Ever wonder what those briefings are like :
Raila: OK Welcome to our briefing ,we just wanted to give you an update on our plans for kenya when we get into power .Ladies and gentlemen i can now say that odm has a plan.After our last meeting a panel was set up to come up with a road map eeeh ok
Here is the plan
One of the key campaigns of odm of late has been that come January 2008 if odm comes to power they will implement a federal system of government .For sometime now calls for a federal system of government in Kenya have been used as a campaign tool against kikuyus .mainly because the nature of the type of" federalism" is sometimes mistaken for having all kikuyus move back to central province .The thrust of this push being to build anti kikuyu feelings amongst other tribes with whom kikuyus live with .Now I have never had a problem with federalism as long as the federalism being implement is like that in United States or in Germany and I encourage Kenyans to embrace that kind of federalism that gives local communities power over the natural and human recourses .What I do have a problem with is odm's false promises and motives for a majimbo campaign.
In order for Kenya to go federal a change in the Kenyan constitution must be enacted .This can only be done by getting 2/3 of parliament to ratify any changes .Even after a referendum parliament is still the sole body that can change the Kenyan constitution short of the President suspending the constitution and instilling marshal law .So how exactly does odm expect to introduce majimbo in 2008.Its clear that no matter how popular odm might turn out to be, it will definitely not have total control in parliament required to change the Kenyan constitution .So why would odm leaders be campaigning on majimbo! That is the question.it is clear that calls for majimbo are a political ploy to build up tribal hatred and to try scaring some kikuyus into backing down from supporting the kibaki government .This is a dangerous ploy by the opposition. Instead of having the intended out come calls for majimbo only give kikuyu nationalist and kikuyu militants more influence and favor withing the community .
It is such tactics that have forced some hardline elements within the kibaki government to have the presidents ear .In The past three years the actions of the opposition have emboldened hardline voices within the administration some of whom are itching for a fight with certain communities . In fact in the past few months kibaki has walked the hard road proving to be a statesman’s by keeping in check hard-line elements within his administration and ensuring that growing kikuyu nationalism does not receive state sanction that would throw the country down a dangerous path. Indeed it was the diplomatic and nationalistic behavior of the opposition in the pre referendum days that helped tone down kikuyu self interests and acceptance of defeat . but on the wake of the referendum loss, utterances from Raila odinga promising to deal with the 'adui' gave a resurgence of hardliners a boost in the government.Who went on to influence the president in reorganize his cabinet and kick out the orange brigade.
Today foreign sanctioned and instigated opposition attacks on government and baseless claims calling for introduction of majimbo are not only dangerous but help encourage kikuyu nationalism which is bad for Kenya.Such calls isolate the community and as a result increases the power of combative elements within the community often forcing even moderates to take combative stance as a means of self preservation. The sad truth is that central kenya's communities play a significant if not a major part to Kenya’s stability. Some may wish to simplify the equation to many tribes agaisnt two or three subtribes of mumbi but the truth is Kenya can not be governed with a militarized kikuyu solidly against the government .So it is only right that the opposion stop this dangerous ploy that threatens to destabilize our country .working on a peaceful and equitable way of resolving any differences that they have with kikuyus would be the way to go. Spoiling for a fight they can not win even with a victory and taking statehouse is not the way Kenya should go.A luo presidency and a militarized Gema agaisnt it would make the congo look like childs play
By mogi yusuf
The days of British Companies having contracts-for-life with the Kenyan government and the U.K’s economic-colonisation are over.
The Great Hypocrisy is that the West through their Aid conditions have been forcing the government to use a tender system for procurement. But when that is done, and U.K companies that had previously been awarded no-bid contracts-for-life since independence lose out, the U.K High Commissioner goes berserk. Why do you think the U.K still tries to keep strong links with their so called “Commonwealth”. It is precisely because it is that “Common” and “Wealth” meaning that despite all the countries being independent it is the U.K’s national (“common”) interests to keep these countries in their sphere of influence. Obviously not for historical reasons, because as we all know the British were kicked out of most of the countries, but for trade with British Companies which generates “wealth” for the U.K. Ever wonder why we have Wimpy’s and not MacDonalds or Burger King.
Since the fall of the British Empire, the Commonwealth countries have been and still are major trading partners with the U.K. They are main way the British companies have been able to continue growing though trade with these former British colonies. This is not exclusive to the British because the French, Portuguese and others have also done this too. The U.S on there other hand as the New Empire it currently expanding its sphere of influence which has traditionally been South America. Why do you think George Bush attacked Iraq ? It is simply to increase its sphere of influence in the Middle East. It already has Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt and Israel in their pockets so they had to go for the big prize which is Iraq. With U.S companies running the oil wells, providing water, electricity, and telecommunications etc even if the U.S forces leave or are kicked out, it will be impossible for any Iraq government by then to get rid of the already established U.S companies which are providing all essential services.This is exactly what the British did in all its colonies when they were given independence. British companies continued with their no bid contracts-for-life the same as the De la Rue, JS Franklin, Leyland, Land Rover contracts and others in Kenya. The other way U.K has continued its economic-colonisation is the financial system best illustrated by the prominence in Kenya of U.K banks such Barclays and Standard Chartered.
The fact that you will find these banks is almost all former British colonies is not a coincidence, it is just one more way the British can continue milking their former colonies even after they have given them political independence.Aid has been a major was the U.K has kept its sphere of influence .The U.K has for a long time been the largest donor for Aid to Kenya. But before you jump up and sing praise for their generosity, keep in mind that most of the Aid they give us are loans to be paid back sometimes at 2-3 times the initial loan amount. The fact that most loans are paid over 25-30 years just increases the U.K’s ability to maintain their economic-colonisation even despite changes in government. The hypocrisy is that the universal norm as a condition for giving Aid, is that only companies from the donor country get to be given the contracts. Therefore, the money ends back from where it came from and creates employment, raises the GDP etc in the donor country. So in the end all it amounts to is a just another way of giving their own companies business while pretending to be only helping poor countries, which of course have ended up with huge unmanageable debts.
by kamakazi
Mwiraria: I will get…to the root of the matter, I will find out who it is…Mwiraria: Ya... I have not appraised it….....but I will find out exactly...ya...that information.
I support any efforts to fight corruption wherever and whenever it occurs….what I don’t support it the deliberate scape-goating and politicising of the fight against corruption. This position is obviously because it has been proven in the past around the world and in Kenya, that scape-goating and politicizing of the fight against corruption has the opposite effect, in that, it actually enables the true perpetrators of corruption to get away with it or in fact allows then to “cleanse “themselves by pretending to be the new defenders against corruption. Corruption does fights back, and the best way to do so is to in fact, accuse your accuser of the same vice.
With this in mind we all have to make a concerted effort to fight the real war on corruption, not on rumours, not on innuendo, not on selective memory, not on political accusations but on cold hard facts.Without this cold hard facts our fight against corruption will be fruitless because this rumours, innuendo and false accusations will not hold any water in any court an will only result in futile courts case that are immediately thrown out due to lack of evidence. This witch hunts are not only is a waste of public funds, but also waste important time and resources for investigating and prosecuting the real corruption perpetuators. It is form this prism, that I look at the recent Githongo tape and the statements made above in them by the then Minister of Finance David Mwiriaria. After all the hoopla that Githongo has caused over the last two years about having in contrivable taped evidence against Mwiraria and others, when I heard of the release of this tape I was happy to see what the smoking gun was.
My happiness soon turned to anger, that by the time I was through listening to the tape and reading the transcripts I realised that we have been bamboozled, we have been hoodwinked, we have been cheated out of the fight against corruption and we have been in fact helping in the “cleansing “ of the real perpetrators of corruption.It is then, that I realised that Githongo was not the hero many think he is, he is in fact leading the charge in misdirecting us from the real fight against corruption to side shows that increasing smack of vengeance or political/personal vendettas or even worse as others have suggested, deliberate political manipulation for the benefit of foreign interests. How else can I not think otherwise when Mwiriaria comments on this tape clearly stating “I will get…to the root of the matter, I will find out who it is…” is construed to be a criminal offence or even an attempt to cover-up the issue. Mwiriaria was the Minters of Finance for gods sake.
Who better in the world could possible be able to get this information. The fact that Githongo claims that this implies guilt on the part of Mwiraria in the Anglo leasing scandal is beyond me and clearly shows that Githongo is in fact deliberately trying to mislead us. Another important discrepancy in Githongo version of events was that he was asked to drop the Anglo leasing investigations. First as we all know he was not an investigator, he was an adviser to the president. This is crucial in determine the legal culpability of whether there was any interference in the investigations. So if Githongo does not have the legal designation of an investigator, in Kenya that is the job of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, then can Mwiriaria’s suggestions be considered blocking an investigation. However that is really a side issue, because if we analysis what Mwiriaria said he was in fact asking Githongo not to stop the general investigation on the Anglo-leasing scandal but to stop harassing Ojiambo the lawyer.
Here is a recap of what Mwiraria said…Mwiraria:What I am suggesting… Why don't you... drop this matter... I will get… to the root of the matter, I will find out who it is.. but… if we continue this way... we start harrassing Ojiambo...
Again as we all know the taped conversation was all really about how Ojiambo the lawyer was arrested for carrying out legal instructions from the owners of Anglo-Leasing, the company. It is clear that the issue Mwiraria is asking Githongo to drop is the harassing on Ojiambo and not the general investigation into Anglo-leasing. In fact as he points out he himself was going to “will get… to the root of the matter, I will find out who it is..”. We also know of the Attorney/client privilege, where are lawyer legally cannot be compelled to divulge info on his client. Arresting a lawyer to do so is about as illegal a violation to this privilege. So Mwiriaria had legal merit in asking Githongo to stop harassing Ojiambo.
If Githongo wants us to believe that this is cold hard evidence of Mwiriaria’s guilt then he obviously must think we are retarded. It now seems to me that what really Githongo wanted was to bring down some big fish in the govt, if not the govt itself even though they were not the real perpetrators of the criminal corruption acts, but simply as examples, for whatever reason he may have. But the end result is that by doing so he has in fact politicised the war against corruption by doing so and made us loose focus on the real fight.A good example of this is when was the last time you heard about the Anglo-leasing court case against the Magari, the PS, Ministry of Finance who signed the contracts on behalf the Ministry of Finance or the PS, Immigration, who negotiated and signed the contracts on behalf of Ministry of Home Affaires or the Legal Counsel from the AG’s office who provided the legal approval of the deal. These are the real people who negotiated the Anglo-leasing passport contract and approved and signed the contracts. These are the accounting officers responsible for financial management of the ministries and who recommended to their respective Ministers that the deals would be beneficial to the country.The parliamentary investigations report in to the Anglo-leasing scandal stated that the PSs and Lawyer did in fact commit fraud and should be persecuted, even if they already had been and their cases were already pending in court.
Nevertheless the same authors of that report still maintain that the govt. had done nothing about prosecuting the Anglo-leasing perpetrators. You would think that there would be huge interest in how these cases are going, but the media hardly ever reports any. Instead what we hear lots of is Githongo shouting to the roof tops from the UK of his full proof evidence, which are in fact turn out to be neither proof or even helpful in revelling the truth. We also here lots from opposition figures who themselves have been deeply involved in corruption while in KANU and who were also involved in other Anglo-leasing type contracts shout and scream that the govt is doing nothing to persecute the Anglo-leasing scandal. According to them the persecuting the people who actually negotiated and signed the contracts is doing nothing. To me it is blunt politicising of the war on corruption with some help from Githongo. To many of these opposition figures, this is the opportunity to “cleanse” themselves from their current and past corruption activities and to pretend to be the our new saviours and the champions against corruption. Its now obvious that their plans have indeed succeeded in doing so, because as you are all aware, a number of them are campaigning to be Kenya’s next president. Yet their corrupt pasts, seem to have now been swept under the rugged. This is why I say now say that Githongo has played a major part in misleading us in this war on corruption, thanks to his focus on trying to get the so called big fish in the present govt. Its is a know fact that of the 18 Anglo-leasing type contracts, 10 of them were negotiated and signed off by the KANU government.
Its is also known that some of the major opposition figures now touting themselves as corruption fighters presided over these contracts such as Ruto, Mudavadi, Okemo, Ntimama, Sunkuli etc. These contracts include the first Anglo-leasing Finace contract which was the Forensic CID Lab contract and was signed on 16 August 2001, more that one year before the NARC govt took power. Why is it that we never hear this from Githongo ?He has made it seem that Anglo-leasing has been a purely NARC govt scandal, and as a result, has helped those opposition figures escape scrutiny for their actions involving those contracts. This has had the result of him helping to “cleanse “ these opposition figures. He has given them the ammo to further politicise the war and as a result the focus has shifted from all corruption to only recent corruption.Githongo has further politicised the war on corruption by his selective and timely release of his “ evidence “. I always wondered why he didn’t just release all the tapes at once to the Kenyan media and leave it all out in the open for all to see and judge. Its been more than two years since he went to self exile and he has had plenty of time to do so. But instead all we get a short edited clips released on BBC and now on his blog.
Why ? Of course we the people of Kenya have played our part by using this scandal to achieve our various political ends. However, in doing so are we really fighting corruption or are we playing our part in misleading everyone else away from the truth, and the real war on corruption. Are we “cleansing” past corrupt politicians and are we supporting them to form the next govt ? Ask your self this question as Githongo should be asking himself too. Are you helping corruption fight back ?
by kamakazi
Why John Githongo prefers to be a slave for his White Masters.
John Githongo has been called a British spy, and accused of working for his British Masters. There is no denying that Githongo is fed and clothed by the British and he works for them. The question is why and when did Githongo’s relationship with the British start. Also in what capacity was Githongo working for the British before fleeing to Britain.Every time Githongo brings up some charges against the Kenya government they are taken up and amplified by the British establishment tools like the Financial times and Edward Clay. In Kenya the Standard which is partly owned by British Interests acts like Githongo’s local megaphone. Githongo’s tirades appear to be timed to be in concert with British pressure on the Kenya government to toe the British line. There is no doubt that Githongo is an integral part of a British offensive against the Kenya government the only question is why?
The emergence of China and Kenya’s dalliance with the Asian Giant is causing some anxiety in Britain they see china as encroaching on their sphere of influence. Kibaki has further cut the enslavement chains that bind Kenya to Britain by reducing reliance on donors to fund the Kenyan budget. Kenya is now relying on local taxes to fund 95% of the budget. The British establishment is seeing the demise of its neocolonial empire in Africa which had Kenya as the crown jewel . British firms can no longer make the Kenyan government, President or Ministers do their bidding. That is what Edward clay actually meant by saying “vomiting on our shoes”. Clay was expressing his disgust at the uppity Kibaki governments failure to obey his missives as the representative of Kenya’s British masters.That is the genesis of the British war on the Kibaki government. A war that was floundering as British companies continued to lose business and influence in Kenya to Asians and other rivals. Britain since indpendence has been Kenya's leading trading partner but now ranks number 3. In desperation the British decided that they needed a regime change in Kenya and decided to use their chief intelligence asset in Kenya John Githongo. Githongo was the British mole at the heart of the Kenyan government he was deployed in an attempt to bring down the Kenyan government using accusations of corruption.Githongo had to flee because his role as a British spy was quickly uncovered and he faced imminent arrest and prosecution for passing sensitive government information to Edward clay and MI6. That is why Githongo cannot return and is in self exile but the principal investigators of Anglo Leasing never left Kenya they felt and had no need to flee.
So why did Githongo join with the British to fight the Kenyan government? Githongo is a British citizen by birth, Githongo’s family aided the British during the war for independence and were handsomely rewarded for their loyalty. Githongo therefore grew up imbued in his parents white man worship and disdain for Africans.In October of 2005 Githongo wrote an opinion piece in the East African explaining why “Why Maids Prefer White Masters” this article best illustrates why Githongo would rather be maid for his white masters.Indeed Githongo writes this words for a cook, words which clearly represents Githongo’s thinking. "I have been a cook for many years and I have seen that the only way to be treated properly is to work for a Mzungu," the man explained. "Africans treat their workers very badly. I'll even take a salary cut to work foryou."Githongo may have been making more money working for the government, the Financial times reports the British pay him peanuts but he would rather take peanuts from a white man than serve an African government.Many who know Githongo an unmarried 41 year old who has never had a girlfriend claim that he is a homosexual angry and frustrated at Kenya's homophobia. Indeed western intelligence agencies are known to recruit homosexuals and other social outcast who may hold a grudge against their own societies. What clearly emerges is that Githongo is a Quisling in the service of his British masters and that must be taken into account when weighing his charges against the Kenyan government.
Otero Mashada
January 24, 2007 3:32 AM
The breathtaking beauty of the orange(no relation to referendum orange) sunset on Lake Victoria belies the silent suffering of fishmongers waiting for the catch at the shores of Uhanya beach, Bondo District.Hundreds of women who live in makeshift houses compete fiercely for the catch, exposing themselves to HIV/Aids and endangering the men in the process. Strangely, some of the men are willing partners, having the time of their lives and dying while at it. It is a complex phenomenon with its roots in the sex-for-fish business, otherwise called the jaboya system.‘Jaboya’ is a confusing term. Originally coined to mean ‘customer’, it took a sexual connotation when the times got hard and fish stocks dwindled at the lake that is home to species such as omena, ngege (tilapia), fulu and mbuta (Nile Perch). Omena is a traditional species, the smallest and most common, while fulu is medium in size, bigger than omena and fast-disappearing. Mbuta, the biggest and meanest, is the cause of fulu’s woes, being the largest predator on all the other species. Its predatory nature is partly responsible for the jaboya system.Judy Atieno*, a 50-year-old fishmonger at Uhanya Beach, explains how the jaboya system started. "There’s a lot of poverty here on these beaches and this exposes the women to HIV/Aids. The jaboya system is commonly practised.
First the fishermen come with their catch. But we are so many sellers that there’s not enough for all of us, so we’re forced to befriend the fishermen for them to give you fish."A fishmonger approaches a fishing boat. 'There’s a lot of poverty here on these beaches and this exposes the women to HIV/Aids.' It is not simple buyer-seller friendship but a sexual relationship. A fishermen tends to sell fish to the woman he sleeps with. The problem is that there is often more than one woman in such a web."I got into the fish business when I was young and I had to befriend some of them. Now that I’m grown up I can say no. In 1994, I went for a HIV test and I learnt I was positive. Since then I’ve lived positively," says Atieno."My husband died of Aids complications. I have children who have died as well — they never followed my instructions. The surviving children are HIV-positive so I have to help them live positively."But Jonah Oburu*, a 37-year-old fisherman with two wives and six children, has a slightly different understanding of what jaboya means."Jaboya used to be the term for ‘customer’. Then it changed to mean women having sex with fishermen to get fish. The women come from places you don’t know, they are beautiful and the fishermen are attracted to them. So you end up sleeping with women who haven’t been tested and who don’t know their status. That’s how HIV/Aids is spread."A tout prepares to load baskets of fish onto a Kitale-bound matatu in Bondo. Some fishmongers seek sexual relationships with matatu crew to get their fish transported fast. Despite former President Daniel arap Moi declaring HIV/Aids a national disaster in 1999, the disease still claims thousands of Kenyans’ lives every year. Although the national prevalence rate is 8 per cent, places like Nyanza Province have a prevalence rate of 14 per cent.The province has the highest HIV/Aids prevalence rate in the country and the beach communities have the highest rates in Nyanza, says Tony Daly, a health adviser with the Department for International Development.
The British organisation funds Merlin, a non-governmental organisation that works at the beaches to create awareness on HIV/Aids. "The population here have characteristic behaviours and sexual practices that make them vulnerable," Daly explains.The province borders Uganda and Tanzania and shares the waters of Lake Victoria with the two countries. Its large number of beaches, some of the worst flashpoints of HIV/Aids, complicates the spread of the disease.Emma Llewellyn, a technical coordinator with Merlin, explains the jaboya system and the HIV/Aids situation at the beach."The fishermen over-fish in breeding areas, that’s why the number of fish in the lake is going down. The breeding areas are shallower and closer to the banks. Because many people are HIV-positive, they are weak and do not have the energy to go far into the lake, so they tend to fish closer to the beach," says Emma."Of about 1,000 people tested, 520 women and 571 men, 53 per cent of the women and 27 per cent of the men were HIV-positive. It’s a difficult trend to reverse," she says.Through a campaign by Merlin, the local community is grappling with the problem. The non-governmental organisation mobilised the community to form a theatre group, Ulusi. Using participatory educational theatre, the locals perform skits, dances and songs that revolve around HIV/Aids and discuss ways of dealing with it.* * *Fishmongers sell omena at a market. A group of five men sing popular folk songs on a megaphone in the dusty streets as they prepare to perform a play on HIV/Aids. Children, some on their way home from school, join the adults following the singers to Ulusi Bus Stop. "Aneno wang’ mbuta korieny ei kado (I see Nile Perch eyes shining in the soup)," they sing along and follow the men to the bus stage, where they find another group of seven men setting up a tent to protect the performers from the hot sun. They all have T-shirts emblazoned with the word ‘Sare’, slang for 'free ride'.
These men are matatu drivers and the rides their T-shirts refer to are not exactly free; you have to give sex in exchange.Llewellyn explains why ‘Sare’ is dangerous. "One baseline study showed that about 30 per cent of matatu drivers had had a sexual relationship and 20 per cent of them had had sex with a schoolgirl in the preceding 12 months. The matatu crew thought that schoolgirls were ‘clean’ yet studies show that in this area, sex begins early."In today’s performance, the story revolves around a young girl married to a matatu driver who returns home with HIV. (The audience laughs). After the performance, one of the performers clarifies the conclusion of the story.The Ulusi Theatre Group has trained other local groups like the Uhanya Beach Group. They have also trained four groups in Bondo District and another in Suba District. After each performance, Bertha Ouma, a Merlin behaviour change officer, usually distributes condoms to matatu touts loading fish from the lake, ready to be taken for sale.Life in Bondo revolves around the fish industry. Like it happens at the beach, some fishmongers seek sexual relationships with matatu crew to get their fish transported to the market before it goes bad. George Ong’injo, a mobilisation officer with Merlin, says what happens in the beaches near Bondo affects the locality. "We realised in a survey that some women come to sell fish for six months and you’re the star if you’re the first one to get her. The women don’t stay here, have joboya in different beaches, a string of partners, and this put them in a very vulnerable position.Given the dwindling fish stocks that fuel competition among fishmongers, jaboya is likely to remain in demand for a while. However, with greater openness about HIV/Aids and performances like Ulusi’s, there is more openness about HIV/Aids and less women are exposing themselves to danger
IF ONLY RAILA WOULD STOP TALKING AND EDUCATE HIS PEOPLE THINGS WOULD BE BETTER --------------BONDO SEEMS LIKE A VERY BACKWARD PLACE
Oburu Odinga has a case to answer what are CDF funds doing in his area
It looks increasingly like President Kibaki will run and win a second term. Kibaki’s victory will be a triumph of pragmatism and progress over ethnic division and hatred. We could even simplify this further and say that it will be a triumph of good over evil.
By this I do not mean to label the opposition evil, opposition is a central and necessary ingredient in a healthy democracy. The evil is in the tactics adopted by the most virulent section of the opposition. This section led by LDP base their campaign against the President on fanning the flames of ethnic hatred and regionalism.
LDP and their de-facto leader Raila Odinga were once members of the ruling coalition NARC. Soon after NARC came into power LDP devised a plan to take over power for themselves, seeking what Raila Odinga referred to as “a luo presidency”. Early on in the new goverment LDP was introducing a tribal or ethnic component to its politics. In LDP’s agenda published shortly after NARC came to power, LDP stated “4. The government must be isolated and shown as a Mt. Kenya backed government without national appeal.” This simple statement signaled LDP’s intention to create regional division and to ride the consequent wave of ethnic hatred to power(Raila’s tsunami).
But is this evil you may ask. The answer is a blunt yes. The deadliest conflicts in the twentieth century all occurred in areas of great ethnic diversity, where politicians exploited ethnicity as a weapon to achieve political power. The byproduct in all these areas has been a paroxysm or “tsunami” of ethnic violence and ethnic cleansing that left millions dead. So when LDP lights the match of tribalism and tosses it into the tinderbox that is Kenya, they are displaying a callous disregard for life in their gluttonous quest for power.
Ethnic hatred is a powerful weapon and that is why LDP chose that route to power. But how are they deploying it and why won’t it work. The first thing that LDP’s and their apologists have done is to try and paint the government as a Mount Kenya affair just like their agenda plotted.
LDP have used lies like the cabinet and civil service are mostly from the Kikuyu tribe of President Mwai Kibaki even though this is public information and easily disproved. LDP has beaten this drum repeatedly raising ethnic sensitivity to unrealistic levels especially among their supporter. The result is that any Kikuyu or other Kenyan with a Kikuyu sounding name who happens to be in government is viewed as proof of Kibaki’s tribalism. By promoting this view LDP seeks to create ethnic grievance and therefore try to isolate Kikuyus and rally other tribes behind their leader Raila.
There have been a myriad other lies promoted by LDP all designed to promote a sense of ethnic grievance and all thoroughly debunked but yet repeated endlessly by LDP’s tribal warriors. We all know allegations that the majority of government scholarships go to Kikuyus easily debunked when the list was produced in Parliament. The allegation that 70% of DC’s are Kikuyus , that only Kikuyus are benefiting from the economy, that Nyanza failed KCPE because education money was allocated to central province and not Nyanza. That Kikuyus are stealing and robbing the country blind and a thousand other pernicious lies.
Interestingly at the height of LDP’s ethnic campaign they accuse the President some saying “Kibaki has never missed a chance to remind us of his intense tribal leanings”. Despite this kind of patently false statements the LDP ethnic hatred campaign is coming to naught. Even though LDP have succeeded in polarizing the country along tribal lines they have been unable to harness that tribal hatred they have generated to propel Raila to power. Instead other regions have come up with their own champions and it is not clear that they will support Raila in the end.
A major problem with LDP’s ethnic campaign is that it is based on lies. It generates ethnic division but destroys Raila and LDP’s credibility. LDP has maintained that Kibaki has done nothing for Kenya, he has been asleep, incompetent etc. LDP has persisted in this fiction for almost 4 years but in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary they appear increasingly delusional.
Recently LDP leader Raila Odinga has been forced to grudgingly admit the gains the government has made. Raila lauds govt development effort an incongruous statement on Raila's part. Raila did not recently discover what the government had done, rather his lies were becoming increasingly exposed in the face of unassailable evidence of economic and social progress.
Now Raila’s is treating us to ridiculous contortionist tricks as he tries to lay claim to the governments development record even as he trashes the President. Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga wants some of the achievements made by the Government credited to ODM-K.. Obviously ODM-K has never been in goverment so he must be reffering to LDP. If ODM-K (LDP) want to claim the governments successes are they willing to claim it’s failures?
Even the Presidents staunchest and most unfair critics the Standard Newspaper were forced by the weight of facts to admit the governments great progress. Economy promising despite political heat . It is the cognitive dissonance between LDP’s message of hatred and ethnic grievance and actual events that is responsible for the failure of LDP's campaign against the goverment.
Recent polls indicate that a majority of Kenyans support the President and recognize the governments achievements. This will be a unique occurrence in the world finally pragmatism will defeat the forces of ethnic prejudice. Another incredible triumph for the man from Othaya who has all along preached hard work and a Working Nation while leading the way by keeping his mouth shut and his foot on the pedal..
"Our national debates should have a broader perspective and should be focused towards developing a national vision of how our country should be like in the next two decades," President Kibaki
By Otero1 mashada
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, bottom, steps out of a Kenyan Air Force plane in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007. Yusuf met Tuesday with his Kenyan counterpart, Mwai Kibaki. Kibaki said that Kenya would not be used as a refuge for people seeking to destabilize governments in the region, noting that Kenya had already beefed up patrols along the border with Somalia. (AP Photo)
