tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59986042782540317312023-11-15T08:18:04.189-08:00ALEXANDER CHAGEMA'S BLOGSPOT ; From my perspective .Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-17208369840348944362014-04-19T20:51:00.001-07:002014-04-19T20:51:47.319-07:00http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/m/?articleID=2000109710&story_title=Why-easing-the-wage-bill-burden-should-be-collective-responsibility<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-26365790987678873112014-02-24T08:04:00.001-08:002014-02-24T08:04:10.952-08:00NO SIR , YOU CAN KEEP THE DOLLARS , MR OBAMA .
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America is the undisputed embodiment of all that is evil . It so abounds on its land that the authorities wish to export it to Africa , their preferred traditional dumping ground . From DDT , orchestrated civil strife , forced regime changes , substandard merchandise to nuclear waste , Africa is the answer to their problems and experiments . Today , a person no less than the president of America , wants us to either embrace gayism or kiss their dollars goodbye .
Kudos to the presidents of Nigeria , Mali , Zimbabwe and Uganda for upholding the principals of morality and refusing to base their values on the strength and allure of the dollar .
God created man in his own image and gave us a set of rules to follow . Sodomy and lesbianism are anathema . Blind acceptance of corrupted Western values has so eroded our version of morality we have been transported back in time to the era of zinjanthropus . If the birds of the air and animals of the wild get attracted to the opposite sex , why shouldnt man ? All the precious things in the world , silver, gold , gas and diamonds are hidden deep down under , not easy to find. Wonders of nature are found in the deep seas away from prying eyes . Our precious hearts and brains are all hidden in tough places , out of sight . The human body is much more precious , it is Gods temple , why make it cheap by decadently exposing it for all and sundry to ogle ? Those that look at president Musevenis action after signing the anti gay and pornography bills abstractly will miss the essence and accuse him of infringement on individual freedoms . Let us contextualise the issue and in the place of that anonymous half naked woman on the streets , put either your mom , wife , daughter or sister . Will your perception remain the same ?
Gods wrath for mankinds disobedience and insolence is manifest in the biblical accounts of the tower of Babel , Noah and the ark , Sodom and Gomorah and the time Jesus got so worked up he literally threw merchants trading out of a church .
The Arab world , steeped in Sharia laws , has higher moral standards than anybody else and America would not dare try their simplistic approach to morality there . What we should be asking ourselves is , does it pain to be decent ?
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-28658271405402191752014-02-22T07:37:00.001-08:002014-02-22T07:37:12.945-08:00RULE OF LAW MUST REIGN SUPREME
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Our political dispensation allows disrespect for the rule of law to become the norm rather than the exception . Within the three arms of government , disdain for each other in the discharge of duties is the order of the day . While castigating the Governors open defiance to summons to appear before the Senate , the presidents contention that even he is accountable to the national parliament rings hollow . Amidst all the corruption highlighted , has he ever demonstrated that ?
There have been a number of public appointments by the president that openly breached the law . Rarely has he retracted .
In direct breach of article 227 of the kenya constitution , without tendering , China road and bridge company was awarded the contract to build a standard gauge railway line at an exorbitant cost compared to a similar undertaking in Ethiopia . Challenged by some legislators , the president did not mince words in saying the project would go on , like it or not . This does not conform to the principal of accountability whose first rule is willing submission to the oversight authority .
The president once publicly hit out at parliamentary committees for summoning his cabinet secretaries , hardly respect for the legislature . Similarly , some of the summons amounted to the legislature attempting to micro manage the executive . The president has constantly lambasted the judiciary for overturning some of his decisions in sacking the small fish in corruption cases .
At some point , parliament attempted to muscle in on the judiciary on matters internal by summoning members of the judicial service commission to appear before it in relation to the sacking of the former chief registrar of the judiciary and the allegations she made .
While not holding brief for the judiciary , the courts are justified in granting injunctions . As an arbitrar in disputes , courts rely on injunctions to maintain the status quo at the point of inflamation untill a case is heard to its logical conclusion . Without these injuctions , courts will appear to favour one side . My point of departure with the judiciary is when injunctions are granted to allow known criminals evade justice .
All said and done , we must acknowledge the supremacy of the rule of law . Any form of disobedience to it , led by the executive and legislature , is a recipe for anarchy . Ultimately , all differences of opinion , be they political , social or economic , are resolved by the courts . Where the law is not clear it is the courts that will give an interpretation on the way forward . The courts proper interpretation of the constitution will give clear boundaries within which each arm of government can operate .
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-91640698939386027102014-02-20T06:58:00.001-08:002014-02-20T06:58:11.438-08:00SCRAP THE SENATE , IT IS SUPERFLUOUS .
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If today somebody proposed to amend the new constitution it will generate intense heat and suspicion .
It took us over twenty years of infighting to get a new constitution , by which time each of the belligerents had an agenda they wanted accommodated . Consequently , what we ended up with was a compromise document that appeased individuals , groups , minorities and the civil society . The euphoria that abounded during the referrundum made many people happy except for the spirited attempts by oppositionists to have the document rejected. Even in their objections , the oppositionists appeared subjective and tended to stir emotions by singling out obscure legislation on the emotive land issue , same sex marriages and abortion .
The ensuing acrimonious debate and propagation of falsehoods suggested that nobody had read the document comprehensively and exhaustively . Leaders selectively read sections that could advance their causes and preached their version of the gospel to an obliging public . Only now are the grey areas emerging and the document might not stand the test of scrutiny . The application of the two thirds rule in public appointments proved to be a vexer. The principal of separation of powers between the three arms of government has led to public altercations . The standoff between them is threatening devolution . The relevancy of the senate is now in question .
An intended motion by hon Jeremiah Kioni to scrap the senate sometimes back was meritorious . We need not hide behind inhibitive catchy phrases like " upholding the constitution " , "oversighting " and "accountability " to avoid effecting some minor changes . Through clauses 95 , 255 to 257, the same constitution many want upheld is amenable to amendments which serve to make it better. We all know error is to human and we cannot omit to correct an anomaly just because the constitution is`new'. Failure or refusal to amend the previous one landed us into many problems . However , we cannot ignore the stipulation in the constitution that enjoins county governments , the National assembly , senate and the citizenry in any amendments . If within the confines of the law the threshold for amendment is met , so be it . Meeting this threshold first required that we have the senate and county governments in place .
Nevertheless , the political structure outlined in the new constitution actually renders the senate superfluous . It simply duplicates work and burdens the taxpayer unnecessarily . With a central government to oversee things , county governments to harness and manage local resources and a representative parliament in place , why do we need an appendage that is the senate ?
A senate is not necessary if its work is to represent the divergent interests of individual counties and more often than not , fight Governors . Having a national parliament and a Senate assembly is simply splitting hairs and as things stand now , MPs dont have enough work to do . Isnt it possible to set up two houses within parliament without resorting to elected senators ? Depending on experience and seniority we can still have an upper and lower house of parliament . We can borrow a leaf from the judiciary where , from among the judges , there are those selected to exercise superior authority over others as in the high court , court of appeal and the supreme court .
From their own pronouncements , Senators are on ego trips . They have personalised pertinent issues as to rob them of substance and what they are propagating is war for supremacy . It irks them to hear Governors called excellency , fly national flags on their cars , have motorcades and control county finances as they , Senators , move around unnoticed . Parliaments ganging up with the Senate to challenge the judiciary is a recipe for chaos . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-77414040437172364112014-02-18T07:11:00.001-08:002014-02-18T07:11:17.722-08:00HELP !! WHERE IS THE CHURCH NOW THAT ACTIVISTS ARE RETIRING ? ;
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We all saw the police cars , they did not appear over used . The ambulances and the fire engines are there too . In this years CECAFA challenge cup , we witnessed the Machakos stadium , though muddy , host a match . The Machakos recreational park is a reality . The roads in the once dusty town are being recarpeted afresh to the delight of residents . We thought all was well and applauded loudly . And then the auditor generals report comes in and spoils the party for everybody except one Mr Muthama , who must be grinning from ear to ear .
Is it humanly possible to prepare soup , get the ingredients in the right proportions without tasting ? Who among the vociferous Senators is clean that we should allow him to throw the first stone at Dr Mutua and the other governors , for that matter ? Is impeachment and witch hunting the magical solutions to embedded corruption ? In this country , corruption is a virtue . The half hearted approach to fighting it will never win the war . Why not just legalise corruption alongside gayism and lesbianism ? Now , as a good friend of mine observed , everybody with the title Governor is under siege , starting with the central bank governor and the county governors , who is going to be next in the cross hairs?
Someone help me here . From president to county reps , has anyone , in the one year jubilee has been in leadership , been allowed to execute their mandate in peace ? Have the judges and magistrates been allowed time to practise their trade in peace ?
Before we know it , five years will be over with nothing but mindless squabbles to show for it . The cycle of regrets and recriminations will kick in for the uptenth time . For every step forward , this great nation will have made two backwards .
It is about time the church stepped in and restored some sanity in this lunatic asylum called Kenya . It has been standing on the fringes for far much too long that it is loosing relevance . An institution once reverred is watching helplessly as politicians strangle development at every turn . Politicians have all proved to be lunatics , enjoying an exhilirating ride on the lunatic express that leads to nowhere . They are lost within themselves , oblivious of the surroundings . Funny , the activists are now 'retiring' , leaving the church to be the sole peoples watchman . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-83212506646407158602014-02-17T09:07:00.001-08:002014-02-17T10:14:21.733-08:00GOOD STUFF FROM PROF MAKAU MUTUA .
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-56473990427591287042014-02-15T06:42:00.001-08:002014-02-15T06:42:18.350-08:00GOVERNOR WAMBORAS IMPEACHMENT WILL OPEN A PANDORAS BOX
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For having impeached Embu governor mr Wambora , Kenyan senators must be feeling very proud of themselves . They have been earnestly seeking relevance and finally the impeachment gives them a footing . In the supremacy wars , they have cowed governors and left the national parliaments ego bruised .
At this nascent stage of devolution when everybody is groping in the dark , it suffices to just make lots of scary noises to put people in line . Going a step further to remove a first line governor from office will open a pandoras box and the precedent set is a dangerous one . The Lancaster house constitution might be on its way back . Without fear of contradiction , am categorical that not a single governor is innocent of the charges levied against mr Wambora . Do we sack them all ?
While the senate was deliberating on mr Wamboras fate , a visiting Columbia university professor , mr Mohammed Mamdani was giving a lecture on the fact that courts cannot dare overturn a presidential election for fear of upsetting the system. This is something we all know but are timid to acknowledge . There is a parallel between the presidency and governorship . Governors are the lesser president in their respective counties and there should be unwritten laws , in judicial parlance , that protect them except in very extreme cases like blatant abuse of office and mental health .
Breaching the public finance and procurement acts , not theft , was the basis for sacking mr Wambora . Procurement in this country has never been above board . Processes involving tendering have been the most corrupt , the lastest being the standard gauge railway line tender and the primary schools laptop project . How many people have been brought to book over them ? Or perhaps these are special cases , the untouchables alongside Triton , Goldenburg and Anglo leasing ?
The thresholds for the presidency and governorship are at par . Allowing quarrelsome members of county assemblies who , for decades have rivaled deranged football holigans in throwing chairs and all manner of missiles at each other as a result of mental handicaps to impeach governors is exposing devolution and governors to open blackmail . A good number of the MCA's are semi-literate , highly sentimental and ideologically challenged . Their intellectual depth is seriously wanting . Governors will now have to switch to survival mode by dancing to the tune of the MCA's . These fellows should never have been given powers to initiate the impeachment of governors . I must congratulate senators Gideon Moi and Lenny Kivuti for seeing beyond their noses and refusing to be part of the myopic lynch mob .
Now that senator Dr Bonny Khalwales professional training has taken over , perhaps he should come to the aid of the president , his deputy , embattled governors , clueless senators and befuddled MCA's by sacking them all to alleviate the financial burden of treating ulcers and high blood pressure triggered by the mere act of holding office. With everybody , including foreign envoys , Bensouda and the opposition taking a poke at the president and his deputy , they all must be having very high blood pressure and more ulcers than are good for their health . The good doctor should watch where he is going lest he trips somewhere along the line .
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-21556403821769934532014-02-10T21:06:00.001-08:002014-02-10T21:17:33.174-08:00KNUT AND KUPPET HAVE NO ROLE IN DETERMINING SCHOOL FEES .
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The Kenya national union of teachers and the Kenya union of post primary education teachers have come together to challenge the presidents directive on arbitrary fee hikes in secondary schools . These unions are oblivious that education has been turned into an exclusive club for the rich and able , accounting for the increased levels of illiteracy . For unions that squander no opportunity to tear into each other , forging a united front at this juncture is ominous . It portends evil and gives the impression they abet the practice of fleecing parents , perhaps because they stand to benefit somehow . What is the role of these unions in the management of schools ? What business do they have with policy formulation and operational matters ? Issues of school fees are outside the mandate of these unions .
The lame excuse given by school heads year in year out for increases in fees is the delay , not failure , by the government to remit fee subsidies to schools . Granted , there could be delays but what happens after the subsidies are finally released ? It is a safe bet that most of this money goes to enrich school heads , the bursars and members of school boards . Education officials are part of the syndicate and turn a blind eye for monetary considerations .
KNUT made perfunctory noises when tuition fee , another milk cow , was banned in schools . There are syndicates , fashioned alongside the extortionist mafia , running secondary schools , having capitalised on a vacuum created by the ministry of educations inability to rein in school heads who in turn run schools like personal companies , lording it over students and parents alike . Principals go out of their way to avoid meeting parents but when they do , their attitude is defensive and condescending .
The cabinet secretary for education merely talks tough and it will be interesting to see what he does . will he enforce the presidents directive and ensure headteachers stick to the ministrys guidelines ? In a televised interview , he said the government will once more 'start controlling schools ' . That was an indictment on the ministry's lackluster performance and loss of control over school heads .
If the trend in which senior government officials are veted for accountability and suitability was to be extended to schools , only one in every one hundred headteachers would pass scrutiny . Given that many principals are in job groups G and N , the lives they lead and what they own are way above their means .
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-29932589263398058972014-02-05T06:15:00.001-08:002014-02-05T20:40:25.935-08:00SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ARE A THORN IN THE FLESH OF PARENTS .
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I cant help but note that becoming a principal of a secondary school in kenya robs one of humanity and conscience . Similarly , i have never understood why school fees structures are written in such a way that it is never easy to arrive at the actual figure . It does not make sense to be given a fee structure in december only to be taxed with extra un-explained levies in january . When this happens , head teachers should have the courtesy of giving parents time to organize themselves financially . These are hard economic times . The ministry of education appears to have lost control over principals , something that has turned schools into the personal fiefdoms of individual head teachers. They dont follow directives from ministry headquarters and neither are they accountale to anyone but themselves .The exorbitant fees and obscure levies charged by most schools beg alot of questions . In most cases , a hand picked board of governors imposes whatever they think without consulting with the stakeholders . It is interesting that while this goes on , education officials at both levels turn a blind eye . Who exercises oversight powers in schools ? Why does the ministry come up with guidelines that no principal is keen to follow and it is reluctanct to enforce ? What happened to government subsidies and free education ? If the syllabus , diet and status of schools are the same , what accounts for the huge disparity in payment even when some of the schools perform dismally ? Is it not the ministry's policy that no student is sent away as it tends to interrupt the school learning programme and accounts for poor results ? Parents have over successive years complained of the high cost of education which favours the rich against the poor . Scores of students from poor families will not join secondary schools this year . The lucky ones among them will have to make do with computer packages then lapse back into illiteracy afterwards . The development of any country has a direct ratio to the level of literacy . With illiteracy on the rise , it beats common sense why the government is reluctant to invest heavily in education and make it affordable . An illiterate person is more likely to resort to crime to make ends meet than an educated one who has the power to examine and exploit avenues of opportunities . There are billions of shillings being spent on white elephant projects that can be channelled into making education affordable . It is my plea to the government that it reigns in errant principals and listens to the plight of parents . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-82405494769862945542014-02-01T11:50:00.001-08:002014-02-01T11:50:12.595-08:00AFTER ALL OF TURKANA
DIES OF STARVATION , WHO WILL VOTE JUBILEE ?
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Biting drought and hunger are turning lovely , adorable children in Turkana into caricatures . The pain parents endure as they helplessly watch their children waste away and die must be debilitating. I felt my heart constrict as i watched television pictures highlighting the sorry situation in Turkana , reminiscent of the 1985 Ethopian famine that galvanized the world into action . It was our own reknown cameraman Mohammed Amin who brought the suffering to the attention of the world.
An unhealthy preoccupation with campaign mode politics has seen the government fail to take note of drought warnings from the meteorological department . Granted , the government has no control over the vagaries of nature . What we expect of it is the preparedness to mitigate the attendant suffering .
There has been warnings of drought since 2012 and as late as december 2013 . What is the prevailing food situation in the country and what steps have been initiated to bail out the residents of Turkana and outlaying areas ? Is there any proof of the governments commitment to ensure that no citizen dies of hunger ?
With the advent of county governments , we are likely to experience buck passing between the national government and the county government over who should take action . Teething problems for nascent counties absolve the Turkana governor of responsibility . The budgetary allocation for counties cannot allow him to undertake a rescue mission . The onus is therefore on the national government to either avail food from the national granary for Turkana residents or seek international assistance .
We do not have to wait for Safaricom and Red cross initiatives to raise money to save our brothers and sisters .
The government is expected to have set aside contigency funds for such eventualities . If every ministry was to cut its budget by a few million shillings to supplement the contigency funds and with donations from well wishers , we can beat this drought . Who will lead this noble initiative ?
The county government of Turkana should meanwhile send delegations to Israel to find out how the country was turned from being a desert into an agricultural country that is food sufficient . We should also find out how a country like Egypt that is solely dependent on the nile waters could produce enough maize to even export some to us , a country so blessed with rivers and rainfall that food should never lack .
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-74270461298397575302014-02-01T11:42:00.001-08:002014-02-01T11:42:58.690-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-29814850114031924262014-02-01T05:14:00.001-08:002014-02-01T05:14:42.348-08:00AN IMPRESSIVE ANALYSIS BY MULUKA .
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The president further proves that he is impetuous . His advisors and speech writer do not do their homework right ;
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-10512996150014083502014-01-29T07:56:00.001-08:002014-01-29T07:56:06.955-08:00STAND UP AND BE COUNTED , GOVERNOR OPARANYA .
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A stone throw away from the kakamega county governors office , a brewing storm between billionare owner of the Yako group of companies and Kakamega primary school over ownership of a piece of land is a litmus test for the governor who must act expeditiously to contain it and allay fears of his complicity in the conspiracy to defraud .
Corruption at both the council level and the lands ministry must have allowed mr Khetia to acquire a title deed to the piece of land which has been owned by kakamega primary school for years . The asian tycoon owns up to having come to kenya only twenty years ago , decades after the school was established . Acting in defiance of a court order that had temporarily stopped any development on the land in dispute pending determination , the tycoon has the audacity to resume construction of what many claim is a morgue . Common sense dictates that such an undertaking cannot be adjacent to a learning institution .
Kakamega primary school is a government institution that must be protected from greedy individuals who use their wealth as licence to grab and walk away scot free . The governor is the custodian of all government owned land and institutions within the county and he must come out forcefully to defend them .
From the national lands commission , there exists two letters , one dated 28/6/2013 affirmating that the land in question rightfully belongs to kakamega primary school . Another one dated 6/1/2014 gives ownership to Mr Khetia . Such obvious corruption gives rise to unnecessary friction , exposing children as young as five years to risks and dangers when they innocently take to the streets , daring trigger happy policemen .
A hastily convened parents meeting favoured precipitate confrontational action . It was unanimous in its observation that having futilely chased justice for years , that justice will not come from the courts which have been perceived to be partial .
Unless this conflict is conclusively laid to rest , it is a recipe for serious trouble and jeopardizes the safety of school children . It has already put politicians on a collision path , setting up a stage for political incitement to violence . It was senator Khalwale's intervention that occasioned the injunction freezing any developmental works on the piece of land . It is imperative that as county principals , the senator and governor come together to solve this matter once and for all .<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-59729226138912499372014-01-27T05:41:00.001-08:002014-01-27T05:41:46.098-08:00WHOEVER THOUGHT KETER WAS A GADFLY SHOULD RECONSIDER .
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Gadfly . That is precisely what many , especially the Jubilants , took Nandi hills mp Alfred Keter to be after raising the red flag on the humongous standard gauge railway line scam . It is what they took him to be when he decried the lack of equity in state jobs distribution between TNA and URP , parties that morphed into Jubilee . In their customary haste to cry louder than the bereaved , the reknown trio of government apologists - Aden Duale , Kithure Kindiki and Murkomen Kipchumba - trashed the Mps claims , calling him names , belittling him on account of being a first timer , as if that was the yardstick by which knowledge and information was acquired . They termed this a scheme by CORD to destabilise the "able" and "visionary " leadership of the Uhuruto duo .
In telling the truth , mr Keter, a jubilee mp , shamed the devil . Unthinking , servile loyalty to his party are not his stock in trade . When he appeared before the investigative parliamentary committee , he tabled irrefutable evidence that not even the thickest of the thick inside jubilee dared discount . And what better proof of this than the jejune about turn by the loquacious trio of shameless government apologists ? Yes , they gave their 'demigods' seven days to come clean or else . Suprise of suprises , they insinuated they knew the identity of two individuals who, through succesive governments , have orchestrated scams that have seriously depleted and nearly deleted government accounts . Aint they guilty of complicity by withholding vital information all these years ? Did they have to wait for Keter to let the cat out of the bag to wake them out of their lethargic stupor ? A couple of months down the line from the 2013 general election , through televised debates , senator Murkomen came through as a very sober mind , objective and fiery . His criticism of observable mistakes by Jubilee was welcome . But something happened . A summons to statehouse seems to have inhibited his thought process . Today , objectivity is now anathema to him . I can only guess why , and your guess is as good as mine . I cannot figure out mr Kithure but i believe he is trying to capitalise on a fluid situation to make some bucks , there is plenty in sight if he makes the right noises . As for Duale , even if i searched the whole advanced learners dictionary for words to describe him , none will aptly apply to him .
I keep asking myself , do these leaders ever listen to themselves speak ? Are they the 'Ngiri' whose tales Raila often regales us with ? Do they have conscience ? Do they have the grey matter in proper quantities ? Do they understand what leadership entails ? Can they be trusted to lead us anywhere ?
The team coalescing around the jubilee principals gives sycophancy a whole new meaning . It takes me back in time to the days of mkulima number 1 , muchezaji number 1 , kiongozi number 1 and all that nonsense . Can you forgive me for thinking the trio of Murkomen , Kithure and Duale are reincarnations of Ezekiel Barng'etuny , Mulu Mutisya and Nassir Sharriff ?
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-27852424531279449202014-01-26T03:02:00.001-08:002014-01-26T03:02:05.264-08:00CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE , WHAT SHOULD WILLIAM RUTO DO ?
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After the supposed recent meeting between deputy president William Ruto and senator Moses Wetangula , speculation has been rife as to what transpired and the possible ramifications . A harmless post on social media from a lady who is a staunch supporter of Jubilee caught my attention through its inference that Wetangula was about to change sides , politically . Though said in jest , it drew some heated , yet interesting debate that i have been following since .
There are three facets to this meet that i would like us to consider .
1 - The political marriage of convenience between Ruto and Kenyatta that bore Jubilee is bursting at the seams. Unfolding events , right from the ICC where , to all purposes and intents , Kenyatta has extracted himself leaving Ruto to hold the can , the stink from the standard gauge railway tender and the inhuman evictions from Embobut forest must have compelled william to view things from a different respective . When Raila sanctioned another eviction a while back , it precipitated a fall out between him and Ruto , with the latter being so intense and passionate about 'his' people . Now that he is deputy president , did they cease to be his , what changed ? Slowly but surely , fellow legislators from the larger rift valley have been throwing barbs , alienating Ruto and i believe he has finally taken note . The hustler in him urges him to seek political survival by sending out feelers . The tyranny of numbers might work a second time in favour of Uhuru if Jubilee holds . What happens after that ? Wont Ruto want to be president and will the kikuyu support him ? Something tells me they will not . You can add acid to water but if you tried the reverse , you will get burned .
2 - Jubilee has a stiff neck from constantly looking over the shoulder to see what Cord is up to . It is about time that itch got massaged to allow it to plod on . It has to either appease Cord or pulverize it . How do they attempt that and what are the chances of success ?
3 - At a public rally recently , Raila opined that Jubilee was handicapped in matters of governance and Cord was going to show them a thing or two . I found that to be curious and wondered how he was going to actualise the veiled threat . Is Cord trying to woe Ruto to their side by any and all means ? Will they resort to propaganda , blackmail or plain common sense to effect their plans ? Can such plans succeed ?
The common denominator in both scenarios is Ruto , a man caught between a rock and a hard place . He has to do something . Your views ?
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-3909885909993160472014-01-25T11:12:00.001-08:002014-01-25T11:42:33.564-08:00I SUPPORT THE REDUCTION OF COUNTIES TO CUT DOWN ON BUREAUCRACY :
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After my letter to the standard ; http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/m/story.php?id=2000102710&story_title=Devolution%20has%20failed%20to%20%20bring%20services%20closer%20to%20people ~
a motion by Mwingi Mp , Joe Mutambo to reduce the number of counties vindicates me .
M/s Chesoni Atsango is an irrelevance we can do without and she should keep her mouth shut . I dont buy her tired observation that reducing counties is an infringement on citizen rights . Which rights are these ? 'Citizen participation ' in governance is a cheap lie that nobody buys because we dont . The reasons we are having riots and demonstrations across counties is because citizens are not consulted and their participation is not sought . We are expected to follow prompts and orders with the mechanical loyalty of robots , which we are not .
Irritants like senators Murk Omen Kipchumba and Kithure Kindiki should spare us the din and let those with intellectual depth discuss the issue soberly . It is not because they really believe in devolution that they are so vociferous in their opposition to the bill but rather , pecuniary considerations and megalomania take the vanguard positions . Devolution , if what we see of it today is anything to go by , will ultimately be a very serious liability to the commoner . Mr Mutambo's arguements in favour of county reduction are based on reason , not the sentimentality exhibited by oppositionist government apologists .
The amount of money required to just pay salaries to the many office holders under the county government structure is stupendous . A year down the line , counties , which mr Mutambo argues should be called states , are so stuck in quagmire it will take another four wasted years to point them in the right direction , if ever . These tribal cocoons should be expeditiously dismantled than wait for later . So far , James Orengo is the only senator who has exhibited sobriety even after taking cognizance of the fact that he could become a casualty if the bill goes through . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-91034190949004346512014-01-21T07:49:00.001-08:002014-01-21T07:49:32.259-08:00Guys , check out this link and help me establish its authenticity ; http://2cashsite.com/?id=133883.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-86959310187617503462014-01-20T04:00:00.001-08:002014-01-20T04:00:38.040-08:00THE AU MUST SAVE SOUTH SUDAN AT WHATEVER COST .
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Most times i dont agree with president Museveni of Uganda but there are times that his weird style comes in handy .
How can one man , leading a group of social misfits and delinquents hold a country , and by extension , Africa to ransom ? The gloves must come off , knuckles must be bared to allow a couple of jaw bones be dislocated . Dr Machar's skull is begging to be smashed and common sense pushed in . He is an animal devoid of conscience .
It pains me to call Machar ' Dr ' because he does not know the first thing about being a doctor - which is protecting and saving lives. Ofcourse , his academic specialisation might not be in the field of medicine , its just a doctorate on paper in some obscure field or is it ?
Now , do we have to prick the testicles of the AU with something sharp to make it mad enough to act ? Do we have to burn their offices in Addis ababa to smoke them out ? Is the AU so detached it is waiting for someone to pump a president full of lead for it to wake out of its drunken lethargic stupor ?
Why should we be bound by the niceties of international rules on engagement as rebels roast fellow human beings and enjoy the spectacle ?
Why not dispense with the nonsense of statutes and capture Machar to end human suffering in South Sudan ? When Saddam became a thorn in the flesh , the yanks just walked into Iraq and yanked him out , permanently . International laws did not stop the yanks from getting Osama out too . Britain roughly walked into the Falklands islands and demanded respect and obedience . Pearl harbour ended an unnecessary war. When Hitler became too much of a nuisance , someone dipped him in sulfuric acid . Nyerere ejected Amin to die in ignominy somewhere in the Arab world . Ditto Mobutu of Zaire .
A friend in need is a friend in deed . South Sudan needs the AU now more than ever . We shall judge it kindly if , while dispensing with international laws of engagement , it walks into South Sudan to end human suffering . If those laws bind it to doing nothing , we shall judge it harshly . Dr Machar is more usefull dead than alive . I abhor violence , i dont support intentional murder but even God had to burn sodom and destroy humanity saving only Noah and a few animals to start afresh . Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-83817914130606261372014-01-18T08:11:00.001-08:002014-01-18T08:11:22.978-08:00PREACH PEACE , NOT HATRED AND TRIBALISM FOR WE ARE ONE .
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There are people from the luhya tribe on social media spewing venomous statements against Raila and ODM , blaming him for their own shortcomings . For starters , NO LUHYA leader , as alleged by some , is under the 'shadow' or undue influence from Raila . Secondly , i dont understand this rabid obsessive fascination with a luhya presidency . It will not add value to your life nor mine , ask the ordinary kalenjin and kikuyu . Often , the only beneficiaries are close friends and family . Need we look further than the discontent in the rift valley spearheaded by Keter ? Prestige alone has never fattened anybodys bank account and i can assure the rabble rousers that they will still have to toil and do what they do to earn a living . Thirdly , the problems facing the luhyas lie with themselves , not Raila , not ODM . The luhya leaders we look to cannot stand the sight of each other , have serious ideological differences and subscribe to cultural differences and beliefs that despice fellow tribesmen ~ (eg bukusu/maragoli , idakho /isukha , wanga/bukusu etc ). To illustrate my point on disunity , how many of our elected leaders were at Wetangula's homecoming ? What lessons do we draw from that ? A divided house will never stand .
Raila started packaging himself in the 80's , it was not , and has not been easy to acquire his imposing stature .
Who among the luhya leaders that we have today has the pull , the will , charisma and personality of Raila ? Who amongst them has built his name and followership over a similar period of time ? Longevity in politics cannot be discounted as a factor in the scramble for the presidency .
They say charity begins at home but for us luhyas , the reverse is true . And remember that even if all luhyas voted to a man for their own , without support from the luo's , the kalenjins , kikuyus , kambas and others , it will be a futile effort , like adding a cup of water to a river and expecting it to raise the volume of water . Kenyatta was smart enough to realise his people alone could not take him anywhere so he courted the kalenjins and a few others to shore up the numbers . Tyranny of numbers is not just a clique , its a reality . Nevertheless , no single tribe has the numbers hence the need for unity and political courtship across the board . Tribalism and hate can only take us backwards , never forward .Please let us be objective and desist from derogatory references to others . We must accept our own shortcomings without scapegoating and move on from there . We can argue out our different opinions soberly and reach an agreement - either you win me over or i do . Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-31058191827683226672014-01-17T06:29:00.001-08:002014-01-17T06:33:24.109-08:00COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ADD NO VALUE AND SHOULD BE DOWNSIZED .
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The essence of devolution is not only to bring services closer to the people , but to improve their socio-economic status in a conducive and adaptable political environment unique to each county .
Realization of devolution as envisaged will come at a heavy cost which translates into heavier taxation at a time when the purchasing power of the ordinary citizen has been seriously eroded by a non performing economy . Governors are determined to raise revenue within their respective counties through introduction of numerous , often punitive taxes , a move that has been met with hostile resistance , even serious riots in some counties . It is preposterous to expect citizens to pay the numerous hefty taxes being imposed at a time when the cost of living , medicare and education are a nightmare most people are hoping to wake up from .
In kakamega county , for instance , the governor , while clearly breaching articles 201 and 209 of the constitution , hopes to raise taxes from the dead , from anybody rearing chicken , breeds cattle and mama mboga whose daily sales average twohundred shillings out of which she must part with one hundred shillings to enrich the county coffers . How then do we hope to encourage small businesses and tackle poverty while fighting unemployment ? Kakamega county ranks among the poorest in the country with no industries to offer employment . I have seen families bury their dead kin in offcuts because a coffin costing 2000/= is a luxury they can only dream of . How then do they raise 5000/= to get a burial permit ? If residents have to pay 20/= for every chicken reared , 300/= for every pig and 500/= for every head of cattle one has , is it worthy starting projects involving the same considering the project costs ?
The organisational structure of a devolved system will be its undoing since many of the institutions created are superfluous . Having governors , senators , members of parliament , county representatives , and ministers at the county level , all drawing huge salaries besides other perks is an unnecessary drain on public finances that leaves little or nothing for service provision and betterment .
A year down the line , counties are yet to be felt except for the war of words between senators , governors and the central government over who should do what and who is superior .
All this beauraucracy , the infighting and haphazard manner in which counties are ran begs the question , are they viable as constituted today and how effective are they ? Has it been noticed that counties entrench tribalism and nepotism ? Is the wage bill , which includes millions spent on gallivanting trips in the guise of seeking investors , and the confusion worth the bother ?
Government operations from a centralised command with clear cut duties as it was before the adaptation of the new constitution , apart from laxity , appeared more orderly and purposeful .
Cutting down on expenditure should be any prudent governments priority . This can be achieved through scrapping some of the institutions and reduction in counties from 47 to only 8 (the original provinces).
Taxes raised by the central government effectively ran the country . If that money is being shared equitably among counties , if Funds from which governors can draw money for use are established , what justification do they have for their obsession with the introduction of taxes that easily pass as illegal ? Taxation for services rendered is acceptable but county governments wish to reap where they did not sow .
Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-10994101755708709062014-01-11T17:42:00.001-08:002014-01-11T17:42:25.980-08:00THE POLICE MUST COME OUT CLEAN ON THE WETANGULA ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT .
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I listened to the official police statement on the attempted assassination of Senator Moses Wetangula in amazement . That the senators car hit a billboard and produced a sound which his bodyguard identified as gunshots is far fetched . The absence of cartridges at the scene of crime does not preclude a shooting . If as the police contend there was a loose pipe that hit the car , it would have left a long tear in one location on the body , not holes . There has been no mention of the senator's driver either loosing control of the vehicle at any point or being drunk . All these presupposes there is something we are not being let in on .
Assuming some people in government wanted to kill the senator , the police being an arm of that government will be used to destroy or hide evidence . How do we know if spent cartridges were found and made to disappear ? Who else but the police have attempted investigation ?
The average height of a standard car is about five feet and six feet for the high riders . To have hit a billboard presupposes the board was hanging lower than six feet from the ground . Is that plausible ? How come only the senators car hit the board on such a busy road ? And how possible is it to have hit a single hanging pipe and had holes and scratches on the roof and sides of the car ? There has not been mention of either 'careless driving' on the part of the senators driver and 'endangering lives' or indication he lost control of the vehicle and hit the supports of a bill board . Ordinarily , the supports of a bill board running across the road should be six feet from the edge of the road . Did the senators car veer off the road to hit either of the supports ?
It would take courage , moral upttitude and an exceptionally clean conscience for any one within the top echelons of the police to challenge the goverment that employs them unless they felt suicidal . Statements coming from police headquarters that are easily challenged do not inspire much confidence in their ability to be impartial in cases with political connotations . Previous political murders in Kenya remain unresolved decades later , further questioning the role of the police .
I do not see any reason why senator Moses Wetangula would want to fake an attempt on his life given that he is not known to be a sensationalist . Why would he seek public sympathy now ?
The government , in the face of the political acrimony existing between it and the opposition , must come out clean and conclusively resolve this issue . It may seem petty but it is denting its image . <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-3667095772805231572014-01-04T08:11:00.001-08:002014-01-04T10:05:37.190-08:00MODERN DAY PROPHETS ARE SERIOUS FRAUDS ;
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The reason we are called christians is because we follow christ . Jesus was humble , sociable , non materialistic , readily available and only occasionally used donkey transport to move great distances. By walking on foot among multitudes jesus was able see Zacheus atop a tree , call him down and save him . There are those who touched his robe and got healed . He visited and dined with sinners . The bible tells us not to follow miracles , but let them happen in our lives . It tells us only God is holy and mighty .
This begs the question , where did the self proclaimed 'mighty' prophets come from ? Why do they lay so much emphasis on miracles and dooms day prophesies instead of the word ? An obviously mentally unhinged pastor on the West Coast of Africa attempted to become the second man , after Jesus , to make the humanly impossible feat of walking on water .
Pastor Franck Kabele, 35, convinced his congregation he was capable of reenacting the very miracles of Jesus Christ. He decided to make a demonstration on Gabon’s beach in the capital city of Libreville.
Pastor Kabele said he had received a revelation he could achieve what Jesus was able to. He told his followers he would cross the Kombo estuary by foot . Two steps into the water and Kabele drowned .
At Ibadon zoo in south-west Nigeria, a self-proclaimed Prophet claimed to be able to do what the Daniel of the bible did by walking into a den full of lions.
He put on a long red robe and proceeded to enter the cage full of lions at the Zoo .
Within seconds the lions ripped the hapless Prophet to pieces .
Like 'prophet' Dr Owour of the doomsday prophesies , California doomsday preacher Harold Camping lived to be 92 years old and died not having seen any of his prophesies fulfilled .
Dr Owour's contention that God revealed to him the westgate attack but did not show him the location presupposes God is vague , which is a fallacy .
On assumption of office , pope Francis extolled christians to be frugal . Present day prophets , preachers and pastors are largely materialistic , something unbiblical . There is too much opulence on display . One only needs to see the cars in prophet Owours motorcade to appreciate the finer meaning of wealth and opulence . The dark tinted top of the range mercedes benz compressors , dark tinted toyota V8 landcruisers make nonsense of jesus foot walks and interaction with the lowly placed . The prophets security detail is too large and intimidating . Between points A and B nobody lays eyes on him . Is he offended by the riff raff that give him a cult following ?
I may be wrong , but i believe only the president has the legal right to have the way completey cleared by his escort . Why is the prophet allowed to usurp that right and inconvenience road users ? Why is he averse to having other people share the same hotels he likes staying at when he is in residence ? What is he afraid of , hiding behind tinted glass , having massive security around him and staying in seclusion ? Christ had no need of this , did he ?
Seismic science makes it possible for scientists and geologist to predict a hurricane or earthquake that will occur ten years from now . It is not therefore news or prophetic for Dr Owour to predict earthquakes 'unless we repent' . Who exactly should repent considering sin has been there since creation ?
Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-103724864604631082014-01-02T08:29:00.001-08:002014-01-02T08:29:02.942-08:00I COULDNT AGREE MORE WITH THE PROFFESOR . AN INTERESTING READ .
By Makau Mutua
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The backgrounds of prophets – real and fake – are misty and mystical. Their birth, parentage, education, and pedigree are shrouded in mystery. The obfuscation is by design.
That’s the case with Prophet (for that is what he calls himself) David Owuor, Kenya’s most celebrated “diviner”. The man claims to have a serious academic history. I couldn’t prove the negative, and so I will let that rest.
But I will say this – Dr Owuor is well spoken. That’s where my compliments end. Anyone who claims to communicate with God – if you can wrap your head around the concept – has lots of questions to answer. That’s why we need to establish whether Dr Owuor is simply a smart guy, or a man possessed of extraordinary – godly – powers.
Religion is the art of the sublime. Believers are intoxicated with the spell of faith, a phenomenon that can’t be subjected to the rigour of reason. For the kernel of faith is blind obedience. That’s not to say believers are irrational people, or intellectual simpletons.
No – it’s to acknowledge that faith is a matter of personal conscience, and is therefore inviolable as a basic right. But it’s not to pronounce one way or the other whether religion is based on an unarguable truth. That’s to say we are free to believe – or not – whether God exists. Which begs the question – what’s a society to do with false prophets, or those who cloak themselves in the divine to extort society?
It’s often true that the poorer a society, the more pious it’s likely to be. People who have fewer life opportunities – and meager material possessions – tend to be more religious than elites. During the 2008 US presidential campaign, then candidate Barack Obama caused a furore when he said that in poor de-industrialised small-town America, folks “cling to guns and religion” because of bitterness.
His point – which was valid – is that religion can be a spiritual opiate for poverty, bigotry, and exclusion. It’s on such ground that the seeds of false prophets are sown. Charlatans arise to promise a better reality. These religious “hustlers” and “pimps” leech on the poor. Your misery is the source of their livelihood.
Let’s be honest. Most Kenyans today subsist on less than two dollars a day. Our country is teeming with rural and urban poor. The cost of foodstuffs is sky high. Education is unaffordable. Health care is a luxury only the rich can afford. Insecurity is everywhere.
Corruption has become a way of life. Everyone – from the elites to the street hustler – is out to make a quick buck. The poor look on – helplessly – as the elites get richer. I think prophets thrive best in this morass of despair and seediness. And so Prophet Owuor’s message of “repentance” or “damnation” feeds the soul with hope. His “prophecies” of the coming blight scare the wits – bejesus – out of the poor.
What has been shocking to me is how so many leading politicos purport to take Dr Owuor seriously. I say “purport” because I don’t think they “actually” take him seriously at all.
But politicians have a “political nose”. They want to leverage Dr Owuor’s hapless masses and thronging crowds for political gain. One particular spectacle is etched in memory – when leading presidential contenders joined Dr Owuor “in prayer” before the March elections.
Notable at that fete were CORD leader Raila Odinga and TNA honcho Uhuru Kenyatta. This is my free advice to Kenyan political leaders – steer clear of quixotic mystics from whomever and be careful not to mix politics and “streetwise religion”. This is a mockery of established religion.
Dr Owuor has the gift of gab. He dresses in “saintly” flowing fare. In his eye is the glint of a man who is at once possessed, but also seems afraid of being exposed. I watched his interview with star host Jeff Koinange studiously.
The man of God evaded every question that Mr Koinange posed. Mr Koinange asked several questions in multiple ways, but the prophet cunningly punted all of them. You would think a real prophet – like Jesus of Nazareth – would look you straight in the eye and give an unequivocal response When cornered, he kept on telling Kenyans to repent, repent! I was exhausted just listening to his meandering, mealy-mouthed platitudes to God. Mr Koinange was perplexed and unamused.
To be sure, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of a true prophet. But think about it – when was the last time a true prophet appeared on Earth? Thousands of years ago. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet. That doesn’t leave “Prophet” Owuor with much argument for legitimacy.
Methinks we should beware of folks who claim to be messengers of God, or to speak for the Almighty. That’s why I would retreat to less exalted rhetoric if I was Dr Owuor.
Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-63095447634493288402013-12-31T22:05:00.001-08:002013-12-31T22:05:35.259-08:00AFRICA'S MEGALOMANIACS SHOULD ALLOW US SOME PEACE .
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In despite of an abundance of examples to learn from , president Salva Kiir of South Sudan stirred a hornets nest by sacking his vice president and the entire cabinet , an affirmation that power corrupts and distorts perception . Instead of unifying a country full of ethnic connotations and working on improving the economy of his oil rich country , president Salva Kir became selfish and intolerant , the African story .
It turns out that ideological and ethnic differences between two former warlords are plunging a young and promising nation into a futile war , suffocating its economy , threatening peace not only in South Sudan , but the region as a whole . Tribalism is demonstrating once more how devastating it can be if allowed to run free . Seemingly , the 1963 Tutsi - Hutu ethnic cleansing and 1994 genocide in Rwanda did not impress upon our people the need for mutual recognition and acceptance of each other . The 2008 post election violence that has caused Kenya So much heartache appears abstract to the feuding Dinka and Nuer leaders in South Sudan .
Even though they took sides , it is encouraging that regional leaders have taken steps by calling an IGAD meeting in Nairobi to ensure the situation does not detereorate beyond the point the hostilities have reached . Already , the death toll from this war is too high with the possibility of citizens fleeing their country . Kenya cannot afford an influx of refugees at a time when the governmment is in the process of clossing down refugee camps in Kakuma for security reasons . Our fragile economy cannot take on that extra burden now . The near stoppage in oil production has seen the price of crude drastically go up and Sudan threatening to invade the South to protect oil supply .
Mediation efforts must impress upon Dr Machar and other megalomaniacs the stupidity and futility of invoking the tribal factor to mess up a country and its people just to ascend to the presidency since the cycle of violence will continue . It must be stressed that coups are out of vogue , having been replaced by constitutions that should be used to address our grievances . The antagonists must be reminded that no coup in Africa ever improved the welfare of the people concerned . Though power sharing may temporarily assuage bruised egos , it will serve no other purpose as the Kenyan and Zimbabwean cases prove .
The bible reminds us that those who take up power at the point of the gun will die at the point of a gun . That being so , why subject our beautiful people and continent to perpetual wars .Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5998604278254031731.post-87991229600604518492013-12-30T21:12:00.001-08:002013-12-30T21:12:04.472-08:00CAN RUTO AMOUNT TO ANYTHING BIGGER THAN WHAT HE GOT FROM THE JOY RIDE IN 2013 ?
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Had the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga wanted to , he could have become Kenya's first black prime minister . When the colonialists settled on handing him the premiership , he declined , contending that Kenya was not free unless Jomo Kenyatta was freed from prison . On kenyatta's release , Jaramogi voluntarily relinquished the party chairmanship to him . In his own right , Jaramogi became Kenya's first king maker . The tragedy of this noble gesture is that his selflessness and patriotism became a curse to subsequent kingmakers todate . The king he helped make became his greatest tormentor .
In 1978 we had another king maker in the then all powerful attorney general , mr Charles Mugane Njonjo . Against all odds , he backed Moi and made him king but thereafter , all was not rosy between them .
King Moi surrounded himself with his kinsmen to the exclusion of everybody else thus formented gradual rebellion that not only led to the repeal of section C 2(a) of the then constitution but saw the rise of the third king maker in Raila Amollo Odinga . With his famous 2002 declaration 'Kibaki tosha ' , Kibaki became king . In keeping with the tradition of those before him , king Kibaki immediately turned his back on Raila and their relationship became cold over the ensuing years . Come 2007, the democratic space Raila had helped create allowed him to challenge Kibaki for the presidency , the outcome of which was bloodshed . Even though Raila vehemently disputed the election outcome , he swallowed his pride and settled for half the share of the spoils out of selflessness , just like his father before him . Kibaki's inner circle worked tirelessly to cast Raila into irrelevance and make sure he did not himself become king . From the ashes of 2007 , William Ruto , untill then a staunch ally of Raila , started getting restless and broke ranks with the premier because of unfulfilled promises . The ICC cloud hanging over Rutos head compelled him to form an alliance with Uhuru Kenyatta , his co accused , eventually leading him into being the fourth king maker . The tyranny of numbers between the kikuyu and Kalenjin tribes , more than anything , propelled Uhuru to statehouse with Ruto enjoying the ride . Eight months down the line , Ruto has started feeling the heat all king makers before him felt . The very ills that made him quit ODM have followed him to the Jubilee alliance and it will be interesting to see if he will quit in a huff or stay put . It was to be "nusu mkate " for both TNA and URP but the former seems to be taking a bite from the other's half , something that does not go down well with the latters tribesmen . His kinsmen are relentless in demanding their equal share of government goodies and have lit a fire under him he cannot ignore . Meanwhile , all indications are that he is becoming a ceremonial deputy president , accompanying the president everywhere , singing his praises and doing pretty little as the presidents inner cabal tightens its hold on him . To survive and keep his plum job , Ruto must dance to Uhurus tune .
With all these going on , it is utopic thinking that Kenyatta will automatically lead for ten years and hand the baton to Ruto . Incase the power crazed duo forget , kenya is a democracy , not a monarchy and like all the king makers before him , Ruto will most likely not amount to anything higher than the deputy presidency of this cursed country .
Chagemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028460342070567224noreply@blogger.com0