The Week's Columnists

SATURDAY, 29 OCTOBER 2011 00:07 BY DAUTI KAHURA

COLUMNISTS

Dominic Odipo—THE STANDARD

Columnist Dominic Odipo did not mince his words when he wrote that “reports from sources very close to some of the G7 principals indicate that the alliance, if ever there really was one, is on the verge of disintegration.” Odipo argued that “the main reason the G7 alliance is collapsing is simple. The William Ruto wing of this alliance appears to be have belatedly discovered that the 'Establishment' actually wants to impose Uhuru as the de facto leader of this alliance and thus it presidential flag bearer in the elections due next year.”

Charles Onyango-Obbo—THE EAST AFRICAN

The real test for Libyan new leaders begin now

With the brutal death of Libya strongman, Muammar Gaddafi, columnist Onyango-Obbo argued that the rest for the now fragile country was in creating a post-Gaddafi Libya that will stay united and forge ahead economically and politically. “The story in Libya will be if it doesn'tbreak up, not if it does,” wrote Obbo. This is because from the Soviet Union, Iraq, to Sudan,history teaches us that if one party, one family one ethnic group, or one religious lords it over a country for more than 35 years it loses power to a popular uprising, the country rarely holds together.”

MIGUNA MIGUNA—STAR

Kenya's military escapade in Somalia is a tall order

Prolific columnist and Canadian-trained lawyer Miguna Miguna trained his pen on the Kenya's military venture in Somalia and hinted that the military which is not battle tested and has not been engaged in a full scale war since it formation, could be chasing a phantom in the lawless terrain of Somalia. “All we have done is besiege Somali cities. We don't know is size. We don't know its capacity. We don't know the true identity of the 'enemy'. We don't know the locations. Clearly we can't defeat something we don't know, can we?”

NENE MBURU—DAILY NATION

Dr Nene Mburu is a former Kenya Army officer who is now based in the UK as an academic in war studies. From his UK station he has been following the Kenya Army latest excursions in Somalia and an old hand in the Kenyan military he is not amused. This is what he had to say. “Deploying an infantry brigade 200 kilometres from the Kenya-Somalia border into a hostile environment has its attendant logistical difficulties. Movement by road is difficulty as bogged down vehicles become easy picks for militants and opportunistic bandits. In conclusion, the invasion is a strategic miscalculation.” Bottom line? Mburu said Kenya needed to reconsider its asymmetrical warfare tactics.

FABIENE FAUR—THE PEOPLE

Mormonism on the spotlight as race for White House hots up

As the US presidential elections hots up, Mormonism, a “suspicious” non-mainstream Christian faith practiced by just about six million Americans is on the spotlight. Why? Because some of the leading Republican candidates seeking its ticket are Mormons, otherwise known as Christians of the Latter Day Saints. Fabiene Faur, a journalist who has been following the debate argued that “while critics have have branded Mormonism an anti-Christian cult, those who belong to the church say the possibility of of a Mormon winning the White House could help the faithful to make their beliefs better understood.”

JOEL COHEN—BUSINESS DAILY

The World must tame its expanding population

Joel Cohen a population statistician at Columbia University and the author of How Many People Can the Earth Support is weary that the world population is growing exponentially at the expense of the limitations of the scarce resources that the world can can afford to accommodate. Posed Cohen: “Can the earth support seven billion people who are expected to be added by the end of this century? Are the enormous increases in household, cities, material consumption and waste compatible with dignity, health, environment quality and freedom from poverty?”

WYCLIFFE MUGA—STAR

Watch your back Raila—your enemies will never rest till they bring you down

There is no doubt that the recent scandal “unearthed” by the World Bank involving the Office of the Prime Minister as the supervisory institution has tended to show the possibility that the PM and his cabal of supporters could have dipped their fingers in the jar. Commented columnist Muga on the scam and the OPM: I personally suspect that this 'scandal' will prove to be not quite as deep as it seems to be the case at this moment. Bit it carries a greater lesson both for the PM and for his political rivals who are also in the race too state house.”