Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
SHOCKING : How Uhuru’s Armored Car was stolen
August 28
22:26 2014
- See more at: http://cnyakundi.com/shocking-how-uhurus-armored-car-was-stolen/#sthash.0AkapLXb.dpuf
Thursday, August 28, 2014
ODM sends out MPs, Senators to drive referendum signatures collection push
Thursday, August 28, 2014 - 00:00 -- BY EUGENE OKUMU
The ODM Parliamentary Group has resolved to send MPs and senators affiliated to the party and Cord to conduct signature collection drives across the country for the party’s referendum push.
The meeting held Thursday at Orange House in Nairobi’s Lavington area and chaired by party leader Raila Odinga said that since the referendum is “a people driven process” all party members should support the process to seal the loopholes in the constitution to cushion it from “further bastardisation”.
“That the referendum plane has already taken off and is unstoppable is no longer a subject of debate. ODM legislators will join their Cord family colleagues, the Civil Society, religious leaders and Kenyans of all walks of life in drumming up the support for the referendum now and during the campaigns for the same,” the PG resolved.
The PG further resolved that MPs and senators will work closely with the Okoa Kenya secretariat to mobilise, educate and create support for the plebiscite to succeed.
ODM took issue with the perks promised to MCAs by the Jubilee government which they alleged was a gimmick to derail the referendum process.
The party said that there is no financial provision to facilitate the perks that include car grants and ward offices, and said that Jubilee should stop intimidating the MCAs.
“There is no budgetary allocation to fund the members of the county assemblies by providing car grants and ward offices being promised by the Jubilee administration. The ODM PG has resolved to talk to the MCAs in a bid to support the referendum and strengthen the devolved units so that enough resources are decentralised for their roles and responsibilities,” the party resolved.
Among other issues that the party has resolved to address with the referendum are the 45 percent county budgetary allocations to counties which ODM has said should be enshrined in the constitution and not to the discretion of the president.
ODM also resolved to support the issue of reserving 30 percent of all public employment opportunities to minorities and capping to 10 to 15 percent maximum for any single ethnic community.
“This is to apply at all levels of employment and in every sector and department. All independent contractors doing business with government will also comply,” the PG resolved.
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-187127/odm-sends-out-mps-senators-drive-referendum-signatures-collection-push#sthash.ZiJuro9H.dpuf
UHURU, RUTO TARGET RAILA STRONGHOLDS
Thursday, August 28, 2014 - 00:00 -- BY FELIX OLICK
LET'S WORK TOGETHER: President Uhuru Kenyatta with Mombasa Deputy Governor Hazel Katana, Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and Kilifi women?s representative Aisha Juma at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, yesterday.
PRESIDENT Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy are working to win over Raila Odinga’s most loyal supporters.
Because of the Jubilee strategy, Raila has summoned his MPs today to a Parliamentary Group meeting to discuss, among other things, their referendum plan and how to respond to the ruling coalition.
"The meeting will be about the referendum and the signature collection exercise," said a notice from ODM yesterday.
As part of the wider strategy to isolate Raila and his referendum supporters, the Jubilee leaders are wooing leaders from Kisii, Western Kenya and Coast regions that voted for Raila almost to a man at the last election.
The President has already appointed Professor Sam Ongeri from Kisii an ambassador and multiple sources say he is set to appoint New Ford Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa and former Speaker Kenneth Marende to key positions.
For the last two days, Uhuru and Raila have camped in Mombasa, where Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has, in Ruto's presence, told Raila to stop the referendum campaigns.
In an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Raila warned of a Jubilee's strategy to wrestle away his traditional strongholds. He vowed to meet his coalition supporters to rally them to wholeheartedly champion the referendum cause.
The former Prime Minister warned of a wider plot by the ruling coalition to infiltrate the Coast, Western and parts of Nyanza – regions that the opposition chief is banking on to make the referendum happen.
During the PG meeting today, the lawmakers will take a common stand on the referendum push as they seek unity following recent cracks in the Orange party.
“Our main agenda will be on the referendum. But we shall also discuss party unity and the all- important party discipline,” said an MP who did not wish to be named.
Last week, leaders from Raila's Nyanza and Western strongholds exchanged bitter words over an alleged list that that elbows out Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba from the top leadership.
ODM executive director Magerer Lang’at revealed that during today’s meeting, lawmakers would take up specific roles to spearhead in the referendum, saying the plebiscite run-up was entering a critical stage.
“Part of the agenda for the meeting is that MPs and Senators will be getting a role to play in the referendum. It shall also be a session for briefing and debriefing on many issues,” Magerer said yesterday.
But speaking on Tuesday, Raila maintained that President Kenyatta and DP Ruto are pushing leaders from Coast, Western and parts of Nyanza to form their own political outfits to weaken his grip on the regions.
“I can share with you a Jubilee strategy document which says that Jubilee should focus on the three areas. They are encouraging leaders to form regional parties to balkanize ODM,” Raila said in a televised interview.
Raila spoke in an apparent reference to threats from a section of Coast leaders to ditch ODM and form a regional party, following the ouster of Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung'aro as Cord Minority Whip.
Last week, calls for Ababu and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula to quit Cord intensified, with Amani leader Musalia Mudavadi warning the duo that Raila will not allow them to ascend to top national leadership.
There are unconfirmed reports that Uhuru is reaching out to former Speaker Kenneth Marende as well as former Westlands MP Fred Gumo.
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-186957/uhuru-ruto-target-raila-strongholds#sthash.Etmj1Ax3.dpuf
US Embassy Hates Harun Mwau, But Look at this PIC
Posted on Aug 28 2014 - 12:08pm by kahawa
http://www.kahawatungu.com/2014/08/28/us-embassy-hates-harun-mwau-look-pic/
The US ambassador in Kenya, Robert Godec, was at the EACC offices yesterday. The envoy was signing the visitor’s book and the photo staring down at the ambassador while performing the act of courtesy is very telling. See below.
It seems that the beef between US and Mwau is just for cameras. The envoy couldn’t refuse to have his photo taken in this manner. LOL…..
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UHURU MEANS WELL FOR KENYA, SAYS RAILA
NAIROBI, KENYA: CORD leader Raila Odinga has accused Deputy President William Ruto of blocking President Uhuru Kenyatta from reaching out to and working with the Opposition, adding that the President means well for Kenya.
Raila made the scathing attack on a late night television show on Tuesday but Ruto Wednesday took the fight to Raila’s backyard in Kisumu where he addressed a public forum to mark Katiba Day, the fourth anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution. He claimed the former Premier is leading a campaign to mutilate the country’s supreme law.
Speaking hours after President Kenyatta said he had no problem working with him, Raila accused a group of hardliners in Jubilee led by Ruto of working overtime to block any meaningful dialogue between the Government and the Opposition.
The CORD leader spoke hours after attending the burial of former Cabinet minister Njoroge Mungai, during which the Head of State surprised many by saying he was ready to work with Raila to develop Kenya.
MAJOR DRAWBACKS
But speaking in Mombasa Wednesday, Uhuru asked Raila not to incite people against leaders opposed to CORD’s referendum campaign.
When asked if he shared Uhuru’s sentiments, Raila said: “What he (Uhuru) said is not new. You remember when I came back from the US in May, I offered an olive branch when I said the way forward is dialogue and the following day, on Madaraka Day to be specific, he (Uhuru) responded and said he was ready for dialogue. So I said hurrah! But then a day later the situation changed. He means very well, but he leads a Government with hardliners who are a major drawback. I am not even sure if he is going to control those hawks.”
Raila said the ‘hawks’ know themselves.
He added: “Some of them call us ‘watu wa vitendawili’ (people of parables). Some of them are people who contradict themselves. When we were fighting for the Constitution, they were raising a red flag.”
When asked if one of the hawks he was referring to was Ruto, Raila said he was surprised when the Deputy President wrote a piece in a local daily criticising the virtues of the Constitution that he said would be a disaster four years ago.
Wednesday, Ruto accused Raila of plotting to mutilate the Constitution to fit his personal interests, adding that the CORD leader and his allies rejected issues that were raised before the promulgation of the Constitution in 2010.
“What destroyed the Independence Constitution was parochial, partisan and political expedience carried out without due consideration. The same people calling for a referendum admitted to Kenyans that the document had gaps and that the gaps would be filled progressively. Why referendum now?” Ruto asked.
Wednesday Ruto’s communications director Emmanuel Talam, responding to this writer’s queries on Raila’s claims, said his boss would “look for an appropriate forum to respond to the ODM leader”.
But there was no shortage of the DP’s allies ready to hit back. First off the block was Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who said: “CORD are running a divisive campaign and they are now trying to isolate President Uhuru so that they can rally against Mt Kenya region at the referendum and in his narrative, William Ruto is the stumbling block. It is a scheme that has been there for long. He is bitter that Ruto left ODM, and it’s not that he likes the President, but he knows that the person who made the difference was Ruto.”
Next was Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat who said Raila’s utterances were not a surprise and claimed the former PM “is reeling from the loss of the 2013 General Election.”
“We know he is yet to recover from the humiliating defeat and he thinks it is Ruto who cost him victory. Such anoutburst can be understood from that angle but he should stop blaming Ruto and blame himself for the loss,” Langat said.
However, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, while welcoming President Uhuru’s gesture to the Opposition, said Uhuru would have to bear the responsibility of running the country.
“The principal and cardinal responsibility of running the country lies within President Kenyatta in spite of all these crowds who are shouting,” he said.
In July, at the height of calls for national dialogue by CORD, Junet and National Assembly Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo accused the DP of leading URP to fight the implementation of “every proceeds of the new Constitution” and blackmailing Uhuru by suggesting that talks would threaten his Government.
Senator Murkomen said there were concerted efforts to isolate Uhuru from Ruto, saying Raila’s remarks are part of the wider plot.
STUMBLING BLOCK
“You have even seen lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi write about URP and Ruto being the stumbling block to reforms and this narrative is not new to us,” he said.
But Raila scoffed at critics of his ODM party over the botched February elections, saying the Orange outfit is the only party that has attempted an electoral process to pick office bearers, adding that critics have no moralauthority.
“Some of the parties that are saying ODM cannot hold elections are themselves still under caretaker committees,” Raila said.
He once challenged ODM party rebels opposed to CORD’s referendum push to quit and seek a fresh mandate from their electorate to prove their popularity.
“Those talking of fighting from within should be brave enough to quit and seek re-election. I am not a hypocrite. I quit Ford Kenya and went through a by-election and was re-elected. I am not a coward,” he said.
-standardmedia.co.ke
Uhuru Tells Ruto To Complete His PhD and Not To Embarrass The Government
By |
President Uhuru has urged his deputy William Ruto to complete his further studies and ‘not to embarrass the government’.
The head of state was speaking yesterday at the University of Nairobi during the laying of the foundation for their 22-storey University of Nairobi Towers.
In his semi off the cuff address, the president said, ” It gives me great joy to be here once again! I am happy to join you at this ceremony, at an institution which many proudly know as their esteemed alma mater! They include my Deputy who I hear is back here to complete his PhD! As president, I have done my part, always encouraging him to work hard and please his processors and supervisors in order to do well and not to embarrass us..” amidst laughter from the public.
Speaking about the project, Uhuru said, ”It is evident that the University of Nairobi intends to maintain and improve this leadership position, and to benefit a larger number of people by it. We are inaugurating the building which is a beautifully imagined and designed, modern and green towers! The towers embody the best attributes, the University’s excellent standards, splendid vision, astute strategy and consistent delivery! It represents our collective aspiration as a nation to rise high and tower above our challenges and issues! It symbolizes our ambition to lead, and our drive to succeed.
Additional reporting by News24
Mysterious ghost haunting family home turns out to be a 10ft python
Wetang'ula and Ababu pressured to quit Cord
WE'LL STAY PUT: Luhya leaders Eugene Wamalwa, Ababu Namwamba, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetang?ula, Musikari Kombo and Noah Wekesa during former VP Kijana Wamalwa?s memorial in Milimani, Kitale, on Saturday. Photo/JOHN NALIANYA
Pressure is mounting on Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba to quit Cord and start spearheading Luhya unity talks.
The pressure was imminent during the memorial to mark the 11th anniversary of former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa's death at his Milimani home, Kitale, on Saturday when leaders across the political divide read from the same script.
Speaking to the Star on the phone yesterday, New Ford Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa urged the two to quit Cord and unite for the sake of the region.
“If this community expects to make any meaningful impact on Kenya’s political landscape the duo should start by joining hands with us on the other side,” he said.
Eugene said the region is not ready to support Cord leader Raila Odinga again, saying Raila is not trustworthy.
Speaking to the Star separately, Mumias East MP Ben Washiali said Wetang’ula should quit Cord if he is serious with his presidential ambition.
Former Bumula MP Bifwoli Wakoli told Namwamba and Wetang’ula that they should recall what happened to Wamalwa, Mudavadi, Moi, Ruto and others so that they can quickly make up their minds to leave the Raila-led ODM and Cord.
“The two should know that they are not more special than the late Wamalwa, Ruto, Mudavadi who were frustrated by Raila,” he said.
Others who have openly told Wetang’ula and Namwamba of the need for Luhya unity include former Parliament Speaker Kenneth Marende, UDF leader Musalia Mudavadi and former Kanduyi MP Alfred Khang’ati.
Wetang’ula and Namwamba have however insisted that they won’t quit Cord.
“The three principals in Cord have open chances of vying for the presidency and there is no preferred candidate,” Wetang’ula said.
He said he was not just escorting Raila but selling his political aspirations to be just like Raila.
Wetang’ula urged ODM leaders not to fight and weaken their party, saying that all Cord affiliates are strengthening their parties, including his Ford Kenya party.
Namwamba said he will fight from within.
He said he will not yield to intimidation or threats and he will continue speaking out his mind.
Why Mutua 'Sacked' Deputy Governor
Governor Alfred Mutua might have been a snake-slayer while growing up in the grazing-fields of Machakos county. But the possibility does not mean ‘His Excellency’ took up snake-catching and killing as a full-blown hobby.
Mutua could have killed snakes for fun when technology was still young, and poverty was rampant. Sports for children were then limited to what was possible in the serenity of the natural environment. Such sport might have been an instinctive response to the natural poetry of the boy-child’s environment.
He might also have been good at multi-tasking. Probably as a herdsboy in the pristine environment of his county, Mutua might have understood the natural rhythm of the jungle. An unusual chirping of birds might have told him there was something disturbing the natural order. Goats suddenly stopping browsing, standing at ease, with their ears askew, might have warned the would-be governor of a breach of security.
The intruder could have been a snake, a leopard or a lion. A snake, if it were, would have been easy to handle -– easier still if it had the habit of invading chicken coops.
You could hit the reptile on the head, cut it up with a shepherd’s machete, or spear it dead. You could also feed it frozen boiled eggs. Stone-hard eggs block the reptile’s digestive system. The snake would then die of indigestion. Which means Mutua knew early, there were, and still are, many ways of killing a rattling snake.
The way the Governor is handling his personalised drama with Deputy Governor Bernard Kiala, sounds like Mutua is trying to relive the skills of his boyhood. And how good he is at it! He does it with the callous glee and zeal of a man who got the knife and the pumpkin.
Mutua is also devolving Machiavellian tactics to humiliate, and even decimate Kiala. Mutua is impeaching his deputy, by instalments, after the Senate failed to fire the man possibly at the Governor’s instigation.
Mutua had to find a reason, sorry, an excuse, to impeach Kiala. By so doing he is completing the business Senate abandoned halfway. The Senate cited lack of evidence, and stopped short of slaying Bwana Kiala.
Mutua would have wanted to get rid of his deputy without soiling his own hands – never mind the lowdown tenor of the vendetta. But the Senate denied Mutua the glee of slaughtering a rival without playing any dirtier than he has.
Now, and this is work in progress, Mutua is personally impeaching his deputy, claiming Kiala politicks too much. That he is incompetent, has questionable political alliances, and exhibits divided loyalty. Mutua is offended his deputy often attends Cord rallies instead of “developing” Machakos.
Mutua also claims to have recently discovered that his running mate was once charged with fraud. Mutua did not know this when he named Kiala his running mate. He did not know until he visited the National Archives recently.
But there is also another excuse, which Mutua has not declared, and probably won’t, for impeaching his deputy now: The politicking deputy governor could be a formidable challenger in 2017. Mutua, therefore, won’t allow his deputy to understudy him at such proximity. He won’t even if it means going into the archives for evidence to malign the deputy governor.
Mutua claims Kiala has nothing to show for the Sh500,000 he earns. He took away Kiala’s county ministerial duties, but retains him to ‘idle’ at the same cost to the taxpayer.
Mutua is dealing with Kiala now when the governor still has the leverage to manipulate public opinion. The governor is humiliating the man – hoping he could annihilate him – without offending Kiala’s constituency.
After demoting his deputy, Mutua recruited a replacement from Masinga, Kiala’s constituency, into the war of attrition. Mutua also conscripted Boniface Kabaka, as a strategy advisor. Kabaka ran against Senator Johnstone Muthama.
By harassing Kiala, Mutua is extending his feud with Muthama, a Wiper financier, and solid supporter of Cord. Mutua suspects Muthama is funding Kiala’s ambition to checkmate the opposition Cord governor, who loves to dine with the ruling Jubilee. By fighting Kiala, Mutua is battling Wiper, the party that sponsored him for the position.
The feud in Machakos, then, goes beyond corruption. Mutua is fighting for his own survival, knowing he has lost Wiper’s support for dining too intimately with Jubilee.
The running conflict between Muthama and Mutua, which has zeroed in on Kiala, is no more about county governance than it is about the Mutua succession.
The writer, a communications consultant, is also a university journalism lecturer.
Is Cord's Push All About Signatures?
CORD members Anyang Nyong'o,Johnstone Muthama,Moses Wetangula and Raila Odinga address the media after a joint CORD parliamentary group meeting where they unanimously endorsed the proposed national referendum at the Boma hotel. Photo/HEZRON NJOROGE
Leaders at the Okoa Kenya referendum push launch by Cord at Ufungamano House in Nairobi. Photo/Courtesy
In January 2011, I coordinated a signature collection initiative that sought one million signatures from Kenyans who wanted the ICC process to continue, because Parliament wanted to stop it. Our exercise was based on five clear reasons. One; that the process was Kenya’s best chance of getting to the truth about the 2007-08 post-election violence. Two; that the truth that would come out of the process would mitigate against ethnic narratives that justified election-related violence. Three; that the process would start Kenyans on a journey of seeking justice for victims of all post-election cases up to that point. Four; that Kenya's judicial processes were not able, ready or willing to investigate and prosecute election-related violence incidences. Five; that the process had been initiated by Parliament and it needed to proceed to a logical conclusion.
Despite the fact that this exercise was not popular in certain parts of the country, we did not leave the reasons vague so as to allow respective collecting initiatives to present them in the most favourable context. We also did not stretch them to accommodate other issues of the day. Every Kenyan who signed the 'Yes to ICC' petition; and over one million Kenyans did so across the country and in the Diaspora; did so as a sign that they agreed with the five clear and precise reasons above. It did not matter whether one signed via SMS; email, on social media or on a hardcopy; you did it for these five reasons. Our advertisements gave these five precise reasons. One signed, or refused to sign; on the basis of these five clear reasons.
Compare that exercise, with the one that Cord launched this week. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka stated that they want Kenyans to sign 'in order to boost security, increase revenues to counties, bring electoral reforms, open up government procurement and appointments, and shore up the powers of the constitutional commissions. The head of their technical committee says they 'have followed Article 257 and provided general suggestions of the draft'. Essentially Cord is telling Kenyans to 'sign up; we will formulate the specific reasons you signed as we go along'.
Why would Cord come up with a process that is this vague? Could it be that they do not actually need a referendum after all?
The reality is that once a Kenyan signs under a blank sheet, Cord can formulate a petition, bill or question that says whatever serves the interests of its leaders. The petition could state that those who have signed have no confidence in the Jubilee government and want it removed through whatever means. Or, that those who have signed confirm that Cord won the March 4, 2013 general election and was cheated of victory. Or, that the signatures are a vote of no-confidence in the Jubilee government. In Cord, ODM could insist that the signatures confirm that Raila Odinga is the most suitable presidential candidate for the next elections.
If Cord gets five (or maybe seven) million signatures, they get a renewed platform to agitate against the Jubilee government. Raila also gets a mandate to present himself, locally and internationally, as the ‘voice’ of 'five million Kenyans'. Cord’s recent behaviour also indicates that such signatures can be presented as five million Kenyans who recognise Raila as their leader, not Uhuru Kenyatta. With seven million signatures, Cord could even claim this proves that they won the last elections! Am I ‘hating’? No. This week I learnt that Peter Kenneth was invited to the ‘Okoa Kenya’ launch at Ufungamano House under the pretence that it was a consultative forum on how to proceed on the issue of national dialogue. He has now been presented as a prominent member of an initiative that he does not subscribe to.
Finally, if Cord claims it has five million signatures, it does not matter whether the referendum push ends up collapsing; they will have ‘credibility’ for their message. If the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission dares to say the signatures are not genuine, Cord can always claim the IEBC cannot be trusted. If 24 county assemblies and or Parliament fail to pass their bill, Cord, which has set the stage with public statements on the power of the 'sovereign will' of the Kenyan people, can insist that a ‘Yes’ by five million Kenyans cannot be overturned by a 'No' from a 'mere thousand MCAs’ or ‘one or two hundred MPs’. Cord can then decide to mobilise mass action, and claim to be exercising the sovereign will of Kenyans, 'directly'.
I hope am just being alarmist. However in any other circumstance, it would be considered fraudulent to ask someone to sign a document whose agenda is unclear. Kenyans, including Cord's supporters, must therefore insist that Cord first develops a precise petition, a clear referendum question, or a well defined bill; before they ask the public to append their signatures.
Ngunjiri is the executive director of Change Associates; a political communications consultancy.
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