Kenya Insights

Tag: ANC

  • Why KANU wants Raila in One Kenya Alliance

    Why KANU wants Raila in One Kenya Alliance

    The disunity among affiliate parties forming the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) is now threatening to complicate identification of a flag bearer who will face off with the deputy president Dr. William Ruto for presidency in 2022.

    The four principals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Gideon Moi (KANU) and Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetangula are retreating in Naivasha to solve the impasse after Kalonzo and Mudavadi took a hard stance on calls by President Uhuru Kenyatta to have the coalition back ODM’s Raila Odinga for the country’s top seat.

    Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat has called on their partners in OKA not to ignore ODM leader Raila Odinga in their plans. Odinga’s candidature, given his age is seen as an easy ploy to transfer power to KANU’s Gideon Moi who is also harboring presidential ambitions with a small clout.  Kanu is looking at a scenerio where Odinga would be deputized by Moi for one term then he hands over power to Moi.

    “ It is important for people to sit down and talk. It is about what formula will hand us a win not the question of who has what numbers. That is the discussion that I hope to have,” Salat said.

    Salat who is a die hard ally of Moi went ahead to accuse those discussing the issue of flag bearer of jumping the gun since the coalition is still waiting for the pending ruling on BBI to see if they will create more positions at the top and share among themselves.

    “You can’t find inclusivity right now before we are sure with the BBI. Where do you leave Raila in this? You can’t ignore Raila. The only formula that we pray for is that we get a favorable ruling on BBI,” Salat added.

    He was challenged by Makueni MP Daniel Manzo, a close ally of Kalonzo who argued that the criteria of picking a flag bearer should consider the number of elected leaders a party has in the current Parliament.  A move that puts Kalonzo ahead of Gideon Moi who dreams of being a flag bearer or a running without considerable numbers in parliament and solid support in Baringo.

    “You all know who has more votes, who has more elected leaders among the four principals. That is the formula of picking a candidate,” Maanzo said.

    Principals of One Kenya Alliance [p/courtesy]
    He also emphasized that OKA will not soften its position to back the ODM leader for the top seat this time round. Kalonzo unsuccessfully backed Raila in the past two elections and has vowed not to back him again. Both Kalonzo and Mudavadi argue that it is now time for the ODM leader to reciprocate the gesture.

    “One thing I know is that we are not going to support Raila. If the principals decide to back him they will be doing so on their own. We can agree on anything else but not on Raila,” Maanzo added.

    KANU’s game plan is to rope in Odinga who has more numbers in both senate and the national assembly then treat the coalition as a completely new outfit where they have Odinga as the flag bearer and Moi jostling for running mate position with Kalonzo and Mudavadi.

    But Lugari MP Ayub Savula is also ANC deputy party leader  arguing that Mudavadi’s Luhya backyard has more numbers compared to Kalonzo’s Ukambani backyard which should make ANC leader the coalition’s flag bearer.

    “We will adopt a common approach that is acceptable to everybody because if we start the argument of numbers then we will insist that voter population where the candidate comes from should be the main criteria,” Savula argued.

    Ford Kenya has the smallest numbers and therefore did not argue much since it is believed that its leader Wetangula is comfortable of taking the senate speaker position. But Ford-K’s Secretary General Hon. Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini) said the coalition has contracted local and international survey firms to gauge the popularity of the four principals which they will use in picking the flag bearer.

    “We are using some intervention like scientific surveys. Once we get those reports we will sit and evaluate. It is something that you cannot just wake up and announce; it is procedural and methodological,” Dr Wamalwa said.

    Mudavadi also revealed that the coalition has an eight-member technical committee which is expected to present a progress report on OKA in Naivasha retreat.

    The ANC boss further stated that the retreat in Naivasha is a joint Parliamentary Group meeting by the four affiliate parties for briefing on the road-map to 2022 polls.

    “This is a PG of the parties that started the process of coming up with the new coalition……. A technical team will give a progress report on what they have achieved so far in the build up to OKA,” Mudavadi said.

     

  • Inside Zuma’s last minute plea to avoid incarceration

    Inside Zuma’s last minute plea to avoid incarceration

    South Africa’s ex- president Jacob Zuma has made a last minute plea to the Constitutional Court, which sentenced him to 15 months in jail over contempt earlier in the week, to avoid that sentence.

    Zuma aligned himself with the two court Justices who adopted a dissenting view his sentencing as he filed an urgent application in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg to avoid incarceration through a stay of arrest.

    The former South Africa leader has made the move two days to the expiry of his deadline to surrender to the authorities as ruling African National Congress (ANC) party’s ‘military veterans association’ matched outside his home in KwaZulu-Natal Province where they vowed to ‘peacefully’ prevent his arrest at all costs.

    Former South African president Jacob Zuma filing papers at the Constitutional Court [p/courtesy]
    Zuma is relying on the view of the two dissent Justices who argued that he should not be directly jailed by the highest court in the land in his  appeal to the Constitutional Court.

    The former president also complained of poor health, claiming that life behind bars would put him in jeopardy. He also clarified that he did not walk out on Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s state capture commission but he had to leave to take his medication.

    Zuma’s appeal for rescission to the Concourt is coming at the time when the Acting Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe has already signed his committal order indicating he is scheduled to serve his jail term at the Westville Prison in KwaZulu-Natal.

    His supporters who have pitched camp outside his home have been hostile to the media as they don headgears and t-shirts with a phrase questioning the offense Zumas has committed.

     “We shall see what happens when that time comes, we shall see,” one of the supporters said.

    Tension was witnessed last month in KwaZulu-Natal when ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe tried to take the podium and the meeting turned into chaos with unruly delegates from ANC branches and regions chanting “Wenzeni uZuma”, (Zulu phrase meaning “What did Zuma do?).

  • Musalia’s ANC Party Suspends Cleophas Malala For Supporting Raila And ODM

    Musalia’s ANC Party Suspends Cleophas Malala For Supporting Raila And ODM

    Amani National Congress Party under the leadership of Musalia Mudavadi has slapped Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala with a Suspension letter after the vocal Senator was seen in a rally supporting Raila Odinga’s ODM candidate—Kibra MP-elect— Imran Okoth.

    Image result for malala cleophas kibra"
    Photo courtesy of Pulse

    Musalia’s Party which had also fielded ex-Raila advisor Eliud Owalo who was the second runners up after Ruto’s candidate McDonald Mariga has released a press statement announcing the suspension.

    The outsmarted ANC founder Musalia Mudavadi, who’s political strategy and agenda remains unknown to even his close allies has been having it rough with the Kakamega Senator and his mate ANC nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi.

    Sometimes back, for starters, I published the tussle between MaDvD, Malala and Osotsi —who alleges that he’s the original founder of ANC party and Musalia Mudavadi is just an incomer after his UDF( United Democratic Front) party terribly flopped— just like his Political agenda.

    Musalia Mudavadi has declared himself the opposition Chief but all that is seen in public from him is KANU era political moves, irrelevant foreign trips that he sneaks outs to hold and baseless TV interviews with the Moi-owned Standard Media group.

    The ANC Chief, who had insisted that NASA—probably one of his biggest political cause that is alleged to have been engineered by Tycoon Jimmy Wanjigi—  was not dead and his still on the steering wheel. But my searches reveal otherwise, from the official NASA Twitter, there is no single tweet or even a retweet that is promoting MaDvD- the self-proclaimed NASA founder.

    Here are the latest tweets from the Coalition NASA verified account.

    Image result for malala cleophas"

    Raila Odinga’s followers have also been rubbishing ANC leaders claims that he runs coalition NASA, according to them, Musalia just like William Ruto, he’s always busy blaming Raila and ODM in not only issues concerning the State but also the in-fights that have mired his Party ANC.

    Image result for malala cleophas kibra"

    So is Musalia Mudavadi and his ANC party serious? Honestly, no one knows—looks like even MaDvD himself doesn’t. The Party has said a couple of times that they have suspended Godfrey Osotsi from the post of Secretary-General then, they go ahead and accuse the same person they have suspended of interfering with Party affairs. Is Malala’s suspension going to stand or it’s just another kick from the already dying horse?

     

     

  • Revealed: How Musalia Mudavadi’s Kibra Candidate Stole ODM’s Campaign Money In 2013

    Revealed: How Musalia Mudavadi’s Kibra Candidate Stole ODM’s Campaign Money In 2013

    By Phillip Nyamai

     

    Owalo believes Kibra has not been growing for the past 53yrs. In his mind, Kibra people are still using flying toilets, no sanitation at all, no any good housing, no recreational facilities, and everyone living there earns as low as Sh150 a day. In his myopic reasoning, he would change Kibra from being slum immediately after winning and also stop the rich from getting richer. You’ll agree with me that there are wealthier people living in Kibra compared to this guy who stole CORD’s campaign resources in 2013.

    Related image

    According to Owalo, Kibra is wallowing in abject poverty and diseases with the residents living in despicable conditions of abject poverty due to corruption that goes up to 1trillion. This figure too is wrong. He needs to research well. That aside, if Owalo was saying this statement while vying on a wiper ticket I would say, well and good. Owalo cannot talk about corruption yet he is vying on an ANC ticket and we all know where Musalia Mudavadi’s resources came from or you think Golden Berg was pocket change?

    He is talking about corruption and CORD’s 2013 agents are yet to be paid to date, where did he take their monies? Owalo has been a sellout since his days in campus, ask his schoolmates.

    To Owalo what the people of Kibra need is a welfare bus to transport dead bodies home, and other buses to take fans of Gor Kogalo to wherever Gor will be playing that day. Is he vying to be Gor Mahia chairman? Kibra constituency gets Sh120+ million every financial year as NG-CDF but what Owalo is prioritizing on is four buses at the expense of what the NG-CDF amendment Act 2016 requires. To him the people of Kibra only needs to die and their bodies ferried home or be Gor Mahia fans and taken to the stadium to go watch football.

    This mentality of thinking what the people need before engaging them is what will ruin the Owalos of this world. Voters no longer need defenders, they need what will put food on their tables, have their young ones study or acquire relevant skills and generally improve everyone’s life by empowering them. There is a working system in Kibra that has elaborate plan on Sanitation, housing, lighting, security, education, empowering people, infrastructure, and plans for other social amenities, all one needs to do is to identify with that system and advanced it.

    Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are writer’s own and doesn’t represent Kenya Insights’.

  • Outsiders Or Insiders: ANC Party Dangling Loyalties Of Malala And Osotsi

    Outsiders Or Insiders: ANC Party Dangling Loyalties Of Malala And Osotsi

    Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC Party and Senator Moses Wetangula’s Ford Kenya Party have been planning for political merger in since early last year.

    A move the two opposition parties termed as Luhya Unity and a political strategy to unify the vote-rich Western region in their political basket.

    According Mudavadi, this is to enhance peaceful coexistence and have a western votes lock up to give the region a strong bargaining power in National politics and future elections.

    But the merger has been delayed what ANC handlers called influence from ‘Outsiders’ through those who belong to the respective parties.

    Or this was just a rushed political strategy that was to cover the shame, mess and confusion around Raila Odinga’s swearing in and talks of NASA collapsing.

    Not forgetting, the merger, if rushed and miscalculated, will have no strong Political viability in the region or the Nation.

    The constantly and continuous influence of ODMs Raila Odinga and Government influence through DP Ruto in Western Kenya has widened the rift amongst local leaders.

    Raila who says that he is the 13th grand child of Nabongo-Mumia Of the larger Wanga kingdom has insisted that western leaders should not to leave him out of the negotiations.

    Raila enjoyed a massive support from Western region in 2007, 2013 and 2017.

    Railas deep influence is a biggest threat to the ANC-Ford Kenya merger and it’s political viability.

    Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi have come out as two ANC members who not only support but also strongly protects ODM’s political agenda in the region.

    Also in this mess of misplaced loyalties line is Vihiga Senator George Khaniri who is a staunch supporter of Raila.

    Senator Malala and The expelled ANC SG Osotsi told a local press that ANC handlers want them out of the party because of their close association with ODM and Raila’s agenda.

    Osotsi is now claiming that his “Organized” expulsion from ANC wasn’t because of the allegations of loss of Party Funds.

    The Two says their party and Party leader is fighting them because they are supporting Raila and his party’s principles.

    Senator Malala and Osotsi loyalties are dangling. They clearly don’t belong to Mudavadi neither are they admitting to belong to Raila.

    They’re are still supporting NASA and it’s leader at the expense of their party.

    NASA is a political coalition that legally exists But has been rendered irrelevant its cause overtaken by events.

    This is not the first time Malala’s loyalty has been questioned.

    Late Last year, Wanga Council of Elders declared the first term senator A Luo by Birth and origin.

    The Chairperson of the Council of Elder Peter Nabongo, told the writer of this site that Malala can never be allowed to sign a deal on behalf of the Luhya community.

    Peter Nabongo said Malala’s father came from Nyanza and settled In western.

    “Malala’s father was allowed to marry from around this region, that doesn’t qualify him as a Luhya” Said Peter Nabongo.

    Osotsi on the other side, has been allegedly withdrawing ANC funds for his own personal business and agenda.

    The ANC self proclaimed founder has never attended ANC meetings nor stepped his foot in ANC offices for more than a Year now.

    Barrack Muluka ANC secretary general and Ford Kenya’s Eseli Simiyu have confirmed the merger plans saying that the learnt that their effort had been infiltrated by outsiders from both sides.

    Osotsi and Malala have the same political feathers as Boni Khalwale.

    Their loyalty is swayed by money and Other political related incentives.

    These self proclaimed Western political youths have clearly shown their split personalities In matters leadership, development, public politics and most important, Democracy in their party politics.

    With that out and aside, i pose a question to you our esteemed readers;

    Are these two a generational change of politics or they are a practical example and a case study of the misplaced and displaced Political loyalties of the Luhya Nation?