From: Judy Miriga
Folks,
We demand for equal justice for all under the law so fairness is able to thrive amongst Kenyans with Kenya’s business interests shared equitably; are accessed and distributed fairly to all without discrimination, manipulation, threats or intimidation.
Where are we today as a people since Referendum? Answer: We are at Constitutional mutilation so Special Interest to have a free environment for stealing Public Wealth and resources. Where do we go from here? Answer: It will depend with if Kenyans voted for mutilation and dismemberment of the constitution or whether people voted at Referendum for Change with Legislative policy to Reform Bad-State-of-Affair in the way politics should done in Kenya. Politics in Kenya is critical to the future of Kenya in the International economic stability.
Corruption in Kenya is enjoyed between 25 people against the Population of 43,013,341 (July 2012 est.) and it MUST not remain that the 25 people were blessed to enjoy life in Kenya against the rest 43 plus something people.
Leadership therefore demands conviction. If someone is committed to do a good job or provide real change that people can believe in, selling policy as Civic Education is a Responsibility of resilience one must commit to public service as top in the Agenda, and it must be seen in action how a leader is capable of organizing his house to deliver the same policy which in return provide effects for transformation in the Constitution; the struggle of which is lacking in the present Coalition Government. This behavioral trend of the Coalition Government leadership, controlled by a clique of partnership members of the 25 Mafionic in Kenya is the reason why Kenya’s constitution got mutilated. They did this to cover their corrupt deals. They are against change to reform legislative policies that is fair to allow sharing of public wealth equitably…..For that reason all the 25 Mafionic elements don’t want Federalism of Devolve Governance, they don’t want Land problem to be addressed, they don’t want Revenue to be allocated to the Counties nor do they want Transparency and accountability. The policy for security is messed-up and that is why, PM Raila went to Iran to sign a business Memorandum of Understanding. One such we now suspect was, he signed in Terrorists to come in with explosives to destroy people occupying land which they have earmarked for business, and conspired within the Coalition Government to quickly achieve their mission through Vision 2030.
We are looking beyond getting stuck in the mud with the 25 Mafionic Syndicators. We must destroy their conspiracy and networking by removing all of them irrespectively from leadership. Section 6 will help clean the house for a fresh start-up. We must be driven by a character of conviction to change Kenya for better not for worse. We are looking for a future of improved destiny where there is valuable opportunity for employment to all, good competitive education with challenging science and engineering across the Nation, improved health facilities with well managed environmental safety. Clean energy will therefore be a basic requirement which is equally lacking presently; and where Chinese and Indian mission Agents in Kenya are dropping oil riggs everywhere without due care of environmental pollution.
Raila’s continual public quatation that “The Odinga’s and Kenyatta’s” were the founding fathers of Kenya and so in their 50 years of rule they remain to tell Kenyans “it is their time to eat” anyhow they feel like and no one should question them, is out of tune. The Odinga’s and Kenyatta’s did not fight for Independence alone, there are many who lost lives in the struggle with others whose families are dumped and forgotten who are presently are in the cold with their families destroyed. This must be a reminder to the Odinga’s and the Kenyatta’s that fighting for the Countries Independence does not give them right to rape and harlot the country at will for self gain. This is why Kenya need Reformed Change.
No one should play for a succor conspiracy with peoples’ livelihood and survival and get away with it. Everyone must be put under the law and must be answerable to their deeds or misdeeds. The Legislative Policy awareness for the Civil Society is for purposes that people be informed and be educated on matters that concern their economy, security, livelihood and survival; and it is their legislative Rights to get committed in engagement and participation of the same freely without obstruction or manipulation; so that they can champion for Civil Rights, fair distribution of wealth and Equality for accessing opportunities for progressive development individually or collectively.
We are each others keepers people; we have an obligation to shape our future and we can do this by first putting to task leaders who squandered their opportunity by putting the country at arm’s length exposed to danger, risks, poverty, environmental destruction with economic plunder. We must demand to know more about why “Vision 2030” became a corrupt project scheme for Kenya’s death toll, and a “cash-cow” for the 25 Mafionic conspirators in Kenya. All must face the law people so we are able to start a fresh and make the Democratic Constitutional Governance a successful story where it works for everybody…..
Cheers everybody…..
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
– – – – – – – – – – –
On 7/11/12, mohamed warsama wrote:
WHERE are all those so-called liberal NGOs who talk big about Chapter Six ?
Cyprian Nyamwamu, where are you ?
You and EACC should all begin probing into the sources of wealth acquired by Raila and Caroli Omondi, going back to Daniel arap Moi.
Mohamed Warsama
— On Thu, 7/12/12, Henry Gichaba wrote:
From: Henry Gichaba
Subject: THE DAY “KENYA COMMUNITY ABROAD” BECAME A CARCASS FOR DOGS!
Date: Thursday, July 12, 2012, 11:48 PM
Dear kenyans,
Over one year ago, dullards were put at the helm of the Kenya Community Abroad (KCA). It was a selection of self-made cretins, handipicked by two cadavers, Janet Feldman and Richard Pordosky. The two are non-Kenyans. Nonetheless, they were running the KCA. Unto this day, they are still sewing together the badly tarttered piece of amarinda. They annoint Dr. Ogendi and his team to office for own economic benefits.
In truth, the last KCA elections were overwhelmingly won by Abdulsalaam Yakub (Chifu-wa-Malindi) of New York. Nonetheless, a goat called Ms. Feldman and a donkey called Mr. Pordosky rigged the elections in favor of the stoogy toothless bulldog, Dr. Ogendi. In the wake of those annointments by the American nincompoops, referred here unto, I warned that with such massive election fraud, KCA became a stinking corpse. Now Dr. Ogendi’s KCA is a skeleton to be discovered by archaelogists.
Dr. Ogendi has no idea what KCA means. From the hour Ms. Feldman and Mr. Podosky annointed the daktari, and started feeding the scholar with fresh human faeces, the mavi gave the Ph.D holder a new Ph.D (this time Permanent Head damage). The scholar’s Feldman-Podosky-caused dementia has such worsened that he recently posted on KCA this “BREAKING NEWS” http://will.smith.mediafetcher.com/news/top_stories/actor_new_zealand.php from some Australian gutter press.
Such is the bottomless pit that two self-seeking American crack-smoking, illitrate non-entities, Ms. feldman and Mr. Podosky, have buried the head of a once promising Kenyan scholar. Two years ago, I said that Janet Feldman used our country, Kenya to solicit for funds in the USA claiming to help combat HIV/AIDS/other in Kisumu. The following is an excerpt from their website:
“KAIPPG is an HIV/AIDS and development nonprofit in Kenya, with an international branch in the USA. KAIPPG addresses a full range of HIV/AIDS-related issues and challenges–from the education of orphans to job training for widows, and nutrition for PLWHAS to use of the arts for HIV/AIDS education and prevention–and in addition focuses on poverty alleviation, nutrition and food security, human rights and the special challenges of women and youth, education and healthcare, and environmental sustainability.”
If such group exists, it doesn’t work in Kenya (Kisumu). However, this is the group which took over KCA and paid Dr. Ogendi thousands of dollars to destroy KCA. Dr. Ogendi surrendered our organization to Ms. Feldman and Mr. Podosky. The two became life members and the only election returning officers for KCA. The reason is, if Ms. Feldman and Mr. Podosky could be seen to be life members of KCA, and control the KCA activities, their NGOs could be more legitimized. More dollar donations could flow into the pockets of the two Americans. The truth is, 90% of all the money collected goes to administrative costs of “delivering curative services to Kenyans suffering from HIV/AIDs/other.”
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it’s the reason Ogendi’s team has no idea what’s happening in Kenya. Not an iota of contrinbution or press release on issues affecting Kenyans today. Our once vibrant KCA pulpit has been hewed, “like a carcass for hounds.” KCA’s central theme has never been a platform upon which two American dogs can stand to eat fresh human faeces. It was meant to cater for socio-religio-politico-economic interests of Kenyans living abroad.
I’m uncertain if KCA will ever resurrect. Most of all, “I’m deeply grieved, and it’s not just a personal grief. I mourn for Kenyans in Diaspora whose ability to show leadership has broken up and fallen apart. And I mourn for the scholars like Dr. Ogendi who’ve so unaccountably indulged in eating fresh human faeces with brainless American rats.” Like Janet Feldman and Richard Podosky.
Kenyans, stand up and reclaim your KCA. Tunaweza kuosha hicho kinyesi kutoka kinywani mwa KCA.
Mobbi Gichaba, somewhere in the forests of North Carolina.
On Wed, Jul 11, 2012 at 1:52 PM,
mohamed warsama wrote:
“Dont call it a scandal !” Raila to Miguna when he tried to brief him on the maize scandal involving top officials of the PMO. So much for transparency and reform credentials.
***
Miguna portrayed himself as smart, tough guy who fought for a boss who was such a big coward, he could not face up to Kibaki over his rights in the coalition.
He got the half crumbs from Kibaki largely through the tenacity of Miguna.
***
Raila: “Hmmm…hmmm…hmmm, is that so ? Miguna, what’s wrong if Caroli bought Heron Court, hmm? What’s wrong with Luos ? Who told them not to make money ?”
Of course, Raila is the guy who was bribed by Moi to join Kanu with Sh 800m to buy the Kisumu molasses plant. So what is wrong if Caroli Omondi paid Sh 800m to buy Heron Court Hotel ? Wacheni wivu na uhasidi, hakuna mambo ya chapter six, iko chapaa six tu !
****
When he was Energy Minister,he owed his PA Herbert Ojwang’ for the introduction to South African tycoon, Antonio Texeira, which intro opened door to real big money for Raila. He then sacked without compensation Ojwang’ who sued him. I used to know Ojwang’s father.
***
Raila chaired five Cabinet sub-committees but all their recommendations were ignored by Cabinet.
***
BIG QUESTION: Why did ODM Chairman Henry Kosgey whom Miguna described as a “certified Kanu orphan” order Miguna in a yelling voice to leave the area outside the locked National Tallying Centre behind which doors Miguna believed votes for Kibaki were being cooked ? Miguna says Kosgey told him to leave or else he personally would eject him with the help of the security guarding the doors. Miguna had seen PNU men go in but the security blocked him. Why did the “Kanu certified orphan” order Miguna to quit ? Interesting.
***
SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY WHEN THE BOOK WILL BE LAUNCHED AT INTER-CON HOTEL.
MOHAMED WARSAMA
Miguna: Our office was a swamp of graft
Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s advisor on coalition matters Miguna Miguna was suspended on August 4, 2011. Photo/FILE
By MURITHI MUTIGA mmutiga@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Wednesday, July 11 2012 at 21:38
Miguna Miguna casts the Prime Minister’s office and the Grand Coalition as a den of corruption where multi-billion-shilling deals are struck behind closed doors and foreign trips used to clinch private business contracts.
In his new book, Mr Miguna also examines the question of campaign financing, saying foreigners with an eye on clinching government contracts provide hundreds of millions of shillings to presidential candidates.
Peeling back the Mask, Mr Miguna’s account of his time as a senior aide to PM Raila Odinga, has been described as the most explosive book in the country since John Githongo’s revelations on grand corruption within President Kibaki’s circle.
Mr Miguna makes similar claims about the PM. He is especially scathing about the PM’s choice of senior staff, saying many had been linked to graft before being tapped to serve with Mr Odinga.
“I regret now that I didn’t raise more objections when I found out that Raila had appointed Mohammed Isahakia as his campaign manager,” he writes.
“…(Dr Isahakia) has been implicated in a list of alleged corruption (scandals) as long as the River Nile. There are a few court judgments on these.
“I was befuddled. My brief inquiries revealed that Isahakia had served as managing director of the National Museums of Kenya before leaving under a dark cloud of corruption which saw him arraigned in numerous courts for theft, fraud and misappropriation of taxpayers’ money.
“He had then apparently been dismissed twice as a permanent secretary for incompetence under Moi’s government.”
Mr Miguna says two of the PM’s senior aides were involved in negotiations with Chinese officials for the supply of goods to the military worth billions. He links the suspension of military officials in the procurement department last year to the deal.
He offers an insider account of some of the scandals which have dogged Mr Odinga in the last four years, including the maize scam, the Kazi kwa Vijana initiative and questionable management practices at NSSF and NHIF.
He says attempts to draw the PM’s attention to the conduct of some of his senior staff made him unpopular.
“I…continued to challenge the merchants of impunity, again and again. I considered it part of my job to protect public interest. This made me a derided and feared figure in the corridors of power, but it was a price I was prepared to pay.
“I was becoming increasingly frustrated and angry that I had pinned my hopes on Raila and people like (James) Orengo and (Prof Anyang’) Nyong’o. Unfortunately, all of them had gone to bed with the merchants of corruption and looked at me as an irritant.
“What we had fought for during the second liberation was forgotten; it was now ‘our time to eat’. I got reports that Raila, Orengo, Nyong’o and (Otieno)
Kajwang’ were jokingly comparing me to the Mau Mau who woke up one day in December 1963 to hear reports that Kenya had obtained independence, but refusing to believe it, chose instead to ‘return to the forest’.”
Anxiety all over his face
The author narrates an account of a meeting with Mr Odinga and the PM’s chief of staff, Mr Caroli Omondi, over allegations some senior staff were involved in the maize scandal. The scam involved the sale of billions of shillings worth of maize meant to cushion the poor.
“(I told the PM that) I have disturbing information, which I believe to be credible — and some of it has been reported in the media already — that it was Caroli who issued verbal instructions to the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) to order the (contaminated) maize, even to enhance its price and then told the managing director of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to release the maize to the domestic market despite serious reports of its contamination.
“Sir, reliable reports indicate that Caroli telephoned (Gideon) Misoi, the NCPB managing director, from our office line…’ Is that true Caroli? Did you call them from our office line?” Raila interjected again, looking at Caroli with anxiety written all over his face.
“Right there, I knew that both Raila and Caroli were privy to those ‘interventions’, otherwise, he wouldn’t and shouldn’t have cared where the calls emanated from. Whether Caroli used the office line or his mobile line or Caroli’s grandmother’s mobile phone didn’t matter, really. What mattered was why Caroli should have been the one giving instructions to the NCPB over contaminated maize.”
Mr Miguna also examines Mr Odinga’s ties with foreign businessmen. He claims an aide was sacked on suspicion of misappropriating campaign funds. He says the former PA brought Sh50 million to Mr Odinga while he had been given Sh200 million by the investor from South Korea.
Mr Miguna reproduces a letter which journalist Sarah Elderkin, a long-time confidante of the PM, wrote to Mr Odinga protesting against Mr Miguna’s suspension.
“You (Mr Odinga) have people around you playing major roles who are irredeemably corrupt. Two of them were suspended earlier and then incomprehensibly reinstated. They were suspended on full pay and benefits.
“Now you have a man who is totally loyal and not involved in your office staff’s blatant, well-known all over town, corruption, yet he is ‘suspended’ without pay and this is activated by one of those whose integrity I wouldn’t trust beyond a yard away from me, someone the whole town talks about.
“Miguna gets no chance to hear and answer allegations? This is against the most basic of labour laws and totally contrary to natural justice.”
Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, is published by Gilgamesh Africa, London. It will be launched at the InterContinental Hotel, Nairobi, 11am on Saturday, July 14 and will be available in bookshops thereafter.
© Miguna Miguna, 2012
Western powers crafted coalition option: Miguna
In Summary
* Raila abandoned ODM position going into peace talks, claims former aide
The grand coalition government idea was imposed on President Kibaki and Mr Raila Odinga by foreign powers, the Prime Minister’s former aide claims in his book.
The United States and Britain used Mr Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general who was the chief mediator in the Kenyan dispute, to impose the power sharing solution.
Mr Miguna Miguna, who was Mr Odinga’s adviser on coalition matters before falling out with him, accuses the Prime Minister of abandoning the ODM position, going into the peace talks, and embracing the coalition government idea.
Mr Miguna says he was a member of the negotiating team before being elbowed out by Mr Caroli Omondi, the Prime Minister’s private secretary and chief of staff.
“He (Raila) decided — without explanation or reason to go for a coalition government, which was what Annan had announced as the ‘best way forward’ upon his arrival in Nairobi, before he had even held meetings with the parties. This ‘grand coalition’ idea didn’t emanate from the parties or from the process, it was probably manufactured in Washington or London and delivered by Annan to Kenya; another dubious foreign experiment on Africa!”
Mr Miguna says that Mr Annan was not chosen by the two parties to the dispute but by the Americans and Britons with the backing of John Kufuor, the former Ghanaian president who was then chairman of the African Union.
“His (Annan’s) name was first suggested by the US and UK administrations; and had been backed by Kufuor because they were both Ghanaians. Essentially, Kibaki and his PNU cohorts had been bludgeoned into accepting him grudgingly.”
Mr Odinga’s and ODM’s position before Annan arrived was that there should a presidential rerun, Mr Miguna writes in his book Peeling Back The Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya.
‘’Even as we go for mediation, Pentagon should not forget that Kenyans voted for change. Anything short of a rerun will be a fraud…’’ Mr Miguna quotes Mr Odinga as telling an ODM strategy retreat at Maasai Lodge.
The PNU position was that Kibaki won fairly and that Mr Odinga and ODM should accept defeat and become the opposition.
But both sides compromised on power sharing.
Mr Miguna says Raila’s position changed the moment Mr Annan arrived.
He blames this on pressure from people around Mr Odinga, including Ugenya MP James Orengo and “Kanu orphans preferring even a whiff of power to being left out in the cold.”
Once Mr Odinga had changed his position, he still allowed himself to be short-changed by Kibaki in the power-sharing deal.
The deal, Mr Miguna says, should have included sharing of positions in the civil service. Mr Odinga should also have got powerful ministries which President Kibaki had already filled in his half cabinet.
Mr Miguna says then US ambassador Michael Ranneberger convinced Mr Odinga to accept “departments” in the coalition government “as the first steps to real power-sharing; and to give Kibaki time to agree to the sharing of the other positions in government.”
Mr Miguna writes that Mr Odinga and his team treated Mr Annan “like a judge of the supreme global court, not as a mediator, thus Annan’s role became prescriptive, rather than explorative.”
But he accuses Mr Annan of failing to stand up to President Kibaki and the PNU side once the talks started culminating in Mr Odinga and ODM getting a raw deal at the end.
Inside Raila’s kitchen cabinet
By MURITHI MUTIGA mmutiga@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, July 12 2012 at 22:00
In Summary
* Former adviser reveals the inner circle to which PM turns in the
exercise of executive power
Prime Minister Raila Odinga comes across from his former aide’s new book as a hardened, crafty political operative with a complex view on electoral strategy and a multi-layered team of advisers often at odds with each other.
Mr Miguna Miguna, who until last August was one of the PM’s top allies and confidantes, says Mr Odinga relies, above all, on a close team of relatives and political partners.
At the heart of that group is a small circle of relatives and senior employees in the Office of the Prime Minister, including Mr Odinga’s wife Ida, and ODM MPs Oburu Odinga, James Orengo, Jakoyo Midiwo and Anyang’ Nyong’o and his top aides, Caroli Omondi and Mohamed Isahakia.
Mr Odinga’s inner circle is advised by a “think tank” which, Mr Miguna writes in his new memoirs, Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, has involved a number of informal advisers over the past few years.
Some of those Mr Miguna lists as long-term strategists of Mr Odinga include Prof Edward Oyugi, Mr Oduor Ong’wen, Mr Mugambi Imanyara, Mr Mutakha Kangu, Dr Adhu Awiti, Prof Peter Wanyande, Mr Salim Lone and Mr Nabii Nabwera.
Mr Odinga does not always take their advice. Mr Miguna depicts the PM as a man who consults widely but is sometimes slow to take decisive action.
He says Mr Odinga is almost constantly on his mobile phone discussing political events with various players, but complains that the PM is rarely worried about his phone being tapped and has consistently resisted efforts to get him to be more security conscious.
Mr Miguna’s book has triggered animated discussions about the unflattering portrait it paints of the PM. But beyond the attacks on Mr Odinga’s character, the book offers some of the most revealing insights about the ODM leader’s approach to politics, a valuable tool because apart from Presidents Kibaki and Moi, no single figure has dominated Kenyan politics in the last decade and a half than the PM.
Mr Odinga comes across as a political bruiser who takes the long view in strategising how to acquire power and understands victory comes to those who are patient and adaptable in the struggle for public office.
Mr Miguna offers this story about a meeting he held with Mr Odinga before the last elections where they discussed Mr Odinga’s contest for the ODM-Kenya ticket against Mr Kalonzo Musyoka.
“We moved onto the tricks and tactics Kalonzo had tried to use to win the ODM-K presidential nominations (before he eventually ran away with the party). Raila had told me a memorable thing, which I should share. He said, ‘Ja-Nyando (Son of Nyando), in wrestling; when two people wrestle, they do everything to win.
“One may try to grab his opponent’s crotch; the other may try to trip the opponent; but in the end, the one who wins is either the one who remains standing or on top of the other. Politics is not any different. Everyone must do whatever he can to win. So, let Kalonzo do everything he can to win…”
Like Mr Moi, Mr Odinga hates anyone keeping written records of meetings: “During the ROC (Raila Odinga Centre) so-called strategy meetings, nobody took notes,” Mr Miguna writes.
“There was only one laptop which Dick (Ogolla) carried and used. Raila distrusted note-taking. He has, on occasions, lashed out at me with fury, out of the blue, for my note-taking. Perhaps this was partly a throwback to his ‘underground’ past, when everything was committed to memory for fear that Moi’s Special Branch boys would use any written record to obtain quick and easy convictions from trumped-up sedition and treason charges.
“But this was a new era. (Much later, I came to wonder if Raila might have been consciously trying to discourage record-keeping as a way of concealing his various business deals. He didn’t want someone recording what might turn up later as ‘evidence’ against him.)”
Mr Miguna describes Mr Odinga’s media strategy as one which revolves around the view that whether one is covered positively or negatively, media exposure is good for a politician because it boosts their name recognition and makes them seem all-powerful.
He says this strategy was applied in the battle for the ODM-K nomination, the umbrella opposition party before the formation of ODM.
“Kalonzo might have still been artificially projected as being ahead in the polls, but the chattering classes and the ordinary people considered Raila the de facto leader of ODM-K.
He had received extensive media coverage. Hardly a day went by without a newspaper, television outlet or radio station featuring Raila, positively or negatively.
Consummate mobiliser
The conventional wisdom is that “any coverage is good coverage for a politician”. We understood that most people wouldn’t remember the story lines; they would only remember the name of the person at the centre of the story. The mere fact Raila’s name was on everyone’s lips, from the market place to the private members’ clubs, was good for his candidacy.
“We intensified the positive buzz about Raila by feeding the media all kinds of information on Raila; his childhood, his detention without trial, his brief Kenya Bureau of Standards stint, his exile, and his escapades in opposition politics.”
Mr Miguna casts Mr Odinga’s inner circle of advisers as being frequently divided. Mr Miguna was an integral part of the team and his low opinion of his colleagues shines through in every page.
He accuses Mr Orengo of being a “lyrical sycophant in the king’s court”, Prof Nyong’o and Mr Orengo are jointly described as “timid, cowardly and hypocritical” while Dr Isahakia and Mr Omondi are similarly dismissed by Mr Miguna.
In the end, the picture Mr Miguna paints of Mr Odinga the politician is one that Kenyans will be familiar with from some earlier sources, including the US cables revealed by Wikileaks: A complex, driven politician who is nevertheless surrounded by a quarrelling group of advisers who give the impression of dysfunction in the PM’s office.
Kenya: State House Project Against Raila Is Real
By David Makali, 11 July 2012
opinion
Smart people, such as read the Star, by now know of the existence of a project in the Kibaki succession game plan.
When Lugari MP and presidential aspirant Cyrus Jirongo blew the lid off the plan with his public utterances a fortnight ago, the usually mute State House was so piqued it sent out a blistering statement that left quite a lot to be desired. It went beyond mere denial to uncharacteristically attack Jirongo’s personality.
Now, as any keen follower of the Kibaki presidency will attest, every time State House denies something, it usually serves as a confirmation instead. Let’s not get into the details of the memorable “One family only” defence and the embarrassing saga of how the state facilitated the Armenian mercenaries to commit crimes around. Even judges at the International Criminal Court have found it hard to believe denials that Mungiki adherents attended a meeting there at the height of the 2007 post election stand off.
Back to the project, it is apparent that State House and informal networks with traceable patronage back there have more than a passing interest in the next election. While some argue that it was a slip of the tongue, I believe President Kibaki’s subconscious stream was at work when he kept referring to only one “project he knows about in his address to MPs at their retreat in Mombasa last month.
Indeed the project is one – to ensure continuity of the status quo by bequeathing power to one of the ruling elite or their proxy. The idea is to prop up a candidate or craft a coalition that will ensure the continued dominance of economic and political power in Kenya. The scheme unites the wielders of power and the power brokers of the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki administrations, that have a common interest in succeeding themselves and perpetuating their stranglehold on Kenya. At stake is whether such a succession plan will breathe life into the new constitution, address the inequality and injustice that Kenya must overcome and end ensure the rule of law.
Although hints are being dropped cautiously because of the high stakes involved, the truth is that the project is the running thread in all the political alliances that have been formed over the last three years. The anti-thesis and obstacle to that succession plot is perceived to be Raila Odinga.
The plot started with the split in the Orange Democratic Movement, when William Ruto walkde away with a chunk of the party’s support. While Ruto may have been inspired to quit by personal differences and personal ambition couched as communal grievances, he fell prey to the state’s master plan of peeling off the orange party and obliterating Raila’s political fortunes. UDM, to which he moved with a cabal of allied Kalenjin and other pastoralist MPs, found ready reception from the State, momentarily enjoying favours and resources to go about executing their dissent.
The situation was further helped by charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court preferred against Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta, a principal player in the project whose rescue the state has not spared an effort. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, the partnership between Uhuru and Ruto has always been suspect. It has never been one of equals and remains tenable only as long as Ruto is ready to act as a prop for Uhuru. But Ruto is not a willing pawn, and his own interests on the table.
Intelligence has also shown that despite two years of charged and expensive campaigning, their camaraderie and chemistry notwithstanding, the solid suspicion between Ruto and Uhuru supporters is unlikely to dissipate before the election, which could torpedo the whole project. Thus the decision to peel off another layer of the Orange, in the form of Musalia Mudavadi.
The new beacon of the project, Mudavadi serves two objectives. He is expected to further chip away ODM and Raila’s critical Western Kenya support and, if need be, stand in if Uhuru’s candidacy is not viable. That is a contentious and divisive prospect among different project masterminds – all of them boasting their mandate, influence and legitimacy to State House. First, is the fact that some of Uhuru’ diehard supporters perceive Mudavadi’s emergence and apparent positive reception as competition. Quite apart from Uhuru’s supporters, he enjoys the patronage of some factions within the system, including an influential activist, who believe the Kikuyu community should back someone else who is “friendly”. To this faction, Mudavadi is a godsend.
It remains to be seen if Mudavadi’s will be the ultimate solution to the execution of the project headache. But the formation of the UDF party, level and source of support for his bid is a tale of state patronage that will continue to draw both support and revulsion. Significantly, it has triggered new alliances to undercut his influence that will become apparent in the coming days. There is a high likelihood of upsetting the calculations of the project masterminds. But while all this goes on, one question lingers: Why are some people so scared of Raila that they are willing to “sacrifice” anything to ensure he is not elected president of Kenya? We will attempt to answer next week.
David Makali is the director of The Media Institute.
Arrest corrupt officers, says Raila
By PETER OBUYA potieno@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, July 13 2012 at 02:14
Matatu operators in Nairobi are a happy lot after Prime minister Raila Odinga gave them the green light to arrest traffic police officers and city council askaris found engaging in corrupt dealings.
Mr Odinga also lifted the mandatory requirement for the operators to wear uniforms while on duty and ordered city council askaris to stop levying daily parking charges once the operators pay the monthly toll.
While addressing the striking operators who had blocked major avenues leading to the CBD over complains of harassment from both departments, Mr Odinga also directed council askaris to stop towing matatus found to have violated arguing that the trend has given room for extortion and harassment of the operators.
He said the government can no longer tolerate errant officers from the two departments following public outcry that they were extorting public service vehicle operators with impunity.
“We can no longer entertain this habit and as the Prime Minister of Kenya I direct you to arrest those officers caught taking bribes on the spot,” the premier said.
The operators had in the morning staged demonstrations across various streets in the CBD causing a heavy traffic snarl up and bringing to a standstill business activities.
They were demonstrating over what they termed as harassment from traffic police officers and city council askaris after the officers had ambushed them at the Railways Bus terminus and towed away several vehicles for various traffic rule violations.
Accompanied by city mayor George Alladwa and Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, Mr Odinga directed all matatus that had been impounded on Thursday be released. He however invited all stakeholders for a meeting at his office to resolve the issues affecting the sector.
Makadara MP Gedion Mbuvi who arrived minutes after Mr Odinga had left accused traffic officers of corruption and vowed to combine forces with matatu operators to stamp out the vice.
Matatu operators have in the recent past complained of harassment and mistreatment from imposters who have since invaded the field and Mr Odinga directed all council askaris to put on their uniforms while on duty.
He also urged them to facilitate a conducive business environment and appealed to the operators to observe discipline and respect other road users.
Ministry files appeal notice over County bosses
By ABIUD OCHIENG’ aawiti@ke.nationemdia.com
Posted Thursday, July 12 2012 at 12:28
The Internal Security Ministry intends to appeal the High Court ruling that declared the appointment of the 47 County commissioners unconstitutional.
Acting Internal Security minister Yusuf Haji Thursday filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal Registry in Nairobi, stating that he is dissatisfied with the ruling that was delivered by Justice Mumbi Ngugi on June 29.
Justice Ngugi had ruled that President Kibaki did not have powers to appoint or deploy the county commissioners.
The judge also ruled that the appointments violated the national values contained in the constitution and the National Accord and Reconciliation Act that requires him to consult Prime Minister Raila Odinga before making such appointments.
The judge declared the appointments null and void saying the President violated the constitutional requirements of gender balance.
Mr Haji’s decision is the first move by the government towards appealing the decision which is contrary to Attorney General Githu Muigai’s advice.
Prof Muigai had advised the government not to appeal the decision.
On Wednesday, Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa said the County bosses were in office illegally.
Mr Wamalwa said President Kibaki had been advised on the matter and the “commissioners ought to respect the law, vacate office, because the courts had already nullified their appointments”.
