powerful camps close to the president. The Lucy Kibaki camp and the Mary Wambui one. The latter has always operated much more quietly and less dramatically but has always been the more powerful faction. It is the faction that is credited to have done the most in getting the president a second term in 2007 despite the odds.

What has probably clouded a lot of the significant events linked to the factions are the petty battles. For instance people have very effectively gotten rid of those they do not like by simply linking them to the Mary Wambui camp. That has always resulted in immediate sacking and sometimes physical ejection by the first lady herself. These turf wars between two women married to the same man have drawn attention away from some other more serious and significant events and operations most of them extremely shocking and revealed in great detail in my subscription-only raw notes. You can get a free sample of these particular raw notes by sending an email now to rawnotes4@listwire.com

One thing is for sure. One day very soon analysts of Kibaki’s presidency will sit up and notice just how significant a role this woman who never saw the inside of a high school has played in this presidency. 

Earlier articles on Mary Wambui in Kumekucha;
Mary Wambui and her strikingly beautiful daughter hit the campaign trail
Will Mary Wambui seek political office?
Circus of two warring wives of the president
New marriage law targets Kibaki?

Unmasking Raila’s Questionable Reform Credentials

PM Raila with Footballers Anelka and Drogba in China

By Guest writer

As the campaign to succeed President Kibaki after March 2013 General Elections heats up, Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been projecting himself as the champion for political and constitutional reforms in Kenya hoping to get a head-start in the State House race.  

There is no doubt Raila played a key role in fight for the democratic gains we enjoy today. However, he cunningly projects himself as the sole fighter for the Second Republic while this is not correct. Raila was just one among gallant heroes and heroines who stood against the autocratic rule of former President Moi.

Other Kenyans who played a key role in the struggle include the late Jaramogi Odinga, Martin Shikuku, late George Anyona, Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, late Bishop Alexander Muge, Prof Wangari Maathai, late Kijana Wamalwa, Charity Ngilu, Paul Muite, lawyer Japheth Shamala, journalist Pius Nyamora, Gitobu Imanyara, Rev Timothy Njoya, Ahmed Bamahariz, George Nthenge, Masinde Muliro and Phillip Gachoka. And there are many unsung heroes and heroines who died, were maimed or unrecognised in the fight for a more democratic Kenya.

When Raila got a chance to prove his reform credentials and demonstrate to Kenyans he stood for real change and departure from ills that KANU stood for in 2008, he squandered it. One is judged by his actions and the company he keeps. After the 2007 disputed presidential polls, Raila and Mr Kibaki formed a coalition Government in April 2008 and each had a free-hand to pick half of the Cabinet.

While Mr Kibaki has never been known to be a reformer and he has never championed himself as one, there’s no doubt that he and Raila went to bed with KANU orphans who stinks of Kenya’s dark past. While Kibaki has nothing to loose in 2013, Raila threw out of the window the principles he fought for and held dearly in his heart and the devils as long as they brought him votes.

Now that Raila has introduced the reform card as the benchmark to judge all 2013 presidential candidates, he must also agree to be judged by the same parameters.

The following is the who’s who in ODM of the Cabinet Raila unveiled in the coalition Government: 

1: Mr Raila Amollo Odinga {Prime Minister}

Ø  Implicated in aborted 1992 military coup that led to loss of life and destruction of life and property of innocent Kenyans.

Ø  He was allocated Kisumu Molasses Plant and the land it sits on by former President Moi as a reward for ditching the Opposition, dissolving his NDP party and rejoining KANU in 2001. 

Ø  After disputing 2007 presidential poll results, he ordered his ODM troops into mass action that gave birth to post election violence. More than 1,500 innocent Kenyans were killed, thousands displaced from their homes and property destroyed. Mass action is legal as long as protestors remain peaceful. Raila never denounced the violence that erupted after his mass action call and hailed the hooligans who burnt Kenya as “freedom fighters”. 

Ø  His tenure as PM has been dogged by maize, NSSF, NHIF and Kazi Kwa Vijana scandals.

Ø  Accused of engaging in nepotism and tribalism in pushing for appointment of close relatives and tribesmen into key diplomatic, ODM party and Government positions. His defence that those appointed are qualified for the jobs is a fallacy because President Kibaki used same excuse to fill key posts in his Government with cronies from Mt Kenya. Why were Raila and his ODM lieutenants so vocal against Mt Kenya appointments if they see nothing wrong with sleaze in their backyard?

2: Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi {Deputy Prime Minister, former Ministry of Local Government and former ODM Party Leader}

Ø  He stopped Goldenberg scandal payments when Moi appointed him Finance Minister but he didn’t volunteer to help the Bosire Commission unmask the big boys behind the looting of public coffers.

Ø  During his tenure at Local Government ministry, his ministry was rocked by an embarrassing cemetery scandal.

3: Mr William Ole Ntimama {Minister for State for National Heritage and Culture}

Ø  A heartless Moi and KANU orphan who jumped to Raila’s side to survive politically and cover up his dark past. 

Ø  The Akiwumi Commission implicated him in ethnic cleansing when he incited his Maasai community against Kikuyus, Kalenjins and Kisiis during the clamour for multipartism and in desperate bid to keep KANU and himself in power. 

Ø  This warlord has been in the frontline articulating Raila’s reform credentials.

4: Mr Dalmas Anyango Otieno {Minster for State for Public Service}

Ø  Moi and KANU orphan who supported the autocratic regime even after it was dislodged from power in 2002. He jumped into ODM in 2005 to ride on the ethnic wave in Luo Nyanza.

5: Mr Fredrick Omulo Gumo {Minister for Regional Development Authorities and now acting Minister for Local Government}

Ø  Moi and KANU orphan who jumped to ODM side after KANU lost power. 

Ø  He led the infamous Jeshi la Mzee militia which unleashed terror on those who opposed KANU and Moi during the clamour for political and constitutional reforms. 

Ø  When he was the Chairman of Nairobi City Council (NCC), he unleashed bulldozers on Muoroto slum dwellers in the dead of the night, flattening their shanties as they slept leaving dozens crushed to death.

Ø  As chairman of NCC, he engaged in massive grabbing of public land, source of his current wealth.

Ø  He admitted selling a grabbed plot to Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) for Sh300 million.

6: Mr William Samoei Ruto {Former Minister for Agriculture and ODM Party Leader}

Ø  As a founder for Youth for Kanu 92 (YK92), he and Cyrus Jirongo used funds looted from CBK and printed money to bribe voters to popularise the ruthless KANU and Moi and defeat advocates of multipartism. They contributed to Kenya’s current economic and inflation woes.

Ø  He and Jirongo owe their riches to their dark days at YK92.

Ø  Waki Commission and Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) implicated Ruto in PEV and he has been charged with crimes against humanity at ICC.

 

7: Late Mr Kipkalya Kones {former Minister for Roads}

Ø  Like Ntimama, he was a warlord during KANU dark days.

Ø  Waki and KNCHR implicated in 2007/08 PEV.

8: Mr Henry Kiprono Kosgey {Suspended Minister for Industrialization}

Ø  Moi and KANU orphan 

Ø  As Minister for Culture and Social Services in 1988, Kenya lost million of shillings in an advertising deal for the All Africa Games, which he was tasked to organise.

Ø  Between 1990 and 1992, he served as Chairman, Kenya National Assurance Company. In 1996, KNAC collapsed due to a huge amount of debt. Critics accused Kosgey of having mismanaged the company. 

Ø  As ODM’s Minister for Industrialization, he was forced to step aside in January 2011 to face charges of abuse of office relating to the importation of vehicles older than 8 years. However, the High Court controversially cleared Kosgey of any wrong doing.

Ø  Implicated in PEV and charged at ICC but cleared of the charges because the prosecution hinged his case on one witness.

9:  Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o {Minister for Medical Services}

Ø  Although he fought for reforms like Raila, his tenure as minister for health proves his reform credentials are mere theoretical because the health sector is still badly mismanaged and ailing.

Ø  He’s at the centre of the unresolved NHIF medical scheme scandal where millions of civil servants cash was allocated to unregistered and non-existent clinics.

10: Mr Aggrey James Orengo {Minister for Lands}

Ø  Like Raila, he fought for reforms during Moi era but he has been unable to initiate any meaningful land reforms in his ministry, which is still a den of corrupt cartels.

11: Mr Gerald Otieno Kajwang {Minister for State for Immigration and Registration of Persons}

Ø  He was struck off LSK rolls of advocates after being accused of stealing client’s money.

12: Mrs Charity Kaluki Ngilu {Minister for Water and Irrigation}

Ø  Like Raila, she has been implicated in scandals and nepotism at her ministry.

13: Mr Joseph Nyagah {Minister for Cooperatives Development}

Ø  A Moi and KANU orphan who has no known reform credentials.

14: Mr Chris Obure (ODM) {Minister for Public Works}

Ø  A Moi and KANU orphan who has no known reform credentials.

15: Franklin Bett (replaced Mr Kones as Minister of Roads}

Ø  Served as Mr Moi’s State House Comptroller during 1992 and 1997 state-sponsored tribal clashes in Rift Valley to drive out non-Kalenjins perceived to be Opposition sympathisers.

16: Dr Mohammed Isahakia {Permanent Secretary, Office of Prime Minister}

Ø  Has been implicated in corrupt deals during the Moi regime and at Raila’s office.

Ø  In 2004, he was charged by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission with corruption at the National Museums of Kenya. He repaid the stolen money in exchange for prosecution immunity.

Ø  He was at the centre of the maize scandal at the PM’s office.

After the 1997 General Elections, Raila surprised many when his NDP party started co-operating with Moi and his KANU, leading to Raila rejoining KANU and being appointed Secretary General. Raila only led a revolt in KANU and decamped after Moi overlooked him for political novice Uhuru Kenyatta and his “Kibaki Tosha” was not driven by his love for Kibaki but to front a Kikuyu against another Kikuyu and block the Moi Project from State House. Raila was recently trying to woo Moi to back his 2013 presidential bid. If Moi and KANU stood for evil, why would Raila wish to get the endorsement of the retired president?

While Raila boasts of being a true reformer, which I doubt he is, no one forced him to appoint and work with the above tainted Nyayo orphans. This is a clear demonstration that given a chance to be Kenya’s 4^th president, he’ll appoint equally or worse rotten public officers. If Raila appointed clean ministers in 2008 and matched his words and deeds at the PM’s office, I have doubt he would have made Kenya’s best president. But in 2013, he’ll have a rough time proving to Kenyans how different he is from the rest.  

Raila is no better than his sworn political rivals Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (a Nyayo orphan who has nothing to show for his many years in Cabinet), Uhuru Kenyatta (a KANU and Moi orphan and another ICC suspect), William Ruto, Moses Wetengula (he of the infamous Tokyo embassy scandal), Cyrus Jirongo and Musalia Mudavadi. If Kenyans want a clean break from Kenya’s dark and evil past, they must look for the Joshua to take them to the Promised Land in Cannan beyond the above fake reformers and pretenders to the throne. 

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