From: barack abonyo
Date: Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 1:51 PM
One does not have to do a long google search before they realize that the Kenyan situation is becoming terrible with each single day. Kenya is a country where an MP, the so called people’s servants earns 1, 000, 000 Kenya Shillings tax free, a salary that is equivalent to that of senators in the US while a common man is worried about the next meal. Kenya, my mother land, is a country where a minister purchases Passats using the poor people’s money at double the prevailing market price without winking. Kenya is the place where public land is sold at way below the market price and life still goes on. And yes, Kenya is where the constitution review takes ten years, costing tax payers millions of shillings. Worse still, Kenya is the country where a policemen is the thug that guns down a common man.
In essence Kenya is a land of failed leadership. It is a man eat man society, where the people we elected are not their neighbors keeper. My question is, “Can Kenyans demand change this time?” And if they do, will there be a Mosses to lead them out of slavery.
In my view, Kenyans, including myself are glued to a kingdom syndrome. Even though we do not have kings, some families have served in our minds as the only gene pool from which we obtain leaders. The Kenyatta family, the Moi family, the Odinga family, now the Kibaki family and the list goes on. Many of my friends would qualify this trend by arguing that these people have name recognition and that without this, it is near impossible to be elected the president of Kenya. My answer is that this theory must be debunked. We must do what United States did.
Well even I do not want to elect a nobody to be my president, but I am tired of electing somebodies who, for over fourty years, have transformed Kenya from the pride of Africa to the hell of Africa. I am tired of the same names, day in day out, that I cannot associate with anything good, except gaining independence. Can someone tell me why we still insist on the Uhuru’s, the Odinga’s, the Kibaki’s and the Moi’s. Everytime one talks about presidential elections in 2012, the arena seem to be preserved to the same folks who have led our country into doom. When will Kenyans wake up and say enough is enough? When will Kenyans test a different gene pool?
A few have decided to put their names forward. Professor George Wajackoya and Mark Matunga have bravely come forward and said, “I want this job”. My worry is that Kenyans have not bothered to even check them out. I think Kenyans should start looking at names such as Wajakoya and Matunga, as potential leaders. Give these people a chance. They may just change your world.
Kenyans should not be glued on Ruto, because Ruto is the one who was propelled to leadership by Moi through the YK92.Ruto distributed printed 500 kenya shillings notes like a supermarket groundnut vendor. I hope Kenyans remember that this money was theres, and hold this against him.
Some Kenyans still think Kalonzo is the real deal, and yet this guy cost us an election, and drove us right back into hell. He scuttled democracy. His name should not be mentioned among noble men.
Many still tell me about Raila, and yet he has been there with no change in vicinity. Luoland, where his family is head of the kingdom, is not doing very well.
And why do Kenyans talk about Kibaki’s son? His father’s insistence on presidency resulted in loss of many lives, loss of property, and as evidence, we still have IDPs with nowhere to go.
Just why Kenyans are unable to shake off this curse baffles me. My prayer is that it is not too late. It is time for change.Kenyans should let these big names go and start subscribing someone who has never made it to parlierment like the Matunga’s and Wajakoya’s. I believe this will end the era of impunity.
I therefore urge all the great sons of Kenya to rise and be counted for president. May all who believe they have the passion for uplifting poor people’s lives come out and state their interest in the presidency. We cannot afford to have any of these household names hold Kenya for a ransom for another five years. We cannot afford to dig many more graves for our sons and daughters.
http://glw4president.com/
http://hi-in.facebook.com/posted.php?id=82170757076
Dr. Barack Otieno Abonyo.
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Subject: CAN KENYA ELECT A PRESIDENT WHO HAS NEVER SERVED AS A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT?
Dear NVK,
I am just wondering why is it that no one takes the responsibility of educating the masses about the candidate choices that they have and the platforms that they stand up for?
Is it possible to provide such information on a large scale without being biased – while maintaining a middle ground ?
If there is an organiation carrying such work, i am interested in knowing whats their deal come next year when the hoopla of party politicking takes the front seat…
Just curious…
Bethuel M.
Can Kenyans elect a president who has never been to parliament?
This question sounds nice for individuals who are presidential aspirants, but don’t want to do proper and sound self evaluation of themselves. Methinks, the question should be, are the “new” non parliamentarian aspirants for top seat, innovative and creative enough to successfully outsmart the longstanding political class, or say current parliamentarians?
All Kenyans, infact anyone who is above the age of 35yrs can offer themselves for presidency- its their right- but the question they must confront is, do they have what it takes to compete favorably in the current political environment?
Forget about those sensible cries of our politics being characterized by voter bribery, tribalism, hooliganism etc. that is our POLITICAL REALITY. That is where we need a new crop of leadership to get us out of…it doesn’t work the other way.
To offer yourself for leadership is the easiest thing. All of us can do, but have you done proper SWOT analysis of yourself? That is the hardest thing that most of us don’t do.
See, in Kenya’s telephony industry, when YU joined the market, they had to fight the dominance of Safaricom and Zain. They studied the market environment and asked themselves, are they innovative enough to battle out the two? They didn’t sit there and start asking themselves self pity questions, or just join the market, because they think telephony industry in Kenya needs more actors.
So that is the same thing we must ask of would be presidential hopefuls. Are you able to CONVINCE the numbers in this political environment? If you can, then there is no doubt that all competent candidates-that is in our political environment, not America- can be elected even if they have never been to parliament. I hope I am not just ranting….
George Nyongesa
Ndugu Bethwel,
That is what NVK-Mageuzi will be embarking on very soon, we will be having a Retreatin December to explore what we are calling “The Third Way” of change in Kenya.
Sungu
Daktari:
I must admit that I am surprised to read your comments and I must commend you; we seem to be finally shaking off the personality worship syndrome we have attached to these genius politicians for so long: I mean it has been long time coming but some of us saw this train wreck coming long time ago; we sounded the alarm bells while some were calling for Kenya to go the “Rwanda Style” you all know who you are. Innocent Kenyans are reaping the pain today and now we hear that a select few “EXPERTS” are about to unveil an oligarchy specifically tailored for PM Odinga to guarantee him and his cronies perpetual hold on power; if this thing ever sees light of day in Kenya, the last thing you’ll even need to worry about is whether Kenyans can elect a president who has never served as an MP, the answer is YES but with the cockamamie ideas the “EXPERTS” are about to propose, that may not even be necessary! We all better brace for some big battles a head; we just have to make choices on whether they will be battle of ideas or physical battles, they are coming.
My take is we start afresh and get a clean slate; do away with ALL of them, from Kibaki all the way down, I mean these people have way outlived their political shelve lives, I mean way past retirement and it is very apparent they are TIRED, their brain power is greatly diminished and yet we allow these fellows to continue leeching and manipulating…what are we doing about it?
my take is that this is a pipe dream whose time has not come.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=313745325062&ref=ts
Joram Ragem
wuod Ndinya, wuod Onam, wuod Amolo, wuod Owuoth, wuod Oganyo, wuod Mumbe, wuod Odongo, wuod Olwande, wuod Adhaya, wuod Ojuodhi, wuod Ragem! (Are you my relative?)
Mr. Abonyo..Kenya is missing: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ( Liberia) Barack Obama (USA). These type of leaders do exist in this country BUT they will only emerge when Kenya public stop: Hero cult like warship of leaders, Tribal politics, Victimization politics, and end endemic corruption in all aspects in this country. All is NOT lost, the pending constitution Reform, if passed and enacted, may allow visionary leaders to emerge to rescue this country!!!!!!!!.
Yes, you are quite right by stating the obvious. The “sheep” following and the blind loyalty to past and present leaders, who have not served the interest of the public at large, but only their own in this country, will always doom this country to fail State. Elections and Presidents will come and go, without any substantive change in Kenya!!.
Dear Bethuel,
There are many organizations in Kenya that work on issues of voter education, civic education, human rights awareness, etc. Some of them have done commendable jobs in the past, under very difficult circumstances.
I think the major challenge in this regard has to do with the way the Kenyan political landscape gets overly charged in the run up to elections, often with the result that all actors end up taking sides. It is very difficult to be objective on the eve of elections in Kenya, because the reality we are operating with is defined by highly subjective dynamics.
However, we need to put these concerns on the agenda of ongoing debates about electoral politics and change in Kenya. All players – politicians, civil society and so-called development partners – need to recognize the limits of elections as a mechanism for making appropriate choices that will bring about change. Waiting until campaigns begin and then seeking to define choices on the basis of who is on the ballot often means no more than choosing the least bad.
It would be useful to develop this agenda more concretely within NVK-M.
Ochieng Odhiambo
Mr. Ochieng, how about forming Non: tribal/partisan political civic chapters in every Region / District in this country, way before election???. I would be willing to give you some details/pointers on how these non partisan chapters would work in Kenya..let me know if you are interested!
George Nyongesa you got it right. We still need people who have the guts. I will declare myself when I get the guts. I am not sure when. At least not 2012.
Barack
JD Brown
I am very much interested. Contact me at luo31@hotmail.com