The Big Mistake TJ And Jomo Made

Tom Mboya is welcomed aboard a British navy battle ship in this undated photo.


We miss you Tom Mboya… Oh How Kenya misses you!

39 years ago on a Saturday just like today a few minutes to one o’clock PM, two revolver bullets rung out loudly on Moi Avenue Nairobi.

A Handsome well built man in an immaculate designer suit stopped those two bullets. He fell back towards the door of the Chemist from where he had just emerged a split second before. His name was Tom Mboya.

Tourists seated at the popular Thorn Tree Bar (the restaurant next to the street at the New Stanley Hotel along Kimathi street heard the loud gun fire and silence and panic fell in the bar area.

Those were the days before crime got to be what it is today and the sound of gun fire was a very rare thing indeed in Nairobi, especially in the CBD. One or two men in the bar then (whose identities shall remain secret for now) started running in the direction of where the gun shots had come from. The thing that they found most odd was that there were policemen already at the scene of the crime when they got there (outside Chaanis Chemist on Moi Avenue, adjacent to Standard Chartered headquarters which is less than a minute’s run from the Stanley Hotel for most people). Even stranger was how the assassin had gotten away with so many policemen around. It struck one of the men that the policemen seemed to have been on the scene waiting for the crime to happen!

It is the view of many historians that those two bullets were the most significant bullets ever fired on Kenyan soil because they changed the course of the river called Kenya significantly. One of the results of the events of that fateful Saturday that we see so clearly today is the culture of impunity that now threatens to shut down the nation. As you read this a Finance Minister who has been censured by parliament for breaking the law in disposing of public property is still not in police cells and instead clings to his office and the duly elected president (who incidentally was fetched from his lecturer job at Makerere University by Tom Mboya himself to become Kanu’a fast executive officer. TJ did it in his old reliable VW beetle which he drove all the way to Kampala and back) said yesterday that the current crisis is just a “normal” problem that is commonly faced by other countries—even developed nations. Huh!!

TJ I know you’ve been on the night shift for 39 years now BUT I just have to tell you, that was a big mistake you made… very big mistake, fetching that guy from Makerere. Kenya would have been better off and certainly much less robbed as of today not to mention thousands of our brothers, sisters and children who would still be alive and with us today, if you had left that chap alone to continue with his lectures at Makerere. You and Jomo thought more of getting educated people into politics then than people with integrity and we Kenyans are paying a very heavy price now for that mistake you guys made then.

If circumstances were a little different this is how I would have loved to spend today.

I would have gone up to them mountains, high in the Iveti hills not far from Machakos town and I would right now be seated under the shade of a tree eating Nyama Choma with my usual Coke and discussing the life and times of Tom Mboya with my father (a man who still believes in Mwai Kibaki). But more than anybody else my dad is the man who has brought TJ to life before my very eyes and made me read the history of this country like my life depended on it (there is no way you can read the history of independent Kenya and avoid the name of Tom Mboya, no matter what you do). And that is how I understood so well where we are as a nation and why we are where we are. This is the realization that drove me to launch this blog in May 2005. And that realization has been my sole agenda here from day one.

It is my deep desire to take as many Kenyans as I possibly can through that journey of discovery that I went through myself and that is why the big gift that I have worked long and hard to prepare is being released to readers of this blog today. That gift is an entertaining weekly summary of Tom Mboya’s biography from various sources delivered to your email inbox every week. It is FREE to anybody who wants it. Get details on how to get it at the end of this article.

In conclusion I would like to point out that some of the people responsible for the murder of Tom Mboya are still very much alive today. If you still don’t know them you had better make sure that you read my FREE weekly summaries on the man’s life.

Indeed one of the excuses that has long been peddled for the murder of this great son of Kenya is the allegation that he was a CIA agent. Some writers have even gone as far as claiming to unravel some new evidence proving that TJ was a CIA agent. Whether this is true or not should not have been for a few individuals to decide and play the role of judge jury and executioner by snuffing out the Kenyan life that did more than any other single life to bring independence to Kenya so quickly (you will understand why I say that after reading through my weekly summaries of Mboya’s biography.)

Have a poignant July 5^th my friends and countrymen. Kenya shall be free.

Online IM (Instant Messaging) Conversation with Tom Mboya in the Twilight Zone:

Kumekucha: Hello TJ. It’s 39 years today since you left the world of the living.

Tom Mboya: Who is this?

Kumekucha: It’s the Kumekucha guy visiting you yet again this year.

Tom Mboya: Hehehehehehehe.

This is the chap trying to cut down a Mugoma tree with a razor blade? Have you not given up yet?

Hehehehehehehehehehe.

Take heart, son, from the fact that I single-handedly did the most to bring down the mighty colonial government in Kenya. You too can do the impossible, if you have it in you.

You know my illiterate sisal-cutter father Mzee Leonardus Ndiege, used to ask me if I thought I was smart enough to defeat the white man who had invented very clever inventions like the aero plane.

Kumekucha: Yes, I know. I even wrote about it in Kumekucha.

Tom Mboya: You just have to be very brave and single-minded.

Kumekucha: What was your lowest moment in your long fight for Kenya?

Tom Mboya: In 1960 at Limuru when Jaramogi Odinga brought in tribal politics as a weapon for the first time, just to finish me and to sideline me from Kenyan politics.

Kumekucha: Your greatest moment of glory?

Tom Mboya: There are two actually. March 11^th 1957 when I became one of the first 8 Africans to be elected to parliament (in those days called the Legco) after the first serious political fight of my career.

The second was the Uhuru celebrations in Uhuru gardens on the night of 12^th December 1963. As you know I was the main organizer. It was a colourful unforgettable occasion for those of us who were there; at times solemn at times joyous. The day that signified the final defeat of the people who invented the aero plane only to enter another more vicious battle amongst ourselves.

Kumekucha: Have you read what I said about your trip to Makerere in 1960?

Tom Mboya: You’re a cheeky young man. You should know that people change. When I fetched that fellow from Makerere he was a very patriotic man of integrity. Even Njoroge Mungai was a very patriotic uncorrupt man when he graduated as a medical doctor from Stanford in the United States. Politics in Kenya is notorious for changing people so much so that those who have known them intimately for many years can no longer recognize them any more.

Kumekucha: Did you change yourself?

Tom Mboya: Yes, I too changed in many ways. I was human.

Tom Mboya: Have my killers finally faced justice?

Kumekucha: That is what I was coming to. This year I have two messages for you. First the bad news which is that Kenya is disintegrating mainly because those who murdered you are still the real rulers of the country.

But the good news is that Kenyans have woken up and have started fighting back. You will be very proud of what your youngest son has done to keep your memory alive. You will also be very proud of what the other young people of Kenya are doing to get their country back.

My hope and prayer is that when I come visiting again, this time next year (God willing) I will have some very good news for you.

Kenya misses you TJ.

Gifts to Kumekucha readers to celebrate the life of Tom Mboya.

So you think alone, you can’t do anything to change the politics in Kenya?

Get Insider Kenyan News At Least 2 Months Before People Even Start Hearing A Whiff Of A Rumour

Kumekucha’s record speaks for itself. No other site in Kenyan history has carried more exposes and unearthed more political scandals than Kumekucha has. And that is a fact. Little wonder that the blog has so many enemies. You see the truth always hurts and many times it hurts very badly.

It is therefore hardly surprising that all leading Kenyan journalists visit Kumekucha every day to get ideas and leads for the articles they write in the daily newspapers and for TV news. A few times they have just copied some of our articles word for word.

If you have never read anything written by an NSIS agent or seen them in action with their misinformation campaigns then Kumekucha is the place to catch them in the comments area (some even make fun of being NSIS agents so that the whole thing looks like one big joke). Especially if it is the comments area of some of the most hard-hitting exposes, you will find them jeering and trying to discredit the site whose record since May 2005 speaks for itself. Important clue to help you spot them: Ordinarily when people don’t like a site, they simply stop visiting it. Meet people who strangely keep on visiting and telling others that the site is hopeless.

So what makes Kumekucha so addictive and such a captivating read?

To start with the blog has many writers ranging from ODM insiders to some of the most rabid PNU supporters to others claiming to be neutral. The result is a free speech zone with different shades of opinions that you will not find anywhere else. The main writers Chris and Oscar specialize on exposes and insider information exposing all political parties and all politicians no matter how popular they are. These guys fears nothing and nobody.

The result is that regular readers of Kumekucha are way ahead of the mainstream media. Just to give a recent classic and yet typical example, Kumekucha readers knew the details behind the Grand Regency scam 2 months before it came to light. Yep! 2 months before!!

Catch up with insider info behind today’s news NOW at Kumekucha.

P.S. You can get even hotter news on Kenya the type that we cannot dare publish on the site in Kumekucha’s raw notes. Get more information about how to get hold of your copy from regular articles in Kumekucha.

So you think alone, you can’t do anything to change the politics in Kenya?

Let Aggrieved Kenyans Go to Court

It defeats any sane and logical reasoning why Kenyans would want Finance Minister Amos Kimunya to make painful and costly history by resigning due to public pressure. We must learn as a country to RESPECT authority. Only the DULY ELECTED HE President Kibaki has the powers to dismiss Kimunya. Other pretenders to the throne in the shape of committees must be ashamed of abrogating themselves powers they don’t have in the first place. In all honesty why would SHAMELESSLY apportion yourself the power to recommend a minister’s resignation while your opinion was not sought on his appointment?

All political propagandists baying for Kimunya’s blood must be seen for what they truly are. Theirs is all heat and no light clothed in quest for mob justice theatrics. Shame of these cowards who are only cleverly angling to besmirch youthful and COMPETENT accountant Kimunya. For starters Hon Kimunya ate nobody’s goat. And if you ever thought one Bernard Chunga had monopoly for bravado UK has done better in defending Kimunya by SIMPLY asking what has been stolen, by whom, and from where? You can smell seasoned and CALCULATIVE politician miles away. The scion of Jomo knows when to zip his mouth and brains. He can only comment authoritatively and usefully after CONSULTATION - when the coast is clear. And that is measured leadership from the front and by example.

Kenyans have unwittingly fallen for lynch mob mentality. Kimunya made it very clear the Grand Regency sale was an inter Government deal and why would Gaddafi deal with a mere minister and not his peer? Simply put we are collectively having our guns on the WRONG head. Meanwhile Kimunya deserves accolades and promotion to DPM for his unrivalled bravery to STOP the bullet for the boss who is busy offering REAL leadership albeit in silence. Add to that Kimunya's SPECIAL and IRREPLACEABLE role in Kibaki's family and you see why the president as a caring father cannot betray his own blood. No sane person would.

Top legal brains
Kenya is a civilized country rules by an educated economist. We must not allow mob psychology to derail our national efforts to industrialize in 2010. The likes of Orengo must stop splitting hairs and take the long beaten path to civilization. Let aggrieved Kenyans take their case to our internaltionally respected law courts. Kimunya is not a hawker or a fishmonger. All his actions benefited from the services of best legal brains in the name of Gichira Kibara, who was the chair of the Kenya National NGO Council not long ago. Nolw you see why the civic society and their noise is a mile behind this top notch lawyer.

It is time Kenyans consolidated their energies to help HE Kibaki build a prosperous African Tiger. Forget the fight for working institutions, they never bring food on the table. Even citizens of the most developed countries of the West are politically ILLITERATE to an extent of not knowing their leaders. In tandem we must pursue jealously the economic growth of our leaders and ask no questions lest we detract them from their clever schemes at our collective peril. We are a fortunate nation thanks to a farsighted president. We have an army colonel who not only doubles up as our National Security Intelligence Service Director but most important of all an astute businessman that cuts red tape when it matters. It is in the DNA people. Kazi iendelee.

Grand Regency Scandal Was Aimed at Sabotaging Kimunya’s Presidential Ambitions

Finance Minister Amos Kimunya holds up traditional briefcase containing the Official Government Budget for the year 2008/2009 outside his office on June 12, 2008.

Folks, the Race to 2012 has shifted to overdrive! And it is as vicious as they come.

When Kumekucha recently published an article about the flight of one blindside winger in reference to Amos kimunya’s presidential ambitions, it was prematurely dismissed by many bloggers here as pure dreams.

It now emerges that Kumekucha’s post on Kimunya was spot-on and a superbly thought out piece of political analogy. Consider that in a game of rugby union, the opposing team hardly rely on their own blindside winger to stop an attacking blindside winger unless he manages to go past the defending blindside flanker (at the scrum-down backrow) who is the first line of defence. Confused? Read on, because the Grand Regency saga has exposed a GEMA power scheme and find out why Kumekucha called it ‘the Quiet Rise And Rise of Amos Kimunya that Kenyans still ignore – and why I think this latest scandal could just be a minor hick-up for Kimunya as he emerges the GEMA leading light and a serious contender for presidency in 2012.

Although the Grand Regency sale took place in 2007, all has been relatively calm until last week. We can authoritatively reveal the scandal was carefully timed to be deliberately unearthed last week so as to decisively destroy Amos Kimunya’s unchallenged grand march towards the Kibaki succession in Central province. Events surrounding the scandal have taken place in quick succession ALL of which were timed to ‘explode’ when the president was out of country attending an AU summit in Egypt and consequently leave Kimunya completely exposed with very little room for defence, maneuver or recovery.

Although it was ODM’s Orengo who first blew the whistle at an unusual and highly suspect 6.30pm news conference, the actual movers who engineered activities at Ardhi House earlier in the day were errand boys working at the behest of powerful forces from Central Province. These cunning operatives then went ahead to use an informer within the Lands ministry to leak the story to Orengo knowing the minister would not waste time in exposing the scandal. Soon after, ODM ‘saw a gap’ and decided capitalize by sponsoring a motion to censure the finance minister, but not wanting to be seen as directly antagonizing a coalition partner, it decided to use New FORD-K’s Khalwale to give the speaker notice of the motion. As soon as parliament passed the no-confidence motion, the Prime Minister, who had been chairing a cabinet committee meeting on Grand Regency, immediately formed a probe sub-committee and gave them a 24 hour ultimatum to submit ‘its findings and recommendations’.

The momentum towards Kimunya’s political demise was moving at breath-neck speed only to be brought to a screeching halt by the President who also called off a scheduled cabinet meeting and then asked Civil Service boss Francis Muthaura to instruct Spokesman Alfred Mutua to release a terse statement insinuating that the cabinet probe sub-committee report "has not reached cabinet and neither has the report received cabinet attention!" Wow.

It goes without saying that if Francis Ole Kaparo had been Speaker of the National Assembly, Khalwale’s motion would not have seen light of day. Consequently, the apparent success of the Kimunya no-confidence motion is now being seen within ODM circles as a precursor to a possible Kibaki no-confidence motion should the GCG collapse or should any of the pending Annan agenda’s be blocked before completion, especially now that Martha Karua has effectively defected from PNU and the men in that party will have no skirt to hide in like they did in early part of this year.

It turns out the grand regency saga is in reality a water stop break for Kimunya in our pulsating game of rugby and the finance minister is going nowhere! Kimunya actually had the audacity to say he is still serving the nation and that Raila should resign for being aware and doing nothing about the Grand Regency sale! Not only has Kimunya been assured of political back-up, his godfathers have vowed to break the bank in an elaborate plan to ensure that the Presidency stays with the community for as long as it takes.

In recent times, it is not lost on political observers that among all cabinet ministers, Kimunya is known to be the closest to the president and his recent budget speech (dubbed 2012 campaign speech) clearly impressed the president. Kimunya understands Kibaki’s lifelong love affair with economics and his budget speech was targeted at the boss when he announced, amongst other things, that “the 2008-09 financial year forecasted revenues of Kshs. 512.8 billion up from Kshs. 448.8 billion last year, and equivalent to 21.4 percent of the GDP” – all very sweet music to his mentors ears, only that the reality is that the economic growth is negative as we all learnt from Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya during the launch of vision 2030.

Kibaki is now being encouraged by his council of elders, among them god fathers who handpicked Kimunya from the corporate world and dumped him into politics, to start construction of project Kimunya for 2012 – similar to what Moi conceived with his own abortive succession through what was known as Project Uhuru. The elders (who are also known as the athuri group) although desirous of Martha Karua in their camp for now, have scant respect for her as a leading presidential light from Central province and are said to be worried that if left unchallenged, both Martha Karua and the Kalonzo/Uhuru axis might develop into larger political monsters and eventually eat into what could otherwise be ‘President’ Amos Kimunya’s GEMA vote basket.

No permanent enemies in Politics

Shortly before the explosion of the Kimunya Grand Regency scandal, a significant event took place in the political arena, whereby Martha Karua was appointed the NARC-K party leader. To the chagrin of the athuri elders, she immediately went ahead to announce that her party NARC-K had de-linked from PNU and that her name will definitely be on the ballot paper come 2012. This announcement was overshadowed by Orengo’s earth shaking whistle blow, but behind the scenes it had effectively thrown the Grand coalition government into a spin with cabinet ministers who habour presidential ambitions being forced back to the drawing board. There is no denying that the current political boxing ring contain grand coalition players who are smart, super-rich, ambitious and highly talented politicians who have their eyes singularly trained on 2012 and beyond.

While Kimunya is fighting the battle of his life to remain in cabinet and in frame to succeed Kibaki, quiet upheavals are building in ODM. Soon after her installation as NARC-K Chairperson, Karua has seemingly embarked on building alliances with possible suitors beyond Central province. Unconfirmed reports say she has already sent emissaries to ODM via Lands Minister James Orengo. Orengo is a long-time comrade of Karua during the 2nd liberation struggle as well as a colleague in the legal profession.

A sure sign that PNU loyalties have completely shifted came when parliament was debating the sensitive Kimunya censure motion and Assistant Minister Danston Mungatana, who is also a staunch Karua supporter and interim NARC-K Secretary General, became the first member of cabinet to stand up in parliament to strongly condemn corruption and unequivocally support the Khalwale motion against his own cabinet colleague Kimunya. In contrast to her strong defence of Kibaki during the early sessions of parliament, Karua sat pensively in the house and unusually kept away from the censure debate. Mungatana’s support for the motion and Karua’s laid back attitude in parliament was in effect a coded message to the Kibaki’s Council of Elders who are propping up Kimunya and also an open invitation to the higher echelons of ODM that she was ready to do business.

Not to be left behind, FORD-K’s Musikari Kombo in an attempt to catch the eye of ODM captain also acclaimed in support of the Kimunya no-confidence motion. Kombo is struggling to remain relevant after being vanquished by the ODM wave in 2007.

Whereas the ODM captain Raila Odinga is sure of going for a second and final stab at the presidency in 2012 or before, Raila is also faced with a simmering power struggle within his own pentagon cabinet as well as in his own Nyanza backyard.

A quiet but steady Raila succession battle in the Nyanza region is in the offing pitting Ayang Nyongo versus James Orengo versus Dalmas Otieno vs James Magara. The first two are front runners to being Raila's deputy in Nyanza politics.

In the all powerful ODM pentagon, there have been calls to expand it a little and also create two deputy captain slots. A soft spoken and moderate Mudavadi is already occupying one deputy captain slot while the firebrand William Ruto and the no- nonsense Charity Ngilu are said to be keen on the other slot. Even before this, the ODM captain must make appointments to cabinet to replace the late Laboso and Kones. There have strong been calls within ODM that the replacements should be done immediately while other party moderates feel the captain should wait until after the by-elections to replace the ODM legislators.

On the front line eyeing the powerful Roads docket are: James Omingo Magara, Christhanus Okemo on one hand while Kipsigis MPs Isaac Ruto and Franklin Bett are on the other hand. The latter actually started canvassing for the seats during the funeral organizing committee meetings, long before the deceased were buried! Apart from reminding the captain that their community was short-changed in the initial cabinet appointments, Ruto and Bett are not hiding their demands for the seat which they say should be a mere replacement exercise by Raila appointing Kipsigis ministers. The influential Orange Women Democrats are pushing for one of their own to replace Laboso.

In the meantime, while weighing-in on the long-term political effects of Karua ’s move in GEMA zones, Raila Odinga knows that he must keep ODM united in his quest to be the next president of Kenya and he also has to keep an eye trained on his erstwhile ODM-K rivals Klonzo Musyoka and Uhuru Kenyatta. Raila must also court surplus votes from central province by all means possible or alternatively divide GEMA into as many splinter groups as possible. This undertaking is already underway considering he has effectively neutralized Mungiki and has their leadership dancing to his tunes while the GEMA elders are now fighting among themselves as to who will induct the ODM captain into their ranks as a Kikuyu Elder. But this is a story for another day!

Clearly, the blindside winger (read Kimunya) has been tackled neck-high and has not made it to the corner-flag try line (score) and it remains to be seen if the favoured PNU player will recover to continue with the game then outmaneuver his opponents and score the much needed try.

So far, PNU are trailing ODM in this exciting rugby union game of high voltage politics.

The Role Of The NSIS Boss In The Grand Regency Scam

The whole of yesterday, State House operatives were locked away in frantic meetings even as the cabinet meeting to discuss a decision on Kimunya was canceled indefinitely. In the midst of all this, this blogger received some shocking new information.

It has been reported in the local media that the president was furious because the recommendations of the committee appointed by the Prime Minister “were leaked” to the press. What most people do not know is that of the greatest concern to the duly elected president was the fact that the name of the head of the NSIS (National Security Intelligence Services) Col. Michael Gichangi had been mentioned.

So how was Gichangi involved in the Grand Regency “sale” scandal? Impeccable sources indicate that he is “very deeply involved indeed.” For example on the fateful Monday that the sale was signed off at the lands office, I can confirm that Michael Gichangi drove to Ardhi house to apply pressure on the commissioner of lands to sign the transfer documents.

Before Gichangi’s intervention, Amos Kimunya and Francis Muthaura had made numerous frantic calls to the commissioner of lands to apply pressure for the needful to be done. They were not successful even when they invoked the president’s name declaring that the president had a personal interest in the matter.

That was when Kimunya sought Gichangi’s intervention. Apparently the head of the NSIS knew how critical it was that the hotel be transferred quickly and quietly to the Libyans who had been pressurizing the president for months to “honour his side of the deal.” (see our exclusive story published in May for all the details).

The lands commissioner had no option but to finally sign the papers in the presence of Gichangi. Efforts were made to ensure that Lands minister James Orengo did not get wind of what was going on until the deal had been done.

In past issues of my raw notes I have detailed Gichangi’s crucial role in the stealing of the elections last year. However the NSIS head has managed to maintain a very low profile since then, until now when the raging Grand Regency hotel storm has brought him into the limelight in a way that compromises his prime duty to look after national security.

It is rather predictable that the numerous NSIS hounds pretending to be ordinary folk who surf the web the whole day leaving monotonous repetitive comments in this explosive blog will try and pour cold water on this exclusive story, just as they did on our first Grand Regency exclusive in May. My assurance to readers seeking the truth is that this story is based on water-tight facts obtained from impeccable sources some of whom helped us break the initial story.

Email message that Kumekucha received recently.

Meet Kenya's Multi-talented Intelligence Chief

Smart Kenyans can now see the gulf of difference between HE Kibaki and his predecessor Moi. While ex-NSIS chief Wilson Boinnet ruled the roost for decades he fizzled out as fast as heckles directed at Moi in Uhuru Park. With Kibaki we have a multitasking security chief Gichangi who besides keeping tabs on Kenya’s intelligence temperature is an astute businessman brokering multinational deals that earn out country much-needed foreign investment. Remove Gichangi and you definitely need to employ a handful as replacement to track down the re-emerged Sabaot Land Defence Force chief, one John Sichei Chemaimak.

A true leader never reacts to hollow emotions that are poorly disguised as national condemnation. Kimunya has a job to do and has explicitly EXPLINED himself declaring that his accusers are nothing but political propagandists envious of both his reputation and position. And why would Kibaki betray a performing minister whose reign rained a historic 6% economic growth on Kenya in less than 1000 days? Only a dim witted or mad leader enslaved by sectarian interests would do that damage to his progressive administration. There is no evidence liking Kimunya to fraud even after MISSPEAKING about the bar talk.

Kibaki has not broken his promise to fire any minister named ADVERSELY in corruption. The key word remains adverse and Kimunya has not suffered that fate. No sane Kenyan can compare Kimunya’s fate to his Tanzanian colleagues who effortlessly resign due to lack of SPIN. This is Kenya and not Tanzania for heaven sake and we do things differently making us the ENVY of the region. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see TRIBAL bend is all the accusations. Kibaki’s political nemesis are cleverly scheming to get to him through his loyal and faithful presidential appointees in Kimunya, Ndungu and Ringera. These are people ready to stop a bullet for Kibaki and able to strategize with in first language.

Prince of impunity, not me
Even the coalition FLOWER GIRL has seen through the whole charade of witch-hunting Kimunya that is why the Wako-led committee was speedily crafted principally to force a postponement of the no confidence debate in parliament. For good measure though, the vote of no confidence was THERAPEUTIC for an otherwise lethargic and LAZY parliament whose impact ends at the Hansard records. Subsequent postponement of the cabinet meeting tells you who the boss is. Only a fool would chair a charged meeting whose resolution would predictably be an AK-47 under both feet with fingers on the trigger.

MPs playing to the gallery can rant and rave all the much they wish. Their censure Motion against Kimunya on Wednesday evening may have succeeded in obtusely padding their egos. All their hot air however amounts to nothing as they remain oblivious of REAL POLITIK where real power/bride behind the throne strategized late into the night on how to save Kimunya’s skin. Smart Kibaki knows when to dispense with acrimony without lifting a finger. Come next week and all the present political heat will be safely shelved in the cooler. Na kazi iendelee.

Political Lessons From The Career Of One Amos Kimunya

Will NSIS and CBK Chiefs also be “swallowed” by raging Grand Regency storm?

I have said it here before that Finance Minister (I don’t know for how much longer) Amos Kimunya and his close advisor lawyer, Gichira Kibara thought that they were too smart. In fact until last week everything had gone like clockwork for Mr Kimunya and his side-kick and the two were busy making big plans for 2012. (See my Blind-side winger post.)

As you read this, all their strategizing and plotting are dead in the water.

There are a number of key lessons to be learnt here but before I go into them, there is an interesting aside that is well worth noting. My suspicion is that the chief plotters behind Kimunya’s downfall within the 10th parliament have their sites aimed higher and elsewhere. These suspicions deepened last night when the recommendations of the Raila committee on the Grand Regency issue were made public. Their report urges the resignation of not only Finance Minister Amos Kimunya but also that of NSIS chief and the Central Bank governor. Those guys are pretty close to the executive. In fact too damned close. If the recommendations are followed then it means that the duly elected President will suddenly find himself extremely exposed. The people being asked to resign were all messengers following instructions from their boss. In all likelihood their stepping aside will leave nowhere else for fingers to be pointed but at the executive itself.

Again as I said yesterday, one counter strategy to that happening would be to appoint a new Finance Minister from the ODM fold. My fear is that this has the possibility of creating so much excitement amongst ODM supporters that this may mark the end of any further questions being asked or action taken on the Grand Regency saga.

Kenyans must say a big NO to this. For the sake of the country we must all rise to the occasion and reject such a “bribe”. It is very important that we get to the bottom of this Grand Regency saga. Regular readers of this blog are lucky (and readers of my raw notes are even luckier) in that they already know the whole story. In fact they knew it in early May, almost two months before the whole scandal even came to light. Sadly this is but a small percentage of the Kenyan people. We need the truth to be revealed officially to the whole country and the world. That is the only way we will prevent this nightmare from ever being replayed again in future.

The biggest political lesson from Amos Kimunya’s downfall is that arrogance is deadly in politics, more so in Kenyan politics. As Amos “the NSE is not a fish market” Kimunya licks his wounds today he should realize that of all the mistakes he has made that have dealt his political career such a serious death blow, his arrogance must top the list of causes of his downfall. This even clearly came out in the debate yesterday with comparisons being made with his predecessor, Daudi Mwiraria who humbly admitted to the house that he had erred.

Unfortunately Mr Kimunya may not have read Shakespeare’s political classic; Julius Caesar (although I am certain his side kick Mr Gichira has and should have advised him accordingly). One of the characteristics of the great Caesar that led to his bloody assassination was the man’s arrogance. Once arrogance is combined with ambition, the deadly concoction that results can only lead to the downfall, if not assassination, of a politician.

On Saturday we will celebrate in this blog the 39th anniversary of the assassination of a great Kenyan hero, Tom Mboya. He too fell because of the same “concoction.” Not to mention the last man to be censured in parliament before Kimunya last night, the late Vice President Josephat Karanja. Even JM Kariuki was pretty arrogant.

But I must hasten to add that there is a big difference between the likes of Mboya and JM Kariuki on one hand and Amos “I will not reply to bar talk about the Grand Regency” Kimunya. Mboya and Kariuki died because even in their arrogance, they were fighting for the people and a better Kenya. Kimunya on the other hand was fighting for himself and a more prosperous Kimunya family, just like the majority of Kenyan politicians we have today across the political divide. They only pretend to have the interests of the people at heart.

Indeed if truth be told the reason why the Grand Regency saga has caused such furor is simply because legislators “smelt blood” and many of them are hoping that when the dust finally settles, they will have climbed a notch higher in their personal ambitions. At least one of them will be holding the very powerful Finance portfolio.

Even in his spirited defense yesterday in parliament Mr Kimunya came across as a man who tries to be too smart. One of the star contributors to yesterday’s debate, legislator Charles Kilonzo caused prolonged laughter in the house when he bluntly told Kimunya that it was not appropriate for him to try and present his CV as defense against the allegations brought against him. Kilonzo told Kimunya that he would be shocked if he saw most of the legislators very impressive CVs.

His colleague Dr. Bonny Kalwale even exposed Kimunya’s so-called defense more bluntly. In a comical clip that TV stations in Kenya have been repeatedly playing since yesterday, Kalwale pointed out that the Finance minister ignored the clearly stated allegations brought against him and instead passed the back and dwelt on technicalities. He further caused laughter when he pointed out that Mr Kimunya was his junior at the University of Nairobi but they graduated in the same year simply because Kalwale was pursuing a “more serious degree” course. Kalwale is a medical doctor.

There is such a thing as being too smart for your own good. Indeed I pointed it out in my earlier post on Kimunya recently but even I did not know that his downfall was so close round the corner.

P.S. So… what next? The law does not require the President to sack Kimunya as a result of the vote of no confidence. However public pressure and pressure from the legislators will make it almost impossible for the Finance Minister to operate. So in all likelihood we should now be looking at the “possibles” and “probables” to replace Kimunya at Treasury. That is the story I am now pursuing for you.

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What Kibaki Is About To Do To Ease Grand Regency Pressure

Muta-do?

The Anglo Leasing scandal which happened during President Kibaki’s first term and where Kenyans lost billions of shillings is now long forgotten.

But what should interest Kenyans more is what was done to cool off things then because history is about to repeat itself on hapless Kenyans.

Those who know the president are well aware of the fact that he is very slow to make decisions. This has both advantages and disadvantages as any good manager will tell you. One of the huge disadvantages is that in our fast-paced world of today delayed decisions can be disastrous. But I digress. What I wanted to say was that at the height of Anglo Leasing, there was pressure for days which turned into weeks and finally the Finance Minister then Daudi Mwiraria resigned over the still unsolved scandal. This was followed by the resignation of the then energy minister Kiraitu Murungi (whose voice was clearly heard in one of the Githongo tapes asking the ethics PS to go slow on Anglo leasing culprits). Note that the two ministers were not sacked. They resigned.

It was not lost on close observers that both ministers had sworn never to resign (just like Amos Kimunya has done. In fact he has said that those calling for his resignation should themselves resign). But after a brief meeting with the appointing authority they emerged with a different mind set. The president hates to fire anybody and that is a serious management weakness.

The resignation of a cabinet minister was unprecedented in the history of Kenya at the time and therefore the public was very excited and happy. The end result of this was that information released later on the Anglo Leasing scam was mostly ignored. Kenyans never got to the bottom of Anglo Leasing and Mwai Kibaki survived to fight another day.

We all know what happened next. The two gentlemen sneaked back into cabinet after being given a clean bill of health by the anti corruption jokers led by one Aaron Ringera.

Now folks, watch carefully. The same thing is about to happen. This is almost a certainty and the only thing nagging the president’s close advisors now is whom to replace Kimunya with. Yep, shifty-eyes-blind-side-winger Amos Kimunya is going to be used as a sacrificial lamb.

But what must really be nagging Kibaki insiders is the fact that there is the annoying possibility that the ODM arm of the coalition government will push for one of their own to take over at Treasury which will in fact be a very smart move because it will appease ODM supporters who will no longer be interested in getting to the bottom of this Grand Regency saga. PNU chaps will then just fall into line. Or divert attention by making noise about the appointment. Perfect. Just perfect. There are too many possibilities in the star-studded ODM camp for the Finance portfolio starting with Prof Anyang Nyong’o.

The other advantage of appointing from ODM is that it may just cause this 6 month marriage to be finally consummated. Very strange marriage this coalition thing, imagine there has been no sex happening! What kind of marriage is that?

And so Mwai Kibaki will survive yet again.

Muta-do?

P.S. I am certain of one thing. Mwai Kibaki has lots of regrets over decisions that he made last year in the run up to the ill-fated presidential elections (including the current Grand Regency thing and many other issues that will emerge in due time. But if you want to know them early you can read my latest raw notes).

I am sure he has fantasies all the time about the comfortable slow life in retirement that he would have been enjoying at Othaya now while Raila Odinga would have been sweating it out by now and seeing his popularity dip from some very high and impossible expectations Kenyans had. Problems like the current oil price crisis and rising food prices would have ensured a very rocky beginning indeed for the ODM government. The people would have been saying that Kibaki’s rule was better. I can almost see some MPs making noise in parliament about President Odinga and saying that he does not know any economics like Mwai Kibaki did.

But alas last year Mr Kibaki did not want to go down in history as the first one-term president ever in Africa, nothing else mattered. Now he has to pay the price.

Life is really fascinating ain’t it?

Breaking News at 6:22 PM

Parliament has just unanimously passed the motion of censure against Finance Minister Amos Kimunya. A sweating Kimunya at one point even had to invoke his wife and daughter in an emotional defense that lacked substance. The drama continues to unfold. The big question is will kenyans get the answers or will the resignation of Kimunya close the chapter?

Is this a coalition government or are these two separate governments?

It's now six months since the events of December 2007 made necessary the formation of a coalition government. In that time, a lot has happened that makes it necessary for us to wonder whether Kenya's is truly a coalition government or two separate and unequal governments.

Here are the pertinent issues.

1. After the elections, it was my understanding, and that of most Kenyans, that one of the most critical issues that faced the nation was the restructuring of the Electoral Commission of Kenya. There was a man called Samuel Kivuitu who had disgraced himself so irreparably that the only redemptive way out for him was to resign, then be charged with aiding and abetting fraudulence in an election. As things stand, this matter seems to have effectively been shelved by the Kibaki side of the government. What I have to wonder is...by agreeing to participate in the by-elections recently held, was the ODM side saying Kivuitu is just fine? Is reforming this discredited body still a priority, or must Kenyans wait till we are close to another election before our perpetually shortsighted politicians sense that this matter could lead to another meltdown?

2. The matter of the constitution was supposed to be a top priority. Indeed, it was the understanding of Kenyans that the government was going to move with speed to address the many issues our constitution fell short on. Land Policy. Distribution of resources. Gender equality. Religious freedom. Six months later, what we've witnessed is the PNU side, led by Amos Kimunya, reading a budget that failed to allocate any funds for this critical exercise. The question again is...what's the ODM storyline here? Are we waiting for 2011 to start scrambling? It will be the biggest failure of leadership if the PNU side hoodwinks us and successfully sends Kenya to another election under the unrepresentative constitution.

3. The IDPs were supposed to have been settled by now. What in the world are our brothers and sisters still doing in the cold and the unforgiving rains of the season? Where is the money that was allocated for the exercise of settling these folks, and why can't the exercise be commenced and done with the competence and compassion it deserves? Six months later? Shame on all of us! But again, where is the ODM on this matter? Are we waiting for 2011, when we are looking for the votes of these suffering mothers and fathers? Where is action, folks?

4. The final urgent matter is the amnesty issue. On this, we know that the Kibaki side of the government wants to prosecute what they call criminals. The Odinga side wants to forgive and foster reconciliation. These are two visions that have a bearing on the future of our nation. Like I've always warned, the Kibaki team is hell-bent on scapegoating the small man for the election debacle. To the PNU, everything would have been just fine if Kibaki's theft of the election had gone unchallenged and the Mungiki was given a free reign. Well, to ODM's credit, this is a matter that has been pursued with gusto. But that's not enough. At some point it must be made clear that there is a time limit to the call for amnesty. The ODM must let Kenyans know what steps will be taken if the other side of the government insists on punishing the small man and letting the real criminals go free.

Those are the big four. Indeed, it would be enough if from here on out, the two governments concentrated on resolving those four issues only. Those issues are enough to occupy us till 2012. If we don't get them right, God forbid that we should face another election so soon!

That said, here are the other arising matters.

a. The Cabinet

It's now clear that while folks in the PNU side are engaged in corruption on a grand scale, like the harrowing sale of the nation's landmark hotel, the folks in the ODM side are asking questions and working to stop the blatant looting going on. Does the fact that the Hon James Orengo was out of the loop on a matter of this magnitude inspire your confidence as a Kenyan? Hhmm. And you still call this a coalition?

b. Permanent Secretaries

Once upon a time we were told that this was supposed to be a 50-50 government. But when the two principals got behind closed doors and presented their list of PSs to the nation, what we saw was anything but a 50-50 split. We also saw a bunch of oldies. I understand and applaud the pragmatism that led the Prime Minister to swallow this bitter pill, but this matter aptly demonstrates the fact that what we have is two governments.

c. Diplomatic Assignments

It seems to me like once again the folks who were in these positions were merely affirmed. Where are the 50% that represent the ODM in the world's capitals?

d. Corporate Appointments

Again, point a finger at the 50% that represent the ODM.

As usual, I expect to be called an inciter and all manner of names for slapping the facts on the table. But if we don't deal with these matters on an honest basis, we'll only be fooling ourselves. Facts have a way of coming back to kick the butt of those who ignore them. So based on what has transpired in the six months, fellow Kenyans, what I see is two separate governments, one more powerful and more corrupt, the other less powerful but more patriotic.

For the sake of Kenya, I pray that the patriots will have an upper hand.

For Love of Country,

Guest post by Sam O. Okello

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The Grand Sale that Never Was

The madness and falsehood about the sale of Grand Regency Hotel must stop now that none other than KACC director Aaron Ringera has clarified that he DUTIFULLY advised CBK governor to do what was legally right. No sane Kenyan can fault JUSTICE RINGERA given his impeccable record of being the dragon slayer. Let the uninitiated know that we owe OUR CLEAN judiciary to Ringera’s RADICAL SURGERY in the bench, an exercise which left many appellate judges fighting losing battles for reinstatement.

Anybody doubting Ringera’s resolve and astuteness must have his head examined. Give it to the guy he surely earns his Ksh. 2.5m per month pay check. Justice Ringera and his dedicated team of corruption busters epitomize the ingredients of a working nation. When Githogo tried making mirages look like true reflections it was Ringera who told him nothing but the truth lest he joins the long list to ungrateful Kenyans who think with their mouths. What truer friend could one ask for? Now see, Githogo is suffocating from British gales and winter after disregarding Ringera’s wise counsel to go slow - asiyesikia la mkuu!.

Justice Ringera knows his appointing authority who he serves with ZEAL and unquestionable loyalty. He works for results and thanks to him he succeeded in repossessing the pricey Grand Regency by persuading one Kamlesh Pattni to play ball. For the records Moi took over a decade to unsuccessfully get that deal done. Contrast that with Ringera’s reign where in less than three years Kenya has not only EXORCISED Goldenberg’s ghost but also summarily and effectively declared the phantom Anglo Leasing a deal that NEVER WAS. We must appreciate true unique skills when we see the results they produce. What is more, Justice Ringera made it clear during Grand Regency's handing over ceremony that the repossession feat was not only historic but also a huge leap forward in fight against GRAND CORRUPTION. And should the heat become unbearable the funds can be anonymously be WIRED back. We have a rich history to fall back on.

Disruptive propaganda
Every patriotic Kenyan must help in speedily bringing to a halt the prevailing and DISRUPTIVE mad season of finger pointing and buck passing. The so-called sale of Grand Regency was a sale THAT NEVER WAS. Basic logic would point you to proceeds from a sale BUT in this case there is none. And why would a WORKING Government engage in business in the first place? All the noise and propaganda will only succeed in DERAILING our path to economic growth. Kenyans are so much used to low expectations so much so that when Kibaki engages on GRAND missions to expand our economy most of us are left whining and concentrating on sideshows.

While the world is faced with grim economic recession, Kenyans will soon supplicate at the feet of far sighted HE Kibaki when cheap oil starts flowing from Kenya pumps thanks to Libya. Well, lesser leaders like Botswana’s VP Mompati Merfahe can preoccupy themselves with trivia in condemning DULY ELECTED Mugabe just like other bridesmaids join the chorus to seek cheap political attention outside a club they don’t belong. The truth is Zimbabwe is not Kenya and we have our own unique strength to withstand and re-emerge from RAPE of an already WILLING NATION. Kazi indelee.

MPs and the Media: Stop the Hypocrisy, Kibaki Stole Grand Regency Hotel in Broad Day Light As You Watched!

The secret “sale” of the Grand Regency Hotel at a throw away price and the boring subsequent debate has exposed what our MPs and the mainstream media are – they are grossly incompetence and lazy to do even simple research.

The media behave like secretaries – taking dictation from our politicians without questioning a word and reproducing it as “news”. On the other hand, our lazy, tribal and incompetent MPs digest the same raw garbage channeled out by the same media, which disguised as news, and shout from the roof tops pretending to have made new discoveries. The MPs and the media and just two sides of the same coin.

The poor Kenyans are daily treated to a game of musical chairs by our politicians and the mainstream media. And they believe them. As expected, the mainstream media and the MPs are now trying to outdo each other contributing to the debate of the theft of the Grand Regency Hotel – as if any of them had the correct facts regarding the whole episode.

The James Orengos of this world, the Standard, the Daily Nation and its sister Sunday Nation (both of which are Kibaki’s mouthpiece) are now shouting loudest to capture the eye and sympathy of the public yet the deal was hatched and executed by Kibaki himself right under their nose. And none of them noticed it then due to their laziness and incompetence. Kibaki committed the crime of trading off the hotel way back in June 2007 and an year later, the MPs and the media are now shouting from the roof tops pretending to have made shocking discoveries! Please spare us your garbage-spewing mouths.

This is how it all began . . . .

President Kibaki made a three-day visit to Libya between June 4 and 6, 2007. A dispatch from the Presidential Press Service (PPS) to KBC and all the other mainstream media houses plus a posting on the website of Dr Alfred Mutua’s Office of Public Communications clearly stated in back and white that Kibaki and Libya’s President Muammar Gaddafi had signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Titled "Agreement on Promotion Guarantee and Protection On Investment".

Under the MoU, President Kibaki committed Kenya into granting an exclusive trade pact to Libya, making Tripoli "most favoured nation" status - making it possible for Libyan companies to start at an advantage over investors when competing for lucrative contracts. The Grand Regency Hotel was as among the six projects that the Libyans had expressed interest in the Mou.

The MoU was signed by Kenya's then Minister for Trade, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, and Dr Ali Elisaue, Secretary General of Libya's General People's Committee for the Economy and Investment. The document was endorsed by Presidents Kibaki and Gaddafi.

Interestingly, Kibaki was committing himself to sell Grand Regency Hotel to a group comprising Libyan investors trading as Libyan Arab African Investment Company almost nine months before Kibaki’s cronies persuaded Goldenberg scandal architect Kamlesh Pattni to surrender it to “the Government” (Kibaki is not the Government). By then, the hotel was still Pattni’s property and there was no indication that he would surrender it to anyone. Why was Kibaki so confident into signing such an MoU based on a property in private hands and why was he so desperate to do so?

Our MPs have offices at Continental House, which they rarely use. They are always out in rallies politicking. The MPs have access to a modern library and research staff services, but they don’t use them. Our mainstream media – the National Media Group and the Standard Group – have well-trained journalists and modern libraries. But they rarely make good use of them.

If the media and the MPs are the public watchdog, they are supposed to scrutinise every deal that “the Government” enters – even with devils - with a microscope. Kibaki stole Grand Regency Hotel in broad day light while our MPs and the media slept on their job.

A PPS dispatch from Libya in June 2007 gave very strong hints about “the sale” of the Grand Regency to Libya (when it was still Pattni’s property) and yet that did not raise eyebrows amongst the lazy and incompetent MPs and media houses (most of them are run by Kikuyu managers and editors who are Kibaki’s loyalist). Why didn’t they smell a rat from the PPS hint?

Kumekucha, which doesn’t have the resources that the MPs, the Nation Media Group and the Standard Group have access to, was the first to expose how Kibaki gave away Grand Regency to Libya in exchange for campaign funds. That was in May. And as expected, some readers who read the story in this blog attempted to pour cold water on it yet the facts in the story were water-tight. The facts in the story were vindicated last week and everybody now seems to be in a hurry to catch up and contribute to a debate they least understand.

Just to re-cap for those who are not conversant with the facts, Kibaki had gone to Libya in June last year to beg money to fund his PNU campaigns and he promised to sell Grand Regency Hotel at peanuts value in exchange of the funds.

How did such funds help the Kenyan public? The money funded Kibaki’s and PNU’s campaigns and had nothing to do with the Kenyan people. The Sh2.9 billion Kimunya claims the hotel fetched will in no way go into public coffers. This was a debt Kibaki incurred and the Sh2.9billion was going to offset that debt. So, how does the public benefit? It’s like when you sell off a vehicle to offset a bank loan you had taken. The cash generated by the vehicle sale will in no way land in your pocket. In this case, Kibaki had already spent the cash he got from Libya in his campaigns and, therefore, not a single cent of the Sh2.9billion will go to the public. That’s the simple mathematics Kimunya is not telling the public.

Kibaki was to hand over the hotel to Libya as soon as he sworn in for a second term in office. But that didn’t happen because Kibaki topped up his votes and this triggered the post-election violence. Libya on the other hand was getting impatient that Kibaki had not honoured his deal and Gaddafi started exerting pressure on Kibaki to deliver what he promised.

On May 19, this year, President Mwai Kibaki flew to Kampala to meet Gaddafi in the thick of a political stalemate back in Kenya brought about by theft of presidential votes. President Gaddafi was in Kampala to commission a new mosque. President Kibaki’s only mission to Kampala was to plead for more time from President Gaddafi for him to honour his part of the MoU.

According to a PPS dispatch to newsrooms, the two leaders held bilateral consultation “to review the status and progress of the implementation of the agreed framework of co-operation between the two countries which was signed in Sirte during President Kibaki's visit to Libya mid last year.” Why didn’t the MPs and the media bother to find out what was this MoU and why was it that important for Kibaki to leave his house on fire to go and meet Gaddafi?

This is where Mr Justice Aaron Ringera, the head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, and Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, come into the Grand Regency picture. The two were under instructions to beg Pattni to surrender the hotel in exchange of amnesty over his role in looting public coffers through the infamous Goldenberg scandal. And the media happily reported what was on the face value when Ringera and Prof Njuguna woke up one day and put up a public show with Pattni announcing the Government had “recovered” the hotel from the Goldenberg thief. Media houses didn’t bother to dig beneath the surface. Why?

Ringera knew what he was doing contravened the same law he is paid Sh2.5 million monthly from tax-payers to uphold. Ringera has taken to court small fish (permanent secretaries, civil servants and watu wa mikono) for procuring goods or committing the Government into deals that had been single-sourced without putting up public bids. What’s so different between such deals and the Grand Regency rip off? In fact, Kibaki was signing hot air in the MoU since the hotel was then the property of Pattni! Why would Ringera sanction law breaking by Kibaki – a duly-elected President who has sworn to protect Kenya, her property and the constitution?

Kimunya – Kibaki’s blue-eyed boy – is merely legalising his master’s grand theft. Poor Kimunya. And he prefers to take the heat and filth from MPs and the media – who have made new discoveries - as his thieving master sits pretty at State House. That’s why it’s laughable when I hear MPs and Cabinet ministers demanding Kimunya’s sacking. Who will sack Kimunya? Can Kibaki sack himself?

In addition to Kimunya, Kenyans should unequivocally demand the truth from Kibaki himself, Dr Kituyi and members of delegation that visited Libya with Kibaki. Kibaki, Kimunya, Ringera and Prof Njuguna MUST all be forced to resign by the public and refund the campaign bribe Kibaki received from Libya.

Our MPs – Prime Minister Raila Odinga included - and the media are only shedding crocodile tears to cover up their collective incompetence. Kenyans are being fooled. Where were the MPs, the James Orengos and the media when Kibaki was stealing public property? Which other public property are in the Mou which Kibaki committed himself to give away?

The only MPs who can somehow escape blame are the new ones who were voted in during last year’s General Election. But Raila and the other MPs who were in the Ninth Parliament should give us a break. They were in Parliament when Kibaki stole Grand Regency and none of them raised a finger till now to endear themselves to the public – to be seen to be championing matters of public interest.

Kibaki Leads by Example and From Infront

While Kenyans are busy shouting themselves horse on the sale of Grand Regency Hotel, HE President Kibaki is operating at a wavelength higher than the rest doing what he knows best for the country. Kibaki is in Cairo attending AU summit of head of states. Always staying above the fray, Kibaki has his eyes singularly trained on SERVING Kenyans via focused economic growth while other populists politicians waste valuable time screaming empty threats and directives to a club they don’t belong to.

True to his character of leading by example and from in front, President Kibaki has moved ahead of noisy Kenyans and directed Orengo to clear the confusion arising from Kimunya’s MISSPEAKING that the GR Hotel was actually bought by indigenous and industrious Kenyans who had the presence of mind to invest heavily their hard-earned capital locally. Kenyans must therefore disregard the press and Camera footage that MISQUOTED Kimunya as stating that the deal was not between the Government of Kenya and the Libyan Government.

There are only 9 unique digits and numbers are known to tell plenty of lies. So Kenyans must stop this madness and obsession with Ksh 2.9. Through prompt actions, Kibaki is urging Kenyans to see the forest and avoid the detraction from thorny trees as propagated by enemies of development. The president of actions and few words is indirectly telling Kenyans through his Minister Orengo that Ksh. 2.9b and Ksh. 1.85b are nothing but clever permutation of numbers between 0-9 nothing more. Moreover, the difference is statistically INSIGNIFICANT when rounded off to the nearest 10. The registrar at Lands office (Mr Mulee) is neither stupid nor can he BETRAY and misuse his office to change figures arbitrarily from Sh2.5 billion to Sh1.85 billion. Orengo must stop splitting hairs.

True leadership as practiced by Kibaki is evident in contracting his own Minister’s law firm to keep government secrets and business safe. You cannot fail to notice the President’s insight in directing Wetangula-Adan-Makokha law firm to act for both Central Bank of Kenya and the Libya Arab African Investment Company Kenya Limited. That is massive cost cutting if you ask me and promoting local talent plus showing trust of business to your lieutenants. Otherwise the red tape of allowing AG Wako to act on behalf of the CBK/Government) would amount to driving private firms out of business.

Populist bridesmaid
While our hard working president is busy meeting brother Leader Muamar Gaddafi on the sidelines of AU summit for further investment, some pea-brained MPs are busy disrupting peace in seeking permit to protest about things they cannot comprehend. Demonstrate on what for what against whom? Well our police have shown their capability to guard grass for weeks on end and the DOMO MPs are well taken care of. And by the way why would they strive to lock the kraal when the horse bolted long time ago? The brainy CBK Governor Prof Ndungu witnessed and finalized the transfer of GR almost two weeks ago on June 20. By the time the loud-mouthed MPs would be demonstrating, the new owners would be almost 24 hours old in their job after the OFFICIAL takeover last midnight.

Kenyans interested in development must all rally behind President Kibaki who is sparing no effort to make a clean sweep of what was left from Moi’s ruinous 24 years. All the hot air about PAC grilling and cabinet sub-committee is an attempt by a bridesmaid to have a piece of action during the real maid’s big occasion. The pecking order is clear and juinior ministers like Orengo will soon be disabused of his activist mindset before he mellows with responsibility. Kazi iendelee.

Grand Regency Hotel Scam: What Kenyans Still Don’t Know

Is The “Blood” Hotel also the Cursed Hotel?

There are many folks who have left comments in this blog trying to suggest that there is no big deal with the sale of the Grand Regency hotel to Libyans.

These sentiments no doubt come from a position of ignorance.

There are many very important facts that these good Kenyans do not realize.

And my list does NOT include the obvious fact that public property must be sold openly to the highest bidder. Not secretly with the transaction finalized in Amos Kimunya’s favourite bar to avoid the attention of other nosy cabinet colleagues.

Firstly it is important to note that the Kshs 2.9 billion paid will NOT go to the public coffers. In fact this is cash that has mostly already been spent in PNU campaigns in the last ill-fated general elections of last December. In other words the hotel was traded for party politics.

As we pointed out in our earlier article (which was rubbished by most commentators as usual, but has now come to pass) this is a deal that was sealed in June 2007 when your duly elected president went to beg for presidential campaign funds in Libya. Since then Kibaki has been under such intense pressure from Col. Muammar Gaddafi to honour the deal and Kimunya “accidentally” alluded to that during the press conference where he confirmed that the secret sale had taken place after all. And after earlier appearing on national TV to tell Kenyans that the Grand Regency sale saga was a rumour from some bar.

To make matters worse the Grand Regency did not even rightfully belong to Paul Pattni (or Kamlesh Pattni, or whatever you want to call him) in the first place. While he did pay some money to gain control of it, the truth is that part of the purchase price was paid in human blood. The legitimate owners of the hotel were the Aslam family (remember the former majority shareholder and owner of Pan African bank, Mohammed Aslam who “conveniently” died under mysterious circumstances the day before he was supposed to give evidence in the Ouko commission investigating the still unsolved murder of the late foreign affairs minister?). Aslam’s wife was hurriedly given a pittance in cash to flee the country with her frightened children and forget about the hotel. Which she did.

Impeccable sources assure me (sorry to use this nasty American expression) that the human waste is about to hit the fan. Other political fires that have been quietly burning for quite a while are now well above boiling point. Top ODM party officials are livid because Francis Muthaura, on instructions from the duly elected president, has been transferring civil servants seen to be sympathetic to ODM all over the place. This Grand Regency saga would seem to be the perfect opportunity for them to go for PNU’s jugular. There is no doubt on my mind, based on the information that I have, that ODM are planning something BIG. I have no idea what it is, but this has to be a tense moment for the nation and our infant coalition government.

The words of South African judge Yohann Kriegler last week are still echoing in my mind.

The judge said (while hitting out at political parties for sending hecklers to his public hearings at the KICC last week in an effort to swing the commissions’ sentiments in their favour); “Politics is not for sissies.”

How true.


Kenyans and others abroad can now operate as if they were in Kenya. Invest, supervise their investments, find a clean budget hotel, buy land, pay their old mother’s electricity bills etc.

P.S. Exactly how much did Presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki spend on his presidential campaign last year? The latest Kumekucha’s raw notes explores that question in great detail but what will shock most Kenyans is the other source of those funds (apart from the Libyans) according to knowledgeable sources.

Ooops, He Did it Again

The sale of Grand Regency hotel is generating the wrong debate which instead masks Kibaki's noble intension to accelerate Kenya into the realm of industrialization by 2010. Kenya is presently governed by a Grand coalition that demands Grand resources which can only be sourced from Grand sales. Selling the five star Grand Regency hotel was the most prudent thing for HE Kibaki in his quest to wean Kenya from donor dependency besides turning east.

The best vision is insight. Kenyans should thank President Kibaki for his wisdom to seek COMPETITIVE price for a priced asset like the Grand Regency Hotel. Such alloyed wisdom are rare to come by and can only originate from a brain trained in hitherto premier Makerere university with a touch of London School of economics (for a second bachelors). And what is more, our brilliant president who lets his DEEDS speak for him is assisted by able hand of an accomplished accountant for a Finance minister. Add to that the wise counsel of CBK government Professor Ndungu and dragon slayer KACC director Aaron Ringera and you have people with hindsight and the luxury to communicate in their first language.

Governance is not about PR which is a maggot for profitable business. The YOUTHFUL and accomplished accountant in Kimunya did what any shrewd businessman would do. He saw an opportunity and a price TOO SWEET to refuse and went ahead to save Kenyan taxpayers plenty of time and resources in being a slave to procurement rate tape. Every Kenyan owes Bw. Amos a huge dose of appreciation for we know he has industry compliant DNA. Who know? Maybe the perils of bureaucracy in public bidding would have costed us the much-needed revenue from brother leader Muammar Gaddaffi.

Africa is for Africans and only leaders with foresight like Gaddafi can help us prosper. And African tradition demands RETURNING HAND for favours and gestures from friendly quarters. Besides CHEAP oil we now have Africanized Esso to Oilibya. Now we have an African big brother built the biggest mosque in Kampala and owning the CLASSIEST hotel in Nairobi. Forget all the noise in pricing. Assets depreciate from tear and wear and we should thank the Libyan government for sacrificing so much to invest at the heart of our city. We owe development conscious Tuju and intelligent Kituyi plenty in signing these deals on our behalf. Now we know why the president had the presence of mind to give their portfolios Wetangula and UK respectively.

Grand Deception
Lost business following violence after last year’s election can only be recouped by a sturdy and focused team. No we know why HE had to do what he did to continue with the path to unrivalled development in the region. He is so smart so much so that in less than five years he has had two Finance ministers who have outdone Moi’s 24 years of ruin. The lost generation under Moi must be our bar and Kibaki is singularly determined to raise it. By the way any government worth her name has no business engaging in business. No wonder HE Kibaki saw in his wisdom to divest from communication and position his government to cash in from the concessionary Libyan oil. With aptly christened ventures like TRANCENTURY we are surely headed to being an African tiger soon.

Minister Orengo and ODM must shed off their activist gabs and roll up their sleeves to national reconciliation and healing. It is no surprise that Orengo was the whistle blower given his LAZY DNA. He should stick to what he knows best as a lawyer and leave enterprise to those capable of transforming themselves into millionaires by selling razor blades. And while at it Orengo must respect the flower girl position of his party in the Grand coalition. He must be disabused of any feigned authority and be reminded that his Lands Ministry ranks lower in the government's pecking order.

As a nation we must adopt MOVE ON as an appendix to the national anthem and crucify anybody engaging in DOMO DOMO politics as we match to 2010. Kimunya which coincidentally translates literally to UPROOTER is the undisputed saviour who will shepherd us to economic nirvana. Any noise that he resigns must be treated with utmost contempt. Resign for what?

Nairobi Java MD Faces Life Imprisonment

The Managing Director of popular JAVA Coffee House was yesterday arraigned in court and charged with defiling two Kenyan minors aged 13 and 14 years old.

A calm looking 41 year old Jon Cardon Wagner appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Muketi for mentioning on Friday when city lawyer Mohammed Nyaoga pleaded with the court to grant his client cash bail. Wagner, who is an American citizen, was ordered undergo a DNA test and then remanded at the Muthangari Police Station until Monday when the magistrate is expected to make a ruling on the bail application. Officials of the US Embassy were seen taking notes in the courtroom on Friday. The case shall be heard on August 26, 2008.

One police officer speaking on condition of anonymity revealed that they made a decision to arrest and charge Wagner after they had been able to establish that hotelier paid two women a total of about US$500 to lure the girls, whose identity remains unknown, from their homes in a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi to his residence in the upmarket Lavington estate. In addition to the current charge, police are said to be investigating at least two new complaints of statutory rape against the American, which were received at Muthangari Police Station following media coverage of Wagner's arrest Thursday. A sign that police are taking the matter seriously could be seen when Wagner’s arrest was conducted in person by the Muthangari OCS while journalists from the mainstream media were summoned to witness the arrest.

According to Kenyan law, (Penal Code Chapter 145. Defilement of girls under 16 years), any person who ‘unlawfully and carnally knows’ any girl under the age of sixteen years is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment with hard labour for life. Additionally, any person who ‘attempts to unlawful carnal knowledge’ of a girl under the age of sixteen years is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment with hard labour for life.


Discreet inquiries by this blogger reveal that tens of innocent Kenyan girls have fallen victim to Wagner's insatiable sex-drive. Indeed, many of the hundreds of girls who have been employed at Java as waitresses, cashiers and supervisors have had to be forced into sleeping with Wagner before collecting their employment letters at the firm’s head-office at ABC Place along Waiyaki Way. In one shocking incident, this blogger was able to trace one of the girls – originally from Western Kenya – who confessed to having been appointed a restaurant manager in one of the Java outlets despite her obvious lack of experience or qualifications in the hospitality industry after Wagner allegedly slept with her over a period of time and also allegedly infected her with the HIV virus.

During Wagner’s widely publicized arrest, one young damsel emerged from the stately home clutching a handbag and calmly walked out of the gate and on to the road towards the bus stop. In Nairobi upper class restaurant circles, Wagner’s sexual escapades are a poorly kept secret and it is indeed surprising that it has taken police nearly a decade to catch up with this notorious sex pest.

Nairobi Java House began a culture of gourmet coffee drinking in Nairobi nine years ago and has grown to have eight posh coffee shops in the capital and around the suburbs employing hundreds of Kenyans. Java is hugely popular with upper upper-class Kenyans, tourists and expatriates. The Java group also exports Kenyan coffee to USA and Western Europe.

We Sold Grand Regency To The Libyans… Muta-do?

Two things happened yesterday, one a small incident and the other a major announcement that shook the country. Both served to remind Kenyans that nothing has changed. And probably nothing will ever change.

The smaller incident was that Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s motorcade was leaving his Karen residence in the morning when they came across an accident involving a Mr Joshua Kulei. Remember the former-prison-warden-turned-billionaire? The semi-illiterate guy who made bags and bags of cash, mainly looted from public coffers as former President Moi’s personal assistant? The VP’s people assisted Kulei. Apparently there were no serious injuries.

If Kulei is still not in jail it proves that nothing has changed despite all the hot air witnessed these days. The guy is still in the country enjoying his ill-gotten wealth. Yet another shining example of selective justice, Kenyan-style.

The bigger event was that Finance Minister Amos Kimunya announced that the Grand Regency has already been sold to some Libyans for about Kshs 2.9 billion. (Chris published the inside story here almost 2 months ago. Read it HERE. You will cry tears.) Now the virtually toothless parliamentary select committee has threatened action. That is really funny. What action can they seriously take?

Kimunya and company are very smart. Together with the likes of Martha Karua, (and another lawyer called Gichira Kibara) they went through the Kenyan electoral law last December and quickly identified all the loopholes. The most gaping one is that to be declared president of Kenya (whether you have lost or won the election) the only guy you need “to take care of” is the commission chair. This explains (for those with the memory of an elephant like me) why the president was so determined to fill the commission with his cronies. The idea was to prop up his own hand-picked chairperson who could do as he or she was instructed. Public pressure forced the re-appointment of Samuel Kivuitu but ways and means of getting him to play ball were still found.

These people do not make mistakes (legally at least). When it comes to politics, that is a whole different story which I have no intention of discussing now. So the Grand Regency Hotel has been sold for at least half its’ market value BUT Muta-do? There is absolutely nothing anybody can do about it. I will use Robert Mugabe’s words to the world the other day; “they can shout as much as they want…”

The comedy in the whole Grand Regency saga was the clip local TV stations have been playing showing Kimunya denying that there was any plan to secretly sell the prestigious hotel turned public property.

Here is what the guy Chris calls a blind side winger said;

“Somebody heard it in a bar, others got it from some rumour mill (I am certain in his mind he was thinking about this exclusive Kumekucha story) and now they are talking about it with such authority as if they know what is going on.”

Very funny. Now it is clear that the “bar stories” and the “rumour mills” were 100 per cent accurate and the Finance Minister was telling lies on national TV. Muta-do?

P.S. This is precisely why ODM were dreaming when they gunned for the Finance portfolio during the Kofi Anan talks. This Grand Regency deal like the Safaricom one before it would have been impossible to pull off without Kimunya at the Treasury.

P.S. 2 Something we were discussing with Chris on the phone which I want to pass on for you to mull over this weekend. Why are some people so determined to discredit this blog and Chris’ explosive raw notes? And yet time and again the information published in both is proving to be 101% accurate. What would be the real motive?

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