Category Archives: Political Party

KENYA: IF THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES COULD BE WELL CATERED FOR THE FOUR NYANZA COUNTIES CAN SHOW THE WAY AS THE ROLE MODEL OF FASTER AND RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA.

9 Replies

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The proposed four Counties provided in the new constitution of Kenya, which are to be established around the Lake Victoria basin could be the role model in the near future of their resources could be well catered for.

Luo-Nyanza in particular is a region which is endowed with abundance of resources, that include the five white sugar manufacturing plants, abundance fisheries resources, plenty of sceneries and tourists attraction good rainfall distribution, arable and fertile and land that is capable of producing cash crops for exports and sufficient food grain for domestic consumption.

The four proposed regional Counties are Siaya, Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Migori. All are lying along the off-shore of Lake Victoria, which is famous for the production of the highly valued Nile perch fillets for exports.

Siaya County could turn out thousands of bails o cotton, maize, sorghum millets, fish, minerals, particularly gold in Bondo and tourism now that President Barack Obama Alego Kogelo Community Cultural Center is being established. The road from Ndori-Nyang’oma is being constructed and ground breaking for the termer-mocking this particular section will be performed by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga this weekend.

Upper part of Southern Nyanza, in areas like Kasi0ula-Kabndo9, Kamagambo, Sakwa,Kanyamkago,Suna Migori and Ndhiwa have sufficient rainfall fairly distributed through out the year and could serve as the hubs of massive food production if the new County would take care of the region’s agriculture as top priorities, and proper planning of the infrastructures.

The region is also rich in minerals such as gold, copper, nickel, uranium and other precious stones.

It has, however, been noticed with great concern that ever since the promulgation of the new constitution on August 27,2010, a number of politicians who include the present and former MPs and civic leaders have come forward and made premature announcement declaring their intention to contest this and that position as provided in the new constitution.

Some of these politicians have made it clear that they would be interested in the covenanted position of the regional governorship. But this particular slot in the Counties government is so important and needs to be taken by personnel’s of the highest caliber within the society. Past experience and proven ability to manage large organization would be the criteria of selection.

So far only a handful people have come forward saying they would contest the governorship positions. But judging from their past experience most of them have long disqualified themselves owing to inexperience and lack of academic qualifications, which should be backed up with practical experience and management skills.

Among the few individuals who have already declared their interests in the governorship slots, only a handful of them could be said to be worthy consideration y the electorate. Among them is Eng. Phillip Okoth Okundi, the immediate former MP for Rangwe. Okundi has vast experience after having served as the Managing Director for the Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and the Kenya Bureau of the Standard. He has so far declared his interest of becoming the governor of Homa-Bay County.

The former Minister for Regional Development Ojwang K’Ombudo,who had served as the Kisumu Town Clerk for many years, is another personality whose name is being floated for the position of the governor of Kisumu County. He is facing the challenge from another equally qualified person in the name of Eng.Eric Opon Nyamunga who is another personality whose name is being floated for the position of the governor of Kisumu County. He is the former managing director of the Kenya Railway Corporation.

In Migori County, the name of the former Provincial Education Officer for Nairobi Mr. Chacha Ogwe is also featuring prominently as the possible contender for the position of Migori County Governor.He is facing another technocrat Mr Ezra Odondi from Central Sakwa in Awendo district.

Politicians with no experience in management of large organization should not waste their time, but should go for the political posts of Senators, MPs and regional assembly members.

Another personality whose name is being linked as a possible contestant for the position of Homa-Bay governorship is Mr., Sammy Wakiaga, a senior civil servant working with the NSIS. He hails from Rusinga Island in Mbita constituency. The populist civil servant cum-businessman if he chose to go for Governor that would bring a sign of relief for the Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ who would be happy to offload Wakiaga and dump him in the contest for governorship instead of the latter challenging him in his Mbita parliamentary seat., a contest that would be so grueling and could end up either way.

The populist Wakiaga is said to be a thorn in the flesh of the flamboyant immigration Minister, though there seemed to have been a long period of a lull and less rivalries between the two ever since 2007 general election after it was reported that it was the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who had personally prevailed upon Wakiaga to abandon his parliamentary ambition in favor of Kajwang’, the deal that was said to have gravely disappointed Wakiaga’s supporters.

But Kajwang’ supporters maintains that it was an awaking call that has a woken up the immigration minister from his slumber and laxity. After 2007 Kajwang’ is reported to have improved his representation of the constituency as well as his working relations with the electorate. Impeccable sources say Kajwang’is keen on switching to Senate, but the famous composed of “Bado Kuna Mapambano” popular political lyrics song has yet to declare his position publicly clear.

Kajwang,’ according to other sources is fronting for the nominated MP Ms Millie Odhiambo for women representation in the Senate as one way of circumventing Wakiaga owing to the fact that both Odhambo and Wakiaga hails from Rusinga island and had some long standing unresolved family dispute a their home turf.

In Homa-Bay the incumbent MP George Otieno Ogindo is said to have developed interest in the governor slot. He is an accountant who used to work with the Ministry of local government either as a County or Town Treasurers and Clerk. But in terms of experience and managerial skills Okundi’s track record if more illustrious than that of Ogindo.

The latest development is that the electorate in both Karachuonyo and Kasipul-Kabondo constituencies would prefer to have the former Kenya’s Ambassador to Zambia and Zambia Lazarous Ombaye Amayo to be elected the governor of Homa-Bay. Before being appointed to the diplomat corps, Amayo had served as the managing director of the Catering Levy and Trustee and therefore has the necessary qualification that fits into the position of governorship.

Matters are, however, seemed to be quiet from Ndhiwa another district that shared Homa-Bay County with other constituencies. But from Gwassi the name of the former Assistant Minister Zadock Syong’o is also being frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for the Homa-Bay County governor. Syong’o is the immediate MPs for Gwassi.

A number of Luo political elite have faulted the sitting MPs from the region for having apportioned themselves the positions in the counties. They argued that the issue of electing who to which position should be the sole responsibility of the voters.

The MPs involved in apportioning the positions for their respective constituencies are wrong and it is premature for anyone to suggest any names. The MPs and other leaders should give the voters sufficient time to shop for the best candidates.

In Siaya, the former long serving Alego-Usonga MP Peter Castro Oloo Aringo is the only senior politician in the region whose name is being connected to the Siaya County Senate seat. He will, however, battle it with the high flying former Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju former MP for Rarieda.

Between Aringo and Tuju, the latter has the most attractive track record of massive development in Rarieda between 2002 ND 2007 whereas Aringo had represented Alego-Usonga for close to twenty two years and at times served as senior cabinet Minister I the KANU regime, but left no trace of any tangible development. Tuju despite of his sh8nning record of development has some political problems with the Odinga family and this could deprive him the right of getting the ODM nodto9mciobtest the Siaya Senate seat.

But the Kisumu County Senate seat is likely to be crowded with the likes of Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, Nairobi based land value Ocholla Ogoda, Mombasa business tycoon Ocholla Kamili, Eng.Maxwell Otieno Odongo and others.

In Homa-Bay the name of the former country director of the Marie Stoppie Clinics Cyprian Otieno Awiti is till on the lead among the park that have declared interest in the Senate seat. Awiti’s name is selling well as a hot cake in all the six parliamentary constituencies of Mbita, Gwasi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Karachunyo and Kasipul-Kabndo

Ends

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Tanzania: The ruling CCM is running scared of Chademain the forthcomng general election

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

News emerging from Dar Es Salaam says that the ruling CCM party is running scare of the opposition Chadema a head of this year’s general elections is allegedly resorted to sending out slanderous text messages via emails.

The CCM is being accused of employing dirty tactics ahead of the October 2010 general election.

The opposition group is led by Chama Cha Maendeleo ya Demokrasia [CHADEMA],which has accused the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi {CCM]of sending out messages and distributing flyers to discredit its presidential candidate Dr.Willbroad Slaa.

Launched originally as Tanganyika African National Union {TANU] in 1954 by the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere,the CCM has ruled the country ever since it attained her political independence in 1961. Nyerere voluntarily retired after ruling for twenty six years and the mantle of leadership was taken over by Ali Hassan Mwinyi a Zanzibaris who was later succeeded by a former top journalist-cum-diplomat Benjamin William Mkapa, who in turn handed over to the incumbent President Jakaya Kikwete five years ago.

All these years the CCM has always sailed through the election with very limited opposition except the near violent opposition in the twin Indian Ocean Islands of Unguja and Pemba, which are part of the United Republic of Tanzania.

This time around, however, the CCM appeared to be running scare of the strong opposition from Chadema whose popularity and influence is said to be on the upward trend.

Complaints against the ruling CCM have also resurfaced in the predominantly opposition zones where text messages via emails have been circulating dissuading the voters from voting for Chadema’s presidential candidate Dr. Willbroad Slaa on alleged claim of impropriety in his private life.

One such anonymous text messages alleged that Dr. Slaa was an agent of the Roma Catholic Church and that he had some unresolved his private life.

The police have denied having any knowledge or being aware of any such hate messages being circulated via internet. But have promised to investigate the matter. The country’s director of Criminal Investigation Department {CID] Robert Manumba was quoted by the EASTAFRICAN in its latest edition as saying that the police would act against those circulating such messages.

“In local politics in a country like Tanzania such tactics are common and often impossible to trace the authors, “said Manumba.

The communications manager of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority Innocent Mungy was also quoted in the same report as saying that the authority was in the dark over the alleged hate messages, but added that the Authority does not have the mandate to interfere in the way people communicated..

Mungy further state that it was fine to use message text to canvass for votes during the election time as was the case in other countries, but when people resort to insults or derogatory remarks this become a problem.’

The reports of intimidation of the opposition in the hotly contested constituencies including fights are surfacing with the police promising to arrest the offenders.

However, the CCM Secretary General Yusuph Makamba said last week that his party had advised its members not to circulate any message abusive of Chademan presidential candidate and that private issues should not be circulated to the party members. He said the CCM respects the work done by Dr.Slaa in the country and that insulting him was unfair

He said the CCM MP for Mponda Urban Hon Arfi had alleged that Chandema is an agent of the Roman Catholic Church and enjoys massive support from the faithful. The allegation was made after Chadema decided to fill a parliamentary candidate for the Sumbawanga Urban.

“Voters should elect candidate because of their aptitude not their tribal or regional beliefs and considerations.”

According to the registrar of political parties in Tanzania John Tendwa, voting rights makes it a crime to misled and intimidate voters.

“If you can find that who is doing it, these people should be prosecuted. But some time it is just difficult to know who is doing what. Some of it is just anonymous.

A week ago, the Registrar of Political parties threw out a petition lodged by the opposition Chadema against the incumbent President Jakaya Kikwete claiming that he had contravened the election expenses Act 2010 by making numerous promises to the electorate.

For the first time in its history of close to six decades, the CCM, which had a rough time with Civic United Front {CUF] Zanzibar and Pemba appeared to be somehow shaken a bit by the surging support of the Chadema.

Ends

Kenya: Keiyo and Marakwet delegates urged Biwotto contest the Senate Seat for the region

3 Replies

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Eldoret Toown.

A LARGE delegation of professionals, civic leaders and farmers from Keiyo and Marakwet communities met the former Kerio South MP Nicholas Kiprono Kipyator Biwott and endorsed him to contest the Senate seat for the region.

The meeting took place on Sunday afternoon at the Royalton Hotel, which is located about ten kilometers in the outskirt of Eldoret Town on the main Eldoret-Burn Forest and Nakuru highway.

Biwott also had an hour long consultation meeting with a delegation of the National Vision Party of Kenya from Kisumu district. The delegation was led by the NVP Kisumu branch chairman Eliud Aum Ndalo and discussed wide ranging issues and strategies in the revitalization of the party and the recruitment of members at the grassroots.

Earlier own, the “powerman” who is also known to his peers as the “Total Man” visited Marakwet and took part in the fund raising meeting at the Kapchewew High School in Marakwet district. He was overwhelmed by the request by the participants at the meeting who told him that owing to his vast experience and wealthy of knowledge about Kenya’s politics he was the most suitable person to represent the Keiyo/Marakwet County in the Senate.

The former long serving cabinet Minister in the KANU regime confirmed to this writer that he was giving a serious consideration to the request and appeal made by members of the Keiyo/Marakwet communities to represent them in the Senate, which is located to the region in the new constitution. He decline a request from other quarters that he should contest the position of the County governor, saying the position is only suitable for young men and women.

Thee delegations representing various political, economic and farming interests told the former Minister that his candidature for the Senate seat would improve the previously shaky relations between the two communities.

Biwott advised those who visited him to focus on hard work and maintain peace as one of the ingredients of peaceful development. He also urged the to maintain peace and tranquility and at the same time maintain law and order and peaceful co-existence with their neighbors.

He said if it was the wish of the electorate that he should represent them in the Senate, and then he was willing to accept the challenge.

Meanwhile Biwott’s National Vision Party of Kenya had a morale boosting when a large crowd at Mogogosiek in Bureti district declared that they would part the company with the ODM and join the NVP .The declarations were made during a fund drive meeting held at Chebitet African Inland Church. The fund raising meeting was presided over by Bishop Daniel Tanui, the NVP director of elections.

Bishop Tanui told the meeting that although members of the Kipsigis and other Kalenjin sub-tribes had voted against the new constitution, they should forget the past and join other Kenyan communities in making sure that the new constitution is put in place and it works for the advancement and development of all Kenyans.

The former two times MP for Kipkellion constituency, Bishop Tanui told the Kipsigis MPs to mobilize the residents of the Kericho and Bomet Counties to buy shares in the multinational tea farms operating in the region, saying their 99 years and lease of farms is just about to expire since the new constitution has scraped the old land leases of 999 years.

He also told the local farmers to diversify into other cash crops instead of relying mainly on tea, maize and dairy farming. Cash minting crops such as tomatoes, onions and cabbages, he said comes from the neighboring districts and selling like hot cake in Kipsigis land. These crops can be grown locally.

He told the Kalenjins to ditch the OIDM saying that the party had short-changed them, though they voted for it in 2007 on a man to man, it has failed to deliver the goods and its promises in general.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Uganda: Museveni warns iindependent candidates saying NRM will not entertain them

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday warned party members who lost the primaries that his party “will not tolerate independent candidates” in the coming general elections, the Government owned NEWVISION has reported this morning.

In his acceptance speech after he was announced as the NRM flag-bearer for the presidential elections next year, Museveni said whoever lost in the primaries due to malpractices can challenge the results and the elections can be repeated.

“But nobody should talk of independence. Bring facts, show that you were cheated and we shall repeat the elections if need be. But we are not going to tolerate independents,” Museveni said. “You can’t be both: either you are inside or outside.”

He spoke after the announcement of results of the top positions of the party after a two-day national conference for 15,000 delegates from across the country.

Museveni was also returned unopposed as the party chairman at Naboole in Kampala in the wee hours of Monday.

In his address, the President said the party opted for the universal adult suffrage in the primaries to avoid independents.

Museveni appealed to all competitors to remain calm. “I appeal to you leaders and your supporters to change your attitude and remain calm. If there is fraud, don’t panic, bring the facts and if they are proved, the elections can be cancelled and the people involved will be charged,” the President said.

Museveni said the party leadership would only work with individuals who have crossed from other parties, but want to remain independents provided they sign a memorandum of understanding with the NRM party.

Pointing at Kampala Mayor Nasser Sebaggala, who was seated with a group of ministers, he said: “We shall only accept and work with friendly individuals, but independent, like Mayor Sebaggala.”

He promised that the NRM electoral commission will start investigating petitions this week. By Friday, 350 petitions had been filed with the party secretariat.

The President also dismissed reports that he asked VP Bukenya and Otafiire to stand down for Mbabazi.

“There is no way Museveni could disorganise the central executive committee (CEC) decision for these positions here,” said Museveni.

“If the CEC wanted to vet anybody out, he would have been vetted out and there would be no question of saying no.”

He attributed the problems faced by the party to lack of the culture of democracy by some members.

“The printer wants to print extra ballot papers, the transporter wants to steal some and the polling officials also disorganise the whole thing,” he observed.

Museveni explained that the idea of the party’s register, known as the Yellow Book, was to have all NRM supporters registered.

“I wanted every NRM member to be registered. But when the Yellow Book reached the villages, it was war. The in-charge would record only his supporters and leave out those of his opponents,” he said.

Museveni said the primaries had been “very interesting” and dismissed the notion that the chaos in the elections showed that the NRM party was not organised.

“We were just 15,000 people, but it took long to vote. Because you do not know how to behave democratically,” he argued.

The President cited two cases where members contested the results for the position of vice- chairperson for Kampala region and deputy secretary general. “Voting is taken like war,”

“I look at this exercise as climbing the Rwenzori with unco-operative members of the mountaineering team, but also without adequate equipment.”

Museveni disclosed that the party spent sh4b in organising the elections. “They should be applauded for what they did although there were many shortcomings.

Kiggundu needs sh197b to run the national election with 23,000 polling stations, yet we had 60,000,” he said.

The President on Sunday night gave sh400,000 to each of the 32 music groups that performed at the conference.

He outlined his priority in the next five years as electricity, roads, railway, ICT, modernisation of agriculture, industrialisation, science-oriented education and health.

Delegates scrambled for the spoils as campaign agents openly distributed money, T-shirts and sodas to groups to vote in their favour.

Journalists were not left out either. After a week of rumours about a sh80m budget for the media, some journalists confronted the NRM party secretariat administrator, Dr. Hassan Galiwango, who is said to have released sh4m, which a selected group of journalists shared, each getting sh85,000.

This angered other journalists who protested that their names had been used to obtain the money.

In the elections, al-Hajji Moses Kigongo was returned unopposed for first national vice-chair and Rebecca Kadaga for second national vice-chairperson.

Also unopposed were the national treasurer, Amelia Kyambadde, the former President’s Private Secretary and the vice-chairman for the east, Capt. Mike Mukula.

The hotly contested position of NRM secretary general was retained by Amama Mbabazi after he beat Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, the trade minister.

Ends

Kenya: Gen. Koech and Keter to battle for the Kericho County Senate seat

26 Replies

Political News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

KERICHO is one of the regions in the South Rift where major shift in positions is expected as the politicians are said to be getting themselves ready to scramble of the more lucrative jobs that the new constitution has availed for the counties.

The new positions include that of the Senate and the gender representative, the county governor, deputy governor, assembly speaker and clerks.

In the agriculturally rich Kericho County the battle for the Senate seat is expected between the Belgut MP Charles Keter and the retired former deputy Chief of the General Staff Lt.Gen [retired} John Arap Koech, who is also the national chairman of the United Democratic Movement {UDM}.

THE Kericho County’s area of jurisdiction covered four parliamentary constituencies, which include Kipkellion. Ainamoi, Belgut and Konoin. And the neighboring Bomet County will cover another four constituencies of Bomet, Chepalungu and Buret,

In the 2007 general election the region voted unanimously for the ODM as the party of choice. Other parties like the former ruling KANU a party which has dominated the politics of the region for close to three decades performed dismally. The ODM swept the board clean taking all the eight parliamentary seats, all civic seats in the County, Urban and Town Councils

As far as party politics, the situation has changed drastically with the recently concluded referendum voting for the new constitution in which the majority of the voters had switched their allegiance to the Reds camp led by the Higher Education Minister William Ruto. However,four out of the eight out of the eight MPs sided with the No camp and vigorously campaigned against the new constitution. They included Julius Kones{Konoin} Isaac Ruto {Chepalungu}, Benjamin Lang’at {Ainamoi} and Charles Keter {Belgut},while other four namely Dr.Joyce Laboso {Sotik}, Franklin Bett {Buret}. Magerer Lang’t{Kipkelion} and Mrs Beatrice Kones { Bomet} backed the new constitution and campaign for the Greens camp. And the Reds carried the day, though in some places the Yes camp had lost the votes in a respectful manner.

The major issues which led to the dismal performance by the Greens camp in the region is the seemingly irreconcilable differences between the two top ODM leader Raila Odinga and his first deputy William Ruto.The differences the two party leaders has left the region in total confusion as to which party they should join. ODM is out of bound and the same is with KANU and PNU.

From the Keter’s camp, the popular talks is that Gen Koech should stand for the governorship because he will instill a lot of discipline in the county governance using his military disciplinary and his vast administrative experience.

And from the general’s camp the argument goes that the Senate seat will be more covenanted because in the tri-cameral system provided in the new constitution, the Senate will control both parliament and counties. Furthermore the argument goes that the Senate will be the supreme organs of the governance, therefore it is a suitable for the elderly people.

Gen Koech and Hon Keter have remained political arch-rivals ever since the 2007 general election when Koech launched a scathing criticism of Keter accusing him of having collaborated with his friend William Ruto and rigged him out of the ODM nomination for the Ainamoi seat.

The General further alleged that the two had conspired against and locked him out of the by-election in Ainamoi, which he had won clean. The differences led to Gen.Koech departure from the ODM in huff.But theformer Army Chief who had campaigned vigorously for Raila Odinga and the ODM during the 2007 elections insist that his UDM is working closely with ODM.

In recent weeks following the inevitable fallout between Raila Odinga and William, sources close to the UDM has confided to us that an attempt was made to reconcile Gen Koech and William Ruto so that the latter could relinquish his position of the UDM national chairmanship in a deal which could have paved the way for Ruto’s re-entry into the UDM and consequently taking over its national chairmanship. The attempt was fiercely resisted by Gen Koech resulting in other rumors making the round that an attempt is in the offing to have him ousted by his other colleagues led by the party Secretary General William Ole Kamwaro, who is said to have of late become William Ruto’s spanner boy.

Ruto off-course was one of the founders of the UDM together with the likes of Kipruto Arap Kirwa, Cyrus Jirongo and Fred Amayo. But Ruto and Jirongo were later lured back to KANU with cabinet appointment by the retired President Daniel Arap Moi.

The Eldoret North MP is said to be in a political dilemma as to which party he should join after opting out of the ODM and use it for his presidential ambition in 2012. He is said to have been advised by his handler not to desert the ODM because the time is running short and there will be no sufficient room for a new party to gain the momentum in recruiting sufficient numbers of supporters that could propel its leader to the presidency.

Sources close to Rutsays the youthful populist Kalenjin politician worry is howtohe can trustpolitician from the Mt Kenya region ever since they shirt-changed him prior to the referendum campaign. The Mt Kenya had cheated him to work against the parliamentary system, which was favored by Raila Odinga in preference of the presidential system on the promise that it would create Majimbo which could have been achieved in the three tier system. But when the two issues were debated in Parliament, the Mt Kenya group deserted him and later joined hands with Raila in campaigning for the new constitution in the Yes camp. Ruto had hoped that his arch-rival would be in the opposite camp, but when Raila readily accepted the verdict of Parliament and join the campaign for the new constitution, Ruto was baffled and hit below the belt and got the shock of his life time. He said to have vowed not to trust any politician from the Central Province.

Another political personality said to be eyeing for the Bomet Senate seat is the former Minister for Works and twice the MP for Chepalungu John Arap Koech who with the former Permanent Secretary for Lands and now the secretary of the Kalenjin Council Elders Josiah Arap Sang will battle it out for the Bomet Senate seat.

Speaking to this writer in Kericho Town Gen Koech confirmed that he would contest the County Senate seat and not that of the governor which is the imagination of his enemies.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

KENYA: LUO MPS TOLD TO DEFEND THEIR PARLIAMENTARY SEATS AND REAP THE SEEDS THEY HAVE SOWED INSTREAD OF RUNING FOR SENATE AND TO GIVE CHANCES OTHERS.

5 Replies

Political News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town

ANY legislator from Luo-Nyanza in the 10th Parliament who is contemplating the possibility of abandoning his parliamentary seat in preference of running for any of the four Counties Senate seats would live to regret as the electorate have vowed not to entertain such a move.

The MPS from this region have been told to defend their seat and reap the seeds they sowed as the result of their individual performance in the August house. They should give the community the space to breathe fresh air and give the four chances which have been availed in the new constitution to others.

A survey conducted in the past week by this writer has revealed that they community will vote for some of the hard working MPs who have been so productive in their respective constituencies. The electorate would consider those who intend to abandon their parliamentary seats in preference to the Senate seats as failures and they would be shown the exit door in the 2012.

This is the reaction of the electorate in most part of Luo-Nyanza following the recent publication of stories in a section of the media houses to the effect that some of the Legislator in the current parliament were considering the possibility of seeking for election in the Upper House, and as such were contemplating the idea abandoning their seats in the Lower House for the more covenant Senate representation.

A number of names of the present MPs respecting various constituencies across the Luo land have been mentioned as those considering the possibility of running for Senate seats instead of defending their present seats in the August House.

Among the legislators whose names are making the round as those considering the possibility of running for the Senate seats instead of defending their present seats in the current parliament include Dr. Oburu Oginga {Bondo} Dalmas Otieno {Rongo} Prof Anyang” Nyong’o {Kisumu Rural}, John OLago Aluoch {Kisumu Township West}

The majority of the electorate considers such a move as greediness. The MPs should stick to their guns and defend the seeds of fruits they have sowed in the August House, because running for the Senate seats and abandoning the electorate would amount to abdicating from their responsibilities. Moreover there are better politicians in the region in excess, and who should also be given chance to try their luck in the Senate.

“If an MP has failed to deliver the goods to his constituents while representing them the people even if he was to be elected in Senate,” said Eng Phillip Makabong’o a Rongo politician, adding that the new constitution should usher in the sprit of “One Man One Job”.

Makabong’o who contested the Rongo Parliamentary seat in 2007 on ODM ticket, but abandoned his candidature before the party primaries to become the chief campaigner for the incumbent Dalmas Otieno also insists that those elected to Parliament or Senate should not be allowed to contest party offices at the branches levels. They should give those chances to others who want to lead their communities to do so and stick to their parliamentary duties.”

“It will be the time for the sitting MPs to reap the fruits of their sweats, but to those who have performed dismally would be required to account for their work before being reconsidered for the re-election. We expect the Senate to be an important institution of good governance, but to not the haven or hideout for failures. “says a Ksumu Town veteran politician John Bruno Oloo

In Ukwala, a registered voter in Ugenya constituency Mr.James Oduor told this writer that the electorate in area still in ardent need of the services of their MP James Aggrey Orengo whose sterling performance is greatly admired by the electorate. We still need him in Parliament, and therefore he should not allow some irresponsible political brokers to succeed in persuading him to abandon his seat.

The common saying in the entire Luo-Nyanza is that those current and past MPS who are known to have collaborated with others in vandalizing the revolving funds made available to their respective constituencies for socio-economic and infrastructure development should not be allowed to ump the ship before adequately accounting for the money.

People are unanimous in the entire region that these gentlemen of Parliament must be forced by the sponsoring political parties to account for the government revolving funds before being allow to shift goals from{Parliament to the Senate. this way taxpayers millions of shilling would be lost.

Those MPs who are currently said considering the options of switching from contesting the next general election in defense of their present parliamentary seats would be most welcome, but the one who are contemplating the idea or running away from their responsibility before adequately accounting for the CDF money would run into a lot of difficulties with the electorate in this region. It is being alleged that some of the MPs have turned out themselves to be the contractors or the suppliers of the hardware material used in the construction of CDF funded projects in their respective constituencies or are known to be using relatives, friends and proxies in the exercises the purpose of tapping the government availed resources.

Such scams could be seen in the escalating prices of the materials used in the construction of CDF funded projects in most of the rural constituencies inside Luo-Nyanza. Some of the current MP, it is further being alleged had borrowed millions of shillings from traders for their campaign kitties in 2007 and are repaying back their debts by insisting that the same creditors be given tenders for the supplies of materials used in the constructed of CDF funded projects in their respective constituencies at the escalated prices to replenish their debts. This has of late become the thorniest issues between CDF managers, local committees and the MPs. Some of the legislators, it is further being alleged further, had borrowed monies in forms of building materials, which they used in making hefty donations of the same borrowed materials to the various projects such schools, health centers, women groups and churches to popularize themselves with the electorate on promises that the traders would recover their monies by being awarded lucrative tenders of supplying construction materials to the CDF.

This has been the subjects of conflicts of interests whch has seen some MPOs disbanding or dismissing the entire CDF local committees. In most cases only appointing some of their political cronies, semi-illiterate relatives and friends who immediately turns out to be the easiest targets of manipulations.

Meanwhile the news analysis about the possible contenders for the four Senate seats which are allocated the four regional Counties in Luo-Nyanza by the new constitution has provoked sharp reaction from certain quarters.

It has also brought to the surface new more name of the would be aspirants and their foes. In Kisumu, the former Nyando MP Eng Eric Opon Nyamunga who was earlier reported to be one of the possible contestants is reported to have bowed out of the Senate race in favor of Eng.Maxwell Otieno Odongo, a prominent businessman in Kisumu and Nairobi. Nyamunga could not be reached by phone to confirm or deny the rumor.

At the same time the candidature of Cyprian Otieno Awiti, the for former Country Director of Marrie Stoppie Clinics in Kenya and African region appeared to be the most welcome in Homa-Bay County.

A good number of the MPs from the region interviewed by this writers have confirmed that they would prefer working with Awiti who they highly praised as development conscious leaders who has donated millions of shillings in supports of socio-projects in the region in the past without considering the constituencies boundaries..

Awitiis not only popular in his home turf of Rachuonyo Northand Rachuonyo South constituencies, but extended to other regions like Suba, where he is the darling of the electorate in both Gwassi and Mbita constituencies and in Ndhiwa where he is said to be having good rapport with the incumbent MP Joshua Orwa Ojode. He has conducted numerous high profile Harambee fund drive in Ndhiwa in aid of the school and churches.

Other names being floated as possible candidates for the same Senate seat include that of immediate former Gwassi MP Zadock Syong’o who is said to be keen inmaking political come back after staying in the cold ever since he lost the Gwassi seat in 2007 general election to a newcomer John Mbadi.

Another new name that is making the round is that of the former long serving Principal of Kanga High School, Mr Samuel Kaunda Ogweno. His name is coming out strongly from Gwassi Constituency his home turf. Kauda s the current Principal of Sawagongo High School In Gem constituency, which within only one year and using his professional and administrative prowess has quickly turned around the school which was hitherto run down to be one of the best schools in the region.

The electorate in Gwassi sis they would back Kaunda for either Senate or Parliament if he chose to stand so that they could exploit to the maximum his proven administrative ability that had seen Kanga taking the lead in national exam of other schools in the region for ten consecutive years in.

When approached Kaunda who hails from Kakisingiri sub-clan in Gwassi constituency and is said to be having a lot of influence in the constituency declined to offer any comment, only saying he was currently busy teaching his student at Sawagongo to the best of his ability and would not comment on what the people says in the locality. He, however, promised to respond at an appropriate time.

In Bondo, the former Foreign Affairs Minister Raphael Tuju’s name has also re-surfaced as one of those who would be vying for the Siaya Senate seat, though the former Minister is likely toru into trouble with the ODM supporters in this a region which is considered as the stronghold of the party which is led by the Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, the man who Tuju once rubbed shoulders with the wrong way.

The name of the current Bondo MP Dr, Oburu Odinga is also being floated for the same seat, and so is the name of Prof. William Ochieng’ the former Principal of Maseno University College, and former Chief Engineer {Roads} Eng. David Maganda, is now a prominent businessman in both Kisumu and Nairobi.

The common talks among the Luos is that those MPs in the current parliament who have the record of sterling performance such as Oyugi Magwanga {Kasipul Kabondo} John Pesa{Migori}, Joshua Orwa Ojode {Ndhiwa}, Jakoroyo Midowo {Gem}, Jamsd Orengo {Ugenya} Eng Jasmesd Rege {Karachuonmyo}, Otieno Kajwang” {Mbita} Pyllins Ochieng’ Daima {Nyakach} Edick Omondi Anyanga {Nyatike} and Dr. Oburu Odinga { Bondo} should be returned to parliament to continue with their good work for the job well done..

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Presidential nomination in Uganda for next year’s polls will be on October 25 this year

Leave a reply

Reports Leo odera Omolo

THE nomination dates for presidential and parliamentary candidates for 2011 are October 25 and 26, the Electoral Commission said yesterday.

In a statement, chairperson Badru Kiggundu said presidential candidates will be nominated at the commission’s head offices in Kampala, and at the district headquarters for parliamentary candidates.

Kiggundu showing journalists that the leader of opposition in Parliament, Ogenga Latigo, is registered too. This was at the EC headquarters yesterday

District chairpersons and councillors will be nominated on November 4 and 5 at the district and county headquarters, respectively.

For the municipality chairpersons and councillors the date will be November 4 and 5 at the district headquarters. Kiggundu also said sub-county chairpersons and their councillors will be nominated from October 27 to 29 at the county headquarters.

“The nomination guidelines and forms shall be available at the offices of the district returning officers from September 8,” he said.

To be eligible for the presidential and parliamentary seats, a candidate must be a citizen of Uganda, a registered voter and have at least an A’level certificate or its equivalent.

A person cannot stand for president if he is of unsound mind, holds an office that handles elections, or is a cultural leader or is bankrupt.

Anyone under a death sentence or a sentence of imprisonment exceeding nine months without an option of a fine cannot also stand.

Candidates may be disqualified if they have within seven years immediately preceding the election, been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude or convicted over election crimes.

Presidential candidates must also submit 100 supporters from at least 75 districts to be nominated, Kiggundu stressed.

Commenting on the exclusion of voters’ photographs on the web-based national register, Kiggundu said: “The national voters’ register has 15,002,720 voters. The inclusion of photographs would have extensively slowed the downloading speed.”

He said following the conclusion of the display of the national register on Tuesday, the commission would display the lists of all persons whose names have been recommended for deletion from September 3 to 10 at parish headquarters.

“The purpose of this supplementary display exercise is to enable any person who may have been wrongly recommended for deletion to raise an objection to the parish tribunal,” he added.

On the delay to pay field election officials, Kiggundu said many of those they recruited did not have bank accounts and submitted accounts of friends and relatives to receive their wages.

“Such accounts were queried by Bank of Uganda, and the commission has contacted the officials to clear the matter. All the affected officials will be paid.

End

Uganda: Museveni is set to capture the NRM leadership and next year presidential poll

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has returned nomination forms for the post of NRM chairman and for party flag-bearer in the 2011 presidential elections.,the government owned NEWVISION has reported.

The presidential assistant on political affairs, Moses Byaruhanga, on Monday handed over the forms to the NRM electoral commissioner, Lydia Wanyoto, at the party headquarters on Plot 10, Kyaddondo Road. Her colleague Israel Kayonde was also present.

Wanyoto quickly perused through the forms, signed and stamped both the original and duplicate copy that is returned to the candidate.

“The documents of aspirants for the different party positions will be forwarded to the central executive committee and the national conference. We thank candidate Yoweri Museveni for showing interest,” Wanyoto said.

The forms required aspirants to show their academic qualifications, voters’ card number and NRM party membership card number, among other things. They needed endorsement of at least 20 members of the delegates’ conference.

“Although we were required to get 20 signatures, we have got from the whole country. All delegates support candidate Museveni,” Byaruhanga said.

He explained that President Museveni’s interest in the top posts of the party was in response to a request by the NRM national executive committee (NEC) and district conferences that urged him to stand again for a fourth term.

“Candidate Museveni was urged by NEC and district conferences to offer his candidature to lead the party for the next five years and to become the party’s flag-bearer because he is capable. It is not his personal interest, but he is responding to that request. He could have done other things,” Byaruhanga added.

The NRM will hold its special organs conference on September 6 and 7, while its national conference is slated for September 11 and 12 at Namboole stadium.

Other aspirants for the post of NRM national chairman are former State House aides; Dr. Elizabeth Nabatanzi and Capt. Daudi Maguru.

President Museveni, 65, over the weekend spoke about his desire to be re-elected party leader and presidential candidate.

“I have returned my papers for nomination and now I can say, please vote for me,” Museveni told leaders of people with disabilities, women and youth leagues at Kamukuzi in Mbarara Municipality on Saturday.

Ends

Uganda: Ministers in shocking and surprise defeat during nominations for next year polls

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The semi official government mouth-piece, the NEW VISION reported this morning that four ministers were defeated in the NRM primaries to choose parliamentary candidates for next year’s general elections.

Provisional results show that ministers Janat Namuyangu, Simon Ejua, Simon D’ujanga and Dr. Emmanuel Otaala were trounced by little known opponents.

Namuyangu, the state minister for water, is also woman MP for Pallisa. She wanted to abandon the affirmative action seat created to boost women representation in Parliament and had sought to be directly elected for Kibuku constituency.

Incumbent Saleh Kamba beat her in the race marred by violence. Kamba polled 21,539 votes compared to Namuyangu’s 5,738 votes. The elections that started at about 3:00pm were concluded at about 6:00pm on Monday.

Mubarak Kalungi, the returning officer who came from NRM headquarters in Kampala, declared the results yesterday morning at Kibuku district NRM offices.

Kalungi said Namuyangu called him at 4:20pm on Monday, saying she wanted to pull out of the race to contest as an independent.

In Vurra county in Arua district, transport minister Simon Ejua lost to Dr. Sam Okuonzi.
Okuonzi scored 16,041 votes, while the minister managed only 9,756. The result excludes two villages where election materials reached late.

Labour minister Dr. Emmanuel Otaala suffered defeat at the hands of new entrant, Jacob Oboth Oboth.

In a somewhat close race, Otaala scored 11,123 votes, 6,712 votes less those for Oboth.

Elsewhere, security minister Amama Mbabazi (Kinkiizi West), public service minister Seezi Mbaguta (Rukungiri), former health minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi (Rujumbura) and former health state minister Capt. Mike Mukula (Soroti Municipality) won.

Mbabazi won in Kinkiizi West with 36,522 votes ahead of his rival Gad Rugaju, who got 10,808.

According to partial results released by district registrar Hillary Tindiwensi, Muhwezi was leading in four sub-counties, while his opponent, Dr. Alex Kamugisha, won only in his home sub-county of Buhunga.

Mbaguta was also in the lead in the sub-counties of Bugangari, Bwambara and Buhunga, while her main challenger, the incumbent Woman MP, Winifred Masiko, was also leading in Rukungiri municipality and Ruhinda sub-county.

In Amuru district, the former minster for northern Uganda, Betty Bigombe, had a landslide victory as the flag-bearer for the Woman MP seat.

Education minister Namirembe Bitamazire was cruising to victory for the Butambala Woman MP seat, according to provisional results. By 5:45pm yesterday, Bitamazire was ahead of her closest rival, Mariam Nalubega, by 3,951 votes.

In the contest for the Butambala constituency seat, the incumbent Kaddunabbi Lubega recorded a resounding victory by garnering 97,211 votes against his rival, Faisal Kikulukunyu’s 10,660.

The Amuru district NRM registrar, Sunday Ola, said with 95% of the votes counted, Bigombe was leading with 8,366, followed by the Peace Recovery and Development commissioner, Elizabeth Alimadi, with 1,008 votes, while Concy Adoch Nyapolo polled only 430 votes.

In Oyam district, the Woman MP, Beatrice Lagada, maintained her position with 4,687 votes, followed by Joyce Otim with 81 votes. For Oyam North MP, Savior Ogena won with 2,543 and his opponent, Francis Onena, got 400 votes.

In Mityana South, Henry Kamya Makumbi was nominated unopposed as the NRM flag-bearer. Makumbi, who has been the LC3 chairperson for Mityana town council, wants to unseat Ssozi Kaddu Mukasa (Independent).

In Nwoya, senior presidential advisor on northern Uganda, Richard Too-Dwong won with a landslide victory. He polled 4,922 votes, while George Willy Mwaka, the runner-up, scored 1, 411 votes.

In the race for the Nwoya Woman MP seat, Lilly Adong fetched 6,142 votes, while her fellow contender, Rose Mary Acayo, polled 1,056 votes.

In Omoro county, former MP Jacob Oulanyah won, while in Gulu Municipality, Michael Ochora triumphed. Oulanyah got 6,384 votes, while George Omona got only 311 votes.

In the newly-created district of Ngora, Dr. Abraham Isamat emerged as the NRM party flag-bearer after trouncing five other opponents.

Isamat, who has been the Ngora district veterinary officer, got 14,370 votes in the four sub-counties that constitute Ngora.

Jacqueline Amoding became the district Woman MP flag-bearer unopposed.

Ends

Kenya: Who will is likely to win the special Senate seat for women in Homa-Bay County?

Leave a reply

News Analysis by Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

AFTER the colorful promulgation ceremony, which ushered the new constitution last week people appeared to have settled down strategizing how to clinch the various key and middle cadre positions, offered in the new system.

Political parties and their local operatives are also gearing to go for the best. Key positions, which seemed to be attracting hot contests, are those of the Senate seats, County Governors and deputy governors.

The fact that the lucrative ministerial clots will no longer be the exclusive preserve of the parliamentarians, and that the President has the prerogative right and power to pick his Ministers from anywhere including the private sector has made parliamentary seats less attractive to many.

The majority f the incumbent MPs are rumored to be contemplating switching from contesting seats in the August House to the more covenanted Senate, and County governorship.

Among the current MPs in Luo-Nyanza whop are rumored to be in the process of shifting from parliamentary representation to the Senate include the Bondo MP Dr.Oburu Oginga, who is also an Assistant Finance Minister, James Aggrey Orengo, who is the Lands Minister, Dalmas Otieno,the current Public Service Minister.

But none has come forward to confirm the rumors making the round like bush fire. But the new constitution is not silent over this. It stipulates that if the President decides to appoint a sitting MP,, the legislator is bound to resign and relinquish his parliamentary seat for the Ministerial clot. And as such the person honored with cabinet appointment loses nothing, and it would even be better for the MPs to defend their seat and once elected could easily attract the eyes of the President to appoint them to his cabinet depending on their previous experiences and their abilities.

Some of the current MPs, however, have been heard in private conversations, saying that the next cabinet appointment would be highly competitive because the President might be forced to source his cabinet team from the academia and successful CEOs in the private sector and professionalism. Some of the next Ministers could be fished from the various institutions of higher learning.

One area in Luo-Nyanza where the Senate seat reserved for women representative has attracted the highest caliber is the Homa-Bay County in the greater Southern Nyanza.. Four names of prominent women in the region are being fronted by the electorate, as the possible contestants, though none has declared her interest in the seat.

Ms Millie Odhiambo, the ODM nominated MP led the park as the possible party nomination for this seat, which covered six parliamentary constituencies, which included Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Karachuonyo and Kasipul Kabondo. There is the possibility that the region could attract one more extra parliamentary seat when the proposed additional 82extra parliamentary constituencies come to force within the next two months time.

Odhiambo hails from Mbita constituency in Mbita district. Born in the political family of the late Harrison Odhiambo Opiyo, who represented Ndhiwa in the defunct Nyanza Regional Assembly between 1963 and 1967 when the Majimbo Constitution brokered at the 1962 Lancaster House was abolished and scrap. Her father for many years was associated with KANU at the district branch level and died in a drowning incident whole serving as the party branch secretary for South Nyanza branch.

A trained lawyer by profession and highly eloquent, Odhiambo is considered as one of the few firebrands in the 10th Parliament, though she is a moderate politician who contributes a lot during the debates on various important matters and Bills of national importance.

Another prominent name is that of Mrs Rosylin Onyuka, the retired former Nyanza Provincial Director of Education {PDE]. She too hails from Kasipul-Kabondo constituency in South Rachuonyo district.

What is likely to complicate the matter for both Onyuka and Odhiambo is that they both hails from Mbita.Onyuka is the daughter of the late Ex-Senior Chief Damianus Ajwang’a, who served as the location Chief for{Kasigunga} Gembe Location in both colonial and independent governments

Onyuka has served as a secondary school teacher, headmistress of the various Girls Secondary Schools in the region, AEO, DEO before being promoted to the position of the Provincial Director of Education, a position which she served with seal. She commands the most populous Rachuonyo region and seemed to be in a better position to clinch the Senate seat if no other aspirant emerged from the same region with the same reputation and popularity.

The other possible contestant is Mrs ConsilataYambo, alias Nyaseme who hails from Gwassi.She is an executive with the Israel National airline, the El-Al in Nairobi and had contested the Gwassi parliamentary seat in 2007 and lost during the ODM primaries. She is said to be tough and experienced politician, but would need a lot of public relations in order to market herself throughout the vast region, because she is said to be unknown in other areas like in the Rachuonyo region and Rangwe.

Another possible contestant is Mrs Monica Amolo, a perennial parliamentary election loser in Ndhiwa constituency. He popularity even in her own Ndhiwa home turf is questionableas her attempt to unseat the abrasive Ndhiwa MP Joshua Orwa Ojode on two previous elections using her contact with politicians from Siaya and Kisumu region had hit the rock in 2007,she garned about 14,000 votes against Ojode’s 48,000 but owing to an error made by the presiding officer who announced her name by mistake as the winner, she moved to the High Court to claim the seat which she never won. He case was summarily dismissed.

She is the second wife of a prominent Kisumu practicing medic Dr. Amolo from Kanyikela Location, Ndhiwa district who was for many years the Hospital Superintendent at the New Nyanza General Hospital {Russia} but now practicing in town. Her background is however, unknown. What is known about her is that she is a political associate of the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo and a friend of Mrs Ida Raila Odinga.

MONICA Amolo unlike the three other aspirants lacked the safe home constituency as she is said to be not very popular with women folk in her Ndhiwa home turf due to her controversial kind of politics.

There could be more prominent women planning to join the same race. As the situation stands now, no prominent woman is being mentioned in Rachuonyo North and in Rangwe constituencies, but as the time go, more are expected to plunge themselves into the race in the near future.

What is certain is that the three women with the background in Luo-Abasuba communities will have the edge due to their own past performance and family backgrounds.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

uganda: Museveni has announced his intention to capture both presidency and NRM leadership

1 Reply

Reports Leo Odera omolo In Kisumu City

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has announced his candidature for the NRM chairmanship and as the flag-bearer for the party in next year’s presidential elections.

Museveni is welcomed by NRM supporters during one of his national tours to mobilise households to improve their income

Museveni is the current chairman of the NRM, the ruling party. If re-elected by the national conference in September, he will become the party’s flag-bearer in the 2011 elections, and on the path to another term in office.

The NRM will hold its special organs conference on September 6-7, while its national conference will be held on September 11-12 at Namboole stadium.

Dr. Elizabeth Nabatanzi and Capt. Daudi Maguru, the President’s former aide, have also declared their intentions to contest for the party’s chairmanship.

Speaking at Kamukuzi in Mbarara municipality on Saturday, Museveni told leaders of people with disabilities, women and youth leagues that he submitted his nomination papers to the NRM electoral commission on Friday for the chairmanship of the party and flag-bearer for the NRM in next year’s elections, according to a State House statement.

He urged party members to support his candidature in the delegates conference. “I am happy to hear that disabled people are embracing my candidature,” announced Museveni, who was the chief guest at the commissioning of the Western Uganda Centre for People with Disabilities.

He appealed to members of the NRM delegates’ conference and all party members to endorse his bid so as to cement the gains the country has realised since NRM came to power in 1986.

He said together with other historical members of NRM, they fought and brought peace and stability, revamped the country’s economy, boosted revenue collection and ensured economic stability.

He noted that as the country goes into a phase of socio-economic transformation, some members of the historical team need to be kept in positions of leadership to provide the much needed expertise and experience to propel the country ahead. He added that the NRM enjoys a lot of support nationally.

“The Speaker of Parliament had to call off parliamentary sessions because NRM MPs were going for party primaries. Other parties could not raise the quorum for Parliament to sit, which shows that we are in charge,” the President said.

On the poor functioning of the party structures, Museveni attributed it to lack of funds, but said everything possible was being done to fund the smooth running of the party.

He warned State House staff against interfering in the ongoing NRM primary elections. “State House staff are my workers and they shouldn’t do things I didn’t send them to do,” Museveni warned.

The President’s remarks followed a report from Dan Kimosho, who is contesting for the western region youth MP, that some State House staff were meddling in the youth parliamentary elections.

Museveni was the chief guest at the commissioning of the centre for people with disabilities. It will host regional offices and a training centre. It was initiated by the western region MP for PWDs, Hood Katuramu. The President contributed sh70m towards the completion of the centre.

He said the NRM recognises the need for affirmative action for PWDs, the reason he supported legislation to have them represented politically from the grassroots to the national level and in all NRM party structures

Ends

Uganda: UPC IS OUT OF THE COALITION OF THE OPPOSITION PARTIES

Leave a reply

Reports leo Odera Omolo

THE Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party, one of the five political parties that form the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC), has opted out of the coalition over what it called irreconcilable reasons.

The party is expected to announce its fallout today after a meeting at the Christ the King Conference Hall.

The decision to pull out of the coalition was arrived at over the weekend after a consultative meeting with the party’s national leaders.

“There will not be speculations about our position. We shall tell Ugandans whether we remain in IPC or we move out,” said UPC secretary general Joseph Bbosa.

However, sources in the party said the leaders agreed to pull out. “The problem is how the party does it without hurting other opposition members,” a source said.

A split arose two weeks ago over how to move forward with the fight against the Electoral Commission (EC).

While UPC wanted the IPC not to participate in any activities organised by the EC, other members wanted the coalition to prepare for next year’s elections as it continued to fight the commission.

UPC President Olara Otunnu on Saturday said the core reason for the IPC was to have the commission disbanded. He added that the commission was not capable of delivering free and fair election.

Otunnu appearing on a Vision Voice talkshow

But the IPC chairman and FDC president, Kizza Besigye, maintained: “We can discuss other issues but we can never boycott. We can fight the EC as we prepare for polls. We think a change in the commission is possible even towards elections.”

Sources said it was too late for UPC to reconsider its position, since the IPC campaigns end today and voting is tomorrow for a single opposition candidate.

The bickering is said to originate from the party’s disagreement with the dominate opposition party, the FDC. UPC accuses FDC of dishonesty and hijacking the coalition for its own gains.

“An example is when the former katikkiros were recently called to an FDC campaign launch in the Buganda region, which was disguised as an IPC meeting. It is this kind of behaviour of FDC using IPC to widen its political base that has made us move out of IPC,” the source said.

Political analyst, however, note that UPC’s pulling out of the coalition would hurt the opposition. “Going alone, will fracture the opposition,” said law professor Golooba Muteebi.

Ends

Uganda: UPC leader Dr. Olara Otunnu is undecided over opposition parties alliance

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

THE Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) is still consulting members on the proposal to field a joint presidential candidate in
the 2011 elections, party president Olara Otunnu said yesterday. The Inter-Party Cooperation, a loose alliance of five opposition parties, is trying to agree on a joint candidate.

Otunnu, however, caused panic last week when he failed to turn up at Kololo Airstrip for the nomination of the candidates.

After a crisis meeting with the IPC on Monday, Otunnu said the UPC elders would make the final decision.

“Why was this coalition formed? Is the coalition taking the right path? What have we achieved?” Otunnu asked.
UPC accuses the IPC leadership of dishonesty. It says the group’s rotational chairman, Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change, is manipulating the coalition in favour of his party.

The emergency meeting, chaired by Besigye, was attended by Ken Lukyamuzi (CP), Asuman Basalirwa (JEEMA) and a representative of the Social Democratic Party.

After the meeting at the IPC headquarters on Katonga Road in Nakasero, Besigye said the meeting had addressed UPC concerns conclusively, but Otunnu said otherwise.

On the allegation of dominating the IPC, Besigye said it was not true and instead blamed inadequate communication. He said UPC needed to deal with its obligations.

The meeting agreed to hold a conference on August 31, to allow members who wish to participate to be nominated. IPC will also hold two public hearings on Friday and Saturday in Kampala and Jinja.

On his part, Otunnu said: “UPC is systematic in dealing with critical issues. UPC will fulfill its responsibilities, while sticking to its principles.”
He said the party first needed to conclude the ongoing process of setting up structures nationwide as it prepares for primaries in September.

Meanwhile, DP yesterday appealed to the opposition to instead agree joint parliamentary and local government candidates.

It said each party should, however, field its own presidential candidate as the best way to deny Museveni an outright 50% win. The parties should only field a joint candidate for a re-run, DP boss Norbert Mao said.
Political analyst Prof. Golooba Muteebi thinks otherwise.

“Going alone, will fracture the opposition,” he argued.
“Unity is what they need.”

ENDS

Kenya: There is nothing wrong with being a luo or being a luo Mp/ ODM must have discipline

5 Replies

Dear readers,

The world is full of difficulties and trials. You probably will not find a person who does not have some faults, nor will you be without them yourself. We should all have self-discipline, remain faithful to our own principles. What is democracy?. Does democracy means that if you share the same house with some one who does not want to use toilet but instead prefers to shit or urinate on the floor then you should keep on cleaning it. Will you not tell him to use the toilet or clean his shit himself?. So if he fails completely to use the toilet will you be called undemocratic if you kick him out of the house?. Democracy applies to all, the abuser must also know that by offending the other he is also not practicing the democracy.

ODM is a party which must have discipline if they want to win any election next time. You can not have a party being run like a junkyard, where some members campaign even against their own candidate and if luo MPs say it is wrong then all we hear is that ODM will soon remain a luo party. What right do those who does not want to abide with ODM rules have?. Luos as a tribe should not be allowed to be hold at a ransom, never should they accept blackmailing. They should be proud of themselves. We have heard a lot of nonsense and crap we have to stand against. In 2007 Raila was told that because he comes from Luo and he is not circumcised nobody will vote for him. Were those guys exercising their democratic rights or what?. And where was the luos democratic or Raila`s democratic rights held at?. Another thing most of people does not understand even in this forum of mlalahoi is the committee on implementing the new constitution: It is right and good that NO Mps are not included in the committee, this does not mean that they are excluded from Kenya or their democratic rights is being abused. BUT it just means that the winner dictates the terms under which the new constitution should be implemented and the winners were the YES voters, the majority= democracy rules. If the NO voters would have won then we would be having now nothing to implement. So people do not confuse omitting NO Mps from the committee and ommitting them from Kenyan politics, that is completely a different thing. The NO voters or NO MPs will enjoy the new constitution just as any other Yes voters, they will be allowed to seek for jobs under the constitution just as the yes voters etc. They are allowed to file amendment just as the law requires; Isn`t that not democracy?. SO guys stop cheap politics without portfolio. Let us stop spreading lies in the name of I know it all.

By the way there is nothing wrong with being a luo or being a luo Mp. All tribes in Kenya should be treated equally in the face of law and Kenyans should vote for a good leader whether he is a luo or not. It is good leadership which is lacking in the country and that is what we need. So blackmailing that if so and so is omitted they will not vote for Raila is a crap. We need a good Kenya; we do not need blackmailers. With good strict rules and discipline ODM will attract many supporters but if run like a junk yard where members do whatever they want, it will be worse than even if it was only a luo party . By the way it was NDP which brought Dictator Moi into its knees: Where was NDP`s home land?. Every tribe should be proud of his culture and we should respect each other equally. We Kenyans should see and exploit the common factors which affect us all regardless of your tribe and invest and venture into them for our prosperity. That is when we can build Kenya. But blackmailing and cheap politics will take us nowhere. Kenya will keep on begging from UK, USA, China etc for a long time if we do not act intelligently. We will just be changing masters as we have done since 1963 with no development.

Paul Nyandoto

Uganda: Museveni warns NRM members to go to into primaries instead of short-cut

1 Reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has told the National Resistance Movement (NRM) members to go into primaries knowing that the party is more important than individuals.

Museveni holds a potato given to him by a farmer in Butansi, Kamuli. Next is Kiyingi and right is Kadaga

“If you lose in an election, support the person who has won. To create disunity because you have lost is not good. Even me, I can’t do anything as an individual,” Museveni, who is the NRM chairman, noted.

“The power I have is from the people. It is wrong to think that the individual you support is higher than the party,” he added.

The President was over the weekend speaking during a talk-show over NBS FM in Jinja district during his tour of Busoga region.

Museveni denied claims by some contestants that he anointed them to vie for the various political posts in the party.

“Don’t be diverted. I can’t send anybody to contest in the party. They are all my children and I can’t support one against the other. I will support the flag-bearer elected by the people,” he clarified.

The President’s comments come at a time when cases of violent campaigns have been reported across the country in the ongoing party campaigns for MP and district chairpersons.

Today, several NRM members vying for executive posts are expected to pick nomination forms from the party headquarters in Kampala.

The President is in Busoga to assess projects implemented by NAADS under the Prosperity for All programme. The programme is aimed at fighting household poverty by boosting incomes through commercialised production.
“I have been here for a week, but have you heard me mention any candidate? I have never sent anybody to contest. All members are mine as long as they belong to the party,” the President elaborated.

In another talk-show on Kamuli Broadcasting Service FM, Museveni warned NRM leaders against fighting each other, saying leaders must not show personal or misplaced biases when dealing with party affairs.

“A manager is a leader who doesn’t take sides. Those under them may fight but not leaders,” Museveni cautioned.
The warning was prompted by reports by lands state minister Asuman Kiyingi that Parliament deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga was funding his opponent.

Henry Kibalya, an employee of Uganda Breweries, is among the four candidates campaigning for Bugabula South, where Kiyingi is the incumbent. Others are Charles Naluswa Mutyabule and Henry Kyesitalo.

“I have evidence that people are funded by Kadaga because I am against Prince Gabula’s becoming the Busoga king,” Kiyingi said.

Prince William Gabula Nadiope IV is facing off with Prince Edward Colombus Wambuzi for the Kyabazinga seat.
Kadaga fired back: “I think this is being cheap. I have not done anything like that. What he (Kiyingi) is saying is nonsense.”

Museveni said he would meet the leaders to discuss the issues.
He said it was wrong for party leaders to show favouritism among supporters at the grassroots

Ends

Kenya: Nicholas Biwott’s popularity on the upturn trend in Kerio South constituency

2 Replies

Leo Odera Omolo Reporting from Eldoret Town

The sacking of Jackson Kiptanui as an Assisant Minister for Environment is a blessing in disguise for the “Powerman” Nicholas Kiprono Kipyaor Biwott,the former powerful member of the Moi KANU regime.

Known to his peers as”Karnet”{ iron rod} Biwott lost the Kerio South seat for the first time in 2007. He had hold on this seat ever since he was first voted to Parliament in 1974. His defeat was unexpected. Especially due to his attractive record in an area previously considered as the most backward in the North Rift.

Biwott had turned the constituency to a hub of massive development. His tenure saw the construction of tarmacs road, massive electricity supplies, and massive water supplies to almost every village.

The constituency also witnessed the establishment and construction of many ultra modern schools, medical facilities, followed by the employment of men and women from Keiyo into senior positions in both the government, the parastatal and quasi-government organizations.

It was near impossible and nobody could dream of defeating Biwott in Kerio South constituency, which is located in the southern end of Keiyo district alongside its border with the Uasin Gishu district.

During the representation of Biwott, which last for more than two decade, the constituency also witnessed massive changes of development including the establishment of Flourpar Mining, the introduction of tea bushes and pyrethrum as some of the cash crops and.

However, the ODM euphoria that swept both North and South of the Rift like Tsunami like any other legislator of time. The popularity of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the North Rift at the time had become irresistible. This euphoria made many political novices like Jackson Kiptanui and other easily made to Parliament.

And when the time for the campaign for the referendum voting came, Jackson Kiptanui was one among the reel ODM who vigorously campaigned for the Reds led by the Minister for Higher Education William Ruto, and at the end become the first causality of the referendum outcome. Was kicked out of the cabinet and his place taken by Prof.Margaret Kamar who9 had exhibited unswerving loyalty to the ODM and camp0aigned vigorously for the Greens to the bitter end. It was truly the time for the party leader Raila Odinga to reward the Professor for her loyalty to the party.

The sacking ofKiptanui has since elicited strong protest from his fellow Kalenjin MPs who immediately launched the spirited scathing criticism with one Charles Keter {Belgut} likened Mr Odinga as one of the worst living dictator, adding that he is even worse than the former despotic military ruler of Uganda Idi Amin.

Soon after the news of Kiptanui sacking from the coalition government hit the streets in Eldoret and Kerio South Constituency rural area, Biwott’s loyal supporters went into celebration and merry making.

Some of overzealous ones are said to have slaughtered animals and bought crates of beer to celebrate the downfall of Kiptanui. These fancy celebrations are said to have gone one for the whole of last week.

The residents of the Kerio South for more than two decades of Biwott’s leadership were used to an industrious MP who is well known for go getter. They had enjoyed a lot of development as the surrounding valley and hilly areas turned to be green and the hub of massive agricultural development and food production. But these gains had turned to nothing ever since the year 2007 general election.

Biwott development record at the constituency level is unequalled by any MP in modern Kenya politics. He has since kept low profile preferring to chip milder comments only on issues of national importance. The “powerman” also in later years fought Uhuru Kenyatta for the position of KANU national chairmanship, but lost in a much flawed elections of the party’s national office bearers held in Kasarani, Sports Ground during which most of his supporters were locked out.

Arguably one of the wealthiest Kenyans with massive investment in the farming, oil business and properties well spread the globe, Biwott is believed to have made his wealth as the result of his loyalty and long time association with the retired President Daniel Arap Moi. Prior to being elected to Parliament in 1974, Biwott had for a long time served the former President as his private secretary. He is said to have a soft heart for both the two principals in the coalition government, President Mwai Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The powerman, is said to be only the second Kalenjin with the largest following with the community after the Higher Education Minister William Ruto and the retired President Daniel Arap Moi. The diminutive politician is also enjoying a lot of respect from members of other Kenyan communities.

Residents of Kerio South interviewed last week by this writer said they would vote Biwott on a 99 plus per cent. The constituents only regretted that they were duped by the ODM to elect a political novice who cannot deliver the goods.

“We want “Karnet” back in parliament. He is a go getter and highly productive. He has improved our socio-economic within the twenty years he was in parliament and changed the whole landscape of Kerio South. This is the place where one can easily find a family living in a grass thatched house enjoying electricity supply.

In the neighboring Cherangany, the electorate had spoken when they voted unanimously for the Greens. Something which has since became shameful to the incumbent MP Joshua Kutuny. The word making the round is that the former area MP Kipruto Arap Kirwa is also on his way to Parliament come the year 2012.Before losing his seat Kirwa had served as the Minister for Agriculture and he is credited for having done well in assisting both the large and small scale dairy farmers, maize famer and wheat farmers in the North Rift region.. But like Bowott’s Kerio South, the politics of Cheranganyi has also shifted dramatically towards Kirwa.

While sipping a glass of beer at the Wagon-Wheel the popular public joint located right in the middle of Eldoret Town, which is frequented mostly by Kalenjin political elite in the North Rift, I encountered two men from Biwott’s former constituency and engaged them in a loose political discussions, one of the two men Mr. Justus K Komen from Kerio Vally had this to say, “When the next general election is around the corner, we as the Kerio South constituents, we shall advice Hon Biwott to take his family along with him to the Coast or abroad for holiday, and we shall do the campaign on his behalf and ensure that he is back in Parliament with an overwhelming majority of not less than 100 plus per cent.”.

The other person who preferred to maintain his anonymity, blamed William Ruto and the retired President Daniel Arap Moi arguing that the two spent a lot of time and resources campaigning against the Kalenjin Ministers Henry Kosgei,{Tinderet} Dr Sally Kosgeyi{Aldai} and Franklin Bett {Buret} but did not bother to visit Kerio South and Cherany

Komen revealed that in 2012, the ODM leaders and members in the region would consider prevailing upon an aspirant who is a pure Nandi candidate be it a man or a woman to take on Ruto in Eldoret North. The just concluded referendum voting in whose outcome Ruto had emerged slightly a winner, but almost in neck to neck with the Greens, had shown us that Ruto is not all that invisible and he is a beatable man. if the pure Kalenjins voters could be well coordinated with voters from other communities living in the constituency.

The names Biwott and Kirwa, now rung into the ears of everyone in all public joins in Eldoret and Kitale towns.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yajhoo.com

Uganda: Otunnu snubs Inter-parties joint nomination for a presidential candidate

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

ANXIETY gripped members of the opposition when the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leader, Olara Otunnu, did not turn up for the nomination of the 2011 joint candidate at Kololo Airstrip yesterday.

The tent for the UPC supporters remained empty as the exercise kicked off at 10:30am, raising fears that Otunnu, who has been advocating for a single opposition candidate, had snubbed the function.

FDC president Dr. Kizza Besigye, Makerere University lecturer Prof. James Kigongo (Conservative Party), Makindye West MP Hussein Kyanjo (Justice Forum) and Makindye East MP Michael Mabikke (Social Democratic Party) were successfully nominated.

The Inter-Party Coalition (IPC) electoral affairs commission leader, Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, said they had been notified about Otunnu’s absence.

“We received communication that our friends in UPC will not be able to participate in today’s process because they have a court case,” he said.

UPC’s presidential envoy Patrick Mwondha said a warrant of arrest issued by a magistrate in Lira district prevented Otunnu from participation.
Other sources, however, said Otunnu was out of the country.

“The warrant meant that he could be arrested wherever he could be found,” Mwondha said.

He, however, said the Constitutional Court had yesterday issued a temporary order quashing the warrant.
He assured the opposition that UPC was still committed to the IPC.

“We shall work together to fight the dictatorship of this government which had intended to halt us from taking part in this function,” he stated.
On August 3, the Lira Magistrate’s Court issued a warrant of arrest for Otunnu after he failed to appear in court to answer sedition and sectarianism charges.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has ruled out joining the coalition.
DP leader Nobert Mao said his party would work closely with IPC to ensure free and fair elections.

He said DP would compare notes with the coalition, especially in identifying candidates for the parliamentary and local council elections.

“If they don’t accept our proposals, we shall field candidates everywhere and tussle it out during the elections,” Mao told a weekly press briefing at City House, Kampala.

He hailed the newly-proposed political parties’ consultative forum that was launched at Hotel Africana yesterday. “We believe this forum, if well used, will highlight some of the concerns of Ugandans,” Mao said.

Former Buganda premier Joseph Ssemwogerere, who was introduced at the nomination centre as an elder, lauded the IPC leaders for subjecting themselves to a democratic process.
He said Uganda needs a change in governance.

“We should all stand up and say no to the cancer of corruption. I call upon Ugandans to shake off fear. We must give Ugandans hope,” Ssemwogerere said.

Besigye said he was still a prisoner “on temporary bail on cases which were tramped up in 2005.”

“This shows why we need to get rid of dictatorship in this country,” Besigye said.

JEEMA’s Kyanjo said he would focus on environmental protection, sound land use and clean leadership.
CP’s Kigongo said his governance would usher in a federal government so that there is equitable sharing of resources.

Mabikke said his party looks at the peaceful transfer of power as the only way to move the country forward.

Ends

Kenya: Kalenjin MPs must respect Raila Odihnga as their party leader and stop insults

1 Reply

Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo

WHEREAS the ODM party leader and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga has extended an olive branch to his party rebel MPs who had campaigned vigorously to derail the draft constitution during the just concluded referendum voting, a group of ODM MPs from the Rift Valley appeared not to have appreciated this good gesture.

These MPs have flagrantly refused to reciprocate the PM’s political magnanimity and statesmanship and have gone solo unfairly attacking every move made by Mr Odinga to normalize the working relations within his party.

Led by Belgut MP Charles Keter and the Konoin MP Dr Julius Kones, the group has gone overboard as far as likened Mr Odinga’s alleged dictatorship tendency to be even worse than those of the former despotic and murderous ruler of Uganda Idi Amin.

Keter and his cronies, however, seemed to have forgotten that most of them had faithfully served in senior positions of decision making in the former KANU regime of the retired President Daniel Arap Moi who used to crack his whip on dissident Ministers over the Voice of Kenya lunch time news broadcasting without consulting individual concerned. And off course Keter and his cahoots never complained about this kind of iron fist dictatorial ruling style.

Many Kenyans had gone through the harrowing experience at the now infamous “Nyayo House torture chambers’. Some were maimed and even lost their manhood, while the unlucky one perished. But the likes of Keter were silent not to even to utter a word in protest against this kind of draconian police brutality of the time. They heaped many good songs of praise and continued worshipping Moi like the small God. Why? Is it because he was their fellow Kalenjin?

Anyway, for Honorable Keter who lost his lucrative ministerial position a few months ago as an Assistant Minster for Energy owing to political miscalculation, one could understand his sentiment that he is ‘crying over spilt milk”

It is time these political novices and mediocre from the Kalenjin community to come into terms with the political realities that for their people having voted unanimously for the Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s presidential hopeful in during the year 2007 general election, this did not qualify them to hold the Prime Minister at political ransom nor for political enslavement. This is highly primitive way of doing politics in modern Kenya. Politics is a game that is not static, but kept on changing according to the political circumstance prevailing at the given time.

It is not compulsorily necessary that only Raila Odinga will be the next President of Kenya, and even if it must be so, must he be subjected to enslavement to an extent of kneeling before the Rift Valley leaders and becoming an apologist to the Kalenjin MPs? Although I am in agreement with those upholding the school of thought that politics is the question of numbers, it doesn’t work that way.

The just concluded referendum voting outcome had indicated that even those most vocal anti-Raila MPs from the region have lost touch with their constituents at the grass root.

A case in point is that of Hon Joshua Kutuny in Cherangany constituency whose constituents voted unanimously for the Green despite their MP in the forefront in the Reds camp. Another good example is the Eldoret North constituency where the electorate voted almost on 50-50 ratio giving the area MP William Ruto who headed the No camp a narrow and negligible lead over the Yes camp.

These were all clear indication that nobody had the monopoly of the Kalenjin votes. Even the born again Ruto’s latest credible ally the retired President Daniel Moi had all his three sons shown the exit door during the 2007 polls in all three constituencies where they had wanted to be elected to Parliament, though the grand old man seemed not to have learnt a lasting lesson from this shameful experience.

What we are seeing is that the present crops of Kalenjin getting sucked into politics of mediocrity couple with wrong, immature and childish strategies. No wonder some people had coined the word that there were MPs for sell in the current 10th Parliament. These words were coined during the massive maize scandal in which every youthful Kalenjin MP it was alleged to have become multi-millionaires over night.

They lacked the intellect instinct and true nationalism which was exhibited by their predecessors like Dr.Taaita AraapToweett and John Marie Seroney who stood firm and steadfast with their fellow early nationalist from other Kenyan communities and gave the colonialists the sleepless nights during the struggle for liberation of this country from the colonial yokes.

These political novices nee to learn that the Rift Valley Province is not the exclusive home of the Kalenjins ethnic groups alone, but an area which is more or less a cosmopolitan region housing and accommodating people from the various ethnic background, tribes and races who have chosen the region to be their home.

Ever since Keter and his friends were elected to Parliament none of them has ever stood up and demanded that the land leases covering up to the 999 years issued to the white farmers and the foreign owned multinational tea companies in areas like Nandi Hills, Kericho,Bomet, Buret, Belgut and Sotik be reviewed and negotiated afresh for the reasonable 99 years. But what we do hear is about the big scramble for cheap handouts and business deals from these tea companies, Though the talk about the loopholes in certain clauses of the new draft constitution had rent the air during the referendum campaign nobody addressed these leases as part of the contentious land issues. Are these gentlemen of Parliament truly and genuinely representing the views of their constituents?

Is it Raila Odinga that has stopped these MPs from articulating the views of their electorate on the realignment of the leases for the prime the land in their region that are still being occupied by foreigners The anti-Raila MPs from the Kalenni community must go back to the drawing board and learn how to be cohesive enough. In fact it was Mr Odinga’s popularity that made some of them to be what they are to day. Most of them could not have defeated Moi’s KANU blue eyed boys in 2007 election. And the recent referendum voting has taught us a lesson tat the dreadful KANU Y92 is still very much alive in William Ruto and Cyrus Jirongo.

These MPs should be repentant and accept the olive branch extended to them by Raila Odinga and join hands with the rest of Kenya in the real task of nation building instead of chest thumping rhetoric and useless political antics

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Kenya: ODM must discipline MPS

We want to build strong political parties which operate as tools of governance, a replica of Tories and Labour in Great Britain, Democrats and Republicans in the USA, CCM and ANC in the African continent. This will only be achieved through discipline from members and officials.

That is why the latest move by the ODM party to discipline their MPs who went against the party to campaign against the recently ratified constitution is laudable.

Violating a decree or agreement comes with consequences. That is why we have rules in every social, economic or political group. Therefore, you cannot be a member of a social club and fail to abide by the rules.

When Adam and Even reneged the decree of God in the Garden of Eden, they got a harsh discipline that dogs the human race even today. If they respected God’s rule, things would be different today for the human race.

I challenge William Ruto to tell Kenyans whether former South African President Did Tabo Mbeki, did parade his Xhosa tribesmen in the cabinet and in parliament to protect him when the ANC unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in him?

Mbeki, is a respected freedom hero who fought against the apartheid in South Africa and despite this, he had to respect the constitution of his party. His presidency was cut short and he had to respect the decision of the ANC party. This is what we want to see in Kenya.

It’s very clear that the heart, mind, soul and love of William Ruto and his group is not in the ODM party. They are waiting for the rain to stop, form or move to another political party. Before doing so, they want to ensure that they have completely wrecked the party before the official exit.

The ODM party should move with speed for the discipline. We cannot continue to be wretched by people who want to play the tribal card in perpetuity when Kenyans want to confront the monster head on. They used it during the referendum campaigns and isolated their own community and still want to keep doing so.

Joseph Lister Nyaringo – New Jersey USA
http://listernyaringo.blogspot.com/

In prosperity our friends knows us; in adversity we know our friends.
— John Churton Collins