Prime Minister 24

Raila’s first 24 hours in office give a taste of things to come

I am a great fan of the action TV series 24.

To me it is more than a great storyline and edge of seat suspense. It is an inspiration that helps me remember that in our modern world of today technology makes it possible to get so many things done within a brief 24 hour period.

Before I say what I want to say today let me make it clear that I am NOT an ODM activist or anything like that. In fact I have some interesting information on a corrupt ODM minister within the grand coalition government about to start doing their thing.

But whatever anybody may want to call me, I like to praise good things that I see and even in real life my friends will tell you that I am blunt and I do not hesitate to say things as they are and I will not shy from discussing any topic.

Raila’s first 24 hours in office as Prime Minister have been nothing short of admirable. After the swearing-in ceremony yesterday, Raila held a special thanksgiving party to celebrate his appointment at the Intercontinental hotel. Many people from government were present. But the most notable was Amos “the stock exchange is not a fish market” Kimunya and Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka. Also in attendance was former UN secretary general Koffi Anan.

On the same evening that the celebration was being held, a chap called Njuguna Gitau Njunguna announced to everybody’s relief that the Mungiki reign of terror had come to an end. As you read this all attacks have ceased and peace has returned to the country. Businesses that have been shut for several days all over Central province are now open and happily transaction biashara. The Nuguna chap credited their decision to adabdoning the terror campaign to the Prime Minister. In fact several days ago a source deep within ODM had told me that the PM intended to negotiate with Mungiki and address their grivienaces. Naturally there are those who would not agree with the idea of negotiating with terrorists (because that is what the Mungiki chaps are) but certainly you can not argue with the fact that we have a prime minister who gets results.

To cap off the Prime Minister’s first 24 hours in office, members of the opposition MDC party in Zimbabwe came calling to see Raila Odinga. They are keen for Kenya to intervene in the political deadlock in that country. Speaking to the press they said they were sure that Kenyans knew exactly what they felt having gone through a very similar situation recently. The prime minister on his part promised to do everything in his power to help Zimbabwe out of its current political problems. Raila also urged President Robert Mugabe to follow the example of President Kibaki.

And all that in the first 24 hours in office.

Need I say more? It seems that we were all wrong and the political direction that the country will take from now on is going to be very different indeed from what even Kumekucha expected.

Part 2 of the true story of a woman who found romance and happiness at 42

Mungiki’s Violent Message to Government

So Mungiki has 'officially' called off visiting terror on Kenyans secure in the belief that they have cut a niche in marking their territory as a political force. That leaves one asking why didn't they announce the start in the first place. That the spokesman calls media houses without any fear of being apprehended exposes loads of complicity and incompetence.

It is time we put the twisted philosophy and identity of this murderous lot into its true perspective. For starters nobody with a heart can show his post molars in glee at the pain of others. With that declaration cleared we dive gloveless into the thinly clothed TRIBAL SUPERIORITY COMPLEX Mungiki is fashioning as cultural purity.

Mungiki’s orgies of violence are just the primitive version of wider GEMA ethnic thinking. They are simply attempting to violently institutionalize utter contempt for other Kenyans. You don’t need to think very hard to see the pseudo intellectuals contrasting Mungiki’s present bloodletting to JUSTIFIABLE protest against election theft. When other Kenyans demand their birth right they are branded lazy but that vice acquires an objective sheen when these crude extortionists suck other Kenyans blood.

Mungiki is reminding all and sundry by sending a political message that whatever and whoever is in the new coalition we are not going anywhere. With patrons in the right offices, the sect is simply pinning their mark on the political sand. Mungiki’s antics amount to nothing but unsophisticated peddling of superiority complex that has been plaguing since independence. When Jaramogi wrote NOT YET UHURU the same calculative lot demonized but on hindsight he saw ahead of time Kenya replacing the white colonialist with a native one.

Complicity and incompetence
There is industry and deception. Only in Kenya do we have the two meaning the same thing. According to these local masters the word HEAD START (unfairly dished of course) is being savvy and knowing when to make a kill by having the right nose to smell opportunities miles ahead of the rest.

Mungiki must be seen for what it is as the unpleasant face of a section of Kenya who believes the rest owe them gratitude for populating this geographical location. Kibaki’s election theft dovetails in that realm of thinking and saying otherwise to live in self denial. Kenya is at war with this calculative group who only makes you feel relevant when they want to ride on your back by globalizing a local problem. The plastic clarion call najivunia kuwa Mkenya was cleverly coined to make us bend our backs for the masters. Patriotism is never taught.

Even the conventional church has not been spared the expanding sphere and smell of deception and selective amnesia. This vice must be genetic. Just look at the present church and the hitherto vocal clerics and compare that with the late Muge and his steadfastness during Moi’s regime. Kenyans are only fighting back to reclaim their country from THIEVES and SCOUNDRELS in various shades masquerading as champions of cultural purity.

Breaking News: Mungiki Call Off Terror Attacks

Njuguna Gitau Njuguna Says That They Are Answering Calls For Peace From The Prime Minister

News That I have just received indicates that the Kenya National Youth Alliance has this evening announced an end to their national terror campaign called to protest the killing of the wife of their jailed leader Maina Njenga.

The really shocking part of the statement called in to the media by the groups' infamous spokesman Njuguna Gitau Njuguna was that the group has made the decision to call off their protests in honor of Prime Minister Raila Odinga's appeal for peace. Sources indicate that Raila Odinga who was sworn in as prime minister earlier today has entered into dialogue with the group.


Njuguna appealed to matatu owners to return their vehicles to the road tomorrow morning (Kenyan time) without fear assuring them that there will now be peace.

Earlier today two more public transport vehicles were burnt in Nairobi's Dagoretti area. Meanwhile a serious fuel shortage loomed when Mungiki adherents distributed leaflets daring lorry drivers to try and deliver fuel to a major fuel depot in Nairobi's Industrial area. The leaflets warned that any lorry seen carrying fuel in the area would be torched.

Yesterday as a result of Mungiki terror a curfew was imposed in Othaya and Nyeri.

However it is now expected that after the strange statement this evening, all will be well and Nairobians who have had to contend with the virtual crippling of the public transport system can now go back to some sense of normalcy.


Love blossoms into the most unlikely couple

As Kenyans Continue With Their Petty Tribal Squabbles…

Wanjiku Tells Us Why the Kikuyu Are Deeply Ashamed Of Mungiki


I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecc 9:11

Why Tom Mboya’s shadow still looms larger than ever across the country and in the US

History is clearly about to made in the United States as Kumekucha predicts that against all odds, Senator Barack Obama will win the democratic party nomination for president and go on to win the presidential race in November.

The amazing thing is that it would never have happened without the help of the two gentlemen seen in the photograph above who eventually ended up being both victims of an assassin’s bullet. It was the famous airlifts of the 60s initiated by Tom Mboya with the help of the then president John F. Kennedy that landed senator Barack Obama’s late father in the United States as a student. The rest as they say is history.

If TJ were to come back today and be told the amazing story leading up to the White House that started right at his door step, the most likely reaction would be for him to chuckle in that affectionate sincere way those close to him knew. But there is no doubt that he would have been utterly amazed at what his humble airlifts had done for the entire continent.

The really bizarre thing about all these developments concerning senator Obama is the fact that while the rest of Africa celebrates the fact that a man fathered by an indigenous African born in humble surroundings at the heart of Africa, is about to ascend to the most powerful office in the whole world, in Kenya support for the senator is split along tribal lines. For example while Kenyans living in Kisumu cannot get enough of Obama whom they consider to be one of them, many in Central province in the very same country would prefer a Hillary Clinton win for the democratic party and the presidency of the United States, not because they like wazungus but simply because of the part of the country where Senator Obama’s father came from. In other words there are too many Kenyans who do not look at the Senator as of Kenyan descent but instead as a man whose father was a Mujaruo.

That is how far down Kenyans have sunk, folks.

And yet if Obama were to be elected president the entire continent would benefit greatly. Not because President Obama would concentrate on Africa. Far from it, he will be kept busy serving the good people of America who will have elected him. But Africa will benefit because for the first time in history the occupant of that high office will be somebody who understands Africa extremely well.

Or let me put it in another way. He will surely be the only president of the United States ever who slept on a couch in a low class Nairobi estate at his step sister’s place in an effort to fully understand his roots. Many in the Kenyan cabinet have not had any such experience.

Let’s get our senses back, dear Kenyans before it is too late.

Oh, and about the scripture from the Bible that I quote above, it is the verse yours truly used in sending an appeal to the senator through his site to stand for the Presidency of the United States at a time when he looked like he had little chance of going anywhere with such a campaign.

P.S. The Grand coalition cabinet was sworn in today at State House Nairobi after which they were all invited for lunch by the president. In public they are all talking about service delivery and addressing the problems of unemployment, but in private the usual things are happening. Last week a bizarre incident happened where an aide to one of the cabinet ministers affiliated to the ODM side of the grand colaition was going around soliciting for information on how to supply some particular highly technical products and services to a certain minister. Almost four days later on Sunday, my source could not believe their ears when the very individual was named to that very ministry his aides were seeking supply information on. What does that tell you? Simply that the same old supply games are being played in the government ministries, only this time the problem has been multiplied by a staggering 41 cabinet portfolios.

Love blossoms into the most unlikely couple

Mungiki An Embarrassment To The Kikuyus

Somebody accused the house of Mumbi of being too silent on the Mungiki menace. Maybe it’s true but that’s not necessarily out of sympathy for the sect. I’d say it’s more out of embarrassment. As much as I’m not making a statement for the Kikuyu community, I believe I speak for the majority when I say that nobody wants to have a brother who beheads and skins people and then comes home for dinner. And nobody, regardless of tribe, wants to be beheaded or skinned. Majority of Kikuyu families are Christians and do not believe in or follow the Mungiki doctrines.

Blanket condemnation of the whole tribe as pro-mungiki and therefore deserving of the violence visited upon them by their sons is plain unfair. There are thousands of disappointed parents, brothers and sisters all over Central Kenya and beyond. Given a choice every parent would want their children to grow and make a meaningful life for themselves. Instead they have become the community’s worst curse. The whole meaningful life thing is increasingly becoming a mirage in this country due to poor levels of education, land grabbing, corruption and high levels of poverty among other things.

It’s not fun being a Kikuyu right now. Central Province is gripped by fear. In some areas it is safer not to even speak about Mungiki because you never know who is a sympathizer. Other than the obvious threats that have been spread through leaflets there are also the rumours doing the rounds that Mungiki will from now on start indiscriminately seizing young girls and circumcising them. There are massive losses especially for milk farmers and matatu operators. In my home village, the old faithful lorry that collects milk at 4.00 every morning has not shown up for some days now. Who will go out at that hour?

The thing is the average Kikuyu is as much a victim as anyone else. Many Kikuyus who were happy that Mungiki revenged for the killings in Eldoret are singing a different song now. Emotions were high then and they have since taken time to reflect on the heinousness of the crimes that their sons committed.

Finally it was an insult for Kiraithe (he of the Rambo Movie fame) to come on TV and tell Kenyans that they have allowed themselves to play into the hands of the Mungiki by keeping their shops closed and their matatus off the road. What in the name of the good Lord did the police spokesman expect the shop owners to do? Open the shops anyway? Bring the matatus into town and risk having them razed? It is bad enough for the police to be seemingly doing nothing about the menace but to then try to shift the blame to mwananchi? The same policemen who were running away from the Mungiki in Thika the other day?

Daring Mungiki Now Knock Kibaki’s Door

Secure in the knowledge that Kibaki is neck-deep in the murk, daring Mungiki is confidently knocking at his door complete with threats to boot. Mungiki is not only threatening brimstone and economic shutdown of Nyeri on Sunday but also has the audacity to demand the release of their convicted leader Maina Njenga. And the murderous sect is reading from the same script with Njenga issuing threats to police from inside prison.

You don’t have to live in a banana plantation to create a banana republic. Mungiki is simply hitting hard Kibaki's soft underbelly. They know almost the whole lot of Central Kenya leaders are complicit in using them in the post election violence. Naming the cabinet has closed violent and tribal rent-seeking avenues. The industrious sect knows when to demand their pound of flesh cleverly clothed as ransom.

One thing is clear from the present Mungiki dare devil antics. Kenya’s intelligence system has been proved wanting once again. Make no mistake about the competence of NSIS staff. They remain one of the most qualified south of Sahara and north of Limpopo. The problem is sabotage from within. Kibaki packed NSIS’s top echelon with his tribesmen but disenfranchised real intelligence foot soldiers owe their loyalties elsewhere. Gichangi has serially bungled it since his appointment.

Bandit president
Having supped with Mungiki and clandestinely recruited them in the police force, Kibaki finds himself at the mercy of the monster he helped nurture. Mungiki knows all this and with police insider members you cannot fail to see why PS Gituai admitted that they were found napping. Saitoti’s predictable denial is too little too late that only succeeds in soothing his old-schooled ego.

Mungiki’s patronage runs to the apex of Kenya’s government. With an able accomplice in the deputy prime minister they won’t ask for more. We have seen the last of Mungiki yet. The splitter group that was roped in by the police to butcher Virginia Nyakio have bigger scores to settle with both rivals and government. In all this drama almost all Kikuyu MPs will have their mouths zipped lest they are exposed in their previous murderous dalliance with the sect against other Kenyans.

Kibaki set the impunity ball rolling and Mungiki is eating from the very plate. The ripple effect of election theft is one baggage Kenya will carry for quite a long long time. Yes, the truth has the unpleasantly trait of sounding like a stuck record but no matter what it fortunately never mutates. We are in this hole because of the Mungiki president and the militia is having a field days skinning Kenyans’ heads as Kibaki the perpetrator of this heinous crime sits pretty scheming on our to defraud and rape us some more.

Kenyans must be red alert about the devilish plots lurking behind these instigated violence. Assassinations are often excused as collateral for such buildup. The bottom line remain Kibaki's template for ruling Kenya is outdated. The more he tries to lord it over us the more he dives into more goofs. All these bad schemes won't last forever and Kenyans are slowly but surely reclaiming their country back from the bloody hands of the bandit president and his cronies. It is only a matter of time.

The Forgotten Frontier That Is Northern Kenya

In a country where subsequent governments alienate whole provinces for over 4 decades and still get away with it, it’s good that someone came up with the idea of a Ministry for Northern Kenya and other Arid Areas. These are arguably the most neglected in the country and the creation of a ministry for them at least shows that the leadership appreciates the need for some speedy reversal of this unfortunate situation.

But I don’t believe a government ministry is what the doctor ordered for Northern Kenya and other arid areas. If we look at it in terms of ministries then they should all go and camp there. For one a lot of Education is required to empower the locals to actively participate in the development of their own. There’s need for water technology and water harvesting for domestic and irrigation purposes, livestock management through building of abattoirs, introduction of farming of fruits, vegetables, medicinal and horticultural crops – there’s just too much. Maybe Najib Balala’s next challenge should be to have more tourists there in future if at all there are any now. And who knows the areas could produce some athletes and soccer stars if someone looked hard enough?

In short arid areas, as do many others in the country, have great potential and need special attention from nearly all the current ministries except the likes of Nairobi Metropolitan Development and East African Community among others. In any case, the current ministries are just a political arrangement that will mostly operate on a national level.

In my view a development body would fit the bill better. Like the Lake Basin Development Authority or Coast Development Authority. The authority can be funded by development partners without being bogged down by backward government bureaucracy and long procurement procedures. Of course the state also has a major role to play in additional funding and generally enabling the smooth running of the authority by ensuring security and providing incentives such as tax exemption on equipment. The authority should have a clear mandate and be able to approach and receive special attention from all ministers in government including the Prime Minister who promised a Livestock Insurance Policy during his campaigns.

This is not a call for Majimbo but these areas have a lot of sharp minds and by all means they should be left to manage such a body should it be formed. They’re very familiar with their problems and they know their terrain well. And since they grew up there, they’ll spend more time working other than whining about the tough climatic conditions.

Mungiki Cripple City Transport System

Nairobians worry how they will get home this evening after work

Last night I reported that sources close to the police had informed me that the Mungiki problem was getting worse.

News trickling in this morning has shown exactly what was meant. In the most daring attack yet, Mungiki youths pounced on the Nairobi CBD firing in the air and causing fear and panic amongst commuters waiting for public transport back home.

The attack met its' objectives as matatus vanished leaving tens of thousands stranded in the city centre. The few matatus that were brave enough to stay on started charging fares as high as Kshs 150 to Kshs 300 for trips to various city estates.

Mercifully the crack GSU unit moved in quickly and restored security as the Mungiki youths melted into the night. As you read this there is a very serious commuter transport problem in Nairobi which has been made worse by the fact that Commuter train services were suspended on Tuesday after two trains were derailed by Mungiki youths on Monday.

Police moved in and helped ferry most stranded commuters home in an exercise where they were assisted by a few army lorries.

It is now clear that the well co-ordinated Mungiki attacks are set to continue for sometime in the country as a spokesman of the Kenya Youth Alliance said in an interview with the K24 TV station on Monday.

Interestingly in a function this morning involving the two deputy premiers, Uhuru Kenyatta refused to make any comments about the Mungiki terror currently being unleashed countrywide. Uhuru was handing over the Local government docket to ODM's Musalia Mudavadi who is deputy premier and also the new local government ministry. Interestingly this was a ministry where his late father Moses Sabstone Mudamba Mudavadi served in for many years under several Moi administrations.

Who is behind this fresh Mungiki attacks and what is the real motive? But even as long suffering Nairobians and indeed Kenyans puzzle over that question, it is clear that the new guerrilla tacticsnow being employed by the group have been well thought out and will continue to cause lots of chaos in the country for weeks and maybe even months to come.

I am following some useful leads and will bring you more background posts on this worrying trends as soon as I have some solid information in my hands.

P.S. Former powerful Coast PC in the Kenyatta era and the man who was crucial in preventing the country from ending up in the hands of powerful Kenyattta kitchen cabinet members and their Ngoroko militia, Eliud Mahihu died quietly yesterday Morning at Nairobi hospital. Mahihu's action enabled the then Vice President Daniel arap Moi to peacefully take over the reigns of power after Kenyatta's death. By some divine intervention, the night Kenyatta died was the only night in over 10 years that Mbiyu Koinange was not at Kenyatta's side. Koinange was linked to the Ngoroko plot meant to grab power and stop Moi from ascending to power.

P.S. 2 A group of 60 back bencher MPs are seeking to push through a proposal to have a grand opposition created in the 10th parliament to counter the huge grand coalition government. Very clever way of postioning oneself for victory and bigger things in the next elections which most Kenyans believe will happen within the next 2 years at the very latest.

Childless Riruta housewife welcomes man into her house who claimed that he "would open the way."

Mungiki Terror Spreads To The Second Day

My apologies to Kumekucha readers who have been waiting all day for this post. I have been chasing all day, concrete information on this worrying Mungiki violence that entered its’ second day in many parts of Kenya today.

The Rift Valley Railways has earlier today suspended commuter train services after two of their trains were derailed yesterday. All in all 3 people were killed on this second day of violence. One was a watchman in Ngara who tried to run away when the Mungiki struck a car garage and burnt several cars.

In Nairobi’s Ngummo estate (not far from the Kibera slums) a commuter bus belonging to KBS was burnt this morning. Muranga town remain a ghost town with most businesses refusing to open citing threats from Mungiki adherents to remain closed or else…

The police are being very secretive, but insider sources have just told Kumekucha that “things have gotten worse tonight” no further details could be given.

There is something here very strange unfolding in Kenyan politics before our very eyes.

The first and extremely worrying thing about both yesterday’s and today’s Mungiki attacks countrywide is simply this. It did not take 24 hours for the whole sick operation to be planned. The truth is that it must have taken days and most likely weeks to plan it. This leads us to the second important clue, the timing which is very important in unraveling the whole mystery. The attacks started the day after the grand coalition cabinet was announced. Meaning that the whole thing was planned and organized and then the whole countrywide Mungiki organization waited for the order to move. It seems they got it on Sunday night.

This in itself is extremely scary. More so because it is rather obvious that the estimated 1.5 million youths countrywide are taking instructions from somebody with vested interests in Kenyan politics as sensitive and deadly as it is at the moment. (You can find out more about the identity of that person and their motives from my raw notes this week.)

In an exclusive interview on Jeff Koinange’s K24 TV station yesterday a spokesperson for Mungiki interviewed deep in a secret location that seems to be a hideout of sorts said that the group intends “to keep the fire burning” until justice is done. He also said that the group has 1.5 million registered members countrywide. That is without cpounting the sympathizers.

The spokesman who was not wearing a mask and identified himself as Njunguna Gitau Njunguna also said that Maina Njenga’s wife would not be buried until the husband is released to attend the funeral “even if it takes 5 years” for this to happen.

Njuguna denied that the group he was representing, the Kenya National Youth Alliance had anything to do with the proscribed Mungiki. That is because this Njuguna fellow is no fool—the Mungiki group is proscribed which means it is illegal even to associate with it. However it is quite clear that Mungiki has now mutated into the Kenya National Youth Alliance. Njunguna said that the organization he represented was a registered political party and that Mungiki was finished by extra-judicial killings ordered by former internal security minister John Michuki.

Folks, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it seems the much talked about second wave of violence has started, albeit in a very different manner from what most people expected. This time what is being used are clever guerilla tactics where the Mungiki emerge (usually in the early hours of the morning) cause chaos and then vanish into thin air, leaving police to harass and arrest mostly the victims rather than the perpetrators.

The bottom line is that violence seems to have taken over as the most powerful political tool in the country and it would seem that this Mungiki uprising is aimed at reversing all the gains that may have been made by ODM after the widespread violence of early this year mainly in vast, mostly fertile Rift Valley.

The Mungiki attacks are not up hazard, but well planned, intricately executed and carefully targeted. The truth is that the public transport system in Nairobi is now virtually at a stand still and many workers are finding it increasingly difficult to get to work.

How a woman desperate to conceive braved a deadly snake that helped her get pregnant

Mungiki the Curse of Fraudulent Leadership

The Mungiki menace couldn't have come at worse time for Kibaki. The only thing going for Mwai Kibaki since he became Kenya’s president in 2002 is serial jumps from one crisis to another. You don’t have to be superstitious to see the jinx starting from being sworn in at Uhuru Park on a wheel chair to the tumultuous 2003/4 following his trashing of the MOU. The referendum in 2005 was the icing of the crisis cake. Kibaki’s deceptive ways have made him a magnet of bad lack.

Nature truly pays handsomely and promptly in kind. You don’t sup with the devil only to turn around and disown the master of hell. The present Mungiki outrage is chicken coming home to roast. The murder of Mrs Njenga was the much-needed spark to vent anger on a deal gone sour. The poor folks cannot allow themselves to be flashed down the toilet loyally playing MACHETE men in the post election violence.

Fraud props jinxes
Nobody can trust the Kenyan police force anymore given their selective pumping of live bullets in particular sections of the country. Their penchant to execute is well documented. But your guess is as good as mine who between the police and Mungiki would rape and behead a woman. Mrs Njenga’ slaying bears all the hallmark of Mungiki’s grotesque and nefarious murderous orgies.

Calamities, jinxes and bad omen often have higher affinity to visit willing souls weaned on deception and indecision. Mungiki is no ragtag militia as Kibaki would want us to believe. The recent clandestine move by the government to recruit them into the police force is akin to sharpening the very knife whose blades will soon severe the veins of your throat. But this is Kenya where Maina Kiai can only be a hero if he keeps quiet at the sight of electoral theft.

Leaders worth their name lead from the front anf by example. Following institutionalized impunity by none other than the president himself who outrightly raped Kenyans via ELECTORAL THEFT, you cannot expect any justice from any law enforcement arm. The policemen would resort to illegal shortcuts to save themselves time and resources. One thing if for sure: the kidnapping of Mrs Njenga was too complex for ordinary thugs.

Mungiki couldn't have asked for a weighty, dependable and moneyed patronage than a whole deputy prime minister. We haven’t seen the last fangs and bloodletting from Mungiki. The monster is already mutating to maul her own. They can cool their heels through extortion when prudent and calm but remain on the ready to be called to political duty when necessary. It is called scratch my back and I scratch yours. Today’s extra-judicial killing must be the collateral damage in this evil scheme of Kenyan politics.

PS: We blaze trail, others follow, BUT DO WE SAY?(http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143984861&cid=159)

Political Games Being Played In New Cabinet

Also Published by Kumekucha Today

Latest Updates on the ongoing Mungiki violence countrywide
Sam Okello on the new grand coalition government
On Raila and circumcision


Kenyans finally have a cabinet in place. However nobody has popped the champagne yet. In fact what is rapidly emerging amongst most Kenyans all over the world is deep exhaustion when it comes to Kenyan politics these days. Very telling was the fact that the wild celebrations that one would have expected from Kisumu did NOT happen.

Just thinking about the twists and turns in Kenyan politics since last December makes many Kenyans feel very tired. But as our very own mwalimu likes to say; na bado.

One of two things will happen next. Either Ali Baba and his 41 thieves will eat in bliss and you will not hear a sound because when thieves know too much about each other, they fear each other. Or alternatively we are about to be treated to endless squabbling, turf wars and all sorts of clownish activity. Most analysts agree that there is no option “C”

Sigh. Just thinking about it makes even me feel very tired.

There are a few things that have clearly emerged from the coalition cabinet named yesterday. For instance, the dominance of Kenyan politics by one tribe continues. There is no doubt that the Prime Minister’s office will wield immense powers despite what skeptics say. That means that the deputy Prime Ministers will be fairly powerful people and will no doubt overshadow even the vice presidency which has just become an even weaker office that it was previously. It beats logic how the president of Kenya can hail from the Kikuyu tribe and then have one of the deputy prime ministers hail from the same tribe. That does not augur well for the country, period. It is instructive that all the front runners for deputy premiership from PNU were from that single tribe. In fact this is the big weakness with PNU that many people have not seen. The memories of Kenyans are indeed very short. Everybody seems to have forgotten that...

Read more

How snake was used in attempt to make barren woman give birth

Sam Okello On The New Grand Coalition Cabinet

Latest on ongoing Mungiki violence

Fellow Kenyans,

Yesterday marked an important milestone in the nation's history. It marked the end of the 2007 elections. We finally have a government that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have weaved together to help heal the deep wounds a sham electoral process opened up in our country. As this new government gets down to business, there will be people who gloat about PNU retaining the plum ministries. There will be those who complain about the ODM having absorbed a further body blow after being robbed of victory at the polls. Such gloating by the PNU supporters and complaints by the ODM supporters are understandable.

But they are also childish and misplaced.

The point here is that Kenya must move forward. The Prime Minister has accepted a government that by any measure is grossly bloated, and one he would never have constituted, so that the nation is freed from the intransigence of the men and women who have allowed themselves to think Kenya can't do without them. By accepting this government, the Prime Minister has passed through a very dark tunnel with us and brought us to the other side safely. That's what statesmanship is all about.

But the work is just beginning. At this point there are three crucial issues that need urgent attention:

1. Our brothers and sisters in the camps (IDPs) need to be settled urgently. It shames us when our fellow countrymen sleep in tents and beg for food within our borders. As a matter of urgency, let's move swiftly to settle our people and close the camps.

2. We must act with speed to disband the Electoral Commission of Kenya and replace it with one that brings together men and women of character. It would indeed be immoral for the current discredited body to be allowed to conduct another election. Mr. Kivuitu and his team represent men and women who have disgraced themselves and betrayed the Kenyan people. They deserve no part in shaping the future of our nation.

3. Finally, there's the matter of the constitution. And though I mention this third, it is critical to understand that this is the most important assignment the new government is going to confront. Changing the constitution, and making it reflect the hopes and dreams of the Kenyan people, will require wisdom, patience and tolerance of the kind usually displayed by statesmen. Those who will cling to a tribal agenda, who will champion the narrow interests of certain communities, will be doing a grave diservice to the nation. Because at the end of the day, the three issues will form the basis for how we judge the conduct of the government and those we elected to represent us in Parliament.

It is my hope that should the PNU, ODM and ODM-Kenya officials work hard to deal with the three issues mentioned above, we will move foward in harmony and face future elections without fear. If we don't start the work right away, we will be stunned by how fast time rolls by. Then we'll have created room for those who scheme evil to come in and derail our democracy further.

That would be sad.

For Love of Country,
Sam Okello

Breaking News: Violence Erupts In Mungiki Strongholds

As you read this, police are battling Mungiki rioters in parts of Nairobi as tensions rise in Naivasha where roads have been blocked.

It is reported that 4 cars have been torched in Pipeline estate as bon fires have been lit in Dandora, Kayole, Zimmerman and Naivasha Road. All those are areas where the influence of the outlawed Mungiki sect is very high.

My sources on the ground in Naivasha tell me that tensions are very high in the town and the road to Nairobi was still blocked as I spoke to my informant a few minutes ago.

It is believed that the violence has to do with protests against the death of jailed Mungiki leader Maina Njenga's wife last week. Her body and that of the driver were found damped after they were reported to have been carjacked. Relatives say that they were tortured badly, but do not give details of what signs on the body led them to this conclusion.

Clearly that was no ordinary car jacking and killing. I am now following a few leads to determine what may have happened. Could somebody have been trying to provoke the Mungiki to violence for political reasons?

On Saturday the Mbagathi area (adjacent to the Kibera slums) was brought to a standstill as wailing women protested the killing of Mrs Njenga.

I will update this post the minute I get any further information.

Update at 11:18 Kenyan Time
Reports are trickling in of skirmishes in Nakuru and Nyahururu. I have no further information at this time because we got cut off with my informant just as we were starting our conversation. I will update you as soon as I am able to re-establish contact. However, again these are areas with strong Mungiki following.

It is also becoming abundantly clear that the Mungiki trouble was deliberately triggered off by somebody for political reasons. Get details in my raw notes this week (scroll to the bottom of the linked page to see how you can get my raw notes today)


Update at 2:10PM Kenyan Time
9 people have been killed so far countrywide as a result of what appears to have been very well co-ordinated Mungiki attacks targeting many major towns across the country. Attacks have so far been reported in Eldoret, Naivasha, Nakuru, Nyahururu, Othaya and Gatundu amongst other places. In Nairobi most major estates have been affected and transport affected for many Nairobians trying to get to work.

In Gatundu 3 people were brutally and mercilessly killed. A demonstration by a youth group in the town earlier today demanded the immediate release of Njenga so that he can bury his wife. As police dispersed the rowdy mob 3 people were shot and are believed to be seriously injured but in hospital.

Police spokesman Eric "Rambo Movie" Kiraithe called a press conference earlier today to ask Kenyans to remain calm because the situation was under control and the police had made numerous arrests.

P.S. In unrelated news, The Nairobi Star has today published a major feature on blogs where Kumekucha has prominently been mention.

How snake was used in an attempt to make barren woman give birth

Lean Cabinet and Kibaki Succession Countdown

Arguments on losers and winners following formation of the cabinet can only succeed in inflaming political emotions. The true winners in the whole charade are Kenyans in general and the press in particular. Both PNU and ODM have knowingly installed official opposition from within government. Checkmating in each ministry is the light at the end of the tunnel which can as well be that of an oncoming train.

The cabinet composition has formally launched Kibaki succession and the fight for next elections. Uhuru may have the sweetest laugh but not necessarily the longest. He may have his coat tail gracing Kibaki’s chair but his bum is not guaranteed the seat. Discounting Karua’s tantrums will be the height of political naivety. The holding thread is as thick as the current presidency. It will emerge very soon whether this marks the beginning of bitter succession wars or sounding Kanu’s death knell.

The formed cabinet have the unique opportunity to do Kenya two favours: comprehensive constitutional and land reforms. Failure to do these amounts to postponing the final national meltdown. They either chose to free Kenya from the shackles of INSTITUTIONALIZED MISGOVERNANCE or collective wash their hands with our blood. This is one fact that will either make or break one James Orengo. The guys must measure to all his reputation and name. No two ways about it.

Katiba + land or nothing
This cabinet bequeathed on Kenya by one Michael Rannenberger must serve as a transition to next elections. Given the pressure locally but particularly pointed push from without ODM had no choice but to loosen up and give in some more. While juvenile bravado will definitely smell gloating and chest thumbing, the deal is only a start and the celebration will produce a very disappointing end.

The indivisible dismembering of portfolios has give Kenya her leanest cabinet of 20 in modern history. Well, it is only lean until Kenyan version of deception hits you hard that it is 20 from each side. If maids get baptized as domestic stewards then minister for toilets can do with a rebranding in the name of sanitation. The brutal and harsh hand of politics has waved at Mungatana and his ilk. Poor Dunstan Buya couldn’t have his mouth's loyalty rewarded commensurately.

The inbuilt opposition promises a very vibrant press. Checkmating ministers and their assistants will definitely minimize if not eradicate grand corruption. On the flip side, the ultimate price will be muscle flexing and no meaningful work but official circus with competing loyalties. We haven’t seen the last card by the scoundrels yet, or have we?

Breaking News: Kibaki Names Grand Coalition Cabinet

I am still working on the list nobody else has divided PNU and ODM Ministers but I am trying to and here is what I have so far -Kumekucha

President Kibaki has just named the grand coalition cabinet which consists of a 41 members excluding the President and the AG.



Prime Minister
Raila Amolo Odinga


Vice President and Minister for Home affairs
Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka



PNU

1. Deputy Prime Minister and minister for Trade
Uhuru Kenyatta


2. Minister Of State Office of the President Incharge of provincial administration and Internal security
George Saitoti

3. Minister Of State Office of the President Incharge of Defence
Yusuf Haji

4. Minister of Finance
Amos Kimunya

5. Minister of foreign affairs
Moses Wetangula

6. Minister of Justice, national cohesion and constitutional affairs
Martha Karua

7. Minister of forestry and wildlife
Noah Wekesa

8. Minister of Transport
Chirau Ali Makwere

9. Minister of Information and communication
Samuel Poghiso

10. Minister of Energy
Kiraitu Murungi

11. Minister of environment and mineral resources
John Michuki

12. Minister Of special programmes
Dr. Naomi Namsi Shabani

13. Minister of Housing
Peter Soita Shitanda

14. Minister for Nairobi metropolitan development
Mutula Kilonzo

15. Minister of Education
Prof Sam Ongeri

16. Minister of Gender and Children Affairs
Esther Murugi Mathenge.

17. Minister of East African Community
Amarson Kingi Jeffah

18. Minister of Public Health and Sanitation
Beth Mugo

19. Minister of Labour
John Kiyonga Munyes


ODM

1. Deputy Prime Minister and minister of Local government
Musalia Mudavadi

2. Minister Of State Office of the President Incharge of Immigration
Otieno Kajwang

3. Minister Of State Office of the President Incharge of National heritage and culture
William Ole Ntimama

4. Minister Of State Office of the President Incharge of Public Service
Dalmas Otieno

5. Minister of Roads
Kipkalya Kones

6. Minister of Agriculture
William Ruto

7. Minister of Co-operative development
Joseph Nyagah

8. Minister of Industrialization
Henry Kosgey

9. Minister of Tourism
Najib Balala

10. Minister of Lands
James Orengo

11. Minister of Regional development authorities
Fred Gumo

12. Minister of Water and Irrigation
Charity Ngilu

13. Minister of Public Works
Chris Obure

14. Minister of Higher Education science and technology
Sally Kosgei

15. Minister of Medical Services
Peter Anyang Nyong'o

16. Minister of Northern Kenya and other arid lands
Ibrahim Mohamed

17. Minister of Livestock Development
Mohamed Abdi Kuti

18. Minister of Fisheries
Paul Nyongesa Otuoma

19. Ministry of Youth and Sports
Dr. Helen Jepkemoi Sambili

20. Minister Of State Office of the President Incharge Planning, national development and vision 2030
Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya

Lean, Clean Cabinet or Mirage?

So it had to take both US and UK to impress upon Kibaki and Raila to retreat one-to-one to agree on forming a cabinet? Well, these are the same powers bloggers here and politicians selective accuse of neo-colonialism too. We have the initiative of one Michael Rannenberger (late 'saviour' Smith Hempstone reincarnated?) to thank if Kibaki allows the present deal to hold.

The icing on the rumour cake is the clincher that the agreed cabinet will be as lean as 20. Well, the time-tested adage and truism WHEN THE DEAL IS TOO GOOD already comes ringing a loud. Whatever the shape of that cabinet one thing remains irrefutable. Given the amount of mistrust displayed so far would, one would be incurably optimistic and overtly generous to bet a tissue paper on a cordial and mutual working relationship between the two parties.

Well, the day is almost over and tomorrow is soon here knocking. The battered benefit of doubt is often squeezed in desperate time and Kenyans need it in abundance for the next few hours. No matter the outcome, Kenyans are in for a very ROUGH political ride. The premise is so weak to serve as a foundation of any meaningful and substantial progress. But then half a loaf is always better than none provided it is not poisonous.

The hitherto political pong Kenyan has thoroughly neutered our sense of pride jubilation. News that Kibaki and Raila have at long last agreed to constitute the overdue cabinet has left Kenyan in their traditional wait-and-see posture. The last 40 days has seen any trace of hope of Kenyans butchered at infancy. Only Kibaki’s rare commitment will determine whether today’s so-called deal will stand the test of the day (no need of more time).

Lustful game of the rich in Spring Valley that ended in tragedy

Vision 2012: We Don’t Care Who Leads As Long As Our Nation Is Corrupt Free

ONLY BRAND NEW LEADERSHIP AND BRAND NEW IDEAS CAN SAVE KENYA

The clarion call of vision 2012 is not as far-fetched or falsely premised on procrastination as some have suggested-after all, aren't we all in agreement that Kenyans deserve new and better leadership-we're worth it are we not?

Someone tell me - was it wrong for Chris in his Thursday post entitled "Most Kenyans Want Fresh Elections" to suggest that we should get rid of all leaders that have a fanatical following on both sides of the political divide-including President Kibaki and Prime Designate Minister Odinga? These two principals now have shadows looming larger than life, and their stature towers over the political landscape, fighting for a place with the very air in our breathing space.

For those of us mere mortals who are dwarfs lower down in the food chain, we eagerly await scraps of meals falling down from the table to come our way-apparently this years left-over’s are going to be 3%-3.5% GDP. The president and prime minister have become the new Lex Luthor and Superman of our time (read into that whatever you want-I didn't support either from the start),and their kryptonite which is also ours is N-e-g-a-t-i-v-e e-t-h-n-i-c-i-t-y

The problem now is these two archenemies appear locked in a bitter age old rivalry which far supercedes everything else including the welfare of our country-is that right?When these two elephants fight the sun is blocked from view and all the fish in the fish market die

BELLING THE CAT
So what are the ingredients for vision 2012? The recipe entails one big corruption free national cake, 210 fresh idea-totting- imperfect MPs, one unbreakable law in the name of constitution, punishments for breaking the law without fear or favour, and independent, effective public institutions. The missing ingredient? one word....Unity.

In 2012 the prize of a nation’s heart will belong to a new breed of leadership that succeeds in achieving everything that current old leadership has failed to do in 2008, namely to unite people in this country. Is it any wonder our standards are falling from KNEC to ECK because we’re divided? Conversely united we’ll stand

Real leadership will stand the severe strains of uniting 40 million people from 42 different tribes without breaking at the test of portfolio balance in public appointments, equal and transparent resource distribution, and of course integrity

OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW
The choice in this matter lies squarely in the hands of ordinary people such as you and me. 5 years is not a long time, but if wishes were horses’ beggars would live in Grand Regency. We must break our dependency on the safety of the known and familiar and instead embrace what is new- not necessarily what is tried and untested-in the hope of saving this country further from going in the direction its currently headed in

Vision 2012 states that a united people of Kenya will not care who is leading this great country as long as Kenya remains corruption free and our businesses, laws, public offices and institutions are incorruptible and cannot be used to corrupt-sadly, we currently we have no one single individual who can fill that position

On thursday i had a nice interesting chat with BPONE right here inour very own DOMO chat room- BPONE finally managed to get an idea of who will bell the cat-and a great idea i think it is too. (by the way if you've never taken advantage of it its lots of fun chatting with other Kumekucha readers from all over the world.

The fastest way to get to the Kumekucha chat room is to use the link on your right or at the bottom of this page. Just sign in with any username and start chatting

Already thereis a special alert for Ivy, mpesa and kimi raikkonnen)

News Update
President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Designate are reported to have been holed up at the Sagana State Lodge today for over 6 hours in an effort to break the impasse over the grand coalition cabinet.

The two principals were flown there by Air Force Helicopters and not even their closest handlers were allowed anywhere near the Sagana State Lodge.

It is said that the two principals have vowed to have a cabinet in place by the time parliament reopens on Tuesday.

Landlord evicts woman for “too much noise from the bedroom”

Ringera’s Delicious Menu of Tokenism

Aaron Ringera must be livid with rage after Kenyans refused to celebrate his latest CATCH in fight against corruption. That repossession of the glamorous Grand Regency didn’t make the headlines shows Kenyans’ utter contempt dish served to Ringera very cold. Cheeky Ringera is simply reading tokenism from Kibaki's patented script.

The present leadership starting from Kibaki are far behind the ordinary Kenyan. All their goofs are traceable to their outdated 1960s template of effective leadership. According to these grey-haired dinosaurs rulers do the thinking and citizens the listening. How wrong given the present day informed Kenyans?

Kibaki tried it with his 6% economic growth decoy and Kenyan threw it back crashing on his face during last polls which he ended up shamelessly STEALING anyway. Now Ringera is shamelessly re-inventing the wheel of deception and decoy to make the impression of catching grand fraud schemers. Well, Kenyans are smart enough to smell acts that are singularly designed for political expediency. The law being the ASS it is can be flogged by the right handle to create fake ripples that are mere motions bereft of any movement.

Gema tower of babel
Selective amnesia and application of the law is Kibaki’s forte. Even before Kenyans said Kamlesh Pattni Ringera had KACC’s guns pointing at Mudavadi’s head. That would have been a very bold move towards combating corruption were it not for the obvious mistiming. Any pedestrian political observer won’t fail to see the soft political underbelly PNU is busy looking for in ODM. They are simply furthering their propaganda of painting formidable opponents in Raila and Ruto as more polarizing so why not corner a gullible big catch to be paraded as level-headed and acceptable to both sides?

Well, politics is all about wits and intellectual coups. PNU’s perennial reactions to salvos doesn't do them any good besides proving the fact that the party is a headless chicken and Kibaki has never pretended to give it one. The truth remains that ODM is the singular threat that galvanizes PNU into all its shades of unity. Very soon Grand Regency will be in the hands and pockets of few.

The hitherto Chania River divide will soon be compounded by Embu/Meru revolt. As it was during Moi’s time so shall it be after Kibaki's presidency. There is no gainsaying the predictable fallout from within GEMA as PNU's bedrock of support once the presidency leaves the vicinity of Mt. Kenya. The tower of Babel prophecy is simply a matter of when and not if. Maybe things can only remain the same within the circumference of the heads of Kibaki’s foot soldiers.

Landlord evicts woman for “too much noise from the bedroom”

PNU Makes Its First Move In Grand Anti-ODM Dirty Tricks

KACC Asks Mudavadi To Explain Kshs 10 Million Woodley House

The move that PNU masde this morning has been expected for months now. Those who have been regular readers of this blog will know that in the run up to the failed elections of last year and with dwindling support from Western province, this blogger was reliably informed that Musalia Mudavadi’s file was being looked at with blackmail being high on the minds of PNU operatives then.

One thing Kenyans should not forget about the duly elected president is that he has never made a decisive decision in his life. He always moves and hesitates a million times before finally making his move very late when the very effectiveness it may have had has been completely diluted. The Mudvadi issue is no exception because this writer is very much aware that it has been in the works now for a long time. Just the way William Ruto’s is still in the works.

Now after weeks of intimidating Musalia Mudavadi, the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission which is best known for prosecuting traffic policemen for taking Kshs 50 from matatu touts, has this morning moved to the high court to compel Mudavadi to appear before it to disclose how he acquired a Woodley house valued at Kshs 10 million which is in his name.

With that single move PNU have hit right at the heart of ODM in a strategy that is meant to create cracks of disunity within the ODM pentagon top brass of the party. It is yet another classic example of how justice in Kenya is so selective. The game is really very simple. Any ODM Pentagon member who dares to lift a finger will be told; “File yako pia tunangali.” (We are also looking into your file).

Interestingly in all the suspect deals that Mudavadi may have been involved in the past, those involving retired President Moi have been very conveniently ignored and the one chosen is a mere Kshs 10 million house in Woodley. Indeed it is the same reason that has helped William Ruto avoid harassment from KACC because most of his deals during the Kanu days involved Mama na Baba President Moi (now retired). President Moi, a close advisor of the duly elected president is obviously being protected and the idea is to keep his name out of the limelight as much as possible as his assets around the world are moved.

Also ignored by KACC are numerous personalities at the heart of PNU starting with a well known cowboy...

Read more

Why Kenyan women can never compete with hip swinging Tanzanian beauties

Could somebody be listening in to your cell phone conversations?

STATEMENT ON CURRENT IMPASSE BY SALIM LONE, ODM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Paying the Costly Price of Deception

Proactive leadership amounts to suggesting options out of a deadlock but not in Kibaki’s books. He has out rightly rejected responding to ODM’s letter demanding structured negotiation without asking himself what prompted drafting the letter in the fast place to replace the hitherto face to face talks with Raila.

Trust and goodwill are like virginity, you lose it once and they are gone never to be recovered. John Githongo must have learnt the deceptive ways of our leaders damn fast. No wonder his tapes proved so handy and needed to do very little to authenticate his case. Raila must be wishing he taped his talks with the THIEF-IN-CHIEF. Kibaki’s rants through poodle Mutua is devoid of any moral fabric. He brought the indignity of receiving communications through letter on himself. But expect the scoundrel to shift ground and be reactive at his best when caught deceiving.

Marrionate president
Serial deception is like political opium. It blinds you to reality and only makes you believe in your fraudulent ways oblivious of their unsustainability. Behind the demand for structural negotiation lies the fear and shameless trashing of any agreement reached with Kibaki. Nobody trusts the marionette for you never know what his subordinates will direct him to effect contrary to what he committed himself to. Patience is one virtue that can only be stretched so thin but not when dealing with a certified THIEF with no regard to the people he wants to lord over no matter the cost.

The price of Kibaki’s determination to show political muscle is enormous. The mediation talks at Serena lie in limbo and the message to AU as the sponsoring body is a very depressing one indeed. Even the commission meant to investigate the STOLEN elections cannot take off in the din of the present political heat. But they are not fooling anybody.

Mutula Kilonzo inadvertently let the cat out of the bag when he linked Kibaki’s succession to the present self-induced political stalemate. In Kibaki’s scheme of things the whole Kenya is collaterally just a pawn in the war at his backyard. But not for long, Kenyans will eventually and VERY SOON reclaim their country back from the bloodied claws of the JANJAWEED president ridding on the back of his apologists.

Coming Soon: The Grand Regency Hotel IPO.

As far as I'm concerned, yesterdays' newspapers should have carried headlines proclaiming Kenya's' victory against corruption. Yes folks, headlines such as; HAIL RINGERA, THE CORRUPTION KILLER!! or KACC BITES PASTOR PAUL. Fellas, the government of the duly elected president Mwai Kibaki has confiscated the luxurious, albeit unkempt, Grand Regency Hotel.

So why is nobody praising Ringera with shouts of jubilation as he basks in the glory of impounding the corruptly acquired Grand Regency? I can think of three reasons; (1) Kenya is currently too polarized to recognize any good from this chap. We would have probably seen grand headlines were his name Ali or Abdullah. (2) Kenyans are genetically preprogrammed to be conspiracy theorists. We all know that Ringera's effort, including the decade long court battle, is part of a vicious secret plan that comes full circle when TranCentury buys the over 2.1 billion shilling hotel from the government for about 200 million shillings. Oh yes, the plan was conceived even before Goldenberg happened. (3) Too little, too late.

Questions: Are we so determined to suppress anything marginally successful related to Kibaki and his PNU folk?

Most Kenyans Want Fresh Elections

Poll shows that 94% want fresh presidential polls

A reader here made a suggestion recently that amazed me. Before I tell you why it shocked me let me tell you what the suggestion was.

That retired President Daniel arap Moi be brought back to run an interim government to prepare the country for fresh general elections.

WOW!

Okay the fact that fresh elections is the only way to solve Kenya's problems right now is no longer in doubt. Even a vast number of Kenyans are beginning to see that. The KTN news at 9 pm carried out a live SMS poll last night asking Kenyans if they favored a repeat of the presidential elections. An amazing 94% of the respondents said YES and only a paltry 6% said NO. I can authoritatively tell you that on the ground Kenyans are more than a little fed up at the circus that has been going on since the beginning of the year and want fresh presidential elections to sort out this crisis once and for all.

Having said that, everybody knows that President Kibaki and PNU do NOT want a repeat of the presidential poll for obvious reasons. But it really is only a matter of time before Kenyans go to the polls. The reason is simple. Two provinces cannot hold out against the remaining SIX provinces for too long. Mark my words.

Currently PNU strategists may look very clever but when history is written they will be viewed as fools for the simple reason that had they agreed to share power equally with ODM the President would have in all likelihood completed his 5 year term (which he is very determined to do even if it is at great cost to human life). However since that did not happen, they will lose even that 50% of the power and most analysts agree that there is no way the current government can survive beyond the next 12 months. Military and security might or no military and security might.

Back to the Moi suggestion. The reason it amazed me so, is that it is now settled in the hearts of a vast majority of Kenyans that President Moi was a much better leader than President Kibaki. In other words the bitter truth (for some) but nevertheless the truth is that for the last 5 years or so, we have had NO leadership in the country. Mwai Kibaki is NOT a leader and time and again he has failed to show any leadership. All his rabid supporters have no genuine solid arguments to prove his leadership qualities except the fact that he comes from the same tribe as they do.

I find the Moi suggestion absolutely fascinating for several reasons. To start with Mwai Kibaki's chief adviser at the moment is none other than retired President Moi. Secondly Moi has to go down in history as one of the most corrupt African leaders ever. I mean the guy used to accept cash taken to him in brief cases. The testimony of Paul Kamlesh Pattni and that of Ketan Somaia has proved this beyond any reasonable doubt. Amongst the many evils Moi did, one of the worst was to literally destroy the Coffee industry with the sole motive of neutralizing the economic might of the Kikuyu tribe whom he was always terrified of. So the entire country suffered massive losses of income and jobs so that Moi could deal with the Kikuyus. For the record it didn't quite work the way Moi wanted it to. Instead of rushing to kneel before Moi (Baba na Mama) the industrious house of Mumbi quickly shifted to the horticultural industry and ended up making even more cash directly exporting their products all over Europe and beyond.

But despite all that, a sizable number of Kenyans obviously miss Moi badly at the moment. Politics is just amazing folks, is it not?

Still in my view the reader who made the comment was thinking in the right direction. What Kenyans need to urgently do at the moment, as painful as it will be, is to get rid of all leaders that have a fanatical following on either side of the political divide. That means President Kibaki, who is fanatically supported by the Kikuyu and a few of their Mount Kenya cousins and sadly the winner of last year's presidential elections, Hon Raila Odinga. The you have to add William Ruto to that list. Most faithful readers of this blog are fanatical Raila and Ruto supporters. And I agree it will be a great injustice to deny Raila a chance to get back the residency he genuinely won last December. However my plea to them is that Kenya is bigger than all of us, including those politicians we love so much.

I am well aware that fanatical supporters of these individuals I have just mentioned are already seeing red and will probably not get to read this paragraph which explains the solid reasons for my suggestion. The truth is that it would be suicidal to go back to the polls with both Kibaki and Raila running for president. It will NOT heal the country. Instead it will just open up old wounds. What we need are candidates who are able to garner support across the current political divide.

But even before that there is the tricky question of an interim government to run things and prepare the country for elections. That government needs to be very neutral and acceptable to both sides. Actually there is no alternative but to seek help from outside. I want to suggest what may sound ridiculous and is certainly not in the beloved constitution, but is the quickest way that the country can prepare for fresh elections.

A way must be found to constitute an interim government made up of eminent persons from Africa whose main task will be to police a free and fair election. This group should get the blessings of the African Union. Interestingly the AU at the moment is split right down the middle with some countries like Uganda fanatically supporting Kibaki, while others like Tanzania and Rwanda are with Raila Odinga and ODM.

Thank you for reading my pipe dreams. But I hasten to add that plenty of pipe dreams I have written about in this blog have become reality. I have a funny feeling that this one too will join the list.


News Just In: Transition
Jeremiah Nyagah, father of ODM pentagon member and nominated MP Joseph Nyagah, is dead. He died this morning at Aga Khan Hospital. He was also the father of the immediate former Kamukunji MP Norman Nyagah.

Jeremiah Nyagah was in the original Legco 8 of 1958 (actually the first Kenyan Africans to be elected to the National assembly). He will be remembered as a man whose main fault was that he was too decent for Kenya's dirty, selfish and cut-throat politics.

Great mystery: Why did Kenyan husband disappear in Tanzania?

Which line is more secure against eavesdroppers? Safaricom or Celtel?

The cheapest 5 star beach hotel off the Indian Ocean

Kibaki the Marionette

Once Again, US Government Rescues Weary Kenyans

Yet again, for the second time this year, strong and uncompromising ‘diplomatic’ pressure from the American government is coming to the relief of frustrated Kenyans regarding their choice of government.

After being defrauded of their democratic choice and enduring unending deprivation four months down the road, Kenyans are still having to put up with electoral rejects masquerading as government. These are the so-called leaders who have audacity to say they are ready for a parliamentary dissolution and fresh general elections while just less than eight weeks ago, they told a group of retired and respected African Heads of State, President Kufuor of Ghana, Nobel Peace Price Laureate Desmond Tutu and Kofi Annan that 'a duly elected president had already been sworn in (sic) and the Kenyan government was fully discharging its mandate!' Worst of all, many innocent Kenyan children are now surviving on meagre rations and missing school while they are forced to sleep in rain soaked tents just because someone somewhere MUST rule this country (read milk the country dry).

One does not need to be a NASA scientist to discern that Secretary Rice is today openly threatening the Kibaki-led government, just as she did when the PNU Leader refused to sign the 28th February 2008 peace accord. Undoubtedly, heavenly powers are using the Americans to liberate Kenyans.

Earlier today, Seccretary Rice warned the US would form its own opinion on the failure of forming the coalition government and would ‘act accordingly’.

As if by magic, speaking to journalist this afternoon, a confident US Ambassador to Kenya said , after separately meeting both Kibaki and Raila, that a grand coalition cabinet which is acceptable to all parties would be in place shortly. "We expect that in a matter of days, or a week or so, there will be a coalition government. They are very close."

Therefore Kumekuchans…….relax. You will sooner and not so later read an Alfie Mutua or Isa Kabira press release inviting ODM captain to Harambee House. A truly representative grand coalition government (repeat government and NOT cabinet) is on the way.

We Are Ready For Fresh Elections, PNU Now Says

And Why Kibaki Must Go NOW

The question on the minds of worried Kenyans now is whether the violence that has broken out in the country is spreading or it is just pockets of resistance that will easily be contained?

Reports reaching this blogger indicate that protests and skirmishes have so far been reported in Nairobi’s Kibera slums, Kipkelion (near Kericho) and in Kisumu. However all have been contained quickly and successful only that in Kibera the railway line that cuts through East And Central Africa’s largest slum was once again destroyed by rioting mobs. Still, at the time of writing this post, tensions remained high in most of Rift Valley.

Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki, blundering, lame duck "duly elected" president of Kenya still living in the 60s. Under him Kenya has limped from one crisis to another since 2003.

But the biggest surprise came out of the tough talking PNU and affiliate parties parliamentary group meeting yesterday. The MPs emerged from their meeting vowing to fully support the president even if the worst came to the worst and he dissolved parliament and called for fresh elections.

Of course PNU were bluffing and the truth is that a fresh general election is the last thing President Kibaki wants. But Kenyans will also remember that not too long ago, the last thing President Kibaki wanted were the Anan-brokered peace talks. But they still happened did they not? And shortly after he had sent his ministers to say that those coming to broker peace were coming all that way for a cup of tea. My take is that I will be surprised if Kenyans do not go back to the polls within the next 12 months. But more on that later.

Obviously the game being played by PNU is one of bravado because the call for fresh elections from ODM is hitting where it hurts most.

The biggest problem president Kibaki would face (if he was even eligible to run again) would be from his own Kikuyu community. The truth is that these dear fellow Kenyans, our brothers and sisters have suffered greatly in IDP camps. But to add insult to injury politicians have taken to mentioning IDPs in recent times with only political mileage being the motive. There is nothing that can be more cruel and insensitive.

Nobody has lifted a finger to help alleviate their pain and suffering. In fact the IDPs problem has exposed our political class for who they really are and most of that blame must lie squarely on the door step of one Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki. Indeed it should be very clear now that what is ailing Kenya most terribly now is a disease, nay a fatal disease called Mwai Kibaki. Any Kenyan who is honest with themselves irrespective of what tribe they come from will quickly admit that if Mwai Kibaki were to leave office today the country would quickly get out of every crisis facing her today.

Let us completely forget our tribal affiliations for one minute and analyse the Kibaki presidency soberly and how the country has limped from one crisis to another...

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Embers of Violence Everywhere

Kibaki has done his part and the Kenya is slowly but surely smouldering. Last evening saw great trek from the estates in Eldoret back to the showground. The January exodus of GRIEF from Munyaka and Kahoya is being re-enacted replete with buses hired to Nakuru and other safer grounds. While some here at Kumekucha gleefully gloat of clampdown, no regime can afford to post a policeman in every home leave alone house.

While the THIEF-IN-CHIEF deludes himself with fraudulent power, his voters continue to suffer from the harsh elements of weather with their stomachs holding any edibles at the mercy of charities. Personal security is more in perception and instinct that order. Kibaki can feign ignorance all the much he wishes but the countryside is bearing the full brunt of his raw grandstanding and brinkmanship. It is not out of sheer resignation to claim that Kenya will never be the same again but out of duty and urge to tell nothing but the truth.

Harm the body, fire the spirit
Saitoti too deludes himself that he is acting tough with the security on red alert. Well, right now about 200 GSU and APs camping at at Chepterit junction to Moi University but the remaining hovels in nearby Burnt forests are up in smoke again. A decade or more from now most Kibaki apologists would be asking themselves why the rest of Kenya hates them so much. The answer to that riddle lies in the question itself. They either chose to be part of Kenya of soil their hands in joining forces with the JANJAWEED president in collectively raping us.

Winston Churchill said it in the first half of the last Century and it still rings true now like it did then: YOU NEVER SUCCEED IN GOVERNING UNWILLING POPULATION. While juvenile gloating prompts others here to point that Robert Mugabe did it, just cast your eyes above the horizon and see the raging fire down in Zimbabwe. Mobutu did it with all the might and his fate awaits the Kibakis and Mugabes of this world.

This is the 21st Century and any attempt to bastardize a knowledgeable population with impunity will be overtly or covertly met with equal resistance. Brute force may slow the pace of resistance by visiting fatigue and physical harm but the spirit ends up fired astronomically. The resulting revolt is unstoppable. Not by any army or ammunition.

Breaking News: ODM Suspends Talks With PNU

As Violence Breaks Out in Kibera Slums

Tension is steadily building around the country following the collapse of talks between PNU and ODM towards the formation of a grand coalition cabinet. The PNU have outrightly rejected ODM's demands for certain cabinet portfolios while the ODM had announced a few moments ago that it is suspending any further discussions with PNU until the current cabinet is dissolved.

The calmness that has been prevailing in most parts of the country following the signing of the peace agreement on 28th February 2008 was this morning shattered following ODM's announcement that they had with immediate effect suspended any form of discussions with PNU until the current cabinet is dissolved. That announcement immediately triggered violent demonstrations in Kibera with mobs barricading roads and lighting fires. Police have already been dispatched to Kibera but reports reaching Nairobi say that tension is building Kisumu, Naivasha, Nakuru and Eldoret. These are the towns that witnessed the worst form of violence and destruction of property following the post election skirmishes earlier this year.

At the time of posting this, the ODM Member of Parliament for Mt. Elgon Fred Kapondi was also reportedly being detained by police on unspecified charges.

Update by Chris at 16:11 PM
All indications so far are that Internal security Minister George Saitoti and his team have been on red alert since last night. There are reports coming in that there was also a little trouble in Kipkelion in the Rift Valley earlier today but it was swiftly contained. Reports also indicate that the troubles in Kibera have also been quickly snuffed out.

There is a possibility that we will witness numerous arrests over the next few days as a way to pre-empt violence. Fascinatingly the thinking has not changed since last December. After the elections the game plan was to shoot to kill to scare. That one failed big time. This time it is arrest to scare. It is anybody's guess how effective this will be. However the fact remains that there are too many hungry jobless Kenyans out there for comfort.

Update by Chris at 21:00 PM Kenyan Time
Violence reported in Kisumu. I will give more details as I get them.