Fat cats who kidnapped Kibaki’s Presidency
There is one strange member of the Kibaki Mafia family who was a kind of Johnny come lately after Kibaki seized power but who fitted into the political program quite well — Njenga Karume. He was together with Kibaki in the Democratic Party, had been a long ally of the President while he is also a firm believer in the Kikuyu nationalism. Karume was part of the group that in the mid-70s, set up the Gikuyu, Embu, Meru Association (GEMA), a Kikuyu organization, whose agenda was to change the Kenyan Constitution to prevent the then Vice President Daniel arap Moi from ascending to power in the event of Kenyatta’s death.
Karume belonged to the Kenyatta inner circle, sat in several land-buying companies across Kenya especially in the Rift Valley soon after flag independence while he is known to have had interest in a stream of business concerns across the country. The move by Karume and company to prevent Moi from occupying State House in the event of Kenyatta’s death was thwarted by former Attorney General Charles Mugane Njonjo, who successfully defended the Constitution against arbitrary changes thereby derailing the plan by Karume and allies. Moi became President after Kenyatta died in his sleep in August 1978.
When he has a choice for President, he will, most likely, choose a Kikuyu. If two Kikuyus are standing, Karume will choose the one closer to home and this is the biggest mistake Karume made in the run up to the 2002 elections. He dumped Kibaki’s NARC Coalition and opted to support former Daniel arap Moi’s Party — KANU — which was staging Uhuru Kenyatta for President after the Raila- Moi fallout and Uhuru lost to Kibaki. Karume is a billionaire whose incredible collection of assets includes the Cianda Hotel in Nairobi’s Koinange Street, United Finance Ltd, Clayworks, Jacaranda Hotel in Westlands, Cianda Flowers, Tusker House, Landmark Hotel, Indian Ocean Beach Club, Highlands Hotel in Molo, Village Inn in Kiambu, Lake Elementaita Hotel and Kentmere Club.(138) He also owns Kacheroba Limited, Kivurini Farm, Kambala Farm, Lynton Farm and Katikati Farm among other concerns. He was not left behind in real estate and owns Forest Road flats, Cianda House and other housing estates.
Karume was one of the biggest beer distributors of Kenya Breweries Limited before he made a terrible business error. Through a local firm called Donyo Sabuk fronted by Karume, he became a 34 percent shareholder of Castle’s, a South African beer concern, thereby entangling KBL which, in turn, terminated a contract with Karume’s Kiambu General Transport Agency. The problem was that Castle’s was offering competition to KBL. Karume then sued KBL, claiming Ksh241 million for breach of contract but lost the suit (139). Castles beer closed down at a time when Donyo Sabuk was worth Ksh3.5 billion (140). Castles beer was later sold to Kenya Breweries thereby ending Karume’s ventures in the beer distribution industry.
At the time he ditched Kibaki, thinking that Uhuru would win election, his business must have been going down because after losing the beer distribution contract, real estate got a beating in the market while tourism was also down, a tendency that must have reduced his earnings considerably. The idea of joining Uhuru was another big political mistake although his uncertain political future was later secured after Kibaki rehabilitated him and made him Minister of Special Programmes. In August 2005, Karume’s Jacaranda Hotels Limited was at the centre of an investigation into the Kenya Tourism Development Corporation by the Inspectorate of State Corporations regarding “…allegations of widespread corruption in disbursement of loans and tribalism in staff recruitment among other claims (141).
Back to “Muthaiga group” in post 2002 Elections
Karume was one of the politicians who was named in the Ndungu Report on Land as having acquired vast pieces of land irregularly and after Kibaki took power, Karume could have suffered greatly if Kibaki followed up on his pledge to fight corruption and land grabbing because Karume was very vulnerable.
There is no single close ally of Kibaki not implicated in or having been linked to corruption scandals through reports and allegations of all descriptions and Karume was no exception. In December 2000, the late Molo MP, Kihika Kimani, accused Karume of having “embezzled millions of shillings” and that the Kiambaa MP had “enriched himself with public funds and at the same time purporting to be a leader of the Kikuyu” (142), claims that Karume dismissed.
To appreciate the level at which Kibaki was ready to go to entrench tribalism in his administration, the President allowed Karume to come back in government, from opposition, created the Ministry of Special Programmes in the Office of the President and handed it over to Karume on a golden platter. Okot p’Bitek wrote that “Birds of the same feathers flock to gather”. But that was just the beginning. After being welcomed into the government, Kibaki moved an “extra mile” by making a Cabinet reshuffle, which ended with Karume as the Defence Minister. This was despite the fact that Karume was a key member of the leading opposition in Parliament headed by Uhuru Kenyatta. There was no room for a coalition government in the Kenyan Constitution but to go around this hitch, Kibaki created a fake “Government of National Unity” under which Karume slowly crawled into government to become a Cabinet Minister.
In creating a leeway through which he could join his golf colleagues, the big point Kibaki made to the Kenyan public was that Karume was an important member of the Mafia and that although he had gaffed by supporting former Moi’s strategy in 2002, he could still be forgiven to join government because his services were needed by the Mount Kenya Mafia that had taken over power in Kenya. With the likes of Karume brought closer, job vacancies for members of the Mount Kenya Mafia were getting filled up at an alarming rate. Karume must have been so convinced that since Moi had the State machine, the Head of State could do anything to ensure that Uhuru won to become President of Kenya but Uhuru lost and Karume had to find his way back to Kibaki through some other ways.
Once back from cold opposition, Karume joined the Muthaiga group, which was pitted against the Hurlingham group for control of both Kibaki and State House. By the time elections came in December 2007, it was Karume’s Muthaiga group that had taken over control after the Anglo-Leasing monster ate away the Murungaru-Kiraitu-Lucy led Hurlingham group whose schemes are also highlighted in this book.
Raila Odinga’s Stolen Presidency:
Chapter Four (Excerpts): Fat Cats Who Kidnapped Kibaki’s Presidency (pgs 78-80)
About the Author
was a man of his own
Njenga Karume Used His Ministerial Position To Finance His Private Business Empire
These Old Folks Will Never Get It, Will They?
Njenga Karume is one of the most controversial Kenyans still around who has straddled the twin arenas of big business and big politics for a very long time indeed. The man knows a lot and I dare add has also done a lot, both good and bad.
Although he was not a member proper, of Kenyatta’s inner kitchen cabinet, Karume knows enough to shed much more light on some of Kenya’s big mysteries, like the murders of Tom Mboya and JM Kariuki. Not to mention the disappearance without trace of one Kungu Karumba. I am not surprised that he has steered clear of some of these very sensitive topics. After all some of the chief murderers who participated in these crimes are still very much alive. And besides even where they have passed on, those murders have helped retain the status quo and a system that has helped Mr Karume rake in billions over the years.
Still I have to admit that there were quite a number of shocks for me in the Karume book. For instance everybody knew that the man had access to President Jomo Kenyatta but I was surprised at the ease with which the man could just pick up the phone and talk or leave a message for a president who would disappear from the public for weeks on end and would regularly slip in and out of comas. Indeed Mr Karume’s honesty in many instances is very refreshing and will make this biography a hot seller for many years to come.
This is health Hazzard When Kenya poor families cook Mandasi /Fish with Oil drawn from Sewage >Watch the Video>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7I3l-hceww&feature=player_embedded#!
Many people are living like animals, especially in urban areas in Kenya and in many countries of the third world.
You know you are living like an animal when:
1. You sleep outside or in shanties not fit for human habitation. I know of dogs who sleep in better kennels
2. You defecate outside instead of toilets
3. You eat what you get. Animals dont plan their meals. they eat what they get or what they are provided for.
4. You do not use contraceptives for lack of access to. Animals also do it the natural way without regard to outcome.
5. Personal hygiene and cleanliness are as distant as Mars is from earth. Animals too have little regard for personal hygiene.
6. You cannot take yourself for medicare. Animals do not know of hospitals unless taken by someone to a vet.
7. You are generally ignorant, have little access to information and you do not study. Animals too neither read, write nor watch the news.
8. You walk everywhere. Have you ever seen a cow ride a bus?
9. Commit incest mostly through defiling of minors and the disadvantaged. Animals mate among themselves.
There are real people who unfortunately for one reason or the other live this way. It may or may not be their fault but the common denominator is extreme Poverty. It is the society’s duty to address the issues that cause fellow humman beings to live this way through policy change and economic development. Next time you drive or walk past that street urchin or family, or past that unsightly slum take time to reflect on how lucky you are. Are these people condemned, of is it the world that got its priorities wrong? The fact of the matter is that they live like animals.that its someone else and not you in that situation.
Kenya on Sale!
Kibaki govt selling Kenya to the Lowest Bidder!
Can Somebody Stop this Madness!
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_ReKTNh5uA&feature=related