The Muhoroni parliamentary contest in the next general election has received another high profile aspirant whose candidature seemed to have jolted the incumbent mp like thunderbolt.
The new entrant into Muhoroni political derby is Agwenge Mbech, the 41 year-old former IT manager with the BP Shell Oil firm in Houston Texas in the US for many years. He is the holder of a BA and Maters degrees in IT engineering technology majoring in business management discipline.
photo of Mr Agwenge Mbeche who is the latest entrant into contest for the Muhoron parliamentary seat whose incumbent is Prof/ Ayicheo Olueny. The 41 year old IT engineer has lived and worked in the USA for 17 years;
Mbeche who is commonly known in Muhoroni constituency as “Nyarombo Maler’ {meaning the cleanest sacrificing lamp} untainted with any scandals and scams, which have been bedeviling the rich sugar producing constituency one after the other for decades.
Muhoroni constituency is the home of the four white sugar factories in a district within Kisumu County in an area classified as the Nyanza Sugar Belt. Mbeche has lived and worked I the US for close to 17 years during each period of time, he used to return home in Kenya almost every year for a total of 15.He owns a large scale sugar cane in Koru within Muhoroni district where his family lived, though the family is originally hails from Kamagaga sub-clan in the North East Kano location near Ahero Rice Scheme.
What has sent shock-waves to the spine of the other contestants in the same constituency is the fact that Mbeche has been a strong supporter of the ODM in the diaspora, particularly in the US where he is known to have previously hosted the party leader and the Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Amolo Odinga during his numerous tours of the US.
Mbeche is also believed to have been the instrumental tool for the ODM fundraising in the US amongst the Kenyan living there.
Apart fro the incumbent MP Prof Ayiecho Olueny, Mbeche would be facing another equally populist aspirant in the name of the flamboyant Nairobi based businessman James Onyango K’oyoo who according to reports emerging fro the agriculturally rich constituency. This time around K’oyoo is said to have already made major inroad into the area and is expected to give the other aspirants the run for their money.
The soft-spoken and well mannered technocrat is the so of the late Mr Aloys Mbeche Oyuko who had served the City Council of Nairobi as its Deputy Treasurer for many years.
The four sugar milling factories, which re located within the Muhoroni constituency including the Miwani Sugar Mills {which is currently under the official receivership and closed down}. The Muhoroni Sugar Mills Company, which is still in operating, but also has been under the protective joint official receivership management for close to a decade.
The Chemelil Sugar Company, which is reported to be on his death-bed and on the verge of collapsing and could be the next to go burst unless the government through the Kenya Sugar Board come to its rescue.
Speaking during an exclusive, but brief interview with this writer in Kisumu City, Mbeche said that pat of his mission and desired to be the next Muhoron MP is that he wanted to empower both the youth and the women.
Mbeche said he was shocked to learn that despite the Kenyan parliament having discussed and approved the payment of the elderly people, the elders in Muhoron have yet to benefited from such payment. The same parliament has deliberated on payment to the widow whose family were marooned by the scourge of HIV/Aids deaths in the region where the epidemic is so rampant, leaving them to fend for their siblings. The widows in Muhoroni have yet to benefit from the funds, though in other areas have enjoyed he same. All these happening are due to the indebtedness and neglect of the political leadership in the area.
He said the residents of the constituency have quite often been heard saying,”We are faced with leadership crisis cross-cutting many sectors be it in corporate institutions political ,community and even religion .
He went on, “It is widely acknowledged fact that the effectiveness of the institutions of governance depend largely on the said political leadership,’ said Mbeche.
The aspirant said that he believes in good leadership that is influenced by vision, principles, beliefs and deeds as opposed to what “we normally see in our Muhoroni constituency today that a whole baggage of filth from selfishness, dishonesty, intransigence, deception, aloofness to lack ideology, hence political thuggery and vindictiveness sold to the people for a vote.
He went on, “This is what ha become of our good and rich constituency which he people must decide to vote out for progressive change. The result is for everyone to see, increase in poverty in rich constituency, high index of poverty. High index of school drop outs yet we have devolved funds from people’s taxes in the form of CDF and school bursary scheme and increased drop on socio-economic fabric that hold out families together making Muhoroni a poor shadow of itself.”
Mbeche said it is for this reasons why he s offering his candidature for Muhoroni by asking the electorate to bring in the meaningful change, adding that lack of political accountability in the utility of the public resources in Muhoroni constituency has adversely affected the socio-economic development in the area,
The aspirant said this has to increased poverty and entitlement without focus on the needs of the constituents. He said if elected the next MP fore Muhoroni he will be committed to offer the difference of leadership the constituency had been lacking for several decades.
My tenure of office an MP will adhere to fiscal discipline in the utility that greatly include the 18 devolved funds at constituency level. This means therefore that the next elected MP should offer leadership and accountability on;LATIF, CDF, Bursary,Roads Levy Fund, HIV/Aids Fund, Water Fund, Women Fund Youth Fund and man others which currently the public has seen a lot of wastage, ostentatious spending and mismanagement by the officials and the committee members put to facilitate equitable use of the fund.
Mbeche is married with three children. He has produced a wonderful personal manifesto showing how he will tackles the myriads of problems facing Muhoroni district which he said is the bastion of major food production apart from the sugar factories and sugar cane farming. But he then regretted that youth in the area have suffered the worse of unemployment due to mismanagement in the sugar mills.
Did you see the part in the debate where Mitt Romney refused to endorse equal pay protections but said that women needed to get home early to cook dinner?1
Or the part where he blamed single mothers for gun violence?2
Or when he said there weren’t enough qualified women to serve in his cabinet so he had to have his staff go out and create a “binder full of women?” (A story that actually isn’t even true.)3
Or when he lied about birth control–when the truth is that he thinks employers should be able to take contraception coverage away from women?4
Women have to know what happened at last night’s debate.
So we put together a cute infographic that just about sums it all up. Can you take a moment to share it with your friends? Studies are showing that people trust the information they get from their friends on social networks and catchy infographics like the one we created are a great way to engage your friends around information that is important for them to have.
Share this on Facebook
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Thanks for speaking out!
–Nita, Shaunna, Kat and Karin, the UltraViolet team
Sources:
1. Mitt Romney’s ‘binders full of women’, Washington Post, October 16, 2012
2. Stop Gun Violence: Get Married, The American Prospect, October 17, 2012
3.Mitt Romney’s Answer To Pay Equity: ‘Binders Full Of Women’ Lie And ‘Flexibility’ To Cook Dinner, Mediaite, October 17, 2012
Mind the Binder, The Phoenix, October 16, 2012
4.Romney clarifies stance on Blunt Amendment: “Of course” I’m for it, CBS News, February 29, 2012
Romney Aide said on Media interview that Romney was going to ask Obama to man-up on Libya…….likewise and sure enough, President Obama did man-up and gave Mitt Romney good lessons about FACTS…….which drove Mitt Romney somersaulting to Reality Check……..It is Because He Asked For It……
It is a Historic evidential fact that, pathetic liars get Real only when they get whipped properly with Facts slammed right on their faces. That is when they get in the knowing, and the Truth is, you cannot get away with lies when the TRUTH is standing.……Hehehehehe, President Obama, like a Head Teacher of our times, was standing with a cane on his hand for discipline…….
Mitt Romney could not believe what he was seeing at the time, for he was “pretty much exposed that REALITY can send someone scampering, when in fact one does not have “A Fact-Based Plan” to DEFINE themselves or what they intend to do in Public Office. Last night again as is his usual self, we saw another Romney Candidate who consistently changed positions and failed to stay steady on strategic course and in focus with Specifics how he Aim to do things differently from President Obama.
The exposure was clearly evident as Romney seemed nervous and very uncomfortable struggling to be on the defensive. President Obama on the other-side with show-cases, proved he meant business from the moment he took office on a serious economic collapse and steadied the situation with Mission accomplished in Three-Quarter-Way both with significant good results showing up to in confirmation to both Domestic and Foreign reflective good results. Which is why, Obama’s job approval with housing bustling ratings are headed to the right direction. This is proof that, President Obama proved to America people and the world that, he stayed in command without swaying or flattering; for which case, Obama strived to get America with the rest of the world out of Economic and Security mess.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Complete Second Presidential Town Hall Debate 2012 Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney Oct 16, 2012
Published on Oct 16, 2012 by REALVIDEOS2013
president obama and mitt romny
I think its safe to say Obama is going to get re-elected. That was utter rape.
DJrezafication6 hours ago
If the popular vote is tied
A tie in the national popular vote means Mr. Obama would likely get re-elected narrowly with 290 electoral votes–just over the 270 needed to win.
The president can simply tie the popular vote and still win the Electoral College because he has more state-by-state combinations to get to 270 than Romney does. So he’d most likely squeak out wins in most of the battlegrounds where he leads – enough for that 290 majority – while losing a few others, and breaking even in the popular vote. He’d rely heavily on slight wins in Ohio and smaller states like Colorado and Iowa and Wisconsin to get him there, because Romney would take larger prizes of Florida and Virginia by very small margins, as well as North Carolina.
More assertive Obama trades barbs with Romney, targets wealth issues
By Liz Goodwin, Yahoo! News
National Affairs Reporter
The Ticket – 8 hrs ago
Obama and Romney, talking over each other. (John Moore/Getty Images)
A much more aggressive President Barack Obama showed up to the second presidential debate Tuesday, which at times devolved into angry crosstalk with Republican rival Mitt Romney.
President Obama was under pressure to perform dramatically better at this debate—held at Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y.—than the one held two weeks ago. Gov. Romney’s energetic performance at that first debate quickly boosted him in the polls, with some recent measures showing he and the president in a virtual tie among likely voters.
Romney kept up his Denver demeanor, attacking Obama on his jobs record, failure to pass immigration reform, policies in the Middle East, and other issues. But this time, instead of simply repeating portions of his stump speech, Obama was ready with specific retorts and counter-attacks. The president frequently accused Romney of twisting facts, occasionally interrupting him as he spoke.
At one point, the debate almost became a shouting match over whether President Obama had cut back oil extraction from public lands. Obama repeatedly said Romney was lying about his claim that oil production was down, pointedly saying, “Not true, Governor Romney.” (Politifact ranked a similar claim by a conservative super PAC “half true.”) Feeling the heat, moderator Candy Crowley took the candidates to another topic.
The 90-minute town hall-style debate got personal at times. Romney took a detour on an answer on immigration reform to address Obama campaign claims that his personal fortune is invested in China and shielded from taxes. “Mr. President, have you looked at your pension?” he asked, implying the president is also unaware of the nature of his investments. “You know, I don’t look at my pension,” Obama retorted, adding, “It’s not as big as yours so it doesn’t take as long.”
Obama returned more than once to the topic of Romney’s wealth, saying Romney sees nothing unfair about millionaires paying the same tax rate as a nurse or other middle-class worker. Later in the debate, Romney criticized Obama for attending political events so soon after the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, was killed, and also said Obama’s campaign unfairly painted him as a villain. Obama closed the debate by mentioning Romney’s leaked comments that half the country is dependent on government.
Both candidates appeared comfortable with the more intimate town hall-style, during which an audience of 80 undecided voters, handpicked by polling organization Gallup, watched and asked questions. Audience members picked by Crowley asked the candidates about immigration reform, jobs, gun control, the gender pay gap, and other issues. In answer to a question about the economy from college student Jeremy Epstein, Romney said if elected he could guarantee Epstein would find employment when he graduates in 2014 because of his economic policies. “I’m going to make sure you get a job,” Romney said. Obama answered a question about the pay gap with a personal story about his mother’s struggle to make ends meet while raising two children on her own.
By the end of the debate, Romney spoke for nearly 41 minutes, Obama a little over 44 minutes.
The final debate of the election is Monday in Boca Raton, Florida, and will focus on foreign policy.
Biden: Romney vague, ‘sketchy’ at debate
Associated Press – 16 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden is dismissing as “rhetoric but not much substance” Mitt Romney’s answers to questions at Tuesday night’s presidential debate.
“Everything is sketchy,” Biden said.
President Barack Obama “had a great debate,” Biden said, “and I expect you’ll see another great one next Monday” when the two presidential candidates meet for a third and final debate.
Biden also addressed questions over the Obama administration’s response to requests for increased security at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed there last month. At last week’s vice presidential debate, Biden had asserted “we weren’t told” about the requests. But a State Department official had acknowledged during congressional testimony receiving the request.
Biden said he meant that he and Obama were not personally aware of those requests. “It never got to us,” Biden said.
The vice president also accused Romney of trying to “politicize a tragedy” by continuing to make the Benghazi attack an issue in the campaign.
Biden spoke in a round of television interviews aired Wednesday morning.
Wednesday in politics: Obama, Romney campaign after aggressive debate, and more
By Phil Pruitt | The Ticket – 1 hr 3 mins ago
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney will be back on the campaign trail Wednesday following a debate that at times felt like a verbal fistfight.
Obama produced a much more assertive performance at the Hofstra University clash, and Romney maintained the energetic demeanor that chalked up a win for him in the first showdown.
The buzz Wednesday will focus on whether Obama’s attack style Tuesday night will counter what was widely panned as a lackluster presentation in the first debate. It also will focus on whether Romney came away from the second debate maintaining the momentum he picked up in the first one. And, of course, there will be a lot of talk about who told the truth, and about how CNN’s Candy Crowley did as moderator.
[Want to get a daily update of what’s happening in politics delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for our Daily Ticket newsletter]
Obama will campaign Wednesday in Iowa and Ohio, while Romney will head to Virginia. And Vice President Biden will stump in Colorado and Nevada, and Romney running mate Paul Ryan will be joined by Condoleezza Rice at a rally in Ohio.
Biden also gives his reaction to the second presidential debate in interviews on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CBS’ “This Morning,” and NBC’s “Today.”
Also worth noting Wednesday: Bill Clinton attends a New York fundraiser for Obama; Tagg Romney campaigns in North Carolina and Craig Romney in Colorado for their father; and Speaker of the House John Boehner heads to Iowa to campaign for Romney.
And then there is this: First lady Michelle Obama tapes an interview Wednesday for broadcast on Friday’s “LIVE with Kelly and Michael.”
Aide: Mitt Romney Will Ask Obama to ‘Man Up’ on Libya
By Jonathan Miller | National Journal – 22 hrs ago
Debate Fact-Check: The Second Presidential Debate Between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
No Debate: Obama Rediscovers His Nerve and Makes It a Race
Romney-Obama Debate No. 2: Inflicting Pain, But Not Feeling It
A foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney, in a preview of the second presidential debate, said on Tuesday that Romney will ask President Obama to “man up” on his response to the terrorist attack in Libya that left four Americans dead.
Richard Williamson, the former special envoy to Sudan under President George W. Bush, was asked on Fox News how Romney would bring up the issue of September’s attack on the American mission in Benghazi in the debate.
“I think Governor Romney, quite properly, will be asking questions, probing, and trying to ask the president to man up, accept his responsibility and explain to the American people the failure that resulted in four American deaths,” Williamson said.
He later added of Obama: “He can run but he’s not going to be able to hide. He’s going to have to man up and tell the American people what he knew, when he knew it and what he’s doing.”
On Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she took “responsibility” for the terrorist attack that led to the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
Williamson said that there needs to be “transparency” from the administration about the attack. “The administration has to come clean,” he said. “It is a presidential-level decision protecting our diplomats overseas. It’s the president’s obligation to make sure that diplomats in difficult situations have adequate security so they can do their job, and clearly they failed here.”
Williamson also alleged that Obama must have seen information in daily briefings indicating the previous attacks on the compound and other threats in Libya. “The information was there. The White House has certain responsibilities,” he said.
Fact Checking:
Mitt Romney wrongly claimed that it took 14 days for President Barack Obama to brand the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya a terrorist act. Obama yet again claimed that ending the Afghanistan and Iraq wars makes money available to “rebuild America,” even though it doesn’t.
A look at some of their claims:
OBAMA: The day after last month’s attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, “I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said that we’re going to hunt down those who committed this crime.”
ROMNEY: “I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror.”
OBAMA: “Get the transcript.”
THE FACTS: Obama is correct in saying that he referred to Benghazi as an act of terrorism on Sept. 12, the day after the attack. From the Rose Garden, he said: “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. … We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act.”
OBAMA: “Let’s take the money that we’ve been spending on war over the last decade to rebuild America, roads, bridges, schools. We do those things, not only is your future going to be bright, but America’s future is going to be bright as well.”
ROMNEY: “As a matter of fact, oil production is down 14 percent this year on federal land, and gas production was down 9 percent. Why? Because the president cut in half the number of licenses and permits for drilling on federal lands and in federal waters.”
OBAMA: “Very little of what Governor Romney just said is true. We’ve opened up public lands. We’re actually drilling more on public lands than in the previous administration and my — the previous president was an oilman.”
OBAMA: “For young people who’ve come here, brought here often times by their parents, have gone to school here, pledged allegiance to the flag, think of this as their country and understand themselves as Americans in every way except having papers, we should make sure we give them a pathway to citizenship. And that’s what I’ve done administratively.”
ROMNEY: “I know he keeps saying, ‘You want to take Detroit bankrupt.’ Well, the president took Detroit bankrupt. You took General Motors bankrupt. You took Chrysler bankrupt. So when you say that I wanted to take the auto industry bankrupt, you actually did. And I think it’s important to know that that was a process that was necessary to get those companies back on their feet, so they could start hiring more people. That was precisely what I recommended and ultimately what happened.”
THE FACTS: What Romney recommended did not happen, and his proposed path probably would have forced General Motors and Chrysler out of business. He opposed using government money to bail out the automakers, instead favoring privately financed bankruptcy restructuring. But the automakers were bleeding cash and were poor credit risks. The banking system was in crisis. So private loans weren’t available. Without government aid, both companies probably would have gone under and their assets sold in pieces.
OBAMA: “And what I want to do is build on the 5 million jobs that we’ve created over the last 30 months in the private sector alone.”
ROMNEY: “I’m going to bring rates down across the board for everybody, but I’m going to limit deductions and exemptions and credits, particularly for people at the high end, because I am not going to have people at the high end pay less than they’re paying now.”
THE FACTS: Romney is proposing to cut all income tax rates by 20 percent, eliminate the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax, maintain and expand tax breaks for investment income, and do it all without adding to the deficit or shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class. He says he would pay for the tax cuts by reducing or eliminating tax deductions, exemptions and credits, but he can’t achieve all of his goals it under the budget rules presidents must follow.
The Tax Policy Center, a Washington research group, says in a study that the tax cuts proposed by Romney would reduce federal tax revenues by about $5 trillion over 10 years. The study concludes that there aren’t enough tax breaks for the wealthy to make up the lost revenue, so the proposal would either add to the deficit or shift more of the tax burden on to the middle class.
Romney’s campaign cites studies by conservative academics and think tanks that say Romney’s plan will spur economic growth, generating enough additional money to pay for the tax cuts without adding to the deficit or shifting the tax burden to the middle class. But Congress doesn’t recognize those kinds of economic projections when it estimates the budget impact of tax proposals.
However, Obama is not responsible for all of the deficits that have occurred on his watch. Most of the federal budget — like Medicare, food stamps, Medicaid and Social Security — runs on autopilot, and no one in a leadership position in Washington has proposed deep cuts in those programs. And politicians in both parties voted two years ago the renew Bush-era tax cuts that have contributed to the deficit. Even under the strict spending cuts proposed by Romney, the debt would continue to rise, just not as fast.
The National Alliance party Parliamentary Aspirant for the newly created Kisumu Central Constituency last week fled from an angry mob which was demanding cash from him after he had given the a number of groups in the area.
Mr Ken Obura was evacuated to safety by a horde of body guards as the crowd which was composed of youths chased his Land cruiser car using motorbikes and boda bodas through a rough section near the Obunga police post.
Obura had just finished giving several groups in the area grants for expanding their businesses and attempted to leave the venue of the rally.
The youths jumped on motorbikes and chased his motorcade for almost a kilometer and caught up with him near the Kisumu Cotton mills forcing him to stop.
Baying for his blood the youths who jammed him demanded a share since they are also voters in Kisumu central.
They left after their demands were met.
Nyanza police Chief Joseph Ololetito arrived at the scene after the crowd had dispersed.
Obura earlier while addressing the crowd promised to empower the young people and women.
He blamed the current crop of leaders for neglecting the common.
The aspirant warned that he would monitor how funds he disbursed to the various groups are used before giving more.
Obura promised to tackle all their problems when elected as the first Mp of Kisumu central which has been hived off Kisumu West and East.
He called on the areas voters to vote for Uhuru Kenyatta
JOE Donde the former Gem MP who is considered as one of the most articulate and highly polished politicians inside Luo-Nyanza is the man moist favored to clinch the powerful position of Siaya County governor come March 4th,2013.
The signs of Donde’s impending victory in the contest for the powerful position of Siaya County governor were visibly witnessed during the last Sunday ODM campaign rally held in Siaya Town and which was attended by a huge crowd of ODM supporters.
The campaign rally was called by the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo. The Ugenya MP also used the meeting for officially launching his campaign for the Siaya County Senate seat. The contest for the Siaya County Senate seat has become so controversial due to the fact that it pitted the two regional political power base.
It pitted Orengo and the Finance Assistant Minister Dr. Oburu Odinga, who is the MP for Bondo and the elder brother of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga. So far there are no signs that the PM will come to the aid of his brother. Both Orengo and Dr Oburu Odinga are considered as the closest political advisers of Raila Odnga.
The last Sunday meeting came in the wake of another controversial rally held at the same venue the previous week. The controversial rally was convened by Dr. Oburu Odinga and his supporters. The Finance Assistant Minister also used the rally to launch his campaign for the Siaya County Senate seat.
It turned chaotic when a group of people suspected to the hired goons storm the venue and causing those in attendance to dispersed in disarray after a man carrying a panga {machete} was spotted mingling with the crowd and moving menacingly towards the direction of the dais. Dr Odinga’s security detail and supporters wrestled the man to the ground and beat up u mercilessly before the man was frog-matched to the nearby Siaya Police station where the man was locked up in police custody.
Within minutes the accomplices of the man had regrouped and matched to the police station and storm it with the demand that the man be released forthwith, they too were overpowered and nine of them were apprehended and taken into police custody.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, Orengo said that he had offered his candidature and wanted to serve the Siaya people as their Senate representative, therefore it was jp to the residents of the region to decide. He had come forward and wanted to conduct his campaign in a peaceful manner, adding that he had no feeling of enmity to Dr. Oburu Odinga, it was therefore up to the electorate to decide as to who should be their Senate after the polls slated for March 4, 2013., In attendance were the Sports Minister Dr.Paul Otuoma, Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo, Alego Usonga MP Edwin Ochieng’ Yinda and the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo- who is also the government Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo who is also the government Chief Wip and a maternal cousin of Dr.Oburu Odinga., civic leaders from all over Siaya County representing six constituencies.
It emerged that behind the scene reconciliation meetings have been going on for sometime, but these meeting had produce no amicable solution as the two D Odinga and Orengo instead that they will go full length to the ballot boxes.
Jakoyo Midiwo whose mentor is arguably Dr. Oburu Odnga launched the most scathing criticism of the Finance Assistant Minister charging that instead o working for an amicable solution to the issue, he was issuing threats. Leaders in Siaya County had agreed that all the elective positions either in the County governance, national assembly, senate or governorship would be shared proportionately.
In the previous week’s rally convened by Dr.Oburu Odinga which was held in at the same venue, ony one MP ha attended the meeting. He was eng. Nicholas Gumbo the MP for Rarieda who is the only one supporting Dr. Odinga. It has since emerged that the rest of Siaya ODM leadership are firm in their support for Orengo.
In the case of Joe Donde, he will square it with his fellow man from Gem constituency Julius Okinda
Born I the house of a former senior journalist Isau Donde Odinga who retired shortly before his demise in the late 1970 after serving the government in various capacities and finally as the Provincial Information Officer, Nyanza
Soft-spoken and well mannered Joe Donde is also the brother of the former career diplomat at one time Kenya’s Ambassador to Egypt ms Mary Donde who retired after heading many of the country’s diplomatic missions abroad, Joe Donde lost his Gem seat to Jakoyo Midiwo in 1997 and has since kept a low profile preferring to work quietly as an international consultant.
Siaya County has six parliamentary constituencies, namely Raried, Bondo, Gem, Alego-Usonga, Ugenya and the newly created Ukwala which was curve out of Ugenya by the IEBC as part of the newly created addition 80 seats.
Judging from the utterances of the people I the huge crowd which had attended the campaign rally called by Orengo the governorship will definitely go to Joe Donde who is headed for a landside election victory an will be the next Siaya County representative in the Senate.
UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT TAKES STRINGENT SECURITY PRECAUTION MEASURES SOME PARTS OF WESTERN KENYA COULD TURN TO BE CHAOTIC DURING THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTIONS.
News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
ALTHOUGH the usually volatile violence prone Counties in Southern Nyanza and Kisii regions are still quiet with no major ugly incident so far as the county is only five months away from the impeding general elections, reports emerging from Siaya and Kisumu Counties are all painting gloomy future.
Within last week lone the two regions witnessed ugly incidents which should be the matter of grave concern for those responsible for the security and safety of Kenyan citizens. All these incidents are pointing to the direction of shape of things to come during the next general elections which is only five months away.
Two senior politicians in Siaya and Kisumu were forced to flee the venues where they were conducting functions at different venue for their dear lives following the invasion of the venues by marauding, drunken and heavily drugged hired goons.
The two politicians were the Finance Assistant Minister Dr. Oburu Odinga who is also the MP for Bondo. The other one is the Education Assistant Minister Prof. P Ayiecho Olueny who is also the Muhoroni MP.
Olueny was forced out of funeral home in Kaumswa in North East Kano, Nyando district within is Muhoroni constituency in Kisumu County. Prof Olueny was among the hundreds of mourners who had attended the burial of the brother of the Nyando County Council Samuel Onyango Ong’ou..
Scores of people sustained bodily injuries during the commotion with unconfirmed reports that two people were stabbed with knives and sustain serious injuries.
While the funeral program was in progress Prof Olueny’s arrival in Muhoroni political derby James Onyango Koyoo, a Nairobi business man triumphantly stormed the funeral home accompanied by close to 300 rowdy youths sparking off a chaotic and ugly incidents.
The Assistant Minister’s plea for calm and orderly hit the rock. Olueny’s youth and supporters appeared to have been shocked and scared as they were also outnumbered by K’Oyoo’s rowdy goons. Fighting ensued and the mourners took to their heels. It was during the commotion that several people especially elderly men and women were run-over by the fleeing mourners in th4e stampede that followed.
The MP also vanished in the crowd and left the venue.
Prior to his death in a helicopter crash on June 10th the former Assistant Minister for Internal Security the late Joshua Orwa Ojode had suggested that all the funeral gatherings inside Luo-Nyanza would in the future require public meeting s licenses from the police so that the security men could be presence and monitor the proceeding an also to protect the lives and property of the bereaved families an funeral goers.
Unfortunately Ojode died accidentally before putting his suggestion into place. The Minister was reacting to an incident in Kaspul-Kabondo where MPs, ministers, and Councilors were forced out and had to be escorted to safety by the police when the fighting erupted.
During the same weekends the Finance Assistant Minster Dr. Oburu Odinga was forced to cut-short his speech at a campaign public rally in Siaya Tow after a man was spotted among the crowd brandishing a panga {machete} apparently suspected of planning to attack the Assistant Minister wit the weapon.
The man whose name was given only as Otieno was cornered, subdued by the Minister’s security details and supporters who beat him savagely before frog-matching the suspect to the nearby police station where he was take into custody. Within minutes, the suspect’s nine accomplices who had attempted to storm the police station while demanding that the suspect be released from the police custody were also arrested and take into custody.
It later emerged that the group were part of the to of the hired goons to cause mayhem and to intimidate Dr Oburu Odinga who is involve in the cut-throat sot of the campaign for the Siaya County Senate seat which the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo is his arch-rival.
What has emerged is that all the Siaya MPs have ganged agaist Dr. Oburu Odinga bid for the Senate seat. They are all favoring his arch-rival the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo who is the Ugenya MP. Orengo is also favored by the electorate who feels Dr Odinga candidature is not viable considering that fact the same electorate are being asked to vote for his younger brother the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who all seemed to have agreed to vote for in his presidential bid.
However, one MP has remained neutral over the issue. He is the Alego-Usonga MP Edwin Ochieng Yinda. But the MP has since lost hi patency then he discovered that Dr Oburu Odinga has appointed his formidable challenger in Alego-Usonga parliamentary seat contest Charles Odunga Mamba a wealthy Kisumu hotelier to be one of his campaign manager. MP Yinda has since feel provoked changed his mind and lost his patience and has joined hands with his other parliamentarian colleagues in Siaya in opposing Dr Odinga candidature for the senate seat
Dr Oburu Odinga made an error in drafting Mr Odunga Mamba into his campaign team, and MP Yinda has since read mischief arguing that Dr. Odinga was grooming Mr Odunga Mmba to grab is Alego Usonga seat. Mp Yinda who is arguably one of the wealthiest Luo MP and businessmen
And representing a constituency which covered Siaya Town, things seemed to work against .Oburu Oginga, who at later date might find himself confined strictly to conduct his campaign inside his Bondo consttuency.
All the Siaya MPs including Dr Oburu Ognga’s own cousin Jakoyo Midiwo {Gem} Nicholas Gumbo {Rarieda and Edwin Ochieng’ Yinda Alego Usonga are vehemently opposed to Dr.Odinga candidature I the Senate contesting. They have been joined by civic leaders from all the six constituencies of Alego-Usonga, Rarieda, Bondo, Gem, Ugenya and the newly created Ukwala.
They consider Dr. Oburu Odinga ambition to grab the Siaya Senate seat as part of the excessive arrogance on the part of members of the Odinga family. Dr.Odinga younger sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga is vying for Kismu County governor position to the chagrins of the local people.
The popular saying now is that members of the Odinga family who wished to contest any elective seat should do so in side their Bondo district which their home turf and not elsewhere, but all agreed to support Raila’s presidential ambition.
A prominent politician in Homa-bay County has called upon the ODM board of election to reconsider the possibility of postponing the party’s primary nomination dates from December 4/5 to another suitable date towards the end of the same month.
Dr Mark Matunga, who is also an aspirant for the Homa-Bay County governor position cited the KCE national examination, which would be taking pace at the same, adding this could have an adverse implication on the performance of students.
“Most schools classrooms will be used as polling stations, counting halls, wile candidates will be traversing the villages while making a lot of noisy through signings and blowing loudspeakers and aujas, vuvusellas and drums. The campaign noises in villages which are located next school could have negative effect on the performance of students sitting for national exam.
Moreover many teachers would be engaged as counting clerks, supervisors, returning officers and counting clerks at the time when they would be required to invigilate and supervise the exam to ensure that their student performed ell at the exam.
D Matunga has suggested that the ODM primary nomination dates be pushed forward to after December 20th . This will be after the schools re closed and the student gone hoe for the end of the year school holidays so the campaign noises will have no negative effect on the student’s performance.
He said his calls for the postponement of the ODM primary nominations must not be construed as meaning he is opposed to the party tentative nominate program, but feels that the logic must prevail, because Kenya valued education of their children highly.
Meanwhile the information emerging from the Suba region of the greater southern Nyanza says that Dr. Matunga is currently the leading contender for the Homa-Bay County governor position is under heavy pressure to switch his candidature fro that of the County governor and contest the Mbita parliamentary seat.
The aspirant who hails from Mfangano Island in Mbita district has yet to respond to the voters demand nor could he be reached for his reaction and comments on the latest demand could not could be reached through mobile phone.
Mbita constituency which was originally part of the Lambwe constituency which was established in 1961 has had half a doze of MPS previously, but none has ever come from Mfangano Island.
The first MP for Lambwe Valley constituency was Dr Joseph Gordo Odero-Jowi from Karungu in what is today Nyatike constituency. This was during the Lancaster Constitution, which had a tri-cameral parliamentary system with the National Assembly.
The late Senator Sellemiah Mbeo-Onyango from Mfangano was elected to represent the entire larger South Nyanza district I the Senate. But when the tri-cameral parliamentary system together with regional assemblies were abolished following the constitutional changes of 1965/1966 which were effected by an ct of Parliament, a new Mbita constituency was created after Lambwe constituency was sub-divided into two with the creation of Mbita constituency specifically to accommodate the South Nyanza district Senator. The late Mbeo Onyango therefore become the first MP for Mbita.
Under this new arrangement Dr. Oero-Jowi switched his political cmp to the newly created Ndhiwa prliamentary seat.
In the 1969 general election, the Late Mbeo-Onyango defended his seat, but he was trounced by a fellow islander George Osingo Migure from Rusinga Island. Migure, however, lasted for only five year one terms, and the seat was gabbed by the late Aphonce Okuku , the younger brother of the late Tom Mboya
Alphonce Okuku hails from Rusinga Island. He successfully defended his seat in 1974, but lost badly to Peter Clever Otieno Nyakiamo in 1983.BOTH Okuku and Nyakiamo served in the cabinet of President Moi as an Assistant Minister and full cabinet minister respectively.
Nyakiamo was from Kaksingiri in what is now Suba South, although he had a family root in Wakula sb-clan who are his uncles and who lives in Mfangano Island whose Wasiambi sub-clan lives in Kakasingiri, he was defeated was won by the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works Dr. Valentie Omolo–Opere who whose time as Mbita MP saw the constituency being splinted into two with the creation of Gwassi constituency into two with the creation of Gwassi constituency, and the late Dr. Valentine Omolo Opere, another person from the mainland. Omolo Opere lost the seat to Felix Nyauchi a Nairobi lawyer who who the seat during the euphoria of Ford-Kenya in the 1992 first multiparty elections.
It was during Nyauchi time when the constituency was splinted into two with creation of Gwassi. Nyauchi as trounced by a Nairobi businessman Zadock Syong’o in1997 while during the same period of time Gerald OtenKajwang.won the Mbita seat and successfully defended it n2002 an 2007. Kajwang’ hail from Waondo in Gembe location in Lambwe Division. Looking deeply at the background of Mbita constituency, one could easily see that it is the residents of Mfangano Island who have yet to produce a parliamentary representative in Mbita ever since the inception of the constituency, though their voting strength is almost equal to those of the registered voters in the twin-Rusinga Island.
All the previous representatives have either come for the mainland or the neighboring Rusinga Ind, hence a strong demand by the residents of Mfangano that this time they be given a chance to produce one of their own as the next MP.
The Islanders have picked on Dr Matunga. However,Dr Matunga’s candidature, however, would complicate things for the Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo who hails from their neighboring Rusinga Island and who is so popular in Mbita at the moment an expected to sail through easily. This is because Dr.Mutunga is arguably the mentor of Milie Odhiambo.
The two have had a good rapport and cordial working relationship on friendly term, and people in the region expect Dr. Matunga to lend a hand of support by backing Ms Odhiambo in her bid to be elected as the next Mbita MP and she is equally expected to campaign for Dr.Matunga bid for the Homa-Bay County governor position.
Although she could be termed as a young firebrand legislator, Millie has performed very well in parliament even above the average of men and women sitting in the current 10th parliament. She has been an effective contributor to almost every local and international issue when such issues comes up for debate in the house to the house for debate. She has proved to be so eloquent an effective and formidable debater and one whose leadership has been tasted as a leader.
Since both Matunga and Odhiambo had one background of being the indignant Suba, and belonging to the two Islands whose inhabitants have the same background voters in the Sub region would like to see both Odhiambo an Matunga serving in senior positions in the next government an parliament.
Both Odhiambo an Matunga are wit armed with proper educational background and working experience.
This writer could not reach either the two, Odhiambo and Matunga to clarify these rumors, though the rumor about heavy pressure being put on Matunga to switch from contesting the governorship to that of Mbita parliament is so rampant in Mbita town and its environs.
Sorry my darling………I sincerely apologize. I left both my b/berry and Droit charging and kind of put them on silent mode….then I was out of the network……So, it is the reason I did not get any of your messages and from others alike.
All my mind and everything was focused on Joe Biden coming on stage and everything else in between was like wasting my time and frustrating my focus.
In short, Biden did exactly what I looked-forward and expected he would do. He proved that fact that, Presidential Leadership is not anywhere close to salesmanship job. It requires tact, forecast and strategy……trategy is maths which you must calculate…….you must have a plan to get it right……
Joe was Joe we all love………He dominated the Debate and did not give the Lad any chance to spew lies but took opportunity to school him and straighten him out. Joe laid his facts passionately and clearly with decorum and captivated every moment of the time. I was thrilled and very happy to see how Paul Ryan scrambled and tried his best even as he tried “at short quick intervals” to lubricate his mouth and throat with sips of water, he did not find escape route…. his throat kept drying….Joe Biden was on him like he could not believe what he saw……..
Ryan tried to steady jabs without clear facts or substances; but however much he tried, blows kept coming towards him. At one point he was reminded by Joe about a referenced evidence at Joe Biden’s website, which he benefited from a stimulant package for Reform he officially sent requested through Biden and for which Ryan has never spoken about or showed appreciation……….It is true, one cannot eat and pooh on the same place you ate from…..but atleast with human empathy, there should be some kind of a show of recognition where someone has done some good………Give Credit where Credit is Due……..In addition, Ryan was reminded about shared sacrifice in unity of purpose more or so when the Country is under attack…..People come together and plan and share common values……..and, Joe Biden took opportunity to remind the audience and people watching from the comfort of their homes and across the world, how much President Obama sacrificed and achieved since taking office and the reason why America is respected all over the world which is why the world can look back and be proud that the world is free from terrorist attacks and ………there are more good things to come.
Joe made my night and my words were finished…….I am soo happy and many people I believe feel the same…….I have not yet found the right words to use…….I am still gathering momentum………I am proud of Joe and those of like minded because I know we have very many good people out there and we shall have a wonderful world full of Peace and happiness……
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
– – – – – – – – – – –
Watch This……See why Ryan is a Lad to be schooled.
Joe Biden vs Paul Ryan – Vice Presidential Debate 2012 – FULL VP DEBATE
Published on Oct 11, 2012 by JamaicanMon
VP Debate
Condescending Paul doesn’t want you to worry your pretty little head about all the complicated math.
Complete Vice Presidential Debate 2012: Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan – Oct 11, 2012 – Elections 2012
Streamed live on Oct 11, 2012 by TheNewYorkTimes
Debate pre- show overview. History of debates. Watching the debates with social media. Biden Ryan Vice Presidential Debate. Comprehensive Debate Fact Checking
Vice Presidential debate review: Joe Biden and Paul Ryan grinned like sharks, biting each other
Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:47:00
VP debate tees up closing issues for Romney, Obama
By NANCY BENAC and PHILIP ELLIOTT | Associated Press –
DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — In a spirited debate that laid out stark choices, Joe Biden and Paul Ryan teed up pointed arguments on the economy, social policy and America’s place in the world that President Barack Obama and GOP rival Mitt Romney now will drive forward into the campaign’s final stretch.
With just 25 days to go in Campaign 2012 and throngs of people already voting, Obama and Romney will try to answer two questions that their running mates posed to the tens of millions of Americans who watched Thursday’s hard-fought, 90-minute debate.
“Who do you trust?” Biden asked.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a job-creator in the White House?” asked Ryan.
Biden, eager to make up for the president’s lackluster performance in his first debate with Romney, played the aggressor throughout. And the president gave his running mate a quick thumbs up for delivering with the energy and feeling that he did not.
“His passion for making sure that the economy grows for the middle class came through so I’m really proud of him,” Obama said after watching the debate aboard Air Force One on the way home after a day of campaigning in battleground Florida.
Ryan came back at the vice president with harsh talking points, a flurry of statistics and a sharp economic warning: In another Obama term, he said, “Watch out, middle class, the tax bill’s coming to you.”
Romney, who watched the debate at the end of a campaign day in North Carolina, got on the phone to Ryan immediately afterward to congratulate his running mate.
Now attention shifts to the two remaining debates between Obama and Romney: Tuesday’s “town hall” style faceoff in Hempstead, N.Y., and a final showdown, over foreign policy, on Oct. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla.
And the campaigns get right back into the thick of it on Friday, looking for ways large and small to shift more voters their direction in the small number of states whose electoral votes are still up for grabs: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Look for Romney in Virginia and then linking up with Ryan in Ohio. Biden and wife Jill will woo young voters at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Obama will spend a rare day in Washington, preparing for the next two debates and taking campaign contest winners out to eat.
With so little time left in the countdown to Nov. 6, “every day, every hour counts,” said Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayor who served as Obama’s first White House chief of staff. “Everything counts.”
The president has set aside a serious chunk of time for preparation after being faulted for underestimating the importance of his first debate with Romney. He’ll be hunkered down in Williamsburg, Va., from Saturday until Tuesday rehearsing, with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, acting as a proxy for Romney.
Romney’s return to Ohio this weekend signals the importance of a state seen by both sides as the decisive to the whole election. Obama holds the edge there.
Obama had to hope that Biden’s solid showing on Thursday was enough to shift a campaign dynamic that has had the momentum moving Romney’s way since the first debate. Romney, for his part, had to hope that Ryan’s performance would keep up the good karma for the GOP.
The running mates clearly sensed that the stakes were higher than usual for their faceoff, and both played hardball throughout, frequently interrupting one another and challenging one another’s assertions.
On television’s split screens, Biden’s body language — a montage of pained smiles, winces, head shakes and eye rolls — often screamed incredulity when Ryan was speaking.
“I know you’re under a lot of duress to make up for lost ground,” Ryan shot back at Biden at one point, “but I think people would be better served if we don’t keep interrupting each other.”
In one of the night’s lighter moments, Ryan helpfully provided a translation of one of Biden’s putdowns.
“This is a bunch of stuff,” Biden said of Ryan’s dismissive characterization of the president’s Iran policy.
“What does that mean, a bunch of stuff?” asked moderater Martha Raddatz of ABC News.
“It’s Irish,” Ryan offered.
“It is,” Biden agreed, to laughter from the audience. “We Irish call it malarkey.”
At another point, Ryan used Biden’s own history of gaffes to explain away Romney’s much-criticized comment dismissing the 47 percent of Americans who pay no taxes, a comment that Biden brought up repeatedly after Obama had failed to mention it in his debate.
“I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes the words don’t come out of your mouth the right way,” Ryan said.
There were spirited exchanges on taxes, abortion, Medicare, Libya, and more. It may not have broken new ground, but the conversation gave viewers a clear illustration of the sharp choices before them come Election Day.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we have strong disagreements,” Biden said in his closing statement. And then he distilled the Democrats’ campaign pitch into a simple bid to give anxious Americans “a little bit of peace of mind.”
Ryan then spoke of the “big choice” in this election, and argued that Obama had had his chance and failed.
“This is not what a real recovery looks like,” he said. “You deserve better.”
For all of the political back-and-forth that’s transpired over the past two months, the race essentially stands where it was in August, before the two national political conventions, with the two candidates running about even in national polls.
There’s been no shortage of drama in between: the revelation of Romney’s caught-on-tape comment about the 47 percent, Biden’s remark that the middle class has been “buried” in the past four years, Obama’s weak showing in the first debate, the ongoing tussle over the administration’s handling of the attack that left four Americans dead in Benghazi, Libya, and more.
With turnout critical, both campaigns are devoting considerable energy to ensuring that supporters are registered to vote and taking advantage of the early voting options that are available in many states. Nearly a million Americans have already voted.
The Democrats’ month-long “gotta vote” bus tour will be in Milwaukee on Friday, just in time to rev up supporters for the opening of Wisconsin’s early voting season on Monday.
And both sides are keeping up the push for campaign contributions to keep the battleground-state airwaves full of political ads. Within a few hours of the debate, Romney, Obama and Biden all were out with emails to their supporters, asking for more cash.
When I launched my bid for presidency five years ago, I made a solemn commitment to the people of Kenya to tackle the problems that continue to keep the country in a state of backwardness and under-performance. I particularly singled out the rehabilitation and improvement of infrastructure as being fundamental. Today, many roads have been rehabilitated and many new ones constructed. The railway system, which had virtually collapsed, is slowly but steadily regaining its place as a major mode of transport. Air and marine transport have also received due attention. So, our country is once again moving its people and goods. We can and will do more. We have also witnessed unprecedented investment in energy resources, with special attention given to renewable energy. Water and irrigation infrastructure has equally received keen attention. Continued investment in infrastructure still remains my top priority.
However, as we continue to focus attention on the foregoing, we cannot ignore one single challenge that confronts the people of Kenya today – creating jobs for our people, especially the youth. The need for creating more employment opportunities is informed by an open unemployment rate of 15%. Many of our graduates from the universities, tertiary institutions, vocational training centres and secondary schools find themselves roaming the streets of major urban centres in search of non-existent jobs.
The last census results indicate an increase in the dependent population at 42% (of which the largest proportion are fulltime students) compared to 33.9% in 1999. This places an inordinate burden on the economy. With an increasing dependency ratio, an expanding labour force, coupled with low employment levels, unemployment is a major problem. To tackle the problem of unemployment, I will introduce the following, among other measures:
Roll out a ten-year investment promotion programme and give incentives to domestic and foreign investors based on four key criteria: the number of jobs created, foreign exchange earned/saved, local inputs used and technology transferred.
Reform and restructure the Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) into a Kenya Industrial and Enterprise Development Agency (KIEDA). The agency will establish full-fledged Business Incubation Centers in each county, which will act as business incubation hubs for promising investments.
Work with county governments to establish at least one major industry in each county.
Facilitate the establishment of modern, green industries that meet domestic consumption and export needs;
Encourage and give incentives to banks and other financial institutions to finance industrialization.
Focus education and training systems to be more responsive to the needs of the national and global economies, including the needs of a well skilled workforce.
Establish and fund centers of excellence in technology innovation in all counties.
Increase the level of investment in research and development from the current level of 0.3 to 2.5% of the GDP; and
Put in place a progressive tax policy to encourage savings and investments.
This is Kenya’s moment to courageously confront the challenges and reclaim the dream of our founding fathers of conquering poverty, disease and ignorance. My principal promise to all Kenyans in the next five years is to develop and implement effective policies for expanding decent employment opportunities in Kenya in all sectors.
I believe together we will.
Yours Sincerely,
Raila Amolo Odinga
>>Read More
http://raila-odinga.com/new/splash.php
From: Lenore Palladino, MoveOn.org Political Action
Dear MoveOn member,
Danger! Mitt Romney now leads President Obama 49% to 45% in the respected Pew Research poll.
And listen to this: Women are the key to this dramatic change, as Obama’s election-winning, 18-point lead among women voters was completely wiped out. Absolutely gone.1
It’s no wonder, given the stunning media silence lately on the dangers Romney represents for women’s rights and health. But we’ve got a great way to change all that and help get Obama’s lead back with women voters.
Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria, and Kerry Washington have teamed up with director Rob Reiner to make an absolutely knock-your-socks-off TV ad reminding American women of the terrible consequences of a Romney presidency.
It has the star power to cut through the noise and grab the media’s attention, but we need to raise $400,000 to run it during TV shows with lots of women viewers in key swing states like Florida and Ohio.
The seismic shift in the women’s vote toward Romney happened during a gaping media void on his terrible policies affecting American women—but we haven’t forgotten:
He called Roe v. Wade “one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history,” and he could be appointing up to three Supreme Court justices.2
He would “get rid” of Planned Parenthood, let employers decide a woman’s contraception coverage, and let insurance companies charge women more.3
He picked Paul Ryan as his running mate—a man who tried to redefine rape in his efforts to limit a woman’s right to choose.4
We’ve got a way to help get the president’s lead back with women voters. And it means putting you together with stars of stage and screen Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria, and Kerry Washington.
Thanks for all you do.
–Lenore, Wes, Stephen, Joan, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Romney erases Obama’s advantage among women in new poll,” The New York Post, October 9, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=282325&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=4
2. “On Anniversary Of Roe, Romney Condemns Decision As ‘One Of The Darkest Moments In Supreme Court History,'” Think Progress, January 23, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=275560&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=5
“Three Current Supreme Court Justices Will Turn 80 Before The End Of The Next Presidential Term,” Think Progress, February 6, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=282306&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=6
3. “Mitt Romney On Planned Parenthood: We Will ‘Get Rid’ Of It,” The Huffington Post, March 13, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=274362&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=7
“Amid confusion, Mitt Romney says he does support Blunt amendment,” The Boston Globe, March 1, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=282334&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=8
“Romney health care law anniversary overshadowed,” CNN Political Ticker, April 12, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=275565&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=9
“Gender Gap Persists in Cost of Health Insurance,” The New York Times, March 19, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=275566&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=10
4. “How Todd Akin And Paul Ryan Partnered To Redefine Rape,” Think Progress, August 19, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279207&id=54390-21095459-vUkYqSx&t=11
Birth control, Planned Parenthood, equal pay laws, the right to earned family leave, and the right to control our own bodies and health care decisions are all issues that have dominated the political debate this year–but not one of these issues came up in the first presidential debate, even though that debate was supposed to cover all topics under the banner of “domestic policy.”
Now we have an opportunity to fix that–but we’ve got less than 12 hours to make it happen.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has launched a public site where anyone can submit a question to be considered for the Oct. 16 debate. This is our chance! If enough of us submit questions about these core issues that matter deeply to women–who make up a majority of the electorate–there’s a real chance one or more will make it into the debate.
The deadline for questions is TONIGHT at 11:59 PM ET, so get your question in right away. Whether it’s reproductive freedom, equal pay, domestic violence, or birth control, your question deserves to be answered. Getting these questions into the debate will come down to whether enough of us weigh in and in big enough numbers to make a real impression.
So far, just over 1,000 questions have been submitted. That means, with nearly 375,000 UltraViolet members, we have a huge opportunity to make sure questions about issues that matter to women—from contraception, choice and abortion, to equal pay, domestic violence, and family leave policies—are noticed.
We can’t let the final domestic policy debate go by without these important issues being addressed. Women are 52% of the population, and all of these issues impact not just women, but our families, the economy, and all of society.
The presidential election is less than 30 days away. Now is when millions of voters are just beginning to tune in and pay attention to what the candidates have to say, so this upcoming debate on October 16 will be crucial. All voters, women and men, deserve to know where the presidential candidates stand on these important issues.
Check out the site and submit your question today.
http://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=1fe6a2
A Parliamentary aspirant in the newly created Awendo parliamentary electoral constituency has pledged that he would struggle hard to ensure that the much exploited sugar cane farmers get the better return for their crops.
He will work hand in hand with the Provincial Administration and to ensure police authorities in a joint concerted effort to get rid of cattle rustling, thuggery and insecurity in the small farming town of Awendo and it environs..
Joseph Otieno Owuor who is billed to be in the forefront of beating his rivals and a possible favorite of the electorate in the forthcoming contest the in the new constituency which was recently curved out of the old Rongo constituency said sugar cane farmers working within the sugar cane growing zones of the Awendo-based SonySugar company have a bone to chew with the management the facility.
He accused SonySugar for having made the unilateral decision to reducing the cane prices from K.shs 4.800 per ton to Kshs 3,800 per ton arguing this radical reduction would seriously hurt the cane growers economically.
SonySugar management made such drastic decision without consultation with the stakeholders, who is in this context are the cane farmers in the region. The reduction has negative impact on the income of the farmers.
The move is viewed as one way of impoverishing the cane growers, taking into account the current exorbitant prices of farm inputs. The cane growers still faces extra costs, including the costs of harvesting an transportation from the field to the factory which leaves them with only a peanut payment for their cane bills.
Owuor was speaking during an exclusive interview with this writer at his rural home near Dede market in Central Sakwa Location, Awendo district within Migori County. He said poverty index I the area remained high despite of high circulation of money in the areas as a result of sugar cane farming, production of made sugar and its sales by SonySugar, and something must be done to arrest the situation before it got out of hand
Owuor who is currently serving the Minister for public Services Dalmas Otieno as his Personal Assistant {PA} said members of the farming fraternity in the Awendo cane growing zones have a lot of grievances to complaint about, and which must be addressed urgently.
The farmer’s complaints are genuine and need to be addressed, taking into account that farm input such as fertilizers, labor and other overheads
“The costs of harvesting and transportation have also gone up threefold, exposing the cane farmers to a lot of suffering. Some of them could not adequately feed their family and at the some time pay school fees for their school-going children, hence the need for the prices of raw cane to e o the upward trend all the time.,” said Owuor.
Touching on the rate of crime waves in the region Owuor said this has impacted negatively on the business community in Awendo town and traders in the outlaying marketplaces.
The problem, he added, has come about because of the recent influx of so many people into the small farming town of Awendo and its environs. These people have come from all over Nyanza Province and beyond in search of green pasture and business opportunities, but some of them are suspected as having dangerous past criminal records and needed some kind of vetting by the local chiefs and police before they were readily allowed to access rental houses in Awendo town which they are using as hideouts while executing their heinous crimes.
Owwor scathingly criticized Awendo zonal director who represented the zone in the Kenya Sugar Board for working in isolation without effectively engaging the management of the Awendo-based SonySugar Company into a dialogue on various issues and problems affecting the cane farmers.
The KSB director for Awendo zone is Zachariah Okoth Obado who’s working relations with top manger of SonySugar Company is reportedly not very cordial.”The area KSB director is not serving the best interest of the farmers.
Owuor appealed to youth and women to register s voters in their thousands when the exercise started. This, he said, is the only way of ensuring that they voted for the ODM leader Raila Odinga to realize his presidential ambition and also to ensure that the party secure good number of MPs in the next parliament.
He said by registering in large number as voters the residents of Awendo district and Migori County would give the ODM a comfortable victory at the next polls,” The Wananchi must also ensure they enrolled as party paid up members to facilitate their active participation I the day to day activities of ODM in their localities.’
Owuor urged the ODM leadership to soldier on with the votes hunting campaign while ignoring the activities of political turn-coats and party hoppers who have fled fro the party in search of green pasture in other parties hoping to lay their hands in the campaign resources which is said to be in abundance and unlimited supplies plus ill-gotten drugs money included.
Owuor who is facing three other aspirants vying or the same seat is believed to be somehow much experienced in public affairs, having gained a lot of experience during his services with Dalmas Otieno, which has exposed him to access the operations of the government system works, while most of his rivals for the same seat are said to be green horns.
Ends
photo of Joseph Owuor an aspirant for the Awendio parliamentary seat on
We are headed to the right direction and President Obama is right……It cannot be said better than the attached videos….. Being the first Black President, having taken the country from the brink of collapse with a burden that accumulated for about more than 30 Years; he worked hard to put the country on the right track; benefits of which will be reaped for many years to come. The result is not showing perfection not yet because those plans that has been planted by President Obama and team has to take full turn to be effective. It has to permeate every fiber and tendrils and fizzle through every limb of economic veins to make alive parts that were already frozen and collapsed so that economy bounce can be fully felt by everyone and also that it in effect remain stable and sustainable even more effective for a very long time.
The driver of the Reform that provided the improvement cannot be thrown out to bring a new driver; not just yet…….Why?……….It is because the economy is still too weak to be played around-with by those who brought us into this mess in the first place. This is the very reason why President Obama should be given a second chance to complete what he started and so to give America a Clean Bill of Good Health. This must be done if we want the change to get better so life can be of meaning to all of us in a balance where every one has a shot for opportunity to improve their own lifestyles. This is a structure for Peace and Unity people……….it reduces reasons to conflict, hate and animosity because there is not need to fight when people have equal opportunity for access to what they need without discrimination racial biasness or the Rich get richer and the Poor Poorer…….
President Obama is offering the best leadership across the whole world effects of which will soon be felt and manifested by all immediately when Peace and unity abounds and conflicts conclusively resolved……This is why he is different from all other Presidents and may we all give Credit to where Credit is due…….Obama is working for all of us……..
Cheers everybody…….
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
– – – – – – – – – – –
Martin Bashir – Romney, job ‘truthers’ cry foul after positive jobs report
Published on Oct 5, 2012 by Licentiathe8th
Oct 5, 2012
MSNBC analyst Jonathan Alter and Democratic strategist Julian Epstein pick apart mounting conspiracy theories about today’s jobs report — promulgated by some Republicans and conservative pundits — that say President Obama somehow doctored the numbers.
very informative , and honest journalism. Thank? you.
storm10862 days ago
The ED Show – The death of a talking point….Bilo 8%
Published on Oct 5, 2012 by Licentiathe8th
Oct 5, 2012
For years Republicans have been attacking President Obama for not getting the unemployment rate below eight percent. But with today’s news, their attack is officially dead. Tonight Ed Schultz takes a look back at some of their greatest hits with Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis.
This? is 7.8% beautiful to watch
Tyrone Thrower44 minutes ago
We need to flush boehner and his henchmen out of congress to keep? unemployment on the low.
koukimonzta1 day ago
It looks like the Dem. will take the Senate. The House is a problem. Another lame duck Congress… you’d think people would be sick of seeing the Republicans blocking everything by now.
This was good news of course. ? But unless the Dem. take the House its all a moot point as nothing will get done even with Obama winning.
FuzzyBunnyCursing2 days ago
The Last Word – Rewriting the debate: Nobody won
Published on Oct 5, 2012 by Licentiathe8th
Oct 4, 2012
The political media covers presidential debates as if they are sporting events. MSNBC’s Lawrence explains why that’s a big mistake in the latest Rewrite.
OMFG ROFLMFAO!!!!
That was a perfect analogy and 100% correct!?
9753flyer2 days ago
This is truly a great video…Please listen and watch this one..all of it..But, watch the last 20 seconds…Those last 20 seconds are incredible…thanks for? posting…this is a great one..
quite outstanding..and I have seen hundreds of the….Stuart
stuartarticles2 days ago
The Last Word – Obama mocks Romney’s ‘crackdown’ on Big Bird
Published on Oct 5, 2012 by Licentiathe8th
Oct 4, 2012
Mitt Romney wants to try and balance the budget by getting rid of Big Bird which will save exactly a miniscule fraction of the federal budget. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell gets analysis from TheGrio.com’s Joy Reid.
Chris Hayes Takes Us Through The Looking Glass Of Republican (Mitt Romney) Fuzzy Tax Math
Published on Oct 6, 2012 by incitebytes
Clip from October 6, 2012, Up with Chris Hayes where Chris takes a moment to take us through the looking glass of Republican fuzzy tax math. Chris clearly explains why presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s statements literally don’t add up when it comes to the looming tax bonanza for rich folk under Romney’s policies.
The ED Show – Mitt Romney’s Big Bird problem
Published on Oct 5, 2012 by Licentiathe8th
Oct 5, 2012
Mitt Romney continues to feel the heat for saying that he’d gut federal funding for PBS. Ed Schultz and MSNBC analyst Karen Finney discuss what Romney’s cuts would really mean.
honor student since 1995, thanks Sesame Street?
devmanification2 days ago
The ED Show – Romney gets big boost from coal company
Published on Oct 5, 2012 by Licentiathe8th
Oct 5, 2012
Mitt Romney is getting a big boost from a major coal company. According to a new report from The New Republic, Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray makes his salaried employees give to Republican candidates as well as the company PAC. The New Republic’s Alec MacGillis tells Ed Schultz what he learned about this prominent coal company.
Nothing from Bob Fatass Murray should surprise anyone.?
MsZeitgeist852 days ago 4
poor coal miners? had to attend that shit rally for Romney..that is criminal.. the boss is a criminal
xadam2dudex2 days ago 2
For those who don’t know who Bob Murray is go watch TYT’s story on the Utah mine collapse. ?
MsZeitgeist8513 hours ago
Theres no such thing as “clean coal”. Thats? an outright lie.
obamasmomma691 day ago
Osama Dead? GM Alive -Obama 2012
JewsChristiansUnited11 minutes ago
Obama on jobs report: We’ve “come too far to turn back now”
By Lindsey Boerma /
CBS News/ October 5, 2012, 1:45 PM
President Obama speaks at a campaign event at George Mason University, Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, in Fairfax, Va. / AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Celebrating a September jobs report that showed the lowest unemployment level since he took office, President Obama on Friday tried to make the case at a Fairfax, Va., rally that “this country has come too far to turn back now.”
The Labor Department announced Friday that employers added 114,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent – a welcome gift for the president, up against newfound momentum from GOP nominee Mitt Romney. Positive news about Americans finding work could help to tip the scale in the incumbent’s favor, something Mr. Obama half-joked about Friday.
Obama on jobs report: We’ve come “too far to turn back now”
“For the ‘undecideds’ who are here,” he said to laughter in the crowd, “as well as those who are watching today – I’ve said before, this is a choice not just between two candidates and two parties, but a choice between two fundamentally different visions for America. And today, I believe that as a nation, we are moving forward again. We’re moving forward again.”
While the president acknowledged there are still “too many of our friends and neighbors” looking for work, he argued, “they were struggling long before the crisis hit.”
“Today’s news certainly is not an excuse to try to talk down the economy to score a few political points,” he continued after talking up the jobs numbers for a minute and a half. “It’s a reminder that this country has come too far to turn back now.”
Mr. Obama also continued to mock Romney’s performance Wednesday at the first presidential debate – which pundits have largely awarded to the GOP nominee – calling his policy arguments an “extreme makeover” from his primary platform.
Obama: Romney “fact-checked by his own campaign”
After Romney claimed in the debate that he’d cover preexisting conditions under his health care plan, the president said, “I explained, ‘Well actually your plan doesn’t do that.’ And then his campaign has to come out and say, ‘Actually, that’s not true, our plan wouldn’t do that.’ So Gov. Romney was fact-checked by his own campaign. That’s rough.”
And though Romney on Thursday night called “completely wrong” a remark he made privately that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on government and consider themselves “victims,” Mr. Obama didn’t let up on the comments, saying Romney proved he is “willing to write off half the nation” before even taking office. He also kept up his ridicule of Romney’s promise to cut federal funding to PBS as a way to bring down the deficit.
“For all you moms and kids out there, don’t worry,” Mr. Obama said, “somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird… Elmo’s gotta watch out too. Gov. Romney plans to let Wall Street run wild again, but he’s going to bring down the hammer on Sesame Street.”
Romney to slam Obama foreign policy: ‘Hope is not a strategy’
By Holly Bailey, Yahoo! News
Senior Political ReporterThe Ticket
LEXINGTON, Va.—Looking to bolster his foreign policy credentials in the final weeks before Election Day, Mitt Romney will accuse President Barack Obama of “passive leadership” in the Middle East and will link last month’s deadly attack on the United States consulate in Libya to a larger critique of what he’ll describe as Obama’s failed leadership overseas.
“Hope is not a strategy,” Romney will argue in a Monday morning address at the Virginia Military Institute, according to excerpts released by his campaign.
Romney will use his speech to double down on his criticism of the Obama administration’s response on the attack in Libya, which claimed the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens. The Romney team is hoping to capitalize on what they believe is the Obama administration’s misstep in pointing to an anti-Islamic video as the trigger for last month’s attack as well as criticism over whether the attack could have been stopped in the first place by beefing up security at its overseas outpost.
“The attacks on America last month should not be seen as random acts. They are expressions of a larger struggle that is playing out across the broader Middle East–a region that is now in the midst of the most profound upheaval in a century. And the fault lines of this struggle can be seen clearly in Benghazi itself,” Romney will say, according to his campaign.
He will argue the attack in Benghazi was “likely the work of the same forces that attacked our homeland” during the 9/11 attacks 11 years ago.
“This latest assault cannot be blamed on a reprehensible video insulting Islam, despite the administration’s attempts to convince us of that for so long,” Romney will say. “No, as the administration has finally conceded, these attacks were the deliberate work of terrorists who use violence to impose their dark ideology on others, especially women and girls; who are fighting to control much of the Middle East today; and who seek to wage perpetual war on the West.”
Romney will also use the speech to offer new details on his overseas approach. Among other things, he is expected to call for more direct intervention in Syria, arguing that anti-government forces should have weapons. He will also call for the U.S. to be tougher on Iran, saying that if he’s elected president he will “not hesitate to impose new sanctions” on the country to stop the country from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
The speech comes as Romney tries again to gain advantage over what he has repeatedly described as Obama’s “weak” and “naïve” foreign policy approach. But it also comes as Romney tries to clean up his own perceived foreign policy missteps, including his own widely criticized response to the attacks in Libya, in which he accused Obama of sympathizing with those who had launched the attacks there on and on diplomatic missions overseas.
Romney is also still trying to undo damage from an overseas trip he took in July that was largely overshadowed by his suggestion that London hadn’t done enough to prepare for the Summer Olympics and by a swipe at Palestinians, whom he suggestion hadn’t moved ahead economically because of their culture.
On Sunday, the Obama campaign used the trip to preemptively attack Romney’s speech.
“We’re not going to be lectured by someone who has been an unmitigated disaster on foreign policy every time he’s dipped his toe in the foreign policy waters,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One as Obama launched a West Coast fundraising swing.
‘The only person who has offended Europe more is probably Chevy Chase,” Psaki added in an apparent nod to “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.”
Romney has come under criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for not offering enough details on what his foreign policy approach would be if he wins the White House. In previewing the speech Sunday, Romney aides argued he would offer “new details” on what his approach would be, but it was unclear exactly how far he would go in detailing exact policies.
“We’ve gotten various excuses about Benghazi, statements that (the White House) had to pull back from,” Eliot Cohen, a former adviser to George W. Bush who is now advising Romney, told reporters Sunday. “But you haven’t had an attempt to portray: What’s going on here? How should we think about it? What should we do about it? Gov. Romney’s going to do step forward and do the kind of things he would do as president–which is to lay out exactly those things.”
But the excerpts of his speech included points that Romney has previously made before on the campaign trail, arguing the country’s overseas leadership has diminished under Obama’s watch.
“I believe that if America does not lead, others will–others who do not share our interests and our values–and the world will grow darker, for our friends and for us. America’s security and the cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last four years,” Romney will say, according to excerpts. “I am running for president because I believe the leader of the free world has a duty, to our citizens, and to our friends everywhere, to use America’s great influence–wisely, with solemnity and without false pride, but also firmly and actively–to shape events in ways that secure our interests, further our values, prevent conflict, and make the world better–not perfect, but better.”
Olivier Knox contributed reporting from Los Angeles.
Obama: 7.8% unemployment rate means U.S. has come too far to turn back now
11:38 AM, October 5, 2012
Associated Press
President Barack Obama says an encouraging jobs report shows that the country has made too much progress to turn back to the policies that he says led the nation into an economic crisis.
Obama got much-needed good news today following his disappointing debate performance as the unemployment rate dropped to 7.8%. That’s the lowest it’s been since he took office in 2009.
At a campaign event in suburban Washington, Obama said the report was “a reminder that this country has come too far to turn back now.”
Cheers erupted from the crowd at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., when Obama noted that the jobless rate is now at its lowest level since he became president.
Republican rival Mitt Romney says Obama still hasn’t done enough to create jobs.
It has been established that the Eldoret North MP William Ruto for some unknown reasons was technically barred from addressing thousands of mourners in his own constituency forcing the outspoken politician to leave the venue prematurely.
The incident took place during the high profile burial of the former Assistant Minister Elijah Sumbeiywo at his home in Sergoit on the Eldoret Iten road.
The funeral which had attracted the huge crowd was also attended by among other mourners, the retired President Daniel Arap Moi, the Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, and the Industrialization Minister Henry Kosgey who read the Prime Minister Raila Odinga condolence message to the bereaved family.
It has been confirmed from the multiple sources in Eldoret that Ruto who is the presidential candidate on the United Republican Party of Kenya {URP}was in attendance with a large number of Kalenjin politicians and MPs, but looked restless and unsettled during the ceremony, which had attracted many Kalenjin luminaries and leaders from other regions of Kenya.
The URP leader according to the same sources was in pensive mode and left the venue abruptly while the ceremony was still going on.
The report further revealed that the bereaved family of the late Sumbeiywo who was at one time the head of the presidential Security Escort for the retired President Moi had requested the mourners tat here be no political speeches in keeping up with the norms of Kalenjin culture and tradition.Sumbeiywo briefly represented the Keiyo North constituency in parliament after his retirement fro the police force upon reaching the mandatory retirement age. He left the force while serving in the rank of Senior Deputy Commissioner of Police and the venture into parliamentary politics.
Local political pundits were quick in interpreting the incident as meaning rejection of Ruto’s political leadership by a section of the larger Kalenjin community, an issue which could have negative repercussion on his presidential bid.
THERE is a strong feeling and beliefs that members of the Kalenjin community could be locked out of the next government unless their political leadership take a bold step and stop the bad habit of hopping from parties.
The inconsistency on the part of some MPS has made the Kalenjin region the cheapest vote hunting ground for deceitful politicians from other region.
These political tourists have made the Kalenjin region their easiest target of political manipulation and found the Kalenjin MPs the easies group for flirting with and luring out of their party into other parties, making the most vulnerable party hoppers in this country.
Fears persist among the level minded Kalenjin politicians that lack of exposure to political intrigues, which could easily make the community lose out to at the next general election and find it locked out of the next government.
Owing to these manipulations and maneuvers, the Kalenjin leaders have lost out to wealthy politicians from other regions who have been spending millions in confusing the Kalenjin MPs into hopping from one party to the other weakening their status and stand in the national politics. The community has not yet to build one strong party which they can call their own, and use as a popular vehicle to propel one of their own to the presidency.
The manipulation and maneuvers have hurt members of the Kipsigis sub-tribe more than any other Kalenjin sub-tribes. This particular community, which is arguably, the most populous and votes rich, has failed to produce one of their own sons with the national political outlook for possible for future leadership at the national level, thereby reducing the otherwise strongest community to playing only the third fiddles and supportive role for others.
The Kipsigis is so divided to an extent the community cannot rally behind one of their own sons and propel him to become a national political leader with the national appeal.
During the rein of the retired President Daniel Arap Moi,the former head of state was being blamed for having perfected in the art of using individual politicians within the Kipsigis community and dump them.
The practice is still the same ten years down the line ever since Moi was voted out of power in 2002. This community with the highest number of intellectuals and whose members are relatively much wealthier in comparison with the Kalenjins people from other regions are still vulnerable to political manipulation and easy prey for politics of deceits by outsiders have penetrated deep into Kipsigis land.
In 2007 members of the Kipsigis community voted for ODM leader Raila Odinga on man-to-man, but within only three months, especially soon after the formation of the coalition government of PNU/ODM, some MPs from the ODM side who failed to secure cabinet posts jumped the party bandwagons, shouting the loudest about the unfair distribution of ministerial slots by Raila Odinga, who they claimed to have favored their cousins from the Nandi community of the North Rift.
At the material time, the coalition government collectively arrived at a decision to eject the legal squatters out of the Mau Forest, one o the most important water towers in the country. The ODM Raila Odinga was assigned with the task of implementing this import government policy in carrying out the eviction for the thousands of illegal squatters and the rehabilitation of the Mau Forest and to ensure its fresh reforestation.
Some of the MPs, especially those from the Kipsigis community were later discovered to give benefited in the illegal settlement in The Mau Forest, and as such were fighting hard to maintain status quo. On of the most outspoken MP, it was later established had bought some of the illegal squatter’s ancestral land back in the Kipsigis reserve land with the promise to reward those whose land he had bought and converted to his own land plot were among the squatters ordered by the government out of the forest land.
This particular MP knew the eviction would expose his tricks, started to mobilize his colleagues inside and out of parliament into well orchestrated political campaign based on heap of lies against the Prime Minister whom they unfairly blamed for the problems facing their people. They used Raila Odinga as scapegoat for the simple purpose of gaining political cheap mileage.
And this how anti-Raila elements within the coalition gained free entry into ODM hierarchy and started buying out MPs whose lust for money made them easy prey to politicians outside Kipsigis region.
Back at home the residents of the two counties whose inhabitants re mainly the Kipsigis, it has been established beyond any reasonable doubt that the carrying with them the tug of “MPs for Sale”.This tug has come about owing to their inconsistency and hoping from one political party to the other and shifting allegiances through the formation of numerous amorphous tribal political alliances with no direct benefit to the electorate.
The recent mass exodus of Kalenjin MPs is clear testimony to the alleged politics of buyout.It does not come on free will, but as the result of lust for money, and general fears among the Kipsigis people is that the Kalenjin people in genera and the Kipsigis community in particular might find themselves locked out of the next government and perhaps consigned alliances after the other with consequences of failing to identify the political party with the better prospect of winning the next general election and forming the next government.
The Kalenjin community ha always been part of the government of the day ever since the country attained its political independence in 1963.
As the situation stands today, the Kalenjin people have no party of their own nor any political party they can claim to represent the community interests at heart and which is capable of successfully appealing to the neighboring communities cannot trust them as reliable political partners due to their temperamental nature of hopping from party to party one after the other. And because of inconsistencies of their leaders from other communities don’t trust them.
The strong willed Kalenjin nationalists of the struggle for political liberation of Kenya like the late Taitta Arap Toweett, William Murgor, Daniel T.Moi, John Majorie Seroney had stood steadfastly firm alongside their colleagues from other communities and joined hands in giving the colonialist the sleepless nights eventually forced them out of the country in 1963.
They turned down the temptation by the white supremacists and racists who made vain attempt; to have them bribed cheaply, though the white settlers had millions readily for bribery purposes so that independence could be delayed for longer period time.
This is in big contrast to the current crops of Kenyan MPs who are said to be readily corruptible with as little money as Kshs 20,000 as per the recent claims made publicly by the Ikolomani MP Dr Bonny Khalwale against accusing his colleagues.
Several political parties are on the ground in the Kalenjin region hunting for the community votes. Prominent among them is the URP, which is led by the Eldoret Mp William Ruto, KANU LED BY Gideon Moi, TNA led by Uhuru Kenyatta,UDF led by Musalkia Mudavadi, Wipper Orange Demoratic led by Nicholas Kiprono Biwott,UDM led by Lt. Gen {rtd} John Arap Koech, and the ODM led by the Prime Minster Raila Odinga.
In the South Rift region o the expansive Rift Valley Province, the Kipsigis sub-tribes is well spread in several Counties apart from their home region of Kericho and Bomet. Members of this community lives in part of Narok, Nakuru and Baringo Counties.
There has been kind of cut-throat competition between the URP, ODM, UDM and KANU in the South Rift. And the concepts and misconception that William Ruto’s URP is the party of choice in this region bears a false impression.
This region is still widely open for all the political parties mentioned above. though URP had briefly enjoyed the euphoria that came bout with its formation. But this support has since been fizzled out following its recently flawed and poorly organized grass root elections, which saw it practices the old and outmoded KANU system and tactics of prearranged hand-picking of leaders a the Counties, district and constituencies levels. Instead of putting the party’s structures, the URP leadership is reportedly spending millions funding the defection of MPs and their followers from ODM into its rank and file, some of the defectors known to be dong so for the simple purpose of having access to the party’s coffers for financial gains and political expediency.
Indications are that of the Kipsigis MP who have ditched ODM And jumped into URP bandwagon might not see the inside of the next Parliament gain after the March 4, 2013.
They will be beaten by aspirants from UDM, ODM, KANU AND NVP.But TNA will come empty handed in the South Rift region because the Kipsigis people have no love lost for the Kenya that as whom they blamed for their tribulation and biased distribution o land in the Rift Valley, which has cause the community a lot of strains fighting numerous skirmishes and land clashes ever since 1990s.
The electorate in the South Rift have detected the URP leadership as lacking the political agenda for implementing reforms and improving the standard of living among Kenyans, part from William Ruto’s declared ,but now notorious policy of fighting and preventing the Prime Minister Raila Odinga from becoming the next president of Kenya.
Zero. Zip. Zilch. That’s the number of times women or women’s issues came up in last night’s debate.
Women are driving participation in this election. Women’s issues–from access to affordable contraception and health care to pay equity–have dominated the political debate since February. And also, by the way, we are 52% of the population. So it’s no wonder that focus groups from last night’s debate are showing women outraged that these issues didn’t come up even once.1
We deserve to have the issues that affect us directly and that millions of us care so deeply about debated by the presidential candidates.
That’s why so many of us fought so hard to get the Commission on Presidential Debates to appoint a female moderator for the first time in 20 years. Candy Crowley will be moderating the next debate, and while the format will be a town hall, Crowley will have a say in what questions get asked and she’ll control the follow up questions.
Can you sign the petition asking Candy Crowley to make sure issues that impact women–like birth control, pay discrimination and access to health care services–are included at the next debate? We’re hoping to send her and her staff comments and signatures from thousands of concerned women by Monday morning.
Add your name.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/crowleydebate/?akid=198.6000.Cw-wUr&rd=1&t=3
When you sign the petition, you can add what questions you would like to see asked in the comments box and we’ll make sure to get that over to Crowley and her staff on Monday too.
Last night covered a host of issues that are deeply important to women and men–like job creation, tax policy, student loans and the future of Social Security and Medicare. But a lot of equally important issues–like the ability of government to interfere with the personal medical decisions of women or whether pay equity protections need to be in place–were wholly ignored. And that’s not fair to women and their families.
Under-representing women and the issues that matter to them is sadly not a new problem in politics or media coverage of elections. This year alone, news coverage of Planned Parenthood featured quotes from women just 26% of the time. In coverage of birth control women were only quoted 19% of the time. Even NPR only quotes women 23% of the time.2
And if there were ever an election where women needed the loudest voice possible, it would be this one.
Time is short, but Candy Crowley and debate organizers are watching the reaction to this debate closely as they choose topics and questions for the next one. Focus groups are showing that women are frustrated–and we need to show Crowley and the rest of the debate organizers how many of us are demanding that issues we care about are included. Please sign today.
Add your name today.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/crowleydebate/?akid=198.6000.Cw-wUr&rd=1&t=4
Thanks for speaking out!
–Nita, Shaunna and Kat, the UltraViolet team
Sources:
1. How Did Voters React to the Debate?, ABC News, October 3, 2012
2. Gender Gap of Women Voices in Broadcast TV, Radio and Print, 4thEstate.net
– – – –
Issues that impact women directly–like birth control, pay equity and reproductive freedom–didn’t come up once during the debate. And focus groups are showing that women all over the country are frustrated about it. Can you sign the petition asking moderator Candy Crowley to include these important issues in the next debate?
– – – –
Candy Crowley: Women deserve a voice in the next debate!
Zero. Zip. Zilch. That’s the number of times women or women’s issues came up in last night’s debate.
Women are driving participation in this election. Women’s issues–from access to affordable contraception and health care to pay equity–have dominated the political debate since February. And also, by the way, we are 52% of the population. And we deserve to have the candidates debate the issues that impact us directly.
[ . . . ]
No, President Obama did not loose big on Obama / Romeny debate last night.
That is a lie……and a big Lie……Get the facts right……. !!!
In any debate, there is one side for the motion and the other side against the motion and people looks at points of Facts, Substances and the Agenda for the debate. Here each one had to defend their Policy Statements of Facts.
That was the agenda for last night’s Presidential debate between Obama and Romney. The topic was Health care and the economy.
The Truth is Romney did not have substance proposal for his agenda in both Healthcare and the economy for which he had to defend his case against that of President Obama………In a twist of events, he said he was not going to tax the Rich……It is a plain lie. Those are who he is fighting for………For those who care for entertainment where Romney seemed like was in charge, they had it…….I am not surprised the likes of Samwel Omwenga did not intelligently analyzed details of the debate……
As a thief would do, Romney took Obama’s plan and ran with it throughout the debate in a surprise turn of events to subdue President Obama. Romney took ownership of President Obama Healthcare and Economic Plan during the debate and settled for it….. This is why President Obama had to agree with Mitt Romney at some instances…….which in real sense Obama won against Romney if Romney totally agreed with Obama’s plan……..Was this the way it was to go…..No…..!!!
When a thief practices how to steal, they practice for perfection and they prepare to take Victims of circumstances by surprise……..in risk taking against Realistic Set-Plan of Action……..Which the American people in their wisdom would not accept to trade Liberty for livelihood and survival and Security for handouts on cheap lie gambled in unscrupulous deals that cannot be sustained in Romney’s Trickle-down Plan from the Rich. Without specifics Romney is going nowhere…….This is a very serious risk we cannot afford to be fooled about…….
Fact Check This:
The debates are yet another chance to deliver campaign talking points……did Romney present that case??? No……
President Obama:
Took the country on the verge to collapse and stedied it. Accomplished a number of great promises he made and the list is clear. Have put in place a number of to do achievements but blocked by the GOP Republicans e.g. Education Plan, Job Creation Plan, Veteran Job Plan, etc., The president, for his part, will take credit for creating an impressive “4.5 million jobs.”
Romney:
Before either candidate muddles this up, here are the key planks of Romney’s tax plan:
– Bush-era income tax cuts and capital gains tax cuts become permanent.
– All income tax rates are cut by an additional 20 percent.
– The Alternative Minimum Tax and the estate tax are repealed.
– In agreement to President Obama’s Obamacare and Economic
Plan, where is Mitt Romney’s plan to Repeal and Replace Obamacare
set in the debate?????? Instead, he solidified Obama’s Plan……Who then won on substances…….???……Rejecting 47% of population in his jobs plan could uniquely generate more jobs with pioneering offshoring jobs to China, is deplorable and is completely ridiculous.
The idea that Mitt Romney’s plan can somehow “slash individual income tax rates without losing federal revenue or favoring the wealthy” remains at best unproven and, in our judgment based on available public information and evidence, it remains impossible why Paul Ryan had to say this…..”I don’t have time—it would take me too long to go through all the math.”…..when pressed by the media…..
President Obama is the most likeable bi-partisan President in Washington and to say the least, he has struggled to bring the united front but adamantly rejected by the GOP Republicans who planned in advance to have President Obama as a one term President……..which is why, they are looking for the slightest opportunity to steal votes and make Mitt Romney the President. In this case, it is the reason why they are almost giving Mitt Romney 100% debate win over President Obama after stealing President Obama’s Plan in the debate……..What a shame…….!!!
Compared to his GOP Republican interests……..President Obama is on facts but Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan and team are looking for votes through lies and this will not help Romney/Ryan team……..people must reject those who debate on lies…….it is a crime that must not be entertained by good people who are truly looking for Peace, Unity and Harmony in order to move forward successful in a progressive development agenda where all have a share of opportunity to better improve lifestyle. It must not be that the Rich are to plan for the rest of all people…..It has been tested before and the result is the catastrophic Eurozone Economic collapse which equally affected America’s economy and which is why, before President Obama took power, the economy was in serious crisis…….In a selfish and greedy way, they still plan to have everything for themselves without empathy or care for sharing……..This is unacceptable……..
Samwel Omwenga, we know who you are working for and we know why……The fact remain that, people know their rights and the votes, if not stolen or suppressed will count and President Obama will continue to fight hard for victims of selfish and greedy rich who do not value or care for Human Rights………
Just know that, President Obama has not been defeated yet………we stand for the Truth and the Truth shall set us all free……..
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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In kenyaonline@ . . ., Samuel Omwenga wrote:
Fellow Kenyans,
I did not watch the debates but as soon as they were over, a die-hard Obama supporter frantically tried to reach me via phone but I was not available and can now see several missed calls from him. His text says it all, “Obama just blew his chance to put away Romney. He bombed!”
Alarmed, I quickly started perusing the best news outlets which can give you the most favorable news about Obama, MSNBC, Huffington Post, etc and they are all saying the same thing: Romney won and won big.
The danger of this is this, Romney is from tomorrow going to carry the banner “the Come Back Kid” much as Clinton did in 1992, except, and this is the irony, Clinton actually lost a primary (I think New Hampshire) but somehow went on to declare himself the “Come Back Kid” and with that attitude, he sent George Bush Senior to early retirement.
Let’s home the same thing doesn’t happen with Romney.
The one sure reason why it may, is because Americans have the shortest memory of all people I know.
Forget about the polls from yesterday; when the news splash say Romney floored Obama as they no doubt will, there will be a stampede of voters thronging to his side and suddenly Obama becomes hapless.
The only thing that’s going to save Obama from this point on is to arouse even more of his base.
The 47% Romney dismissed as irrelevant in his campaign strategy and hope they show up in large numbers to negate gains Romney is likely to enjoy with the momentum coming from this obvious victory many did not Think he would pull off.
A prayer wouldn’t hut; Romney surely will pray as well, but it Appears his prayer has already been answered. It’s now game on and only each man’s destiny will prevail according To God’s will. In other words, it’s all now in God’s hand and given He doesn’t do favors, His will simply shall come to pass but the two have to do what they Humanly can for that’s really what life is all about; at least among
believers.
Say a prayer but do your best.
Obama did not do his best.
Was this God’s will?
Maybe. Why?
Peace, Unity and Truth
Omwenga
Samuel N. Omwenga, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer
LLP Enterprise, LLC http://www.llpenterprisellc.com
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Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Blogu ya Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com
The battle for Kisumu County Senate seat has taken a new political dimension with the voters in all the six parliamentary constituencies appear not settled with the candidature of the Medical Services Prof.Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o who has already declared his interest in the seat.
Prof.Nyong’o lance his campaign for the seat in a colorful ceremony held at the Tom Mboya College in Kisumu on September 17,2012. This was only a week after another high profile aspirant for the same seat had launched his well attended campaign for the same seat a the same venue.
The aspirant is a Nairobi based managing director of an international engineering firm Maxwell Otieno Odongo {The Aga Khan} as he is known to his peers.
Eng Otieno Odongo is the managing Director of Otieno Odongo and Partners Engineering company, which is involve in word-wide construction and consultancy projects, and a prominent businessman in both Nairobi and Kisumu. He is a large scale sugar-cane farmer in Kibos-Miwani area and running other chain of businesses including rice factory at Ahero Town and the Homa-BayTourist Hotel.
The contest for the Kisumu County Senate sea has also attracted another wealthy Nairobi based quantity surveyor Ocholla-Ogoda who at one time was the successful chairman of the populist Gor Mahia Football Club during the clubs hay-days when it won triple of cups and trophies in Kenya and Africa.
Ocholla Ogoda also launched his campaign or the same seat two weeks ago at a well attended ceremony held at the Kenyatta Sports Ground in Kisumu City, which was also attended by the Assistant Minister for Education Prof P Ayiecho Olweny and other political personalities in the region.
Kisumu County is made of seven parliamentary constituencies, namely Nyakach, Muhoroni, Nyando, KisumuTown East, Kismu Town West, Kisumu Central and Seme. Out of the seven constituencies two were recently created by the IEBC while one had its electoral boundaries realigned This is Kismu Town West which was separated from the original Kisumu Rural that has also created the new Seme constituency and Kisumu Central, which is exclusively covering the City center and its environs making the constituencies to seven instead of the previous five.
The general elections are only five months away. It comes the time when Prof. Nyong’o’s medical Services Ministry has come under severest criticism putting the Minister’s integrity to question.
Prof. Nyong’o has also come under heavy fire and scathing criticism for his Ministry’s handling of the National Hospital Insurance Fund’ board of management. The doctors strike, which has left many inpatient an outpatient in government hospitals and health enters dying due of luck of doctors attentions.
Prof. Nyong’o in his poor handling of doctors strikes has clashed with stakeholders in the NHIF like COTU {K} the Federation of the Kenya Employers {FKE} both of which have stakes in the NHIF. He is also known not a high performing MP at the constituency level and his decision of shifting from parliamentary politics is viewed by local pundits as an act of desertion from the electorate after dismal performance in the past.
Unfortunately, the same voters in the old Kisumu Rural constituency will be the same people, the Minister is expecting to vote or him to capture the more lucrative Senate seat, but which is promising to very competitive How he would be fairing on is nobody’s intelligent guesswork.
Eng Otieno Odongo, who is also a lawyer by profession, is a man of substantial means. He has established several medium and small scale cottage industries in Kisumu, where hundreds of local youths are currently employed, while his enterprising engineering consultancy firm is said to be contracted in many parts of the world appeared to be the man to watch in the impending contest, which the pundits have christened as the “Battle o Giants”.
KISUMU County is made of four Luo sub-clans, Namely Nyakach, Seme, Kisumo and Jo-Kano which is the most populous. If the clans arithmetic is anything to go y, then the Kano voters are expected to carry the day. But this might not be the case, and what expected to be o the play s party politics.
The region is an ODM stronghold. This one of the reasons why many residents of the ODM primary nominations, which is schedule on January 4,2013. This is the only sensible way of creating the level playing ground for all the aspirants who would be vying for the elective posts in various.
Eng Otieno-Odongo hails from Kochogo sub-clan in Kano plains, while Ocholla Ogoda originally came from Nyakach, but is family has settled in Muhoroni settlement area. He could still manage to harvest more votes in Nyakach, his original Songhor, Fort Tennan, Chemelil, Kopere.and Koru.
Prof Nyong’o hails from Seme community one of the major Luo-sub-clans living in Kisumu County. His previous role was to represent a small portion of the Jo-Kisumo sub-clan known a Kisumo Karateng’. The sub-clans happen to be the minority voters in the old Kisumu Rural constituency where the groups were grouped together with the Jo-Seme forming Kisumu Rural constituency since its inception in 1962.
However, Jo-Seme have had the lion’s share with their own sons represent the constituency ever since its inception with only the late John Robert Ouko a member of the Jo-Kisumo sub-clan having won the election for the first time in the late 1970s. Ouko had represented the constituency for only five years before he switched his political camp to Kisumu Town.
At the independence elections of 1963, the late Tom Okello Odongo was made the firs MP for Kisumu Rural. He was from the Jo-Seme-Group.He was followed by the late Whycliff Onyango Ayoki in the ate 1960s and Wilson Ndolo Ayah in the 1970s and later by Ochoro Ayoki in the late 1990s
Owing to the fact that that Jo-Seme had the superior in voting number, something which ha created ill-feeling among the Jo-Kisumu people and Jo-Seme. The two sub-clans, however, were recently separated with Jo-Kisumu people having their own constituency in Kisumu Town West which is mainly or the Jo-Kisumu, it would be an up-hill task for Nyong’o to succeed in successfully canvassing the Jo-Kisumu to vote for him in his bid for the Senate seat.
There is another sub-clan called Jo-Kajulu, which forms the part o Kisumu Town East constituency, but could essentially plays a, important ole as the source of a wing votes.
The Jo-Kano clan would definitely lay the claim on the Senate seat. This clan has spreads its wing into three administrative districts, namely Muhoroni, Nyando and Kisumu East and the Nyanza Sugar belt area. Eng Otieno Odongo stands a better chance of clinching the Senate seat going by the sub-clan arithmetic. However, the winner will depend on individual’s campaign style and strategies.
All the three aspirants are men of substantial means and well known personalities to the residents of Kisumu County and how each and every candidate would be interacting with the voters, though the soft spoken Eng.Otieno Odongo had the upper hand
Prof Nyong’o could only perform better if the odm boss Raila Odis own protracted battle for his presidential campaign and might no find time of coming to the rescue of his friend Nyong’o.
The younger generations of politicians, particularly the Kalenjin MPs who of late have been pointing accusing fingers at the Prime Minister Raila Odinga blaming him of complicity in the Mau Forest evictions and rehabilitation of this important water tower are simply not telling the truth about the historical background of the matter.
The political history of Mau Forest and other injustices related to the land distribution could as well be traced back to the final constitutional talks on the future of an independent Kenya, which were held inside the famous Lancaster House in London, UK in 1962.
These problems are inter-related to the dismantling of the so-called “White Highland”. It has since emerged that during the round table constitutional talks, the African delegates who were then representing two major political parties of the time, namely KANU and KADU were subjected to too much blackmailing by the White Settlers representative and those representing colonial authorities.
And due for the then clamor for political independence and the liberation of the country fro the colonial York to an independent African government, they hastily and hurriedly rubber-stamped many clauses in the then new Lancaster House constitution that wee only meat for the protection of white settlers and their properties.
Kanu delegates were led by the founding President the late Jomo Kenyatta, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Tom Mboya, James Samuel Gichuru, Eliud Ngala Mwanda, Muhinga Chokwe and other party stalwarts like Dr Julius Gikonyo Kiano,Samuel Onyango Ayodo, and Mbiyu Koinange.
The KADU team was led by Ronald Gideon Ngala, Daniel T. Moi, Masinde Muliro, Taaitta Arap Toweett, Marie John Seroney,Peter Habenga Okondo, William Murgor and John Keen.
The moderate white settlers were led by Michael Blundell, Sir Charles Markham, Mrs Agnes Shaw, Mrs Dorothy Hughes, Bruce Mackenzie,Sir Alfred Vincent ,Culwick and Crosskill, R.S Alexander and Humprey Slade.DEREK Eriaskin and others.
There were also extremist’s racists’ white supremacists like major BP Roberts, Major F Day, Aircomodore Howard Williams and others. Ex-officio representatives included the Governor, the deputy Governor,Sir Patrick M Renson, the Chief Secretary, W.F.Coutts and Minister for legal Affairs Griffith Jones ,Q.C. and others.
The Indian community were represented by the likes of Avind Jammidar, Ibrahim Nathoo, D.B Kholi, J.S Patel, F. De Souza, C.B.Madan, K.P Shah
Due to the clamor for political independence, KANU AN KADU delegates to the talks were coerced and blackmailed by the representatives of the Her Majesty government at the Whitehall and Colonial Office led by the then Secretary of State for the British Colonies Duncan Sandys to succumbed easily to the white settlers demands for compensation for those who wished to leave the county at the independence.
The British government at the same time readly made available millions of sterling British pounds, which was to be given to the new Kenya government headed by he late Jomo Kenyatta. The money was meant to be utilized in compensation payout to the departing white settlers and partly to be used in the purchasing of the farms owned by European settlers and other for properties and partly for the settling of the millions of the landless African people of Kenya.
Immediately when the independence came and the white settlers had realized that the new African government had the money for the compensation of their land an property, there was mass exodus of whites despite of the repeated assurances given by Jomo Kenyatta and member of the post-independence cabinet that their property would be given maximum security protection under the Bill of Right entrenched in the Lancaster House constitution, the majority of the whites settlers numbering about 200,000 in population opted to go out of Kenya for green pasture elsewhere.
The new independent government half-heartedly used the money in settling few African population in Subukia, Rongai, Londiani, Molk, Olkalou, Nyahururu, Laikipia, and other places.
The settlement scheme the re-distribution of the lands were , however, biased and only dished out selectively to favor one particular community [the Kikuyu] at the expense of other needy Kenyans.
The Kikuyus were given farm lands in areas previously considered as the indigenous Kalenjin regions in total disregards of the local indignant communities.
Members of the Kalenjin community dissented to this, but the senior Kalenjin politician of the time who were none other than Daniel Arap Moi and Dr.Taaitta Arap Towett, were happily serving in he post independence cabinet an never raised any objection to the settling of Kikuyu people in area previously considered as the Kalenjin land.
Two Kalenjin politicians, however, were vehemently opposed to the spread of Kikuyu settlement in what they considered as the Kalenjin land.They were Marie John Seroney then the MP for Tinderet and Morogo Saina then the M for Eldoret North. This was the source of hostility between Seroney and the KANU government, which led to both Seroney and Saina being jailed and landed in detention camps following the no in famous Nandi Hills Declaration.
It was the same money given by the British government for the settlement o landless African people of Kenya that Kenyatta is being alleged to have used in acquiring vast plantation s land in Taita Taveta, Mwatate, Ziwani, Laikipia, Ruiru and Salgaa near Nakuru.
Jomo Kenyatta died on August 22nd and hi hen Vice President for 12 years Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi stepped into his shoes at the mantle of power. It was during Moi’s presidency hen the government half-heartedly opened up the Mau Forest and other areas for Kalenjin settlement, most of hem illegal squatters.
The first tribal land clashes between the Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Kisii, Luos, Luhyias were believes to have been launched with the full knowledge of members of the security apparatus during the Moi’s Presidency.
It was also the Moi KANU regime which encouraged tribal land clashes which were meant t cleanse the region of what were commonly called madoadoa colours out of the region
The dreaded Kalenjin warriors were secretly trained an armed with crude weapons in the Embobut Forest, Ndoinet, Marigat and Mau Forest and then ferried on government vehicles an other tracks donated by wealthy Kalenjin businessmen and farmers when they launched three prongs full scale attack on the Kisii in Sotik, Luos in Nyando Valley, Nyakach an luhyias in Lugari and along he Rift Valley-Western Provinces boundaries causing the first internally displaced persons in 1996/97 and the last clashes and the worse of all was in 2007/2008.
The original intention was to keep a bay those who were clamoring for the multi parties system of politics then opposed to the KANU doctrine of the monolithic one party dictatorship.
On the latest opposition to Raila Odinga roe in the Mau Forest saga, the Prime Minister had no personal interests in the forest, but was just executing and implementing the collective decision of the cabinet. Some of the now outspoken MPs like William Ruto were members of the cabinet and at in the cabinet meetings when decision and government plans on the rehabilitation of Mau Forest were being deliberated upon, but they did not raise any objection.
Mr Odinga should be exonerated out f these malicious accusations and falsehood a he has done nothing wrong to the Kalenjin community because the source of injustices done to this particular community as the land redistribution is concerned lies elsewhere and not strictly with Raila Odinga.
