So The Kenya Police Has An Execution Squad...

"...And most Kenyans don't think it is a big deal. Hehehehe ...but not for long, mark my words... not for long"

When Kumekucha last week exclusively revealed how the wife of jailed Mungiki leader was raped and executed and those behind it, some readers who commented on the story reacted in the characteristic Kenyan style of dismissing things at the face value without weighing the underlying facts.

Just before the dust settled on the grisly killing of Virginia Nyakio, the wife of the outlawed sect’s jailed spiritual leader Maina Njenga, and her driver, Mr George Njoroge, Maj Gen Mohamed Hussein Ali’s killing machine struck again just yesterday (Monday) afternoon.

The latest victims, Mr Charles Ndungu Wagaca, the chairman of the Kenya National Youth Alliance (KNYA), and his driver, Mr Naftali Irungu, died in a hail of police bullets on the Nairobi-Naivasha highway near Uplands.

Mr Wagaca was a brother of Nyakio, the wife of the outlawed sect’s jailed spiritual leader Maina Njenga, whose execution, plotted by Maj Gen Ali’s newly-formed Eagle Squad, early this month sparked riots by Mungiki adherents in Nairobi, Central and Rift Valley provinces.

You can read the Kumekucha exclusive on how Nyakio was executed HERE

Kumekucha wishes to reiterate here that it does not condone or support in any way the activities of the dreaded Mungiki sect or its political wing, the Kenya National Youth Alliance (KNYA), or any other person bent in breaking the laws of our beloved country – be it criminals, the political establishment, security agencies or any other individual. The Law of the Land makes all of us equal and those who bend it should be severely punished as per that law.

Our concern, hinged on sanctity of human life regardless on who is involved, is the primitive way the Kenyan police, under the stewardship of Maj Gen Mohamed Hussein Ali, have chosen to transact official business in the recent years under the guise of fighting run-away crime.

The Kenya Police is part of the disciplined forces and its officers, right from their commissioner down to the constable, are supposed to uphold the rule of law and not to resort to the rule of the jungle. Under Maj Gen Ali, the Kenya Police has killed more Kenyans – whether criminals or innocent – than the combined tenures of post-independent police commissioners.

The way the Kenya Police has been conducting its business since Maj Gen Ali was appointed commissioner begs serious fundamental human rights questions - What is the difference between the police now and the criminal gangs they are mandated by law to apprehend?

For readers who might not be in the picture, the only way Maj Gen Ali seems to have perfected under the guise of fighting crime is rounding up suspects – both real and imaginary – and executing them in gangland-style. The police are only one wing of the criminal justice system. What’s the use of having courts, the AG’s office, prisons, lawyers, the prosecution etc if Maj Gen Ali’s kind of policing was to be tolerated in our civilised society? It means the police can declare you a criminal and execute you with impunity!

The police declined to take responsibility after Monday’s killing of Mr Wagaca and his driver. If Maj Gen Ali thinks that his actions and those of his officers are within the law, why doesn’t he take responsibility to such executions? Why wouldn’t he take responsibility for the killing of more than 4,000 youths who were rounded up from their homes by his officers and executed without a trace of their bodies last year? Why can’t he take responsibility for the primitive killing of Nyakio and her driver if he believes he was operating within the law? Aren’t these acts of extreme cowardice from a man entrusted in the security of 33 million Kenyans?

Kumekucha has established beyond any reasonable doubt that Monday’s executions in full public view were carried out by the Eagle Squad, an elite unit that was recently formed by Maj Gen Ali to replace the Kwekwe Squad. In keeping with their tradition of covering up the evils and acts of gross abuse human rights by Maj Gen Ali, the mainstream media – TV stations, radio stations and newspapers – opted not to directly tell their views, listeners and readers that the executions were carried out by the police. Why? Because Maj Gen Ali is in bed with a cross-section of top media managers – which was facilitated by his girlfriend and proprietor of Kameme FM, Ms Rose Kimotho.

A man who witnessed the executions could not describe it better: He told journalists the killers identified themselves as police and that ‘‘they looked like thugs.’’ Why should a disciplined security agency want to disguise itself like criminal gangs?

There is no doubt that Maj Gen Ali has a firm grip on the media in Kenya and he has a free hand to dictate the crime and security news, most of which are distorted, Kenyans and the world get from the Kenyan press.

On the executions, crime journalists have happily reported the lies from Police Headquarters suggesting that the killings were carried out by rival Mungiki gangs as a result of a leadership split in the sect. What nonsense is that!

Responsible journalists all over the world owe their loyalty to their readers, listeners and viewers and not to the news-makers and interested groups. Responsible journalists don’t just publish or air any lies just because it has been said by a news-maker. They owe their readers and listeners the truth and not cheap lies aimed at diverting public attention.

Before Monday’s killings, people close to the slain victims told journalists that they were being trailed by police vehicles. So, why have journalists let the police off the hook?

A farmer who witnessed the killings from his farm said he approached the crime scene and the killers identified themselves as the police. When a journalist asked him how they looked like, he said: “They looked like ordinary thugs but were confident ... they seemed very happy after accomplishing the mission.”

Why should a disciplined force stoop so low and behave like highway robbers? Kumekucha has previously reported how members of the Eagle Squad camouflage themselves like Mungiki. They kill Mungiki-style and they use car hire vehicles instead of police cars.

The earlier it dawns on Kibaki’s Administration that Maj Gen Ali was a liability to his Government the better. Security agencies worldwide invest heavily in intelligence gathering to pre-empt crimes before they are committed. But Maj Gen Ali’s poor leadership has killed vital agencies like the CID, which was once rated second in Africa, and the police have been left to do the chasing after criminals have done their act and taken off.

In a desperate move to appease his political godfathers and to be seen to be working very hard, Maj Gen Ali has perfected what he knows best – the power of the gun. Thanks to Maj Gen Ali, morgues and the entire funeral industry across Nairobi, Central and Rift Valley provinces have been doing a booming business while wild animals in Ngong Forest and Tana River crocodiles have never had a shortage of nyama za binadamu!

Guns alone will never end crimes from our streets, highways and homes. The police in Kenya have been killing robbery suspects for more than a decade and this has not driven criminals off the streets or deterred new ones. In the same argument, if last year’s executions of more than 4,000 youths was effective to wipe out Mungiki, we would not have seen any of their members blockading roads the other day.

The elimination of mungiki and other organised criminal gangs from Kenya requires a more intelligent approach rather than the chest-thumping tactics employed by the military-minded Maj Gen Ali.

Instead of perfecting the art of gangland executions and killing the institutions he found in the Kenya Police in a desperate attempt to undermine his would-be successors, Maj Gen Ali should use the top brains in the force to come up with a long-term strategy to gather intelligence and pre-empt crimes.

Where else in the world would the police be caught napping like what happened early this month when Mungiki criminal gangs staged a massive protest in Nairobi, Central and Rift Valley province paralysing road transport and other businesses for a whole week? Had that happened in countries with visionary political leadership, Maj Gen Ali, NSIS Director General Brig Michael Gichangi, AP Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua and other heads of key security agencies would have been sent packing that very morning.

As long as we have a visionless president and who is in office on the account of stolen presidency, Maj Gen can sit pretty tight in his posh office and carry on with his evil acts of painting Kenya red with human blood of real and imaginary enemies. Maj Gen Ali can take solace in the face that we have a president who runs the country on an auto-cue leadership similar to the art pilots use to fly planes. Kibaki hears and sees no evils. He just wanted to be president of the Republic of Kenya and he achieved his life-time political dreams.

Maj Gen Ali should lead a civilised police force not a band of serial killers under the guise of fighting crime. It’s time human rights groups applied pressure on the international community to have Maj Gen Ali charged at the International Court with Crimes Against Humanity.

Kumekucha's shopping list
1 GB flashdisk at only Kshs 900

Dark Past Of The Man Expected To Handle Prison Warden’s Crisis

Can Kalonzo Handle Catastropic Prison Warden’s Strike As Gunshots Are Heard Inside Kamiti Maximum Security Prison?

It is very normal in Kenya for people not to ask too many questions about a politicians’ past. As long as they are bwana kubwa nothing else seems to matter. For instance while covering a confidential report for my subscribers on the subject; The Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka that Kenyans don’t know in this week’s raw notes, this blogger was reminded of the bizarre circumstances under which Kalonzo first entered parliament.

The facts are that the immediate former MP for Mwingi North was killed under very mysterious circumstances that have never been explained to this day.

It happened in the 1980s when the then area MP Peter Manandu was shot dead in a bar by a rogue administration policeman under some very strange and yet to be explained circumstances.

The now deceased, Mulu Mutisya is said to have traveled all the way to Mwingi and met Musyoka, then a young lawyer who was trying into make inroads into politics. Mutisya was impressed by the young man's demeanor and his patience even for someone illiterate as Mutisya who never saw the inside of a classroom.

It is said that prior to the by elections that followed, Mutisya informed Musyoka that one had to seek supernatural protection from witchdoctors so as to avoid being bewitched by rivals during political campaigns. Musyoka understood this only too well partly because of his father’s occupation (more details available in my raw notes this week).

This is now the same man who has to deal with perhaps the biggest crisis to hit Kenyan armed security personnel in the history of these shores. Kalonzo as Vice President has the home affairs docket which covers the prisons department. This is certainly not going to be as easy as jostling to be seen as the second most powerful man in the land.

Already a committee he appointed headed by former Vice President Moody Awori to probe into the warden’s complaints has been rejected by the striking wardens. The wardens are threatening to free criminals on Wednesday if their grievances will not have been addressed by then.

As you read this, the latest reports indicate that gun shot fire has been heard outside Kamiti Maximum Security prison earlier today and GSU personnel have been dispatched and took their positions surrounding the prison.

There are a number of factors that make this crisis extraordinarily dangerous and a threat to the very internal security of the nation.

Firstly armed security forces never go on strike. Just like you can never say that the Kenyan military has gone on strike. The correct word to be used here is “mutiny.” Fellow Kenyans what we have in our hands now is a mutiny within a section of our armed security personnel.

Secondly thanks mainly to modern technology and things like the cell phone the wardens have managed to organize a countrywide mutiny, meaning that virtually every prison in the land has been affected. The seriousness of this rebellion amongst our armed prison forces is not something that can be overstated.

News just in as I was completing this post is that the government has bowed to the demands of the wardens. In a statement issued by Musyoka himself from his Jogoo house office moments ago, the VP accepted virtually all the demands of the wardens. This includes a kshs 10,000 payment for their work during the elections, a kshs 5,000 risk allowance as well as a Kshs 5,000 medical allowance.

It will be interesting to see how this story develops because some senior prison wardens were arrested yesterday after being tricked into attending a crisis meeting in Nairobi, instead CID officers pounced and arrested them at venue of the meeting. In fact already 9 of the officers have appeared in court this morning and the rest are still being held at Muthaiga Police station. It is likely that the 9 officers will be charged with mutiny which is punishable by a jail term not exceeding 10 years.

It is widely expected that all the other prison wardens in solidarity with their arrested colleagues may not go back to work until their leaders are released and the charges dropped.

All in all this is a deadly situation that could easily plunge the entire country, still bleeding from a stolen election, into total chaos. Not to mention the fact that the government is a little cash-strapped just now.

I will keep you updated about developments as they unfold.

Did woman pay for scratch cards with sex?

NEXT !!

PNU Mandarins ‘STUNNED’ by US Support to PM's Office

================================
STUNNED, STUNNING, STUNS.
1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow.
2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise.
3. To stupefy, as with the emotional impact of an experience; astound.
================================

PNU mandarins are reportedly ‘STUNNED’ by the announcement that the US government has pledged US$500,000 (Sh30.5 million) direct funding to sustain the development and smooth running of the newly created Prime Minister’s office. What is raising eyebrows is that the funds will be channeled directly to the PM's office and not via Treasury (Ministry of Finance).

One such mandarin is Kalonzo Musyoka’s sidekick and newly appointed Assistant Minister of Defence, Hon David Musila. He is quoted by the VOA accusing the government of US of behaving as if there are two governments in Kenya. You can read/listen to his remarks here.

While making the announcement, US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger was not sitting at Foreign Affairs Minister Wetangula’s office. He was infact making the politically unpalatable remarks in an interview with a local newspaper which quotes him saying that his country is putting "a lot of hope" in the PM’s office because of the role the Constitution has assigned it to co-ordinate and supervise government ministries.

"In a government this large, the role of the Prime Minister is going to be critical. We will work very closely with the Prime Minister in co-ordinating and supervising the Government," the ambassador said.

He added: "We recognise that critical role, and that is why we are ready to give money to strengthen the office."

To add insult to injury, the Ambassador also announced that the US had invited Prime Minister Raila Odinga to Washington "at a mutually convenient date" to be hosted by the State Department and meet with Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice. He was cagey whether the visit would include a meeting at White House with President George Bush. Raila, Ranneberger added, was being invited to the US because of the importance Washington attaches to his role as the one "constitutionally required to supervise and co-ordinate the activities of government". Pressed to explain why the invitation was not extended to Mwai Kibaki as Head of State, the ambassador said he remained in close touch with Kibaki, adding that the President had been on a state visit to the US before.

"We are inviting the PM so that we can review assistance here and show that we can co-ordinate closely. The US has such a large partnership with Kenya and we want to ensure it is properly co-ordinated," he elaborated.

Following the desputed elections in December, President Kibaki sent a number of envoys to foreign countries in an attempt to gain legitimacy. President Kibaki appointed Uhuru Kenyatta, Raphael Tuju, George Saitoti and Moses Wetangula as special envoys to brief world leaders on the political crisis in the country caused by his disputed election as president. Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said yesterday the envoys would visit several African states and brief their heads of state about “the genuine situation in the country,” instead of relying on the international media. Uhuru Kenyatta was reportedly kept waiting and never given audience by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who went on to support Anan’s efforts in creating a power sharing deal. It is unclear whether the other envoys made any headway because only one or two world leaders congratulated Kibaki on his "re-election". Bloggers here will also remember that Kalonzo Musyoka, as newly appointed VP, made whistle-stop tours in UK and USA in a FUTILE effort to market the Kenya Government. This was long before the National Accord had been signed.

Surprisingly, there has not been any official statement by Hon. Wetangula or Dr. Mutua on this new development regarding accredited envoys directly funding the PM.

Playing Cheap Political Games With IDPs

The horrid conditions of the IDPs has mutated to a new crisis. Meanwhile the curse of Ps has seen PORTFOLIO give birth to PROTOCOL crisis. Are we jinxed as a nation to be eternally diving into one political crisis after another? Well, we asked for all that befalls as dutifully shepherded by our DULY ELECTED leaders.

The IDP problem must be put into its right context. The truth be told, Kibaki is under immense pressure from his tribesmen to use his presidential powers to resettle them. The Kikuyu Diaspora is alive to the fact that the present political and power dispensation won’t last long. Kibaki is very keen to camouflage the TRIBAL push pretending to be oblivious of the fact that he is the SINGULAR CAUSE of the IDPs.

The protocol crisis is Kibaki succession brought forward albeit in disguise. The objective is to undercut the very force whose hand you are seeking to help you navigate choppy political waters. Don’t fool yourself for a second that Kibaki is above the political fray. The script playing itself is well rehearsed with his knowledge. While he wants to make Kalonzo feel appreciated as a saviour during tumultuous times, the GEMA power brokers will stop at nothing to undermine Raila politically.

Where do these serial goofs and cheap power plays leave the IDPs? These UNFORTUNATE Kenyans remain pawns in the selfish pre and post election game of TRIBAL SUPREMACY. An honest evaluation of the whole charade will reveal that Kibaki needed Raila as a cover to visit the IDPs. Since his BEDROOM swearing in, the THIEF-IN-CHIEF only made a technical appearance in Eldoret before and he knew what a waited him were he to ignore the ODM team.

Cultivate peace not legislate
Kibaki the marionette is captive to ETHNIC supremacists who cannot allow him the luxury of thinking outside the box. True leadership demands leading from the front and by example. Kibaki’s conceived his model of leadership from Kenyatta and weaned it under Moi. Expediency is his FORTE. He prefers quick fixes as the problem smoulders underneath to explode another day. To make resettling the IDPs an event and not a process is akin to placing the cart before the horse, but who cares?

The present IDP problem is symptomatic of our DECEPTIVE leadership. Kenya has been home to more than a million IDPs since 2005. But then these are LESSER Kenyans from the wrong geographical regions who are mere statistics. They cannot be any priority to the DULY ELECTED. Either Kibaki considers Kenyans as dunderheads who can be collectively duped or he can willfully serve them full course of his usual utter CONTEMPT when he preaches peace and reconciliation while remotely entertaining power wars on the same platform.

Peace is CULTIVATED and never LEGISLATED. You cannot afford a policeman for each displaced Kenyan. The IDPs are not naive and will not move back into their previous homes without guaranteed security from both their neighbours and government. Selective quoting of the constitution that you can own property anywhere won’t wash. It only leaves you wondering why that piece of legislation selectively and EXCLUSIVELY applies to only one part of Kenya.

Breaking News: Raila Heads To Germany for Laser Eye Surgery

Prime Minister Raila Odinga left the country earlier today (Sunday) to undergo laser eye surgery in Germany.

ODM Spokesman Salim Lone is quoted as saying: "Prime Minister Raila Odinga was traveling with his wife and will be back in Nairobi on Friday." Lone explained that the procedure was "minor laser eye surgery."

Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki recently struck a power-sharing agreement after both men claimed to have won the Dec. 27 presidential election in a dispute that unleashed weeks of ethnically tinged violence. More than 1,200 people died and 300,000 were displaced.

On Saturday, Odinga and Kibaki finished a three-day "peace tour" of areas hardest-hit by the postelection violence.

Raila has been seen on many occasions dabbing his eye with a handkerchief. He attributes the "tears" to bad lighting in jail cells during his long nine-year stint in detention-without-trial, five years of which was in solitary confinement and incommunicado at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Nairobi. His only reading material during the detention was the Bible and Quran.

Resources:

• Mediplus Laser Eye Surgery
  
• Wikipedia LASIK

Protocol Fiasco: VP Should Stay Away

President Mwai Kibaki , left, and Prime Minister Raila Odinga , right, wave at a crowd of Internally Displaced persons(IDPs) in the Kenyan town of Naivasha Saturday, April 26 2008 as they toured the area to preach peace and reconciliation Most of the 157,000 IDPs living in camps still cannot go home more than four months after a disputed presidential election unleashed weeks of ethnically tinged bloodshed.

For far too long now, this country has been treated to the tired old line. Constitution says this, constitution says that, blah blah blah. It is so ironic because the same constitution, everyone agrees, is responsible for a myriad of problems facing the country and is actually overdue for a major overhaul.Because of the same constitution, the electoral process has always been tipped to favour the incumbent and in 2007, ECK's Kivuitu took full advantage of a constitutional vacuum to declare Mwai Kibaki as president.

It is my considered opinion that Raila Odinga and ODM are not in anyway obligated to participate in peace rallies organized by President Kibaki. But by graciously accepting to do so, some PNU politicians are already mistaken in assuming that ODM must see to it that IDPs are re-settled. To make matters worse, the minor protocol incident between the Prime Minister and the Vice President has already resulted in the IDPs saying that they will not return home. In these peace missions, it is now apparent that the VP is a heavy liability rather than an unifying asset and his attempts at gaining relevance is producing reverse consequences.

Perhaps we ought to listen to Rift Valley MPs who are opposed to this hurried resettlement missions. The fact is that IDPs were present in Kenya even before the post elections violence broke-out; but it never received presidential attention. That’s right folks. The period between the 2005 referendum and the 2007 general elections saw Kenya become home to an unprecedented one million IDPs spread all over the country. This is the highest number of internal refugees anywhere in the world for a country not at war. I did not for once hear the Kiunjuris of this world insist on immediate resettlement of these hapless Kenyans. As presidential candidates, Kalonzo or Kibaki never bothered to highlight the plight of these forgotten citizens the current ODM MP for Mt. Elgon was nominated to run for the seat while in police custody on trumped-up charges. As head of state, and commander in chief, the president himself has never concerned himself with the state-sponsored insecurity that existed in some of the violence hotspots like Mt. Elgon, Kuresoi and Molo. It has not escaped anyone’s attention that because the majority of these so called IDPs in Rift Valley are from a certain ancestry, it has suddenly caught the attention of the powers that be we actually have Kenyans who are living like refugees in their own country. As we speak, the government is at war with its own citizens in Mt. Elgon through a massive military operation. Do you see where Hon Kapondi, Hon Ruto and Hon Bett are coming from?

Back to the current peace mission in Rift Valley, it is an open secret that DULY ERECTED Kibaki would never have attempted to embark on a peace tour without the POLITICAL SHIELD that is Raila Odinga. After being forced to a agree to share power with ODM, the PNU coalition partner is using the discredited constitution to once again politically undermine the ODM by purporting to rank the Prime Minister as a junior to the Vice President. As the PM rightly told the President, these sort of juvenile games are what is creating problems kule mashinani (at the grass roots). The people know that the VP happens to be a miserable presidential candidate who was resoundingly rejected at the polls. The two leading contenders amassed votes that were more than TEN TIMES what the VP got. Now, now, the constitution says that this is the individual who will automatically take over power should our current president become incapacitated. God forbid!

Regardless of what the constitution says, the facts arising out of the unique circumstances of early this year are;

• The 2007 presidential vote was heavily discredited and even the ECK cannot ascertain who the winner was. (One political party known as ODM-K, unashamedly supported the release of disputed presidential results).
• Two political parties (ODM/PNU) signed a peace accord to create a grand coalition as equal partners in order to make this country governable.
• The VP and PNU ’half loaf’ cabinet remain answerable to the President and serve at his pleasure, while ODM ‘half loaf’ cabinet serve at the pleasure of the PM who is only answerable to parliament. How then Raila as PM be subordinate to Kibaki's 'servant' so to speak? My understanding is that Raila’s ODM and Kibaki’s PNU are EQUAL partners.
• The accord says that the PM shall be the leader of the party with a majority of MPs in parliament. Unfortunately, some civil servants who should have retired when Moi and KANU were ousted from power, want us to believe that the VP is above the PM. The VP himself can hardly say he commands loyalty from his 15 ODM-K MPs.
• The recently released CAPF report on political parties election funding indicates that although the VP’s party was the lowest in terms of expenditure….its sources of cash were from former president Moi, Uhuru Kenyatta and George Saitoti amongst other 'ghost donors' – all of whom endorsed and strongly supported the candidature of PNU’s Mwai Kibaki. The ODM-K and its candidate never had any intentions of being elected to rule this country but rather to withhold votes that would have naturally ended up in favour PNU’s opponents. A further proof of this was the party’s disgusting behavior in the election despute and its hastiness in jumping into bed with PNU for purposes of blackmailing the president to part with the vice presidency and cabinet positions in order to obtain legitimacy. Puuuulease!
  

I wonder which brew intoxicates some of these PNU geezers. As the country tries to undo the sad consequences of Kivuitu’s irresponsible actions, the President must forthwith stop politicking with the resettlement of IDPs. In any case, the two grand coalition partners are EQUAL and should be the ones to make these peace missions on the ground. The VP’s presence and antics only helps to re-open old wounds and prolong the agony of IDPs. The IDPs quagmire requires political statesmanship, comprehensive land reforms as well as sustainable homeland security. I personally do not see Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka making delivery or even having a role to play in any of these! And this is not just me, the IDPs themselves have booed and jeered him severally at separate venues. Is anyone listening?

Changing Hearts Winning Minds

There is a saying that goes “the winner takes all, loser gets nothing” This saying is usually true, but as with all ordinary laws of logic, it fails to apply in our local politics. Watching all 3 political contenders of last years elections tour the vast rift valley landscape this week as part of their peace rally agenda leaves one wondering what the fuss in 2007 was all about?

Just who exactly were the real losers if all three are now in Government? The answer of course is you and I the electorate; however, if a tiny 14 seater Nissan can comfortably accommodate 30-40 crammed commuters, why can’t the government of Kenyan play host to all 3 plus 40 others in cabinet?

Well, the former leader of official opposition and current deputy prime minister and minister for trade set the pace last year for what was to come in 2008 when he absconded his constitutional role as head of opposition, vowing that his party must be in the next (current) government and jumping ship accordingly into the party of national unity yatch.

The loser yet again was Kenyans yearning for an opposition that gave an alternative to the Government of the day. The more things change the more they remain the same

PROTOCOL IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Ordinarily, protocol wars such as those witnessed this week can be fought and easily won or lost on the basis of following simple chain of command structure, but as Taabu said earlier this week its easier to legislate bureaucratic structure than it is to legislate the will of the people.

In the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Kenyans (both IDPs and non-IDPs), protocol is in the eye of the beholder, and based on who they voted for respect will be given not taken by force. Unfortunately in life we don’t always have it the way we want, so all 3 party bigwigs made it to government and are represented in the makeup of the current coalition so we are spoilt for choice over whom to pay homage to

Under current circumstances, it’s easier to retell the past than it is to predict the outcome of our future. What is certain is that the current politics of the day shaping up and taking centre stage is neither about development nor negative ethnic bashing but it seems the era of winning over the hearts and minds of millions of Kenyans is here.

This is being done by convincing them to play along with the current uncomfortable yet too familiar script in which yesterday’s sworn enemies are today’s best friends-for the sake of national unity of course-keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

Vice President Musyoka is engaged in a battle royale to convince the masses not to brand him a political turncoat. In his own aloof way President Kibaki’s daunting task is to somehow convince all Kenyans to forget the past and act as if nothing happened. Meanwhile the Prime Minister is left with the onerous task of convincing the government he is not a third step in the ladder.

Of course Kenyans are not buying any of it, but nevertheless the job at hand is to win over our hearts and change our minds so that we can play along to the tune of a new Kenya that is before us.

PRAY FOR KENYA
Folks, its a fragile unity we share today. Stormy waters unchartered that currently lie ahead include the making of a new constitution and rehabilitating the economy. Now would be a good time to believe in God and his power to deliver miracles ala Joseph the prince of Egypt or Moses and the red sea. Spare a minute or two and pray for Kenya


The 4 most popular stories in Kumekucha right now

1. Kalonzo or Raila who is boss


2. Sam okello on the traitor

3. IDPs are pawns in political game

4. Backstabbing ODM mois secret hand

Is Kumekucha in the new domo chat room chatting right now?you never know! Find out by signing up at the bottom of this page or on your right at the end of the ads on the side of this page

Kalonzo Or Raila: Who Is The Boss?

Question remains even as protocol issue is resolved

The protocol mess has been resolved today and the procedure now is that Raila invites the VP to speak first. The VP sits down when he is done and then Raila invites the president to speak. Hii Kenya yetu kweli!

But yesterday is a day that remains etched on the minds of many Kenyans. As one commentator pointed out here it was a scene straight out of a comedy. Even Walter Mongare and his Redykulass comedy trio would not have done it better (with KJ as Kalonzo, Njuguna as Kibaki and Mongare as Raila).

Three of the most powerful men in Kenya hurdled together and getting in each others way as they walked and as the cameras rolled and flashed.

Methinks Kalonzo was trying to strike a pose with his lifted hand. What did he keep on pointing at all the time with his right hand? I also think that Kalonzo rushed to be at Kibaki’s right hand side to give Kenyans that all important symbolic message.

The actions of a man always betrays his thinking. And this man called Kalonzo has blood on his hands no matter what angle you look at things from. The money he received from London included handing over votes to Kibaki in the concluded flawed elections. Has anybody attempted to explain President Kibaki’s sudden popularity in Ukambani when the community had their own candidate?

Politics aside, if Kalonzo had a heart, over 4,000 of our innocent dear brothers and sisters, now departed would have been with us today and that is a fact. Without Kalonzo, it would not have been possible for PNU to rig the presidential elections, the gap would have been just too wide.

And again for those still blind with ethnicity, Kalonzo displayed his true character yesterday. Kindly note that the three leaders were not going for a homecoming party. Nay, they were going to visit some displaced Kenyans who have gone through the kind of suffering you and I cannot even begin to imagine. A couple of these guys have committed suicide and yesterday one of them in the Naivasha camp killed his wife and left his mother-in-law for dead before fleeing. He is still at large. Fellow Kenyans try and understand that this IDP thing is not the joke Kalnzo Musyoka and others thinks it is.

So who is whose boss? The constitution says that Kalonzo is. The peace accord which was entrenched into the same constitution says that Raila and Kibaki are equal partners.

But frankly who cares as long as Kalonzo Musyoka stops his hypocritical ways. Interestingly in this week’s raw notes I present some interesting facts that proves exactly what kind of witchdoctor-visiting character the hypocritical VP is. Surely what did Kenyans do to deserve Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka?

Introducing Africa's most loved Agony Aunt: Aunty Joan answers a question about a woman's love

Sam Okello On The Traitor

By Sam Okello

Fellow Kenyans,

Each generation of Kenyans has had to put up with a traitor. Ours is Kalonzo Musyoka. But unlike the traitors of the past, men who wielded enormous power and wore mean faces and behaved as if their shit smelled more perfumy than ours because they shopped at exclusive chains, this Musyoka guy wears a sweet face, drops the name of God at every chance and points an accusing finger at people who dare take on a sweet guy like him. Why can't Kenyans see a savior in me, he wonders.

What Kalonzo does not realize is that Kenyans don't wear blinders. People see him a lot differently than his wife tells him he looks. When we look at the man who shamelessly took the VP seat while Kenya was literally burning, what people see is Judas incarnate. What we see is a man who has never bothered to explain why he met President Moi at Kabarak just months before the election. Was it just about strategy? Some money that was collected in London tell a different story. But that's a matter for another time.

Indeed, what Kenyans see in Kalonzo is a man who has no principles whatsoever. When he said, months before the vote, that it was his party's policy to be in the government...then he went ahead to cast his lot with the PNU, did he have premonition that the PNU would form the government? How could he have been so categorical about an ify situation? Seems to me he was part of the scheme that was going to deny the Hon Odinga the presidency at any cost. But what Kalonzo may have not counted on was that by shortchanging Raila, he was actually shortchanging Kenyans and the move was going to backfire spectacularly. Because what he was essentially doing was helping Kibaki and Moi tell Kenyans that their votes amounted to mavi ya kuku.

Then yesterday you saw him trying very hard to upstage the Prime Minister at the Northern Rift function. In his flawed calculations, this tragic figure sees himself as a more important man than Raila. For a man like him, the fact that he came a distant third to Kibaki and Raila means nothing. For him all that matters is where he is going. If he has to trample on our core decency and climb on our backs to get to the top, so be it.

But now the time has come to tell this man in his face that he is the reason Kenya is where she is. The elections were stolen with his knowledge. He blessed the scheme to deny Raila the presidency so that he'd be awarded the vice presidency. He urged the electoral commission to read deeply flawed results because they were in keeping with the agreement he'd entered into with Kibaki and Moi and all the forces bent on denying Kenyans their democratic rights. He was the man with thirty pieces of silver in his hand.

When history is written, Kalonzo must take his place alongside the sons and daughters of Kenya our nation would have been better off if they'd not been born.

Raila, Kalonzo Rivalry Emerges at Peace Rally in North Rift

What ails the NSIS?

Kibaki and Raila start Peace Mission in Rift Valley

Those following Citizen TV's live transmission pictures of today's peace rallies in North Rift at Eldoret's Keino Stadium must have been amused to see Raila officially invite the president to address the gathering only for VP Kalonzo to rush to the microphones, briefly addressed the gathering before inviting the president.

Not only does this minor incident show a disorganised presidential programme but also gives IDPs little encouragement to reconcile with their own former neighbours. It is also a prelude of an interesting Kibaki succession battle.

Matters were not made better when the mammoth crowd spent the better part of time cheering ODM ministers. At one point, the crowd shouted to Agriculture Minister William Ruto to allow Lands Minister James Orengo to address the gathering, only for him to be denied the chance at the behest of presidential protocol officials. Indeed, land is the major sticking point of all Kenya's problems and Orengo is going to be a man with a lot of work in his hands in the future.

Earlier, the president, PM Raila and their ministers had toured the Eldoret IDP camp and said: "We do not want you people to continue living here and suffering, we will solve this problem very soon. We are here as leaders. ... We can solve all the problems in order for peace to exist."

As at the time of posting this, the presidential entourage were addressing a peace rally in Cherangani and Raila, speaking after Kalonzo, has officially welcomed the president to address the rally. Kibaki has now taken upon himself to invite James Orengo to say jambo to the public amidst thunderous applause from Cherangani residents.

What Ails The NSIS?

Last Sunday, the Sunday Nation carried a fascinating article based on an interview with a retired NSIS operative.

The questions posed by that article remain mostly unanswered. The main one is how could the country slip into such serious tribal clashes with no advance warning from the country’s intelligence services? And even more recently, how could the Mungiki move in and take over the entire country for almost a week, virtually bringing business to a standstill in some areas.

Surely, is it not true that our intelligence services (reputed to be the best in the region) were sleeping on the job? Why else have we gotten ourselves into such a mess since last December with no advance warning of any sort as events after event continue to unfold? The implication here would be that the country’s national security could be at risk if our intelligence services are so sloppy and incompetent.

Actually the answer to that question is a little more complex than it may appear at first sight.

The most important point to take careful note of is the fact that there is a huge difference between gathering intelligence information and processing it. Incidentally processing information is given a lot of emphasis by British security and this is one of the reasons why that country’s intelligence services are considered to be among the best in the world.

Indeed as information technology has taken over our lives, what many who gather information have quickly found out is that it is easy to be overwhelmed with too much information or information overflow which makes processing even more challenging and a nightmare in many cases.

There are those who strongly believe that the biggest weakness we seem to have with our local intelligence community at the moment has a lot more to do with the processing of the information rather than the gathering. Competent processing is usually linked much more to experience rather than just training and also deep knowledge of the country. However many times it boils down to gut feeling which again is developed over time. It is common knowledge that the NSIS is still a very new outfit with very well educated but inexperienced hands running the show.

However my personal view is that the problem is not so much with the country’s intelligence units as it is with those who need to make decisions. While information can be gathered and submitted and maybe even correctly processed, decisions as to what needs to be done is mostly left to politicians and bureaucrats with political interests to look after.

For example NSIS information in the run up to the general elections last year, predicted a near-landslide victory for the Orange Democratic party. This information was known within the agency and caused it split the intelligence community right down the middle when the controversial results were released by the ECK amid allegations that some personnel in the organization were used to help skew the results in favor of a certain candidate.

But maybe the biggest judgment call last December emerged from the fact the person heading the intelligence unit had their better judgment clouded because of their tribe. Michael Gichangi hails from the house of Mumbi and it is abundantly clear that he completely underestimated the possible reaction of the vast majority of Kenyans to a stolen election like many of his kinsmen did. If truth be told many Kikuyus still do nt understand what the problem is and lean heavily on the assumption that the whole violence was heavily financed by somebody. Because of that misjudgment there are over 4,000 Kenyans who are no longer with us today and have gone to meet their maker. In my raw notes this week I discuss what Gichangi is said to have advised the president to do to ward off a possible court injunction over the stolen elections from ODM.

Even more recently police commissioner Maj Gen Hussein Ali received intelligence reports indicating that Mungiki were planning to go on the rampage. Ali totally rubbished that report based on the vicious bloodletting that went on last year to purge the proscribed group. He was wrong of course and that is why the police were taken completely by surprise.

Passionately in love with her best friend's husband

The 5 most popular stories in Kumekucha over the last 24 hours

1. How Maina Njenga's wife was raped and murdered

2. IDP's are pawns in political game

3. Sexual secrets of the Maasai tribe

4. Bizarre condition has kept beautiful woman from sex

5. Jeff Koinange's K24 and what most Kenyans think

IDPs Just Pawns in Political Game

True to tradition of avoiding making tough decision, Kibaki is having three days of rallies to the internally displaced Kenyans. The truth is Kibaki’s determination to create impression of acting is premised on sustainable plan. This unique problem CANNOT be solved nor addressed using the hackneyed old school leadership.

The IDPs are symptomatic of Kibaki’s betrayal of Kenyan dream. He started it immediately after the 2002 election. You could smell embarrassment on his face when his own PNU MP for Naivasha told him to his face the genesis of political tension in the Rift Valley. On entering office he chose to reincarnate his nostalgia of Jomo’s rulership and utter contempt of his voters. He capped it all with STEALING the election which makes it VERY difficult to spare Kibaki in the whole mess because he was the principal cause of the mayhem that let to violence in the first place.

True leadership is premised on making TOUGH sound decision in the face of crisis. But you cannot claim that virtue when you make CRISES your middle name. That we have been experiencing perennial election violence after every five years is cheap to trivialize and/or overlook the underlying root cause. Even Koffi Annan who saved us from self-destruction and was here for less than 40 days ended up understanding our problems better than the pretenders masquerading as the most experienced practising politician in Kenya today. Well Kibaki’s experience must be a catalogue of indecision and fence sitting that is often mistaken for principle to be hands off.

Cart before horse
That MPs are playing political games with people lives is not only inhuman but an extension of institutionalized IMPUNITY albeit in disguise. Moral authority like virginity is irrecoverable once lost to the winds of deception and fraud. Instead of formulating sustainable structures that will see Kenyans banish localized hostilities to the grave, Kibaki is comfortable by ridding the cart ahead of the horse.

Kibaki's penchant to opt for easy fixes in the face of grand problems amounts to cheap leadership oiled by short term measures. Such plots only succeed in incubating national problems making them potent to explode at the slightest political spark in future. IDPs need a permanent solution that will see them restart their lives in confidence of never having to look over their shoulders in case their neighbours revert to their old devious ways.

PSs List is Political Deception Perfected

Depending on which political horse you are ridding Kibaki’s RENAMING of permanent secretaries was either height of political insensitivity or continuation of his fraudulent mandate. Well, to set the stuck record straight he only STOLE the mandate and was reprimanded to cave in to accommodate others. You may take offense with that fact which will unfortunately disappoint you by refusing to mutate into anything else.

In his latest list of permanent secretaries, Kibaki did what he knows best by contemptuously swinging musical chairs on Kenyans’ faces. In the process he created the impression of motion that in reality is bereft of any trace of movement. In Kibaki's warped mind ODM was a politically irritating rat that now is securely trapped following last week's swearing ceremony. That is why he went to KICC to have Rift Valley MPs rubber stamp his official itinerary to visit the IDP camps. In Kibaki’s books the political dogs have bones on their mouths and they have no reason to bark at him.

We live in interesting and challenging times and no straitjacket ideas can move us an inch. Retaining the same old faces betrays Kibaki’s resolve to give Kenyans a new slate to rebuild their lives. In the books of these old blokes reforms remains just a buzzword to be bandied around for political expediency. With no meaningful efforts to restart Kenya, the engine and her passengers will remain at the starting line for ages.

Return to indivisible tribes
Politics of reconciliation and healing lies more in PERCEPTION than bravado and brinkmanship. You may quote all the statutes and laws on this planet but until and unless the ruled feel a sense of belonging and appreciation, you only end up imposing yourself on them. Localized hostility cannot be legislated and only neighbours can wipe it out. Kibaki is not doing the displaced and dead Kenyans any favour by being indignant and insensitive to their plight.

Yes Kenya is a conglomeration of 42 plus tribes, but the present political practice has made the country so fractious so much so that every minister’s face has a tribal tag. With Moi still calling the shorts from without and exploiting the present leadership vacuum, Kenya is in for a very long stretch of nasty political ride. ODM is squarely trapped inside the box as the marionette has all his limbs firmly at the mercy of his cronies. Kibaki can continue driving Kenya to the next available cliff with ODM top leadership as his distraught passengers. It is foolhardy to overlook structures and fast strack resettlement of IDP using force to intimidate. That same force cannot be extended into homes where IDPs will go to.

Backstabbing ODM: Moi’s Secret Hand

Read Kumekucha's red hot exclusive on how Maina Njenga's wife died


ODM Rift Valley MPs Running Errands for Retired President

Writing recently in the Sunday Standard, Jason Kap Kirwok presented startling figures that actually show that the current grand coalition cabinet is the most ethnically balanced ever. Said he:

“.....Our source of statistics for Kenya’s ethnic composition is the March 2008 edition of the CIA’s World Fact Book. If we map ethnic composition against the distribution of full Cabinet positions, we get the following statistics. The Kikuyu, our most populous ethnic group, compromises 22 per cent of the population. Their share of positions in the Coalition Cabinet is 19 per cent. The Luhya, at 14 per cent of the population is the second most populous ethnic group. Their share in the current Cabinet is 19 per cent. The Luo come next at 13 per cent of the population; they occupy 12 per cent of the slots in the Cabinet. The Kalenjins represent 12 per cent of the population and their share of Cabinet positions is also 12 per cent, while the Kamba are 11 per cent of the population with a share of seven per cent of Cabinet positions. The Kisii represent six per cent of the population and have six per cent of the Cabinet positions, while the Meru are six per cent of the population with a two per cent share of the Cabinet. The rest of the other 35 African ethnic communities comprise 15 per cent of the total population. Their share of the Cabinet is a surprising 21 per cent. Finally, the non-African "tribes" — Europeans, Asians and Arabs — comprise one per cent of the Kenyan population with a share of the Cabinet of two per cent. The picture changes only slightly when we include the Assistant ministers. We may quibble about a percentage higher here and a percentage lower there, but a it is reasonably balanced. ....”

How come then Rift Valley Members of Parliament, particularly from the larger Kericho area, be so adamant that their community has been left out of cabinet? Why would educated and presumably civilized politicians suddenly rise up with unreasonable demands on their party leader? Is someone controlling their utterances by remote control……to sabotage ODM unity?.......or perhaps to ensure IDPs are not resettled..?….or maybe to undo the grand coalition…..?...reinvigorate KANU….? YES to all the above!

Looking at the history of the Orange Democratic Movement, it can be vividly recalled that during the period after the 2005 referendum when ODM-K was formed, it was none other than former President Moi who took it upon himself to politically undermine ODM-K and his efforts in infiltrating the party led to its eventual disintegration. First it was Uhuru Kenyatta who made history in the world as the first official opposition leader to abandon his post and support the incumbent. Uhuru, however, did not abandon the salary and other benefits that come with that office. Closely following him, Kalonzo Musyoka also purportedly ‘defected’ from LDP to LPK, while his puppets Chairman Maanzo and Secretary Chepkonga refused to hand over ODM-K to legitimate party secretariat officials. Shortly after this, the same Rift Valley politicians were on the frontline calling some ODM presidential candidates ‘unelectable’.

Fast forward to the highly publicized ODM Kasarani nominations where Raila Odinga reigned supreme and was elected party torch-bearer, the former President then opted to make it his personal business to campaign against ODM at every given opportunity in Rift Valley and elsewhere. It was telling that everywhere he went Moi was not campaigning for the PNU candidate that he had endorsed but rather campaigning against ODM and its candidate. Some of his utterances were picked up by PNU adherents and this led to a marked rise in hate speech against the ODM candidate all over including those notorious vernacular FM stations.

Prior to Kivuitu’s astonishing announcement, the very day almost everyone expected Raila Odinga to be declared president (and Kibaki was said to be willing to concede defeat because Raila was ahead by an unassailable 1.2 million votes during which time more than 90% of votes had been counted), it is rumoured Moi made a night visit to State House via helicopter. What happened to this country after that visit scarred Kenya forever.

In the period after Kibaki’s swearing-in (bedroom Chris?), Moi’s respected peers from other African countries were in town in an effort to reconcile the ODM and PNU factions. Whereas it would have been natural for Moi to lead his peers in these efforts in his own country, his choice to engage in murky partisan politics could not allow him to do so. Even with Kenya at the brink of disaster and Koffi Anan shuttling between the Serena Hotel, State House and Pentagon House, ‘statesman’ Moi was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the same political forces unsuccessfully tried to intimidate Annan using crude methods and eventually leading to Annan resolving to deal directly with principals. At about the same time, senior figures in ODM were approached with cabinet appointments if only to sabotage the grand coalition plans that Annan was insistent on.

After Anan’s effort bore some fruit and the grand cabinet was about to be announced, Rift Valley MP’s were at it again, demanding that one of their own be appointed Deputy PM. To end Moi’s political maneuvers, it took Raila Odinga’s personal intervention to compelling William Ruto to publicly support and show respect to Musalia Mudavadi. At Pentagon House, behind-the-scenes maneuvers were that Raila had to prevail in ODM cabinet appointments because some elements from Rift Valley did not want to see Joe Nyagah appointed to cabinet, something Raila did not take very kindly. Incidentally, save for Arap Moi, the Rift Valley MPs were conspicuously absent at Nyagah’s funeral last week. Nyagah himself was present at the funeral of Ruto’s father just three weeks ago.

As if to show a deeply divided country who is in-charge, ‘statesman’ Moi was sitting at the presidential dais to witness the swearing-in of the grand-coalition cabinet. His presence at the swearing-in of a grand coalition cabinet and that of former Malawian President Bakili Muluzi, was in bad taste and it clearly shows, people still imagine the retired president has a role to play in the destiny of this country, his own disastrous reign and that of Muluzi notwithstanding. The whole inauguration ceremony was organized by the State House protocol officials. (Muluzi served a 10 year constitutional term from 1994 to 2000 in office as president of Malawi, but is now planning a comeback for the presidency in Malawi’s general elections due in 2009. Muluzi’s corruption CV is very similar to that of Moi. Both men have mega-fraud and embezzlement allegations following them like shadows).

Today, Raila and Kibaki are due to meet with Rift Valley MPs because it has emerged it will take much more than Annan’s efforts to resettled individuals who had been displaced from that province. Rather than fight ODM, the advise to Moi’s (and his Moi Africa Foundation) to re-direct their efforts in re-settling IDPs in Rift Valley and elsewhere. Or better still, to please retire honourably at his farm in Kabarak.

How Maina Njenga's Wife Died: Kumekucha Red Hot Exclusive

EXCLUSIVE: Maj Gen Ali’s Link to Execution of Mungiki Leader’s wife

Fresh details emerged today how the wife of jailed Mungiki leader Maina Njenga was brutally murdered and the involvement of a new elite squad directly answerable to police commissioner Mohamed Hussein Ali.

It emerged that Ms Virginia Nyakio’s execution was plotted by an elite squad codenamed The Eagle, which was recently formed by Maj Gen Ali to replace the disbanded Kwekwe Squad. Just like Kwekwe, the Eagle Squad is directly answerable to Maj Gen Ali and it was formed to exclusively hunt down members of the dreaded Mungiki sect.

Police officers who spoke on condition they would not be named for security reasons said Nyakio was seized by members of the Eagle Squad in Nairobi on suspicion she had taken over the leadership of Mungiki on behalf of her husband, who is serving his jail term at the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison after he was convicted for being in possession of an unlawful gun and bhang.

They said the Eagle Squad interrogated the woman on the activities of the outlawed sect and how much money she had in her bank account. The police claim they had received information that Mungiki members were still channelling part of the cash they extorted from public service vehicles and businesses, mostly in Nairobi Central and Rift Valley provinces, to Mr Njenga’s wife.

Afterwards, the officers said, Ms Nyakio was tricked to call her driver, Mr George Njoroge, to meet pick her in a certain location in Nairobi. The officers from the elite unit ordered her not to betray she was under arrest when making the call and they promised to release her if she cooperated.

She believed the officers and obeyed their instructions. The officers then accompanied Ms Nyakio to the meeting place and seized Mr Njoroge. They then proceeded to the bank and ordered Ms Nyakio to withdraw all the cash she had in her account. The account was reportedly holding more than Sh5million. It’s unclear what became of the seized cash since it has triggered bad blood in the squad, with junior officers accusing their head of pocketing all of it.

The officers who spoke to us said Ms Nyakio and Mr Njoroge were later taken to a forest in Kajiado District where the driver was told how the woman had betrayed him. The police tricked him they would release him if he carried out their orders which required him to...

Story Updated at 5:32 PM Kenyan time

I have seen some of the comments and I have raised the questions with my sources. Here is what they had to say;

It's not illegal to withdraw Sh5million, all you have to do is make the arrangements to do so.

The undercover cops attached to the elite squads use all sorts of tactics to achieve what they want, "we cannot say more," they said.

They then posed, if 5,000 youths vanished just like that last year after being arrested by cops in the full presence of their wives and family members, what is the big deal with a signatory to an account being forced to withdraw Sh5 million under duress?

The reason those elite squads operate discreetly is for them to achieve the results their bosses want.

Read on

Recent Nairobi Star Article That Mentioned Kumekucha

Kenyan bloggers: Digital activists or deadly propagandists?

By Grace Kerongo

Kenya’s Hitler! Exclusive: Secret plot for a coup! Military take over! No peace, no justice! Kill all the election thieves! Calling for a civil war! These were some of the many headlines on Kenyan blogs right after the elections last year. The period saw blogs segmenting into three major groups, the ODMer’s (die hard ODM supporters), the PNU bloggers and the impartial/ neutral bloggers – who were very rare.

I got in touch with the cream of the Kenyan bloggers and this is what they had to say.

You Missed This: kumekucha.blogspot.com

Of all the controversial blogs, Kumekucha takes the trophy. The blogger behind it couldn’t reveal his name or where he is based for security reasons, but only said, “I earn a living writing for other websites all over the world.”

He went ahead to explain what his blog is about.

“Since inception Kumekucha's main subject has been politics with a bias towards a reform agenda.”

He added, “We have been very fortunate to break numerous stories on Kumekucha. I say "we" because these days it is a team effort. I do it together with a team of dedicated writers spread all over the world on more than three continents.”
Some of their ‘scoops’ include the rape saga involving a famous Kenyan journalist.

“We were also the first to tell the world that Kalonzo Musyoka would be appointed Vice President. We also warned the world about the secret "bedroom swearing in" that was going to happen last year about six hours before it happened.”

He was quick to defend the blog against propaganda claims.

“I must admit that our big problem has been the comments (posted on the blog) from readers … some hate comments published in Kumekucha came from people who were upset, especially after the elections. But don't forget that with such a huge readership Kumekucha tends to mirror exactly what is going on the ground including what people are saying and feeling.”

He clarified that the team of writers (who post articles on the blog) comes from both sides of the political divide as well as very neutral persons who call themselves "horseless".”

At a time when blogs were segmented into two, pro-government and pro-opposition, Kumekucha was seen as staunchly ODM, a claim that was hotly denied.

“We are a pro-reform blog. We usually look like we are leaning towards the political party we think is most likely to deliver change. The truth is, we hold nobody's brief except that of the ordinary folk of Kenya, the voiceless masses if you like.”

The ride for the Kumekucha blogger has not being smooth. “I receive threats all the time. That is why I take my personal security very seriously.”

On being regulated he said, “Governments are eager to regulate blogs and web sites. In a few years I am sure there will be all sorts of laws. It is never safe to blog from within the borders of one's own country.”

Kenyan Diaspora Pro-democracy Movement: geraldbaraza.blogspot.com

Gerald Baraza is a student and Officer in charge of Special Projects at the Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He runs the blog geraldbaraza.blogspot.com.

His was the first to post: “Kenya has a new President: Hon.Raila Amolo Odinga!”

He also claims that he predicted Kalonzo Musyoka’s move to join the government as VP days before Kalonzo accepted the appointment.

Baraza accepted that some bloggers spewed vitriol during the post election period.

“It is very true! Blogs were used to spread propaganda. Some of it is very cheap and misleading.”

As a staunch ODM supporter, Baraza was accused by his blog readers of “spreading hatred”. To this he said, “I stand for justice. I stand for democracy and I stand for the truth. Like any other peace-loving and law-abiding Kenyan, I only spoke out against the election malpractices and those who were behind them. I have a right as a Kenyan to express my opinion and that is what I did.”

Due to his straight shooting and liberal writing, Baraza received threats via email.

“My relatives and friends from Kenya and Europe called me and advised me to stop blogging because according to them, I was putting my life and the lives of my relatives at risk. My answer to them was that everything has a cost. If my life or that of a dear one was going to be taken because of me standing up for justice and democracy in Kenya, so be it.”

Several of his American friends also advised him to stop using his real name.

Unlike most bloggers, Baraza chose to reveal his identity on the blog because, “I have not committed any crime. I have nothing to hide. If anything, I am aspiring to contest in Nambale in 2012 so I can’t be hiding when I am a potential Member of Parliament.”

Other bloggers’ take on politics and censorship

Kenyan Entrepreneur.

The kenyanentrepreneur.com focuses on small internet businesses, and frequently writes about business and economics in Africa and Kenya in particular.

“I was accused of being a counter-propagandist site for the Kibaki government, but I didn't view it that way. I think people on both sides of this crisis were very passionate about the issues and the blogs gave them the space to express those passions in a very real and honest way. This is not propaganda. I was one of the few blogs that took a pro-Kibaki stance early on and I think people who were not used to hearing that side of the story may have taken offense at some of my viewpoints. However, those who were pro-Kibaki appreciated the balance that my blog provided and they gravitated towards it.”

What an African woman thinks
Whatanafricanwomanthinks.blogspot.com was seen by many as a neutral entity, far removed from the sectarian madness that griped the blogosphere. “Political temperatures ran extremely high and there were definitely those who crossed the line,” she says. “I tried to position myself as pro-Kenya, which wasn't easy, I admit.”

Girl in the meadow: sylkwan.blogspot.com

A Nairobi lawyer simply known as Shiroh owned the blog. She was a staunch Government supporter during the post election crisis. As a practicing lawyer Shiroh says it would be impossible for a politician to sue for defamation. “I guess they can, if they can get the identity of the blogger. The thing is, how you would they establish who publishes the blog? This is something one can delete anytime.”

The Displaced Kenyan

Mwangi runs displacedkenyan.com, he is based in Melbourne, Australia. His blog was created during the post election violence but he steered clear of politics.

“The blogsphere definitely spread some hate, the place where hate was simply unavoidable was Mashada and Kumekucha. I fully understand why Kobia (Mashada owner) had to shut the place down for a while, it all got a bit too much.”

“There was a beautiful outpouring of love and support from sites such as Ushahidi.com, Mama Mikes, Operation Save Brian, IHaveNoTribe.com amongst others all came out of this tragedy. In addition to that, a lot of bloggers were willing to step up and talk about things like tribalism, class, wealth disparity and other issues that are really at the core of the crisis.”

The rancorous chatter is still going in most blogs, which is made possible by the illusion of an impenetrable alias. One question though: if blogging reveals a blogger’s honest opinion, what does that say about the quality of citizenry in Kenya and the Diaspora?

Straying husband taught a lesson by his wife and another woman

Was Otieno Kajwang Just Too Delighted To Be A Cabinet Minister?

Anybody who listened to ODM MP for Mbita Otieno Kajwang telling the press about events surrounding his recent appointment as immigration minister in the overcrowded grand coalition cabinet, would have been left deeply disgusted, whatever side of the political divide they belong.

The man is a major embarrassment to his party and party leader, let alone the good long suffering constituents of Mbita who were very determined to get rid of the man this time. But somehow he was bailed out by Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The value of people like James Orengo I would understand. But what exactly is the value of Otieno Kajwang to ODM and Raila, apart from being able to sing Bado Mapambano quite well? Many have forgotten that this man stole client’s money and was struck off the lawyer’s roll meaning that he can no longer practice law in Kenya. Is that the kind of character you would feel comfortable with in such a powerful public position? In fact my latest raw notes reveals what his aides were up to even before his appointment.

Watching Kajwang’s recent antics in full view of the press also proves to anybody who previously doubted that a cabinet appointment does not help the ordinary folk of Kenya, rather it is more of a valued personal reward to any politician.

Hon Kajwang could not hide his joy and was bursting out in loud laughter every few seconds even as the cameras rolled.

The monologue with the press went something like this;

“When we received the news I was with my wife. We were in the bedroom (loud laughter from the shocked press and himself).

We did not know whether I would be appointed or not and we were lying low just in case, watching.

We did a jig [with his wife in the bedroom]

The new minister for immigration then went to the phone and called some junior officer in full view of the press.

“Hello this is honorable Kajwang….

This is Honorable Otieno Kajwang your new minister here. I just wanted to confirm that you are on duty working.”

He again laughed loudly and in glee before settling on his swivel chair and swinging from side to side like a kid that has just been given a new toy.

Honestly I almost threw up.

Adulterous boss taught a lesson

By-Elections: Why is the ECK Silent?

Revealed: Esther Passaris to Vie in Embakasi

It is emerging that scores of politicians are chasing the ODM party ticket for the forthcoming by elections, with some constituencies like Emuhaya, Embakasi, Ainamoi, Kamukunji attracting up to 50 aspirants. Other constituencies due for by-elections are Wajir North and Kilgoris. All signs are that the ODM hierarchy is taking the forthcoming by elections very seriously, an indication that the party has its eyes set on controlling the legislative agenda as well as positioning itself for the next general elections which could come earlier than the year 2012.

Curiously though, despite the National Assembly Speaker having issued gazette notices earlier this month declaring Emuhaya, Embakasi and Ainanoi seats vacant, the disgraced Electoral Commission of Kenya has not announced the time-table for the by-elections, something it is mandated to do within fourteen days of such gazettements. Similarly, the country remains in the dark about the other three constituencies which never got MPs following the disputed general elections in December. This is a great injustice to those citizens who lack representation in parliament.

Even as we wait for ECK to announce the by-elections timetable, for the next six months, the ECK itself will be placed under the microscope when the Independent Review Commission probing the 2007 elections will get down to investigating the disputed December 2007 election results including the role played by the ECK, political parties, the media, faith based organizations and the civil society. The ECK has already contracted a lawyer as it is due to appear as a witness(es) at the commission. But does this mean that unrepresented constituencies have to wait until the ECK is sorted out?

Currently only existing on paper, Kibaki’s PNU and Kalonzo’s ODM-K which were leading political parties only a few months ago have turned out were only created to be used as miserable campaign vehicles with no intentions of ever fulfilling their glossy party manifestos. On the other hand, the ODM has kept its secretariat active with permanent staff and the party Secretary General, Ayang Nyongo busy networking in local and overseas travels. In contrast, its rivals are now a pale shadow of ‘vibrant’ parties they once professed to be having witnessed bitter fall-outs and complete shut-down of their own campaign secretariats. Whatever happened to the once all powerful Maanzos, Ojiambos, Kituyis and Tujus?

In Embakasi constituency, long wrongly assumed to be hostile grounds to ODM candidates, this blogger can authoritatively reveal, the ODM front runner for the Embakasi seat is none other than Esther Muthoni Passaris - the founder of Adopt-A-Light. With her pentagon friends behind her, it looks likely that she will bag the ODM ticket.

After she was deliberately omitted under dubious grounds as an ODM nominated councilor by the then Local Government Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Passaris is now set to make a debut in parliamentary politics and not civic politics that she was unfairly denied in the first place. Uhuru Kenyatta and his well known godfathers will have to go back to the drawing board. Observers doubt if the PNU/ODM-K coalition can come up with a more acceptable candidate to face and beat Passaris in an isolated by-election with the ODM brigade behind her. Not only has Passaris been a frequent visitor at the Pentagon House, she hardly misses at any social function organized by ODM Captain Raila Odinga. Last Thursday, the flamboyant Passaris was present at the Prime Minister’s dinner at hotel Inter-Continental Nairobi in a function attended by who-is-who in Kenya’s political and business circles.

Last year ODM collected billions of shillings in nomination fees, donations and sponsorship. The party was charging Kshs. 100,000/- for its parliamentary ticket, plus 20,000/- in party membership cards. It was reported that Passaris was among donors who made hefty donations into the ODM campaign kitty and provided millions of shillings worth of advertising space to the party. Not bad for someone who was originally a Kibaki supporter. It looks like the ODM strategy in Embakasi is to divide the massive GEMA vote while consolidating the youth and women’s vote in this large constituency.

Biggest Casualties of Monster Grand Coalition

As the political grand coalition settles down to work, it is interesting to reflect on the principal causalities of the monster. Two people immediately spring to mind. The PNU iron lady of Kenyan politics is suffering a cute bout of PGCSD- post grand coalition stress disorder. Meanwhile Dr. Frank Njenga is currently heading the team attending to Ms Martha.

Martha is a victim of her own efforts and 'success'. Her loyalty and oily mouth to defend PNU during the first 100 days of 2008 were unquestionable. She exhausted her intellectual reservoir as the public face of fraudulent MV PNU. Where wits and calculative blackmail failed, her crude tantrums came in handy. That she got an unrestrained political kick in the teeth is painful to say the least.

The maverick ex-magistrate must be remonstrating and cursing under her breath what generous kicks for a donkey politicians get as rewards for all their efforts. Martha's LOUD silence in the last one week speaks volumes. Next time she twists her lips on the screen, they will either spew characteristic brimstone or churn out measured retrospection mellowed by political reality. She is one person whose actions will definitely give a clue on the directions of political dynamics in tandem with Kibaki succession.

Mad Martha, livid Lucy
That Kenyans have not missed Lucy during her sojourn at Nairobi’s mental facility is no coincidence. Lucy’s absence from the public eye has saved many male cheeks from stopping her flying palms. But at least she can sit pretty in the knowledge that her wish to have State House as home is partially adhered to. She made sure that all coalition transactions were conducted at Harambee House far away from her madness. You can only guess what the outcome and state of Kenya would be otherwise.

Lucy may be down but not out. Having personally made sure that the kihii does not bring himself anywhere near State House, she cannot sit pretty as the same person strides the political landscape unperturbed. Lucy will never forgive Koffi Annan for spoiling the party in which she staked her all - stature and persona. You don’t commiserate with the devil in an ELECTION THEFT only to see it melt right before your eyes. Well, one thing is for sure: we haven’t seen the last of these two TOUGHIES who dare not spare any man left standing in Kenya.

Vision Microscope Exam

ONLY BRAND NEW LEADERSHIP AND BRAND NEW IDEAS CAN SAVE KENYA

Teaching 41 Old "Somethings" New Tricks

Its vision time and its raining visions in Kenya. no need for an umbrella though; cheaper words that won't come to pass have never been spoken especially from the mouth of ruling elite-sample this for starters;

"build democratic institutions"

"government will draw inter-ethnic policy"

"make nairobi 24 hours city"

To the naked untrained eye we're back in campaign season again and no promise is good enough to make for the ears of gullible Kenyans. At the end of it all smile please,we'll be in the year 2030

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

According to PNUs vision 2030, over the next 22 years (presumably under the current incumbent President and Premier upto...?) starting 2008, nationwide development will be doled out in spoonfuls of 5 year periods,culminating in the year 2030 when our country will be a newly industrialized "middle income nation providing high quality life for all its citizens"

No need to be reminded we were once at par with Malaysia and Singapore "Asian Tigers"-that tired old record is scratched toa hio-however the similarity ends there in nostalgia. 45 years of going in all directions butthe right one means we're mark timing lost time since yesterday. Today will do just fine, though not if the current G.C.government like previous successive regimes will lack integrity and real hands on leadership.

No need for history lessons here but mention the name Singapore and think of Kuan Yew in duo, the name Malaysia think of Mahatir; mention Kenya and think of...well,will the vision 2030 duo of PM Odinga and President Kibaki do the trick? our history is still being written and time will tell

BIG SHOES TO FILL

If its hard to beat a winning act following in the shoes of your predecessor, it must equally be hard to break new ground and build a brighter future where no precedence has been set before. Kenya has never had a sitting prime-minister and President at the same time in our history-recipie for success or disaster?

As far as visions are concerned,dreams and ideas are good and come flying a million a second but lethargy and lack of political will are bound to kill any dream no matter how much colour it has.Nonetheless even the almighty God's wisdom cannot deter our politicians who from both sides of the divide will continue to seek prayers for divine intervention, asking God that we wake up in Utopia when its not yet even Uhuru.

Now that the race for State House and the battle for Cabinet Porto-folios is over, the war against poverty, chronic unemployment, institutionalised corruption,unequitable resource distribution has been raging on all the while unabated. Its only when we stop in-fighting(read negative ethnicity) we see the forest from the trees and few are the plates of ugali set to increase on our tables this year if any at all-22 years is not far, wait your turn pumbavu wewe

The rescue operation has started and the heat is on- the common man's voice via sauti ya Kumekucha is the unofficial "opposition" and public watchdog

sasa tuendelee na style nzuri please

PM Raila Hits the Road Running

It was an eventful day for PM Raila on his first day in office after being sworn in. Mungiki’s call for ceasefire dwarfs all pronouncements and actions. But with that relief comes the million dollar question: is Mungiki playing smart to make hay when the sun is still up by striking the iron rod when still red hot?

Mungiki leadership went over their heads in claiming Raila as their leader whom they voted for. The first part of that declaration may be true as at now were it not for the white lie in the second part. Well, as the adage goes politics makes of strange bed fellows. While Raila’s detractors will promptly see an opportunist hellbent on outshining the THIEF-IN-CHIEF, Railamaniacs can only see a leader with the courage to confront a problem head on.

Whatever the case you cannot fail to see through the cleverly crafted scheme to be in good books and promptly cut a deal when an opportunity presents itself. Call is having the nose to smell a business aroma or being savvy or simply being calculative and sly. That leaves you asking, who is fooling who given Mungiki’s reverence to cultural purity which is at variance with Raila’s cultural roots, if you know what I mean.

Hostage to serial goofs
Depending on the shade of your political lens, Raila’s first day in office and the attendant actions can be seen as either TRIUMPH or TRAP. Yes triumph for breathing fresh air of leadership on a hitherto rudderless Kenya. And trap for falling for calculative deception clothed as loyalty. How sustainable either hypothesis materializes only time will tell and it will come pretty soon.

Pragmatism demands that we overdose the grand coalition with benefit of doubt before we start breathing fire on their necks. We have a unique opportunity to collectively retrace our steps as a nation. But then we have to tread into this venture guardedly given that our past is littered with serial episodes of dishonesty.

A brutal and honest examination of ourselves will reveal that the present political is what Kenyan voters had in mind during the 2002 elections. But then that is plenty of water under the bridge. True leadership is evident in what a leader does with what is available to rescue his subjects from a hole and not how comfortable he makes the conditions inside the hole.