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.
As corruption scandals continue to cloud institutions in Kenya and killing mega investments, the latest company to bow out of Kenyan market is Americas, One Alliance. The U.S based tobacco firm One Alliance has called off its contract with Kenyan farmers.
Following forensic auditing that was carried out by a third party audit company hired by the American firm. One Alliance says they spent Sh.180Million to investigate the fraud in their Kenyan subsidiary which revealed up to Sh.5Billion was lost in an insider fraud scam.
The company had contracted 1,000 farmers in Migori which are the region’s biggest tobacco producer to supply it with the raw product for making cigarettes. One alliance has since cancelled their contract with Kenyan farmers and now engaging Uganda for the raw material.
Migori farmers had been contracted to supply the American company with tobacco to its processing plant in Thika. “improper accounting occurred at our Kenyan entity resulting in approximately $50.8 million of discrepancies, mainly in inventory and accounts receivable that stretches back to at least 2008,” read part of the company’s statement.
Tobacco Farmer in Migori
Insider dealings as that of the One Alliance has seen many big companies in Kenya call off their contracts if not collapsing. Uchumi Supermarket is on the verge of closing their shops. Imperial, Dubai and Chase Bank were both put on receivership following dirty inner frauds.
Another South African Company, Haco Tiger under the chair of the industrialist Chris Kirubi after forensic auditing was found to be another case of insider deals.
Directors accused of manipulating their data including profits. Investor confidence is key in any venture, and the corruption state in Kenya continue to swallow many and a discouragement to many investments.
The cancellation by One Alliance now leaves British American Tobacco an upper hand as the region’s biggest buyer of Tobacco.
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.
You can’t eat your cake and have quickly challenged in African context given how the power elites for the longest time in history have been able to control the narrative and information flow in the traditional media. It has made it possible to sell garbage wrapped nicely as candy pack. Due to their tight grip on the traditional media, the African power elites have had fields day manipulating the traditional media and having their way with whichever social fraud they commit. Simple script, if it didn’t appear on the press it didn’t happen, that’s how the shots have been called.
New age media, the internet era, has completely revolutionized information dissemination and consumption sending a distress call to the big boys. Business has ceased being usual, the horse has gone wild and not even the harshest stroke seem useful in taming. The Internet has given rise to a new breed of citizen journalism with bloggers taking center stage. The ball is no longer dribbled by the traditional media alone; the bloggers are changing the game’s dynamics.
In the recent times, bloggers in Kenya have come under radar especially those deemed critical to the government and influential figures at large. In January alone about ten bloggers were arrested amongst them Cyprian Nyakundi, Yassin Juma, Patrick Safari, Judith Akolo, Eddie Illah,Robert Alia and Dikembe Disembe
The power elites in Kenya have targeted the bloggers in major clampdown specifically those critical to the system. In a well-orchestrated manner, arrests have been flying all over in a desperate bid to gag and suffocate the information flow new order pushed by the bloggers.
Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi
When a hyena wants to eat its children, it first accuses them of smelling like goats an African proverb that captures best the technique robust system adopted in dealing with the blogging menaces. The government being unhappy with the game has resorted to intimidating cards through unwarranted arrests. Section 29 of the information and communication act of misusing licensed telecommunication gadget, the same quote across all the arrested. The government has been accused by human rights watch for hiding behind this law as they pounce on bloggers.
Article 33 of the Kenyan constitution, guarantees everyone right to freedom of expression which goes further allowing them to seek, receive or impart ideas and information. It’s, therefore, selfish for the system to be impartial to the spirit of the constitution. If anything, you only worry about scrutiny of you have a lot to hide. Why would the system and power elites be concerned about citizens seeking information if they’re not doing anything dirty?
The bloggers have threatened the livelihoods of social fraudsters, big business that was initially immune to scrutiny and exposing of their company’s ills are left shivering as bloggers actively prove to be untamed. Controversial Kenyan blogger, Cyprian Nyakundi is currently jumping from one courtroom to the other thanks to legal actions against him after exposing big business like Safaricom and BIDCO Africa. Companies that were thought to be untouchable and could move with utmost ease and impunity no longer can.
Threat to national security
Clampdown on bloggers critical of the government has been read by many as an attack on the freedom of expression and ugly bid by the system to continue controlling the information flow. More than often, bloggers have been accused of posting information seen as the threat to national security, in the right appetite of a hyena eating its kids, the hyena in this case Kenyan government has painted the bloggers as biggest threats to the national security way above terrorists slaughtering Kenyans. Begging the question, are bloggers the threat to national security in Kenya? The threat to safety is the umbrella used to gain public sympathy as the elites embark on mass lashing. Priorities should be rewritten, and issues faced head on without using bloggers as an excuse. The following according to me are the biggest threats to national security.
Corruption
Terrorism as a global scale problem has mainly hit Kenya and an apparent headache to the government. Less than four weeks ago, Al Shabaab attacked Kenya Defence Force (KDF) El Adde Camp in Somalia killing an unknown number of soldiers though preliminary state figures put it at a double figure. Corruption has facilitated terror attacks to a larger extent. Movement of weapons and terrorists in and out of the borders has been blamed on corrupt officers manning the borders. Several reports including those from UN, Justice For Journalists (JFJ) point out at a possibility of high-ranking army officials entangled in illegal sugar smuggling racket and alcohol trade in Somalia, Kismayu airport with KDF notably named as a major player.
Such selfish interests at the expense of our national security are a bigger threat than bloggers and when such issues are highlighted and questioned one is quickly named threat to national safety and risks being a visitor of the state.
Extensively, corruption in public offices, denying opportunities to deserving citizens, cutting off jobs only breeds more criminals contributing to the insecurity surge.
Incompetence
Blogger and journalist Yassin Juma were arrested just moments before he could publish information exposing incompetence issues on the El Adde attack. Yassin claims he was in contact with a source who revealed to him to have provided intelligence to the relevant agencies on the impending attack on the KDF Camp weeks before they were raided. Issues as to when the information was received, preparatory measures adopted by the commanders in readiness. It’s a sacrilege even to think about questioning the competency of the army. Westgate brought into focus some competence flaws by the KDF, but when bloggers and journalists like KTN’s Mohammed Ali raised the issues, they were quickly called out and dismissed as terrorist sympathizers. A miscalculation can lead to hundreds of deaths. Incompetence in any security force is a significant threat to the national security
Blogger Robert Alai
Marginalization
Historically, marginalization of certain communities has been evident, contributing to the growth of hostile citizenship. With the sensitivity that it comes with, many have resolved to speak about it in low tones but look to kill a bedbug, and you have to use two fingers. In unity there’s power. Marginalization on conservative and religious perspectives can be blamed on the rise of insecurity in Kenya. Citizens from the North Eastern region of the country, have for decades complained of being given second class citizens compared to what they feel others are getting. Economic marginalization that has left significant parts of it impoverished can be attributed to the rise in terrorists pile up. Most of the youths that crossed over to Somalia to join the terror group have reportedly blamed their shift on unemployment with the militia promising lavish employment opportunities. While it’s morally unjustifiable, the truth is not any far.
Gagged Media
The traditional media in Kenya is having powerful forces fingerprints stamped all over it. The information control is at its all time highest. Just last month, Daily Nation fired its editor Dennis Galava for writing an article critical of the government, this step is said to have been pushed by powerful forces from above. Galava is not the only journalist to have faced the noose, and some journalists have, and there’s a cold order in the newsrooms against inking anything critical to the system. Information is power and actively informed citizenry is the biggest threat to power masters as they become exquisitely inquisitive, alert and hindering to their manipulative ways.
Being a curious society, the more system attempt to gag the media, bloggers will continue to grow as the best alternative for unfiltered news which in turn blossoms their careers. Four weeks after the El Adde attack, the government is yet to come out and give precise figures. Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab seems to have won the war on propaganda, have released their alleged casualty numbers which they put at a 100+ number. Instead of being consistent in information flow, the government resorted to gagging the bloggers yet themselves created that void by not giving information to the public who are hungry to get the finer details. While it’s ethically immoral to post photos such as that Yassin was arrested for, it’s not in any way illegal.
Flawed communication strategy
Kenyans on Twitter recently mocked President Kenyatta on #UhuruInKenya this followed concerns about his constant foreign travels. Kenyans felt he’s barely in the country. The administrative communication team came in later to give clarifications on the need for such trips and benefits to the country. This was a too much yet too late move. The team should’ve developed a strategy consistently to give the public information on most of his trips and not waiting till the bomb goes off.
During Westgate and most recently El Adde attack, the government has proven not to be engaging best of strategies in handling the crisis situations. Too much information withholding is giving space to the Al Shabaab to propel their propaganda. Constraining the information in such a times is what gets the bloggers hitting the rail, and the enemies can take advantage to sell a spade as a big spoon. The Clear communication strategy will go a long way in fighting the war on terror.
Intimidation
Out of ten bloggers arrested, only one would eventually face charges. Most are arrested, held illegally in custody for days before being released without single charge pressed. This is a clear blueprint of intimidation on bloggers to tame their mouths but has worked the other way round. Blogger Nyakundi, who was arrested and released, after two days without any charges against him, says,”these moves are intimidating theatrics put out to try and gag the bloggers. I was asked why I’m always attacking the government and about my accomplices, this is unacceptable, we’re in a democratic country where everyone is free to support any political agenda.” Similarly, Yassin Juma was released without any charge pressed against him, and that has been the case for Robert Alai, Dikembe Disembe, Patrick Safari and the rest. The fact that no charge gets to be pressed against them is a clear indication that there’s no crime committed and the intentions for arrests are only to play scare tactic role.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery
Own up
One of the greatest minds in humanity, Aristotle said,”to avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing” Jubilee government holding the throne, must look forward to criticism. While they’re going for the bloggers as the threat to national security, real terrorists are taking advantage to restructure themselves. Criticism doesn’t equate to being unpatriotic but rather shows one’s love and concern for the country and only pointing out loopholes for the betterment. Going for bloggers and tolerating economic terrorists, corruption cartels milking the country dry is equivalent to punching the air blindly while the enemy was strategizing cocking the gun behind you.
If you can’t beat them
As Kenya moves closer to 2017 general elections, the bloggers will have let role in information flow. Coming from a violent election and memories still clear of 2007/08, the country is vulnerable. Only those with a lot to hide are threatened by the bloggers, the government or the power elites shouldn’t be worried if all their dealings are stainless. The media has the jurisdiction of being the public’s watchdog, and if it fails to play the mandate, bloggers are restructuring the game and playing that role.
Public offices and power holders must be open to scrutiny and lethal criticism. They must be put into accountability. Fighting bloggers by painting them as the threat to national security with unconstitutional charges is uncouth and backward. To completely tame the bloggers as they are deemed enemies of the state, run a clean system this, in turn, will deny fodder to the bloggers who’re now increasingly watchful. Arresting and intimidating the bloggers has proved to be ineffective and only working as a rating booster for the bloggers. The game has completely changed, and the business as usual syndrome showed the door.
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.
It all started on the 13th of October. I went to the bank only to find a notice attached to the door stating the bank is currently under receivership. At first, I thought it was probably wind up as only a month before did I fix a deposit with the bank. I have worked for no less than 35 years of my life through so many ups and downs. But none comes close to what I felt on the day that I saw the bank being placed under receivership.
A receivership in other regions of the world usually bodes well for the depositors and creditors but ‘this is Kenya’ was the first thing that struck my mind. I felt like collapsing. My family, my kids hard earnt money is locked up in IBL. What was I going to say to them? Most people have limited or no faith in the Kenyan judicial system. Justice in Kenya is something that has never been easy to achieve, in most cases it’s nonexistent. Most of my friends from around the world thought I was crazy in investing in Kenya.
At the time, I disagreed with them and went ahead to give my family a stable life. For some people like the shareholders, they deal in billions. I don’t expect even to come close to those figures in my lifetime. I was happy with what I had. God had blessed me and helped me achieve what others might deem to be nothing.
My family to this day is torn over what the Kenya’s central bank’s governor will decide in regards to the fate of our locked deposits and funds. We are simple people. We are old. We invested our money
We have never taken a cent from anyone. We spent our money to help us reach our goal which was to eventually have enough to get one house for our family. Everything has been taken away from us and all other innocent depositors in an instant. We were grateful when we got the first Sh.1M released to us, but that’s just a small portion compared to what we had in the bank. Is it right that we work so hard in our life for years only to have our money frozen away from us without any form of access to it?
We paid our taxes, obeyed his law. We always believed that the laws are there to protect us. Were we wrong? Worked hard. Saved money for old age, for giving our family a headstart only to
Imperial Bank Offices
Then get robbed. I recall the president of Kenya saying no depositor will lose a penny. That all will be fully reimbursed was he only referring to chase bank? Are imperial bank customers not people? Why isolate us? We are all people created by God. We shouldn’t be discriminating people based on their caste or nationality or color.
We, depositors, feel as if we are being discriminated against. Only three weeks to go until we learn of the way forward. Only three weeks to go until we learn of the way forward. But do you think it would be fair to announce a way forward without giving us access to at least a substantial amount of money to keep businesses, family, bills amongst other stuff going?
What have we done to deserve to wait for eight months without any meaningful access to our money? DR NJOROGE I know you know the world is following the IBL case with a keen eye but please don’t just focus on turning this into criminal proceedings that will drag on while we depositors are left to suffer. We did our part.
We fulfill all our responsibilities to the Kenyan government. We trusted the regulator to be able to sniff anything that was about to go wrong before it caused severe damage to depositors. We feel that we have been failed. We depositors are not to blame for any of this but for some reason, we are getting punished the most.
At times, I feel that you are more focused on other stuff rather than the depositors , the people that matter. Why are we depositors getting punished? Why do we feel that we are being blamed for their shareholders lack of cooperation towards CBK?
Imperial Bank board chairman Alnashir Popat is overcome with emotions during a briefing
You said you were raised up to help people. Why don’t you help us IBL depositors? We ain’t asking for anything more other than what belongs to us. Losing even 10% of our money could take more than a year or 2 to claw back. We have suffered enough. Days are getting tougher, times getting slower. It’s the month of Ramadhan. We can’t even afford to pay zakat to our old folks. People that have been dependent on us for decades. What do we say to them? We don’t know what to think anymore. Who in all of this truly wants to help us?
Who in all of this truly wants to help us? We hope it’s you Njoroge but until the end of June we won’t know. Please put yourself in our shoes just for a day and then tell us how you would have felt both mentally and emotionally. Is it right that thousands are made to suffer due to a problem that’s outside their control? We expected CBK to be cracking down on rogue bankers.
Imperial Bank Depositors demonstrating in Nairobi
Mistakes can happen and it might have slipped through their watch by accident or they might have been involved or shareholders planned everything step by step including the limiting of evidence to avoid being found guilty. Our question is how is this of any help to us? We are still suffering. The statements being released by shareholders, the media are not helping. If anything it deepens our pain even more… if you want Kenya to be great, Njoroge start by sympathizing with us.
Start by giving us access to our hard earned money. Start by ensuring we all get our money back in full if possible. But please don’t make us wait anymore than what we have been asked to wait so far. We will wait till end of June but we can’t help but fear that in Kenya people’s hope are built up only to then get crashed down. Please give us access to what was ours. Don’t punish us for the regulator and shareholders disagreements.
Burundi has been flanked with controversies and conflicts in the past months since and before the disputed re-elections of President Nkurunzinza. As democratic levels hit red signals with the opposition landed wrath, living standards continue to dwindle given the instability with few or no job opportunities to accommodate the swelling job seeking population.
Gulf nations as Saudi Arabia, world’s biggest oil exporters are preying on poor countries seeking cheap human labor that’s why countries as Kenya, Burundi, and Ethiopia amongst other African countries also Latin America are their softest targets.
Despite deplorable working conditions and torturing reported in the Gulf states, workers continue to stream in thanks to the recruiting agencies who have mastered the art. Ethiopia becomes the latest to send mass population to Saudi Arabia with an initial batch of 160,000 released to work in Saudi Arabia.
Nkurunzinza of Burundi said to be sending 120,000 to unspecified Gulf nation highly suspected to be Oman and Saudi Arabia. Kenya, on the other hand, continues to send its citizens to these toxic environments. Uganda has stopped issuing travel permits for its nationals traveling to Saudi Arabia for domestic jobs.
A lobby group in Burundi, led by Pacifique Nininahazwe, Forum for Conscious Awareness, known by its French acronym, Focode, has been monitoring human trafficking trend in Burundi and is raising an alarm on the growing trend. FOCODE say a locally registered company Salah Al-Dhafeeri is brokering the operation of sending hundreds of young women to Saudi Arabia.
The collaboration is done together with government officials who have their cut off every head smuggled out and also with Airlines.
According to FOCODE, the situation is so bad that’s an estimated number of 300 plus women are trafficked weekly to Saudi Arabia alone.
In a report estimated 300 children were smuggled to Saudi Arabia and Oman since April 2016. Most of these women ended up as sex slaves and subjected to pathetic working environments where they serve as domestic workers.
FOCODE is pointing arrows at Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines as the airlines of choice by the traffickers, “12 girls were flown this morning on flight KQ 448 of Kenya Airlines, and they went to Oman.” Noted FOCODE leader, Pacifique. “Nine girls come from boarding the flight 806 of Ethiopian Airlines, they will in Saudi Arabia” he added.
#Burundi #HumanTrafficking Dans moins d'une demie heure, le vol ET 806 d'Ethiopian Airlines à destination d'Addis-Abeba…
The lobby group goes further to petition the airlines mentioned to take note of passengers booked for traveling to either of Gulf Nations in a bid to help curb the increasing menace of human trafficking. The syndicate they allege extends to government officials, recruiting agencies and airlines officials. Most of the women travel with falsified documents, FOCODE notes.
Going by police reports a shooting incident that led to the death of Jacob Juma occurred on the 5th day of May 2016 at about 8.30pm along Ngong Road at the interchange just after Lenana High School. Contradicting sharply, locals refute police claims of shooting saying no gun sounds were heard at the said times.
Circumstances surrounding the death have been a solid script to decipher. Analysis both done by this writer and other analysts have all pointed in the same direction that the deceased was killed elsewhere and body planted at the staged crime scene.
An anonymous source confided in me that Juma had been poisoned and had collapsed by the time the killers got to him. While the information given were scanty, I embarked on trailing the last moments which perhaps have the biggest clues on exactly what might have happened.
Casket bearing the remains of JJ taken away after Requiem mass in Nairobi
On several occasions, Juma boasted to his friends and oozed confidence in his life given the fact that he had an armored car. Knowing he was a target, he was cautious enough. Getting to him in his armored car was a twisted puzzle for his assassins; this meant a different plot was hatched.
“Juma knew his death was coming, what he didn’t know is they’d use a woman to get at him.” Said one source.
If at all this theory was to be true then how did it happen? From the police report, Juma was last seen in the company of a young lady now revealed as Cheryl Kitonga, and he drove her to town after a meeting with her in his Rose Apartments along Brookside Drive in Westlands.
Time frames that are given by the police differs with the records at the apartments gate which say, JJ in company of Cheryl left at 7.45pm, Police through Automated Number Plate Recognition(ANPR) cameras captures Juma opposite Westlands Bus Terminus driving along Waiyaki Way driving towards CBD at 7.34pm, at this moment Cheryl is on the passenger seat.
Juma’s car captured on CCTV
At 7.36, Juma is captured near Villa Rosa along Waiyaki Way driving towards Uhuru Highway. At 7.38pm, he’s seen near Ministry of Tourism offices at Kenyatta/Uhuru highway driving towards Mombasa Road. At 7.53pm, JJ is captured at Uhuru Highway near Central Park and at 7.55pm he’s seen at Nyerere Road near Children’s Traffic Park, along Nyerere Road towards Kenyatta Avenue.
Worthy of noting, Cheryl Kitonga said she was dropped at Trattoria in the CBD by Juma at 7.50pm. Surprisingly, despite having nearly ten cameras in that area, no footage of Juma dropping Cheryl can be retrieved. On being questioned, DCI Muhoro blatantly said the camera goes off at times on certain occasions.
Whether indeed the lady was dropped at Trattoria or not or any incidence that might have ensued in the area is unclear since there’s no footage made available to ascertain or refute. Cheryl Kitonga according to police report together with Jacob Juma left his Brookside Apartment at 7.45pm she says he dropped her at Trattoria at 7.50pm that’s five minutes from Westlands to town and that she was home in South B at 8.12PM that’s 22minutes.
Cheryl Kitonga
Many have found it hard to swallow the timelines given the nature of Nairobi traffic and on the prime times.
Last moment of Juma on CCTV is captured at 8.14pm at Argwings Kodhek Road, along Argwings Kodhek Road; this is near Yaya Centre towards Ole Odume Road. What follows is a dark world, no clip of JJ is captured. Where he went next, whom he met next is unclear.
According to Juma’s wife, the deceased never used Ngong Road but Langata when going home cropping possibilities that he was driving to meet someone but not going home.
The source who didn’t want to be mentioned in this publication says a woman poisoned Jacob with a drug that takes minutes or hours to take effect. “JJ collapsed in his car; that’s why his back window was smashed to gain entry.” Reads the anonymous mail sent to Kenya Insight.
The inside of JJ car
The letter further reads and reveals more, “The car was towed with Jacob inside it, unconscious body shot at, and his left hand hit to near dismemberment to make it look like there was a scuffle, the body was then returned inside the car, buckled and towed to the scene.” The mail ends with “Good luck and doesn’t write back.”
The towing of the car with Juma’s body coincides with an initial rumor that body of Juma was towed to Karen police inside his vehicle. During the postmortem done at Lee Funeral home, bandages were found on Juma’s body in what looks like someone was trying to stop the bleeding. How could this have possibly happened? Several theories can be drawn.
If indeed Juma was poisoned and was unconscious in the car when the killers pounced, then they would’ve come in a medic unit acting on distress call full with first aid kits. Smashed the window to ‘help’ the collapsed man trapped inside, this to keep public’s curiosity swayed. His unconscious body moved out, shot at and taken back with the bandages still on.
Raila and friends viewing the body of JJ at Lee Funeral Home
Juma’s body had seven bullets with the killing bullet going through his chest. Police said an AK47 rifle was used to execute Juma. No impact on his car would justify narrative that he was killed inside his vehicle giving more strength to the theory that he was murdered elsewhere. There’s even a possibility that Juma had died in his car from the poisoning and that shooting was just a smoke screen to avoid blood tests which would complicate and implicate killers.
If Juma was trapped and poisoned by a woman then who would that woman be? From my sources, police are questioning a good number of women in this view. If the family preserved body fluid and tissue samples for forensic scrutiny, then the poisoning theory can be pursued if not then it dies at that.
Juma’s car packed at the police station
Where did Jacob head to after Yaya Center where CCTV locates him driving along Argwings Kodhek? It’s unclear; he goes into the dark, the next time he surfaces his body is lying there bullet-riddled and around Lenana School. However, what’s clearer is JJ is last captured on camera at Yaya Center around 8.14pm and the next thing his body recovered at 8.30pm according to the police
Kenyan music industry was at its best between the year two thousand and the year two thousand and five. Leading recording labels were churning out proper hits one after the other, competition was stiff, healthy and beef was real. Unlike now that artists bash each other on social media on dubious grounds just to get more likes for hating. Back then secular was doing better than what is now called ‘gospel’. Secular artists who would make it to the A-list left the country at the prime of their career, junky promoters and brokers checked in killing the game and opened the market for foreign content. That’s how secular music went down and left for a few cartels that are the producers, the promoters, the artists and at the same time sit on collecting management organization boards (CMOs).
Gospel struggled through tough times and became the best with artists getting shows, Djs and Radio/TV gospel shows playing over 90% local content. It became so lucrative that some secular artists crossed over just to realize the business side of their struggling career or talent but the winds of change are blowing in a bad crop of individuals for the gospel fraternity. Units have been formed by key gospel Deejays and social media big wigs and only play records from artists signed to their units or close to them. One such unit is Dj Mo’s system Unit which has producers and artists such as Hopekid, Bahati, Willy Paul and many more signed to it. Dj Mo formed the unit together with Dj Sadic who later left to form Genius Entertainment; their styles of operations are more or less the same. These units literally control what Kenyans will consume given the fact that they own the major gospel shows.
Willy Paul
It is reported that rapper Ecko Dydda’s music is now not getting airplay because he lost his friendship with the System Units C.E.O, Dj Mo. Established and upcoming artistes now have to be affiliated to these Units to have their songs played. A trend that is only benefiting their groupies and sycophants. This killing the game, people need to stick to their day jobs, Dj stick to your ones and twos, artistes stick to singing and performing. These days Djs are the producers, the promoters and the presenters at the same time. Monopoly is bad and dictatorial.
These units have in fact moved to controlling awards. Celebrated Groove Awards which is the biggest gospel music awards in the region meant to fete its players will soon have its good days behind. Djs from the said Units have never missed in any nomination list even when they are not at the top of their game, DJ Mo and Sadic will always be nominated and they are always the key Djs spinning at the ceremony. Their influence does not stop here; these units have a strong base in corporate world too, even in secular functions. Some events have a secular desk and another for gospel desk for Dj Mo.
DJ Krowbar
Lack of proper laws in place in place is blamed on the amazing prevalence of cartels, CMOs (Collecting Management Organizations) MCSK, PRISK and KAMP make another strong ring of cartels. Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) have a duty to collect royalties and distribute to its registered members. The organization has for a long time been accused of not paying its members. Celebrated gospel artiste Ringtone once had an issue with MCSK, accusing them of enriching themselves when musicians languish in poverty.
Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) whose role is to collect mechanical rights of production is accused of double pay. Producers charge artistes for production and when the song performs well they still line up to ‘eat’ from the artistes in the name of mechanical rights. Many artistes are in disagreement with this and some producers also claim that this money is collected but it never reaches them. Only a few producers like R Kay rip big from this because they sit on the board or their friends do. Individuals like these are bad for the industry, the same people coming in different names to confuse and steal from the artistes at every stage. Music is a big industry that has the potential of employing many youths but that only be realized if cartels are done away with and sanity brought in.
DJ Mo and his wife Size 8
Brokers steal from unsuspecting artistes. Liberty Afrika for instance is known for exploiting artistes. Celebrated gospel singer Eunice Njeri has come out clean to reveal that she made millions on skiza but cannot receive her returns because Liberty Afrika claims to own her music. It’s clear cartels are killing the gospel music but who of the industry players has the secret to putting the crucial pieces of this puzzle together?
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.
It would’ve easily passed the public’s eye the legislation banning ordinary citizens from having armored cars were it not for Jacob Juma who on his Twitter feed rushed to accuse his enemy DP Ruto as the mastermind and sponsor of the bill.
He sensationally stated that the legislation was done with him in mind since he was an elimination target and was driving around in an armored car.
With his boastful nature, Jacob didn’t hide it from anyone that his vehicle was armored, Cheryl Kitonga the last lady he was seen with and who claims it was their first meeting, in a recorded phone call confessed that Jacob had told her his car was armored.
Some his friends that have contacted Kenya Insights say Jacob felt safe in his vehicle, there was no way anyone would get to him since he was aware many were baying for his blood and more so the state that he kept pointing fingers at.
He perfectly painted a picture of an immortal being, and a fly couldn’t even land on him. Fetched from his public chest thumping and exultant talks with his peers and associates. Despite all these, he was caught off guard and killed.
Concerned about his safety, close friends including one who talked on anonymity conditions to us, warned JJ and advised him to boost his security. Jacob had earlier in the week called on CORD’s Moses Wetangula where they met at a restaurant in Karen, he confided to him on his assassination plot. Apparently, he had gotten wind of plans to take him out.
His wife, Miriam also said he had expressed to her his fears of being killed. However, despite all these red signs and beseech from his friends, JJ didn’t change much.
According to confidants Jacob never had with him any security detail, he was a one army man. Trusted no one except his taxi driver who we learn tripled as his errand boy, a close confidant and a friend for many years.
He walked around with his licensed gun wherever he went and once in a whole would show it off to his friends at sometimes his concubines. “He never allowed anyone in his car, and he told me it was out of my security as he was a target” a source intimates to Kenya Insights.
Being cautious, Jacob always drove himself, and he didn’t have a driver a fact that his wife Miriam affirms. With his armored Mercedes Benz and a gun on his hip, JJ felt safe.
Shattered windows of JJ’s Car
Singly, on the day that he got killed, Jacob did not have his gun with him. From sources, he had just renewed his license two weeks before. This was unusual for him as the friends say. The only explanation would be death beckoned. When the police found his body, he had with him the gun license. Regulations require a holder to have the license with him whenever you have the gun.
The gun has since been handed over to the police. According to an anonymous publication doing rounds in the social media secret groups, a close associate of Juma is enjoying round the clock security with lethal commandos drawn from Israeli special forces since he’s also a target.
Many have questioned as to why he couldn’t have assigned one of his guards to him. Going back to earlier confessions, JJ didn’t want any security detail. He didn’t have his gun with him at the time of his murder, and he was totally unarmed.
Following Monday’s IEBC protests that CORD staged countrywide, and that turned murderous with police accused of turning brutal against peaceful demonstrators. According to confirmed reports with grapevines having bigger numbers, a total of three people were shot dead by the police with scores hospitalized with serious injuries.
In what apparently seemed like an order from above, the officers dispersed the crowds using live bullets as opposed to teargas and water cannons that they’ve been using in the past protests leaving to the bloodbath.
In what would be read as a grave warning to the relentless opposition, the police applied ultimate force in containing the situation. The brutality got to the extreme that the silent foreign envoy and human rights lobby groups came out of their mansions to condemn the government for using force.
US ambassador, Goddec, led in calling for a quick solution condemning the brutal police force on citizens.
Despite video evidence showing protestors staging peaceful demos before the police disrupting with teargas and live bullets, the police insisted most of the protestors were violent forcing them to use live ammunition.
The cops being received by CS and Police IG at the Wilson Airport
In a bid to justify the killings in Nyanza, the police did what has now lived to become the biggest muff of the decade, decided to airlift ‘injured’ officers from Kisumu to Nairobi for specialized treatment.
Undoubtedly, the event was given maximum publicity with senior security officers from Permanent Secretary to Police IG being on standby at the Wilson airport to receive the injured police officers. All media houses were giving up to the second updates, government social media accounts giving up to microseconds update, the hashtag commandos were pushing the injured cops hashtags, shedding all tears in the world.
Meanwhile, photos from Kisumu Airport where the injured officers were to board their choppers, showed a different story, the officers seemed okay with bandages to their arms to signify slight injuries if there were any.
A journalist covering the event from Kisumu Airport pointed how comical it was to watch one officer who was limping to the chopper then suddenly remembered he had left his luggage behind, dashed off as fit as a fiddle before coming back limping.
The hawkeyed Kenyans on social media sensed foul play pointing out blunders. Most of the injured officers were seniors in the ranks, traditionally in violent situations; the senior officers wouldn’t take front lead exposing them to danger.
Nearly all of them were injured to the arms and specifically to the left, a coincidence that threw all eyebrows up the forehead. Officers who were pictured walking to the choppers by themselves in Kisumu on reaching Wilson now couldn’t walk by themselves, had to be helped and taken away in stretchers. All red flags.
Instead of taking the officers to the Forces Memorial where injured officers are treated or even Kenyatta Hospital the government’s facility, they were taken to a down small hospital in Nairobi West; some commentators even called it a brothel hospital whatever that is.
The thing here is, this was a misguided propaganda meant to gain public sympathy and justify the brutality and killings of the police an issue that was piling pressure on the state from local and foreign bodies.
However, this move that would also be read as a justification for police brutality on citizens shortly acted in the opposite by humiliating the police force which before the public should be seen as immortal and robust enough to protect them.
Now here we saw brutalized police who were now overpowered by civilians with rungus and stones yet the police had guns. The police in this move came out as overwhelmed by the demonstrating civilians. It would also expose the police for future assaults should any protest arise.
The desperate measure led to even a hopeless situation, and now we have a weak police force before the face of the world which isn’t the case. If the officers were indeed injured Jaramogi referral hospital in Kisumu or Eldoret, have the capacity to handle such. Using the police to score political points is misguided and ended up deflating the police muscles before the public eye. A deadpan propaganda gaffe.
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.
Cheryl Kitonga a name that has now on everyone’s mouth Thanks to her feature on KTN’s investigative piece Jicho Pevu into the murder of slain business person Jacob Juma. The lady kept anonymous in the released police report as the last person Jacob was last seen with, would later have her identity revealed on national TV.
The move to show her face as expected drew fierce criticism mostly from the growing number of feminists with many lashing at the Jicho Pevu’s host Moha for not respecting the lady’s privacy rights by going ahead to reveal her face.
From an investigative angle, Cheryl being the last person Jacob was seen with before his bullet-riddled body would later be found just a few hours after the two had departed each other, makes her an outstanding person of interest.
Controversies surround circumstances under how and where the two left each other. Cheryl on a recorded phone call says Jacob dropped him off at Trattoria restaurant in CBD, and the intriguing part is, regardless of having about ten cameras roaming the area, no CCTV footage could be retrieved from this field putting into many questions what transpired there.
Without CCTV footage owing to nonfunctional cameras as DCI Muhoro told journalists to mean that only Juma and Cheryl, who knew where he went next after dropping her and whom he met. Jacob’s next steps after Trattoria if at all he got there since no proof would be where his killers trapped him.
From the circumstances, several observations have strengthened the theory that Jacob was kidnapped, tortured to death and body planted at the scene.
On a speculative angle, could it have been possible that Cheryl saw the killers or the people that took him away? Inconsistencies between Cheryl testimony and police report raises more than enough questions.
Cheryl Kitonga according to police report together with Jacob Juma left his Brookside Apartment at 7.45pm she says he dropped her at Trattoria at 7.50pm that’s five minutes from Westlands to town and that she was home in South B at 8.12PM that’s 22minutes.
Many people have dismissed the possibility of this happening, given the nature of Nairobi jams and being a Thursday a busy day and peak hours and worse still the rainy day that it was nearly impossible to cut through the traffic in such short times.
Moreover, According to Brookside Penthouse gate records, Jacob Juma and Cheryl left the apartment at 7.45pm, Police report say at 7.34pm was driving along Waiyaki Way begging the question who was lying the police or the gatekeepers records.
With these glaring loopholes and inconsistent chronology, the young lady being the one last seen with Juma is a primary person of interest in the case.
From the call recording that was made by Juma’s taxi driver, Cheryl can be heard in a shaky terrified voice. Could it be possible that the lady saw the people who took Juma away and threatened her against ever talking to anyone about what she witnessed or she was just terrified for this secret of the cross-generational affair with Juma being exposed to the media? How? Didn’t she know the call was being recorded and would end up in the press?
There’s a general belief amongst investigative journalist’s I’ve conversed with that the young lady would’ve knowingly or unknowingly led Jacob to his killers a theory that is yet to be proven but one thing for sure is the girl is the last person Juma was seen with.
In a confession made to Jicho Pevu investigating hit squads time back, one of the elite hit men confessed that at times they use females or close persons to the target in luring them into their trap before they take them out. While this couldn’t be the case in JJ case, possibilities can’t be out ruled.
In the instance Cheryl saw something or someone taking away Jacob or meeting with, making her a resourceful person in identifying the killers, puts her life in danger, these people wouldn’t at all want to leave any traces to them.
They then would try by all means find this lady and shut her mouth and what another sure way than killing her before she reveals anything to anyone.
The fact that in the police report she was put anonymous would be advantageous to the killers in the sense that they would quickly take her out without being linked to JJ murder after all nobody in the public would know of her link to Jacob.
By making her face public, Jicho Pevu saved Cheryl’s life in that it scared away the killers or any person of interest from reaching her. The choice was turf, but had to be made, she was to undergo psychological torture, but that’s not a big price to pay for your life. Cheryl will perhaps one day live to appreciate this, or maybe she already does.
High voltage intelligence reaching me….goes Jacob Juma’s springboard lines before he dropped his endless yet explosive missiles exposing a scandal. Little known to the general public yet a familiar figure amongst the business and elite class of the society, JJ as he was referred to amongst his peers sprung into the public limelight with his new cap as an anti-corruption crusader.
Jacob Juma aka Kabetes a name that would later become famous amongst social media users and a nightmare to the intelligence agencies, was his breakthrough, in his boastful, egocentric and fierce nature, his tweets would perfectly reveal his face, Kabetes was taking on anyone with the least care. Nobody was too big to be squeezed neither too small to step on, like a disastrous flood, when he hit nobody was safe neither untouchable.
His ruthless delivery made him a person to watch and outstanding. His popularity elevated over time given these factors.
Coming from a high-end business world, Jacob had made more than enough enemies with many describing his business nature as controversial, a factor that would stay on lips and prints past his death.
The car Juma’s body was found in
Kabetes painted an immortal figure before the public, a billionaire with best of security in the world and immense connection to trap any ill-intentioned person in the world before they would hit him. And again he seemed fearless or feigned it.
In one of his impulsive tweets, he’s quoted throwing jabs at the Jubilee administration swearing his courageous stand on fighting corruption despite assassination threats imminent against him.
By taking a big stand fighting corruption, Jacob Juma knew the dangers posed, taking on the cartels was a thorny path that he took knowing one miss calculations in his steps and his down to an injurious end.
Inadvertent, Jacob took the dangerous route taking on the crocodile by its lethal teeth. Jacob came out wild, a bruised animal, armed to the teeth, this was after his company Cortec had its mining license revoked by the Jubilee administration.
He would later, come out and accuse the then mining minister, Najib Balala asking him for bribes and that he was working for Ruto, a once good friend now a powerful person in the government and turned a sworn enemy. Like a jail filled to the brim, Jacob wasn’t taking in any more inmate, and sleeves folded he went all in.
On May 5th True to his predictions, Jacob Juma was fell by mysterious gunmen who according to the police laid an ambush on him as he was headed home around Lenana School along Ngong Road. The life of a man who made a name for being too vocal on matters corruption had in seven bullets taken away. The major issue that would follow after is who killed rather ordered for the murder of JJ.
Conventionally, several theories cropped up with media tactfully pointing the general finger at his dubious business deals which dominated headlines since day one. From my highly placed sources, I can authoritatively say Jacob Juma’s murder had nothing to do with this angle; he made enemies with the businesspersons a fact, but they didn’t touch him.
Brian Yongo, the last of businesspeople, publicly reported to have been involved in court tussles with late was a business partner with JJ whom they date back with from 1997 and fell out in 2012 in a Sh.400m land fraud matter.
Yongo sent Juma threatening messages, and he was taken to Kiambu Law Courts to answer on the charges Juma pressed on him.
December 2015, Juma again reported Yongo to the police for sending him life threatening messages and hiring a gang that was at his gate ready to execute him. Unknown to the public according to police reports from my sources, Juma had impregnated Yongo’s wife a reason he was after his life.
According to one of Jacob Juma’s close friends talking to me, his biggest sin was taking the government head on. “He decided to go all in fighting the government, something he was not going to win also the corruption cartel, the link is too vast to win over, he touched the nerve, and these people were going to fight back.” He tells me.
During Juma’s requiem mass, Raila Odinga also a friend to the slain is quoted saying “we all knew Jacob was going to be taken away at one point, he took a daring position, courageous for a man his age, and he was killed by the state and the inner state.”
Elsewhere Raila repeatedly mentioned Kwekwe, a lethal elite police squad that according to police has been disbanded as the one tasked to kill Juma. Security minister Nkaissery refuted these allegations reiterating that such a unit doesn’t exist.
In narrowing down to who indeed killed Jacob Juma one simply need to narrow down to the most vocal positions that he took. According to journalist Nyambega of Daily Nation, Jacob Juma in the run up to his death wasn’t well off financially and that he was a talking proxy of a powerful and influential figure in the bigger cartel.
An authoritative source in the state confided in me that the state is committed to dismantling the cartel that is deeply rooted in the system, “these people are everywhere from Statehouse to the courts to the police name it, but the president is committed to bringing it down a step at a time.”
Mr. High voltage intelligence had the financial muscle to get intelligence from any part of the system even before it would reach the government. Juma had his nose everywhere, and this proved as a nightmare to the corruption cartel.
Himself having been deep in the system and now ‘reformed’ Juma had a lot of information on these guys and would use it against them on any tackle.
Juma’s weakness or strength was the loud mouth. He was unstoppable; he had a lot of secrets in the state and the corruption ring, and nothing, not even death would scare him off.
He made life unbearable for the ring; it was no longer business as usual. Any dirt that he had was on his tweets the next minute. Eurobond which is his biggest task and that he committed his blood on exposing and about Sh10Bn supposedly missing. JJ ensured the looters didn’t have a healthy mealtime. Creating larger enemies who want to eat undisturbed.
While the police are still continuing with their investigations, chief suspects on Jacob Juma’s death have been narrowed down to either the state committed to dismantling the long corruption cartel that has been a thorn in the flesh. Or the crime ring that has its feet in every sector of the economy and Jacob Juma was blocking their ways by constantly exposing their secrets, and he was an unstoppable and only way to silence him through bullets.
Women can be as determined and ambitious and career driven as their male counterparts, but it is their different perspective on life that’s been the detriment to their success.
“I am a woman, a mother, and a wife.” Women will-will blubber in almost all conversations revolving around the debate for equality and gender balance.
This morning, compelled by the raging debate in parts of social media and our very own National Parliament, I “googled” what Gender Equality means:
“Gender equality, also known as sex equality, gender egalitarianism, sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the view that both men and women should receive equal treatment and not be discriminated against based on their gender.”
I again inferred from my good friends, GOOGLE, what they would mean by “equal”:
<- >Being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value. <- >(Of people) having the same status, rights, or opportunities. <- >Uniform in application or effect; without discrimination on any grounds. <- >Evenly or relatively balanced.
Whether the 2/3 gender rule is legally binding for us as a people and a country whose Constitution in Article 27 (3) states that women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres I cannot tell.
Of course, the society we live in hasn’t demonstrated this.
Take for instance a case of a seven-year-old boy falling and he’s reprimanded not to shed a tear. Why? Because he’s male. That man is not supposed to cry! And they grow up believing so. A child (male) brought up with such a notion till adulthood will walk away from a marriage that makes him cry like he’s got onion on his face.
Such a child will cringe at the idea of sharing his pains with anyone, especially female, and would rather resort to drinking his ass off in a bar than entertain the notion of talking it out!
If only the society will change the very fabric it has used overtime to nurture the boy child, and create the same atmosphere as early as possible, we can dream of achieving this elusive gender balance.
Having the ability or resources to meet (a challenge).
It has gone without question that what a man can do a woman can do even better. Still University Placement for our women folk, here in Kenya and all over Africa, is pegged lower compared to the male fork. This happens with a backdrop of similar curricula, like teachers and similar examinations.
Our women must, then wake up and challenge this act of mistreatment against them since it authoritatively implies their weak gender. As Plato said, “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.”
The “ladies first” fuss, as people get into queues is another balderdash that our women must first fight off. Let us be candid and openly compete; it is the only way! And women are better placed to deal with it.
The tag, in its entirety, clearly outlines woman’s inability to compete favourably in a competitive environment and if not checked would delineate them from whatever it is the rest of humanity is scavenging for.
Of a person or thing considered being the same as another in status or quality.
We got to treat each other as equals. If it comes to rent and family issues, we are to pretend that men are to be breadwinners? Seriously?
I was hoping that our women folk would demand as well to contribute equally to rent and everything else that appertains to bringing up a family.
I was praying that our mothers would break the ceilings and go into jobs traditionally left for the male folk.
I was hoping, beyond hope, that women would as well offer to pay the dowry for this gender balance issue.
Why?
Because humanity is carved the same way and men and women, have to balance.
I’ll be very honest with you: the cultural transformation that we are wading into is not easy. If it must be a success, it will require rigour and determination from both governments and those traditional barazas you ignore in the village.
To the proponents of gender balance, there are underlying issues that need to be addressed before this becomes a national debate.
We must go back to the very smallest unit of our lives, family, and have a very honest discussion about balancing the gender sheet off.
Myths such as boys are preferred to girls as families talk about children liking must be done away with. (Some my girlfriends prefer to give birth to males)
Mary Wollstonecraft said, “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” It is in so doing that they will compete astutely for the scarce resources that the men hold dear, and we men will support them.
After meeting with Sheryl Sandberg (current Facebook COO), Cisco’s John Chambers admitted that he hadn’t quite “gotten it,” and communicated this admission widely to his employees. He said, “While I have always considered myself sensitive to and effective on gender issues in the workplace, my eyes were opened in new ways and I feel a renewed sense of urgency to make the progress we haven’t made in the last decade… while I believe I am relatively enlightened, I have not consistently walked the talk … What we have been doing hasn’t worked, and it is time to adjust.
“To call the woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then a woman is immeasurably man’s superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she, not greater courage? Without her, the man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with a woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?” Mahatma Gandhi
In a nutshell, to achieve the balance, we ought to dedicate more time to understanding our cultural, social and right now technological challenges than just writing pieces of legislation. We must rethink, as remotely as possible why God intended man to dominate woman!
