Political Assassinations
The death of these two MP’s has once again brought up this issue of political assassinations. While the death of Mellitsus Were remains a mystery, the circumstances surrounding the murder of David Kimutai appear to be related to a love triangle gone bad.
People like Moi and Kenyatta were able to carry out their assassinations, without repercussions because they enjoyed very good state security. It is for this reason that I have said that William Ruto is in grave danger. He thought he’d be in power and he thought the state’s security forces would inculcate him against the planned violence that has occurred in the rift valley. However, when they lost the election, Ruto instantaneously turned himself into a potential target for retaliation. The same goes for David Mwenje if is found to have been involved in the death of Mugabe Were (without state security, his life too, will be in danger).
When I look at some political assassinations that have taken place around the world, it becomes quite clear how important state protection is to an individuals personal safety. In this particular case, I’ll use the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajive Gandhi to illustrate my point.
Indira Gandhi became a target for assassination after she ordered the army to storm the holiest shrine of the Sikhs at Armristar. Her security detail immediately told her that she would have to get rid of all her Sikh bodyguards if she hoped to survive. She was a stubborn woman and she also believed in a secular India and refused to fire employee’s purely on religious grounds. She was subsequently killed by two of her Sikh bodyguards as she was walking out of her compound to go and give an interview to a BBC reporter.
Indira’s son Rajiv, was assassinated in 1991 when he was not the prime minister of India. He was killed while he was campaigning for re-election in the state of Tamil Nadu. When he was voted out of office, the new government in India, withdrew his state protection. There is a special elite commando unit in India that protects government officials. When this unit was withdrawn from his person, he was told to make due with a single body guard. He was subsequently blown up by a Tamil suicide bomber (a woman). His widow, Sonia Gandhi has maintained that had the elite commando unit not being withdrawn from his protection, Rajiv Gandhi would have survived. A state commission of inquiry into his assassination, came to the same conclusion. The bomber would never have gotten passed their security screens.
So, these examples are meant to highlight how vulnerable one can became when they think that an untrained body guard (even one with a gun) can protect them from their own treachery. Even if you hire ex-army officials, the protection they can provide is not the same because the training is so different. It is the reason people like Ruto are in real danger.
As I was writing this, I thought about Felicien Kabuga. Why haven’t they caught him? When Moi was in power, Kabuga enjoyed state protection. I’m not sure who is protecting him now, but he must be constantly on the move, otherwise the Rwandese Intelligence services would have caught him by now. Who else? Joseph Kony in Uganda. Why hasn’t Museveni been able to catch him? Kony is funded and protected by the Sudanese intelligence services. The Sudanese don’t like Museveni because of his support for the SPLA and they are using Kony to get back at him (so, it’s in their interest to make sure that he stays alive; without this, Kony would probably have been dead by now). Although some have speculated that Museveni has no intention of killing me because he wants to continue to use the war in the north as an excuse to neglect that region. I think they just haven’t been able to get to him.
Anyway, the point is, don’t pull stunts like these unless you have very good state security around you (or unless you are willing to sacrifice yourself for “the cause”).
** Forward this video to minute 1:49 (very dangerous people; Moi was in power for 24 years, longer than the two kikuyu presidents combined! Kenyatta was there for 15 years and Kibaki has been there for 5; did they honestly expect to keep all those government jobs after Moi left??). This issue is no longer about Raila and the Luo’s. It’s really about disbanding these Kalenjin criminal gangs (they call themselves militia, but I think criminal gangs is a more appropriate phrase).
You are a scam of the earth if you are advocating for political assassinations. I hope the long arm of the law will get you someday. Ruto has not been found guilty of any crime and yet you have already adjudged him guilty. On what basis, may I ask. Isn’t it PNU supporters who have been insisting that people should follow the legal process. Why is it that you now believe that the court system is not good enough to try those that you perceive to be “enemies”. Are you just being hypocritical or is there something you are not telling us.
Mwenje bit is jut a ploy. Your main target is Ruto. Anyway, Mwenje is low life fella. No one will waste time trying to assassinate him. Get real.
It is also telling that two ODM Mps have already been killed in circumstance that are not clear. It is not ludicrous for one to suspect foul play given the timing and these kind of messages. Havent we had enough blood shed?
so, what’s the latest on the Were Case ?
Annon:
I knew some people might get flustered by this post and start shaking in anger and grrrrrrrrrrr…..
However, this would only happen if you missed the main premise of the entire post, which was that: when you decide on your own, to take someone else’s life, you put YOURSELF in great danger, especially when you don’t have very good security around you. I’m not sure how you missed this very basic premise. In civilized societies, you’d be arrested and tried for murder, but Kenya is not a civilized society (yet) and that is why the people behind this are in danger.
Secondly, most of my analysis is based on this concept of “RealPolitik”. What does this mean? From the dictionary, it is briefly described as:
“Politics based on practical and material factors rather than on theoretical or ethical objectives”. {or}
“Politics based on the cruel, coercive and amoral characters who hold power and who (whether you like it or not, will decide what ultimately happens”).
And there is no other continent that defines this machiavellian concept better than Africa today. You must take Africa as it is, not as you HOPE it to be.
Michuki has been killing people since the 1950′s and the perpetrators of the violence are going to have to deal with this reality.
I’ve been watching Martha karua at the negotiating table. She can’t even bare to look at William Ruto. There is extreme anger and this is going to be directed towards some people.
KE: strange way of reasoning (not surprised though)… that Martha Karua “can’t even bare to look at William Ruto” at the negotiating table… but she has no problem wining and dining with one Michuki – who you claim “has been killing people since the 1950’s” (your words, not mine). Such hypocrites, we are.
Why don’t you call for the assassination of this known “killer of people since 1950′s” as well… While you are at it, add the following people to your “assasination” list… mungiki/taliban/jeshi-la-mzee and other militia financiers, shoot-to-kill order-givers, ethnic-cleansing inciters, public land-grabbers, inciteful/hate-preaching tribalist blogs and radio stations, fraudulent ECK officials, corrupt politicians, goldenberg & anglo-leasing beneficiaries…. basically, anyone who has played a role to the current state that Kenya is in.
See you at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.
Akenyan:
You too missed the point (michuki has been killing people sine the 1950′s with state sanction – first for the British and with Mungiki as the internal security minister of the state: who is it that said that the the state has the power of the sword). If you work outside this state paradigm, you endanger yourself, especially because you don’t have that all important security around you. Nothing strange about this analysis; nothing at all.
They were able to get away with it in 1992 and 1997 because they had the state behind them, but not anymore. What is it about this argument that you do not get?
Middle class Kenyans have overrated their own country. It is not a country of Java House, CapitalFm and Carnivore. It is a country of extreme poverty, anger and lawlessness. It’s best to deal with this reality and stop trying to create one that does not exist.
Are you serious? Do you believe that it was a coincedence that 2 ODM MPs died in one week. The only love triangle that Too was in is the kibaki and Raila one. I am a PNU supporter but I know that the 2 deaths were not accidental or innocent. The government or some die hard PANUAs did it. I wonder what you would be saying if it was 2 PNU mps. I can guess you would be pointing your fingers at Ruto. We are Kenyans and we know that we cannot take the governments words to the bank. Kibaki stole the election and his people are behind the killings. We PANUAs say mutado!!!!
Wow… you are biased… “a love triangle gone bad”. It might be true BUT I have stopped believing what comes out of the police spokesman mouth nowadays.
Add alfred mutua & commish ali to that list!!!
I recall when Robert Ouko was supposed to have committed suicide. What a load of bullcrap.
My concern is that kibz & his cronies are becoming pathological liars. Anything to hang onto power. They don’t care about Kenya or Kenyans. Why should they?
When the leaders have no vision the people perish, so the good book says. Your blog is quite informative, a peek into how our so called leaders really think. Until I saw your blog, I could not understand how the PNU leadership would be willing to take Kenya back 40 years. Reading your blog their thought process has a perverse logic. I was fooled, I had seen the rational thinkers in PNU and did not realise they had no power.
Deep down this leadership looks scared, and does not really believe, and know how it is going to provide leadership so that Kenya can compete in the world. They are operating on a 60′s era script.
Right now I am packing for a trip to Vietnam, as part of an outsourcing team, it is really sad. This trip should be to Nairobi, but …….
Man…. don’t know who you are…but we should meet some day.
I was watching the news LAST MONTH and saw this young luo/kale boy boasting ..” tumeuwa kama wawili (Kikuyu’s)” and I thought to myself… how stupid are these knuckleheads!
I warned those that could hear that if the violence extended into the second week of January, they would see an uncontainable reaction from the Kyukes.. insidious and lethal for that matter.
Assassinations!@#$#@ that is child play!. Things are afoot that Raila and his bunch of fish lovers never dreamt of. As we speak, there are underground operations underway…..Raila played a deadly card….but I don’t think he is expecting what is coming…..
WATCH PEOPLE…..WATCH AND LEARN…….
nO RAILA, NO PEACE……..LET US SEE….
Coldtusker:
Yes – I am totally biased. I keep telling people that I have taken sides on this issue and any air of impartiality is gone from me. The thing is, why would the government kill two relatively unknown MP’s when they are bigger fish to fry?
I don’t know who killed Were and I doubt the police will ever find out (they are overwhelmed right now with other things; I think Mwenje may have had something to do with it, but I’m not sure).
And this Kimutai guy…I’d never even heard of him before this! So, the question for you is why would the government take a risk and kill these two unknowns?? it doesn’t make sense.
The second thing is, I think the vengance campaign by the government will not begin until a couple of years from now(when they start going after the planners of the violence in the rift valley). Unless Kimutai had something to do with the planning in the rift valley and the campaign has already begun (however, this is doubtful)- the love triangle bit sounds plausible. Why don’t you believe it?
I dont believe the love triangle because it seems to be a convenient way to explain an influential persons death. I also dont believe it because I am a Kenyan and I know how we think. It is a short term solution to a long term problem. They thought that killing 2 non influential MP’s would send a message to ODM to back down because more is coming. That poor Kisii cop sacrifised his life for PNU and Kibaki and I hope they reward his family handsomely. The unfortunate thing is none of these two punks will end up as president. Judas Iscariot will probably get what he wants he has betrayed every one Moi Kibaki Raila and he will betray Kibaki again. He is going to take advantage of this situation to the max. Why do you think he came to the US alone? He is putting himself out there as heir apparent.There is not telling what he said about PNU hardliners and MK. There is no honor among thieves.
PS: I am willing to bet money on my prediction.
KE you are wise and awesome!!
ANNNON,
Actually it’s Raila who’ll never end up as president and that’s a fact. half the country, plus kalonzo’s supporters already view him as a goon, a hooligan, power hungry, willing to do anything to get to power.
I’m sure there’s a big bunch of moderate ODM’ers who now hold this view.
and the sad thing is that all the protests and violence we’ve seen on T.V., basically look like poor youth who are real hooligans in their day jobs.
We haven’t seen any articulate middle class people expalining why they are protesting and what the real issues are.
Baiscally, the most coherent of these ODM Supporters just say “No raila No Peace…”
So to the world, the bulk of ODM Support is just some langusihing youths who look so happy to be perpetrating violence.
we haven’t seen any middle class people voicing their concerns on T.V.
and that’s maybe coz they have jobs to go to, kids to feed and clothe, money to make, while these “ODM Supporters” …I mean goons have all the time to uproot a railway line and be very happy with themselves.
Most of the reports from the international media describe most of the rioting youth as having been intoxicated, so that just tells u alot them, they know what their doing is so wrong they have to be high to do it, it gives them false bravado, plus it eases their conscience.
ODM Has lost so much popularity right know that they are loosing it. I mean even RUTO hAS toned down, well maybe he knows that the gava and people are after him.
I mean how does Anyang nyong call for protests again and Kofi Annan basically comes out and says that there’ll be no more protest. that’s just pie in ur face for Nyongo and ODM.
Who will the world believe- A Clownish, albeit ignorant looking bespectacled guy who’s barely coherent and un inspiring to look at, or well polished, RESPECTED International leader who’s here to foster dialogue to lead to peace ?
ur guess is as good as mine, The world will listen to Kofi Annan on this matter and they’ll begin to see the falacy that ODM Is.
Mzeiya, I agree that Raila may never get what he wants. It is going to be pressure from the international community and Kalonzo who will do Emilio in. There will never be peace as long as he is president. I dont think ODM is loosing popularity with its base they are more resolved than ever. GEMA were never on ODMs side any way so they really havent lost anything. You just saying that because all you hang around is GEMA but trust me ODM supporters are solidly behind them or this impasse would have long ceased to exist.
ANNON,
I’m sure ODM’s die hard base will stand with them. However, the tipping point already happened. This was when ODM Initially called for the mass protests, after securing their paychecks first-off course as MP’s.
Those protests were a failure, a huge failure. A journalist asked Raila why, despite him having support from over 4 million kenyans, only a couple hundred showed up to support him in the mass protests.
Raila answered by saying that the police kept them from coming to the rallies , especially in Kibera. This is true, but does that mean that all of Raila’s supporters come from kibera? out of the 4 million, do his supporters come from kibera, all or most of 4 million of them ?
No way. People got turned off by ODM’s selfish leadership, actually no leadership at all, coz leadership is too ggod a term to desribe their charade as the pentagon.
If the ODM were real believers in their cause and if they genuinely felt cheated, then they should not have done protests on a part time basis.
They should have called for the mass peaceful protests immediately after the verdict was announced.
THEN, they should not have accepted President Kibaki’s Summon to parliament to be sworn in. By them accepting this basically means that they already have recognized Kibaki as president, despite their verbal theatrix. actions speak louder than words my brother!
If they really felt aggrieved, they should NOT have gone to parliament to be sworn in by an “illegitimate government and president”
Why is it that they called for the mass protests immediately following swearing in at parliament ? Is it coz they wanted to secure their fat paychecks first ? YES. They knew that even if they called for the protests, they’d still get paid.
BUT TRUST ME, Had ODM decided not to go to parliament and do the mass protests, even I would have been impressed at their courage, zeal and self belief, and so would have the world.
Also note, the middle class stayed away from these protests. The only people protesting were idle, poor youth, who were probably paid. The middle classes had better things to do.
The middle class is the engine of any nation. A vibrant middle class means a successful country. Look at any prosperous nation, they all have VIBRANT middle classes.
That’s why INDIA is starting to pick up, coz the 300 million or so middle class’s lives have begun to improve thru more purchasing power and higher incomes.
In UKRAINE, The middle classes pourd onto the streets in huge numbers to peacefully protest. Note, they did not go around chopping the russian speaking people up coz they had voted for the government, No they didn’t. They professionals, laborers, businessmen all marched and did not go to work, and we see what happened, Yushshenko took over.
But in kenya, the brutal honest truth is that the middle class have been the biggest beneficiaries of the economic boom. Not all of them support kibaki, but at the end of the day, that middle class guy would rather go back to his comfortable life then risk “fighting” for his cause and end up with nothing.
The lower clasess in kenya have not benefited as much and it’s expected. The damage done to the kenya econom for 24 years CANNOT be fixed in 5 years.When the economy started growing, obviously, the first to feel the benefits were the upper and middle classes, not the bottom guys.The trickle down effect wil take more time for them but eventually they will feel it.
The guys at the bottom may have limited education, maybe did not finish primary school. a guy like that cannot compete with one who finished high school or better yet a university gradute.
When the outsourcing jobs begin to come to kenya, they’ll first go to people with University degrees who can speak good english.So the college eductaed people will benefit first. Once this picks up, maybe this new graduate who’s employed in a call center will have disposable income, of which he can use to buy lunch, buy extra stuff, get a daily shoe shine. This is when the lower class guys will begin to benefit.
The lower class guy may get a delivery job from a restuarant to deliver lunches to call center employees.
anyway, basically the point is if the middle classes are not fully devoted to something, it’s very hard for a country to change, and frankly, in kenya, the middle classes are very optimistic economically about prospects once the violence is over.
They may not support or like kibaki, but that will not stop them from going work, or running their businesses.Kibaki needs another 5 years to cement his leadership and acheivements.
As we speak, let it not be lost that a majority of parents with primary school age kids do not have to worry about school fees in january or ever. and those with kids in high school now pay less for fees.
There is a very small middle class in Kenya. That is why Raila had to appeal to the poor. It is true that only the idle youth would fight and this is so on both sides. Going to parliament was a tactical move they need their pay because they dont have access to the treasury. Kibaki may not have been given enough time to undo Moi’s ills but Kenya is not a kingdom it is a so called democracy and when the people decide otherwise he had an obligation to respect it. There will be no development if he continues to hang on it will be an administration specializing in crisis management. It is sad but there is too much bad blood between us and the other tribes and Kibaki and Raila have to give room to a neutral party to heal the wounds. It is not what you want to hear but it is what is going to happen. His crazy wife doesnt help his case. The west will make sure no one gets in thier way since Kenya is key in the war against terrorism. Trust me they have a way of making these things happen. I wish your dream for MK come true
ANNON,
I can guarantee you that had ODM refused to go to parliament, even I would have been moved, I’d have given them respect and the spotlight and heat would have immediately turned to the government side.
It is hypocritical of ODM To go to parliament if they don’t recognize the current government.
You have just reinforced my point when you said ” Going to parliament was a tactical move they need their pay because they dont have access to the treasury”
Exactly, they did it for the money ! If they were that genuine, money would not have been a motivation for them to go parliament.
Kibaki actually has done well in terms of opening up democratic space. His freedoms are partly responsible for this mess. People got away with saying anything, from politicians to the media, so NO, your point about kenya being a kingdom is not valid.
In MoI’s time, some of the things that have been allowed by the govt would not fly. That is one thing Moi was good at, ruling with a tight fist.
It’s true , Kenya’s middle class is not large, but that is not an excuse. Raila appealed to the poor coz he knew he could manuipulate their frustrations , so he very well preyed on their fears, worries, and hardships.That’s why they were killing each other, especially in nairobi, it was in the slums that most of the violence occured.
I’ve looked at all the allegations that people from ODM, and the general public are saying , and some of it has been accept as truth. An example that the crisis was coz of land.
From the surface, that statement seems very credible. HOWEVER,The land QUESTION In KENYA needs to be adressed, but not in this context.
The Land Issue can be addressed partly by enhancing the Ndungu Report, which I’m sure will not go on coz people like Raila will stand to loose the molasses plant he acquired or he’d be forced to pay market rates for that land, not the less than kshs 5 million he paid for industrial land and property.
People are sayin land has to be addressed to improve the crisis, but be very careful in what this really means.
The Rift valley is where the land cases occured with kikuyus being forced out. I saw these poor people in camps in rift valley. Most of them owned small pieces of land , had built their homes there and used to land to cultivate food for their domestic use and sold the surplus.
Most of them have title deeds for the land they boght from kalenjins at market price.
Hearing the kalenjin “warriors” speak, you’d think the land was just acquired fradulently.
It’s true Kenyatta gave large tracts of land to kyuks in Rift valley, but those are not the people being targeted, or the white farmers who own large swaths of land. it’s the small time kikuyu guy who just has a small piece of land and lives with his family.
This issue was triggered by pure hate, it’s not purely a land issue.
I agree about the “crisis management” mode of things from now unless the two sides sort things out.
I’ve just watched a documentary about dubai and I feel ashamed by our leaders. we’ve had leaders who had zero vision. The dubai guy amazes me with his vision for his tiny country.
It’s also good to look at things historically, also listened to a speech by kenyatta the great, yes he was a great man. I always thought of him as evil from the way I heard my paroz talk about him and what people said, but I heard and watched a few clips and speeches he amde and I now see why Kenya was a star in the 60′s and 70′s.
He also castigates Odinga Sr. for filling his belly while his people went hungry.
I’d recommend you listen to that audio clip on you tube and it’s the sad truth but it’s true.
Mzeiya: I’ve listened to the Kenyatta clip, and it is BS – to say the least! Funny he talks about greed when the legacy he left behind is that of a land-grabbing old man (Ndungu report has the details)…Nothing inspiring there.
You are right. Kenya was a prosperous nation in the 1960′s… too bad it took just over 40 years of misrule, nepotism and plunder by 3 greedy men and a bunch of tribalist goons/mafias/cliques around them to bring it to its current state.
kihii
ghasia wewe
aKENYAN.
You say kenya was prosperous but now it declined. honestly, do u think there is a gene in us africans that makes us bound to screw things up or is coz we’ve been independent for a short while ?
I don’t want to compare to the U.S. Or Much of europe coz they’ve had their societies and countries for hundreds of years.
Think about it, in the 1890′s when the british first came, there wa sno kenya. There was just land with differnt “nations” living next to each other, i.e. you had the kikuyu nation, luo nation, kalenjin nation etc.
When the brits came, they put all these differnt “nations” together as one, which worked for a while coz the brits walikuwa wametukalia ngumu, they ruled us with an iron fist so we had to comply.
Then when they left, kenyatta must have discovered that the challenge of kenya into the future was unifying the country as one, and it seems it is still a challenge upto today.
I honestly think they should encourage swahili and english as the only languages and strongly discourage vernacular, just the way TZ did, and that’s one area TZ beat us in, in national unity, although to their disadvantage, they don’t ask questions, so the authorities get away with so much.
But I looked at kenyata’s history and respected this man. Don’t judge him negatively ati coz he stole land…you have to go back and remember that- that was a differnt time, and it was bound to hapen.
I mean he was the gatekeeper of kenya’s resources and when wazungu left, offcourse lazima angejisaidia.
Daddi, these things happen. In countries where u have colonizers and people fighting for freedom, as soon a sthat freedom is won, usually the freedom fighters get a chunk of the countries wealth, coz hao ndio wameachiwa mali.
A very good example is south Africa. All those ANC Front runners who were championing for black freedom are now faboulosuly wealthy and are seen as a sell out or the minority beneficiaries of south africa’s wealth.
There’s Tony Sexwale who became the governor of ( the provinces where JO’Burg is the capital, can’t recall the name), this dude became an instant baller.
There’s also Ramaposa who was rejected by PNU Guys, this guy is very very wealthy, there’s Thabo Mbeki, all these guys have newly acquired wealth, they were not wealthy but they were the ANC Front runers, so once they secured freedom, they also acquired immense wealth. Same thing na onyatto, you can’t be mad at that guy for that during that time
I higly suggest everyone to read this article from reuters. It’s a very non partisan artcile written by a British Professor of kenya history and it explains what’s really going on and who’s squarely to blame
here’s the link
http://www.reuters.com/article.....SL05822530
njino: Grow up – and get some education while you are at it
Mzeiya: Thanx for the link to the reuters article. It is spot on.
@ anonymous ‘There is a very small middle class in Kenya. That is why Raila had to appeal to the poor.’
what do you mean he had to? he didn’t have to do anything,if you ask me.
@mzeiya
i’m about to fall for the faulty-african gene theory. afterall look at kenya’s recent chaos, the southafricans electing jacob ‘jay-z’ zuma as anc chief and the broke-nigerians with all their oil (its like living in a bakery and never having tasted bread)
if not a gene, it must be something in the air of the continent…
dont be fooled by kaleos using machetes, bows and arrows. kalenjins are ready to succeed from kenya. we are just waiting for a dumb kyuk to try and assassinate Rutto. by the way when kibaki is busy rebalancing the military kales have been training their militias. its all upto kibaki, its either peace or kenya splits. call any kyuk in the military and they will tell u whats going on.
The impression that Raila and ODM support base has been dented is a fallacy that should only be believed by PNU and Kibakis sympathisers alone. On the contrary, it has become even bold. Such messages receives ready audience in those politically naive persons or better opponents of ODM.
As concerns the deaths of the two ODM mps, my analysis is that they are political assassinations: 1. Either the government wanted to blackmail ODM by creating fear ,remember 3 more are remaining and one has already recording a statement to the police2. Or These honourables received bribe to vote in KAPARO as speaker but didnt do so, deal gone sour case 2. Or they were used sacrificial lambs in ritual killings…
A good spook will never pre-empt investigations as in the case of the mp David TOO. I doubt if the murder was a love triangle thing. The police Commissioner just wanted to pacify agitated ODM supporters and international community by cooking up the ‘crime of passion’ nonsense!
WAR is not a good thing. Likewise killing is abhored even by God. Lastly this is just engaging in idle talk; please PNU (or Kuks for that matter) dont cheat yourselves that you can defeat other tribes during war. I think only Kales can give a scare in your lives whether using bows and arrows without bundukis…..So dont make other Kenyans especially the Lunjes to come in the fray!
mzeiya:
BULLSHIT… Ati, “Don’t judge him (kenyatta) negatively ati coz he stole land…you have to go back and remember that- that was a differnt time, and it was bound to hapen.”
WTF… It is different if he fought to keep the country together & he might have committed what might be considered “atrocities” for the greater good of the country.
kenyatta was a THIEF. He stole land. Simple. mwizi. This was not about politics but grand theft. kenyatta started Kenya on the slippery slope.
Have you heard of Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore? The guy has been in power for many years & he has made Singapore a model city-state. He still controls/influences the government. His son is the current Prime Minister. BUT you hardly hear of corruption.
kenyatta on the other hand f****d Kenya & Kenyans for his own gain.
Even other S.E.Asian leaders accused of corruption led their countries into a solid middle class status. Not kenyatta. He was a thief. The economy was strangled by the poor economic decisions made to further his family+cronies interests.
Then we had his protege… dan “the idiot” moi…
mnandi:
can someone be pro-kikuyu but not pro-kibaki? how about pro-nandi but not pro-ruto?
if a nandi guy will make 20000/- selling his maize in nairobi as opposed to 3000/- in some secessionist republic, why shouldnt i support him and ignore his so-called leader(nairobi based i must add). or are you an enemy too of good economic sense?
coldtusker:
lee kuan yew strangled the parties right at the start because he figured the chinese would go to one, malays to theirs and indians to another. but the price is that he was a very heavy handed guy. how would you like your blog sensored (or even quashed)each time you crossed some faceless bureaucrats line?
freedom may be a vague concept, but its absence is really felt.
WTF,
Mzeiya, are you mad or just so out of touch. The middle class, they do not even constitute 10% of Kenya. In 1992, did you see any of Kenyas middle class hit the streets. They never will be part of any revolution. Just like 1992, it takes the poor to come up in arms and have their voices heard. Going back to normal for the poor is being in the current state that we are in. Normal for majority in the slums in facing death from gangs, police, poverty, disease and corruption.
More important than economic advancement, is a unified nation where everybodys rights are not trampled on eg. voting. Please get of your high horse and look at who surrounds you in Kenya. You talk of these guys in the slums as if they were some foreign beings or phenomenon. These are real people like you and me who love their children and only wish for a better life. Or as someone once said during the French Revolution, they should eat cake if they had no bread.
Even if we unify and eradicate tribalism, can we ignore the poor, the youth who form more than 50% of the country. What type of lessons are we teaching our children. remember it is very easy to blame and point out problems. The difficult part is finding solutions. In Kenya we are always critics and never solvers of problems. What do you suggest we do to bring ALL of kenya back together. NEVER have we sat down and tackled these land and corruption issues.
Please have compassion for your fellow Kenyans, who are less fortunate than you. In this crisis they are the ones who suffer the most. If we have a government that ensures their top priority the eradication of poverty, disease, corruption and tribalism, then we can move forward. We need SOLUTIONS Mzeiya. Everybody knows the problems, standing and shouting these problems more than others does not make you a better person. Notice, I wrote a whole reply without mentioning ODM or PNU, Raila or Kibaki. I lie, just mentioned them at the end.
@ JUST WHAT
Ati the Nigerians having oil is like living in a bakery and never having tasted bread…lol..funny but sad. It’s all about leadership. They did not have visionary leadership who saw the need to build refinery plants, now they have to re-import their own oil at high market rate prices…sad indeed.
MNANDI, Please chief, don’t play yourself with all that brvado talk. You will never seceede! You may try but the damage you’ll do to your home will be great. First the government will deal with you squarely and you’ll be the example to the rest who ever think of such.Secondly, you’ll be constantly behind economically.Remember even in the U.S., The south tried to Secede, leading to a brutal civil war with massive casualties, and for a long time the Southern U.S was so poor, actually it still is, but some states and cities are starting to come up.
BENELUX: You sound like RUTO with your war mongering.Fine, Kales won the battle by butchering kyuks and all, but don’t be deceived for a minute that the government will let shit slide. Have you noticed Ruto has tonned down of late ? I’m sure you have, he’s not as fiery as before, he probably had a premonition that his crimes are catching up to him. I really fell terrible for you if you know what is going to become of those perpetrators of genocide….and u dare call it a battle ? please, torching women and children in a church is a battle ? that’s a coward’s battle. It’s like jumping a drunken guy and claiming it was a fair fight, only cowards with hate do that, lakini usijali, they’l get theirs soon. Remember the good book says that God is the avenger of the poor and weak, and shame on you for burning God’s building with children in it. Do u know the curse you brought on urselves ?
BENELUX…ati ODM’s support is still strong ? strong to who ? I mean, I heard Anyang Nyong calling for protests the other day and it made him look so dumb. I mean, how do u call for protests and then Kofi Annan says they’ll be no such thing ? I mean, who will the world believe and find credible…seriuosly, it does not take agenuis to have basic common sense.
COLD TUSKER:
R us seriuosly mad at kenyatta for getting his at that time ??? U Guy , u strike me as an idealist, which is not bad, but at times you have to be a realist. If u look back into history and look at freedom fighters- Most of them became faboulosuly wealthy after freedom was attained. That’s coz , when their masters left, they were left to be the gate keepers of the nations’ wealth. This is the same case with all those ANC Guys, Kina Thabo Mbeki, Ramaposa, Sexwale. These guys crafted the BEE Black economic empowerment legislation, and they were the biggest beneficiaries despite them being staunch “communists”. There’s a big rift within the ANC today and south africa in general because of this perceived class differnce, that’s why Jacob Zuma has popular support.
and CT, Mind you, Kenyatta was GREAT LEADER, I stand by that. I listene dto his speeach of him telling people to unite as kenyans and not allowing tribal divisions to steer us. He told Jaramogi off for filling his belly while leaving the bulk of the Luos Hungry and castigated him for not teaching them how to farm, or be productive. Kenyatta was the man.
He’d allow people to challenge and argue with him in public and matters would be settled right there. History has and will continue to judge him as a great leader.
Mind u COLDTUSKER, When kenyatta left kenya, it wa sin great shape, but when Mr Moi came in is when things really started to crumble, tho it took a while.
You;re seriously trying to compare singapore- a city state to kenya ? c’mon. What’s singapore’s population? slightly over 4 and a half million as of today, basically nairobi’s population.do u expect them to have the enormity and level of challenges a country like kenya has today with over 33 million people, varied tribes ? I’m not making an excuse for our slack but they had far fewer challenegs to deal with. Plus that Lee Kuan Yew guy has ruled singapore with an iron fist, just like china, those guys don’t have the level of democracy we have in kenya today.
as JUST WHAT SAID, If this were singapore or something similar, trust me daddi, your blog would have been shut down and you’d probably be lanuishing in a jail cell somewhere. But it is seriuosly naive of you to blame kenyatta for acquring wealth at that time..that was / is expected.
MATOFA,
Don’t get amd at me , I’m just stating the truth and the facts as they are.Let’s call a spade a spade, not a big spoon.You are right, we did not see the middle class hit the streets.and yu said they will never be part of any revolution?
well the truth is the middle class in kenya have been the biggest beneficiaries of the economic growth in the last 5 years. despite their political leanings, they would rather safeguard their comfort levels than risk protesting in the streets.
and don’t get all emotional telling me to get off my high horse….I’m just describing the reality that exists. In kenya we have a very stratified society in terms of class. There’s the top Burgoesie, the middle class, and the poor who are at the bottom. The benefits of the economic growth hasn’t trickled down to them yet and it will take a while. However, these guys at the bottom are the ones we’re seeing demonstarting in large numbers, probably coz 1. they don’t have that much to loose and also coz they are being funded to do it. Someone gives you kshs 100 or 200 to burn a house, kill someone and it’s money you don’t see everyday, you’ll definitely do it.
But to sit and pretend that these class distinctions don’t exist is being pretentiuos.Nothing has revelaed this more than the aftermath of the elections. Seriuosly, think about it, is walking around holding pangas and machetes , does that look like people genuinly demonstarting or does it look like people looking to cause havoc and chaos? and where do the majority of these people come from ? the poor rural areas and the slums.We did not see people in Milimani in naks or south B/ Buru Buru Lavington kill each other. No, it was always the poor folk in the city and in the country and towns.
You are right that we need solutions and this where I echo what kalonzo said: there cannot be peace without justice.The perpetrators have to be brought to book first!
I guess you made the news. Fast forward to 1:18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7LsCJM1VqM
Confirmed: President Mwai Kibaki visited Uganda
Last updated : 15 Jan 2008, Kampala
Radio Katwe has done its cross checking and can now confirm to its readers that President Mwai Kibaki the Kenyan head of state (a title in hot dispute) paid a surprise visit to Uganda last Thursday.
Rumours have been in Kampala that Kibaki visited his fellow dictator Yoweri Museveni but we could not confirm them at first. Now we have seen concrete evidence that Kibaki was in Uganda.
Many Ugandans are worried by why Kibaki chose to come to Uganda at a time when Kenya is in big problems. They are worried that Kibaki might have got to Uganda to consult a man who besides other titles like elections stealer, and serial breaker of Agreements between conflicting parties, is most well known as veteran of genocide against civilians.
Recently we saw pictures of youths in Kenya carrying machetes (pangas) and it brought back memories of the pangas used in the Rwandan Genocide. We earlier wrote about a truck full of new pangas that was taken from Uganda to Rwanda just before the terrible genocide there.
We have not got any news about what they discussed but when the most powerful and corrupt men get together to strike deals, the people of East Africa should get worried.
Foul play is being suspected between Museveni and Kibaki.