Waw what a crowd at Tononoka! As many have said, “Raila is fighting back”. However, the real question is, “Raila is fighting who back?” Iam thrilled to answer this question. In brief, Raila is fighting himself.
After working very hard to consolidate a powerhouse in the ODM, Raila embarked on a desperate move to dismantle it. First he dissolved the pentagon, then declared himself the sole party leader. Things backfired and the pentagon had to be reconstituted. Notwithstanding the damage had been done.
Then came the issue of youths rotting in jail, after the post election violence, to which Ngilu was almost kicked out softly.
Immediately after that, while the raging storm was still on, came the Hague and Ruto, followed by Ruto and the maize scandal. Ruto was not blind. He saw his friend Raila was in a position to rescue him, but instead, Raila cut off the rope that Ruto was holding on to, Raila let himslip and sink into the rot which both Raila and Ruto had created together.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. But at the same time, the person who can bring you down faster is your friend. To Ruto, Raila proved to be a betrayer, rather than a friend. Raila became a backstabber. Raila chose to realign himself with those who fought both Ruto and Raila, at the expense of those who shed their blood and lost their lives for him.
In this case, one cannot blame the son of Samoei for saying enough is enough when he met his tribesmen walking their donkeys toward the roadside where their half naked buttocks were being eaten by the mau cold.
Just why Raila concentrated on this may only be known to himself. “Was he fighting the right war or right enemy?”
In my view, these fights were completely unnecessary for Raila. He should not have initiated them. He needed Ruto as much as Ruto needed him. Ruto tried to hang in there, but the assault was too much. Respect was already lost, and Raila was not consulting Ruto on anything, including things in Ruto’s Rift Valley tuff. However Raila still needs Ruto for 2012 and by Raila constantly fighting Ruto, he is simply shooting himself in the foot.
The reason for this war has not been understood even by Raila’s closest associates. Many would prefer to keep Ruto in ODM, because it makes it easy to fight the real opposition. Just why Raila did this baffles many. Was Ruto a threat to the possibility of the son of Jaramogi being chosen the ODM presidential candidate? I doubt it, because in ODM Ruto is no match for Raila. Was Ruto threatening to dislodge Raila’s silent dog, Musalia Mudavadi? May be. Was he afraid Ruto could testify and mention him at the Hague hence Raila wanted to dissociate himself from Ruto early? Possibly. All in all, my best guess is that Raila saw a threat in Ruto, and chose to kick him out earlier rather than later.
It suffices to say that the relationship is over. This is just a rerun between Raila and Wamalwa or Raila and Kalonzo. It is going to be impossible for Raila and Ruto to come back together, or if they come together, they will still backstab each other. Like Kalonzo, Ruto is going to be the force that blocks Raila from the presidency. He has some votes. People should not forget that.
The fight they began has receded and the dust is settling a little bit. Who won and how? I still contend that Raila lost but Ruto did not gain what Raila lost. This is why.
In 2007, Raila got majority of the votes from Rift Valley. Whatever Raila does, and however he twists it, he will not get the same amount of votes from this region if he does not work with Ruto. Infact, he will get less than 30% of the votes he got last time, if Kosgey and Sirma stick with him.
The Rift Valley was the swing vote for Raila. If he cannot bag 70% of this vote, it will become near impossible to clinch the presidency, irrespective of how many people show up at Tononoka. The winning votes are not at Tononoka, they are in the Rift Valley. The coast, western and Eastern are always divided. Raila will not be a clear winner of 2012 elections, and this is what Ruto was working on, after being mistreated, and he has successfully done it.
The only lousy thing Ruto did was to join CAMPS too fast. The Kalenjins are very weary of another Kikuyu leadership, and Ruto should have known that a fight with Raila does not imply a friendship with Uhuru. The Kalenjins do not want to hear the name Kenyatta anywhere close to power, hence as soon as Ruto jumped ship, his best bet was to build a new ship without Uhuru at the top. However, incase Uhuru allows Ruto to be at the top of the ticket, Raila will have a real fight in the Rift Valley, Central and Eastern.
For the Kenyan public, these things are working in the right direction, for a brand new leadership. It is time for the storm to push the “takataka” to the sea as Raila himself said,and a complete new leader emerge. Again I say, “It is time for change”.
Dr. Barack Otieno Abonyo
Dear all,
All is not lost, if the PM. Raila Odinga, can take a drastic change of course, he might salvage his hope of being elected in 2012.
What should he do? Well going back to Mau is not visible. A fast resettlement of the Evicted Mau Kalenjins, are the fastest way of calming things down!
There are obvious strategist who may advise him to wait till the eve of 2012. That would not be the best solution. People who would want the PM to fail shall use it as an election ploy!
The safest thing for the PM and the ODM party is to get these people settled or compensated! Now. Failing to do so is a kiss of death to ODM.
Silly arguments, should be avoided. The PM as the Leader should avoid the mudslinging. Use those antagonists to work for his advantage, leave childist attacks out of the issues! He should look like a uniter, and a true leader.
How happy the PNU must be! Mr. Kalonzo, the V.P. in particular. Why? Raila is destroying his own chances, paving way for the Vice President!
Unless Raila wakes up and does a drastic thing, sorry, Kenyans, Your PM is on another round of a sound defeat!
History repeating itself again. How sad for Raila. To come so close, Yet to loose it all, because of being unwise!
It is not a matter of who is winning! or who won? At the end of it all is the stability, prosperity and a country that all Kenyans can live in. In dignity and harmony with each other!
It is Kenya that we are trying to built!
DR. KIPRONOH RUTTOH
Well spoken Daktari! Wow, who would have imagined this from you? Certainly not me. Raila is his own worst enemy in politics and I think personally. His antics are fast catching up to him and before long the man won’t have any bridge left to cross on; he has burned way too many and accumulated too much baggage for his own good; very unfortunate and self destructive; why, we all wonder except for the fact that some of us recognized this long time ago!
Barack,
This is the problem of staying in a foreign land without visiting home for 10 years! Your analysis portrays lack of first hand information.
Just to refresh your memory since you seems to be forgetting too fast, Ruto and co started playing the game immediately after the elections, through Kutuny and Ababu Namwamba.
The could not brake through then coz the ODM tide was still very strong even in their constituencies.
After that, they started complaining about Ministerial appointment. Let me ask you, how many ministers did they want? 10?
Then when a by-election presented itself in Kilgoris, they armtwisted ODM and made sure that their man got ODM nomination despite the fact that the guy ODM wanted would have won. This pitted masaais vs Kalenjin and ODM lost.
Then when Raila most trusted supporters Lorna Laboso and Kipkalya Kones died, they found the perfect opportunity to wedge a war with Raila. I am telling you as a matter of fact, Laboso and Kones would have managed to contain these people.
All this time Raila and ODM supporters gave them time and watched each and every move they made. So when Balala started sneaking with Ruto to meet Uhuru, then we knew they were up for something else, so politics had to start.
When party elections were held, Balala lost democratically to Joho since Raila did not give him the support he expected. Ruto insisted on being Deputy Leader and was granted.
Now, the MAU issue came up. Kenyans are with him on this.
I however, agree with you on one thing. With Kalenjin votes, Raila was sure of 50% 1 vote lead, but now, it there will be a re-run. But the moment Ruto supports Uhuru for presidency, you will be surprised! I request you to take time off your busy schedule and visit home.
Barrack, what are u on about?…i’ll extend the same invitation lee has, tembea nyumbani….
Raila has visited Chepalungu and still attracted many supporters…the problem is that Ruto and his cronies are jealous and intimidated that Raila had soo much support in RiftValley, all these other things like Mau, tha Hague are just sideshows….
In my view its about time they man up and admit what their real problem is and if they want 2 leave…good riddance, its a load off Raila’s back.
Ruto has 2 much baggage that he want 2 carry with everyone else.
Mr Ruto’s allies, however, said they were not moved by big rallies, saying they do not translate to votes.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny, a vocal ally of Ruto, Said: “Even Raila organised such (huge) meetings in the last election but still lost to (President) Kibaki.”
Daktari,
Do you remember YK92? Do you recall what that group did to the country’s economy?
Do you know “jirongo” (the currency, not the man!)?
Now, what you are telling us is that Kenyans are gullible enough (yes, we are, perhaps) to swallow another YK92 renamed to YK2012 hook, bait and sinker?
You’ve done quite a good analysis there, but you missed the point. Raila is fighting not himself but for Kenyans.
You’ve promptly forgotten that all the current flame wars (I don’t want to term them political for they are not) are about the Mau and those who have vested interests in it.
Please keep your eye on the ball! At the end of the day, you’ve ended up reading political alignments in the current squabbles.
One year in politics is a very long time, and 2012 is 2 years away. Much of what you see now is gonna change shortly. Politicos are always about scheming for power. Remember also that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. It’s always about “me”.
Have you forgotten about the rotten maize?
Have you forgotten about the subsidized flour that never was?
The talk about the country is just the icing on the cake, which itself is quite bitter.
If you asked me who I’d vote for if elections were called today, I’d say …. none, and I know that makes you happy, but that doesn’t legitimize your skewed analysis.
—
Best regards,
Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
Nairobi,KE
254733744121/ 254722743223
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
“If you have nothing good to say about someone, just shut up!.”
— Lucky Dube
Julia and Lee
Visiting home is not the issue. The issue is being able to analyze the proceedings.
In your view, I think you believe that Raila was going to loose Ruto anyway, and that Ruto himself induced his fall out with Raila. You support this point by talking about the formation of opposition in parliament and with fielding parallel candidates in the bi-election.
Now let me start by formation of the opposition from members of parliament. At the moment everyone is in the government. We absolutely do not have a watchdog group. Dr. Khalwale is trying, but it is impossible to bring down votes in certain issues, including MPs salary. As a Kenyan citizen living in Kenya do you enjoy this?
If I were you I would have considered Raila’s stand on this wrong for me. And I must state that Ruto was not associated with this, but even if he did, you should support this instead of vilifying it. A strong opposition is what always keeps the government in check. We do not have one now, since it was thwarted by Raila as you have suggested.
As for parallel candidates, you must remember the timing for this. It was after the youth issue, maize scandal, and Raila was warming upto central province. Raila was slowly giving Ruto a cold solder. Whatever the reason, you may have to tell me. In such circumstances what did you expect Ruto to do? Should he have said “Raila tosha tosha kabisha” or should he have gone back to the drawing board?
In my view, one must have a very good reason for everything, and I do believe Raila may have a very good reason for this. However, this reason is not obvious. Even you Julia has no answer for it. Jealousy alone does not cut it. Neither formation of opposition does it for you Makwiny.
If you guys claim to live in Kenya then you must not support blindly. You must give us a very very good reason why Raila has been doing this.
Ruto had not put up a tough fight to counter Raila until the several onslaught was directed towards his people, by a friend he still trusted. It was back to back and the Mau issue was the last stroke that broke the Camel’s back.
Raila should know that the Kalenjins are not luos. He cannot ignore their needs and still expect 100% of their vote. The Kalenjins are asking, “What good thing has Raila done to us lately?”, and the answer they are getting is nothing but desolation.
In conclusion, Raila must salvage the Kalenjin situation. He must not look like he is fighting the people, and to do that, he should ignore Ruto, and do good works to the Kalenjins. He should not do things in Kalenjin land, just to counter Ruto. It is dangerous for him, it is dangerous for the luos.
Dr. Barack Abonyo
INTERESTING READS FROM KUMEKUCHA ON RAILA RUTO BATTLE
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Raila Vs Ruto Political Duel: Raila Fast Digging His Political Grave!
See also most recent article by Chris: Why Ruto will win the war against Raila
Some of the things Kumekucha is reading: Annonymous comment costs employee his job
By Guest Writer
In the height of post-election violence, William Ruto and Najib Balala were key ODM figures who fought the Raila’s mass action war of “stolen” presidency like their own personal fight and the TV images of the two fleeing in Nairobi streets from mean-looking GSU officers lobbing tear-gas at them are still fresh in my mind. The two men were ready to die for Raila. Remember Balala even shed tears when he stepped down for Raila during ODM presidential nomination at Kasarani. That’s as far as the marriage of convenience lasted.
The unfolding drama and imminent fall out in ODM was not unexpected but I could not imagine Raila falling out with Ruto and Balala. The fall out best explains how Kenya politics is fluid. Raila largely owes his position and the powers he enjoys to Ruto and Balala. Apart from vigorously campaigning for Raila in the 2007 General Elections, Ruto and Balala took charge of Raila’s mass action call and rallied ODM supporters and their affiliate tribes to civil disobedience to protest Kibaki’s controversial win. The fall out is a big lesson to other politicians and tribes – never fight another man’s war or kill in their name.
If Raila called for the mass action and only Luos heeded his call, Kenyans wouldn’t have been subjected to PEV or violence would have been minimal and of little consequence. But Ruto’s powerbase, the Rift Valley, was the main battle zone for PEV and the tragic and barbaric events in the province were what put Kenya on the international radar. Without Ruto and Balala and the Rift Valley primitive slaughter, Raila would have reluctantly settled for the humble position of the Official Opposition Leader. But thanks to the blood of innocent Kenyans, Raila landed on the prime post he is now using to flex his muscles against the foot soldiers and lieutenants who killed and uprooted innocent from their homes and businesses in his name.
Ruto and Balala are the equivalent of Martha Karua, who toppled the scale against Raila on the finishing line and ensured Kibaki got a controversial second term. Without Karua, Kibaki would have kissed goodbye to the presidency. The Krieger Report told us neither Kibaki nor Raila could stake a high moral ground and claim they legally won. ODM and PNU fiddled with election results in their strongholds. Kibaki and Raila loyalists can fume with that assertion but that’s the reality. For that, Raila and Kibaki equally share the blame in 2008 PEV.
The seeds of hatred were sowed by Kibaki when he refused to honour a pre-election MoU with Raila when he came to power in 2002. Kibaki added fuel to the fire when he started weeding out key Kalenjins from his new Administration. Kalenjins regarded the presidency to be synonymous to Moi and as if State House was their property. They were bitter loosing power to a Kikuyu. Ruto and Kalenjins would be consigned to the political dustbin were it not for Kibaki’s poor judgment in politics.
After the fall out with Kibaki over dishonoured MoU, Raila’s only option was to team up with Kibaki’s enemies and that’s how Kalenjins and leaders who had looted state coffers or had criminal records (some murderers for their roles in 1992 and 1997 tribal clashes), and killers likes of Ole Ntimama, got a new lifeline. Raila and his new-found allies saw the best way to fight Kibaki was to pour petrol to the fire of hatred, which he had lit with the dishonoured MoU. The birth of ODM after the 2005 referendum was based on pure hatred towards Mt Kenya folks and revenge against Kibaki. Thanks to Kibaki’s failures and fall out with Raila, Moi today looks like a saint despite his many dark evils in his 24-year rule.
ODM big guns and their supporters held divergent personal and political ideologies and their marriage was only for convenience but not driven by desire to bring genuine change and reforms in Kenya. These were strange bedfellows. ODM was meant to replace Kibaki’s eating club with new or re-packaged thieves and looters. But the revenge against Kibaki and by extent his tribe, the Kikuyus, was the temporary glue that brought political conmen, looters, murderers and graft lords together. The glue held up to the 2007 Presidential elections and Kenya went to elections in a charged and polluted environment. The ODM unity of purpose – to kick out Kibaki from State House – was what made Raila’s mass action call work. Sooner or later, party time and honeymoon was going to be over for Raila and his ODM.
Unknown to Ruto and Balala, Koffi Annan was pushing for ceasefire and a Grand Coalition Government without revealing his true intentions. He wanted to bring peace but ensure killers were punished. In fact, Raila and ODM were the ones who wanted Annan and the international to intervene claiming they had been robbed of the presidency by Kibaki. Kibaki and his allies were content after retaining the presidency and they didn’t want Annan to come in.
Raila and ODM got an upper hand and Kibaki conceded to share power. The man ODM saw as their saviour had a trick up his sleeve – unleashing the ICC and Ocampo after the PEV dust settled. Ruto and his ODM thought the PEV issue ended as soon as Kibaki and Raila signed a peace deal. How mistaken they were! To the disbelief of Ruto, Balala and others who suspect their names were in the Waki envelope, Raila backed trial of PEV suspects. This is after Raila had equated the PEV killers to freedom fighters! What a betrayal from the mass action general.
Raila looked at 2007 General Election as the end of the world – it was a do or die. He forgot he could loose and vie another day. His mass action call gave birth to mass murder and Kikuyus suffered the most. Raila realised the folly of his mass action call and warmed up to Kikuyus and to the larger Mt Kenya people after he invited Kibaki to his Bondo home. He now enjoys a good working relationship with Kibaki.
When relations improved, Kibaki cleverly pushed the explosive Mau eviction issue to Raila and the PM enthusiastically took it up hoping to win an image of a national and international leader. Raila has received a huge sarcastic backing from Mt Kenya folks on the Mau issue – but that will remain as far as Mau forest is concerned. In public, Mt Kenya folks displaying their “support” to Raila in regard to Mau, while in private laughing as Raila’s burns the bridges that propelled him to where he is today. Doubt this? Read comments on Daily Nation website everyday and guess who are cheering on Raila.
In evicting Kalenjins from Mau, Raila is stepping on the toes of murders, thieves, looters and land grabbers who had played a key role in his 2007 presidential campaign and what he is today. The current fall out was inevitable. Mt Kenya are arguing Raila is unknowingly revenging on them for what Kalenjins did to their Gema kinsmen in 2008. What a better way to get revenge for Kikuyus killed and uprooted from RV? By using their 2007 hero, Raila!
Those who wish away Kikuyus to play a major role in any election are doomed. Kikuyus have the numbers and they vote to preserve their selfish interests – to protect their wealth. In this regard, even if a Kikuyu doesn’t vie for the top seat in 2012 to avoid a repeat of the backlash of 2007, the community will play a big role in deciding Kenya’s next CEO. If no Kikuyu garners for the top seat, Raila’s campaign will be largely deflated as he will not have the ammunitions he had in 2007, rallying other tribes against Mt Kenya folks. Raila’s political future will be doomed.
Unlike Luos who openly express their anger and thoughts and you can easily read their mind and next move, Kikuyus are the opposite. Luos may have celebrated too early that they managed to drive a final nail in the coffin of the frosty relations between Kikuyus and Kalenjins – stemming from land in Rift Valley. Kikuyus in Rift Valley may never mend fences with Kalenjins. But Kikuyus in Central Province and elsewhere have nothing to loose in mending fences with Kalenjins as long as that will place them in leadership or the next Government. Furthermore, Kikuyus and Kalenjins have a lot at stake – land in Rift Valley. What have Luos to offer Kikuyus? Kikuyus can bury their past grudges as long as Kalenjins are willing to accommodate them in RV.
In this regard, Raila made the 2007 General Election look like a personal battle against Kikuyus and majority of Kikuyus believe they would not have fallen victims and suffered so much due to PEV were it not for Raila. Even before 2007, majority of Kikuyus openly said they couldn’t vote for a Luo, more so Raila. Raila’s tribal and hatred politics that led to PEV permanently burnt his political bridges with Mt Kenya folks. Raila may have toned down his hard politics on Kibaki to please Mt Kenya folks, but they are unlikely to ever forgive him for the PEV.
From the look of things, Ocampo is unlikely to go after Kibaki and Raila. Kibaki loses nothing since he is doing his last term. If Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta are both indicted by Ocampo over PEV and leave Raila, Kikuyus and Kalenjins will be united by a common purpose as happened in the recent Mau evictees fund-raising. The common enemy for the two tribes will be Raila and they will never forgive him for his mass action call that gave birth to PEV and took their sons to Hague.
In such a scenario, the person who will be smiling all the way to the bank and likely to reap is one Kalonzo Musyoka. He’ll tell Kikuyus: “I rushed to boost Kibaki from Raila on slot after the disputed polls and you retained the presidency.” He’ll turn to Kalenjins and tell them: ”I warned you about Raila. Look at what he has done with you with Mau and with Ruto.” The Mau eviction and PEV trials were the turning point of Raila and Kalenjins and only a divine intervention can save Raila from the imminent tsunami he faces in 20120 and beyond.
Raila mistakenly believes if Hague takes Uhuru and Ruto, his ambitions to rule Kenya are home and sealed. I bet Raila will die like his father before he rules Kenya. The best Raila and his father managed is a step away from the throne. It is very unlikely Kibaki will back Raila in 2012 and Kikuyus are very unlikely to vote for Raila come rain come sunshine – even with Kibaki’s backing.
Lacking a better strategy to tame the Ruto-Balala axis, Raila has resorted to laughable theatrics by challenging them to quit the Cabinet. That’s a very cowardly challenge. If you are an employer and your employee openly defies you, do you keep daring him to quit or you sack him? A rogue employee looses nothing clinging on and making trouble from within. Ruto and Balala have equally hit back and said they did not fear being sacked.
Raila’s frequent challenge to Ruto & Co to quit shows he has no moral courage to fire the group. He would be digging deeper his political grave. Raila is playing holistic politics. Didn’t the same Raila rock Kibaki’s Govt from within in Narc and after becoming PM? I believe Ruto and Balala have psychologically set their minds Hague is real. They must have decided even if they went to Hague, they’ll sink the political ambitions of the thankless general they fought for.
Raila is fast digging his political grave and if I was him, I would do all I can to win back the Ruto-Balala axis, to win their tribesmen and women. Due to his greed for power, Raila is fast digging his political grave while being cheered by his enemies and his blind supporters. Let’s wait and see if the powerful Kikuyu block with vote for him in 2012.
Kibaki in his first term evicted settlers from Mau forest. Raila ganged up with Ruto and his allies denouncing Kibaki and introducing hate and tribal politics. They used Mau evictions as ammunition against Kibaki in 2005 referendum. When campaigning 2007 presidential elections, Raila and allies perfected hate politics and again used Mau to settle scores with Kibaki and assured settlers they wouldn’t be evicted. Raila scored political mileage and won Kalenjin votes. Ruto and allies perfecting what their master taught them.
Kibaki has last laugh as Raila’s hate politics returns to haunt him. Kibaki is playing clever. He agreed to a truce with Raila and allows him to flex his muscle and exercise his perceived and illusionary powers (Kibaki retains all executive powers) as he sits back to enjoy his former enemies fighting each other and their general.
If Hague prunes Ruto and Uhuru from Kenya’s political map, I encourage doubting Thomases and Raila’s blind ardent follows to keep a copy of this story as a historical reference. I love this show. Who would have expected a fall out after all the chest-thumping in ODM in the run up to 2007.
P.S. And on the CoE constitution, I share Moi’s stand and concerns. Kenya should have one CEO, pure presidential and system. The CEO’s power should be drastically watered down and checked by strong judiciary and parliament. All appointments must be endorsed by Parliament to curb tribalism and nepotism. Two centres of power will put Kenya permanently on tension due to power struggle between president and PM, driving away investors and tourists. Two centres of power will spell doom for the future survival of Kenya. Raila and his like-minded shud should seek our mandate if they want to rule but not grab power through back door.
Kumekucha Weekend Special is back!! Don’t miss the most controversial posts here in a long time this Saturday and Sunday. Topic; The Big Luo political kitendawili. Chris is truly BACK!!!
To: kca_main@yahoogroups.com
CC: NewVisionKenya@yahoogroups.com
From: Wams2006@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2009 16:07:11 -0500
Subject: [NewVisionKenya] Why Rutoh will fell Raila..INTERESTING READ
http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/
In the height of post-election violence, William Ruto and Najib Balala were key ODM figures who fought the Raila’s mass action war of “stolen” presidency like their own personal fight and the TV images of the two fleeing in Nairobi streets from mean-looking GSU officers lobbing tear-gas at them are still fresh in my mind. The two men were ready to die for Raila. Remember Balala even shed tears when he stepped down for Raila during ODM presidential nomination at Kasarani. That’s as far as the marriage of convenience lasted.
The unfolding drama and imminent fall out in ODM was not unexpected but I could not imagine Raila falling out with Ruto and Balala. The fall out best explains how Kenya politics is fluid. Raila largely owes his position and the powers he enjoys to Ruto and Balala. Apart from vigorously campaigning for Raila in the 2007 General Elections, Ruto and Balala took charge of Raila’s mass action call and rallied ODM supporters and their affiliate tribes to civil disobedience to protest Kibaki’s controversial win. The fall out is a big lesson to other politicians and tribes – never fight another man’s war or kill in their name.
If Raila called for the mass action and only Luos heeded his call,
Kenyans wouldn’t have been subjected to PEV or violence would have been minimal and of little consequence. But Ruto’s powerbase, the Rift Valley, was the main battle zone for PEV and the tragic and barbaric events in the province were what put Kenya on the international radar.
Without Ruto and Balala and the Rift Valley primitive slaughter, Raila would have reluctantly settled for the humble position of the Official Opposition Leader. But thanks to the blood of innocent Kenyans, Raila landed on the prime post he is now using to flex his muscles against the foot soldiers and lieutenants who killed and uprooted innocent from their homes and businesses in his name.
Ruto and Balala are the equivalent of Martha Karua, who toppled the scale against Raila on the finishing line and ensured Kibaki got a controversial second term. Without Karua, Kibaki would have kissed goodbye to the presidency. The Krieger Report told us neither Kibaki nor Raila could stake a high moral ground and claim they legally won.
ODM and PNU fiddled with election results in their strongholds. Kibaki and Raila loyalists can fume with that assertion but that’s the reality. For that, Raila and Kibaki equally share the blame in 2008 PEV.
The seeds of hatred were sowed by Kibaki when he refused to honour a pre-election MoU with Raila when he came to power in 2002. Kibaki added fuel to the fire when he started weeding out key Kalenjins from his new Administration. Kalenjins regarded the presidency to be synonymous to Moi and as if State House was their property. They were bitter loosing power to a Kikuyu. Ruto and Kalenjins would be consigned to the political dustbin were it not for Kibaki’s poor judgment in politics.
After the fall out with Kibaki over dishonoured MoU, Raila’s only
option was to team up with Kibaki’s enemies and that’s how Kalenjins and leaders who had looted state coffers or had criminal records (some murderers for their roles in 1992 and 1997 tribal clashes), and killers likes of Ole Ntimama, got a new lifeline. Raila and his new-found allies saw the best way to fight Kibaki was to pour petrol to the fire of hatred, which he had lit with the dishonoured MoU. The birth of ODM after the 2005 referendum was based on pure hatred towards Mt Kenya folks and revenge against Kibaki. Thanks to Kibaki’s failures and fall out with Raila, Moi today looks like a saint despite his many dark evils in his 24-year rule.
ODM big guns and their supporters held divergent personal and
political ideologies and their marriage was only for convenience but not driven by desire to bring genuine change and reforms in Kenya.
These were strange bedfellows. ODM was meant to replace Kibaki’s eating club with new or re-packaged thieves and looters. But the revenge against Kibaki and by extent his tribe, the Kikuyus, was the temporary glue that brought political conmen, looters, murderers and graft lords together. The glue held up to the 2007 Presidential elections and Kenya went to elections in a charged and polluted environment. The ODM unity of purpose – to kick out Kibaki from State House – was what made Raila’s mass action call work. Sooner or later, party time and honeymoon was going to be over for Raila and his ODM.
Unknown to Ruto and Balala, Koffi Annan was pushing for ceasefire and a Grand Coalition Government without revealing his true intentions. He wanted to bring peace but ensure killers were punished. In fact, Raila and ODM were the ones who wanted Annan and the international to intervene claiming they had been robbed of the presidency by Kibaki. Kibaki and his allies were content after retaining the presidency and they didn’t want Annan to come in.
Raila and ODM got an upper hand and Kibaki conceded to share power. The man ODM saw as their saviour had a trick up his sleeve – unleashing the ICC and Ocampo after the PEV dust settled. Ruto and his ODM thought the PEV issue ended as soon as Kibaki and Raila signed a peace deal. How mistaken they were! To the disbelief of Ruto, Balala and others who suspect their names were in the Waki envelope, Raila backed trial of PEV suspects. This is after Raila had equated the PEV killers to freedom fighters! What a betrayal from the mass action
general.
Raila looked at 2007 General Election as the end of the world – it was a do or die. He forgot he could loose and vie another day. His mass action call gave birth to mass murder and Kikuyus suffered the most.
Raila realised the folly of his mass action call and warmed up to
Kikuyus and to the larger Mt Kenya people after he invited Kibaki to his Bondo home. He now enjoys a good working relationship with Kibaki.
When relations improved, Kibaki cleverly pushed the explosive Mau
eviction issue to Raila and the PM enthusiastically took it up hoping to win an image of a national and international leader. Raila has received a huge sarcastic backing from Mt Kenya folks on the Mau issue – but that will remain as far as Mau forest is concerned. In public, Mt Kenya folks displaying their “support” to Raila in regard to Mau, while in private laughing as Raila’s burns the bridges that propelled him to where he is today. Doubt this? Read comments on Daily Nation website everyday and guess who are cheering on Raila.
In evicting Kalenjins from Mau, Raila is stepping on the toes of
murders, thieves, looters and land grabbers who had played a key role in his 2007 presidential campaign and what he is today. The current fall out was inevitable. Mt Kenya are arguing Raila is unknowingly revenging on them for what Kalenjins did to their Gema kinsmen in 2008. What a better way to get revenge for Kikuyus killed and uprooted from RV? By using their 2007 hero, Raila!
Those who wish away Kikuyus to play a major role in any election are doomed. Kikuyus have the numbers and they vote to preserve their selfish interests – to protect their wealth. In this regard, even if a Kikuyu doesn’t vie for the top seat in 2012 to avoid a repeat of the backlash of 2007, the community will play a big role in deciding Kenya’s next CEO. If no Kikuyu garners for the top seat, Raila’s campaign will be largely deflated as he will not have the ammunitions he had in 2007, rallying other tribes against Mt Kenya folks. Raila’s political future will be doomed.
Unlike Luos who openly express their anger and thoughts and you can easily read their mind and next move, Kikuyus are the opposite. Luos may have celebrated too early that they managed to drive a final nail in the coffin of the frosty relations between Kikuyus and Kalenjins – stemming from land in Rift Valley. Kikuyus in Rift Valley may never mend fences with Kalenjins. But Kikuyus in Central Province and elsewhere have nothing to loose in mending fences with Kalenjins as long as that will place them in leadership or the next Government. Furthermore, Kikuyus and Kalenjins have a lot at stake – land in Rift Valley. What have Luos to offer Kikuyus? Kikuyus can bury their past grudges as long as Kalenjins are willing to accommodate them in RV.
In this regard, Raila made the 2007 General Election look like a
personal battle against Kikuyus and majority of Kikuyus believe they would not have fallen victims and suffered so much due to PEV were it not for Raila. Even before 2007, majority of Kikuyus openly said they couldn’t vote for a Luo, more so Raila. Raila’s tribal and hatred politics that led to PEV permanently burnt his political bridges with Mt Kenya folks. Raila may have toned down his hard politics on Kibaki to please Mt Kenya folks, but they are unlikely to ever forgive him
for the PEV.
From the look of things, Ocampo is unlikely to go after Kibaki and
Raila. Kibaki loses nothing since he is doing his last term. If Ruto
and Uhuru Kenyatta are both indicted by Ocampo over PEV and leave Raila, Kikuyus and Kalenjins will be united by a common purpose as happened in the recent Mau evictees fund-raising. The common enemy for the two tribes will be Raila and they will never forgive him for his mass action call that gave birth to PEV and took their sons to Hague.
In such a scenario, the person who will be smiling all the way to the bank and likely to reap is one Kalonzo Musyoka. He’ll tell Kikuyus: “I rushed to boost Kibaki from Raila on slot after the disputed polls and you retained the presidency.” He’ll turn to Kalenjins and tell them:
”I warned you about Raila. Look at what he has done with you with Mau and with Ruto.” The Mau eviction and PEV trials were the turning point of Raila and Kalenjins and only a divine intervention can save Raila from the imminent tsunami he faces in 20120 and beyond.
Raila mistakenly believes if Hague takes Uhuru and Ruto, his ambitions to rule Kenya are home and sealed. I bet Raila will die like his father before he rules Kenya. The best Raila and his father managed is a step away from the throne. It is very unlikely Kibaki will back Raila in 2012 and Kikuyus are very unlikely to vote for Raila come rain come sunshine – even with Kibaki’s backing.
Lacking a better strategy to tame the Ruto-Balala axis, Raila has
resorted to laughable theatrics by challenging them to quit the
Cabinet. That’s a very cowardly challenge. If you are an employer and your employee openly defies you, do you keep daring him to quit or you sack him? A rogue employee looses nothing clinging on and making trouble from within. Ruto and Balala have equally hit back and said they did not fear being sacked.
Raila’s frequent challenge to Ruto & Co to quit shows he has no moral courage to fire the group. He would be digging deeper his political grave. Raila is playing holistic politics. Didn’t the same Raila rock Kibaki’s Govt from within in Narc and after becoming PM? I believe Ruto and Balala have psychologically set their minds Hague is real. They must have decided even if they went to Hague, they’ll sink the political ambitions of the thankless general they fought for.
Raila is fast digging his political grave and if I was him, I would do
all I can to win back the Ruto-Balala axis, to win their tribesmen and women. Due to his greed for power, Raila is fast digging his political grave while being cheered by his enemies and his blind supporters. Let’s wait and see if the powerful Kikuyu block with vote for him in 2012.
Kibaki in his first term evicted settlers from Mau forest. Raila
ganged up with Ruto and his allies denouncing Kibaki and introducing hate and tribal politics. They used Mau evictions as ammunition against Kibaki in 2005 referendum. When campaigning 2007 presidential elections, Raila and allies perfected hate politics and again used Mau to settle scores with Kibaki and assured settlers they wouldn’t be evicted. Raila scored political mileage and won Kalenjin votes. Ruto and allies perfecting what their master taught them.
Kibaki has last laugh as Raila’s hate politics returns to haunt him.
Kibaki is playing clever. He agreed to a truce with Raila and allows
him to flex his muscle and exercise his perceived and illusionary
powers (Kibaki retains all executive powers) as he sits back to enjoy his former enemies fighting each other and their general.
If Hague prunes Ruto and Uhuru from Kenya’s political map, I encourage doubting Thomases and Raila’s blind ardent follows to keep a copy of this story as a historical reference. I love this show. Who would have expected a fall out after all the chest-thumping in ODM in the run up to 2007.
P.S. And on the CoE constitution, I share Moi’s stand and concerns. Kenya should have one CEO, pure presidential and system. The CEO’s power should be drastically watered down and checked by strong judiciary and parliament. All appointments must be endorsed by Parliament to curb tribalism and nepotism. Two centres of power will put Kenya permanently on tension due to power struggle between president and PM, driving away investors and tourists. Two centres of power will spell doom for the future survival of Kenya. Raila and his like-minded shud should seek our mandate if they want to rule but not grab power through back door.
Kumekucha Weekend Special is back!! Don’t miss the most controversial posts here in a long time this Saturday and Sunday. Topic; The Big Luo political kitendawili. Chris is truly BACK!!!
http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/
Rutoh V Raila
I have no problem with constructive criticism. Most people think that I concede too easily and too quickly at the earliest sign that I have been proved wrong. If you ask me most people never want to be proved wrong and can argue for hours just to maintain appearances and an image of never being wrong. That is really sad because learning becomes almost impossible with such a kindergarten attitude.
Anyway I am writing this post to change my position on the ongoing Raila/Ruto war. Earlier I said that I believed that Ruto will go down first. Now I am writing to say that Raila will go down first.
I used history to write my last post and somebody challenged me with the same history to prove me wrong. I have dug deep into my history books and I have no option but to agree with them. I firmly believe that history always repeats itself; I have seen it happen too many times.
Let me give you the historical facts and arguments presented to me.
On 26th June 1958 Oginga Odinga (father to Raila Odinga) made his famous “Kenyatta tosha” move in parliament (Legco). He did this by doing what was then “unthinkable”. In a speech he later referred to as “his bombshell in the house” he said that those convicted in Kapenguria were “still the real political leaders” of Africans in Kenya. He singled out Jomo Kenyatta and compared him to Makarios, the then exiled leader of Cyprus. Makarios was a religious leader and it was obvious that Odinga was elevating Kenyatta to almost godly status.
The colonial government did not mince any words and governor Sir
Evelyn Baring made it clear that the government had no intention of allowing Kenyatta to return to active politics even if he were
released. But the political impact on the ground was huge (just as
Odinga had intended) and Raila’s dad had set in motion a chain of
events that would give the presidency to Kenyatta on a silver platter.
It was clear what had motivated Odinga senior. It was his deep hatred for the much younger Luo called Tom Mboya who had outsmarted him at every turn. He could not stand the idea of watching the young upstart climb to power and loathed the idea so much that he preferred a Kikuyu to his own tribes-mate.
More importantly in retrospect, Odinga launched tribal politics in
Kenya for the first time. He chose Kenyatta because Kenyatta was a Kikuyu and he knew that the bedrock of Mboya’s support in his Nairobi constituency were the Kikuyu. Odinga senior was to play this tribal card again and again in his political battles against Mboya who firmly remained a nationalist to the bitter end.
My critic says that Odinga seniors’ motivation was exactly the same as that of Raila in rejecting Uhuru Kenyatta as the presidential candidate for Kanu in 2002. Raila chose Mwai Kibaki not because he liked him but to frustrate the youngster Uhuru from ascending to the presidency. Like his dad he could not bear to see the youngster rise to power above him while he watched. Hence the “Kibaki tosha” statement that gave the presidency on a silver platter to the Kikuyu once again and this time round to one Mwai Kibaki.
Back to Odinga senior; the relationship with Kenyatta was warm and cordial at first and he was even appointed Kenya’s first Vice
president. However Jaramogi Oginga Odinga quickly got disillusioned and frustrated by the Kenyatta administration of thieves who never saw any prime land they did not want to grab. The Kenyatta administration was quick to identify Odinga and the Luo community as a serious threat and many lives were saved and chaos averted because of this wisdom in Kenyatta and his close advisors.
Mwai Kibaki took a much longer time to realize that Raila was a threat after the initial honeymoon had ended. As late as a few months to the presidential elections of 2007 many Kibaki advisors were saying that Kenyans would never elect “an Luo Kihehe (uncircumcised)” to the presidency. This lack of foresight is what led to the chaos and blood shed that will be the Kibaki legacy long after he is gone.
Kenyatta identified Tom Mboya as the man he would use to neutralize the Odinga threat. Kibaki has identified Ruto as the man to use to neutralize the Raila threat to him and his administration. Mboya won and so will Ruto.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga remained very powerful and influential amongst the Luo people but was powerless because he had been forced out of mainstream national politics. I now believe that exactly the same thing will happen with Raila. He will remain very influential in Luo Nyanza politics but will fade out of national politics.
Mboya was killed and elevated to cult status as a result of his death.
I believe Ruto will be removed from the scene and end up in some
prison cell which will elevate him to cult status amongst the
Kalenjin. It is not too dfficult to imagine the Kalenjin talking about
Ruto in the same awed tones as they still talk about their military
hero and leader Koitalel arap Samoei. Ironically one of Ruto’s names is Samoei. Read all about this amazing Kalenjin secrets in my earlier post. Read This one first.
Away from history there are some telling pointers on the ground that point to a Raila downfall in the very near future.
For starters he has made the same mistake Mwai Kibaki made in 2005 in thinking that he would still win the referendum for a new constitution he had crafted with Wako, with the big landowners of Kenya on the opposing side. Have you ever wondered why the Kenyattas, Mois etc were so firmly against the new constitution (redrafted by Wako)? It was the simple matter of what that draft had to say about land policy and a truth and reconciliation commission. In simple language passing that new constitution in 2005 would have meant that the Kenyattas Mois etc would have ended up losing their vast tracts of land (and thus wealth).
If Raila sees the Mau evictions to their logical end, one of the
biggest losers (apart from William Ruto himself) will be former
president Daniel arap Moi and his sons. The Kenyattas are very worried because after Mau other parcels of land countrywide are sure to follow. While it is important for Kenya and Kenyans that Raila wins this gallant fight, the political reality is that he cannot. He is already a marked man. Give the powerful landowners of Kenya a few weeks and their money will have done its work and gathered enough votes in parliament to easily pass a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister. But before that the president will appoint a new leader of government business in the house and Raila will no longer have the clout in the house to reject the appointment this time.
Folks ODM is dead and no matter what Steadman polls say, Raila is no longer the formidable national political figure he was in 2007. If you can’t hear what I am saying, then please try and read my lips ODM IS DEAD AND BURIED!!!
http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/
Last edited by Ole Ole 2 (Today 15:44:32)
He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how’. –
Friedrich Nietzsche
I have gone back to check what was being said about Mr. Kalonzo Musyoka, when he broke up with Raila, during the 2007-2006 season.
It is eerily similar to what is happening today. If Mr. Raila listens to people who are praising him, like the many I am seeing on this forum, then I can not wait to laugh, come January 2013!
People of sound reason, are just trampled because they are not praising the PM! I can not wait to read the response here, when Dr. Barack Pens, this;
” JO THURWA, where do we go from here now? I told you so! ”
Raila does not have the Luxury of time, which is, his greatest enemy! Mr. Ruto has time and can wait. Kalonzo, and as well as Uhuru or Balala, all of these men have time on their side! Does the PM have this chance? NO!
For people to dismiss issues or persons who are not deceiving the PM, is disingenuous. For the Paparazzi Raila followers, to close their minds from reality is sad.
Go and travel across the Rift Valley-Kalenjin land, ask what the people feel about Raila and the Mau. You shall get a true picture. Leave alone the Tononoka shows.
This is what people are saying;
” Raila has abandoned us, and he is punishing our community and he is not listening to our plight! Why are Kalenjin dragged into courts for Raila and Kibaki’s mistakes!, Why are the Kalenjin the only ones being evicted from their homes? and by no other than Raila, whom they voted for in 2007! ”
Just go there, any one of you guys out there. Come and see for yourselves!
It is easy and very convenient, to rubbish things, talk lofty about forests and environment. All of it are cool, but we can not close our minds from what the reality is all about!
No one in all the Kalenjin community is in a mood of voting for Raila again, under the prevailing circumstances.
If you want to be deceived listen to Those who are trying to please Raila, in order to keep their nominated positions. Or to those who are hopping to get boosted by association with Raila. There are plenty of them, all over.
There is the Kericho nominated town council man, and Musa Sirma, all the un-elected people. The written-Leo Odera Omollo, likes to use their utterances, as the sign that the Kalenjin are behind Raila!
What would you expect from the appointed sentinels? Just praise only, every one knows their trips to the banks depends on how much they sing praises!
Dr. Barack has put up a very true and convincing argument. If Raila is wise, he should pay attention. They are valuable advise!
NDALAT MOSOP
Interesting….
Who won between Ruto and Raila???? its a fight we don’t even want to see or be part of the spectators, but unfortunately that is the only “worthy” news in our media
I am not sure about the regrouping after all these fights and Ocampo handcuffing some key people..but what I know is whichever group “wins” the members will still be the same old, old wine in new bottles..
About Raila fighting his own shadow, Mutahi Ngunyi’s article last Sunday was really interesting…. That Raila needs to reflect and see that during his political “Mountain climbing” he stepped on too many toes….. all of them watching in amusement… waiting for him as he “stumbles down the slopes”..
1. Moi, during the NDP days
2. Uhuru, when he didnt support “the Project”
3. Kalonzo, when ODM and ODM-k split
4. Kibaki, since 2003… and for obvious reasons that Raila “spoilt his champagne celebration of second term” in 2007
5. Ruto, for stifling his ambitions to be the President and not being “compensated” with enough “rewards” in the current government
6. Balala, because Raila of late prefers Ali Hassan and Kingi as point persons in the coast… ignoring Balala like one would do to a stinking skunk…
7. Na kadhalika
So the question Mutahi asked and maybe the Doc is asking here is, who are Raila’s Allies..??? (apart from his ODM colleagues)??
Do you know of any outside ODM? ?
Liz
Barack,
I totally agree with you. But is it possible to force someone to stay in ODM? Is this going to be the first or the last fallout? I don’t think so.
The fact is that the war Ruto is fighting has nothing to do with MAU, youths etc. It has something to do with Mudavadi!
When the issue of hague came up, Raila told Ruto and co not to worry, that ODM has good lawyers who are ready to take up the cases, and that those are just charges. He went further and reminded them that he once face treason charges.
You must also remember that there are other people in that envelop and even in Nyanza it is whispered that Nyongo could be in the envelop. Ruto could not listen. When Raila tried to engage people directly, his supporters went to the tallest tree in the forest and made the loudest noise!
I also dont think that democratically, people of RV must support RAO. I also dont think that its a must for Raila to be the president of the republic of Kenya. We can only count on the few things that benefit us directly, like the MAU, and the good fight he fought with Kanu, that made it for us to write in forums like this without looking over our shoulders. The fact that he is MP and PM only benefit Ida, Fidel and a few people. That is why we must support Mau conservation.
The fundraiser for Mau evictees was a useless exercise. They could have still donated as Magarer Langat did. When the was fire at the coast, Hassan Joho, just found it good to donate 2million. Kalonzo could have helped the MAU evictees through Kalonzo Musyoka foundation. Its sad that Zakayo Cheruiyot led this exercise while he owns large track in that forest. We are totally agaisnt that
That T. J. Mboya was a smart politician, a nationalist with a good vision for Kenya goes without saying. Jaramogi Odinga was also visionary, but had ideological differences with T. J. during the cold war. The differences mattered a great deal, and the then mafia used such differences to frustrate Odinga and eventually Mboya.
When one tries to compare Ruto with Mboya, we are left wondering what political idealogy Ruto stands for aside from ‘lets eat and fill our stomach’, mentality and oppose whoever is a threat to unfettered access to national resources.
It is an insult to the late T. J. Mboya to compare Ruto with him. Mboya did not participate in a shadowy outfit like YK92. He stood for a clear political ideology, was cosmopolitan and nationalist and used his connection to uplift the lot of Kenyans by organising the airlifts to US for university studies. How do we then equate Ruto and Mboya?
There is one Dr. Barack Obonyo whose analysis leaves alot to be desired.
He should know that:
1) Raila is not a saint and works within the frame work of Kenyan politics, which is not visionary at all.
2) Raila is not a problem for Luos and Kenyans alike. We are therefore left wondering why a university don spends his little free time projecting Raila as a problem.
3)That there are political sharks out to blackmail Kenyan leaders should not make a leader cow under their threats. In religious circles, Christians are told to continue standing like the brave, but continue to be aware of the snares of the devil. You cannot blame the faithful just because the devil has put snares in their ways. Just because some politicians have devised a scheme to mud-sling Raila is not reason to blame him, and should not be a basis to abandon his responsibilities.
4)Leadership is not just survival at all costs. There are times to pay costs for the common good. A good leader is one who lays strong foundations even at the expense of his political survival.
5)Analysis and and outlooks as projected by Dr. Barack betrays lack of appreciation of political problems in Kenya. Politics and leadership are not as straightforward as zoology or chemistry. There are so many underlying variables.
7) What the likes of Barack can do is not to act like the Biblical Balaam at the behest of the scared Balak, running high speed to go and curse good people. They should use their privileged positions to bless people, by educating them on good politics, good leadership and entrepreneurship. They should get our people to benefit from available scholarships instead of making unnecessary noise in the cyberspace.
As you are reading this Owadwa Barack, let your screen be the donkey talking to you, warning you not to be enthusiastic, rushing to curse like one Johnstone Muthama, who was playing high priest on the mau harambee platform.
RUTO,RAILA BALALA WAR
So what if both Balala and Ruto dont support Raila? We know very well how some people still perceive a luo as president in the present day kenya, and that is why the man had to be rigged out.
Moi ruled for twenty four years and left kenya in tatters,yet the noise makers of the today were with him.The War now in ODM is not about MAU, nor sharing of power, but a narrow ethnic based politics, which has made us not to be proud of kenya at all.
At times I dont want to say that I come from there, lest am asked which tribe I come from.It is very interesting how the country works both politically and economically and that is why we are all sinking, be it if you live in Mau or out.
There are so many Luos who have been murdered, and even detained simply for fighting to bring a genuine change in Kenya, yet all claiming to sympathizers are silent, quiet or were sycophants.
Does Ruto and Balala even know the number of people killed in Kisumu during Ouko murder???? Did anyone even try to arrange a harambee to compensate them? no,no,no. Reasons, these are not part of “our people” project.
Some years back, I visited Bomet, where I studied and was trying to trace some Kikuyu friends, with whom we shared a lot in schools. All I found was a burnt car outside where they used to live. I was told that they went back to where they came from.And where was/is that if we call kenya our home?
The thing is that the country has gone to the dogs, and that is why we have a VP who lost heavily in the elections, or he knew that it was going to be rigged.
The war in Rift valley, or in ODM has again portrayed Kenya badly and we people abroad are bearing the brunt of it.
I can imagine another party in Rift valley. Jjust what manifestos will it present to Kenyans? Perhaps the MAU VICTIMS will be re-settled in a five star hotel or where?
Tell me my dear brethren, where do we go from here!!!! No where except your thatched homes, if you are lucky you have one.
Balala and Ruto should ask Matiba what happened to him after breaking away with the Late Doyen Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. His parochial politics was that Kikuyus are many and could give him enough votes to be in state house. Where is he now, swept aside by the strong tide of history,a strong wind of change that knows no tribe.
Cheeeers kenyans
There is no fight or competition between Raila and Ruto. The only issue is that Raila is trying very hard to prevent an imminent departure of Ruto from ODM. We know that in Kenya, alliances do not last because they are based on selfishness rather than ideology. It was bound to happen, and will happen again in ODM, PNU and elsewhere. Truth be told, 2012 is centuries away in as far as political migration is concerned.
What Abonyo is saying here about Raila is what he has always said. Nothing new. Raila do this, Raila do that. Raila, if you do not do this, you will fail like your father. Raila will mess up the chances of a Luo ever being elected. He keeps pointing that anyone who applauds Raila’s leadership is a sycophant. What we know about this guy, is that he is very hungry for and angry with his status quo. He wants leadership and hopes that he will get it simply because he has a PHD.
To him, all of us have drunk a potion to make us blind, deaf and dumb about what we see, hear and speak. I urge you all to look through his articles over time and see that he is clearly anti Raila. He capitalizes every time Raila stumbles. You see, thats what the Hyena thinks. Instead of attacking a human, it waits thinking the swinging arm will fall off. It’s easy to join politics. However, one can fail miserably when you form white elephants like KDFC, then abandon it midstream, when it fails to launch you to od bura.
Adier en ni Tula en winyo, en gi buombe, lakini kineno wie to eking’eyo ni en nyambura! Ok ocham oduma kaka wan. Ohadho ringo’ mana kaka otoyo!
Joram Ragem
AN OBSERVATION
Does any one see what I have seen? Joram Ragem has a personal vendetta against Dr. Barack Abonyo! It seems, from the responses he receives from Mr. Joram Ragem. Regarding to his posts!
It is very poor way of trying to out do Dr. Abonyo! All the issues that Dr. Abonyo has jotted down are obvious facts. Any one can see.
There is a better way for my friend to get even, get yourself your own PHD!
What Dr. Barack Abonyo has is his own. There is no reason to be so envious! He has never at any time denied any one to get the books, and time and acquire their own PHDs! Or have you Dr. Abonyo?
Having said that, it is sad, horribly sad to put someone down in this fashion!
Bro. Joram Ragem, let it go man, it makes you look really bad! Give your arguments, not personal attacks. You are soiling and turning this forum into tabloid!
Dr. Abonyo, please do not bring yourself into answering this. Do not lower your self into the level of our friend here!
When people have no reasonable points, they resort into attacks, personal attacks of this nature!
I do not know Dr. Barack Abonyo, in person. And I am not defending him! I am making an observation! So please, No return fires!
NDALAT MOSOP
I have checked the FACE book that our friend had mentioned earlier and I want to leave it at that!
Ndalat Mosop,
I have a Juris doctrate but do I say it? I do not know what you do either, and need not know to buy your arguments because of what you are, therefore I do not have to tell Wanjiku I have a Phd every time I talk to her or post rubbish on the forum. It is appropriate to spare those titles for your publications or when writing official documents.
Vendetta or no vendetta, Phd or no Phd, Rift Valley people need to be contended with how the cake that was released to Agwambo was shared.
I am sure you agree with Abonyo this time only because he is against Raila tackling Mau. Talk of personal vendetta, and do I hear you whisper William arap Ruto?
We actually tolerated 24 years of Moi’s misrule, of which Ruto was a key player, what with Youth 4 Kanu, than the little patience you have given Raila in these miserable 2 years of Raila’s ‘50%’.
Please, we love you Rift Valleyians. Do not concentrate on Abonyo. Make time and calm your people, and get them back to the fold, notwithstanding Ruto’s right to run for president in 2012.
Joram Ragem.
Fuambo Janyandito
Thanks for your response. First the documents that compared Ruto and TJ were obtained from kumekucha and I was not the writer. And if I read carefully, the writer did not make a comparisson based on their intelligence or political wit but based on their fight with Raila or Odinga the father of Raila and the fate that befell Odinga. In that case I refer you to the article again so that you could make a warranted comparison just incase I missed something.
Secondly, you mentioned me in the light of being a judgement prophet and or a doom soothsayer which I believe I am not. In that context you compared me to Biblical Balaam at the behest of the scared Balak, running high speed to go and curse good people. If you read my articles properly, they warn, they dont judge. They say that if Raila continue in this path, then this will happen. Instead of comparing me with Balaam, may be you should have compared me with those prophets whose warnings were not heed and israel ended up being doomed as a result. Mine is to see Raila win 2012 and for this to happen in my view he has to change tactics. Tactics for yesterday does not always work today. Did you know Raila had planned to meet Mungiki not once but twice? What is your take on that? I warned against it. I hope it does not happen.
Finally you talked about political complexity on the ground which I do know and understand. But my bone of contention is that I do not understand why Raila took this stand against Ruto or by extension Kalenjins. Can you please explain this to me. I will be satisfied if you dealt with this rather than dealing with me. Justify for me Why Raila is fighting this war.
Barack Abonyo
Your thesis all along is that Raila is taking wrong political paths by fighting people he should not fight like Ruto and the Kalenjins.I have patiently waited for you to elaborate how he has been fighting Ruto and the Kelanjins, but you have not elaborated. You have however been trying to use the unfortunate outbursts of Rutos and beneficiaries of illegally allocated forest land to claim that Raila is reaping the fruits of not heeding your ‘prophetic’ warnings. He is therefore a cursed man, because he has not heeded your ‘prophetic’ warnings.
If today, the government takes a strong position against indiscriminate fishing in Lake Victoria, and my relatives from Muhuru are arrested for defying the order, will I blame Raila for fighting my relatives?
I agree with you that some positions Raila has taken can cost him votes and friendship but Daktari, in life there are times to sacrifice friendship and relationships for the benefit of all. Let me tell you that Kenya now needs people who can take bold stands to fight the evils in our society. It is not just about Raila winning, but creating foundations for a just society.
I agree with you former President Moi is not at ease with Raila, but you cannot blame Raila for breaking KANU. The collapse of KANU is one of the best things that happened to Kenya in the recent past. The same applies to Kalonzo who expected Raila to endorse him as ODM-K presidential candidate but Raila did not.
On PEV, Raila has maintained the need for a local tribunal, while Ruto pushed for the Hague, and now when the Hague is beckoning, he is faulting Raila. In as much as these people are ganging up to mudsling Raila, it does not make their schemes right, and it should not be a basis of ‘cursing’ Raila the way you are doing.
Visionary political leadership is not built on cheap quicksand relationships. It looks beyond immediate and personal benefits. As an intellectual, we are looking up to you to preach this brand of leadership. It is the narrow way leadership and not very popular with our politicians.
If Raila stands for long term benefits of all, I will stand by him even if Moi, Ruto, Kalonzo, Balala walks away, because of that stand. I would however tell him to be aware of the evil schemes of the walkaways.
Young Professionals
I see one Dr. Abonyo has presented a great “Mis- Analysis” of Raila, and who Raila needs to be with to win the Presidency. Well, this is great.
For a moment I thought Raila only needs to gain the confidence of the Kenyan Voter to be able to win a Presidential contest. According to Daktari, all Raila needs to do is is to have Ruto in his Bandwagon to win the Presidency. But one problem is, suppose the Citizens reject both Raila and Ruto, then what happens?
Secondly he, Dr. Abonyo is not consulting with Raila to know where Raila Stands. I mean suppose Raila decided that there is too much circus with Kenyan Politicians, and chooses not to run. What happens after that????
Despite that, I would strongly suggest to Daktari, he may wanna read the analysis from “Breigner” in this forum, before he decided to deride Raila, goring him to death. After that, we might wanna ask you to analyze for us what happened that led to Raila and many others pulling out of KANU and forming LDP. Ask Ruto what he did with the resolutions that were reached at the KANU meeting on election rules.
Did he, Ruto lock himself in a Room, to cook the resolutions and change the regulations? Did he insubordinate his Party’s secretary by making that announcement, which locked out the Likes of Saitoti, Kalonzo Musyoka, Ntimama, Nyaga, and a number of other Kanu members from applying to contest the seats?
Why did many of those Party Members run to Raila, seeking him to clear the air, only to find out that Raila was also not aware. Neither had he been informed of the changes. Yet when he made a telephone Call to the Deputy secretary, he was told that that decision was Final. Who made the decisions to be Final, while the Secretary to the Party was not aware?
Daktari, do you remember Raila clearing the air as to the Confusion, by reading the resolutions and the regulations to the press and the public, that he, as the secretary General, was asking all those who were interested in contesting for Kanu office bearers, as well as party nominations, to disregard Assistant Secretary’s directives, to proceed on to submit their application forms to Kanu Headquarters?
Daktari do you also remember that, after this episode of insubordination, Raila later found out that someone had interfered with the KANU Members register, and his name was missing from that Register? Hmmmh! Kanu inawenyewe, remember!
Daktari could you please explain in a short analysis, what happened to simple KANU Party rules, which every Member knew and had a copy of, but which Ruto, as the Assistant Secretary decided to change?
Fast forward to the ODM nominations. New politics had been ushered in by this one Tinga, where he urged everyone vying for the Presidential Nomination, to sell themselves and their agenda to Kenyans, including those in the Diaspora. Some Kenyans, who were eager for change decided to raise money, and have all those ODM Presidential candidates give a speech at the backyard of Buckingham Palace. Raila and Honorable Nyaga arrived there on time. But the other bunch (Majina zao nimezibana), developed cold feet and did not go to England.
Even after that debacle, they blamed Raila for trying to outdo them. Question is what were they scared of? And how Comes Hon Joseph Nyaga was brave enough to go and present himself to the people? My take is, these leaders had nothing to offer to Kenyans other than tribe. And since out there, there was no tribal empathy, but just Kenyans, they had to shy away and stay in Nairobi.
Daktari, if in your learned mind you believe beyond reasonable doubt, that Raila is self destructing, and that these other people you keep pitting against Raila, are the good ones, then, you might be behaving like the Fool who was on a Frying Pan (Furumbem in Kiluhya), but on realizing the Pan was becoming too hot, decided to Jump over into the Fire to save himself.
To me Raila looks like he wants to Lead the people where there will be the rule of law, checks and balances.
Now, if you say that there is any other top Leader, currently in Kenya Parliament, whom is striving to Lead the Country with some of those Values in mind, then I will conclude that you are at a very high level of “Utopian World”. For that reason, you might wanna climb down the ladder just a little bit, to the level of Mwanainchi, so that you may see the “HANIAFU” colors of these Leaders.
Raila in Kanu, was constantly undermined, by his Assistant secretary, and other officers, who were constantly reminded that “KANU INAWENYEWE”. When he was Minister in charge of Roads, he made a very Bold Step, to bring in Sanity, by re-structuring the road network in the City center. He introduced the One Way routes, which eased the maddening congestion that was already choking Nairobi. He then embarked on bringing into reality the Construction of a Beltway around Nairobi. BOLDLY, RAILA gave notice to the Land Grabbers to vacate Road reserves, to pave way for the beltway.
At that time, Many politicians made a lot of Noise. Some said the “Kihii” was destroying Andu aa nyumba’s property. Well, do you know what happened? Ten years down the Line, those who were opposing Tinga, saw the sense of what he was trying to do. The Construction of the Beltway is underway. The Man hours that have been wasted by congested Roads in Nairobi for the last five years alone, could have given Kenya a big leap towards Industrialization.
As a Minister of Energy, Raila solicited for funds, and got a Donor, to construct a Hydro Electric Plant, away from the River TANA Line (Kindaruma, Kamburu, Masinga and Kiambere are all located on Tana). This, he argued, would boost KVA on the Grid, while at the same time offsetting the Load on River Tana, especially during the Dry spells, when the Water Level is down, making the Plants be inoperable. So Sondu/Miriu Plant was born. Interestingly, the government defaulted on releasing its part of the Funds, and Miriu project almost died. But the Man (Amolo Tinga) got another donor to inject more money on the project, and Miriu came into being.
Right now Raila is fighting “Fools”, trying to make them see sense, as to the necessity of preserving the Forest for future Generation, but all these Fools can see is Tribe.
These Leaders, long ago, bought a “CHEAP LEADERSHIP TOOLBOX, full of Tools, hundreds of them. Yet each and every tool in that box, unfortunately, is a “TRIBE” tool. Whenever they retrieve one to fix a problem, it always turns out to be Tribe. For example, whenever an illiterate, mediocre performing person is relieved from holding an office, these Leaders will pull out the Tribe Tool;……Yeah! Our Tribe is being finished.
A constitution is being made;….NO, we must think of our tribe. Improving Road Network,………..NO, NO, NO! now he is destroying our tribes people’s property!!!!!!!
Raila politely asks people who are destroying Forest to move out, to pave way for reclaiming the Forest,……….. And they go into a cacophonic frenzy. OOOh! Our people must be respected. Those who evicted out our people from Forest land are WAHUNI (Barbaric in nature), they are Tribal and dada dada daaa. For all they can see as Leaders is tribe.
But tell you what, ten years down the line, they and many other people, including you Bwana Daktari, will come to a “Too late realization”, that, rather than fight him, they should have mobilized and joined Raila in his efforts to Conserve these Forests.
Have a conservation Day. But Remember this, that the same Tinga you are barraging with arrow like words here, is truly for the Mwanainchi and Kenya, while those you give a lot of respect and credence here might turn out to be only after their stomachs and “grabbable” wealth. Raila with all his ills, is 500 times more sane than the rest of them.
K’Onyiego
Koyiengo,
Tell them. I was arguing with a friend who come from Kalenjin community and he was telling me how Raila is a bad man. I then asked him to tell me what Raila has done that they think is wrong! He could only telling me about the little children in Mau. Fine the children.
In my village there are people who are poor, and they are the majority. They can’t afford food, whether they are evicted or not. My parents were once like that. So i decided to change that by working hard. I am now able to feed them and myself, take my kids for picnics, swimming, out etc.
So what the people in Mau need is someone who can motivate them. A leader like Peter Keneth who can give them hope. They need someone who can help them start life after Mau.
I am telling that there are so many IDP who were compensated, and they drank all the money. The same will apply here.
So Raila is right on Mau.
I’ve read with keep interest the analysis that portrays Raila as a betrayer in chief, and the impression created is that without Ruto, Raila is done. These were the same sentiments that keep being repeated by Mutahi Ngunyi, who last week gave Raila a verdict of heading nowhere.
Ngunyi has failed to realise that for along time, all his predictions of Raila meeting his Waterloo have come back to bounce on him, and prove he is constantly wrong.
Unfortunately the overpossession with Raila phobia in Ngunyi, has made him not realise that in all those so called betrayals, Raila has always leaned on the side of the people, like the 2005 referendum, where he stepped into so many toes.
Raila’s so called betrayals, like the Uhuru case in 2002 election, which was a near revolution, was for the good cause, and it’s laughable to accuse him for betraying land grabbers and self seekers in kanu.
It’s very ironical not to see the other side of the coin, like Moi’s trickery of using Raila for jogoo, to swallow the tractor. Tell me how many betrayals Ruto or Uhuru have been involved in, compared to Raila. Do not forget Ruto’s axe to grind, even within his own RV backyard with Moi, Gedion, Sirma and others like Musalia,Jirongo, Karua and the likes.
So no permanent enemies or friends, but only permanent interest kwa siasa.
Talk of mega betrayals. Didn’t Uhuru lead the kanu strong hold of RV into ODM, as kanu Chairman? He then dumped them into ODM to seek tribal sanctuary in PNU in 2007, only to resurface to persuade the Rift Valley folks he left in ODM to come back and form kkk with him?
Talk of betrayals, but those like Kalonzo, who was offered VP positions in ODM, but thought he was too big for VP post, abandoned the party to wait and put pressure on Kivuitu to announce the results of a stolen election, without regard to the consequences of accepting the same VP slot from PNU, kupitia katikati. So who has not betrayed who and for what cause?
Betrayal is part of siasa, and I’m even foreseeing the egocentric trio of kkk fallout out prior to 2012, and crossing over to Raila’s, like the Jaramogi Matiba fallout way.
YK92 youths did not finish their assignment, hence they are back with new strategy KKK(KULA KILA KITU). This time around, they will ensure nothing is left as per their slogan. We are enjoying the drama
Very well said Fuambo Janyandito, Raila is not fighting Ruto or anyone else.
Conjecture: It can be adduced that Ruto was not happy with,
a) the way Raila shared the ‘50%’ of ‘the animal we brought home,’
b) was not contended with what he got. (The irony is that in 26 years we did not give Moi as much dissenting voices as Raila has been given in two years by some RV politicians.
There is one thing that is being mentioned in quiete circles. That Ruto blackmailed Raila, which led to a) & b) above. And that this led to decisions regarding:
c) Fate of PEV suspects &
d) Mau.
Here is my take on c) above.
Did Raila change his mind about the PEV? No. He was the first to ask that illegitimate 100% quickly constituted government to let those who protested the election. Raila supported local tribunal all along. Even now, Raila supports the Imanyara bill currently being frustrated in bunge. Did Raila hand over the case to moreno? No. What has Raila’s position been. “simama imara if you are innocent. The truth will set you free.” Does Raila know who is in the Waki envelope? No. In fact, he has said, “I am prepared to face the Hague na kujitetea huko if I my name is in the envelop.”
Lastly, here is my take on d) above.
Mau is not a fight. However why now? Recovering Mau is consistent with Agenda 4 of the coalition government. Tackling historical injustices, particularly regarding land and environment issues are as important to Raila as Healthcare and world peace are to Obama. Like Fuambo has said, some tasks are unpopular but a true leader must do it. Here, I must raise my beret to Obama for the Nobel Prize and Michuki’s UN recognition for cleaning up Nairobi River. Remember, Michuki also tackled the very unpopular Matatu issues, and decongesting Nairobi CBD.
And now to NDALAT MOSOP, please notice, no personal attacks here. I have a Juris Doctrate but you made me say it! I do not have to remind Wanjiku about it everytime I write. Such titles are left for publications, lectures, resume’s, official correspondence, na kadhalika. Vendetta or no vendetta, PhD or no PhD.
Advice to Ruto via Ndalat if it can reach him. Be contended. We gave Moi 26 years, Raila had less than five and now we have only three left. Ruto can disagree with Raila on principle but can still work with ODM enthusiastically. He can rally RV to ODM’s benefit instead of open rebellion, notwithstanding his every right to run for president in 2012. The alternative is what is causing the ‘war’ Abonyo keeps talking about, which only Ruto is waging.
Joram Ragem
Fuambo Janyandito
I asked you a question that I am still hoping that you could answer and I quote
“But my bone of contention is that I do not understand why Raila took this stand against Ruto or by extension Kalenjins. Can you please explain this to me”
Barack
My fellow country men/women;
(By the way, I do not have PhD, so be kind to my rumbling below)
While most of you are taking shots at each other over the squabble between Raila and Ruto, the fragile Coalition government of Kenya is being run by the international bullies behind the scenes using paid hit men like Kofi Annan and Moreno Ocampo.
Annan and Ocampo are paid consultants representing the interests of NATO (United States, Great Britain, and Europe) in their war against terrorism. The US has invested a lot of capital in Mwai Kibaki since that State Dinner hosted by George W. Bush at Whitehouse in his honor in 2003. Because of this relationship with Mwai Kibaki, PNU is the US, Great Britain and European Union favored ruling party in Kenya.
The Mau saga and The Hague stick were merely ploys introduced to dismantle and put ODM out of commission. It would be a miracle if the Pentagon members can manage to sort out their differences and realize that those poor Kenyans who flocked their rallies were counting on them to bring real changes in Kenya! Apparently, it does not look like the big egos will allow them to do that. I wonder whether these people are not just concerned about themselves, immediate families and their close fiends.
What is more worrisome is that there are parallels between the implosion within ODM right now and what was happening in Rwanda a few months before the 1994 genocide.
(1)US has been a staunch supporter of Paul Kagame and his Rwanda Patriotic Front since its creation by Tutsi exiles in Uganda. The leaders in the RPF army were trained and equipped by US and its European allies.
(2)A year or two prior to Rwanda genocide of 1994, there were a series of power sharing negotiations between the government of Rwanda, under President Juvenal Habyarimana and the then leader of Rwanda Patriotic Front, Paul Kagame, held in Arusha, Tanzania.
(3)During these negotiations, the Rwandan government was pressured and threatened with international sanctions by the US and his European allies to grant power sharing concessions to RPF. Habyarimana granted so many concessions to RPF that made it difficult for the president to justify to his hard line supporters that he was not handing over ruling powers to a minority ethnic group, the Tutsis, under leader Paul Kagame.
During the colonial rule and shortly after independence from the Belgians, the Tutsi minority had supreme powers over the Hutus (85%) and other tribes.
(4)The last straw came just a day before the beginning of the genocide. The hardliners in Habyarimana party were unable to standby and watch what they saw as a military coup by Paul Kagame and his Tutsis minority, through continuous pressure from US and it allies. That day, the plane carrying the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana (Hutu), and Burundi President Cyprien Nitanyamira (Hutu), who were retuning from reconciliation meetings in Arusha, Tanzania, was brought down by a surface-to-air missile just, before its landing at Kigali Airport. The Rwanda genocide began a couple of hours later that night , April (6-7) 1994
(5)To date, the person or people responsible for the downing of the plane have never been identified. Yet there are international investigators in Rift Valley trying to talk to the locals to unearth who exactly incited the 2007 elections riot that killed 1,000 Kenyans.
Yet, US, France, Great Britain and the European Union have never seen it fit to employ their superior investigative methods to unearth who assassinated the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi on the eve of Rwanda genocide. They have left that single episode to speculations:- Could it have been the Hutu hardliners who were afraid of impending takeover of government by advancing Tutsis RPF, or was it Paul Kagame and it RPF, who wanted to take the power from the Hutus? The environment created was such that either side could have been responsible
************************************************************************
(1)ODM has been vilified by international press since the beginning of 2007 Kenyan election campaigns.
(2)To make the Coalition Government work, Raila and ODM have made many concessions to accommodate PNU and have been, deliberately, assigned tasks which put this political party members at odds with each other, as well as their supporting Kenyan voters, who are now left dangling in the air. Yet, through Kofi Annan, more pressure is being exerted by the international powers and directed primarily at the Prime Minister and his team. The pressure has definitely taken its toll!
(3)Raila has become the axe man in implementing policies which only help put him in conflicts with his base supporters in Kenya, particularly, Rift Valley.
(4)The current implosion within ODM has created an atmosphere in which anyone outside ODM party members can harm either Ruto or Raila or both. Should something like this happen, some ODM supporters will be blamed for a nightmare like that!
**************************************************************
While ODM attention is directed towards the squabbles within Kenya, a barrage of NEW laws and rules of engagement in the newly re-created East African Community (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi), with dire consequences to Kenya and Kenyans are taking shape. The continuous disagreements between PNU and ODM in Kenya make it difficult for anybody to determine who is representing ODM’s views or or the views of those who gave them support at these EAC negotiations!
One thing is clear; the well known proxy warriors in East Africa and Lake Victoria regions, Paul Kagame and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, are now the alpha dogs in the EAC. These are the same well trained, battle hardened Ugandan and Rwandan proxies who have been wreaking havoc in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where over a million Congolese have been killed, and a million others rotting in refugee camps!
This is the resources looting war the world is not interested talking about. Things are just getting worse with resource lootings in the Congo. New East African Community members are getting into the mineral act:
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/670830/-/qxs6gjz/-/index.html
The borders between these five EAC countries are becoming porous. One does not need a passport to go in and out of each territory! During the 2008 political turmoil in Kenya, it was rumored that Ugandan forces were seen in Western Kenya and Kisumu District, and there has been Migingo Island issue in Lake Victoria. Next time around, it will be the Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi army chaps who will be wreaking havoc in Western and Nyanza Provinces, and they will not need a permission to come in. This is already taking shape, while majority of Kenyans’ attention is focused elsewhere!
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/817786/-/py73rlz/-/index.html
Kofi Annan and Moreno Ocampo have not yet seen it fit to pay one visit to Laurent Nkunda, Paul Kagame’s right hand man, who is responsible for killing and damaging millions Congolese on behalf of multinational corporations. Nkunda is now living in Rwanda, negotiating the terms for his unconditional release.
What exactly did William Ruto do that has made Annan and Ocampo be hot on his trail? Is he worse than Kagame and Nkunda? I am not trying to minimize the deaths of 1,000 and displacement of 35,000 Kenyans during the 2007-2008 election turmoil. I am merely directing your attentions to what some members of EAC are doing in DRC, and what they may be capable of doing in Kenya should things fall apart!
REPEAT, WHILE KENYANS’ ATTENTION IS FOCUSSED ON POLITICAL TURMOILS WITHIN, THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY LAWS WITH DIRE MILITARY AND TRADE COSEQUENCES ARE BEING SHAPED BY THE RESOURCES WAR LORDS WHO ARE NOW MEMBERS OF EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY!
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/opOrEd/comment/-/434750/817950/-/bpuxnr/-/index.html
Akech
I think you did not complete this. Please give some more insight. Thanks for a great overview
Barack
Dakatari,
The questions: Why Raila is fighting Ruto? Why has Raila taken a position against Kalenjins cannot be answered by any right thinking Kenyan. In as much as Ruto is an important member of the Kenyan society, Kenya is not about Ruto or his associates and if you are intellectually honest, Ruto being a Nandi does not necessarily represent the interest of the Nandi, leave alone the Kalenjin and he will never be equal to the Nandi.
The questions you should be asking are: What is the basis of Raila’s position on Mau forest conservation? What is the basis of his position on PEV? Why is he not in a mood of appeasing people?
Then you would ask, why has Ruto taken the position he is taking on Mau forst conservation and PEV?
I can confidently tell you that Raila has not taken a position against Ruto and the Kalenjins. However, his position is not favourable to the interests of Ruto and Ruto is reacting by falling back to the Kalenjins to blackmail Raila.
The role Ruto played in ODM’s victory in 2007 elections was evident and we still appreciate the energy he put into it. I’m sure Raila knows that.
If you are not a professor, you will be one soon, can you profess that since Ruto supported Raila, Raila should use lenses only provided to him by Ruto to look at national issues? Can you also profess that premiership is just about serving the interests of Ruto, Kalenjin MPs, ODM or Luos only? Can you also profess that premiership is just but a platform for Raila to appease supporters so that they vote him back as the people’s president in 2012?
Being far from professorship, I have very little to profess and I rest my case.
Fuambo.
Sorry but you seem to be stuck somewhere and though I do not agree with you, I will defend to death your right to air your opinion.
Yes I am a professor although not a full professor yet. Still too young as they say.
Barack
Fuambo Janyandito!
You have spoken well. On the eve on our Jamuhuri Day, I recommend to consider the post for Press Secretary for the next undisputed ODM government.
Meanwhile, because you think with your heart, feel with your brain and eat with your nose, I declare you daima Mkenya and dedicate to you this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vvbUFrU7dM&feature=related
Joram Ragem
Raila still has a chance. The only thing Raila needs to do is to play his political game properly, be cool and do not answer back. We all know that Ruto is playing a suicidal game in politics and may end up being his own enemy. If Ruto really wanted to play politics he should not have made Raila the subject but should have gone a long way to wooing Kenyans of all walks of life. From the look of things Ruto is scared stiff of many issues; one being the Hague issue; and so many cases of corruptions. Most Kenyans do not see things his way. He is making Raila a hero and is building a platform for Raila to climb.
Raila on the other hand is playing well his political game and is building up grass root support. Some of the pro-Ruto steelworks might be defeated at the grassroots. Let us forget about Ruto’s call to be made the Prime Minister; those are impossibilities that can never happen. Remember the chaos that will make Ruto and his friends regret. Remember the events that will follow. Snap elections and how many M.P’s most not sure whether if elections are called now they might come back. Most may not make it back and may not be willing to loose their salaries just to satisfy the wanton of one Ruto.
My appeal to Kenyans is to stay alert and united and forget about the moves by these anti-reformers; people who are so scared of the new constitution that they will do anything to derail it.
Kenyans want a leader who will steer this Nation to prosperity and this is none but Raila Amolo Odinga. This is the Mandela of Kenya, a really patriot with the people’s support. Come storm come rain Railasm will be a historical era that will be taught to our future generations. A new generation of Kenyans that will come up united and intermarried and working towards vision 2030. Not the anti-reformers! the scared killers and tribalists who murdered innocent Kenyans in a cold blood! they killed our Kenyans in the church, they cut the throat of others and did all evils and now they do not want to be responsible for their acts. Which Kenyan, sensible enough will forget so soon! You will not get the people’s support and should forget about the leadership because Kenyans will not vote for you. You are wasting your time and resources. ICC is waiting for you and you shall be made to tell all the truth of what you did to innocent Kenyan!
Those billions that you stole should be returned. Kenyan economy need this money to propel this nation towards vision 2030. PLO act without fear and bring the thieves to book. Let them return all the monies they have stashed in the foreign accounts. We desperately need this money to start projects; build roads, boast agriculture to feed our our country and educate our kids. But shame on you thieves you are denying Kenyans all these by stashing the money in your personal accounts! You are worse than murderers!