Monday, February 28, 2011

We have come a long way as a nation






 
BY RAILA ODINGA

I always knew the decision by President Kibaki and myself to agree to share power was momentous. But its real magnitude struck me when I travelled to Ivory Coast at the beginning of the year to mediate in the election dispute there.

I landed in a once prosperous and stable African country, the one-time jewel of the Francophone Africa,  now struggling to stand with two presidents, two prime ministers, two Cabinet, two militaries and two “state houses” all running the same country. It struck me how much we can save, and how much we did save by just agreeing to compromise.

We missed the Ivory Coast route and collapse by a whisker in 2008. That is why February 28 will forever remain in our collective memories as the day we made a commitment as a people never to take up arms against fellow citizens again. On this day, we committed to reform our governance and electoral systems to ensure we shall never go to the polls again and come out claiming not to know the winner as a result of incompetence and lack of professionalism on the part of those we trust with managing our elections.

As a nation, we remain indebted to the steadfast and resilient sons and daughters of Africa who stood with us at our hour of need to ensure that Kenya does not collapse. We shall forever be indebted to Dr Kofi Annan, President Jakaya Kikwete, President Benjamin Mkapa and Madam Graca Machel for putting their integrity to severe test in standing up for Kenya.

I pay tribute to our own leaders who, divided along party lines, all the same constituted themselves into negotiating teams and came up with a working document that formed the basis of the Peace Accord. And we shall never forget the role of the European Union and the US in helping our country rediscover itself and find a route out of the chaos and the precipice.

The Accord did save lives. It saved our economy and it gave us a second chance. There have been many false starts in this pioneering experiment of grand coalition government, but that was to be expected. The experiment we were embarking on was new not just to us in Kenya but to the entire Continent of Africa. We embarked on it in the enduring belief that because of the exceptional circumstances our country found itself in, we would improvise as we went a long, hoping that the luck of history would be on our side.

The Accord came with the proviso that we would address both the immediate and long term causes of the violence. We agreed to do everything to blunt the ethnic jealousies and address the economic hungers and inequities that were identified as the root causes of this conflict.

A lot has been achieved; but much is pending. Our economy is up and competitive again. We can say that we emerged out of the chaos, sadder but wiser, and that is why we were able to give ourselves a new constitution last year, after many failed attempts.

We have revamped our agriculture, invested heavily in infrastructure and made serous attempts to address poverty, unemployment and inequality through interventions like the Economic Stimulus Package, Kazi Kwa Vijana and revamped women and youth funds, rural electrification and provision of water to remote and dry parts of the country. We have made significant gains in the war on corruption and impunity, although a lot remains to be done. I am convinced that none of these would have been achieved had we not agreed to compromise and sign the Accord. Instead, we would be fighting today.

Soon after the signing of the document, I toured parts of the country, sometimes in the company of the President. The evidence of destruction and mayhem was everywhere. Hospital beds were occupied by people nursing bullet wounds and deep panga cuts. Mortuaries were teaming with bodies of victims of this violence and families were burying their dead. Everywhere, there was anger, suspicion and distrust.

History shows that civilizations can sometimes be swept by devastating fires, but in the aftermath, a vigorous new growth emerges, industries rise from the rubble and cities and communities rebuild. It has happened here. Trust is returning among communities. But we still have a lot to do to consolidate the peace and trust. In our years of independence, the election violence f 2008 stands as the saddest, the most reckless and the most cruel. It should never have happened and it must not happen again.

I remain extremely confident that if the constitution we endorsed last year is implemented and respected, it will deal with most of the issues that took us to war. I commit to explore all avenues to sustain the spirit of compromise that gave birth to this government. That spirit is critical to the implementation of the constitution. That constitution remains our best hope against another war.


WikiLeaks says US favours Uhuru over Raila


BY ROB JILLO

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 28 - The United States government appears to prefer Uhuru Kenyatta to Raila Odinga as the next President of Kenya after Mwai Kibaki retires, it emerged on Monday.

Diplomatic cables released by whistle blowing website Wikileaks indicate that US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger wrote to his superiors in 2009 saying Mr Kenyatta's ambition should be supported as it could be helpful in pushing the reform process forward. 

"Kenyatta may be encouraged to attempt a presidential run due to shifting political dynamics that make potential challengers seem weak.  Interestingly, Kenyatta seems to appreciate the need to be seen as pro-reform, and we should encourage him to push for action on key reform issues," the confidential cable by Mr Ranneberger states.

However the ambassador seems to have no kind words for Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the June 2009 cable in which he says that the Prime Minister “is unable or unwilling to move forward the reform agenda.”

He also says that Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) seems both directionless and less united than before.

"Odinga is increasingly perceived as feckless, unable or unwilling to govern effectively and move forward the reform agenda. There is growing disillusionment within his camp (as conveyed by key interlocutors of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, ODM, party to the ambassador," the cable reveals.

The ambassador told his bosses in Washington that Mr Kenyatta had revealed his intention to push for police reforms and also changes in the office of the Attorney General.

Mr Kenyatta, according to the cables, was privately pushing President Kibaki to implement reforms.

"During a recent conversation with the ambassador, Kenyatta claimed that he is privately pushing Kibaki to carry out key reforms, particularly with respect to the police and Judiciary. It seems possible that given the clear public frustration with the slow pace of  reform and our stated concerns - Kenyatta appreciates the need for him, KANU, and PNU to be seen as more pro-reform," the cable states.

"He claimed to the ambassador that he is urging removal of Police Commissioner (Maj Gen Mohammed Hussein) Ali and Attorney General (Amos) Wako."

In his assessment of Mr Kenyatta's presidential ambition the envoy sees his elevation to the Finance Ministry portfolio as an endorsement by President Kibaki.

"His appointment as Finance Minister was seen by many as an implicit endorsement by Kibaki; it provides a powerful platform for Kenyatta to pursue presidential ambitions," Mr Ranneberger tells his bosses.

The envoy also hailed Mr Kenyatta's 2009 Budget and said the Finance Minister was using CDF Funds to cement support of MPs who are influential on its use.

On the alliance between Mr Kenyatta and suspended Cabinet Minister William Ruto, the cable states that Mr Ruto has made a number of private visits to State House and he is in close contact with Mr Kenyatta.

The ambassador sees the cooperation between the two as meant to promote the welfare of their respective ethnic communities in Central and Rift Valley "in order to avoid a repeat of what happened last year (2008) during the post-election violence."

He says that tentative, behind the scenes cooperation between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto is focused on a deal whereby the latter uses his influence among Kalenjins to facilitate the reintegration of the Kikuyu internally displaced persons in Rift Valley.

"In return, Ruto would get a significant share of important economic positions for his Kalenjin political allies. What is  particularly problematic in a potential Kenyatta-Ruto alliance is who would get top billing on the presidential ticket, but there is some sense that Ruto might accept the position of vice president or prime minister, and thus prepare the ground for a presidential run in 2017.(Ruto is in his 40s.)."

Mr Ranneberger however cautions: "Rightly in our view, believe that attempting to have another Kikuyu succeed Kibaki is a recipe for serious instability perhaps for a meltdown much more severe than that experienced last year. While some sort of arrangement could emerge between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities, this seems a distant prospect given what happened last year.  (Importantly Moi, rather than Ruto, is still seen as the head of the Kalenjin community and there is bad blood between those two. If Moi supports Kenyatta, Ruto could decide to stay with Odinga, which would mean a split of the Kalenjin vote.)"

In the cable Mr Ranneberger describes the Deputy Prime Minister as being far ahead of all other potential candidates from Central Kenya.

"Kenyatta is slowly but steadily emerging as the most likely potential presidential designee of the Kikuyus.”

Other contenders are not gaining traction. Minister of Security (Prof George) Saitoti is considered too old and not charismatic. Kikuyu dissident Martha Karua, the former Minister of Justice and head of the NARC-K party within the PNU, has not gained wide support in the Kikuyu Central Province.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is however seen as a potential standard-bearer if at the end of the day the Kikuyus decide that they should not field their own candidate.

"However, that would be seen as a Kikuyu-Kamba condominium, which might well be worse than a straight-out bid by Kenyatta if he can get crucial support from the Kalenjin community," Mr Ranneberger concludes.
 
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Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/WikiLeaks-says-US-favours-Uhuru-over-Raila-11871.html#ixzz1FGi351X0
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Boys shine in KCSE exams

Alliance High School students celebrate after a previous good performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary School (KCSE) examinations. The school emerged the top in the 2010 exams. Photo/Jennifer Muiruri
Alliance High School students celebrate after a previous good performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary School (KCSE) examinations. The school emerged the top in the 2010 exams. Photo/Jennifer Muiruri 
By NATION ReporterPosted Monday, February 28 2011 at 11:42

Boys have taken eight slots of the top ten best performing candidates in the 2010 national examinations for high school.
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Moi High School Kabarak’s Wandui Albert Kamau emerged the best candidate nationally. He was followed by Marube Machuka (Alliance High School) and at No. 3 was Getega Obinchu (Maranda High School).
Releasing the results, the Minister for Education Prof Sam Ongeri noted that the examination performance had generally improved.
He said candidates who scored grade C+ (plus) and above needed to qualify for university admission increased from 81,048 candidates in 2009 to 97,134 candidates last year.
TOP 10 PERFORMING CANDIDATES NATIONALLY
  1. WANDUI ALBERT KAMAU (Moi High School Kabarak)
  2. MARUBE MACHUKA ALLAN (Alliance High School)
  3. GETEGA OBINCHU JOSHUA (Maranda High School) 
  4. MUTUA BRIAN MULU (Alliance High School)
  5. MWANGASHA KATINI LYDIA (The Kenya High School)
  6. MWANGI ANDREW KABUCHO (Moi High School Kabarak)
  7. OCHIENG FELIX OGOLA (Kanga High School)
  8. OPERE LESLEY OWUOR (Alliance High School)
  9. MONG'ARE NEWNEX BRIAN (Moi High School Kabarak)
  10. MACHARIA IVY MUTHONI (The Kenya High School)
TOP 20 PERFORMING SCHOOLS NATIONALLY
  1. Alliance High School
  2. Precious Blood Secondary School Riruta
  3. Bahati Girls Secondary School 
  4. Maranda High School
  5. Alliance Girls High School
  6. Moi High School Kabarak
  7. Moi Girls High School Eldoret
  8. The Kenya High School
  9. Starehe Girls Centre School
  10. Strathmore School
  11. Starehe Boys Centre & School
  12. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al-Nayhan
  13. Kianda School
  14. Maasai High School
  15. Mangu High School
  16. Sacho High School
  17. Mary Mother of Grace Boys
  18. Pangani Girls School
  19. Loreto High School Limuru
  20. Moi Tea Girls Secondary School

National Reconciliation

Coalition govt. year 3

KCSE results

Money & Power - Disagreements

Coalition's 3rd anniversary

Balala hints at coast only political party

IDPs resettlement rocked by controversies

THE PRICE OF PROTECTION..mov

Kalonzo on abusive languages

Ruto's Kisumu funds drive rally off till Match

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ELDORET North MP William Ruto’s planned funds drive in Kisumu today has been put off. Kisumu police boss John Mwinzi confirmed the cancellation of the meeting which was to take place at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground.

Mwinzi was however quick to add that he had asked the organisers to reschedule the event until the row on the nomination of key judicial officials was solved. “I advised them to hold their horses until the political temperatures cool,” Mwinzi said.

He however said his office is ready to offer security at the event with support from neighbouring police divisions in Nyanza. Ruto’s point man in Nyanza George Ayugi confirmed the postponement of the funds drive till March 19.

Ayugi said the MP will be arriving at the lakeside city on March 18, where he will spend the night and attend the harambee the next morning. “The MP will be arriving in Kisumu on March 18 and we expect him to spend a night at the Imperial Hotel before presiding over the function the following day,” he said.

The funds drive will be in support of the youths in the region especially those involved in boda boda business, he said. “The function has totally nothing to do with politics some people have perceived it,” he said, adding that youths from the region had called for the funds drive. “We therefore want to clear the rumour going round that the MP will be coming to Nyanza to measure his political strength with the Prime Minister,” said Ayugi.

Last week, the Eldoret MP’s confidantes announced that the MP would be leading a number of his allies for a mass rally in the lake side city which is perceived as PM Raila's stronghold.

Ayugi said Ruto will be leading more than 40 MPs to Kisumu, among them the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eugene Wamalwa, Samuel Poghisio, Najib Balala, Charles Keter among others.

PNU MPs split over calls for snap polls

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Three Murang’a MPs have differed sharply with their PNU colleagues calling for the pullout from the coalition government referring to them as insincere and selfish.
Elius mbau of Maragwa, Maina Kamau of Kandara and Kiharu’s Muturi Mwangi lashed out at their colleagues accusing them of being hungry for power. He said their calls are motivated by the false notion that they would be appointed to ministerial positions currently being held by the ODM party.
Speaking at Kandara during the burial of the brother to immediate former MP Joshua Toro, the legislators said even if there is a provision in the National Accord which empowers the President to reconstitute the Cabinet if one partner in the coalition pulls
out, the country was not ready for elections. “The National Accord empowers the President to reconstitute the Cabinet but the provision does not mean the end of the grand coalition,” Mbau said.
He wondered what has cropped in the mind of some leaders in the party of national unity saying that general elections are out of question as there was no credible body to conduct the polls.
Mbau noted it is wrong for politicians to put the country into an election mood instead of engaging in development matters adding that partisan interest are to blame for the myriad problems facing the grand coalition government.
The MPs praised President Kibaki for withdrawing the controversial list of four top officials of the Judiciary. “President Kibaki will be remembered as a courageous man who had national interest at heart. He revoked his own nomination list to show that Kenya is big than everyone,” Mbau said.

The Cutting Edge

By THE WATCHMAN Posted Sunday, February 27 2011 at 18:55

STRANGE PROPOSAL. Education Assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria’s call for the scrapping of the parallel degree programmes in public universities has not gone down very well with Eva Muthuni. Says she: “He seems to imply that the students in these programmes either failed their exams or are from rich families, which is not entirely true. There are many who scored Grade B and above in the KCSE exam but were locked out in university admissions. And let’s face it, the universities’ budgets heavily rely on these fee paying students.”
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COSTLY DELAY. Can Moi University explain to former student Isaac Sila why he does not have his degree certificate nearly four months after the 2010 graduation ceremony? Isaac says the excitement about his academic achievement has given way to frustration. “I have missed several job chances due to lack of my degree certificate when my competitors from other universities have theirs! Moi should learn from Kenyatta University, which issues certificates 10 days after graduation.” His contact is isaacsila@yahoo.com.
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WASTEFUL BEAUTIFICATION. What Michael S. finds quite intriguing is the continuing beautification of roundabouts, especially on Uhuru Highway, Nairobi, as they are earmarked for removal in the envisaged development of overpasses and bypasses. “Why is so much money being spent on them? It really looks like a case of lack of planning or someone is taking us for a ride. Also questionable is the digging up of roads and pavements every two weeks to lay cables. Can’t the City Council properly co-ordinate these developments?”
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PROMPT ACTION. The streetlights on Kitengela Road at Lang’ata and adjacent estates in Nairobi, which David Jasondu complained were out of order have since been repaired and the lights restored, says Town Clerk Philip Kisia. Thanking Jasondu for bringing the issue to the council’s attention, Kisia reports that all the lamps are now in good working condition. However, he is now appealing to the residents to report any such faults to the council’s Electrical Section on Tel. 0202096766 so that they can be similarly fixed.
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FALSE PROMISE. Four months since he applied for electricity and paying the requisite charges to the KPLC, Chris Thairu says nothing has happened and this despite several follow-ups at their offices. “Every time I call on them, I’m tossed from one office to another and given empty promises. My wife and I expect a baby in a month’s time. And with time running out before our bundle of joy arrives, the KPLC, whose service charter says power connection takes a week, seems to be taking forever.” The reference is No. E21112010040779.
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TANTRUMS SHAME. Following his recent public display of deep anger, Uhuru Kenyatta must, if he still hopes to ascend to the highest office in the land, choose competent political, economic, and communication advisers to polish up his image, says Njoroge Wachai. And the first thing they should do, he adds, is to repair the damage from the table banging incident. “They ought to counsel him to learn to keep his emotions in check. Kenyans don’t want a leader who throws tantrums when challenged by rivals,” Njoroge concludes.
Have a cool day, won’t you!

Uhuru: Raila's name soiled with chaos

By JOB WERU and BONIFACE GIKANDIDeputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta says Prime Minister Raila Odinga is a non-visionary leader whose history has been riddled with chaos.
Speaking in Nyeri on Sunday, Uhuru gave examples of Raila's alleged activities since the 1982 coup attempt, Ford politics, distabilisation of Kanu party ahead of 2003 General Election and National Rainbow Coalition woes.
"For the years he is known in leadership, there has been no instance where peace prevailed and it is unfortunate that he is proceeding on the same path," said Uhuru.
Speaking to journalists at the Nyeri Golf Club, where he inaugurated a swimming pool and a borehole, the Gatundu MP claimed the Prime Minister was out to seize power just for the sake of it.
"It is the vision for the people that you have which brings development, not vitendawilis (parables)," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Later, at an awards presentation by the club’s pool side, Uhuru hailed President Kibaki for initiating development without discrimination.
He singled out free primary education, infrastructure development and rejuvenation of the economy and revenue collection, all which he said had increased by more than five times.
"Legacies are not made by war of words. Leaders should unite Kenyans instead of creating divisions," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Uhuru later spoke at Wamagana Catholic Church in Tetu, and said Kibaki’s tenure should end peacefully.
End of tenure
He at the same time noted that some positions created under the National Accord had created two centres of power.
"We were not dishing out leadership. We were just silencing those who opted for violence," said the Finance Minister.
Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi, speaking at the church, urged Kenyans to append their signatures to compel trial of post-election violence suspects locally.
"We are in your full support, and if it means undressing, we will do it for your sake," Mrs Murugi told Uhuru.
Other leaders present were Tetu MP Francis T Nyammo, and leaders from Nyeri County, led by County Council Chairman Wachira Keen and Nyeri Town Mayor Joseph Thuo.

ICC: State responds to civil society with two-million signature drive

By CYRUS OMBATIA competition has broken out between Government and civil society groups opposed to the deferral of International Criminal Court cases.
Government functionaries have launched a bid to collect two million signatures from Kenyans to prove that the deferral bid has popular support.
The exercise in which chiefs and councillors are being used to collect the signatures is a direct response to civil society groups that announced they would collect a million signatures to oppose the deferral drive.
On Sunday, Internal Security PS Francis Kimemia and Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode denied knowledge of the briefs given to their officers, but chiefs’ who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity said they were under instructions to deliver two million signatures of people opposed to the ICC case proceeding at The Hague.
Kimemia said if the forms were from his office, they would have had a forwarding letter from him.
"We cannot break the law on such issues. If this office has to be involved there must be a forwarding letter to show it is legal," he said.
He said some non-Governmental Organisations have been pushing for and against ICC involvement, but did not explain who was behind the two million-signatures drive involving Government officials.
"Of course there are busybodies all over, but our stand is very clear on that. We have to follow the law," he said
Ojode on his part denied knowledge of the exercise even though chiefs come directly under him.
"There could be people pushing it from this office but I personally do not know of the same. Many things happen in the Government," he said.
Disputed claims
But as the officials denied knowledge of the fresh bid by Government to disprove the claims by NGOs that the deferral bid is unpopular, politicians have hit the ground to woo Kenyans to volunteer to sign the forms.
On Sunday, Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi called on Kenyans to volunteer to give their signatures to support local mechanisms to deal with the post-election crisis.
"We do not want to go to The Hague. We want the suspects to be tried in Kenya, since we have realised that some of them were just framed after they helped evacuate victims from troubled zones," she said at a rally in Nyeri, where Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta was present. Uhuru is one of the personalities ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo wants tried for crimes against humanity.
She caused a stir when she claimed that women would hold demonstrations and undress to show solidarity with the suspects, as they did at Uhuru Park during the struggle for multi-party democracy.
In Rift Valley, home to four of the suspects, local politicians said they would raise five million signatures to prove that the NGOs were wrong. Those on Ocampo’s list who come from Rift Valley are Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Tinderet MP William Ruto and Radio presenter Joshua Sang. Former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali also comes from Eldoret area.
Konoin MP Julius Kones said they would collect five million signatures from supporters of the Ocampo Six to counter efforts of the civil society groups.
Kones, who heads the Rift Valley Parliamentary Group, also cautioned residents not to sign forms being circulated round the region to push for the trial of the six at The Hague.
"We have received some information that those going round to mobilise residents of Rift Valley to sign the petition are using the name of Ruto to hoodwink the locals into believing that they have the blessings of Ruto in pushing for the ICC process," Kones said.
A group calling itself Kenyans in Support of the ICC Process has been running advertisements in the dailies as part of their campaign to mobilise Kenyans to sign the petition in support of the ICC process by collecting one million signatures.
It has also emerged that the chiefs who were instructed to collect signatures are those who are viewed to be loyal.
The ICC process has led to a rift in Government with those loyal to President Kibaki supporting the deferral bid, while those loyal to Prime Minister Raila Odinga are opposed to it.
The bid to collect the two million signatures is part of efforts by the Kibaki side to sway international opinion for the deferral bid.
Already, Kenya has written to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to inform him of the wish to have the cases deferred to give time for Government to establish a local tribunal.
Earlier in the month, Kibaki summoned over 20 envoys representing Kenya in countries that are members of the UN Security Council to brief them on how to lobby support for the deferral bid.
ICC judges are this month due to rule on the application by Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for the issuance of summons against the suspects who also include Head of the Civil Service Francis Muthaura for their alleged role in the violence.
Against the six
Forms that are supposed to be filled by the two million willing to see the case against the six deferred describes those signing as "Kenyans expressing their inalienable right to determining their destiny and deal with their internal affairs and agreeing that a local mechanism remains the best option for dealing with all matters related to the 2007/2008 post poll chaos".
The forms say that the victims of post poll violence will not get justice at the ICC, and that the process of reconciliation and healing can only be achieved through a local tribunal.
"We support Kenya’s case for a local tribunal since Kenya has or is in the process of putting in place a capable judiciary system and preserve Kenya’s sovereignty since it is not a failed state," adds the form for the councillors.
Informed sources within Government said senior officials at the Office of the President and Local Government drafted the forms.
Attorney-General Amos Wako is also understood to have said that trying to lobby the world on the ICC cases at this stage is a waste of time because it cannot be established whether there is any case since judges have not given their verdict.
Wako, according to sources, has maintained that he can get involved only if the judges confirm the cases.
Wako’s position has driven a wedge between him and the PNU side of Government. Some in PNU have already said that Wako should quit even though his term comes to end in August.
The developments emerged as President Kibaki gave instructions to Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka to travel to New York to hold a meeting with the UN boss before Kenya’s request comes up at the UN Security Council.
Kalonzo’s spokesman Kaplich Barsito said the VP might travel in a week’s time.
The talks between Kalonzo and Ban Ki-moon could feature the CommuniquÈ of the 17th Extra-Ordinary Session of the InterGovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Assembly of Heads of State that expressed concern the ICC process in Kenya "threatens the on-going national efforts in peace building, national reconciliation and political transition".
The agenda will also feature in discussions between the two on an aide memoire titled "Kenya’s Reform Agenda and Engagement with International Criminal Court (ICC)" which the Government had presented to the UN.
—Additional reports by Peter Mutai and Job Weru

Kibaki, Raila speak on the state of Coalition Government

Three years have elapsed since President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga signed the National Accord to end post-election chaos. The two principals take stock of the progress made and what remains to be done. Here are excerpts of their message to Kenyans.Kibaki: Let’s keep reform spirit burning despite hurdlesOn this third anniversary of the Grand Coalition Government, we reflect on the road we have travelled over the past three years to draw lessons on the road ahead.
President Mwai Kibaki
By and large, I am happy to note that in spite of a variety of challenges, the letter and spirit of the National Accord has prevailed.

I thank all Kenyans for their enduring commitment to the accord, which has enabled the coalition Government to succeed in managing the affairs of our country.
The Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Committee identified four main reform agenda items identified as critical to address the causes of the national crisis we experienced, reconciling our various communities and preventing future conflicts.
So far, we have made tremendous progress to address these reform agenda items.
The signing of the National Accord enabled us to end the post-election violence and restore peace in early 2008.
It also enabled us to address the humanitarian crisis through resettlement of IDPs and to resolve the political crisis through the creation of the coalition Government. In addition, we established the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission as well as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
Similarly, we created the Independent Review Commission on the 2007 General Election and the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election Violence.
productive dialogue
We have also made commendable progress as regards the fourth agenda. Most notably, we have, after two decades of fruitless effort, succeeded in adopting a new Constitution, which Kenyans approved in a referendum held on August 4 and promulgated the new Constitution on August 27, last year. With the new Constitution in place, the next step is to implement it.
I am happy that we are making good progress in this regard. So far, the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution has been established under Section 5 of the sixth schedule of the Constitution.
The Commission on Revenue Allocation has also been established under Article 215 of the Constitution. Similarly, the eight members of the Judicial Service Commission have been appointed and were sworn in on January 11.
I appreciate that there will be challenges in implementing the Constitution. As the Executive branch of Government, we will engage in productive dialogue with Parliament and the Judiciary to address such challenges as may arise from time to time.
I want, therefore, to assure all Kenyans that the challenges we have experienced in the past few weeks should not be cause for worry. I am committed to the successful implementation of the constitution and I urge all stakeholders to join hands so that we can open a new chapter of prosperity for our country.
In addition, we have also made progress to address unemployment. We have taken a wide range of measures to create employment opportunities particularly for the youth.
These measures include the strengthening of the Youth Enterprise Fund, the Women Enterprise Development Fund and the Kazi kwa Vijana programme.
In spite of this progress, we are aware that these schemes are not adequate to deal with the millions of young people desiring decent jobs.
For this reason, the Government is engaging in massive infrastructure projects that generate a wide range of employment opportunities for the youth. To eradicate poverty and create more opportunities for employment, we have also pursued sound economic policies while paying attention to Vision 2030.
I note that after a period of slow growth in the past two years, the economy has turned around and recorded a 5.4 per cent growth rate last year. This improved performance is expected to continue over the next two years, with a forecast of between 6.5 and 8 per cent by 2012.
I acknowledge that there are many challenges that remain to be addressed. I am aware that some IDPs are yet to be resettled. The Government has set aside resources to resettle all genuine IDPs.
Finally I appeal to all Kenyans to remain united and focused on the work ahead. Let us always remember there is so much that unites us. We are one nation, one people. Let us commit Kenya to the Almighty God who has seen us through this period. Thank you and God bless our country.
Raila: Never again should politics turn us against one anotherThe Peace Accord, whose third anniversary we mark today, was a remarkable act of compromise with an unforgettable offer of help by the international community.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga
I always knew the decision by President Kibaki and myself to agree to share power was momentous. But its real magnitude struck me when I travelled to Ivory Coast to mediate in the election dispute there.

I landed in a once prosperous and stable African country, the one-time jewel of the Francophone Africa, now struggling to stand with two presidents, two prime ministers, two Cabinets, two militaries and two ‘State Houses’ all running the same country.
It struck me how much we can save, and how much we did save by just agreeing to compromise.
We missed the Ivory Coast route and collapse by a whisker in 2008. That is why February 28 will forever remain in our collective memories as the day we made a commitment as a people never to take up arms against fellow citizens again.
On this day, we committed to reform our governance and electoral systems to ensure we shall never go to the polls again and come out claiming not to know the winner as a result of incompetence and lack of professionalism on the part of those we trust with managing our elections.
We shall forever be indebted to Dr Kofi Annan, President Jakaya Kikwete, President Benjamin Mkapa and Madam Graca Machel for putting their integrity to severe test in standing up for Kenya.
I pay tribute to our own leaders who, divided along party lines, all the same constituted themselves into negotiating teams and came up with a working document that formed the basis of the Peace Accord. And we shall never forget the role of the European Union and the US in helping our country rediscover itself and find a route out of the chaos and the precipice.
The Accord did save lives. It saved our economy and it gave us a second chance. There have been many false starts in this pioneering experiment of Grand Coalition Government, but that was to be expected. The experiment we were embarking on was new not just to us in Kenya but also to the entire continent of Africa. We embarked on it in the enduring belief that because of the exceptional circumstances our country found itself in, we would improvise as we went a long, hoping that the luck of history would be on our side.
The Accord came with the proviso that we would address the immediate and long term causes of the violence. We agreed to do everything to blunt the ethnic jealousies and address the economic hungers and inequities that were identified as the root causes of this conflict.
A lot has been achieved; but much is pending. Our economy is up and competitive again. We can say that we emerged out of the chaos, sadder but wiser, and that is why we were able to give ourselves a new Constitution last year, after many failed attempts.
spirit of compromise
We have revamped our agriculture, invested heavily in infrastructure and made serious attempts to address poverty, unemployment and inequality through interventions like the Economic Stimulus Package, Kazi kwa Vijana and revamped women and youth funds, rural electrification and provision of water to remote and dry parts of the country. We have made significant gains in the war on corruption and impunity, although a lot remains to be done. I am convinced that none of these would have been achieved had we not agreed to compromise and sign the Accord.
After signing the document, I toured parts of the country, sometimes with the President. The evidence of destruction and mayhem was everywhere. People nursing bullet wounds and deep panga cuts occupied hospital beds. Mortuaries were teeming with bodies and families were burying their dead. Everywhere, there was anger, suspicion and distrust.
But we still have a lot to do to consolidate the peace and trust. In our years of independence, the election violence of 2008 stands as the saddest, the most reckless and the cruelest. It should never have happened.
I remain extremely confident that if the Constitution we endorsed last year is implemented and respected, it will deal with most of the issues that took us to war. I commit to explore all avenues to sustain the spirit of compromise that gave birth to this Government.

Victims of the Facebook mirage

By Henry MuneneIt is now official that Kenyans are great fans of Facebook. There are so many disciples of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, that someone would be forgiven for saying that we have peculiar Facebooking habits.
Indeed, many people nowadays learn to go to Facebook even before they know how to browse other sites. For others, especially those who discover Facebook through the phone, there is nothing else on the Web apart from Facebook and its many attractions. It has caught on even in the rural areas.
This is a great thing as many people are able to network, make new contacts and establish other links that may translate into jobs or business. It has even been rumoured that some people met on Facebook, started dating and went ahead to walk down the aisle. All these myths about the usefulness of these sites have fuelled even more interest in Facebook, Twitter and the like.

Be that as it may, the problems that come with being a Facebook addict are legion.
First off, many people find themselves giving too much information (on Facebook) to strangers they have not met. Jimmie, a job seeker in Nairobi, has been chatting with a married woman who works with a transport company. He complains that she tells him too much about her family.
"One day she will rant and rave about the husband and how he behaved the previous night. She will then give me details that make her to suspect that the husband is seeing another woman. Then another day she tells me how she met her husband and all the things they are currently quarrelling about. After that she asks me whether I think she should leave him (the husband) or whether I think there is another woman," Jimmie complains. "I don’t know her, neither do I know her husband. So I am not in a position to tell what is wrong them!"
Real personAnd it is not only women who open up to strangers. Some men will launch into a long story of their past love lives when chatting on Facebook with people they have never met. Take the case of a lawyer in Eldoret who divorced his wife and has been spilling the beans about his ex to a girl called Janet in Nairobi. This lawyer has never met Janet, and does not know whether she is a real person or someone operating on a fake profile.
Janet says: "This guy sometimes shocks me. I do not even know why I gave him my number. Every night before I sleep he calls me to say goodnight. He won’t stop even after I make it clear that I am a bit uncomfortable about the time he calls. I tried once to tell him that he is intruding into my privacy but he retorted that he does not see any problem as I had already told him that I am single.
"He even keeps repeating that he constantly dreams about me. He recently claimed to have had this weird dream where he got a revelation that soon we would get married. He has really drained my energy and I might even consider changing my phone lines."
And with generation Y being very restless and, therefore, always wanting to change jobs, some employers are signing in on Facebook using pseudonyms just to see how loyal their employees are.
Says Simon, a manager with a media company in Nairobi: "When one of my employees handed in his resignation letter, he indicated that he was quitting for personal reasons. So I signed in on Facebook using a different name and got round to chat with him. I said that I liked his posts and would have loved to know where he works. He told me that he works with a media company but is quitting because he does not want to work for his boss. He then went ahead to list the problems with his boss (that’s me) and I could not believe the many bad things he said about me. I had to let him leave earlier than we had agreed."
profile pictures
It is not only employers who are concealing their identity to dig information about their employees. Many people are said to be requesting for friendship from their spouses disguised as other people just to ask them what they think about their spouses. Others track the lives of their ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends just to hear what they think about them.
Apart from saying too much about oneself, there is another cadre on Facebook that have two lives. Some girls search for photos of beautiful girls on the Net and upload them as profile pictures. This keeps men making advances on Facebook and requesting many times to meet the ‘beauty’. Kim, an IT intern at a local University, once met a girl who had drop-dead gorgeous images in her Facebook album. He could not believe it when she agreed to a date.
"I was terribly nervous when I went to meet her. It is not always that you get a date with such a gorgeous girl. However, I was shocked when she showed up at the hotel in Thika where we were to meet. She was an old, big woman with wisps of grey hair jutting out of a bad wig that was carelessly placed on her head. For a moment I thought she looked like my grandmother. I will never go on a Facebook blind date again," he swears.
Camps girlIt is also not uncommon for a beautiful campus girl to get swept off her feet by the vibes of a stranger on Facebook, especially if that stranger happens to have the fairy tale features of a super star, as happened to a KU girl who asked not to be named.
Listen to her story: "This dude had nice photos. In the photos he looked very handsome. He also had a way with words. I really wanted to meet him. Then one Friday evening we agreed to meet for a drink. Actually, we had agreed to rave all night. I was excited as I had waited to meet him for many months.
"Every day he would send a soothing message to my inbox or call to say hello and to drop a few romantic lines. I even sneaked out of class at times when he called in the middle of a lecture. Then I met him.
"Oh my God! He was a terrible sight. He had on an old wrinkled coat with the traditional slit at the back. His hair was grey and balding and his old shoes were so dusty with some kind of soil that you only see upcountry. He smelled of tobacco and the way I hate smokers! Then he couldn’t eat a snack without making some very bad mouth sounds. Yuck!"
Bottle of sodaSo how did she react when she saw him? "When I got to the entrance of the hotel in town where we were to meet, I dialled his number hoping to see someone resembling what I had seen in the Facebook photos picking the call. No one who looked like that was picking. I only saw one ‘mzee’ pick up the phone. Then that kamzee walked over to where I was and called out my name.
"After introductions, we headed straight to a hotel and I ordered for a bottle soda, despite the fact that we had agreed earlier in a chat session that we would rave till late. I wanted to be done with that soda and out of there as fast as possible," she recalls.
So the next time you see a Facebook photo, it would help to clarify whether the photos uploaded belong to the owner of that Facebook page. It would help to do that before showering undeserving strangers with undue compliments. It would also save you the agony of reconciling the person on the photo with the real person should you happen to meet some day. This is because with Facebook, what you see is not always what you get.

Kenya coalition government is no longer at ease

By STANDARD TEAM Three years ago, on the front steps of Harambee House, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga signed the National Accord ushering the Grand Coalition Government.
Three years later, the candle of optimism and hope that swept across Kenya, carrying along with it unbridled expectations that seemed to defy the time and confront political differences of the day is dying.
The road to Grand Coalition, propped up by the two claimants to the 2007 shambolic presidential elections, started off with suspicion and hostility between the two principals and their lieutenants.
Then after the Cabinet portfolio war, where each side wanted ministries deemed to be strategic and more influential in management of public affairs, there seemed to be developing a working relationship between the two principals. Both used every opportunity to assure the Kenyans and the World they would make the Grand Coalition deliver.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on the front steps of Harambee House signing the National Accord that ushered the Grand Coalition Government. (Picture file/The Standard)

But three years later, after the rows by both sides over the 50-50 power sharing and the seat of Executive authority, the picture of the two principals is that of two comrades no longer at ease with each other. However, in language and their dreams of Kenya, they remain ‘comrades’, something that is discernible from the messages of hope for and solidarity with Kenyans they sent yesterday on the eve of the third anniversary of the Accord.
Their statements came against the backdrop of disagreements and a public spat over nominations to key Constitutional offices, over which the Constitution and the Accord requires them to ‘consult’. Their messages also had one common denominator; the importance of smooth and full implementation of the Constitution. May be, Kenyans could argue, they agree on the road to take but not the means of getting to the destination.
Message of assuranceKibaki’s verdict, as conveyed by the Presidential Press Service, was: "In spite of challenges, the letter and spirit of National Accord has prevailed over last three years." He then thanked Kenyans, "for their enduring commitment to National Accord and Reconciliation Act which has enabled coalition Government succeed."
He also had a message of assurance: "I want to assure all Kenyans the challenges we have experienced in last few weeks should not be cause for worry. I am committed to successful implementation of the Constitution."
Raila was also had a pledge to make: "I commit (myself) to explore all avenues to sustain spirit of compromise that gave birth to this Government…The (new) Constitution remains our best hope against another war." He added with a touch of optimism: "History shows civilisations can be swept by devastating fires, but in the aftermath, a vigorous new growth emerges, industries rise from rubble and cities and communities rebuild."
Kibaki also advised that today affords Kenyans an opportunity to reflect on the past in order to make the future more secure: "On this third anniversary, we reflect on the road we have traveled over the last three years with a view to drawing lessons on the road ahead of us as a nation."
He also was, probably because of the bloodshed in the first months of his controversial second term, prayerful: "Let us always remember that there is so much that unites us as Kenyans. We are one nation, one people. Let us commit Kenya to the Almighty God who has seen us through this period."
Drawing from the chaos in Ivory Coast, where he was dispatched by the African Union to lead conciliation efforts, Raila painted the picture of Kenya that would probably have come to be, were it not for international mediation.
Warring lieutenants"I always knew the decision by President Kibaki and myself to agree to share power was momentous. But its real magnitude struck me when I traveled to Ivory Coast at the beginning of the year to mediate in the election dispute there," he said.
He added: "I landed in a once prosperous and stable African country…now struggling to stand with two presidents, two prime ministers, two Cabinets, two militaries and two "state houses" all running the same country. It struck me how much we can save, and how much we did save by just agreeing to compromise.’’
But while Kibaki and Raila, painted a rosy picture of Grand Coalition, their lieutenants kept on throwing brickbats at each other.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who reports to Raila, said the power-sharing deal was just meant to "silence those who opted for violence’’.
Uhuru, who is on the list of the ‘Ocampo Six’, added: "We were not dishing out leadership. We were just silencing those who opted for violence."
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka argued despite the constant political competition, the coalition had managed to work in the best interest of the country.
"The fact that three years on, the coalition, still holds is a testament to the values both sides hold on peace and normalcy without which ideologies would be meaningless,’’ he said. He added Kenyans were forced to challenges among them tricky process of harmonising divergent perspectives and visions into one ‘Programme of action policy’.
Lands minister James Orengo, who was one of the eight members of Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Committee known more as Serena Team, reflected on the protracted negotiations, saying: "It brought peace and laid foundation upon which the new Constitution was later enacted."
He, however, lamented the ‘old order’ was fighting back: "We have covered some ground, but there are difficulties because many have not internalised the complete change of attitude."
Assert rightsHe advised Kenyans to, "be vigilant to ensure the new Constitution is fully implemented and continue to assert their rights."
The President gave a raft of steps taken by Government to heal the country following the disputed elections, including the setting up of Agenda Four Commissions and the ongoing resettlement programme for Internally Displaced Persons.

3 Years of National Discord

Raila in Sabatia

Bid to defer Hague trials suffers setback

A picture released on December 15, 2010 by the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) shows the six Kenyans, named on Wednesday by prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, alleged to have masterminded the 2007-08 post-election violence that claimed 1,500 lives. AFP PHOTO / ICC
A picture released on December 15, 2010 by the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) shows the six Kenyans, named on Wednesday by prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, alleged to have masterminded the 2007-08 post-election violence that claimed 1,500 lives. AFP PHOTO / ICC 
By WALTER MENYA wmenya@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Sunday, February 27 2011 at 23:08

The UN Security Council’s failure to discuss Kenya’s request for deferral of ICC cases now paves the way for chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to proceed with The Hague process.
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But in Nairobi, it set into motion a second wave of shuttle diplomacy beginning this week, pointing to President Kibaki’s unrelenting bid to have the ICC cases against six individuals accused of sponsoring the post-election violence deferred.
The UN Security Council met on Saturday during which it passed sanctions against crisis-hit Libya. Kenya’s request did not come up for debate during the session.
The request was also not listed on the programme of work of the Security Council for February 2011 although the programme indicated the Council held consultations and private meetings on peace and security in Africa on February 22 and 25 where Kenya’s request may have been discussed.
After securing the backing of the African Union during a recent summit in Addis Ababa, the next front of the charm offensive targets the UN Security Council and secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon.
“Consultations are taking place this week to draw the next plan of action on the second leg of Kenya’s efforts to get the UN Security Council to defer the ICC cases,” Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s press secretary, Mr Kaplich Barsito, told the Nation on Sunday.
And now it seems the country has not seen the last of the shuttle missions undertaken by Mr Musyoka. The first leg, aimed at getting the support of the AU, cost the taxpayer over Sh30 million.
It is understood that the government is seeking to secure Mr Musyoka an appointment with Mr Ban.
Kenya’s permanent mission to the UN has presented a request for deferral titled “Kenya’s Reform Agenda and Engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC)”.
The bid has also been hit by the declaration by the US that it would not back it when it comes before the Security Council. The US, as a permanent member of the Council, wields a veto power.
But even as the VP prepares for the reinvigorated second leg of shuttle diplomacy, the efforts have been opposed by coalition partner ODM.
Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi told a rally in Kakamega at the weekend that his party did not support the deferral bid.
Additional report by Oliver Musembi

Judicial team drafts CJ job advert

Registrar of the High Court Lydia Achode swears in Chief Justic Evan Gicheru during the promulgation ceremony at Uhuru Park in Nairobi in August 2010. Mr Justice Gicheru’s term at the helm of the Judiciary expired on February 27, 2011. Photo/FILE
Registrar of the High Court Lydia Achode swears in Chief Justic Evan Gicheru during the promulgation ceremony at Uhuru Park in Nairobi in August 2010. Mr Justice Gicheru’s term at the helm of the Judiciary expired on February 27, 2011. Photo/FILE 
By NATION REPORTERPosted Sunday, February 27 2011 at 23:12

A select committee of the Judicial Service Commission is meeting on Monday to craft the advertisement for the positions of Chief Justice, his deputy and five other judges of the Supreme Court.
Once the team that consists of Attorney-General Amos Wako, lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi and High Court registrar Lydia Achode are done with it, they will later on be joined by the rest of the JSC members to approve it.
The advert inviting applicants to apply for the positions will then be published in the local dailies either on Tuesday or Wednesday, said Mr Abdullahi at the weekend.
Most transparent
“This will be one of the most transparent procedures in the whole world. No other country has filled in the position of the Chief Justice in this manner. We expect the whole process to take at least three weeks,” added Mr Abdullahi.
The announcement by the JSC is now expected to kick-start the process to replace outgoing CJ Evan Gicheru that stalled after President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga failed to agree on the President’s nomination of Mr Justice Alnashir Visram.
Mr Justice Gicheru’s term at the helm of the Judiciary expired on Sunday. (Read: Chief Justice Gicheru calls it a day)
The new Constitution sets the qualifications for an individual seeking to be appointed as either the CJ or Supreme Court judge.
Those seeking the position must have at least have 15 years’ experience either as a superior court judge, a distinguished academic, judicial officer, legal practitioner or in any other relevant legal field.

New bid for consensus on Kenya polls body

Chairman of the Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs committee Mr Ababu Namwamba said the conference would give new meaning to management of elections in this country. Photo/FILE
Chairman of the Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs committee Mr Ababu Namwamba said the conference would give new meaning to management of elections in this country. Photo/FILE 
By NATION CORRESPONDENTPosted Sunday, February 27 2011 at 22:28

The country’s efforts to modernise its electoral system will pass an important milestone if a multi-sectoral conference agrees on a draft Bill to be presented to Parliament.
The three-day conference kicked off on Sunday at Naivasha’s Simba Lodge.
The conference has been convened by the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa to generate common ground and consensus on the IEBC Bill for onward transmission to the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) and the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC).
CIC and KLRC would then submit the Bill to the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs for its own consideration.
Attendance to the conference has been drawn from the CIC, the Ministry of Justice, International Commission of Jurists, IIEC, Institute for Education in Democracy and the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.
Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, Mr Ababu Namwamba, the chairman of Parliament’s Justice and Legal affairs committee, said the conference would give new meaning to management of elections in this country.
Ahead of the conference, though, there have been conflicting views between Mr Namwamba’s committee and the IIEC/KLRC mainly in regard to recruitment of members of the initial commission, the body that will carry out the recruitment, terms of the commissioners and the appointment of the secretary to the commission.
But Mr Namwamba downplayed the differences. “Really there is no disharmony. There is only one Bill which has formed the template for discussion,” he said.
Divergent views
While acknowledging the differing views, Mr Namwamba and another member of the committee, Mr Olago Aluoch (Kisumu Town West), said the purpose of the meeting was to harmonise these divergent views.
He appealed to the coalition principals to seize the opportunity to hand the country a credible institution.
“More than anyone else, they (the principals) have been victims of indeterminate and bungled elections,” he said.
The draft by the parliamentary team had proposed that in creating the initial commission, the current IIEC and the defunct Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC) would each provide two of the eight commissioners.
The remaining four commissioners, in the committee’s wisdom, would then be advertised for competitive recruitment.
But in the draft produced by the IIEC in conjunction with KLRC, all the eight positions for commissioners as well as the chairperson’s must be done competitively and transparently.

Kenyan leaders escalate public verbal wars

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, left, shares a light moment with Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi at Wamagana Catholic Church in Tetu, where they both attended a church service on February 27,2011. Also present was the area MP Francis Nyamu.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, left, shares a light moment with Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi at Wamagana Catholic Church in Tetu, where they both attended a church service on February 27,2011. Also present was the area MP Francis Nyamu. Photo/ JOSEPH KANYI 
By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Sunday, February 27 2011 at 21:57

The war of words between three senior politicians intensified over the weekend with across-section of leaders calling for an end to the use of insulting language against fellow leaders.
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Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and suspended Higher Education minister William Ruto have been involved in an ugly exchange of words as a result of a row over the nominations of four constitutional office holders that President Kibaki has since withdrawn.
And 10 MPs allied to a rebel ODM faction and PNU hit out at Mr Odinga over the weekend accusing him of being dictatorial and running the party with an iron fist.
Led by Mr Ruto, the MPs accused the PM of derailing the constitution implementation process by turning it into a side show of supremacy battles between him and President Kibaki.
Speaking in Moyale and in Laisamis in Marsabit over the weekend during a series of fundraisers for women and youth groups, the MPs asked Mr Odinga to explain how his family acquired the Kisumu Molasses plant.
The exchanges between Mr Odinga and his rivals turned to ugly the previous weekend during rallies in Wangige in Kiambu, Tononoka in Mombasa and in Markwet West and intensified this weekend.
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka cautioned that inflammatory statements portray the country as constantly in a state of conflict.
The Vice President, who was accompanied by his wife, Pauline Kalonzo, was speaking during the launch of Mark Properties at Visa Oshwal, Nairobi, on Sunday.
Separately Mr Kenyatta asked Kenyans to reject leaders who used abusive language against their colleagues in public.
“Legacies are not built by insulting others in public, legacies are built through sweat and hard work.
“When you say that a donkey is tired and that we will be like Libya, and you are a whole prime minister, what message are you sending?” asked Mr Kenyatta, who together with his ally Mr Ruto has been the subject of vicious personal attacks from Mr Odinga.
And speaking in his constituency, Information minister Samuel Poghisio also asked the PM to desist from insulting fellow leaders.
He asked the PM to apologise to Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto for referring to them in a derogatory manner.
“When did Raila become a magistrate to charge other elected leaders? We all know that people with cases before court are innocent until the court proves otherwise,” he went on.
They were referring to Mr Odinga’s remarks at Tononoka grounds in Mombasa last weekend, repeated last Friday, where he depicted his foes as substance abusers and land grabbers.
Kuna vijana wengine, wakiamka asubuhi, asubuhi, bangi. Wengine anamka asubuhi anatafuta mali ya kuiba. Anaona plot pale, amenyakua, plot nyingine hapa ananyakua, sasa kila mara kotini tu. Anatoka koti hii, (anaenda) koti hii, (There are some youths, when they wake up in the morning they take bhang. Others wake up in the morning to look for property to grab. They get a plot there and grab, another here and they also grab. Now they are constantly in court. They leave one court and go into another,” the PM told the crowd which in unison was chanting the names of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto.
And speaking at the Country Bus Station in Nairobi on Friday, the PM described his opponents as thieves who should be in jail.
Mr Odinga has also come under attacks, bordering on outright insults from both Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto in recent weeks.
Mr Kenyatta fired the first salvo in an interview with a Kikuyu-language radio station, where he referred to Mr Odionga in a derogatory manner as “kimundu” .
Speaking at St Maria Cheptulon Girls’ Secondary in Marakwet West District where he presided over fund-raiser, Mr Ruto, without mentioning Mr Odinga by name stated:

Tulikuwa KICC tukichunga kura wakati vita vilitokea. Sasa yeye anasema eti mimi nilikuwa napanga vita Eldoret, Kakamega, Kisumu, Bungoma mpaka Mombasa. Si huyu mtu ni wazimu? (We were at KICC protecting our votes when chaos broke out. Now he is saying that I was planning the fighting in Eldoret, Kakamega, Kisumu, Bungoma even Mombasa. Isn’t he a mad man?”