Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:52:11 +0300 [12:52:11 PM CST]
From: Kimutai Cherono
Subject: Re: No Need to Thank the President
I was saying he is not doing it out of concern for the Kenyan people. He does not want people to have the opportunity to boo him.
And now that he knows he can get away with that he stays in his ivory tower we see him on budget day only 
On 12/30/08, owinga bonfas wrote:
Kimutai this kind of behavior is what has taken this country behind and stagnant for 45 years..Why thank Mwai Kibaki for something that needs no comon sense..We have become a people worshipping our leaders for every little thing that they do..This is the same president who caused untold suffering to millions of Kenyans in 2007 for the sake of power…There is no need of thanking this President who couldnt in his first term:
1.New Constitution
2.Ensure Security in the country (Remember Arturs brothers-where is the report?)
3.Ensure Land Reforms(Where is the Ndungu Report?)
4.End Corruption(where is the Anglo-leasing Report?)
5.Whats Up With Grand Regency Hotel?
6.Kibaki also heightened and practiced Tribalism in broad daylight with arrogance.
We must be people who ask for bigger things and we must be people who keep the government accountable..Lets not be small-minded people..Kenyans need a change of attitude and we must fight tribalism and keep these leaders on check every step on the way…
— On Tue, 12/30/08, Kimutai Cherono wrote:
From: Kimutai Cherono
Subject: Re: Thank you Mr President for beginning to listen to the people
Date: Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 4:24 PM
Or maybe he does not want people to boo him? Once they do not leave their ivory towers your views become irrelevant. Guess 2009 is going to be a messed up year. ‘again!’
James Kimutai Cherono
0735 191362 or 020 2171618
‘if you are not having fun… AND making a difference …… dig a grave.’ Teliwe
On 12/30/08, George Nyongesa wrote:
Thank you Mr President for beginning to listen to the people
President Kibaki’s decision to cancel the traditional New Year’s Eve state festivities at State House Mombasa is a laudable and encouraging move towards people sensitive leadership. For a long time, the Kenyan civil society has been vocal in condemning the unnecessary, spendthrift and morally irregular expense of holding grand state festivities in the same country where citizens are suffering grand social injustices and unaccountable unresponsive leadership.
According to my calculations, by this decision alone the President has saved the Exchequer approximately K.Shs. 100,000,000, not to mention the Kenyan public the cost of transmitting the celebrations live in their entirety on national TV. I would like to encourage the President to show similar leadership in other areas by taking an example from Cuba’s President Raul, who taking into consideration the global financial and food crisis cut down government foreign trips by 50% as well as scaling down on ministerial expenditure. As a Kenyan tax-payer, I am looking for President Kibaki to lead his government in adopting the same tune that he has. For example, in the next budget, rather than allocating 60% towards recurrent government expenditure, 20% towards paying for public debt and 20% towards development objectives, the government should in reverse allocate 60% towards development and utilise 40% for other expenditure.
2008 has admittedly been a very difficult year for all Kenyans. Our woes have been a kaleidoscope of irregular elections, internal displacement of thousands – many of whom still languish in squalid conditions in camps, political experiments in the form of a coalition government, public power struggles amongst the political elite, unrest within informal settlements, schools unrest, grand corruption scandals, food insecurity escalated by cartels supported by irresponsible and unaccountable leadership, death and starvation from famines, high food, fuel, transport and basic commodity prices and political impunity in the form of unpatriotic parliamentarians’ resistance to implementing the National Accord’s Agenda 4 in full, to implementing the Kriegler and Waki Commission recommendations in a timely manner, to paying tax on their full remuneration and more recently the attempted interference with the freedom of information through muzzling the media.
From my discussions with fellow Kenyans, as we listen to the Presidential state address to usher in the New Year, our wish list remains very clearly to hear concrete, practical and urgent action plans towards: ending food insecurity, reducing the cost of living, creating employment, implementing Agenda 4 – especially resettlement and compensation of IDPs, resolving land problems, ending political impunity – especially implementing parliamentarians’ taxation and ensuring commensurate remuneration for Kenya’s working class – especially increasing the minimum wage and sorting out teachers, nurses and the disciplined forces on their salaries.
I wish to urge Kenyans to keep up the growing awareness of their rights and freedoms and not to relent in resisting social injustices and demanding responsive, accountable and people sensitive leadership. With the uniting of Kenyans around common issues, the reduction in Unga prices, the reduction of VAT on electricity, the ban of exportation of maize and maize flour, the plans to subsidize fertilizer costs, the decision by some MPs to pay tax and many other similar victories, it is clear what people power can achieve. We can still make our leaders wake up and smell the coffee. Let us invite our leaders to join us as we march united into 2009.
George Nyongesa
Bunge la Mwananchi
+254 720 451 235
—
Sent from my mobile device