By Nicholas Olambo
Jubilee party launch was also the event that saw the top cream in Kenya’s music take on stage to entertain the mammoth crowd and dignitaries. There was nothing different from that list and previous events, industry is run by cartels and their seasoned bootlickers could not miss out. It was the same script as it was during Jubilee coalition campaigns, President Uhuru’s inauguration and as it is on any public holiday.
Some have become in-house cats without respect nation values. I mean the overdone theatrics by one Kevin Bahati Kioko. How would he sit his small butts on the president’s chair? These chaps who quit school and get into the entertainment industry without proper mentorship are going overboard. We can’t afford to raise a generation that doesn’t respect national symbols like the president’s chair; I have never seen The First Lady sit on it but Bahati did, stretch his legs on the stool then went ahead did the same on the DP’s chair. Gosh!! The boy went overboard.
Some have become in-house cats without respect nation values. I mean the overdone theatrics by one Kevin Bahati Kioko. How would he sit his small butts on the president’s chair? These chaps who quit school and get into the entertainment industry without proper mentorship are going overboard. We can’t afford to raise a generation that doesn’t respect national symbols like the president’s chair; I have never seen The First Lady sit on it but Bahati did, stretch his legs on the stool then went ahead did the same on the DP’s chair. Gosh!! The boy went overboard.
Politics aside, any event attended by the president should be treated as a national event. The characters lined to entertain or just address the crowd should inspire and harbor national values but what did I see, Rufftone and Ringtone! Corrupt and controversial in that order. Roy Smith Mwaita or Rufftone as he is popularly known was named in report by the county assembly of Vihiga on a Sh30 million subsidized fertilizer distribution.
Politics aside, any event attended by the president should be treated as a national event. The characters lined to entertain or just address the crowd should inspire and harbor national values but what did I see, Rufftone and Ringtone! Corrupt and controversial in that order. Roy Smith Mwaita or Rufftone as he is popularly known was named in report by the county assembly of Vihiga on a Sh30 million subsidized fertilizer distribution.
The 19 paged report by the assembly revealed that the singer received shs 180,000 during the distribution which was between March 3rd and 7th 2015. The Mungu Baba hit maker was identified by his artistic name throughout the report raising more eyebrows on the procurement and distribution. Ruff was sourced to entertain buyers and signed the deal on foolscap for three different amounts with three different signatures.
Ringtone on the other hand has the biggest share of controversy more than any gospel artiste with Bahati and Willy Paul playing way below his league.
Just last month the gospel crooner was in court to withdraw a case against a contractor he had accused of stealing from his Karen home. Not just that, the self professed former street kid has endless controversies, from his questionable flashy lifestyle, beef with MCSK to a case where he allegedly got a girl pregnant and asked her to abort. One fails to understand why hypocritical gospel artistes are always favoured, who does Ringtone inspire or what positive thing does he represent?
There so many mannered and humble gospel and secular artistes out there, who can step on national stage, entertain, educate and inspire the crowds. Eric Wainaina, Suzanna Owiyo, Juacali, Gloria Muliro just to name a few. These are individuals who crafted their art from scratch and mastered it professionally, Suzanna has been on international stage performing before the late Nelson Mandela, Wainaina has been performed in Fifa World cup opening ceremony.
This country has more to offer but event organizers have chosen to stick on the same script of whack drop outs with beg for mercy stories who can rhyme at end of every sentence, put a beat on it and then lick their boots. Artistes need to at least learn how to approach different crowds, events and know how far they can go. Bahati went too far but it’s that sad the chap does not know how far is too far. May be he can be accused based on ignorance.
The Governor of Machakos County Alfred Mutua and his deputy Bernard Kiala
By Nicholas Olambo
With the new constitution came the devolution that created the governor position to head counties. Each governor appoints his deputy before presenting their documents to IEBC, the duo are then elected as a team to lead the county governments. The journey was all rosy till elections but immediately they got into office the ugly head of dirty politics came out. Somewhere along the way as senators began lining up to challenge their respective governors in the coming polls, deputy governors are also proving potential threats to the governors’ crowns.
The working relationship in a number of counties has been severely strained. Machakos governor Dr Alfred Mutua and his deputy Bernard Kyala are friends turned foes. Mutua has accused his deputy of working closely with his enemies, Senator Johnson Muthama and other Mps from the region. ‘My deputy is a traitor who is working with my enemies to plot my impeachment so that he can complete the remainder of my term’ Mutua said. The inverse is the case though; Governor Mutua has been accused of frustrating and ‘impeaching’ his deputy, locking his office, denying him his official car and having him not covered under the medical insurance package.
Kyala has since declared running against Mutua in the 2017 elections straining their relationship further. Mutual, a PR and communications expert on the other hand claims that Mr. Kyala is just a lazy individual who cannot keep up to his stamina. He brags of single handedly improving the state of roads and sinking more boreholes than any other Kamba leader since time immemorial and through his Maendeleo Chap Chap Movement he is destined to do more. Mutua ignores the ailing health sector in Machakos as a normal problem experienced in many counties across the country.
Kyala has since declared running against Mutua in the 2017 elections straining their relationship further. Mutual, a PR and communications expert on the other hand claims that Mr. Kyala is just a lazy individual who cannot keep up to his stamina. He brags of single handedly improving the state of roads and sinking more boreholes than any other Kamba leader since time immemorial and through his Maendeleo Chap Chap Movement he is destined to do more. Mutua ignores the ailing health sector in Machakos as a normal problem experienced in many counties across the country.
When its all clear that governors are selfish and their deputies are greedy, Mutua says he just did not have enough time to choose a good deputy before elections and instead blames his woes on the leadership of Wiper Party. He says the Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is jelous of ‘positive attention’ he is getting through his development projects because he led the community for three decades and did nothing. He further denies allegations that he has quit wiper party saying he is a card holding member.
His comments on Kalonzo can be ignored; The PR governor has history of belittling people including respectable global leaders. When he was the government spokesman in the Kibaki administration, Mutua referred to President Barrack Obama the then senator of Illinois as a small guy who was coming to traverse our beautiful country polluting the air. Obama then rose to be the president of the most powerful country on earth, United States of America when Mutua is still a governor who can’t even lead his deputy. Can he lead the people? Leadership is a team work; Mutua is not getting along with his deputy, Senator and the Women rep.
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and His Deputy Jonathan Mueke
If he seriously means the kind of development he is bragging of, why should he stay in a party whose leadership has been his obstruction to proper development? He denies allegations that Maendeleo Chap Chap is a party but a movement that is open anyone who shares in his development ideology to join for the good of the people. The truth is Maendeleo Chapa Chap is party whose launch at the Bomas was poorly attended making it difficult for the poor governor to use as his re-election vehicle.
In Kisumu the situation is not any different. The governor and the deputy don’t see eye to eye. This is what you get when you force two strange fellows to bed; the governor and his deputy are odd couples who were brought together to avoid party friction towards the 2013 polls. Both were eyeing the gubernatorial post through the same party, ODM, but the deputy was asked by the party chiefs to shelve her ambitions and deputize Hon. Jack Ranguma. The case of occupants of both offices not relating well has also been witnessed in Kwale, Bungoma and somehow in Nairobi.
At some point there were whispers that the relationship between Nairobi governor and his deputy Jonathan Mueke was weakening. Mueke denied the allegations even as Machakos governor said on a national television that the case in Machakos is the same in Nairobi. He also added that Mueke had considered running against Kidero at some point but he was smart. He realized that Kidero is too strong to beat and with deep pockets. His candidature against Kidero is not viable; he has no choice but to deputize him.
With the poor rapport many Kenyans can be of the option that the deputy position be abolished but I think it’s the selection criteria that should be opened for debate. When Mutua says that the governor does 98% of the work and the governor should fire and hire their deputies, I think the roles of the deputy should be entrenched in the law so that individuals cannot lock a public office and stop an elected leader from carrying out his duties.
Samwel Mushai crosses the line, Paralympics legend with three good medals to his chest.
One wouldn’t be mistaken to think that there’s no Paralympics games going on in Brazil now. With a cold media coverage and lip seal service by majority of social media users in Kenya, everything surrounding the competition has been swept under the drains.
The competition is barely days to closure and its not getting any serious headlines and social media buzz as that of the Stellar athletes whose trip was filled with fiasco stench. Does this cold treatment expose the societal double standards, isn’t it telling how we look down upon the physically challenged in the society? Isn’t it telling of inner disgusting assumption amongst other people that they’re lesser of human? Why can’t we see the athletes winning gold on front pages, why can’t we see those congratulatory messages from the President and other dignitaries flowing as they were on the Stellar athletes?
Isn’t Paralympics medals a shame or a pride to us as a nation? We must treat each other equally that sense of inclusion boosts patriotism morale. We need to motivate these athletes.
Mark you it’s the same scandalous NOCK that took the athletes to the Paralympics let’s not start imagining the obvious atrocities they’ve been subjected to and looting with zero media coverage and no one to voice for the athletes, the forest with different monkeys must be pretty on fire. Talking of Nock, it’s emerging the dirty body allocated Sh18M for Nike lots for athletes while Nike the official kits sponsor gave them out for free. Nock booked a cruise ship and hotel for President Uhuru which he didn’t attend, needless to say it’s only the Presidential Unit who arranges all the Presidents visits and not NOCK. Do I need to add that the officials behind the NOCK mismanagement are free?
So far Kenya’s Samwel Mushai Kimani has added T11 1500m gold to his 5000m title, clocking 4:03.25 for victory. Mushai is becoming a legend in the Paralympics. He has three GOLDS. Samuel and Wilson Bii had opened Kenya’s medal haul winning gold and bronze respectively in the 5,000m final last Thursday. With four medals won, Kenya sits at position 42 out of 70 nations that have so far claimed medals.
Kenya Insights celebrates these unappreciated heroes and praises them for continuing to fly the Kenyan flags high. Continue with the good work and spirit, Kenyans of great morals are with you.
A Kenyan journalist carries a plastic replica of a camera as he participates in a protest along the streets of Nairobi, denounce the new draconian laws
In a normal society, people like Gatunda MP Moses Kuria and his Kabete counterpart Ferdinand Waititu would either be doing time in Kamiti or having sessions with the shrinks of Mathare. Their counterpart, Ababu Namwamba, would probably be a dim figure in shirtsleeves struggling to address the concerns of his poor voters down in Budalang’i.
But in Kenya, these people are superstars that strut the national stage like peacocks, thanks to the thoughtlessness of our news media, which have turned them into household names. In a country whose media is obsessed with hoisting politicians to heights above all other categories, it is not a surprise that the ignominious Kuria/Waititu duo and the politically callow Namwamba, among others, claim a place among Kenya’s famed.
To say that Kenyan media is in love with the politicians is an understatement; the country’s journalists worship the very ground on which politicians walk. Every foul-mouthed ignoramus is worth quoting, as long as they hold political office So important have media made politicians that political events and statements of nil public interest, nay of negative impact, are splashed on front pages of newspapers and covered live on Prime Time TV.
The events of mid-June are a classic example of how media engage in their beloved pastime called political melodrama. As my reader may know, Kuria and Waititu and four others were arrested for hate mongering. Any person of average intelligence would have thought that here was a case of suspected criminals being subjected to due process, with media performing the simple role of reporting and interpreting the news of their arrest and prosecution.
Ababu Namwamba and Counterpart Otuoma
But not so Kenya’s media which, as usual, decided to dramatise the dishonorable affair, in the process creating heroes and heroines out of the suspected criminals. The mere fact that the suspects were politicians was enough for editors to allocate acres of scarce space and important time to the events surrounding their arrest.
Before you get me wrong, let me explain that, at this moment in Kenya’s history, anyone spreading ethnic hate has more potential to hurt the country than a terrorist. Therefore it is quite in order for the media to focus national attention on the threats caused by hate speech. But when media abandon the real story to concentrate on sideshows simply because the personalities involved happen to be politicians, then anyone who understands the role of media in society must be worried. Ditto the comedy that was Namwamba’s abdication of his post as secretary-general of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) last month.
Well, a senior official of a big political party calling it quits in controversial circumstances certainly qualifies as significant news, but I doubt that it deserves to occupy the minds of Kenyas for days on end. There is a problem when such issue is overplayed, in the process obfuscating deserving issues and creating heroes and anti-heroes out of personalities that do not possess such qualities. To cut to the chase, Namwamba’s exit from ODM does not mean that the community to which he belongs has changed political direction, as the media would have us believe.
Exciting but meaningless Suppose it was the CEO of, say Kenya Commercial Bank, who had thrown in the towel, citing frustration from some senior quarters, would there have been such media interest as there was following Namwamba’s “grand altercation” with his party and eventual exit? Now that the season of madness is approaching, with the elections just a year away, prepare for exciting but meaningless drama that is Kenya’s political campaign as it will be brought to you by our overzealous, politics-loving journalists.
Figures provided by the same media show that the number of news media consumers has been dwindling by the day. One wonders if media have ever stopped to
ask themselves why readers and viewers are abandoning them in droves, alongside the much-valued advertisements. Well, journalists may defend themselves that politicians belong to the group of the famous. Famous people, they will say, are more interesting than regular people because they are simply better known.
Therefore, more people will read news about them. That may be the case. Indeed, some politicians, like the President, are not only famous but also hold positions that directly affect the lives of the citizens. But the question is, what is it that these “famous” or prominent people are reported doing, or saying. Is what they are reported doing significant to the public? The ideal of journalism – and this is the main reason why media are protected by the Constitution – is that media serve the public interest by putting to task the powerful to explain themselves and justify the decisions they make on behalf of the rest of society.
Ideally, journalists are expected to interrogate the behavior of the powerful on behalf of the people. Unfortunately, most of our journalists hardly do this; most are happy to simply report the theatrics on the political stage. Since Kenyan politics usually has little in terms of news value, reporters tend to focus on the conflicts and controversies, the schemes and struggles within it to make it look exciting and dramatic. This is how the likes of Kuria find themselves on page one of national newspapers.
Deliberate ploy to divert attention Journalist ought to explore and cover issues that most concern their readers and listeners, not merely relaying the drama at rallies and useless sound bites from press conferences. Some observers think that the focus by media on the frivolous and on the dramatics is a deliberate design by the middle class owners of media and the editors to divert attention from the real issues affecting society. Like religion, media can be used to intoxicate people. This is not a far-fetched accusation against a media that has, in the past, been guilty of both the sin of sensationalism and that of self-censorship, sins that have had negative implications for both the journalism and the democratic process in Kenya.
In the run-up to the 2007 election, some media were accused of sensational reporting, and contributing to the post-election conflict that followed those disputed elections. And ashamed of their contribution to the conflict, media in 2013 decided to go the way of self-censorship by downplaying potentially controversial election stories and denying Kenyans important information on the elections, also disputed. Now, with 2017 election just around the corner, media are not sure of themselves. This is why, perhaps, they are now mistaking shadows for the real things.
It is common knowledge that Kenya is among the top countries in the world in Corruption matters. This evil that bedevils us has done us more harm than we can statistically quantify. From unemployment to under-employment, the Kenyan youth continues to harbor that elusive Kenyan dream, if ever, there was one. It is because of these economic upheavals that the youths engage in new frontiers to try and make ends meet.
From innovation to invention, an average Kenyan is trying through thick and thin to ensure that they can at least put a meal on the table. The new kid on the block as far as “hustling” is concerned, is Gambling. This article will try to approve or and disapprove gambling as an economic activity that is “The Next Big Thing.” Is a sport betting our new Oil??
A Wiseman once said, a fool and his money are soon parted. There has never been a time in Kenya’s history when this saying became so applicable than today. Gambling is different things to different people. The English dictionary defines it as the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning. It includes payment of a price for a chance to win a prize.
Wilson Mizner defines gambling as ‘the sure way of getting nothing for something.’ Mizner’s definition thus, excludes existence of any direct Quid Pro Quo in gambling. Is gambling really this bad? If it is, why is it legal in Kenya? Does it have any economic benefits? Let us try to answer some of these key questions.
Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of the cost-benefit analysis of betting, let us first review why one would be interested in this activity in the first place. Psychologists have identified some of the reasons that lead to gambling as:
Desperation for money- this point is tied to the high rates of unemployment.
Since unemployed people do not have any regular source of income, they are generally, financially desperate. This desperation acts like a catalyst for them to gamble the few coins they have with the view that they will win big. After all, one of a gambling advert I see on T.V every day says…”IT IS BIG!” It is not in the gambler’s interest to doubt an alligator that has just come out of the river and reported the crocodile as sick!
Another reason for gambling is for the player to experience highs. Placing a bet and waiting for the final results of the match to know whether one has won or not, is such an enticing experience that keeps the players in some sort of stupor. Ordinarily, a person who engages in gambling based on this reason will have learnt it from peers. Gambling is generally high among youths because of peer pressure.
Supporters of gambling have advanced some key reasons in support of this industry. Some of the reasons are:
It aids in employment creation. In an economy where unemployment is officially at 25%, and unofficially at 60%, it is common sense that we need to create jobs. In this endeavor, we also need to diversify such that our jobs are not shaken by threats such as terrorism.
To this end, gambling both in casinos and on-line sports betting has created an avalanche of opportunities for the youths. In fact, Kenya boasts of 23 sports betting firms as at June 2016. These are in addition to many other casinos that have existed for decades. It is common knowledge that a lot of jobs have been created by these firms.
Ronald Karauri, Sportpesa CEO
It is a source of revenue to the government. At least 50% of our GDP is supported by government revenue in form of taxes. Gambling companies, like any other corporate, they too pay their fair share of taxes. This is a great source of revenue to the government. Other than taxes, they also pay relevant licensing fee to the relevant statutory organs, in this case, Betting Control and Licensing Board.
It is therefore reasonable to understand why the government would permit gambling activities within its jurisdiction. Macau in China, which is the largest gambling town on earth, generated Ksh. 45T in 2014. The second largest gambling city being Las Vegas, which made Ksh.6.5T. In fact, Las Vegas economy is more than 90% built on gambling. Prior to engaging in gambling, it was a mere desert with nothing to show to the world.
Looked at from the perspective of positive Economics, gambling is a good investment and a booming industry that poor countries can encourage as a way of uplifting them from poverty. This argument can be supported by the case of Las Vegas.
Whereas, the above points seem plausible, prima facie, a critical look at the gambling industry proves otherwise. The economic and social costs associated with gambling far outweigh any perceived benefits.
To start with, gambling leads to financial devastation. They say that gambling is a successful business because the house always wins. The player will generally start gambling with the aim of achieving some financial freedom. However, they never reach this level. The more one wins, the more they will gamble with the hope of winning much more.
This trend will continue till finally, they have lost all they had. At this point, one will find themselves in deep debts and financial troubles. Their gut feeling will be to further borrow and win back their bet, so the cycle will continue.
Yet another cost of gambling is job losses. Betting is like a drug. It is more dangerous than cocaine or heroin. It is addictive. The more one gambles, the more they are ensnared in this prison. Once addicted, it alters the normal functioning of the individual. Anxiety and depression will kick in and sooner rather than later, the productivity of the player at the place of work will deteriorate. The only logical end to this story will be firing of the employee who is unable to produce because of depression tendencies that have been caused addiction to gambling.
Julie Gichuru, a partner in betting firm M-Cheza affiliated to her father-in-law Samuel Gichuru entangled in KPLC multi-million heist
Studies also show that 66% of gambling addicts will engage in illegal activities to pay for their gambling debts. This therefore implies that crime rates will increase. The rate of criminal activities in a town prone to gambling is far much higher than the rate of crime in the general population. Mugging and drug abuse is higher among the betting population because of the need to get money for betting as well as trying to control anxiety and depression.
Gambling leads to a lot of family problems. Studies show that 90% of gambling addicts around the world have family issues. In the US, 65% of the couples that consist of one spouse with a gambling addiction end up divorcing. This is a social cost that positive economics overlooks.
In conclusion, we cannot deny the role played by gambling companies in Economic growth. Economic growth should not be confused with Economic development. Gambling can never help in economic development of any economy. While not overlooking the role of gambling as a growing industry especially in developing countries, it is important for us to understand that the Net Present Value of Gambling is negative. Its social and economic costs far outweigh its economic benefits. From a positive economic point of view, Betting/Gambling looks like the next economic frontier that has the ability to grow the economies of 3rd world countries. However, in social welfare economics, there is no Pareto optimality in gambling.
Finally, it is President Barack Obama who once said, “We didn’t become most prosperous country in the world just by rewarding greed and recklessness. We didn’t come this far by letting the special interest run wild. We didn’t do it just by gambling and chasing paper profits on Wall Street. We built this country by making things, by producing goods we could sell.”
The writer is a hustler with ideas that can change the world. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from JKUAT.
Disclaimer: This article expresses the author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Kenya Insights or its Editors. We welcome opinion and views on topical issues. Email:[email protected]
Philip Kinisu the immediate former chairman of the EACC has tendered his resignation. The career of yet another distinguished Kenyan has ended in ignominy. How many more careers must Kenya sacrifice to this ogre named the EACC after Mwau, Ringeera, Lumumba, Matemu and now Kinisu? Why does it continuously eat its own children? Should we sacrifice yet another Kenyan or do we hire a foreigner? Or is it time we did away with the EACC altogether!
President Uhuru Kenyatta has on several occasions expressed a sincere desire to fight corruption. Indeed, one of the biggest purges of corruption in government took place on his watch when several Cabinet and Principal Secretaries were fired and charged with corruption-related offences in courts of law. This was perhaps the most courageous move taken by any leader in independent Kenya. It ruffled a lot of political feathers, especially within the Jubilee coalition. The trail on official corruption however has since gone cold. Opposition sceptics now say it was a ploy to hood-wink US President Barrack Obama and Pope Francis, both of whom instructively spoke strongly against corruption during their State visits.
In taking the bull of official corruption by the horns President Kenyatta was knowingly and willingly swimming against the tide. Official corruption in Kenya is so endemic that it is graduating to being systemic. Corruption cartels often influence government tenders through powerful point-men in the political sphere. It is the proceeds of corruption, that for the most part, oil and grease the political system. There is therefore a symbiotic relationship between politics and corruption in Kenya. That is why in the past it was traditional to have a corruption mega-scam like Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing after every general election to recoup funds spent in the election campaigns.
It is a credit to the Jubilee leadership that they have not followed that course. A one-man war against corruption in Kenya was bound to invariably run into powerful headwinds due to the multiple convergent interests. It becomes even more difficult when that person is a politician seeking re-election. Hopefully we expect a more robust assault on corruption during the Presidents second and final term.
Meanwhile, we must honestly address the issue of the suitability of the EACC as it clearly isn’t functioning. The hiring and f iring of EACC chairpersons has become our favourite game of musical chairs despite it being a bottomless pit for public funds! It has become a graveyard of broken careers and will no longer be taken seriously by qualified professionals.
It has been said that Kenyans are not committed to the war on corruption and EACC appointments are merely windowdressing for the outside world. The joke now is that the person who will serve longest on the EACC chair is he/she who does absolutely nothing save reading the daily newspapers and collecting a monthly salary.
The job description is inaction. That is because any action may step on the toes of the powerful who will initiate action in Parliament or elsewhere for removal from office. This should inform us that even a foreigner would be unsuitable. T he remaining option is to abolish the office of the EACC when the constitution is next amended.
It has failed and currently only serves to drain public resources. They have not secured a single conviction of the “big fish “since the formation of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission in 1997. All their efforts have been directed mainly towards incidental or petty corruption against junior public officials.-Daudi Mwenda.
Tulirogwa na nini, a common phrase amongst Kenyans on the unending craziness that we have to deal with on daily basis. Ruth Kamande, a woman who is accused of killing her boyfriend last year when she stabbed him 22 times was crowned the fairest of the inmates at Lang’ata Women’s Prison.
Ruth, who is facing murder charges for stabbing Farid Ahmed in Buruburu Estate due to a love triangle, beat 19 other contestants to win the annual Miss Langata beauty pageant in a fierce competition. While I agree that rehabilitation of inmates is recommendable, I feel awarding such class criminals is far beyond rehabilitation but more of glorifying murdered and dangerous offenders.
The event which was grassed by Chapati Forum, an organisation, affiliated to Dennis Itumbi, digital strategist to the government is going to remain as a disastrous PR move. If anything, there should be no crowning which is easily read as endorsement and celebration of these heinous crimes. As part of embracing them in the society, the peasant should be held without crowning.
Rehabilitation should be limited to family visits, training, counselling workshops. What’s the pride in crowning a narcissistic psychopath, how does this help her and the message being sent out to potential criminals? The crowning amounts to an insult to the victim’s family.
While they say politics is a dirty game, and the youths are the leaders of future, Kenya is now witnessing more and more young politicians stepping into the arena to clean the dirt in the game. Many have come and gone, and others made it others did not, a real leader is one who champions his policies and agreeing not to keep rehashing mistakes of the past and instead focus on the future without bootlicking the moneyed party chiefs.
Change won’t come from the top, and change will come from the mobilised grassroots, Obama said while launching his presidential ambitions. Obama who first attracted global attention in 2004 at the DNC in Philadelphia and rose to win the American presidency in 2008 with his ‘Yes we can’ slogan is inspiration enough to up and coming young politicians from humble backgrounds.
The election of President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013 must have acted as the biggest push in a generational shift. I am seeing a crop of dedicated young men keeping on their track, rising and getting better with time. Mombasa is the den of many, Moses Aran who is the current Chairman of ODM Youth, and Mombasa County has steadily risen to his position after many years of community work and youth mobilisation. He is now sharing the same platform with the big men in political spheres, Cord leader Raila Odinga, Mombasa Governor Ali Joho and area Mp, Abdulswamad Nasir just to mention a few.
Moses Aran, Mombasa Youth Leader addressing a crowd
With a track record that speaks volumes, he cannot be belittled as a small time leader. Moses has headed projects that saw the shaping of musical talents of juveniles from Boarstal Academy, Shimo la Tewa Prisons, leading Tudor soccer team to represent the country in beach soccer tournament in Tanzania in 2014 and organising community clean-ups. Commonly known as Cvilizer Youth Commander 001, Moses has been the loudest voice of reason among the youth of Mombasa. Through Samba Foundation where he is the project director, his efforts have seen the implementation of projects that change and sustain lives of women and the youth. Recent polls ranked him the most influential young people in the county.
The trend is not in Mombasa alone; Nairobi too is seeing the same. Young people are gearing to be elected in top political positions in 2017 polls. TNA Chairman, Johnson Arthur Sakaja is a young man who burst into the national limelight with a powerful speech during the launch of The National Alliance (TNA) party in 2012. He began his foray into national politics while studying at the University of Nairobi in 2005 and later played a key role in the re-election of the retired president Mwai Kibaki. Now a household name, the nominated lawmaker has declared his interest in the Nairobi gubernatorial race.
Paul Owino Ongili, better by his moniker ‘Babu Owino’ than his real names is the young man in his late 20s with a whiff of scandals about him. Babu who is the current chairman of SONU is always in the news for one reason or the other, from controversial re- election, flashy lifestyle and to constant dates with the courts has said he is in the race for Embakasi East parliamentary seat. His political future seems bright with the kind of authority he commands among university students or comrades as he refers to them; he is in a place where many have successfully launched their political careers.
Steve Mbogo is another one, flashy and controversial with many questioning his wealth and education. In an article, a Daily Nation writer described him as nothing more than a crossbreed of a fake wannabe with a rudimentary grasp of English. The leader of Party of National Alliance (PONA) Party is aspiring to unseat President Uhuru Kenyatta just like Mohamed Abduba Dida.
Criticism and Platform of the Criticism
Ms Njoki Chege to Senior Advocate Donald Kipkorir
Cicero once said, “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.”
Kenya as a Society we are engulfed with ample tools, which can be theoretical, monetary, tangible resources just to mention a few. For purposes of this discourse, the article focuses on conceptual and financial tools. Also, there will be a slight touch on Social Media.
The theoretical tool is the most celebrated document in Kenya, which happens to be the Constitution of Kenya (the CoK). The said document entails some freedoms, such as freedom of expression. The freedom of expression is not absolute neither is the right to information. The two have some capping, which varies based on a case-to-case basis.
For instance, it is relevant for someone who has Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) to inform any person who he or she intends to have sexual intercourse with that he or she has HIV. However, a third party is not allowed to share such information, not to mention even the doctors or medical practitioners, and if it is done, one will have a success Petition that his or her Constitutional Right to Privacy has been breached. And, if it is a matter that could raise controversy over one’s reputation, then the author should at least make an effort to contact the person who the article is likely to affect.
Cicero asserted through “Academic Scepticism” that appreciation of a diverse ideology is the first step to understanding it and develop some better ideas surrounding the said topic. It is evident that one Ms. Njoki Chege knowingly and to the best of her knowledge, not to mention the critical thinking abilities that she has attained through her personal urge of interacting with the education system, which in the current society is presumed to make one literate and intelligent, has enabled her to pen an article about Senior Advocate Donald Kipkorir. However, the article cannot engage one in a constructive discussion, more so, a person of the stature of one Senior Advocate Donald Kipkorir. To make this view more vivid, the discussion below will be segregated into various topics.
SOCIAL STANDARDS
The moment a baby is born, he or she is forced to engage in an environment that is quite unbearable. Looking at the tales of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes et al. when discussing the Doctrine of Social Contract, which is the ideology behind what a Government or Society is, then one will start to realise that as a human being, you will never have free will. The free will that we presume to have is not extant even if the aspect of Social Contract was not in place.
Our current free will is based on Social Standards that we exhibit consciously and subconsciously. For instance, in the Western Region of Kenya, it is believed that a chicken’s gizzard is a man’s food, and if you share it, the two who share will become enemies. In this case, that is how the cycle begins, people being born and taught actively or learn actively or passively through observation. Therefore, they live by that standards, believing that is the right measure of leading life.
Going back to Ms Njoki Chege’s article, it is clear that she indeed believes of what a Society should be like or those who have certain monies need to act like. For instance, she addresses that a man of a certain age should be married, initiate certain investments or maybe own a building in the Central Business District of Nairobi, Kenya just to mention a few since she might have preserved some valuable ideas on how the social structuring of the society should take place.
There are possibilities that Ms Njoki Chege might be right, as she believes on certain Social Standards that can be termed as Cultural Practices that are either rooted from our African Traditions, Religious practices or Traditions borrowed from other Societies. Also, these Cultural Practices or Social Standards are equally acknowledged within the CoK and the Judicature Act; but are they absolute?
Let us focus on Social Engineering School of thought by one Nathan Roscoe Pound, which addresses on Law in Action and Law in Form. Predominantly, these Social Standards are Laws in Action, which is not written but developed out various practices. Some can offend the Law in Form while some cannot offend the Law in Form. Therefore, this question on whether Senior Advocate Donald Kipkorir is flaunting is best addressed with his peers, whom we can say are the Advocates who are members of the Law Society of Kenya. Such a move will answer questions that surround the Legal fraternity on issues of Moral Ethics as per the profession.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media has transformed from the early years of 2004 (Facebook) and 2006 (Twitter). Unlike the initial times, it was more of family and friends that are why there is always an advanced aspect of privacy. For instance, “Add Friend” “Delete Friend” (In a Mafia’s world this is something different) “Who to View” “Who can send a friend request” “Who can view your timeline” etc. Regardless of the same and advanced settings being provided, there are other uses of Social Media; some examples can be, networking, e-transactions and advertisement (both paid and organic approach).
Therefore, Social Media is a reflection of the streets, cities, roads, etc. we have the likes Moi Avenue, 1st Ngong’ Avenue, Uhuru Highway, Mombasa, etc. In the event you become a friend or follower of another person on Social Media, it is like accepting to see and read (if you want to) their content that they are willing to allow the public to see or read.
However, you as a friend you have a choice of terminating the online friendship that you have or approaching the individual through the inbox chat, email or a phone call for a certain conversation.
In the olden days when one buys a car or builds a house, they used to call the villagers, family and friends to come and celebrate the success. It is clear that the Senior Advocate Donald Kipkorir did that, and it is okay to elicit different forms of reactions just like that of one Ms Njoki Chege.
HUMAN BEINGS
We as human beings are always different, not to mention even twins experience different thoughts and approach on various issues. An individual is faced with diverse factors, for instance, in a political forum, let us consider a Jubilee supporter (The Current Government):
One will agree with the 2013 Judgment just because he wanted Uhuru and Ruto to be the holders of the Government; and
Another one might be of the view that the Judgment given by the Supreme Court of Kenya was well thought; hence, Uhuru and Ruto are rightfully in the office.
Those are two supporters of the Jubilee Government holding different views of why they support the leadership that is in control of the Government of Kenya.
Various desires drive human beings, some we know, but some are deep inside our subconscious mind. That is the reason why people who have theoretically same background setting will always have a different approach to life. Another example is about a young child is emotionally and physically abused because he or she is a foster child, there are various occurrences in the future about the child, which can be as follows:
One might turn out to be an activist for the rights of the foster children as he understands the pain and pressure; and
The other might be vicious and vent his or her childhood harsh environment to other peers or those below him or her either physically or socially.
Therefore, at no point will it be wise to argue that Human Beings will always act the same or follow a particular Social Standard, and in the event, the Social Standards is incoherent with the Law in Form then there are right platforms to present our grievances.
MONEY AND POWER
I will not delve into this division that much as one Ms Njoki Chege relates the daily activities of Senior Advocate Donald Kipkorir to that of someone being in regular confrontation with the City Council’s officers – Whereby her thoughts are, one with the power of such influence cannot encounter such hurdles.
The life of the late billionaire Mr Jacob Juma can be the best tale, and this is because he had money but sometimes and just sometimes one is not always protected. I would like to remind her of JF Kennedy who was assassinated based on his new approach concerning Governance; also, among the many, we have the late Thomas Sankara. What I’m driving to is that in this Society, the aspect of Power and Money is not vital as there are various classes of money and power; hence, the comparative analysis done by Ms Njoki Chege is unreliable.
Conclusion? You can make one
Ombo Malumbe is an ATP at Kenya School of Law
Disclaimer: This article expresses the author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Kenya Insights or its Editors. We welcome opinion and views on topical issues. Email:[email protected]
If you thought it’s what one does off the cameras and off the courts that make make them worthy of the people’s support, then you figured it wrong. Think again. The race to clinch the Nairobi women rep seat which soon fall vacant is taking an interesting turn.
Would be politicians are working best with what they have, others are using their financial strength, some are self-motivated and inspired, others by virtue of being the incumbent are putting up a strong fight to defend the seat when lazy ones are up to use their bottoms to shoot straight to the top.
As the nation struggles to strike gender balance in its elected leadership, special seats reserved for our women are attracting passive candidates who champion nothing. Some are running to please their sponsors or milk them dry or just to graduate from being parasites to honourable members. Real women who stand for serious issues go for ‘bigger positions’ like gubernatorial or senatorial seats.
Before you just bid think about what people know you for, is it arrest for drunk driving, escape with another woman’s husband or donating books to a local school? Some aspirants have made news for all the wrong reasons acquiring negative fame. A thousand people who follow you on social media and like your pages will not turn to vote. The empty pledges you are giving are an old century rhetorics that no one takes seriously. Present policies that resonate with the electorate and can fix the challenges they are facing.
Karen Nyamu Aka Bae Wa Nai
The incumbent Hon. Rachael Shebesh aka Manzi wa Nairobi is facing opponents with the same childish monikers. The Bae wa Nairobi, Toto si Totos and Wakili wa Mama na Watoto of this world are up to pose a limping challenge to the incumbent who has had a dismal performance. A serious candidate with fresh and real ideas is needed. I mean, going by the monikers what difference is there between Manzi wa Nairobi and Bae wa Nairobi? Copy and paste strategy that can not work even in utopia.
These are short visioned leaders who may deliver less than Shebesh. Copy and paste, lame PR stunts and taking photos to beg for mercy work not anymore. They say brains hardly go with beauty, and the testimony is right before the eyes of the Nairobians.
As mentioned in the previous article, the Nairobi woman rep is yet to attract serious candidate or already the ones who’ve declared interests don’t have a clear view of what they want. The campaign slogan is a key pivot point. Yes, We Can is what shot Obama to the spot two terms later. The slogan tells the seriousness or saucy nature in your bid. We’re not just looking at who has more sexual appeal, which has the trendy tag but a woman of substance who has strict moral values to defend the rights of Nairobi women. The tags flowing around are as childish as they sound.
The outgoing IEBC commissioners last week published rules capping campaign spending in the coming 2017 polls. The rules have come under scathing criticism from various political players as a ploy to auction country’s political leadership to billionaires, and indeed it looks like it. This commission has been accused of being ‘bought’ by the moneyed politicians and the coalition wing that makes the ruling regime of the day.
This was the worst last card the embattled commission would play after it lost the confidence of the opposition and public and a section of the religious leadership. When the former Chief Executive Officer of the Committee of Experts (COE) Mr Ekuro Ekuot defended the commission saying that his team keenly looked at the integrity of these individuals before giving them the job, the team forgot about integrity as a leadership value soon as they got into IEBC job.
Kenyans with real integrity who may not be billionaires or part of the ruling elites will be so disadvantaged from taking leadership of this country or running for top political offices. What remains a crucial question is what forms their opinion. The rules are so unfounded and have only been thrown out of the blues just appear to be doing something ahead of the 2017 elections that they will not conduct.
The commission has never published reports on the amount that was spent in the last elections by various political parties and candidates who participated in it. Neither have they told the nation the sources of massive campaign funds that politicians dish out and hold flashy campaigns with. All the top presidential contenders were flying in choppers branded with their respective party colours.
When one thought the choppers would be of excellent service delivery to the people after the polls, the demise was before the first vote was cast.
The capped amounts
As much as they are still the commissioners till the new ones are appointed, IEBC should spare the nation unnecessary drama of crowding the office with ideas that add no value but mess the electoral process more. In fact, it should fix the BVR kits that fail on the D-Day than setting rules that will not be implemented at all.
In the US for example at the federal level, campaign finance law is enacted by Congress and enforced by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), an independent federal agency. The system is open, and records are readily available of the financiers. Banks, individuals the list of contributors varies.
In Kenya its known for businessmen and big empires also foreign agencies to support a political wing with a back expectation of securing personal securities. Tax evasion syndicate and dubious businesspeople have been sponsoring candidates to score favours. Industrialist Manu Chandaria, for example, is said to have heavily financed the NYK 92 for Moi’s reelection to buy favours and continue evading taxes and so has been the case of a counterpart and BIDCO owner Vimal Shah who as of now owes the tax collector up to Sh.6B in tax arrears.
Dubious businessmen also choose on politicians to support to help hide their dirty money. With the records of financiers out there, voters can easily deduce the interests being reserved and the actual nature of candidates. Leaving the expenditure gap in billions gives room for drug lords and all the dirty dealers an excellent platform to launder their money in the name of financing candidates. It goes without mentioning that public funds are at stake and threat of being misused by those in a position of power. For integrity, we need to know really where all these billions being spent are coming from more than just how much.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday published campaign finance regulations which set limits on expenditure by political parties and candidates in the 2017 campaigns.
The electoral body capped presidential aspirants spending to Kshs 5.2 billion, Governors, Senators and women reps to Kshs 432 million, Members of Parliament to Kshs 330 million and members of County Assembly to Kshs 103 million.
Individual party expenditure is set not exceed 150 million dollars and a single source contribution not to exceed 30 million dollars. The body also added that any candidate or party flouting the rules will be liable to a fine no exceeding 2 million dollars, or a jail term not exceeding five years or both.
Certain quarters find this paradoxical that the unfit IEBC is setting campaign expenditure caps but it’s right to do so since they are still the commissioners till the new ones are appointed. This is just a good statement and exactly what the people want to but it’s nothing close to what will actually be done.
Who will monitor the expenditure if one may ask and who has the guts to send any politician found guilty of flouting the rules to jail?
The regulations present more questions than answers, who is the source of the amounts of money said here. If a sitting governor once denied being in a position to afford a two million dollar bribe to influence a petition case. Dr. Evans Kidero treated the amount as huge to an extent that it would only be ferried in trucks, where would a mere MCA get over one hundred million shillings to campaign.
Money is power and individuals talked about here have the financial might to muzzle any case brought against them. Institutions in Kenya have been crippled by corruption and the law is applied selectively . Relevant institutions like Ethica and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have been turned into nothing but places where the ‘big fish’ are cleaned out. What if one spends more than Shs 5.2 billion and goes ahead to win the presidency, who will send that individual to jail?
By Nicholas Olambo
This article expresses the author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Kenya Insights or its Editors. We welcome opinion and views on topical issues. Email: [email protected]
So, an already forgotten once glorified Ctrl+C + Ctrl+V desktop pseudo-journalist Njoki Paste Chege finally found something to talk about and pick up her garbage career from the dumpsite by attacking Lawyer Donald Kipkorir. How could she? I mean how? We all know the answer…No need to answer! The other day, she was caught plagiarising an article from the Harvard Business Review journal for her City Girl column.
Njoki Paste Chege who has problems with everything from blue Subarus to smoking shisha to women with dreadlocks, everything you can think of she hates. The epitome of hypocrisy and irony is when the charlatan Chege says nobody cares about what Donald owns, but this is the same playing mantis built like writer who has been attacking Blue Subaru owners throughout her writings. Did she block her brains with yesternight’s ugali when writing not to realise she was exposing her bunk?
Njoki is a typical bile field Kenyan, who would rather see you languish in poverty than watch you flourish, what’s wrong with a man being proud and enjoying his wealth the way he wishes. Being someone I know, Njoki can’t attack a billionaire with her KSh.50,000 monthly salary that she has to lease whatever she has between her legs to survive in the high cost of living Nairobi. Like Chris Browns say in a song you can’t hate outside the club when you can’t even get in.
Human beings again are psychologically programmed to view things from a negative side. Research has shown that hip hop videos graced with flashy cars, heaps of bank notes, nude women have impacted the society such that most want to emulate the lifestyle. Motivated many to work harder or hustle in another language to attain the lifestyle they watch on TV.
There is a good number of people who are motivated to become better and work harder to be as good as Kipkorir. That’s the flip side that nobody is focussing on. The flashy show the lawyer is putting up on the web should be used as a motivation to the young people who aspire to be better. You work harder make more money you’ll sit back and enjoy. You do nothing, and you’ll keep being bitter at those who dared to try and made it, you’ll be left sitting your bones behind desktops jotting bile laced with envy articles slamming people who spend your monthly salary just to ignite their cars.
Let everyone spend their cash whichever way they wish as long as they don’t cause civil war. I’d care less if Kipkorir decided to buy the moon with his money. And let’s be honest, Njoki is just chewing her heart out only because she’s not in the league you know. Why she’s attacking Lilian Muli and the rest, if Donald offered her a lift on the posh car, Njoki would jump on it faster than a Makanga hiking a bus moving at 120KM/H. You hate because you’re off the circle.
Talking about marriage, your hairline is almost reaching menopause and still no signs of getting married. As you still enjoy your youth getting mauled by everything, know that age is catching up.
I’ve Deliberately used gratuitous rather unnecessary jargon in this article to sound intelligent the same thing your gal Copy Paste Chege does haha.
And before I sign off, tell me any sane woman who doesn’t love cars that Njoki Chege hates so much. I’m starting to think we’re looking at a man in a dress so next time you write your trifling articles make sure you tuck in your testicles, they’re showing hun. Donald can flash everything including his oesophagus. We don’t care, it’s his life, live yours too.
Bel Akinyi is a political science student at Melbourne University, Australia and a vocal social media contributor on matters Kenya
Twitter: @BelAkinyii
Disclaimer: This article expresses the author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Kenya Insights or its Editors. We welcome opinion and views on topical issues. Email:[email protected]
The motion by the Deputy Minority Leader in the National Assembly Jakoyo Midiwo seeking to form a committee to investigate gambling was shot down Tuesday. The Gem MP who had recently alleged that the gambling industry was enabling tax evasion and money laundering cried foul after his colleagues rejected the motion claiming that individuals had compromised some of them from unknown quarters.
The lawmakers had last week formed an 11 member joint committee to look into the betting craze with over five million Kenyans hooked already. The committee that was to be co-chaired by Hon. Midiwo and The National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale was expected to table its findings on how to regulate gambling in fourteen days.
Betting is a multi-billion industry which has kept the young people and sometimes old glued to the sites to make quick bucks. Gambling is the addiction and betting indeed is, just like alcohol or any other kind of drug.
It’s said that real men earn their wealth steadily but betting craze is changing the trend, people now want instant everything, cash, pleasure and name it. Shortcuts are known to be dangerous but youths are taking any shorter route to escape poverty and in the process, we are raising a lazy generation of young men who are averse to work.
Parliament brags itself as a den of learned ladies and gentlemen, but political ambitions take centre stage of everything. They deliberately choose not to see any sense in regulating gambling because the number hooked to betting is already big enough to be treated as a voting bloc that must be pleased with all costs.
Just the same way transport or rather matatu industry has been dealt with. It’s all messed up with rogues and crooks controlling routes in the name of SACCOs. Loud music and excess graffiti were allowed back just to win the votes from that particular ‘bloc’.
Why is betting only open to those who are 18 years and over to indulge in? That is the disclaimer because people are so obsessed to land the cash and try their luck to win the ever elusive jackpot. Some people take massive loans that they strain to pay back, other spend all their salaries and college students even ‘sacrife’ fees hoping it may double or triple. In some extreme cases men sell their household items to indulge, marriages are breaking up, and families are being destroyed.
This addictive behaviour is damaging a whole generation and many to come if not curbed.”We have seen suicides, and many families have been broken because of this thing,” Midiwo said. And to quote Duale who many may not take seriously, he said that students are spending school fees betting, and when they lose, they start fires to divert attention.
As 2017 fast approaches, political landscapes are changing. Nairobi is at the centre of everything political. The gubernatorial seat is attracting many candidates from the Jubilee wing, and so the women rep position, the incumbent Hon. Rachael Shebesh is up for an uphill task to defend her seat.
Latest polls are showing Nairobi, businesswoman, Esther Passaris enjoying a 28% lead, Rachael Shebesh is second with 20 percent, Wangui Ng’ang’a is a distance third with 2 percent followed by new entrant Karen Nyamu who enjoys only 1 percent. Of all the candidates so far, the city lawyer Karen Njeri Nyamu has been doing meet the people during the weekends traversing various slums.
With the incumbent lacking a track record that speaks for itself the new entrants have no policies too other than clinging on peculiar monikers like Toto si Toto, Bae wa Nairobi, Wakili wa Mama na Watoto and taking pictures in slums to identify with the dwellers when they don’t understand needs of the Nairobians. Ms Njeri for instance admitted to having no manifesto as the prepares to clinch the nomination ticket.
With latest trends politics is almost lacking seriousness, the seat that was created through the new constitution to enhance gender balance has not been understood. Even some candidates are not aware that women representatives though majorly representing the interests of women are just like other MPs( Members of Parliament).
Karen Nyamu,, Women Rep aspirant in the slums where she has been doing grassroots campaigns
Ladies who are moderately successful in business and desperate for fame chest thump without proper policies running for the seat. You can not employ every woman at the EPZ (Export Processing Zone), times have changed, we are living in the 21st century. It’s too late to promise people jobs that can barely support their lives. Initiate ideas that can fix problems that people face.
Most of these candidates are people who have access to individuals or cash to facilitate their way to greener pastures. At the centre of political leadership is a relationship, Hillary Clinton once said but many candidates around have no time-tested relationship with the people.
They come at the eleventh hour, hoodwink the people, get elected, forget the people and fill their stomachs. Relationship with the people in this context is not taking desperate photos with poor kids at the slums and jumping over dirty trenches with the poor drainage system.
Nairobi did not see these candidates doing the same two or three years ago, and these are cheap PR stunts meant to work as ‘a political currency’ to win elections.
It makes no sense jumping over trenches or taking pictures with malnourished kids and promising to employ people at the EPZ. The photo and promise don’t relate and why should you wait till you are elected to hire people? Do it now if you can because empty promises work no more. Maybe Shebesh has not done a commendable job other controversies here and there, but her successor must be the serious candidate, not a restless socialite.
This article expresses the author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Kenya Insights or its Editors. We welcome opinion and views on topical issues. Email:[email protected]
While lives of many have been thrown into the ditches and crime rates rising high due to elevated levels of unemployment and idle youths joining criminal gangs, the beneficiary of NYS fraud is out here adding salt to the injury. Mutahi Ngunyi, a renowned political analyst, cum NYS scam fraudster is having a hard time trying to cleanse his name buried deep in the NYS fraud mud.
Mutahi in a recent letter to the Ministry of public service, gender and youth, came out defensive claiming an audit report gave his firm The House of Consulting a clean bill of health refuting claims that they received an extra amount of Sh.12.5M from the NYS on the consulting services they were offering. Auditor General in his FY 2014/15 report pointed out Mutahi Ngunyi was irregularly paid Sh.12.5M more on what he was to be paid. He rubbished off the claims calling the Auditor an agent of Raila playing politics.
Ironically, in the same letter he acknowledges his company received an exact amount but in a rare twist and hoodwinking move, claim the amount is unclaimed for since a mysterious client made it and they didn’t invoice for the same. Its laughable that an entire Sh.12.5M sat on his account without noticing, and it had to take the Auditor General’s signal one year later to realise the “accidental’ deposit. Did Mutahi file his tax returns for 2015? If he did, he would’ve detected the mysterious amount, finding out a year later puts into question his tax compliance as well.
Social Media has been on its true face calling for Mutahi Ngunyi’s arrest with majority convinced he was paid the extra amount and was merely hanging on the loose strings.
Unapologetic and arrogant Mutahi has come out and spat on Kenyans faces saying he is rich because he is a Kikuyu, given the context he’s saying he stole the NYS money because he was a Kikuyu and that ‘mtado?’. It’s very wrong for Mutahi to seek refuge from his fraud unto haunting in the tribal shell.
BeforeAfter
Talking of Consultancy services to NYS, Mutahi Ngunyi is said to have plagiarized NYS review Task Force gazetted on May 26, 2007(Vol. CIX No.36) Ngunyi sim[ply adopted the findings of the task force constituted by the then Youth Minister Mohammed Kuti and named it 5-Point and pocketed Sh.38M for a consultation he never researched on. His fraudulent ways obviously didn’t start today.
Poverty doesn’t discriminate on tribal lines, Mutahi doesn’t need to be lectured but he can visit Mathare, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, and any other slums you can think of you’ll find Kikuyus trying to make a life alongside fellow Kenyans, the hogwash that it’s natural for every Kikuyu to be rich and insinuating others to be rich, goes further again to expose his lack of touch with the reality on the ground. Makes you question his accuracy on the unending hypothesis if he is unable to decipher such a basic point.
When the story first broke out, I initially dismissed it as one of those usual Twitter rants but after noticing she wasn’t stopping, and the plot was thickening, I stopped for a minute to give the story a different and concentrated view. It’s not on a typical day that a woman will come out publicly to tell a sexual harassment story because of the traditional and sustained script from the public “You ate his money now you’re coming to tell us to do what? Or you’re only blackmailing him because he refused to give in to your demands.”
Faithful to the words, the same script has been unleashed on Esther Passaris the Adopt-A-Light CEO since she came out that the Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi on several occasions reigned sexual harassment on her. On the onset of Esther speaking out, Mwangi gained dozens of apologist and without second thoughts she was called a liar and all mannerisms of names. This was a shallow reaction, without looking deeper into the terms.
I then did my research to find out what exactly happened between Adopt-A-Light and Equity Bank Ltd, but that wouldn’t be the basis of this article. Kenya Insights is embedded on sticking to facts and not sideshows, in our subsequent articles we will go into depth and details of the contracts and the intrigues. Wait for it.
Back to the story at hand, sexual harassment isn’s something that happens in a day and especially in the case of Esther and Mwangi. These people struck a contractual business so they were partners and around each other most of the times. If indeed he did it once, he’d do it over and over even if she said no with hopes one day she’ll give in. But from the looks, Esther made the chase last longer than anticipated and it wasn’t going to be business as usual.
Many people are saying Esther should give evidence that the harassment happened and why she didn’t come out then and had to wait all that long to come out, in unanimous view, most Mwangi’s apologists are taking her move as a blackmailing move. The same would be asked of Equity Bank as to why they waited all that long to publicise the blackmailing by Esther as they’re doing it now.
From my reads on Esther’s updates and latest media interviews, she’s not dwelling much into the contract, but the core issue of sexual harassment and this is where I feel many people have been thrown off the cliff.
In communication strategies, to put off a fire, light another fire and that’s exactly what Equity quarter is evidently playing by not answering the matter of sexual harassment directly instead bringing in the intrigues of the contract and at worse bringing Esther’s past and dragging her family and affairs into this saga. Which I simply ask, what’s about sexual harassment, did it happen or not Mwangi? Prove this and save the contracts intrigues to courts.
Mwangi you have a matter to address an elephant issue for that matter that your daughters, wife, clan and entire Kenya won’t forget because you are trying to rubbish it off by dispensing sideshows. It might help you to cool down the heat for the moment, but the ghost will come haunting.
Women die in silence for the fear of public backlash and groundless slut shaming that Esther is currently facing, luckily for her she has grown a crocodile skin from her experience being a public figure so she says but what about that naive, young girl from the village harassed by her boss where sh’s working as house help for sexual favours.
How about that someone’s wife, daughter and sister stuck in a job group and given the ultimatum to open her legs or promotion chances closed. To me, Esther coming out is an important measure to unleash and uncover a big mess in the society. A trend of shoving ladies to a desperate and suicidal end of your success in life determined by how wide your legs open and not how wide your brains goes because the sex pests sit at the helm of control and unleash the sex terror on their female prey.
To me, this sex scandal is about undermining the women’s growth in the growing and competitive business world. Entrepreneurship is the new way to better livelihoods, if we minimise women’s upscaling by putting sex hurdles in that you either sleep with me or you’re not getting this contract or loan its pure non-sense.
If you have sisters, wife, daughters, you wouldn’t have sympathy for a potential rapist. It’s commendable for Esther to come out, it’s a bold, hard step that should tell off the powerful sex pests that they can’t continue using their positions to manipulate and strangle, women, retarding their growth.
The society is largely to blame, Esther who was the victim has been now turned to be the suspect and put on trial, the mind game and choreographed propaganda calling her a blackmailer has worked, This is just but an example why most women opt to die in silence and I the way the pests continue jumping from one victim to the next.
Just because Mwangi sponsored a million students and is wealthy, successfully doesn’t mean he can’t do what Esther is alleging and for God’ds sake that can’t is an excuse for sexually harassing her.
In signing off, the main and core issue here isn’t about the contract or what Esther is and was or done in the past but the sexual harassment allegations. Mwangi should respond and prove that he didn’t do it. Everything else besides this is Nollywood, Bollywood and Riverwood. Orchestration. Performance. Debris. Adjunct.
While many have described the Former Prime Minister Raila as the kingmaker, the enigma of Kenyan politics, crowd puller and the best player in confrontational politics who is never short of surprises, Raila’s best moments are behind him as Prof. Makau Mutua puts it. I don’t think Tinga has more cards close to his chest to pull, his opponents have studied and known him. In fact, President Uhuru Kenyatta is causing him sleepless nights via proxies. What if he comes direct?
The former premier must be acknowledged for nurturing many politicians most of whom have turned to be his sworn enemies. He has not nurtured any from his back yard, Luo Nyanza despite Kenyan politics being so tribal. No one from Nyanza has received Raila’s blessings in case he quits the political stage which can’t be too long after 2017 polls. From where I sit, possibilities of ‘Luo Nation’ not voting as a block in post-Raila era are extremely high.
Only Kidero comes out as the Luo politician with the might to take after him, but sycophants and Raila followers from his native Central Nyanza are not ready to back any politician from South Nyanza where the Nairobi Governor, Dr Evan Kidero hails from. Raila has every right to run for president in the coming 2017 polls but after three unsuccessful shots, the experienced politician must also think of passing the Burton. Right now he comes out as one who thinks he is the only Luo who can be president.
As much as it’s said that Raila has been betrayed by the same individuals whose political careers he helped built, he must change his tactics and try new avenues. Politics is a game of numbers, but Raila has been unable to keep his house intact, he has been busy putting off rebellion fires in his party when his opponents are planning for 2017 polls. Money also plays a great deal, and Jubilee is seriously moneyed, but Odinga has been accused of sitting on the wallet when his foot soldiers are being ‘bought’ like toffees. So many broke politicians stand for nothing but gullible to shift allegiance for the love of the money.
Opportunity only comes once in a lifetime they say, and Raila let the presidency slip from his hands in 2007 and that moment will never come again. Believers in the say like Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast never allowed his win slip away from him; he fought to the very end and took over from Laurent Gbagbo, a dictator who is now facing war crime charges at the Internal Criminal Court (ICC). Raila was fixed through the deal that saw the formation of a grand coalition government that he shared with the then president, Mwai Kibaki. The deal was the last nail in the ‘coffin’ of his presidential ambitions.
They say history repeats itself, and Kibaki became President at the age of 74, and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria became president on the fourth attempt. Raila may be hanging his hopes on these thin and weak threads, but the generational change in Kenyan politics punches another big hole on Odinga’s dreams.
The incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta was elected the fourth president at the age of 51, this kind of generational change makes it hard for him to be elected to succeed Mr. Kenyatta.
He has now and after 2017 polls to give direction to the Luo nation that has strongly been with him through his political career especially the south, many will be waiting to see if Central Nyanza can back a leader from the South.
This article expresses the author’s opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Kenya Insights or its Editors. We welcome opinion and views on topical issues. Email: [email protected]
The defiant Adopt-a-Light proprietor and the avid political figure has in the past days spent time explaining to the world the underdealings she had to undergo with celebrated Banker James Mwangi. Passaris has come out to reveal a sexual harassment reigned on her by the CEO who is yet to comment on the new developments.
The news has been received by mixed reaction with a good number of persons backlashing and accusing Esther of embarking on a blackmailing ploy against the Bank’s CEO. Whether this sexual harassment indeed happened or not is a matter of debate, and a judicial process would amicably square this. However, the fact that some people came out apologetic to the embattled CEO reveals the inner ogre of the society that don’t see anything wrong with a man making forceful sexual advances towards an unwilling woman.
Many women if you dug deeper are faced with similar cases from the corporate heads who feel with their helm of power that they can have their ways with anything and can sleep with anyone they wish. The sense of dominance in their evil minds show them they’re guaranteed to have their ways.
It’s not a secret that many ladies have been silently subjected to sexual harassments by their bosses and seniors but for the sake of job security and other business interests, they opt to keep silent for fear of severe repercussions. Remember these monsters have connections in high offices, have money to buy themselves out of justice. The corrupt state of the system makes it further baseless and waste of time even to report the matter. This why most ladies suffer in silence.
Raspberry from the society is yet another factor behind the silence treatment given to sexual harassment, the society is judgmental and will always find a way to exonerate the instigator and accuse the victim of feigning, In the case of Esther evil minded contributors have alluded that she’s lying and that there was no way she could turn down sexual advances in exchange for business favors from the CEO. Who said dignity is dead, where’s it written that women are there to be used as sex pets by the monied to have their ways, is sex the legal tender in the new society.
Here’s the story behind the sex scandal as narrated by Esther herself.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
This is the story of how Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi destroyed my business after #ISaidNo. In 2006, I met Mwangi through a mutual friend and he soon agreed to bring his organisation on board the Adopt A Light project by sponsoring and running an advertising campaign for the bank on 400 streetlight poles as well as High Mast structures. In fact, this act of corporate social responsibility is captured in their company records.
The campaign was supposed to be rolled out on Thika Road and Outering Road among other locations. In anticipation of this business, Adopt A Light took a facility with Equity Bank and ordered the High Mast structures from our partners in South Africa. However, the whole project was thwarted before it could take off after Mwangi made several sexual advances towards me and I categorically turned him down. He was a friendly, listening and caring partner only as long as the chase was on. Later on through changes made to our contract after the fall-out, I realized he had all intentions not to honor our agreement in case I declined his advances.
THE AFTERMATH
It didn’t take long after Equity Bank breached our agreement for Adopt A Light to be left with a massive bill to pick up. Before the matter spilled into the courts, Equity Bank hired Neptune Credit, an unlicenced debt collector whose approach to debt collection was unprofessional and not what one would expect from a bank of Equity’s stature. This was also unlawful as banks need or seek court orders before contracting the services of a debt collector. Or if they appoint one, the collector must start with the courts before taking any action. The story of how Neptune Credit harassed me and my children is captured under OB 38 of 15/4/2009 at Parklands police station. But as is pretty much the norm in Kenya, the case was closed before it started.
Mwangi only went to court for alleged debt after I won the highly compromised award (after lots of applications to deny me justice ) to try and stop the award. In spite of an IRAC report on the interest overcharge and the irregular debits, Mwangi adamantly refused to reverse the same. Even his managers realised his motives were personal and not professional because it is standard for banks to reverse proven irregular debits. This prompted me to go back and demand that the Bank pays in full what it owed my business and I have every intention of pursuing damages for destroying my company and the ensuing psychological distress.
WHY I CAME OUT
It took a lot of soul searching for me to share my experience after reaching my tipping point. It is true that Mwangi is a brilliant and talented banker, looking at what he’s achieved with the Equity brand. However, he was highly unprofessional with me.
At the time, I informed Chairman Peter Munga ( as well as other senior managers) of the happenings but he couldn’t defend me as his hands were tied. Wherever Munga is right now, he knows the truth and I hope one day he’ll stand up for me. But even if he doesn’t, I know someone will eventually vindicate me.
The society must arise and protect it’s women from the evil sex pests in the society, think of the victim as your daughter, sister, or mother, would you argue the same in the favour of the accused? These things happen and in worst situations, ends up in rape. Sexual harassment isn’t excusable in whichever way. If Esther is lying, then Mwangi should ignite a libel proceeding if it’s true he should be packing ready for a jail term.
Society must make an environment easy for women to come out and expose the ogres hiding in holier than thou suits, and you protect them today and tomorrow it’s your daughter, mother or sister they’ll be harassed because after all, utado?
Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO, James Oswago
EACC cleared the IEBC chairman Isaack Hassan of involvement in the Sh.41B Chickengate bribery scandal that saw the directors of the UK printing firm sent to jail in London. The anti-corruption body had been handed the files to prosecute the case.
Isaac Hassan, the IEBC chairman, was mentioned in the dossier alongside IEBC commissioners as being part of the syndicate. After conducting investigations, EACC, the body that coincidentally had cleared Ann Waiguru of involvement from the NYS theft only for new evidence to prove otherwise, also cleared Hassan.
IEBC CEO Oswago alongside others were found culpable, and EACC recommended the ODPP to open prosecutions against Oswago and team for having engaged in bribery schemes with the UK printing firm for the ballot papers in the run-up to the 2013 elections.
Oswago who has been missing from the public limelight since the controversial general elections resurfaced from his hiding place protesting against the decision by the EACC. Oswago argues that he is being made a sacrificial lamb while people who should take more responsibility like Isaac Hassan have been exonerated.
Pressure has been mounting from the EU who are the biggest financier of elections in Kenya on GoK to act upon the Chickengate scandal. Oswago has been running around like a headless cock screaming innocence.
In several media interviews in the past week Oswago has opened the Pandora box revealing that indeed 2013 elections were flawed and rigged in favour of jubilee. In his wild claims, Oswago says the commission he headed was compromised by powerful forces and that there was nothing he could do about it at that time, going as far as saying his life was threatened.
This is a desperate sympathy seeking plot that’s not going to work amongst able minded Kenyans. Kenyans had to drag themselves through the Supreme Court for the ultimate decision that legitimised Jubilee win. It was a bitter journey for CORD supporters who felt that their glory was snatched. For Oswago to surface from his hideout years later to allege that the election was altered is an insult to human intelligence.
If his conscience was right, he could’ve come out earlier on this exposed the matter at a previous stage. If he lacked trust on the local judicial system, Oswago had the opportunity to seek political asylum and lodge the rigging plot on an international court for a public tribunal. Coming out now is an unnecessary and damaging step.
Having said that, with the former CEO now confessing that the elections were flawed the entire IEBC as currently constituted must be demolished and reconstructed. The country is in a fragile state and can’t afford to move into another election with a suspicion body as the current. Oswago and rest of the team involved in the Chickengate scandal must carry the cross and answer to the allegations against them. Jumping out of one media station to the next is a socialite syndrome that’s not going to help him or any other accused. Let the law take the course.
