Today Friday the 24th of June controversial blogger Cyprian Nyakundi was arrested at Galleria by 12 CID officers for unclear reasons.
The blogger has a case in court against Safaricom Limited CEO BOB COLLYMORE. According to what we know, Nyakundi was tracked using a friend’s phone and automatic car number plate detector electronic system along the way.
Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi
Nyakundi was going to Galleria Shopping Mall and at the gate while taking a parking ticket he was called by someone nearby ”Sasa Nyakundi?” and he thought it was one of his followers but to his surprise, 12 CID Officers pounced on him and arrested him.
They took his MacBook and an iPhone 6, adding to the list of his gadgets being held without clear reasons at different Police Stations.
National Security Advisory Council had in a report on the cancellation of CORD’s scheduled Madaraka Day rally in Uhuru Park, alleged that the opposition was working with two neighbouring countries in a bid to stage a coup to oust the Jubilee government from power.
Emerging details points at a possibility that the Council relied on a statement that made by a University of Nairobi student, Wyclef Ouma Ochieng. On February 1st, Ouma reported to Langata DCI that Nairobi’s ODM Chairman together with Raila’s former aide, Caroli Omondi had recruited him to be trained as a militia in South Sudan.
Giving more details, Ouma revealed of a plot that Dagorreti’s MP Simba Arati, George Aladwa and Caroli Omondi were doing massive recruitment of youths especially from Universities for training in South Sudan. The young people, he says are to be trained in South Sudan with Riek Macha’s forces to form a lethal militia that will stage a coup to overthrow and install Raila as the president after 2017 elections.
Before Senior Magistrate Joyce Oluoch, Ouma, charged with giving false information to the police, implied that the ODM brigades were conspiring with Riek Machar, who has a rebellious history forcing a joint government with Salva Kiir, to being in a joint mission with ODM to overthrow the government.
The magistrate ordered for Ouma be subjected to a psychiatric checkup at Kenyatta National Hospital where he was found to be of sound mind.
Wyclif Ouma appears in a court charged with giving police false information.
The mentioned leaders, Aladwa, Caroli and Simba Arati, have since been summoned to appear before the DCI to record a statement on the allegations. They will be on Tuesday morning at eight record their statements at the DCI headquarters in Kiambu.
Summons are coming only days after Aladwa and Simba Arati led the charged CORD’s supporters in celebrating the release of their MPs charged for Inciting. The two gave a fierce address outside the Milimani Courts on Friday.
Elsewhere, the security council also pointed fingers at Odinga’s ally, Tanzania’s president, Magufuli as the other party that is working together with ODM to overthrow jubilee. These claims caused the diplomatic uproar that would later see, Tanzania envoy to Kenya embark on talks with the Statehouse. Details on his involvement still scanty. The Security Council promised a detailed report on the claims of the coup and are yet to release.
The 8 MPs when they appeared before the Milimani Law Courts
In the heights to the arrest of now FAMOUS Pangani Six, the political temperatures were hitting high grades, and hate speech taking the toll, and tribal hatred appeared to be at its peek. While the contributing factor was IEBC, which bred other scandals, incitement, hate speech overshadowed the core factor.
It all started when Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri mobilised and led a group of youths to storm a planned Rally in Nakuru to be attended by Raila. Ngunjiri in a lethal recorded address is heard calling for the immediate evacuation of Luo community from Nakuru. He argued that the Luos in Kisumu destroyed Kikuyus properties, and so the revenge was to send Luos in Kisumu away.
Before the cloud and wind winds could settle down on Ngunjiri’s inciting speech, his Jubilee counterpart Moses Kuria and Ferdinand Waititu kilometres away in Kasarani were in full gears with tribal hatred and inciting bigotry. Moses Kuria called for the assassination of CORD leader Raila Odinga as the only option to silence the problem.
Senator Boni Khalwale offers MP Ngunjiri first aid when he nearly collapsed in the court
Combatively, legislators from the CORDside, didn’t take the claims by Kuria and Ngunjiri lightly, went ahead and delivered a warning press address calling for the immediate arrest and investigations into the claims by the Jubilee MPs. Unknown to them, the call to action to the police presser is what would, later on, land them in detention for four days.
MPs Junet Mohammed, Timothy Bosire, Florence Mutua, Johnstone Muthama and Aisha Juma from the CORD side landed themselves behind bars. At the heights, demos on Kuria’s statements were reported in different parts of the country. The temperature was hostile.
Charge sheet
As hours turned into days and the MPS faced the wrath of cold nights and deplorable conditions in the cells where they were being detained. Reconciliations, real or perceived were ongoing in the cells, the MPs from the political divides made peace with themselves, and their ties became tighter.
Tales from the cells saying, the Jubilee affiliated MPs tried in vain to reach their principals, but nothing was forthcoming. They were left on their own. Using a smuggled in the phone, the CORD MPs were constantly in touch with their leader Raila.
Surprisingly, Raila talked with the Jubilee MPs, and they made peace particularly with Kuria, who had prayed for his death. It is Raila who kept talking to them giving them encouragement to brave the cold nights. Ngunjiri, Waititu and Kuria promised to visit Raila, eat together and attend peace meetings together to preach unity.
Moses Kuria and Muthama reconciled
The magic of detentions would show more during their court hearings where the MPs were later on released on bond. At one point, Ngunjiri was near to collapsing in the courts when Senator Khalwale from the CORD side and a doctor by profession swung into action, offering him emergency aid.
In a rare occasion, CORD leader was pictured shaking hands exchanging hearty emotions with Kuria and the Jubilee MPs. On learning they had secured bond and getting released, all the 8 MPs joined hands together singing solidarity songs in the court.
Moses Kuria follows the proceedings
Demos and hostile remarks have toned down if not died off ever since. The detained MPs are singing peace songs since release. The state of tranquillity is what Kenya needed most, and if it had to take detention for it to be realised, then the end justifies the means. Even though some of the charges were crafted as analysts notes.
How long will the currently enjoyed state of sanity stay? Will this be a long term or a short term effect on the politicians embarks on their full force venom utterances? Either way, lessons learnt and that unity is possible if we drop down our differences and live together in harmony. As everything calms down, we can’t forget the realities that we have IEBC to deal with as we move ahead and other matters of national interest. Decorum in addressing all these, vital.
A fight broke out between the senator and governor during a SENATE accounts committee sitting. The fierce exchange started when the senator accused governor Kidero of being a murderer. Sonko raised an issue where a businessman Hawa was forcefully evicted from his property in Ngong Road.
Sonko further revealed that Hawa’s wife was killed during the forceful eviction despite the businessman willing to pay the Sh.6M that the county government had demanded. Kidero accused Sonko for being drunk during the sitting a claim that the senator encountered,”even if i am drunk that’s none of his business.”
In the clip, Sonko is seen as being more aggressive and spoiling for a fight as fellow legislators moved in quickly to separate the two from blowing it all up. Kidero on the other hand, appears as more reserved calling Sonko his brother, at the moment the senator was spoiling for a fight.
Members of the press were thrown out during the brawl. However, an exclusive clip has emerged from one of the legislators inside. Watch to see what ensued below. Video courtesy
The political temperatures are rapidly rising, hitting high scales as the country nears the general elections set for next year August. CORD’s weekly demos that have since been called off by the opposition to give way for dialogue ended up in reported five deaths and scores of injuries including a five-year-old boy in Kisumu. The deaths are from police bullets.
The protests attracted sharp criticisms from the government and its supporters who have branded the demos as development derailleurs. In a statement that was used as a backup to cancel the demos, National Security Advisory Committee alleged that CORD was working with President Magu86fuli and Riek Machar of South Sudan to topple the Jubilee regime.
The Tanzania President was unamused by the sentiments made by the government that a delegation was dispatched to Nairobi’s statehouse to discuss on the matter. It’s in that same week that violent protests were witnessed in parts of Nyanza where police shot dead three protesters and in Nairobi’s Mathare estate a bus belonging to a woman from the President’s community was torched.
Jubilee supporters under a leadership of MPs Moses Kuria, Maina Kamanda, Dennis Waweru and Bishop Margret Wanjiru, mobilized hundreds of youths who staged a demo taking the shell and dumping it at the Prime Minister’s office in Capitol Hill, Nairobi. The tension was high when supporters of Raila stood firm guarding the premise, and the Jubilee supporters charged to storm into Raila’S office.
Maina Kamanda
The leaders issued stern warnings promising severe repercussions on CORD supporters and their leaders should they continue with ‘destructive’ demos. “We will protect our empire at all costs, don’t awaken the silent majority,” Maina Kamanda is quoted saying.
On the 11th, Saturday, Raila held a rally in Kisumu and was marred with heat. Police were forced to shoot in the air to disperse the rowdy youths who had stormed Raila’s hotel in a bid to evict him. However, the efforts were repulsed, and he went ahead with the rally.
Later on, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri led a group of weapon-wielding youths to disrupt Raila’s rally. The youths from the grapevines were bankrolled by the governor, Kinuthia Mbugua, and the Bahati MP.
The Bahati MP, in a recorded audio clip that went viral, is heard, calling for ejection of Luos from Nakuru. He argued that Luos in Kisumu destroyed their brothers(Kikuyu) hence they shouldn’t have space in Nakuru.
Elsewhere, in an estimated 60,000 crowd at Kasarani where celebrated and openly pro-Jubilee radio presenter for Kameme FM, Njogu Njuguna was celebrating his 15 years in service, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria shocked the ground. In a speech he delivered in Kikuyu since the audience was entirely from Central, Kuria called for the assassination of Raila Odinga whom he terms as the country’s biggest problem.
Loosely translated Kuria said, “they want to stage a gunman tasked to murder Raila and then put the blame on me. Raila should be careful as he can still bite the bullet.” Amidst deafening cheering from the crowd, Kuria went on, “we won’t allow ourselves to be troubled by one person forever.
He can as well bite the bullet, and we bury him next Monday. His supporters will just throw stones for one week and life continues. If it’s the war that they want, it’s that they’ll get. Tell Raila he can bite the bullet.
Interestingly, the crowd at Kasarani that was loudly cheering Kuria as he delivered the assassination speech is primarily drawn from a religious background since a man of the day Njogu hosts religious shows and brands himself a man of God. The event was publicized as a prayer rally.
In a quick rejoinder, ODM MPs held a press conference where they threatened to mobilize and stage a one million match to police HQs if by Monday police would not have arrested Kuria following his remarks.
The MPS led by Suna MP, Junet Muhammed, and Timothy Bosire. They said even CORD members won’t keep silence if they feel threatened and will stand up to defend their interest’s whichever ways.
Nairobi’s ODM Chairman George Aladwa
Another ODM affiliated leader Aladwa is under police investigations following remarks he made in Kibera that should Raila’s votes are stolen in 2017, and people will have to die. As these leaders continue to spew venomous inciting, tribal hatred, warmongering speeches, their supporters are always in the background cheering.
What this is worrying is the cheers a confirmation of endorsements of such remarks. This should worry us more than what exactly is said; they speak the hearts of the majority. For Aladwa supporters they’re okay with shedding blood should Raila be rigged out and Ngunjiri’s safe with evicting Luos and so does Kuria’s happy with the assassination of RAILA.
Levels of tolerance continue to dwindle by the day, disintegration along tribal lines heightens. Kenya learned less or nothing from the 2007/8 PEV. NCIC, which CORD has dismissed as partisan and unfair in acting on hate speech, has not adequately prosecuted a single high profile hate speech case.
The war drums are getting louder and the big two, Uhuru and Raila are maintaining a resounding silence as their attack dogs continue to keep reckless stands.
The latest, The special audit report by the Office of Auditor General under Edward Ouko, presented before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, has outlined how the Kenyan taxpayer might have lost Sh.1.9B in fraudulent deals in NYS.
The report also reveals Businesswoman Josephine Kabura, a close associate of former devolution CS Anne Waiguru as the biggest beneficiary.
Josephine Kabura received Sh1.3 billion on account of 11 companies that did business with the NYS and was to receive part of the fraudulent payment of Sh675.4 million that flopped. In her much-publicized affidavit, Kabura said she was acting and making transactions on Waiguru’s blessings whom she describes as the NYS fraud mastermind.
In the report, Ouko notes the genesis of NYS fraud started when the then NYS Director- General Nelson Githinji was replaced with Mr. Adan G Harakhe. Subsequently, instructions were issued to the director IFMIS at the National Treasury to define Mr. Aden G Harakhe as the A.I.A holder for the NYS.
Interestingly, it was during this time that Sh460.9 million of the stolen Sh791.4 million was fraudulently paid out.
In October 2015, renown whistle blower and anti-corruption crusader, the late Jacob Juma in one of his many exposing posts, revealed how former Nation FM’s Angela Angwenyi was involved in a Sh.90M fraud.
FROM HIS UNNAMED BUT HIGH VOLTAGE INTELLIGENCE, Angela had registered Out of Box Solutions a company that within 30 days, she had been fraudulently paid Sh.90M.
Reacting to the accusations, Angela, who by then had retired from the lucrative radio job with NMG, dismissed the claims citing Juma’s remarks as falsehoods.
Angela by the time used to host the morning show, SOTN alongside Jimmy Gathu on Nation FM, noticeable, she passionately defended Waiguru of any wrongdoing as NYS scandal fire blew up.
From the intel available, Angela with the blessings of Anne Waiguru via access to government procurement opportunity defrauded NYS Sh.90M.
In accordance to Juma’s intel, Mr. Samuel Odhiambo, an insider in supplies department at the devolution ministry ganged up with Angwenyi in the Sh.90M fraud.
Now, the auditor report confirms the claims by detailing how Angwenyi’s Out of the Box Solutions LTD is being investigated over a publicity contract for the planning department at an exorbitant cost of Sh. 302.46million.
From the report in Kenya Insights hands and before the parliament, Out of the Box Solutions Ltd was contracted for consultancy to give users support services and perform sensitization campaigns to 30% reservation of government procurement opportunities for the women and persons with disabilities.
Ouko’s report rubbishes off the long title aside claiming it was a vague job, and no evidence could ascertain whether the schedule of activities put out had been achieved before payments were made. “It was, therefore, possible to make payments as provided in the schedule of activities without the purpose of being delivered.
Fees ought to be based on achievements of measurable impact of the sensitization campaigns,” laid out the special audit report.
August 13, 2015, auditor general notes a suspicious payment of Sh. 90.74M to Angwenyi’s company.
Her bank got suspicious with the sudden massive transactions made through the central bank that they called Planning department to confirm if they were dealing with the right client (Angela Angwenyi).
In conclusion, Ouko’s report say, “No document was provided to confirm that indeed the beneficiary and details of the payment were meant for Out of the Box Solutions Ltd.”
We have been pitted against each other using hollow narratives and on the basis of tribe, political affiliation or social status by the 1% that continues to deprive us of a livelihood that we deserve.
It is time Politicians realized that Kenya belongs to all of us. Fear mongering between Luos and Kikuyus has always been prompted when elite Kikuyus or Luos want to reap big using their community’s name. When will Kenyans wake up?
Consider Kimani Ngunjiri the Bahati Idiot who is spewing hatred against Luos. This is why I have always told Kenyans that we have two tribes in Kenya- The poor and the rich. It is time Poor Kenyans refused to be used by nincompoops whose aim is to score political points at the expense of peace Kenyans enjoy.
Kenyans are losers because they elect people with a dark past like Ngunjiri Kimani. This Chap was recently accused of assaulting a law-enforcement officer with impunity. His gun license was later to be withdrawn after the confrontation with the lady.
What is more interesting is that the Same Mp was behind the Parliament battle where he shamelessly bit Simba Arati’s thumb. The people who voted for him are losers because the Mp has also been accused of being Uhuru’s attack dog as his constituents suffer. Sometimes you wonder whether he was voted by his people to be Uhuru’s Attack dog or deliver to his people.
All the cases mentioned above show that this is a goon masquerading as a leader. The NCIC that is headed by political rejects like Francis Ole Kaparo is toothless. Just like EACC, The nincompoops and political losers at NCIC take orders from the state house.
Photo: Mp Kimani Ngunjiri who is now wanted by the police for hate statements against Luos. The Mp was once involved in a confrontation where he assaulted a lady officer leading to his gun license withdrawal
All these Kikuyu leaders creating enmity between the Kikuyu community and Luo Community or other Kenyan communities must know that Kenyans are tired. They fear monger then loot and blame Raila. Look at the coffee sector where Old Kikuyu men plundered the industry and blamed Moi yet we all know Moi was not responsible for the collapse of the Coffee sector. The task force that was formed to come up with solutions to the ailing industry was just an avenue to loot from poor Kenyans coffers.
The enemies of the Kikuyus are fellow Kikuyus’ using Raila’s name to fear monger then Loot. Kikuyus are now the most shortchanged as they worship their tribal King Uhuru Kenyatta, who has refused to condemn the Nakuru Violence of Mungiki protests that happened in town a few days ago.
The Kenyan media has also lost it. The media should stand up with the people and preach peace after justice, but we all know that is impossible because they are busy hosting socialites as if being a socialite is an achievement. Media should also blackout petty political confrontations that may promote enmity amongst Kenyans.
We now demand that Kimani Ngunjiri be Arrested, Arraigned in court and jailed if possible. It is time revolutionary Kenyans championed for harsher laws that will deal with hatemongers like Aladwa and Kuria that was recently exposed as a hustler who goes to William Ruto begging for money instead of asking for the handouts from his master- Uhuru Kenyatta. But the Kenyatta’s won’t let any Kikuyu leader prosper, once you start having some voice and economic power, they dehorn you.
We urge President Kenyatta not to intervene as Kimani Ngunjiri faces the law even if he was speaking on his behalf. He should let his brainless barking dog face the music alone.
09 June 2015 – Peter Kenneth (PK), a 2013 General Election Presidential candidate who is thought to be yearning for the Nairobi Governorship seat has written to IEBC Chairman Isaack Hassan begging with him to vacate office.
PK urged the under-fire chairman to read the mood and know its to quit rather than keep clinging on to a losing cause.
Peter Kenneth is the latest to join the #IEBCOUT! chorus that has been speareheaded by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).
Here is the letter by PK.
An open letter to Issack Hassan IEBC Commissioners
“It’s time
It’s time for you to step down and let the country move forward, how many more people shall die, get injured, businesses destroyed?
There are serious doubts over IEBC’s ability to preside over a free election in this country, without the results being clouded with doubts.
It you have not noticed the political debate is no longer about whether you will leave but the mechanics of your exit and how to replace you.
Forget the politics; forget the protests-the ultimate truth is your exit is already a foregone conclusion. It is a matter of when not if.
Do the honourable thing. EXIT
Save the government the tear gas and the bullets; save the protesters the energy and tears and the country the pointless drama.
Do the honourable thing. EXIT
Put country first; The country is Greater.”
Peter Kenneth
The current IEBC office bearers has been under extreme quit calls from all quarters including the government.
Police putting off fire lit up by rioters in Kisumu during the demos
Weeks continue to pile and so has CORD’s anti-IEBC demos that have intensified and spread through the country. The standoff is over IEBC that the opposition wants bundled out, and the ruling party Jubilee is vowing with a clenched fist to retain.
In their stand, CORD says IEBC marred with integrity issues backdating to flawed 2013 elections that allegedly flocked with fraudulent stints. The chicken-gate scandal that has been haunting the Isaack Hassan led commission for the longest time with their UK counterparts serving jail time.
As clock ticks towards 2017 general election, the stakeholders i.e. CORD and Jubilee have resorted to standing their grounds despite calls for them to loosen up. Last week, the president had invited the CORD principals for a luncheon in the Statehouse where they are said to have discussed the contagious IEBC topic and struck a deal.
In a quick twirl, the Jubilee divide rubbished off claims by CORD that they had hit a deal. Further stirred confusion making CORD stage another demo having called it off a week earlier to give room for dialogue.
Demonstrators in Kisumu carry away body of one of their own shot dead by police
Demos staged countrywide would see a terminal end in Kisumu where two protestors were confirmed dead and scores injured. The number adds to the previous fatalities in the Luo Nyanza region to five, previously police had killed three people.
With the two parties maintaining stiff standpoints and the only persons landed baggage being the citizens who suffer casualties, a voice of tranquility is highly needed. It’s worth noting that, as it stands, the IEBC turmoil is way beyond constitutionality, reduced to supremacy and dick measuring battle.
Puffed ego between state who are determined to show the opposition who runs the show and has the muscles. The opposition who are hell bent to put the state on its toes with pressured demos until they give in.
But really, do we have to continue counting the dead bodies, shed more blood, watch mothers mourn their sons to wake up to the reality?
Shattered walls of Tumaini Supermarket in Kisumu by rioters
Historically, rough demos resulted not only in deaths but humanity deliberating policies. However, as one Martin Luther King, Jr. once put it, “violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem, and it merely creates new and more complicated ones.”
As a country we can’t solve IEBC impasse with violence and think it will solve it, we’re simply breeding more problems given the sensitive period we’re in heading to 2017. It is time as one the late Prof. George Saitoti once put it that it comes a time when the interest of the nation is more important than the individuals.
A pledge goes to the president and the opposition leader, call a cease-fire, let’s sober down, put aside our personal interest and put the nation ahead. Swallowing pride might be a hard one to swallow, but history will judge you right as having statesmanship spirit.
A demonstrator in Homabay
IEBC standoff will not go away, and apparently the commission has lost almost half of the country’s confidence given political dynamics. For a free and fair elections that will be acceptable and paramount to peace, an electoral commission must be seen trustworthy and of high integrity, something current group lacks.
As of my recent article on the IEBC topic, a political solution, as opposed to constitutional, will bail out the botheration. Now more than ever Mr. President and Rt. Hon, the country needs you, don’t allow a single drop of blood.
As I ink this, a kid in Kisumu has had a bullet removed from his back after being shot by a police officer who apparently opened fire in the residential areas. This young boy will never live a normal life, apart from trauma, his physical condition is bound to twist.
I watched the photos of the kid wreathing in pain and I didn’t like it, and I want to believe it disturbed you too. Gentlemen, swallowing your pride doesn’t equal weakness, leadership requires wisdom and knowing you hold livelihoods of many at your hands, sobriety is vital.
Rise above your egos and don’t abscond to the call of leadership and save the nation. Lastly, Swallow your pride occasionally, it doesn’t fatten.
Following prolonged and weekly anti-IEBC demos spearheaded by CORD, the coalition at last called off the protests that in the last phase turned tragic with more than five people fell by police bullets and scores injured in the countrywide demonstrations.
CORD leadership in retreating said they were giving the government side a window period to consider dialogue on the smooth transition of the electoral body. However in a quick rejoinder, legislators allied to the Jubilee party laughed off opposition’s demands saying parliament is the only deciding factor in the IEBC turmoil, this given their monopoly in parliament will provide them with a smooth sail.
Elsewhere, despite the deafening loud cries, the Isaak Hassan led commission has stood its ground vowing never to resign come Jesus or devil. In the latest pompous assertion, the IEBC chairperson said they would rather go to jail than quit; this was in line with the chicken gate scandal.
Like most of past public interest cases like that of former finance minister Kimunya who famously said he’d rather die than resign, to Waiguru, who rubbished off resignation calls, Isaack, and his team has adopted the familiar sound of standing firm despite public pressure.
Police going after a protestor during the anti IEBC demos
As history would have it, most of those who publicly defied the pressure did so just for a moment before the kitchen caught fire and they stormed out. The die is cast for Hassan and his team. However, much high and hard faced they might want the public to see.
As an electoral body, public trust and integrity are a significant factor in upholding its existence, and as things stand, IEBC doesn’t meet the threshold.
Demographically, half of the Kenya’s electorate figures given political factors that are CORD vs. Jubilee and rest who are pro-IEBC have lost trust in the electoral body. This in the spirit of public interest disqualifies the current IEBC as it is to oversee the incoming elections.
IEBC still have a corruption scandal, the chicken gate to deal with, while the corrupt counterparts I the UK are in jail surrounded by police, in Kenya the chicken gate fellows are also having police protection only that they’re inside their offices, free.
Translucently, IEBC is still under focus following the failures of the BVR kits during the last elections that was highly contested and recently according to sources, and the same tools loaned to Burundi where again the elections were allegedly marred with inconsistencies.
Adding up all these fundamental issues makes IEBC, not one of the best to go on with into the next elections. Integrity is critical and also given Kenya’s history with post-election violence blamed on skewed polling system, the country can’t afford to gamble with its existing or assumed peace.
Alternatively, away from the unending fiasco, the debate can be brought to rest with a political solution. We must agree as a constitutional body, and IEBC should only be removed within the constraints of law, but that won’t be possible given the political temperatures and legislative composition which will give one side an open upper hand.
Kenya must adopt a political solution rather than constitutional in ending the IEBC standoff.
An old lady trapped in the lethal smoke of teargas lobbied by the police during the demos in Nairobi
Synchronically, the opposition, CORD, have called off the weekly demos to give space for a dialogue a political path that should move towards untying the tight knot. Giving their demands, CORD proposed for Jubilee to nominate their choices to IEBC, and they will also do and bring in a neutral body, advising UN to oversee the incoming elections that the opposition have largely accused the government of plotting to rig. This system applied in South Africa during the post-apartheid period when Mandela came home from jail. Like a hen whose head has been cut off, Isaak Hassan and his team can jump up and down but it’s only moments before they go silent.
The story of corruption in the post independent Kenya is a long one.
Ever since attaining her independence in 1963, Kenya has suffered from widespread corruption not only in the public but in the private sector too. The ominous part of it is that the scandals have in a way or the other touched on the Presidency. This has overtime degenerated into a monster-like culture of impunity where the elite have notably whizzed their way out of obvious corruption allegations scot-free! I look back and here’s what historians have;
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the corruption founder and grand land thief
Kenya has many problems but land is capital and has always been the Elephant in the room.
All this land problems in Kenya emanate from one man – Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s 1st President after independence.
See when the white Settlers came came in Kenya, indigenous Africans were displaced and their land converted to large commercial farms. The MAUMAU led pro independence war erupted forcing the Britons to hand over power to Kenyans. Jomo Kenyatta took advantage of the confusion and awarded himself the relinquished land.
Secret papers of the late Sir Michael Blundell, the white settler leader who acted as the liaison between Kenyatta and the British government indicate that Mr. Jomo Kenyatta backstabbed his fellow war comrades and signed secret pact with the British government not to interfere with the skewed land distribution at independence. The narrative is corroborated in the secret notes of Kenya’s second vice-president, the late Joseph Murumbi, deposited at the Kenya National Archives.
The land question haunts the country to this day, an entire generation after Jomo Kenyatta’s death. That was Kenya’s foundation – Land grabbing and corruption.
Moi the Golden-berg Kingpin
In 1978 Daniel Moi took over as Kenya’s second president. During Moi’s reign, corruption was honing. Notable enough was the 1990s Goldenberg scandal and subsequent cover-ups. The Goldenberg scandal is thought to have cost Kenya the equivalent of more than 10% of the country’s annual GDP. Half-hearted inquiries that began following pressure by foreign aid donors but they never amounted to anything substantial during Moi’s presidency.
Kibaki, the man who is thought to have rigged his way to the presidency
Kenya’s third President, Mwai Kibaki, was elected on an anti-corruption platform in 2002. During his two term regime, his regime suffered several corruption scandals, some at the heart of the presidency and earlier than imagined.
We all recall in 2007, when Kibaki was declared a victor in the presidential elections amidst unending allegations of electoral manipulation and bribery involving the election officials. What followed was a historic violent turmoil causing the deaths of more than 1000 people.
I will not go into other scandals that followed suit.
Uhuru Kenyatta – The president who even knows that Kenyans are corrupt
In 2013, another regime change was beckoning and another round of presidential elections were held. This time under a new constitutional dispensation. Relative peace was experienced but again, there were further allegations of vote- rigging. Notable enough are the allegations that the Supreme Court Judges accepted bribes to rule against Uhuru Kenyattas close rival, Raila Odinga in 2013 Presidential Petition.
More than a dozen corruption scandals have dogged Uhuru’s regime. All at the heart of the presidency.
“experienced in stealing and perpetuating other crimes”
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta seems to be fully aware of this shameful and damaging statistics. His recent public rebukes say it all; During an address in Israel while on a state visit, Mr. Kenyatta himself said that Kenyans are “experienced in stealing and perpetuating other crimes” in an address during a state visit to Israel. From the speech in Israel, many argued that the president’s speech was rhetoric, and the comments were seen as an attempt to encourage Kenyans to develop their country like Israel.
In a renewed attack, this time during a burial ceremony of former MP and Assistant Minister George Ndung’u Micigi in Muranga County, Mr. Kenyatta accused Kenyan leaders of going against the wishes of their people.
This are just two instances I have selected indicating that he knows the corruption levels in a country he is leading. The worrying bit is that Mr. Kenyatta is just talking about it hence concerns that even the president is not serious about tackling corruption.
So what can be done?
The president needs to realise that he has been doing a lot of mouth service. His first term is almost over and there is still no effort that convince anyone that he is ready to swipe against corruption!
The president needs to stop talking and instead let the actions speak for themselves. Everybody is tired of the empty talk. Somebody needs to take out the vultures devouring Kenya before it too late.
The International Women’s Day was marked on 8th March 2016 under a global theme that was to push for 50-50 gender parity.
Like the rest of the world, Kenya marked the day set aside to reflect on the gains and challenges that women face. Several events were held by different organisations and persons. Social media was awash with #IWD messages in a myriad of angles. Common to all these events was the fact that Kenya is not yet there and more importantly, we are doing nothing apart from a ping pong like blame game.
The statistics
Lets face it, Kenya is struggling to meet an even smaller quota envisaged under the two-thirds gender rule.
Amongst the “Executive tire” in which there are 57 publicly listed companies with 467 Directors, only 54 Directors are women. Widening the gap even more is the fact that of the 57 firms, 23 have no women Director(s) on their board.
On the political front, where the important decisions are made, Kenya has been an eyesore. The parliamentarian women falls below the constitutionally set threshold – both elected and nominated women in the National Assembly and Senate stands at 19% and 27 % respectively.
In the region, Kenya has been overtaken by “younger states” in the region such as South Sudan and Rwanda who have all achieved gender parity. Currently Rwanda is leading globally with about 64 percent of its members of Parliament being women. South Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda have all achieved the 30 percent threshold. This means that in their Parliaments, the not more than two thirds of the same gender rule is already in effect.
What we are doing – Blaming
So far playing the blame game is what we have been doing. It is also what we seem to plan to do in the near future! It’s literally a blaming contest
While commemorating the 2016 IWD at Serena Hotel, Female executives in Kenya hipped the blame on the ‘old-boys syndrome’ Business Daily Africa. These Execs said that the male dominated boards and public entities openly included women as a sign of tokenism totally disregarding laid down criteria of seeking competent women to fill in the positions.
You also recall AG Githu Muigai and The Constitution for the Implementation of the Commission (CIC) being stoned and accused of laxity in the drafting of the Third Gender Rule law. See Video.
The CIC also blamed and accused the Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee for usurping its mandate in the implementation of the two- third gender principle. All Africa.
Everybody blaming everybody in power for reluctance in implementation of gender equity.
Women blamed for waiting to be spoon fed with freebie affirmative action posts as women.
One way to go about it is to remember that blame game doesn’t count. Nobody has an actual problem with the constitutionally entranced gender balance rule. However, the bone of contention since promulgation of the Constitution is the matrix, logistics and formula in ensuring that each House of Parliament is constituted properly.
The blame is too much. First stop blaming and genuinely work towards the realization of the dream. 50-50 gender parity is the ultimate goal remember.
The present women political representation in Kenya stands at 15 percent against Rwanda’s 56 percent, South Africa’s 42 percent, Tanzania’s 36 percent and Uganda’s 35 percent. This is an increase from 9.8 percent that was in the previous parliament. The increase is greatly attributed to the provision of the current constitution which was inaugurated in August 2010. The constitution recognizes women, youth, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities as special groups deserving constitutional protection. It also reserved seats for the 47 women representatives.
Despite the affirmative action, women participation in the 2013 polls was low. No woman was elected as senator or governor. Women in National assembly are only has 5.5 percent of the 290 seats and of 1,450 ward representatives only 88 women (6 percent) were elected. This poor performance in politics is blamed on the country’s patriarchal culture and electoral system. Politics requires an enormous outlay of social capital and the process of political capital accumulation tilts in favour of men. This has rendered women sycophants of wealthy male politicians.
Charity Ngilu left a mark when she rose to the top of political heights as the first woman in Kenya to run for presidency in 1997 polls. Running against the then seating President Daniel Moi, Ngilu finished fourth. Former president Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were also in the race that Moi won. She was a trailblazer in the sub Saharan Africa and the entire continent that is known for its corrupt ‘Big Men’. Ngilu again announced in 2011 that she would run for the country’s top job in 2013 but her name was not the ballot. In what would have been her second stab at the presidency, her ambitions were flashed out in power brokering deals prior to the elections. She supported President Uhuru Kenyatta and later served in his administration as the Cabinet Secretary for Lands but was later kicked out on graft allegations.
There are many women in the current parliament but who stands out? All are sycophants to their political party chiefs. Some were caught up in euphoria and got to parliament like that; example is Nairobi Women representative, Rachel Shebesh who has made headlines not for her good work for the electorate but alleged affair with the Nairobi senator Gideon Mbuvi. Nominated senator Joy Gwendo is another woman leader in the middle of controversies, making headlines for failing alcoblow test and spending a night at Muthaiga police station. She has been at the centre of love a triangle where friends accused her of husband snatching.
The criteria for nominations need to be reviewed, some people get party nominations into parliament not for what they stand for but how close they are with party chiefs. Joy was found guilty of disrespecting the party that nominated her to parliament, The National Alliance (TNA). She was suspended for actively supporting the opposition but that suspension was later lifted after she brought in ‘tribal’ defence. I am a believer that the best losers and people who are positively popular with the electorate should be given the first priority in nominations.
The 2/3 gender debate is still on, women still want more representation but what are they doing with what they have so far? There is intense debate with a million questions surrounding the functions and mandates of women representatives. Many have expressed their dissatisfaction with women reps due to their perceived ineptness and complacency by some. They are more of a waste to taxpayer’s money. They are not any sufficiently eloquent and compelling in articulating the issues that got them the people’s vote. Women reps are Members of Parliament and they primarily should promote the interests of women and girl child within their counties.
The same affirmative action that saw the creation of positions of women representatives also recognises the rights of women as being equal in law to men, entitled to enjoy equal opportunities in political, social and economical spheres. It is the role of women reps to lobby and advocate for the rights, freedoms and interests of the women and girl child who are perceived as a ‘weaker sex’ to lift them to the standard where they should be at par with their male counter parts. We are yet to see a women rep who is actively doing this. Just like majority of their male counter parts, they are busy enriching themselves.
It’s a pity that after over fifty years of self governance we still lack any elected woman leader who stands for something like the late laureate prize winner, Wangari Maathai did. She was a stronger environmental and political activist. In women leadership today only the First Lady Margret Kenyatta is doing a commendable job, her ‘Beyond Zero Campaign’ is touching and changing lives across the nation. It’s improving maternal and child health outcomes in Kenya.
She organises First Lady Marathon annually to raise funds towards ‘Beyond Zero’ initiative. It is also working to accelerate the implementation of national plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children. As we urge for the number to rise from the current 15 percent, the elected women leaders must be seen doing something. Women organizations like Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (Women Development Organisation) should be revamped to champion the rights of women. The organisation is deep in slumber beds.
The Jubilee Alliance Party has dealt a blow in Deputy President William Ruto’s backyard after it failed to win the Nyangores Ward by-election in Bomet County.
The win by the People’s Patriotic Party of Kenya (PPK) candidate is a blow to the Deputy President William Ruto, who has been involved in power struggles with the Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto, especially after the latter declined to support JAP.
PPK’s candidate Andrew Maritim, with the backing of Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, won with 4,853 votes against Richard Kipkorir’s (JAP) 2,314 and Benard Terer’s 56 votes, he represents CCP.
Turn out stood at 71%.
JAP is the party William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta will be seeking re-election in 2017. The leaders have been urging former members of the URP and the President’s TNA to join the new vehicle to consolidate nationwide support and boost their chances of being re-elected.
Wiper wins in Masongaleni Ward
Elsewhere in Masongaleni Ward, Wiper candidate Philip Kisangai won with 1,952, Florence Kasiku of The Independence Party (Tip) secured 1,239 votes, Muungano’s Dominic Mutote had 1,036 votes, Richard Kasyoki of CCU garnered 894 votes and LPK’s Charles Kioko trailed with 205 votes.
