Perhaps for the not so keen reader who pays little attention to detail, some of the print in this agreement may not mean much. But you would wish to wonder to yourself: why did Raila sign this document and also why would kibaki actually agree to it…what could be going on in Kibaki’s mind?
“The PM shall have authority to coordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the GOK ………including those of Ministries”
The key words are highlighted. Who performed these duties previously?? If it was the president, then there must have been gross inefficiencies in the way our country was being run because those are the day to day affairs of a country and require a hands on approach.
But also NOTE that the “affairs of the GOK” have been distinctly separated from “those of Ministries”! Which, therefore, are those ‘affairs of the GOK’ separate from the Ministries? This PM office as laid out in this accord is a very powerful office indeed. The PM office is technically, therefore, the ‘engine’ of the country while the president is the ‘driver’. It is the same relationship as in the ‘heart’ and the ‘brain’. The brain can stop but you are still alive, but when the heart (engine) stops, YOU ARE DEAD!!!
I think either Kibaki knowingly or unknowingly did not reread the fine print enough to know what it meant. On the other hand, Raila was keenly aware. But it may also be that Kibaki knew very well what he was signing into. My hypothesis is that Kibaki knew what he was doing to the last detail. The old man is just tired and wants to go home in peace. He simply has negotiated his way out of this mess which he was encouraged to create by his cronies. Now he does not need them. He is telling them, ‘I have made peace with Raila, now it is your turn’. It is a realisation on his part that he needs Raila more than he needs the Karuas and Michukis. Kibaki has literally thrown his ‘buddies’ to the wilderness. Fortunately, Raila is not vindictive.
Kibaki has set his retirement in motion with a bold bid to salvage his legacy, and it is now or never. His friends won’t assist him here. Kibaki has actually ceded governing authority to Raila…if you care to listen. If you look at it, if there be any mess in the government from now forward it will be Raila’s fault and not Kibaki’s as he is not there.
Also note that the PM’s office as outlined in this accord is the MINIMUM that the new expected constitutional dispensation will spell out. Kenya is in for interesting political times ahead.
Barrack
Raila must Rule Kenya fairly, he has claimed he can do it, lead kenya to prosperity; time has come. Let us see him do it; country is at his hands.
ken
Why do you think he didn’t know what he was signing? The man is not an idiot. Give him some credit, please.
Barrack your article makes an interesting analysis of the Grand Coalition Plan. Supplementary to your analysis We must not forget that Raila won the last Presidential Elections and Kibaki may have decided to concede indirectly while staying within the executive himself to be part of the transition. How things turn out, we wait to see and this should be clear right after Thursday’s parliamentary session.
On the point of “Death to Opposition in Kenyan Politics” I would like to look at it from similar viewpoint as the LSK Chairman’s perspective. It is imperative that Kalonzo Musyoka relinqusih his position as VP and take the office of Official Oppostion. This agreement makes his coalition with PNU null and void if not irrelevant. We must not forget that by ODM-K getting into a rushed coalition with PNU, the party conceded defeat in the last elections and so did not dispute the outcome. It is just logical that ODM-K assumes the role of Opposition in Kenya.
Incase we dont have any political party offering Opposition then this could be the right moment in Kenya for a brand new poarty compete with new players who have never been in politics before but are patriotic kenyans raring to take the responsibility. These, however, should be youthfull kenyans.
Barrack,
good call. Having said that, it will be Hon. Odinga’s duty to set an example to future PM’s (explicitly empowered or not) as to how the office of the PM functions. Luckily, he has the people’s mandate too. He must have no excuses. Any failure or excesses on his part will reflect negatively on his party ODM
Some history here: many years ago, a civil servant, Mr. Nyachae, tried to behave like a Prime Minister of a kind. However, in Hon Odinga, Kenya has real PM with a mandate, who will demand periodic accountability from all arms of government and mininistries. Lets wait and see how he exercises his authority. We must wish him well.
JR Alila
kibaki is not stupid. he would not give executive to the power hungry raila. its raila who seemed tired becos all his tactics failed. he accepted a non-executive prime minister post. so no problem to that. he will be reporting to the vice president.
The happenings in Kenya lately has made my heart leap with joy.Raila accepted what he accepted for the sake of Kenyans.Now that he has accepted, Kibaki should not be blamed whether he stoles the votes or not, that is the work of mediation team.We need to start reconciling Kenyans instead of riduculing the presidency.Kibaki had enormous powers, Raila has just chipped a half of it.I lost the vote, you rock the vote and we share it equally.Raila should be careful not to disregard his old security which has taken him for all these years.He needs to make sure that Odiwour,Oyugi,Agunyo,Tom TJ et al. are well trained and incorporated into the Reeece squad.Only after that will our celebration be enhance when we know that Jaduong BABA WAZIRI Mkuu is safe.Also we needs to forgive and forget for the sake of our country.Luos have been feared for un ever flinching efforts in remembrance for the dead.We all know that Kibaki, Moi, Kenyatta all killed people in the name of political assasinations.Everyone know their names.We need to shame them publicly then move on.Is there need killing Moi when he is as useless as mad person walking in chich Mikai?
Only when we restore sense of civility can we grow.Raila has a difficult time ahead and we need to pray for him.He has Ruto who delivered most votes but we are short of seats,we have Mudavadi who delivered not as much as Ruto but is his deputy.So Raila should just let Mudavadi takes the deputy PM and makes sure Ruto, Balala,Ngilu and Nyagah get powerful posts in the Cabinet.Then since ODM has 18 seats,there are 14 seats left and each province except Central and Eastern since Ngilu and Nyagah has been accomodated should get their share. Rift Valley should get 5 Kalenjine/Maasai,Western 2 Luhya ,Coast 2,Arabs/Mijikenda,Nyanza 3,Kisii/Luo,Kuria and North Eastern muslims 2.Raila should mixed the youth and the old juggling experience with academic potential.The ministers must deliver.
In one year the roads in Kenya should be like the ones in America,many more universities opened,better pay for teachers and other civil servants,more jobs,devolution of power,insurance for cattle rearing people,improved security,improved economy and many others.We need good hospitals,clean water,fish industries near lake Victoria and yes, free secondary education.
I think hon raila Odinga know what he wanted to do with power and both him and kibaki are seasoned politicians whom i think will work very well for the betterment of this nation The only sure way of failure on them is if they remain captiove to their respective hardliners whom we all know dont mean well for this country otherwise both men have a history for mutual respect for each other.
I am in agreement with what Barrack has observed but wonder why Margaret believes Raila’s PM post is non executive. If anything, what is not executive about it is the absence of the word ‘executive,’ otherwise, it is Raila who is in charge of government operations!
Kibaki wants to serve his final term as the president of Kenya and he knows this is the only way to do so. You only need to look at the finer print and see that he is held over a barrel by Raila in this agreement. If Raila feels he needs elections to be held, he only needs to pull out of the coalition and Kibaki has to face off in an election – if he is allowed to stand, because he is on his second term! If this scenario were to take place, where would Kibaki get votes from – Central Province and part of Eastern? Without Kiviutu and crooks likes Kihara and his ilk, Kibaki is a non starter in an election for Kenya presidency in the current situation.
So Barrack, Kibaki was aware of what he was getting into. The Karuas, Michukis, Saitotis and the late comers like Musyoka can as well handle their own babies. It was once observed that Kibaki cares for none but himself and that he can dispense with anyone – be it friend or foe if the need arose.
Please Margaret, get off your self denial. Do you have a different definition of the word ‘EXECUTIVE’?
The office of the PM will have real executive powers lady, otherwise why else would the presumed holder of the office be assigned a motorcade with perfect VIP security?
kibaki noticed he had few options left for him…the international pressure was mounting and the second round of internal mass action and civil unrest was in the offing. he realised it is better to share the powers with raila or lose all of it.
i dont think it is fair for margret to think that raila is more power hungrier than kibaki.look at the figures odm has 101 mps pnu has 43, odm has more than 1000 councillors pnu has 400, odm won 6 provinces in the last election pnu enjoyed support mainly from 2. do you still think kibaki won fairly and squarely?
At the moment i will love to say that yes kibaki exactly knew what he was doing and just as one said he is ready to go home in peace.still on that, i also tend to think that most of his alies from the pnu side are bound to face alot in there politica career…
Now that that all has been said and done i think its that great time for Raila AmoloOdinga to actually prove to the nation at large that he really has what it takes to get Kenya to that promised land of prosperity ,equal share of the national cake ,economic boosting ,job creation juat to mention but a few
Kibaki knew quite well what he was doing ever since he became president. He rubbished the MOU because his killer militia Mungiki had assured him protection. He also rigged the election and within hours his Mungiki killer militia was already shooting dead the Luos in Nyanza Province and so doing assuring him a safe tenure against the will of majority Kenyans.
As head of state he must have known that Uhuru ‘Mungiki’ Kenyatta, Njenga ‘Mungiki’ Karume, John Chris ‘Mungiki’ Kirubi, John Rattlesnake ‘Our Own Mungiki’ Michuki, George Kinuthia wa Muthengi ‘Non-Maasai Mungiki’ Saitoti are actively backrolling the Mungiki sect.
The criminal part of his government met regularly to follow the progress Mungiki was making in breaking down the Luos, if not all non-GEMA Kenyans by killing them in cold blood.
Despite his claim that Mungiki is a banned organization none of the killers from this group has ever been taken to court and punished so far by his government.
Mungiki has been protecting him just as much as he has been protecting them. Period!
DR. DIDA OKUTHE
Margaret, your comment is uncalled for. Don’t be hating! Both leaders made a good decision that would re-unite the country despite the disputed elections. That mindset must be relegated to the historical archives moving forward. You can read the draft of all the bills to get the facts right. A big difference between Executive and Non-Executive exists in semantics.
Your article though controversial is interesting and calls for a non partisan analysis.In my view Raila is incharge of co-ordination and supervision of Goverment.In the absence of specifics he is at liberty to carry out his duties in any manner he deems fit,but in the interest of Kenyans.
Whether the postion is Executive or not is a question of semantics.Infact how he decides to execute his functions will determine whether he is an executive premier or not.
Kibaki has very little to loose in this arrangement since he will not seek another term,but has only his legacy to take care of.
Regds
Nixon
Whether Kibaki knew what he was doing or not is not any matter now that His Executive, The Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga is in full control of all government functions including supervisions and many many other duties in the Kibaki administration.
All these has come with goddies such as state security, motorcade… he is now the man to watch in Kenyan politics, remember the book ‘Raila Odinga an enigma in Kenyan politics’?
Correction to Margaret who thinks Raila’s PM is non-executive, bet she needs to understand Raila’a role in the Govt now!
Kibaki wanted change, Raila wanted change; the deal is no cat and mouse game or trap. Both principals went in with a clear mind and conscience of setting Kenya on a new path. Many people are disappointed that they have nothing to fuel their tribalistic impulses and are now looking to make baseless arguments in hope to revive the dying spirit of racism. I’m sorry to those who’d rather live in the past rather than look to the future with new eyes. Broaden your horizons, this is a historic monument for our country, cherish it and if you can’t then don’t taint it for those who truly care about Kenya, about democracy, and about the coming generations. Long live Kenya, yours truly with love Nelson Omuto
Ken, for your information I don’t think Kenyans want to be ruled. They want to be governed in a fair manner. It’s kings and queens only who rule over people. Kenya is a republic.
HIV/AIDS FUNDS STOLEN AT THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
The bank-funded projects said to have been tainted by graft are the Sh 3.7 billion Kenya HIV-Aids Disaster Response Project, completed in 2005; the Kenya Decentralised Reproductive Health and HIV-Aids Project, also approved for Sh 3.7 billion in bank funding and completed in 2006; and the Northern Corridor Improvement Project, a Sh13 billion road-building initiative scheduled to be completed at the end of next year.
A $50 million World Bank grant in support of the Kibaki administration’s free primary education initiative was the only one of the four appraised projects found to be generally free of corruption. The confidential review states that contracts and textbook procurement through this bank programme were “reasonably well-executed, safeguarded and supervised from the perspective of minimising the potential for fraud and corruption.â€
In the case of the HIV-Aids Disaster Response Project, “corrupt practices of government officials negatively impacted the results of the project,†the review says.
“Grant recipients reported that the continuous requests for bribes made by the government officials diverted funds from the activities’ objectives.â€
A group given a grant through the World Bank programme indicates that instead of paying school fees for orphans, it used grant money to bribe government officials.
The bank’s review of the Decentralised Reproductive Health and HIV-Aids project cites “credible witnesses†as indicating that Ministry of Health officials “at all levels were engaging in corruption in virtually every component of the project.â€
Ministry officials supplied pre-bid information to potential bidders and solicited kickbacks from winners, the review finds. “Credible witnesses also confirmed that under public procurement Ministry of Health high-level officials steered contracts to specific bidders in exchange for kickbacks.â€
In regard to the Northern Corridor project, the anti-corruption team says “multiple indicators of collusion were identified under the project.â€
In its commentary, The Wall Street Journal links the post-election violence to “a culture of corruption†in Kenya.
Daktari Okuthe, surely that’s the best you can do? Why come up with such juvenile stuff? Please help Kenya move to a better place. Aren’t you overdosed on hate yet? Bury the venom…please. Jog your memory if you care to and you will recall that Kibakis govt killed over 500 hundred Mungiki during the crackdown sometime back. Do you not recal Human Rights protesting that the govt was brutalizing Mungiki? There’s no need to spin and mutilate the truth to support hate and propaganda?
I am not a fan of Kibaki or Raila, but this is not about them. It’s about Kenya and moving it to a better place than the darkness it’s coming from. Who cares if Raila is an executive PM as long as he delivers? Who cares if Kibaki is the president as long as he delivers. This is about service delivery to Kenyans. It’s not about ODM, PNU or whoever. It’s not about rewarding loyalty and political worth. It’s about getting the job done. If Raila knows what’s best, he will free himself from his hardliners. He will accept that some of his henchmen may have delivered the votes but their agenda is not conducive to peace and progress for Kenyans. These are the people addicted to chaos and only thrive when there is turbulence…they cannot stand a peaceful, thriving and united Kenya. If Raila can’t discern and free himself from this faction, he will be stuck between a “rock and a hard place”. If he can remain focused on the tribe called ‘Kenya’, even his enemies will respect him.
You say that this is not about Raila or Kibaki, however your rhetorical statements suggest otherwise. This is but another hopeless attempt at discrediting all the hard work that Raila Odinga has done to unite Kenya’s people. It is true that Raila has not always been the best at picking friends, but that was long ago and those “friends” are now on the other side of the fence under the Party of National Unity. The people he surrounds himself with now are just as faithful to the advancement of this country as he is. All the allegations of people in the ODM camp being responsible for the post election violent are false. ODM continually pushed for peaceful means of protesting the erroneous electoral process, not ever was the use of violence exalted by the party. The police, under Kibaki’s regime, are the ones who should be blamed for not concentrating their efforts in areas of aggresion and instead employing their forces trying to subdue the peaceful marches ODM had been planning to carry out. Where were the police when fifteen people were burned alive in a Naivasha home?; When women and children in eldoret laid helplessly at the mercy of arsonists who torched the church they hide out in? The Kibaki government chose to subdue democracy, free speech, peaceful demonstration, the voice of a nation! Yes, this is about Raila and Kibaki, for the future of a nation lays in the hands of the leaders it elects. And as a Kenyan citizen I do not appreciate how Kibaki hijacked my country. We the people chose Raila, that is who should be president.
However, to reconcile the country I am in favor of the current arrangement. I think it will do a lot to advance us especially in the aspect of regional relations. The time has come when we should now forsake our tribal identities. The time for unity as one, as a people, is due.We cannot continue this infighting no matter what. Sometimes it is good to acknowledge that you are wrong even if you are right; to sacrifice, to swallow your pride; to look at the big picture, the future generations.
What happened as a result of the post election violence will be looked upon years to come by our grand children as the time we decided to love one another. The marriage of ODM and PNU, the union of Raila and Kibaki, symbolizes a catalyst for the change in attitude for the better. It is not about who is right/wrong, who got the long end of the stick, or who got short ended in the deal. Thousands of Kenyans have died, its time to stop tribal killing.
Raila is mad1 THATS WHY I FEEL like supporting m7 in saying ALL THESE JALUOS ARE MAD. See when other kenyans are busy worrking nb working out of commander in chiefs call for a working nation, some mad jaluos are busy insulting KIBAKI….Nyiinyi kubavu …i think they need a compulsory knife