Is It Too Late For Kenya To Heal?

There is an often-told tale about a man with tattered clothes who was found dead in some Nairobi estate. Judging from the clothes the deceased wore and the fact that his body had obviously not seen cleansing water for a long, long, time it was easy to assume that he was one of the desperate folks who walk around city estates begging and scrounging to survive.

But an astounding find caused the thinking here to dramatically change. Carefully sewn on the insides of his shirt was Kshs 50,000—a princely sum in those days. Amazingly the post mortem showed that the poor guy had died from some complications caused by malnutrition. So why hadn’t he taken a measly Kshs 20 from his Kshs 50,000, which was the cost of a decent helping of French fries in those days, and saved his own life? The answer for those who understand the principals of wealth accumulation is simple. Taking out Kshs 20 would have meant that they no longer had 50,000 but now had 49,980 and to make matters worse, maybe they would have felt an urge for a soft drink after that. The point is that wealth is not accumulated by spending. Instead it is obtained by an individual making sacrifices.

Another more fortunate soul collapsed and was rushed to hospital where on examination doctors ordered some milk and the guy quickly came to and discovered that his hidden treasure of about Kshs 80,000 (which incidentally had been very well hidden) was missing.

Both these two gentlemen belonged to the Kikuyu community and what I have just described easily illustrates the great sacrifices which these beloved Kenyans often take to accumulate their wealth. The truth is that it is mostly never by accident or by virtue of some special priviledge or advantages as many Kenyans seem to think. This is not to say that there are no evil Kikuyus. They are very much there just as you will expect to find them in every other community in the country.

Now just imagine how a hard working Kenyan who has given so much sacrifice would feel if somebody said that they had made their wealth by unfair means? Or try and think for a moment about a now successful son who saw as a child or has heard of the struggle that the father has gone through to reach where he is. That son would not take kindly to any general sweeping statements about his community having accumulated wealth through dubious means.

This should be food for thought for many Kenyans just now.

But the same community also needs to be sensitive to the feelings of other Kenyans who do not belong to the house of Mumbi. They must realize that the clients and customers for their businesses are other Kenyans who are different from them and with different abilities, which does not mean that they are inferior or less intelligent in any way.

This can easily be the basis where our beloved nation, torn apart by the tribal demon can start to heal. Every Kenyan must urgently reach out to Kenyans on the other side of the rapidly widening chasm that must be a cause of great concern to everybody.

But instead what we are seeing is a deliberate effort by both sides to outsmart the other at all costs. All eyes are firmly fixed on 2012 or whenever it is that the next general elections will be.

What all Kenyans of goodwill need to urgently do now is to tell those hyenas who call themselves our leaders to tuliza boli (that means slow down the ball). There are times when the interests of a nation must go beyond politics and clearly this is such a time for Kenya. We have only recently seen what happens to the politics when what retired president Moi would call “cohesion of Kenyans” has not been sorted out.

Badly needed now before we can even try to go back into competitive politics is national healing and reconciliation. We as Kenyans must reach out to one another and empathize with each other before anything else. When this happens it will become clear how badly we need a nationwide truth and reconciliation initiative to address all the past injustices suffered by all Kenyans. Incidentally this is an idea that I have strongly advocated for here in Kumekucha since inception and long before the chaos we saw recently after the disputed elections.

Admittedly this will not be easy but we really do not have too many options left.

The comments area of this blog has often been said to reflect the true feeling on the ground on many issues and indeed this is the reason why so many wily operators have used this blog to gauge public opinion with various personal and mostly selfish interests in mind. In my raw notes this week I list some of these groups of people and how they use this blog to achieve their different objectives. The list will shock anybody, to say the least.

If it is true that the comments section in Kumekucha mirrors Kenya on the ground, then clearly we are in serious trouble and we must all come back to our senses before it is too late.

EXTRA: Emotional Send Off For Murdered Photographer

The Amnesty Monster

Despite being a terminological inexactitude (no amnesty without conviction/confession), the amnesty debate for those involved in last year’s post-election violence refuses to die. With the two PRINCIPALS taking diametrically opposing stands on the matter, amnesty may as well stand out as the single issue that will determine the gestation period of the Government of Grand Coalition.

Daggers are drawn and both parties are spoiling for a fight. All the good statements of intent are mere diplospeak as tension heightens among the coalition partners. The unpleasant truth remains the fact that the international community forced PNU and ODM into political marriage which the two parties have done little to consummate. At the heart of this amnesty monster lies the protagonists’ core voting blocks. While Kibaki wants to show his Central and its diaspora’s voting base who is in charge, Raila has to disabuse his foot soldiers of the notion that ODM is nothing but a flower girl in the political union.

Pulling in opposite direction never resulted into harmony of neither ideas nor force. Both Kibaki and Raila are simply playing psychological wars to advance their party lines. Such theatrics would be alright were it not for the fact that their action amounts to playing Russian roulette with Kenyans’ lives. IDPs form the nucleus of this theatre of absurd. Our politicians have insensitively transformed the fate of these Kenyans to those of prisoners of war. On one hand PNU talks tough on enforcing the law while on the other ‘toothless’ ODM stakes meaningful reconciliation of on their release.

No selective justice
No civilized society entertains the culture of impunity. Similarly it amounts to the pot calling the kettle black when a paragon of IMPUNITY shouts fire in a crowded hall by admonishing the same vice oblivious of the fact that he initiated the same. Justice only serves its purpose when applied impartially. Selective application of justice cannot remedy any crisis save for soothing individual egos. Those who killed and raped other Kenyans must promptly face the full force of the law regardless of their first language. Similarly the many Kenyan youths locked up for simply demonstrating with placards protesting a STOLEN ELECTION must be freed.

It is foolish to criminalize dissent and even shamelessly attempt to legislate peace. It is typical Kenyan way of doing things when we avoid making hard decisions and opt for quick fixes whose cheap results will predictably bounce back to disfigure our face. Until we acknowledge that we are in a crisis and face it head on, we are only fooling ourselves as a country whose leadership is best defined by the three pillars of DECEPTION, FRAUD and TRICKERY. Honesty is one rare commodity within our borders. No wonder we are the only country in the world that hires out military choppers for political errands.

Alternative Voice

'Chris', Your email is not working or something. Is there any way we can get alternative voices here? It's almost impossible to voice a different opinion without risking all manner of cheap shots and assaults to individual contributors and entire tribes, you know what I'm talking about :-)

I for one, ensured that the reading skills of some silly Kenyan tribe went out the window the moment we differed, but still, open mindedness has never been known to hurt a blog with a million hits-and counting!

Kivuitu Responds to Shailja’s Open Letter

On January 10th 2008, this blog published an Open Letter addressed to ECK Chairman Mr. Samuel Kivuitu by Shailja Patel who is a Kenyan of Asian extraction and an award winning poet/author and activist. Shailja is also a prominent activist for Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice, a coalition of over forty legal, human rights and governance organisations advocating justice and equality for all Kenyans. Here is an interesting response she received from Mr. Kivuitu himself:

Response from Samuel Kivuitu
by Shailja Patel

At the beginning of this year, I wrote an Open Letter to Samuel Kivuitu, Chair of the Electoral Commission of Kenya. It was picked up by a number of sources, online and off, within and outside Kenya, and widely distributed, forwarded, and republished.

On May 14th, Samuel Kivuitu spoke, for the first time since "The Crisis", at a forum on Post-Election Violence in Nairobi. I arrived early at the venue, and slipped a paper copy of my Open Letter under the blotter where he was going to sit. I'd abridged and updated the letter to reflect our current Kenyan reality. It ends with a plea:

It’s not too late, Mr. Kivuitu. To recover your own humanity. To open your eyes to the suffering and longing of this nation. To admit that something went terribly wrong. If you could only rise to the desperate need of this turning point in Kenya’s history, you could redeem yourself with the simplest of words:

“I’m sorry.”

Those words might be the most revolutionary ever spoken on this continent. They might open the floodgates for every leader, every public servant, to acknowledge their own deep fear, grief, and remorse. To admit fallibility. To take responsibility. We are still waiting, Mr. Kivuitu, for you to speak.

During the forum, I watched Mr. Kivuitu bluster, blame, deny all culpability for the stolen election that took Kenya to the brink of civil war. In the plenary, I stood up, heart pounding, and said:

Mr Kivuitu, the whole country, from IDPs (internally displaced persons) in camps to affluent residents of Karen and Mountain View, are waiting for the tiniest expression of remorse, regret, from the Electoral Commission of Kenya. As a human being, a Kenyan, can you find it in your heart to offer just three words: "We are sorry," to the people of Kenya?
He couldn't.

Five days later, this arrived in my inbox:

To: Shailja Patel shailja@shailja.com
From: S. M. Kivuitu skivuitu@nbnet.co.ke
Date: 19 May 2008

Dear Madam,

I thank you for your letter dated 14 May 2008 and the concerns you expressed therein.

The Holy Bible has taught me to leave judgment of others to God the Almighty. I do not know if you are the Almighty God or not but you did not seem to be Him when I saw you on 14 May 2008.

You are all the same entitled to your views. I however humbly deny any wrong doing. The laws require that I declare the winner of the presidential elections once the Commission determines the candidate who scored highest, and led 25% of votes cast in his/her favour in 5 provinces. That is all I did. And there was no other candidate or his/her agent seeking me to hold on and re tally – no. After announcing the results a fellow appeared before me and requested me to hand over to him the president's certificate. I told him that that is only done to the winner personally and directly.

The fellow then informed me that Hon. Kibaki was awaiting to be sworn as the President and the Chief Justice was present, duly robed, for the assignment. He requested me to take the certificate there. I had no business retaining the certificate. It was not mine. The law says it be given at the place the President is to be sworn. I obeyed the law and took it there. Commissioners do not count votes.

Commissioners do not tally counted results. They simply verify these. They do this through the Commissioners' senior officers whose competence and integrity you seem to recognize. Commissioners announce the results as presented to them by these officers. Or what else do you suggest they should have done?

My conscience is absolutely clear. I know how dangerous it is to delay announcing the results. There are several interests in the results and all are equally important. I was hurt in 2002 for not announcing results which I had not yet received. I am not a seer, like you seem to be, to be sure that there would have not been deaths if I postponed the announcement of the results.

With my humblest view I do not share the view that people killed others, or destroyed the properties belonging to others, on account of my announcement of the winner. I believe that irrespective of whoever of the two top candidates won, there was going to be violence. That environment was created by the politicians themselves. You seem however to worship them as deities. Secondly, I respectfully believe the killers, who had been already charged with rhetoric, reasoned thus – why did Kibaki or Kalonzo get these votes in our areas? They looked round and saw Kikuyus, Kambas and other "madoadoas" (1)(as they had been told to call them). They reasoned these where the ones who voted thus and they must eliminate them.

Even in poor Coast, suspected "wrong" voters were ordered to pronounce certain words. Once they did not do so like the locals, they were violently evicted and robbed of their properties and raped. Thus the genesis of the tragedy is in our dirty politics and negative ethnicity. It is bad luck we have kind people like you who are too naïve to realize the depth of our malaise. No wonder facile and dishonest assignments that Hassan Omar (2)advanced thrilled some of you. This confirms Kenya is in for hard time for a long while to come.

Have a nice day Ms. Patel.

S. M. Kivuitu



(1) Madoadoa - spots (Kiswahili)

(2) Hassan Omar Hassan, Commissioner of the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights, condemned Kivuitu and the Electoral Commission of Kenya as delinquent in their duties, at the May 14th forum on Post-Election Violence.

The Nairobi Star: Raila to Become Kikuyu Elder

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

Gema faction prepares ceremony to welcome Raila into the tribe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

President Who Rode In A Packed Matatu

As Hillary Clinton struggles with a $20 million campaign debt, the whole world seems to have broken into song, dance and celebrations over the Barack Obama democratic presidential win. It is like the man is already president. From London to virtually every African capital you can think of, the name Obama is in the headlines. Believe me, I checked.

I will not pretend to even understand the Obama phenomenon. I leave that to more informed writers than myself. But for this post, I want to talk about just a few of the Kenyan things that tickle me most about an Obama presidency. In fact they tickled me considerably even as I wrote them.

It is quite possible that the next president of the United States spent several nights not too long ago sleeping on the couch in the tiny sitting crowded sitting room of some middle class Nairobi estate.

Don’t even mention the fact that the man who many (including Kumekucha) believe will be the next occupant of the Oval office in the White House rode in a crowded matatu where any Kenyan will tell you humans are packed better than sardines, and nobody gave him a seat. Hahahahahahahaha.

Let us not even talk about the young senators’ emotional visit to the humble village in Luo Nyanza, Kenya where the man who sired him was born, hugging village sweaty folk who cannot even spell the word deodorant.

At a time when everything seems to split the country into two, from the disputed elections to the Safaricom IPO, the amnesty debate and God knows what, it is really great that Obamamania is here with us at a time like this. Something that we can all cheer about irrespective of which part of the country any of us comes from.

But even more importantly we can get inspired once again that as horrible and unfair as the world seems to be, it is still possible for anybody to make good.

Now let me ask a simple question... How many guys out of those jokers we call our leaders have done any of the things Obama has done?


Late Extra: Slain Journalist Told Friends That He Feared For His Life

Investigations into the horrifying murder of the Reuters journalist Trent Keegan continue in earnest. I am informed by sources that detectives are following several leads. Interpol too has joined in the investigations. I too hope for the best but earlier information I received tells me that they will get absolutely nowhere. Mainly because of the kind of people suspected to have been involved, this one will require intervention at the highest level and even then there are no guarantees that anything will come out of it because once again “the stones may be way too heavy to turn.” My heart goes out to this brave soul who dived into the murky waters called Kenya completely taken in by the façade which continues to fool many.

Apparently the slain journalist feared for his life and told friends so. See the story HERE.

P.S. The following information is for the sake of those who are new to this blog. Some remarks were made yesterday implying that I publish speculation in my main posts. Older readers will know that we have an admirable record of accuracy and one of the reasons is my policy of not using any major information unless I get verification from two independent sources. Sadly because of the way I get most of my information I cannot name sources and many times I even have to disguise my real source of information to defend the brave people who trust me enough to pass on usually explosive stuff.

The Big Boys: Raila Enters Global Political Arena in Style

As V-P leads ministers in prematurely absolving ECK of electoral malpractices

The Big Boys:Nkurunziza, Mutharika, Mbeki, Schwab, Kufuor, Odinga
(WEF 04/06/2008) (Picture courtesy World Economic Forum)

In his first official trip abroad as Prime Minister, Raila is significantly representing Kenya at the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, South Africa where more than a dozen African leaders together with over 800 participants from 50 countries are participating in the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa. WEF is a prestigious global event which brings together senior government figures and high-level international business leaders in order to plan for a more integrated world and at the same time help both groups make connections which will boost investments.

That Raila Odinga is leading Kenya’s high powered delegation to WEF speaks volumes about the elevated status of Kenya’s statesman. His opening remarks at the conference clearly indicate the formal emergence of Raila in global politics. It also signifies a new chapter in Kenya’s dormant foreign affairs policy.

In a keynote speech at the opening plenary session yesterday, Raila was accorded a thunderous applause by conference delegates when he rebuked African leaders whom he accused of turning a blind eye to poor governance and disrespect of democracy. Said Raila: "The mediocrity with which Africa has been ruled is what is responsible for African underdevelopment."

To more applause, he also attacked Zimbabwe's government: "Still today, it is unfortunate that in an African country elections can be held and no results are announced for more than one month, and African leaders are silent about it. It would not happen in Europe."

These remarks were made in front of six African Heads of State including Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who many hold directly responsible for sustaining the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. No other African leader, even within the SADC, has ever told-off Mbeki to his face on his preferred and obviously unworkable method of ‘quiet-diplomacy’ while the majority of Zimbabwean citizens languish in poverty and widespread hunger. Read the news report on Raila's speech here.

Back in Kenya, in an even more politically significant development, the Nairobi Star daily newspaper published an interesting report today that said Raila is due to be reinvented when he shall be installed as a Kikuyu Elder in a ceremony to be held on July 20 at the famous Riringu Stadium a few miles from Mukuruwe wa Nyagathanga – the mythical home of the Kikuyu Adam and Eve – Gikuyu and Mumbi. The ceremony is being organized by a group of Kikuyu elders and politicians operating under the umbrella of economic inclined MEGA – a breakaway faction of the tribal inclined GEMA – which incidentally also held a meeting recently in a bid to reinvent itself.

The same day Raila was addressing the WEF conference, a group of cabinet ministers led by V-P Kalonzo Musyoka were making categorical and shocking remarks that not one single individual in the ECK will ever be charged in a court of law for events that led to the post election violence last December! Kalonzo insisted that ECK Commissioners did not commit any electoral malpractices and that Kivuitu and all his fellow commissioners would go ahead a serve their full terms.

While Raila is representing Kenya at economically beneficial event in SA, the PNU crowd are busy opening healed wounds and trying very hard to trigger ethnic divisions in Embakasi constituency in the name of campaigning for a PNU candidate.

What has shocked observers is that although the Kriegler commission has just begun its work, it seems Kenyans are being prepared in advance to accept that whatever the findings of the Kriegler team, its recommendations will not be acted upon. This was the Vice President of Kenya speaking without batting an eyelid.

The conduct of leaders in handling public affairs has never been under so much scrutiny. What has happened in this country since December 2007 has clearly built and fortified the image of Raila to an impregnable level and he is now a depiction of an accomplished African statesman who has shown great level of restraint, torelance and leadership at a time when Kalonzo, Uhuru, Karua and their henchmen are hell bent on driving this nation towards ruin. The principals of good governance that Raila spoke about at the WEF conference cannot be seen in the utterances of any of our local PNU leaders.

This is why I am today making a prediction that many will agree with. Barring an assassination, continental pundits, including yours trully, have already placed their bets that Raila will be Kenya’s next president and ODM will leave the Kalonzo/Uhuru/Karua axis trailing a distant second.

The next elections are scheduled for 2012 but may come as early as 2010 depending on the unity of the grand coalition government and also whether or not a new constitution passes the referendum test.

Have you placed your bet yet?

OBAMA DAY

I'm astonished Kumekucha, of all blogs, gave Obama's Day the blackout:)
Our brother, oh! He effectively sealed the nomination jana, totally making history. I pray that he goes on to change A-Merry-Car as it has been known for the last 232 years or so. Now, that's change I can believe in. And you thought A-Merry-Cans could teach us a thing or two about diversity at the top? Not till November this year, or is it 9th of January next year?

Obama: This Is Our Moment

Political 'unknown' to the 1st Black-American presidential nominee in U.S. history in a space of less than four years!

Barack Obama has finally made history when last night he became the first African-American in U.S. history to clinch a major party's presidential nomination.

The 46-year-old Illinois senator defeated former first lady Hillary Clinton, a handsdown favourite at the start of the race, in the longest, most tightly contested Democratic presidential race ever. In his speech, before 17,000 supporters, while 15,000 more listened outside, he was quoted as saying: "Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America," Obama whose father was a Kenyan went on to say "... This is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past.

Obama, just a step away from the White House, now faces the main hard battle, against Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate to become the President of the USA.

What are his chances?

Will Mrs. Clinton's supporters automatically vote Obama, whether or not she is his running mate?

What do you guys say?

Niaje chali wa mtaa?

Could This Be The Reason Why Reuters Journalist Was Killed?

Trent Keegan may have been working on Rift Valley militia story, sources say

The Kenyan media does not think that the murder of a Reuters journalist in Nairobi is big news. In fact most do not think it is news at all.

It will now be interesting to see if they still hold this view as some of the possible reasons for the murder begin to emerge.

Right from the start of my enquiries in the last few days, several sources have repeated that the late New Zealand born photo journalist met his death because of a story that he was working on about the Rift Valley and historical land troubles in that part of Kenya that led to the recent post-election skirmishes in the country. Now in the last few hours I have received yet another report to the effect that the journalist got into trouble specifically because of a story he was working on connected to a mysterious arms shipment into Kenya in March to a “militia group.” (Read the story here). The “shipment” has recently been reported by a UN monitoring group as one of the violations against a UN ban on arms in the region. Although the UN report does not give details of the militia group, several sources link it to the Rift Valley in Kenya. In other words the latest report shockingly seems to confirm the earlier ones by linking the arms embargo to the Rift Valley.

The most recent information from a source claims that Mr Keegan was in contact with people who were well versed with the facts surrounding the deadly cargo and its’ destination who were too frightened to publish the information themselves.

Interestingly one report that has appeared in New Zealand newspapers says that Mr Keegan received a visit from a “security company” shortly before his disappearance and subsequent death. It is highly likely that such a visit would be from a security organization monitoring the entry and movement of illegal arms in the region.

As the Kenyan media continues to give the Keegan murder a complete “blackout”, I would like to remind Kenyan journalists of an old African proverb that says when your neighbour’s chickens are attacked by a fox, you do not ignore the news as irrelevant when your homestead is right next door.

It is absurd that any journalist in the country should happily continue with “business as usual” while totally ignoring the heinous crime against one of their own that has taken place. Scribes should be out on the streets right now demonstrating and demanding an explanation from the government. But then that is my opinion.

P.S. Of all the reports that have so far appeared on this dreadful affair, the one that appears to suggest that the killing was just part of the high incidence of crime in Nairobi was the most nauseating. Despite the overwhelming evidence that suggests that this was no ordinary crime, the report went on to mention that crime is so rampant in Nairobi that many people now refer to the Kenyan capital as Nairobbery.

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Is Kenya Becoming Deadly Territory For Journalists?

Who murdered foreign journalist Trent Keegan in Nairobi?

For a long time now keen observers of the Kenyan press have been asking the rather nagging question of whatever happened to our once free and vibrant press?

Why is it that too many stories that should receive prominence are quietly being swept under the carpet? Is the press under threat and if so by whom?

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Also published recently: President's and PM's security details clash

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Interestingly many practicing journalists in Kenya will also tell you fascinating tales about stories they wrote that never saw the light of day for one puzzling reason or another. One journalist I know lost his job because he refused to compromise on his journalistic ethics since his superiors wanted a prominent news source to approve all articles he did for a leading daily in Kenya. Those articles touched on security issues.

Sadly many people ignore a very simple fact that should be a telling pointer to anybody who seeks answers. That fact is that the Kibaki administration has brought numerous bills to parliament seeking to control the press in one way or another. In fact the Kibaki government 2002 to 2007 crafted more press bills than all the other previous administrations put together. Amazingly you can even take the total number of bills crafted before the said Kibaki administration and multiply that figure threefold and you will still be short of the number of press bills Kenya saw under Kibaki. Phew!!!

And to further deal with this “annoying animal” called the press, historians will one day note that it was under Kibaki that the government created for the first time in history, the post of government spokesman I Kenya and filled it with a man whom I will not say much about. But Dr Alfred Mutua, many agree, is a disgrace to the dignified and respected Public Relations profession.

But even more disturbing is that there is now emerging signs that Kenya may in fact be a very dangerous place to practice journalism in. Local newspapers have been fairly quiet about the murder of a Reuters journalist in Nairobi last week, when in fact this should have been the sort of news to have created screaming headlines.

Last Tuesday night (27^th May) friends of Trent Keegan parted with him at a popular bar in Nairobi and the last they heard of him, was as he was complaining loudly to a taxi driver that the fare into the city centre was too steep. Days later his dead body was retrieved from a trench with his wallet still $62 inside intact. He had visible head injuries. Later friends said that his laptop and camera were missing.

Already the commonwealth press Union are complaining that the Kenyan government is not doing enough to ensure that the killer or killers of the New Zealand-born photojournalist are brought to book.

Kenyans who hear that complaint will only sympathize with the family of the departed scribe who at the time of his death was only 33 years old. They will also feel great pity because they know only too well that it would take a huge miracle for the killers of the journalist to be brought to book.

In fact promises to catch murderers (which is what the government will most probably give to the commonwealth press union) mean nothing when it comes to assassinations in Kenya. Retired president Moi himself solemnly told Kenyans that “no stone would be left unturned” in finding the killers of the late Kenyan foreign affairs Minister Dr Robert Ouko. To date that promise remains just that—an empty promise that has yet to be fulfilled. Instead Scotland Yard sleuth Retired Superintend John Troon barely escaped these shores with his life when he came a little too close to finding the truth about that murder. He was the lucky one. A long list of other ordinary Kenyans connected to that murder met mysterious and untimely deaths.

Chances are extremely high that the late Mr Keegan came across some information that somebody did not want to see published in the International press. In Kenya more often than not this tends to happen when the people involved are very powerful and wealth individuals (those two go closely together in Kenya). So how do you expect the Kenya police to get anywhere with such an investigation?

It is very important that as many Kenyans as possible address the question as to the possible motives of Mr Keegan’s untimely death because therein lies many answers and some of them may give key pointers as to why the press in Kenya has changed so much in recent times. This blogger as always is actively pursuing leads. Keep your eyes focused on this space over the next few days.

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Raila Odinga’s Personal Safety in Focus as Kenya Celebrates 45th Madaraka Day

Kibaki Bodyguards Expose PM at Public Function for hours

It saddens me that I must use this Madaraka Day holiday to take a break from ODM Embakasi campaigns to make a post regarding a threat on the life of Raila Odinga.

Yesterday’s events at Nyayo Stadium brought back memories from a long a time ago. Those of us in their 20s and early 30s (like Vikii and others) are encouraged to read on and build their knowledge……

On October 16 1981 Egyptian President – Anwar Sadat was assassinated by his own soldiers during the annual 6th October victory parade in Cairo. Sadat was supposedly protected by four layers of security and the army parade was supposed to be guaranteed of safety due to ammunition-seizure rules and pre-parade inspections. You can watch the terrible events that were captured LIVE as they happened nearly 27 years ago on YouTube here.

Fast forward to June 1st 2008, and serious concerns are now being raised following the widely reported clash between ‘government’ bodyguards of Prime Minister Raila Odinga and those of President Mwai Kibaki at Nyayo Stadium yesterday.

The scary incident occurred at the Madaraka day celebrations in Nairobi where there was a frightening lapse in security touching on the personal safety of Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga – the man majority of Kenyans believe was elected as president and who most of the international community perceive to be Kenya’s defacto political leader.

It is an open secret that current fraudulent Kenyan administration has a pathetic record of protecting its own citizens and foreign tourists in this country. Yesterday’s incident should make us all concerned that the same (armed) people charged with safeguarding someone as prominent as Raila Odinga or President Kibaki can clash openly and in full glare of media. This can only make me imagine that there are two or more official (and unofficial) commanders controlling these guards.

It is obvious something is not quite right in Kenya’s security apparatus. (This weekend, armed Somali militia attacked and freed three foreigners from a border town police post in NEP). Of more concern however, is that Raila Odinga was left exposed for more than three hours as his body guards sat in the public stands hundreds of metres away from their boss at Nyayo Stadium because someone issued orders that Raila goes into Nyayo Stadium accompanied by only one aide.

Raila is a shrewd political operative who has escaped numerous assassination attempts including one a few years ago when several rounds were fired on his car from an AK47 assault rifle. Raila was not in the car at that time but the public learnt for the first time that his personal cars are armoured. Indeed, last year ODM-K Presidential Candidate and current Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka revealed that there were plans to assassinate himself or Raila Odinga and then place the blame on one of them. As a private citizen and before accepting a coalition government that spared this country agony, Raila was a man who was known to have an elaborate security network which traveled ahead of him in all public functions including rallies, weddings and funerals.

I am hoping that today’s emergency meeting at Vigilance House (Kenya Police Headquarters) will come up with convincing explanations and enact corrective measures before a preventable and unforgivable tragedy occurs as a consequence of official negligence and party politics.

Picture this: In the US, since sometime early last year, the United States Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama security now rivals that of President Bush, with a dozen Secret Service agents wearing dark suits and earpieces leading bomb-sniffing dogs through event venues, sweeping all equipment brought by journalists and flanking the candidate as he plunges into crowds of supporters. This is a man who is NOT even president yet!

We shall get there, but at what cost?

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The Final Word On Amnesty

Yesterday I watched with amazement as President Mwai Kibaki stood before Kenyans and announced with a straight face that the perpetrators of post-election violence be prosecuted. His chutzpah and continued impunity speaks for the contempt he has for Kenyans. But because of the venue and the importance of the day he chose to spit in our faces, I have to loudly wonder about who makes the list of his perpetrators. About two weeks ago I gave my list. Here it is:

1. Mwai Kibaki

The leading culprit in the election drama is President Kibaki himself. If you wonder what crimes he committed, I'm glad to list them .

a. Mwai Kibaki plotted at the State house and at other venues across kenya to systematically manufacture votes on the 27th of December 2007. That act of vote manufacturing is criminal and should be punished under the statues that govern elections in Kenya.

b. Mwai Kibaki, together with associates, ordered the Kenya Police and other forces under his command to quell post-election fracas by using illegitimate force, resulting in the death of innocent Kenyans. Again, that act of such abuse of authority is punishable under the statues that govern the powers vested on the executive branch of the government of Kenya.

c. Mwai Kibaki, the man Kenyans elected in 2002 to protect them, watched with contempt as Kenya burned. At the very least he abdicated the duty Kenyans gave him to ensure the nation was secure within and without its borders. A competent court of law should try and ascertain whether this man had lost the capacity to govern the nation, leading to the death of thousands of Kenyans or get to the bottom of the decision-making that led to the criminally slow response of the government as the nation went up in smoke.

d. Finally, we all watched the hurried and haphazard manner the swearing-in ceremony was conducted. No national anthem. No ambassadors and representatives from Kenya's friends. If you ask me, these are the actions of a man who has defrauded a nation. That is a crime, last time I checked.

2. John Michuki

This man was the Internal Security minister. We now have indication that he used his powers in a manner that led to the death of many Kenyans. For there to be any semblance of fairness in the way justice is administered, this man should be tried so that the legality of his actions can be put under scrutiny. Moreover, it should be established if the shoot-to-kill order that led to the massacre of Kenyans in Kisumu and Naivasha came from this man. If it did, he has a case to answer.

3. Uhuru Kenyatta

Like I said two weeks ago, there were allegations that this son of the nation's founding father was given the task to fund-raise for the Mungiki. To the extent that such allegations are out there, it is important for those who have evidence against the man to come forward and be given a chance to testify against him. If he is innocent, he should be cleared of these allegations. If he is guilty, the nation has an obligation to its citizen to prove that justice is blind.

4. General M. H. Ali

The cops killed. He was their leader. It's as simple as that.

Again, Fellow Kenyans, that's my list. But to hear Kibaki's utterances yesterday, you'd think some boys from Western Province and the Rift Valley plotted to bring down his government. Has it ever occurred to him that he was the one who plotted to bring down the government these youths voted for? He may have the power to prosecute these youths now, but is that the best way to make us forget about his own crimes? Just like he insists on prosecution for our brothers and sisters across Western Kenya and the Rift Valley, should we insist that one day when he leaves power he must also face the law at the Hague for crimes against humanity?

We all need to come to an agreement that reconciliation is important for the nation. That all are created equal. That we are all in this together. If we can agree on such basic premises, then we can agree as a nation to forgive Kibaki and his murderous gang, just like he must lead the nation in forgiving and cleansing our sons and daughters of their sins. It's as simple as that.

If that can't be achieved, take the bullshit about reconciliation to the dogs.

Guest post by Sam O. Okello

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The Deadly Amnesty Debate

Who will forget that professor Kimya confrontation at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani during a crucial Kanu delegates conference in 2002?

Then Vice president Prof George Saitoti threw a tantrum on discovering that his name was missing on the list of contestants for party chairman to take over from President Moi. And that was after spending a fortune campaigning amongst party delegates to ensure his victory. President Moi in full view of the rolling TV cameras stood up and angrily shouted; "Professor Kimya." And he had to do it several times before a still-shaking Saitoti quietly sat down in humiliation.

It was probably the most embarassing moment for current internal security minister Prof George Saitoti.

Still it must have given the Mathematics professor great satisfaction that the aftermath of that fiasco at Kasarani was a death knell on the Kanu coffin from which the oldest political party in the country has yet to recover from. In fact despite spirited ongoing efforts currently, most analysts believe that Kanu is truly dead and buried and will never come anywhere near recapturing its' old glory.

Still it is the new political realities on the ground that are of great concern to many Kenyans.

For instance Prof George Saitoti has suddenly found himself on the opposing corner of the ring with Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the issue of amnesty for post election violence perpetrators. In fact it must greatly irk the professor that anybody would want to call the hooligans and arsonists who caused such mayhem early this year, freedom fighters.

If truth be told even the Prime Minister himself has taken his current position under intense political preassure. ODM diehards will hate me for saying this, but the truth of the matter is that those who hold real power and sway within Kenya's largest political party are the ones in control and they are indeed the ones who have put Raila Odinga between a rock and a very hard place. That is the political reality. But as I have already said in previous posts, the deadliest probable outcome of this so-called amnesty debate is the very survival of the infant grand coalition government. Actually the question analysts are now busy pondering over, is what are the likely consequences of the collapse of the coalition government? I have a friend who would just shut their eyes and quickly get away just at the mere mention of that question. And with good reason.

Fellow Kenyans and friends of Kenya, I hate to bring bad news to you on a Sunday, but that is precisely the question we must all begin to address as soon as possible.

Everybody knows that the grand coalition government is a marriage of convenience that is held together too losely by factors that are already being overwhelmed by the emerging Kibaki succession war. But to have a Prime Minister and a minister incharge of internal security of the same government reading from different scripts is a sign that is impossible to miss and one that clearly tells us all that maybe divorce will come much sooner than expected.

Personally I do not want to begin to even contemplate the possible consquences and yet I must.

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That GEMA Get-Together is Not Sawa

It was with great disgust that I learned that the GEMA community 'leaders' recently got together to discuss 'our' political future. We aren't even done mourning those who died, nay, were brutally murdered during the tribally charged post-election violence, or tried the perpetrators, and these people are already at it, including (former) Church leaders?

Much as I respect people's freedom to associate with whomever they choose, I think in this context it does our country more harm than good. I long for that day when we shall be united and divided by our ideologies and opinions as Kenyans, not loyalty to our tribes. I understand it's gonna be a while before we totally divorce ourselves from our history, but my humble opinion is that tribal alliances for political mileage should be disbanded kabisa. As in illegalized. Down to making tribal chiefdoms illegal political tools. Yaani if you are a tribal chief, be one huko kijijini but do not represent your tribe politically huko mbele. The business of tribes voting as blocs stinks and should be done away with. This does not apply to GEMA pekee, as we all know. Remember the way we were mostly in agreement that there should be no special Muslim interests in a political party, or in the constitution? How about making these leaders ashamed of the tribal interests they represent? Where are the Christians that took to the streets then?

Full Disclosure: I'm still proudly Kikuyu, probably will always be. There is precious little I can do about that- just don't ask me to vote as GEMA, or Kikuyu. We are a country of 42 or so micro-nations with diverse backgrounds but we can peacefully, happily and proudly co-exist as one. It can be done people. But most certainly, not by killing all Kikuyus :-)

Disclaimer: This piece shall not be taken as proof of defection or an endorsement of 'other' politicians. My political perspective, if ever I had one, still holds.

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Who Really Reads Kumekucha?

…and the tribe that lacks reading skills

If you are one of those chaps who believe in coincidences and believe that yours truly here is merely in love with conspiracy theories, then you will have plenty of fun reading today’s post.

A few days ago in a post here I asked where First lady Lucy Kibaki was. I also shared some information about her health that had come to my attention. The very next day she made her first public appearance for months. Mere coincidence? (By the way, it is not enough for her to be “seen” and photographed by the media, Kenyans need to be told where she was all that time and the state of her mental health. After all it is possible to remove somebody from some institution for them to pose briefly for the press and then quickly return them. We need a statement, even if it is the usual lies from Dr Mutua.)

Also Published today;

Hold off Kajwang: Power Brokers Plead With Kibaki

The Raila Factor: A Stark reminder

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Actually there are numerous other cases that I can quote here that will shock most of you. However I will mention just two more.

Weeks after the disputed presidential elections, I wrote a post here about how the electoral commission was yet to officially release the final results of how president Kibaki “won” the elections. Barely two days later those results were suddenly released and the signature of the electoral commission chairman was even forged to facilitate that process. Mere coincidence?

Then there was this cabinet meeting where this PS went and forwarded ideas lifted straight out of this blog on how best to rein in the tribal monster in Kenya and related problems facing our nation. (read the story HERE for yourself). Mere coincidence?

I do not believe in coincidences and I am certain that some very important and powerful persons in the land read this blog religiously every day. I am also certain that not everybody who reads us wishes us well. The campaigns to discredit Kumekucha have been on for a long time and the strategy has always been to use the age-old propaganda trick which is based on the premise that if you repeat some falsehood enough times, sooner or later people will start to embrace it as the truth.

But nothing has fascinated me more in recent days than the frenzied activity here since I was forced to leave the country for a safer destination. Those carrying out the “campaign” and those of you who are observant enough will be able to quickly pick out what I am talking about in the comments sections of my posts. HINT: Look for a pattern.

Why do most of our beloved Kikuyu brethren lack reading skills?

Another very sad pattern that is clearly visible to regular readers of this blog is the fact that most of our Kikuyu brothers and sisters have serious problems with their reading skills. Very few of them indeed (like Wanjiku Unlimited, Ritchie, Fave and a few others) are able to read a post and understand its’ contents.

Amazingly the rest tend to see RED the minute the word “Kikuyu” appears anywhere. They will always conclude that the post or comment is bashing the house of Mumbi. I have watched with amusement as some balanced commentators here have been dragged into long and endless arguments by readers who hardly bothered to read their comments before spewing out all sorts of vitriol. Some regular contributors here will even quickly spew counter posts wholly written in well hidden parables in what they see as a way to counter “the attack” on their beloved house of Mumbi.

I can only shake my head in wonder and offer my sincere sympathy and condolences to my dear brothers and sisters with reading challenges whenever the word “Kikuyu” is used. In fact I will not be surprised if this post is seen as an attack on my dear Kikuyu brothers and sisters. Yet the focus of this post is on the challenge of reading skills on the African continent rather than on silly tribes.

We can of course look at the whole thing from a different angle. It is probably Wanjiku Unlimited and company who do not know how to read. Maybe they are not sharp enough to see all the deadly barbs aimed at the house of Mumbi. What do you readers think? Are they the ones lacking in reading skills?

Although I am trying to add a light note here, the truth is that I grieve in my heart as I write this post because when people cannot read and cannot respond to arguments and points without getting emotional, it simply means that there is no hope of ever effectively tackling the problem at hand. The Greeks once ruled the world simply because they became the first to develop the art of debate and to take the human race away from the age old habit f settling arguments physically in some sort of high noon shoot out where the man left standing is the one who was right and the one lying in a pool of blood in the dust was “dead” wrong (hence the expression). Are you aware that there are very many people who ended up “dead” wrong when they said the earth is round rather than flat?

I declare today the day for all Kumekuchans to develop their reading/listening skills as well as their debating skills. Two qualities we badly need for a better Kenya.

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The man who can't stand women

The Raila Factor: A Stark Reminder

Story of the week:- Hold off Kajwang: Power Brokers Plead With Kibaki

Guest post by Sam Okello

The question uppermost on Kenyan's minds today is...what's happened to Raila Odinga? I've met many Kenyans during my travels who've asked me to explain what the ODM game plan is. I don't pretend to be an insider in ODM politics. Matter of fact, I'm just a humble writer. But I know something about the Hon Odinga's kind of politics because I've watched the man for years. I therefore propose that for us to understand where the Prime Minister is coming from, let's study how he has handled the most crucial public moments of his life.

1. When I first heard of Raila Odinga, I was in Form 1 at Kamagambo High School. On a Sunday morning, I was told that the Moi government had been overturned and that a certain Lt. Ochuka had acted in concert with Mr. Odinga to beat another bunch of plotters led by Sir Charles Mugane Njonjo. I was intrigued by the events. When you are a young man, such things as coups are very exciting. But to come to the point, the important thing here is to answer the Why question. Why did Raila find it necessary to kick Moi out by force? The answer is simple. Moi was literally raping Kenya. Be reminded that the man was presiding over a regime that instigated and abetted tribal clashes in the Rift Valley, killed political rivals like Dr. Ouko, looked the other way as corruption threatened the economy, and enriched his family...and the families of his cronies...beyond measure. So why did Raila do it?

2. As I became of age, I watched as the Hon Odinga transformed himself into a political machine unrivaled in Kenya politics. Matter of fact, I'm persuaded that the Langata MP is the most charismatic, most formidable politician Kenya has ever produced. JM came close. The point here is that Raila decided to become a politician to save the nation. You have to remember that during that time, the winds of democratic change were sweeping across Africa and the world. The only way to legitimately acquire power was through the ballot. So Raila did just that. If you ask me, that's a man who plays by the rules.

3. Now that I'm a grown man, I've watched Raila handle fame and fortune with dignity and humility. He's managed to build a business empire and a political following that makes his rivals go through sleepless nights. You'll recall that he led the nation to defeat the retrogressive Constitution fronted by Kibaki during the referendum. He led the nation to defeat the Uhuru Project. He led the nation to floor Kibaki at the polls. He led the nation to find peace after Kibaki stole the elections in a fashion befitting a man blessed with just a quarter of a brain. Did somebody say Kibaki was a Makerere alum? How he shames his alma mater! The point I'm making here is that Raila has always led the nation...to a better place.

4. Finally, we all watched, after the stolen elections, how Raila handled one of the most explosive situations Kenya has ever had to deal with. Love him or hate him, what you saw was a man who worried about Kenya more than he worried about himself. He chose to create peace for Kenya's children rather than create space for himself at the State House. That tells a lot about a man's core beliefs and character.

Fellow Kenyans, I've brought up the matter of the Hon Odinga because many people don't understand what the plan is for the future. What we must all understand is that we are up against the forces of doom. We're up against a cartel that has horded power and wealth since independence. They derailed our democracy in 2007, but we will not let them again. So when you see Moi scheme in the Rift Valley, just remind him that we defeated the Uhuru Project and we will defeat him again. When you see Kalonzo map a GEMA game plan, just remind the traitor that we are writing his final chapter in Kenyan politics. And when you see Kibaki's allies do everything to humiliate the Prime Minister, just remind them that we beat them before and we will do it again...at a time of our choosing.

Why am I so confident? Because I trust the Kenyan people. And I trust Raila Odinga. I know for sure that a time is coming when a different kind of politics will have to be played. But, friends, that time is not now. The wise know that you only tip your hand when the path to victory is clear. So as we go forward, let us rejoice that the youth of Central Province, led by the Mungiki leadership, have teamed up with their fellow Kenyans to create a just and humane society. A society where all Kenyan children are cared for regardless of where they come from. Can we do it? Yes we can!

So let the Hon Odinga draw his game plan. In the fullness of time, he'll tell us where we are going and how we'll get there. When that time comes, don't be caught sleeping. Let the man who has called himself the bridge to the future cross the Jordan with us, then we'll pick the fruits when we get yonder!

For love of Country.

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The man who can't stand women

Hold off Kajwang: Power Brokers Plead With Kibaki

It is emerging that Kenya’s Ministry of State for Immigration & Registrations of Persons is earmarked for a split after ruffling sensitive feathers with deportation orders and smashing an international passport/visa printing syndicate.

The state ministry which falls under the Office of the Vice President & Minister for Home Affairs (Kalonzo Musyoka) was one of the ministries that was deeply involved in the Anglo-Leasing mega-scandal that threatened to bring down the government of President Mwai Kibaki. The same scandal resulted in John Githongo seeking political asylum in the UK while Finance Minister Daudi Mwiraria was forced to ‘step-aside’.

Following formation of the Grand Coalition Cabinet, one Hon Gerald Otieno Kajwang of ODM’s mapambano fame has found himself in charge of this ministry, well known for its corruption dens.

One of Kajwang’s first ministerial duties was to sign deportation papers for one Canobbio Pietro who claims to be a naturalized Kenyan after having lived in the country for the last 18 years. Canobbio, who Kajwang labeled an Italian fugitive, says he is a contractor with plenty of business interests in Malindi. He has since challenged the deportation in court winning a temporary reprieve allowing him to stay in Kenya up to early June.

Italians have a huge presence in Malindi and the town has been dubbed Italian Home Away From Home. Some of the Italian foreigners – who speak local languages fluently - even tried to venture into local politics during the last general election. Some have been accused of engaging in illegal businesses including child-sex tourism and hard drugs, but so far no one has been arraigned in court.

Secondly, even before the Canobbio’s case has been finalised, Kajwang’ was in the news again this week when he was reported to have declared a Mr Mohamed Sirat a prohibited immigrant, claiming that the Australian Embassy had confirmed to him that indeed Sirat was their citizen. It is not lost on political observers that Sirat is a member of the Vice President’s ODM-K party and has been challenging the election of Wajir South MP Abdirahman Ali Hassan. He is among some of the rich Somali businessmen coalescing in ODM-K and running 24 hour businesses in Eastleigh. One presidential candidate in last year's general election is on record having promised a 24 hour economy.

Biggest Scoop

Coming to the connection with Eastleigh, and in what is considered Kajwang’s biggest scoop so far, the immigration ministry busted an international passport and visa printing racket that was headquartered in Eastleigh (Nairobi) where, yet again, rich Somali businessmen are said to conduct illegal businesses including arms trade, human trafficking and modern day slavery. Western Embassies are said to have been shocked at the discovery of passport printing ring in Eastleigh right within the capital city 'without the knowledge of the NSIS'. The matter has far reaching implications because terrorist groups known to have cells in Kenya could easily have taken advantage of the Eastleigh immigration office to export terror merchants. The Al Qaida Comoran and Yemeni suspects who bombed the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1997 were found to be travelling on Kenyan passports!

Enter Kabuga!

More recently, it was widely reported in the local and international press, that a Kenyan court had ordered the freezing of property of one of the world’s most wanted Rwandan genocide suspects, Felicien Kabuga, who is known to travel in and out of Nairobi using several aliases including some on Kenyan diplomatic passports which Kajwang is reportedly said to have already cancelled and accordingly informed Interpol. Despite a US$5million bounty on his head, Kabuga is said to have escaped capture mostly due to his connections with power brokers within the Kenyan government. The ICC had issued an international arrest warrant for Kabuga in 1999. Rwandese Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama said his country welcomed the court's decision but said Kenya should do more to arrest Mr Kabuga. The Kenya Police, under the Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, is the one to effect the arrest. I am not suggesting anything but both Saitoti and current President Kibaki were ex-President Moi’s vice presidents for many years including the time that the Rwandan genocide took place. Why should Kenya shelter a genocide suspect?

Kajwang Fighting Back

It is therefore coming as a great surprise to Honourable Otieno Kajwang that his ‘hard-working’ ministry has been earmarked for split with the immigration docket set to be moved back to the Home Affairs ministry headed by none other than Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka - another of ex-Presidents Moi former long serving Foreign Affairs minister, in whose time Kabuga and a host of other international fugitives like Abdulla Ocalan found safe haven in Kenya.

Sources informed this blogger that because the NARA peace accord prohibits President Kibaki from sacking or re-shuffling ministers without first obtaining consent from Prime Minister Raila Odinga, PNU/ODM-K insiders have advised the president to hive off sensitive departments from independent ODM ministers before they unearth what they called explosive dossier going back to the Moi and Kenyatta errors (no typo here).

As Kajwang discusses his tribulations with Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kenyans will remember that portfolio balance nearly resulted into the collapse of the Annan peace talks and even when they agreed to form cabinet, ODM came out of the process seriously short-changed. It now seems like PNU/ODM-K are planning to engage in a portfolio shuffling game so as to frustrate the work of ODM in government.

It remains to be seen if Raila Odinga will allow this to happen. What is coming out however is that there are power barons in Kenya who dictate the government operations by remote control and whose connections run deep into the corridors of power.

Watch this space: The powerful individual(s) who have been uncomfortable with the stories published in Kumekucha will be soon exposed – with irrefutable proof!

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Trouble Coming In The Rift Valley Courtesy of Daniel Moi

I have never trusted Daniel arap Moi despite the fact that he was a much better president than Mwai “vote thief” Kibaki will ever be. Indeed historians are already re-writing the Moi chapter as they contrast it sharply with the chaotic blundering Kibaki “error” (and not era) which has completely lacked in any semblance of leadership.

But what really concerns me and should concern every Kenyan is the former president’s current political activities in the Rift Valley.

There is now a strong push to rebuild KANU and guess who the new party leader is? It is one Gideon Moi, the immediate former MP for Baringo Central and the former president’s favorite son.

Moi’s plan is really very simple. The idea is to get the vast majority of Kalenjins away from ODM and to rally behind one political party which in this case is KANU. It seems that the older Moi believes that he knows a thing or two about the Kalenjin that Raila Odinga and ODM may not be aware of. One of these “facts” is that the Kalenjins can change their minds in a flash. Especially if a little cash is used here and there to help a few opinion leaders see the sense. The old man is a great believer in “kirigits.” A kirigit is the cow in the herd that all other cows follow blindly and without asking too many questions.

The ultimate strategy is for the Kalenjin to form a coalition with the Mount Kenya tribes in 2012. Indeed it is not lost on the former president that it is highly unlikely that the house of Mumbi will field a presidential candidate in the next elections so soon after Mwai Kibaki. So what is most likely to happen is that the Mount Kenya tribes will be forced to rally behind a Gideon Moi presidency. Now which Kalenjin in their right mind would not want to support one of their own for the presidency?

Already the folks at ODM are feeling the heat of Daniel Moi’s frenzied activity in the Rift Valley and no man is feeling more “roasted” just now than William Ruto. It is said that he has been told in the face to organize for the freedom of post election violence suspects immediately or forget a future in politics anywhere in the Rift Valley.

So will Moi’s crazy plan work?

Actually the more pertinent question should be; will peace and the coalition hold in light of such frantic political activity of the tribal kind? The answer to that question has to be a firm NO.

Ironically the Moi plan is being packaged as a peace initiative for the Kalenjin and you will have heard leaders from the region making statements to the effect that they support the former president’s peace initiatives in the province.

This is really crazy because Moi and comoany seem to have completely ignored the raw wounds in the province that have been brought about by the post election troubles earlier this year.

In my view the most dangerous thing about the activities of the older Moi lies in the fact that the old man has lost it. Life and politics in Kenya has changed considerably and he can no longer play the game effectively. He should just go home and rest and forget the whole thing.

One big mistake Moi is making is that his plans do not factor in the coming famine and serious food shortages that the country is very likely to face. They also completely ignore the coming “class war” where ordinary folks will rise above tribal sentiments and face their real enemies. Namely those who have gotten very rich by stealing public funds and then rushing back to their communities for protection.

In fact Daniel Moi does not seem to be aware of the rapidly emerging political force in the Rift Valley that was most responsible for handing him and his team a resounding defeat in the last elections. I am talking about the relatively youthful voters who can never bite the same old baits that Moi used to rule Kenya for 24 uninterrupted years.

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Honeymoon night shock for eager widow

Sijui nafaa kusema?

There are few things I find more repulsive than people acting like helpless victims as a means to an end. If the expectation is that the person to whom all of the helplessness is displayed will show pity and react favourably to the whims and rants of 'the victim', it's quite the opposite with me. That, and the fact that nowhere in history have I seen people-individuals, races, or tribes-develop through hate or hate by any other name. At least not in far away Germany. Or closer to home Rwanda or even SA. Or at home in Nairobi, Naivasha, Nakuru, Likoni, Eldoret and Kisumu. Sijui niseme? I'll have to see what (re)action my politician advises me to take. In the mean time, good luck to the IDPs (I for internally and internationally, including intentionally). Especially the voluntary economic refugees out there.

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Anti-Kikuyuism: As Usual Kenyans Are Avoiding The Truth

Fred was the real name of a guy we went to both primary and high school with. He was one class ahead of me and a very loud kind of chap who enjoyed jeering at others.

His Dad was Luo and his mum Kamba which gave him very good looks and impeccable diction so much so that many school girls at Kenya High, Limuru Girls and elsewhere easily went crazy over Fred. Whenever we went for school debates some of us would have problems approaching the girls when Fred would always have half a dozen cuties literally fighting over him. In fact Fred could get the girls to do anything for him. And I mean anything. Lucky guy.

Geoffrey in sharp contrast was a quiet boy who Fred mocked at every opportunity. He especially liked to talk about Geofrey’s great fear of girls. Whenever a girl would come anywhere near poor Geoffrey, he would start to sweat and he would freeze on the spot in fright. I can still hear Fred’s loud voice and his cruel jokes which were quickly followed by his extremely loud crackling laugh.

But one day something happened. Fred started with his usual jokes at the expense of Geof and something inside Geof snapped. Before we knew it Fred was on the floor receiving some heavy punches in the face from Geof. It took several of us some minutes to get the usually shy quiet boy off Fred. And by that time his pretty face was messed up badly. You see Fred was very brown and his skin did not take bruises and black eyes very well.

I can also report that that is the last time that Fred cracked any jokes at the expense of Geof. He hurriedly moved on to other “victims.”

Sadly this is exactly the situation we have in Kenya today where one community has been mocking the rest of Kenya for years. Until December 2007 there was no retaliation but what happened early this year is something even I do not like to remember.

Now the biggest problem we have is that rather than go into the root causes of why peaceful Kenyans suddenly turned into animals, we are busy preaching peace and telling people to be peaceful. In fact the government has gone one step further and is re-settling IDPs back to their farms under heavy guard and nobody is really interested in tackling the real problem. Instead everybody is obsessed with the symptoms.

Even in this blog fairly well educated Kenyans would rather use abusive language against anybody who tries to discuss this problem. You can be sure that even I will receive plenty of barbs for this post. And even more interesting is the fact that anybody who says anything against this so-called community is always branded a violent person.

I suggest that you carry out a small experiment to confirm that what I am saying is absolutely true. We have a small harmless girl called Mrembo who regularly comments in this blog. You will often come across her name mentioned as the violent type and pro-violence campaigner. But just read her comments carefully and the only thing you will notice is that she is rabidly anti-Kibaki, the vote thief of course. And that is probably the only reason why she is constantly branded violent.

So what are people saying? That any anti-Kibaki element is violent and pro-violence?

Members of the said supreme community in the country must realize that they have put themselves in a very difficult situation and must learn the lesson that my old schoolmate called Fred refused to learn despite the punishment he received from Geof and many others. And that is sooner or later, those whom we look down on and jeer will react against us and that reaction may not be very good.

You can read through this entire Kumekucha blog and nowhere will you find me advocating for violence. I am for non-violent resistance. And that is precisely why I write this blog instead of looking for guns and going to the bush. However those preaching peace must realize that the only way we can have long lasting peace in Kenya is for us to confront our problems head on. We have to deal with the root cause of all the animosity if there is to be any peace in our beautiful motherland.

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Men are the most cruel "animals"

Deepak Kamani And Post Election Violence Suspects

It is fascinating that the photograph of Anglo Leasing suspect Deepak Kamani on the police web site has been replaced in the most wanted persons section by post-election violence suspects. It illustrates perfectly how justice works in Kenya.

Kamani has the resources and the contacts in the corridors of power, nothing else matters and what that means is that he is untouchable. Kenyans can make noise until the chickens come home but nothing will happen to Mr Kamani that will cause him to go behind bars.

Contrast Kamani to post election violence suspects. These people are basically nobodies. Mostly frustrated youths who were amongst the high number of Kenyans who went berserk when the presidential election were stolen in broad daylight last December. Some of them did terrible, terrible things which cannot be excused. However just think about it for a moment and assess whose actions will at the end of the day have killed and maimed the highest number of Kenyans. My simple calculations clearly show that Kamani’s antics will have a much higher impact over a much longer period of time and will cause untold suffering to hundreds of thousands of Kenyans for many years to come.

The ideal situation would be to haul everybody to court to face the music. Starting from Mwai Kibaki (who is the chief perpetrator of post election violence because he alone made the decision to steal from Kenyans) right down to all his accomplices like the NSIS chief to Samuel Kivuitu and other ECK commissioners. If this is done, then no Kenyan will raise a finger to protect all those young men and women who did such horrible unforgivable things to their fellow human beings.

However as long as Kibaki, Kivuitu and the rest continue to enjoy the trappings of power, at the expense of the long suffering Kenyan tax payer, then there is absolutely no moral ground to remove the photograph of a crook like Kamani from the police web site and replace it with that of post election violence offenders.

But alas, you and I know that going by the justice system in Kenya thus far, the likes of Kivuitu will most likely end up being decorated with those silly now-meaningless awards like the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) for services rendered to the nation of Kenya (just writing it here makes me want to throw up). Sadly in sharp contrast all those "freedom fighters" who made sure that the election theft did not stand unchallenged will end up facing the hangman at the worst or rotting in Kenyan jails which is even worse.

Many people believe that the so-called amnesty debate will end up bringing down the infant grand coalition government. Personally I find it difficult to argue against such a position. This is a time when Kenyans are crying out for justice and nothing less will wash.

Where Is Lucy Kibaki?
One of the clear indicators that the Kenyan media has been compromised in its’ very important duty as a watch dog for the people is its’ continued silence over important national issues.
For instance, just like there is no way the duly elected president can disappear for months on end and Kenyans are not told what is happening, in the same way the first lady cannot just vanish from the face of the earth and everybody continues to behave as if it is normal.
While it is understandable that Lucy Kibaki is not exactly popular right across the political divide, she is still the country’s first lady. And just like your mother is still your mother even if she is a known witch, Lucy is still the first Lady whether folks like her or not.

So where is Lucy?

Fairly reliable sources have told this blogger that she is "under lock and key" at a well known hospital in Karen. On the door of the room where the first lady is are the following words in big bold letters;

Unauthorized staff strictly prohibited from entry

The same sources claim that the last that was heard of the first lady was when she had a confrontation of sorts with her son who was urging the duly elected president to "take some action, even if it is resigning" to quell the election violence that was then escalating. It is said that the word "resign" is what caused the first lady to get violent with her own son.

Now all sorts of stories have been doing the rounds including the sensational one about a shot being fired at Jimmy Kibaki. My source however assures me that there was a kitchen knife involved in some kind of scuffle and whatever happened caused the first lady’s mental state to deteriorate hence her current hibernation away from the public eye.

The government needs to tell Kenyans where Lucy Kibaki is and more importantly the state of her health.


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Desperate relatives’ "brilliant idea" to get body home for burial

We Shall Overcome

We've heard of bloggers being castigated,hauled over the coals, threatened and even, (God forbid) killed, in countries such as China and Iran. Now this has come to our very own backyard. Oh my God!

Even then, the struggle continues and one day we shall overcome.