A worn-out cliché in Kenya has it that Kenyans in Diaspora “have been away for too long” that they should have no business commenting on issues back home because “they have lost touch with reality”. According to a common pontification that routinely finds expression in the mainstream media, the family of Diaspora Kenyans have “nothing to teach” poor countrymen back home because Kenyans abroad “are not on the ground” and should therefore just “shut up” even if the country is burning.
However, a cursory look at political analysis in the Kenyan media sometimes exposes a pathetic level of mediocrity that ought to be called to attention. A case in point is the flood of analysis of the impending 2012 election and the moribund “KKK Alliance” which is supposed to be led by the ODM renegade, William Ruto, Deputy Prime Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. This troika of latter day opportunists are constantly sold by the media as a “formidable force” that key players “will have to recon with” because the still to be formed KKK Alliance “will be a big factor” come 2012. It is in the face of such spurious conclusions that an intervention becomes necessary.
Kalonzo Musyoka
Following the theft of the December 2007 elections, Kalonzo Musyoka was basically written off as a politician. After assisting PNU cling on to power by collaborating with thieves who stole elections and installed president Kibaki in the middle of the night, Kalonzo is more popular as the ultimate “Judas Iscariot” in Kenyan politics than a Messiah of the Kamba people. His Party, ODM-Kenya, has been taken over by his opponents who have argued that his cooperation with PNU was a personal decision for personal gain, not a party policy.
His Kamba people are still furious with him because following his collaboration with PNU, Kambas across the country were beaten senseless and chased out of their abodes because of the perception that they were part and parcel of thieves who stole elections. During the Referendum on a new Constitution, Kalonzo failed to mobilize his people to vote “Yes” because of waning influence among his people. How then will Kalonzo lead his people into a KKK Alliance?
Kalonzo’s problems are confounded by the fact that Charity Ngilu, the Minister of Health who is in ODM, has a huge influence in Kamba land that is constantly threatening Kalonzo’s authority. When Kalonzo is projected as the King-pin in Kamba politics, where are the facts that could lead to this conclusion?
Uhuru Kenyatta
Since the days of Kenya’s first President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Central Province, the origin of the largest ethnic group in Kenya, has had no anointed leader. Current President Mwai Kibaki is not a “Kikuyu leader” but the beneficiary of being at the right place at the right time. Every ethnic group in Kenya wants their kith to be in State House and when it emerged that Kibaki had the greatest chance in both 2002 and 2007, Kikuyus voted for him en masse. By projecting Uhuru Kenyatta as the Kikuyu flag bearer in the theoretical “KKK Alliance”, the assumption is that the young Uhuru will be the “Kikuyu leader” come 2012. However, what are the facts?
When Kimendeero John Michuki recently proposed Uhuru Kenyatta to be promulgated Kikuyu leader to guide the community in 2012, he was widely condemned, not by the Luo, the Luhya or the Kalenjin but by the very Kikuyu leaders who believe that there is no room for ethnic leaders in Kikuyu land with the most vocal opponent having been Martha Karua, Chairperson of Narc-Kenya. The view was that no one could impose a leader on the Kikuyu and that every leader must fight it out personally. The point is that there is a huge split within the Kikuyu when it comes to ethnic leaders in current Kenyan politics so how will Uhuru Kenyatta lead the Kikuyu into the yet to be formed KKK Alliance?
Secondly, it is an accepted fact that come 2012, Kenya will not have another Kikuyu President and even Kikuyus at the grass roots are united on this point. Why? During her 47 years of independence, and assuming that Kibaki completes his term, Kenya shall have had a Kikuyu President in State House for 25 years (Kenyatta 15 years and Kibaki 10 years).
Instead of seeking for a Presidential candidate, the Kikuyu are seeking for a political partner who will be able to guarantee and safeguard their economic interests in Kenya after 2012. Today, that partner is Raila Odinga whose stolen Presidency is widely accepted by millions of Kenyans who went to the streets to demand haki yao. Even if Uhuru Kenyatta joins the KKK Alliance to work with traitor Kalonzo et al, any Kikuyu leader who seeks an Alliance with Raila Odinga is likely to enjoy a bigger sway of the Kikuyu vote because of two reasons.
Just like the Kalenjin, Kikuyus at the grass roots have experienced the fallacy of “wealth trickling down” because their man is in State House. They are tired of paying the price of their man “being in power” without any tangible benefits. Following the stealing of Raila Odinga’s Presidency in 2007, Kikuyus at the grass roots paid the ultimate price because it is their houses which were torched in the Rift Valley, hundreds of their people murdered in cold blood and others chased from their houses across the country because their man had stolen the vote.
Today, hundreds of IDPs still languishing in the camps are Kikuyus who have been left without help despite their man occupying State House. Assuming that he joins the KKK Alliance, how will Uhuru Kenyatta convince millions of skeptical Kikuyus about the need to work with the Kalenjin after tragic historical experiences that have tended to isolate the Kikuyu? My take is that any progress on any Uhuru-based KKK Alliance will only be realized if no Kikuyu leader teams up with ODM in an alternative Alliance and there is no shortage of Kikuyu leaders seeking this opportunity. Why are commentators presenting a skewed analysis of the situation?
Further, Uhuru did play with Ruto in the run-up to the Referendum before he dumped him to join Raila and Kibaki in the “Yes” camp. The KKK Alliance could have been built during the Referendum and the only reason why it did not materialize is that it was not viable.
William Ruto
Going by Kenya’s brand of ethnic politics, and after Moi, a Kalenjin, held power for 24 years, is Kenya ready for another Kalenjin President? This sums up Ruto’s case of ever making it to State House in 2012. Although Ruto is a very vocal politician, he lacks a sound strategy, either because he doesn’t understand the ethnic nature of Kenyan politics or his advisors are deliberately misleading him for some reason.
Ruto could have been a force to recon with if his Referendum experiment had succeeded but it crashed and he lost with a landslide majority. How will he emerge from this huge defeat to set up a national Alliance that will propel him to State House? What is known is that when Kibaki lost the Referendum in November 2005, he lost the vote two years later so how will Ruto convert the Referendum defeat into a victory?
Ruto’s fortunes could have matured easily in ODM than in any other unknown formation but he missed it due to misplaced ambition. When he joined ODM, Kenyans almost forgot his dirty past during his days in KANU where he opposed the re-writing of a new Constitution and declared that Moi ought to rule Kenya for 100 years. Apart from corruption charges facing him in court, and his possible indictment by ICC notwithstanding, Ruto has not yet cultivated a national image that could hand him Kenya’s Presidency. He is still fighting for “his people” (the Kalenjin) and until he begins to fight for the Luhya, the Luo, the Kikuyu and others, his Presidential ambitions will continue to remain a pipe dream.
The Kalenjin at the grass roots chased away the Kikuyu and seized their land. This is the status quo that the Kalenjin at the grass roots would like to maintain. Any political Alliance with Uhuru Kenyatta might meet with opposition in Kalenjin land because of the issue of land confiscated from the Kikuyu. After several evictions of the Kikuyu from the Rift Valley dating back to “ethnic clashes” that were engineered by Moi, the Kikuyu do not trust the Kalenjin so how will an Alliance between the two ethnic groups be forged at the grass roots?
The KKK Alliance is dead and its proponents ought to have been preparing for its funeral, not its resurrection. However, it will remain alive at the rhetorical and propaganda level because after the Referendum, KKK proponents went bankrupt while the media needs sensation to keep newspaper sales up and running. The main victims are the uncritical readers who may be lapping the KKK package without second thoughts.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
This is the Kenyan version of the Ku Klux Klan and it is going nowhere with its weird combination of political thugs. Kenyans are too smart to be played by them. Tunangoja 2012 to kill them politically.
We cannot hold alliances in the name of tribes. If these thugs are real leaders, let them focus more on sacrificing for Kenyans than just wanting power. People like Raila paid the price, almost to death. They can work with other leaders but not saying certain tribes must work out to beat certain tribes. This leads to hate and killing. We can learn and refuse to be dragged in this games za Ruto na wenzake.
Until we, as citizens of Kenya, demand our politicians to offer us ideology and proper competition based on policies, we should stop this “righteous” anger at tribal alliances. These guys do it because they know we like it and cheer them on…
New Kenya has no place for such nonsense. When are some people really going to wake up. I guess it may take a storm of “noachian proportions” to wake these tribal bigots from sleep, but thence it shall be too late for them to salvage anything.
Thanks for this report.
Unfortunately Osewe is right about the attitudes of Kenyans in Kenya towards new ideas. My take on it personally is that they have a “No one can teach us anything” stance and you all know if no one can teach you anything it means you are too stupid to even understand the level of your stupidity.
And all this nonsense along tribal lines, it’s like people’s brains shrunk and to the point where they have started thinking in reverse! You would have thought this tribal garbage would have disappeared a long time ago, Kenya has been independent for 47 years now, and yet the thinking has not progressed in any way that can actually rescue the country from it’s downward spiral.
I agree with Mulosh on the need for competition based on policies – and actionable ones at that, not just random empty rhetoric.
Kifo Pap..and whoever thinks otherwise is abusing our intelligence and future…Kenya Mpya has no place for such babaric,backward or uncouth alliances!
anawacha baba yao anaendaaa……anaenda anaenda………!RIP KKK alliance
Damn tribal leaders!!These crooks should be phased out to have a peaceful 2012 presidential elections.
What i could say about this kkk alliance thing is that, instead of thinking meaningfully, these preachers have decided to idle with no positive agenda. For we know that idle minds are devil`s workshop.So let us be careful not to fall in to their trap.
What i have observed, from the time they have taken, and the outcome, puts it clear that people have known them, and this alliance shall soon be a thing of the past.
It is shocking to hear people in my own country, who consider themselves respected leaders, with titles such as the Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Honourable Minister, forming a political alliance with a name similar to America’s KKK (the Klu Klux Klan).
Kalonzo Musyoka, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto would like to tell us that their KKK stands for Kikuyu, Kamba and Kalenjin. But the aims and aspirations of their KKK are not different from the former KKK David Duke’s xenophobic organization. Both are just as chauvinistic. They are also both shamelessly intolerant. The American organization is racist and the Kenya one is tribalist. So what is the difference? The American KKK seeks the supremacy of the White race headed by Anglo-Saxon Protestants. The Kenyan one wants to snatch political power in Kenya and establish a dictatorship headed by tribal chiefs. Honestly, I see no difference between the two.
Kenyans should just examine the political history of the leaders of the KKK alliance to get concrete evidence why it should be thrown into the dustbin of history. As the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement – Kenya (ODM-K), Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has not sought permission from his party executive before pulling every member into an unholy alliance with the Deputy leader of ODM, William Ruto and the Chairman of Kanu, Uhuru Kenyatta.
It was only a few short years ago when Kalonzo was denouncing, in the strongest possible words, the leadership of Ruto’s ODM and Kenyatta’s Kanu. What metamorphosis has the Vice President undergone to see his 2007 strongest political enemies as his strongest partners for the 2012 elections?Alternatively, what changes have taken place in Ruto or Uhuru’s leadership to attract the Kamba leader?
Kalonzo has been a loyal member of Kanu, Liberal Democratic Party, the National Rainbow Coalition, and ODM-K. All within a short period of time since he joined politics in 1983 when he unsuccessfully tried to represent the people of Kitui North in Parliament as a supporter of the dreaded one party political system in Kenya.
Strictly speaking, Kalonzo Musyoka does not have a political philosophy he believes in. He changes his political colours like a chameleon. Today he is preparing Kenyans to vote for him as the next President in the 2012 elections as the leader of the KKK Alliance in the country. But will the others in his group let him take the lead? Even more important than that, will the Kamba people be prepared to be led by their noses by a man who wants to isolate them from the rest of Kenyans?
To answer the last question first, the Kamba people , who overwhelmingly backed Kalonzo in 2007 as the leader of the ODM-K should ask their leader what philosophical changes have taken place in Kanu or ODM for Kalonzo to want to cooperate with Uhuru as the Kanu Chairman or Ruto as the Deputy Leader of the ODM? They should also want to know the significance of Kikuyu, Kamba and Kalenjin political alliance against the rest of the country?
Why, for example , should the Kambas in Mariakani, consider themselves closer to the Kikuyus in the Central Province and Kalenjins in the Rift Valley than the Mijikenda people of Mariakani , Miritini , Changamwe, and Mombasa which are all close next door neighbours, and have been for decades?
As to the first question, which is extremely mind boggling, it is always amazing to see people who believe in no ideology at all ganging up together to form a political alliance based on tribal loyalty, when in fact they belong to three different tribes.
None of the three leaders i.e. Kalonzo, Kenyatta and Ruto has shown a remote willingness to step down for the other, for the Presidency of Kenya after Kibaki. The only thing they have in common is the perception that they have the ability of putting their entire communities in their pockets. By the look of things the trio is in for a very big surprise this time.
The majority of the new generation of voters, whose number run into millions and are scattered all over the country, have two things in common: Poverty and unemployment. They all rightly believe they are in that predicament because of the greedy leadership of the likes of Ruto, Kalonzo and Kenyatta. They believe the only salvation they have is the use of the ballot, rather than the bullet, to bring about the desired change. After all, that method has succeeded in the most powerful country where a Black man was only considered a slave, and today he is the most powerful leader introducing changes that could only be confined to a dream world.
The story of Uhuru Kenyatta is basically the same as that of Kalonzo Musyoka. Though born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his only hope of succeeding Mwai Kibaki at State House is to be accepted as the official Presidential candidate of the KKK alliance.
Uhuru erroneously believes he is the undisputed leader of the Kikuyu people, who have supported his family for a long time, even before he was born. What Uhuru forgets, or is incapable of comprehending, is that the majority of the Kikuyus of today, who are the majority of young voters in Central Province, believe the rich in their community have only become so by robbing their forefathers.
The majority of the rich Kikuyus are the children of home guards who killed a lot of Mau Mau in the struggle for liberation before independence. The majority of the poor among the Kikuyus today are children of the Mau Mau freedom fighters who, until today, have never seen the fruits of independence. In the next election they too see the power of the ballot bringing justice into the political scenario of the country.
Of the three KKK leaders, it is only William Ruto who has the backing of his people in the Rift Valley. But if they remember the history of how Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, who made them back his hand picked Presidential candidature of Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002, led them to be isolated by the entire country, they may not support Ruto for long.
After all, the Kalenjins are the quickest people in changing their minds in the entire country. If you don’t believe me, ask Raila Odinga.
By Joe Kadhi
Hon William Ruto MP, Eldoret North Constituency, Minister:
Planning, incitement, and financing the violence. In August 2007 he held a meeting with other senior ODM leaders in Kipkelion near Kericho including Sotik MP the late Lorna Laboso , the late Kipkalia K. Kones (Bomet), Kiprono L. J. Magerer (Kipkelion), and Franklin Bett (Bureti) where the leaders resolved to carry out mass evictions of non- Kalenjins from ‘their’ Rift Valley areas, particularly the Kikuyu and Abagusii. During an opening ceremony for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in a place called Mailing, he is alleged to have said that they would uproot the “sangari”, ‘shake off the soil’, ‘gather it together’ and ‘burn it’, in reference to ‘outsider’ communities. He is alleged to have addressed the public at Bisabol shopping centre in Turbo near Burnt Forest and incited the local Kalenjin and Luhya communities against the Kikuyu. At a meeting on 22/12/2007 at his home in Sugoi said that his headache was Mr Jonathan Bii, his opponent, who supported Kikuyu on the land issue and directed that they should be attacked if they dared campaign in the areas.
Uhuru Kenyatta, Kabando wa Kabando, Stanley Githunguri Members of Parliament for
Gatundu North, Mukurweini and Kiambaa respectively:
Planning and financed violence On diverse dates during January, February and March 2008 they attended meetings to plan for retaliatory violence by the Kikuyus. They met to plan retaliatory attacks in the Rift Valley. They also contributed funds and organized militia for retaliatory violence.
For those who read Ruto’s recent declaration that he would surrender to either Kalonzo or Uhuru if they beat him at their KKK presidential nominations, you also noticed that neither Uhuru nor Kalonzo responded similarly.
Kalonzo is currently running around neighboring African countries seeking support for Kenya’s withdrawal from the ICC. He is a selfish man targeting the Kalenjin vote come 2012 by garnering sympathy in case Kosgey and Ruto end up being whisked to The Hague. Otherwise there is no way Kalonzo will successfully campaign in Rift Valley or nationally having shown that he is a traitor in 2007.
I rolled on the floor nearly busting with laughter when the Monitor (Uganda’s Newspaper) wrote about Kalonzo’s trip in Uganda to show support for President Museveni during his current presidential campaign. Kalonzo is putting a show after Raila’s earlier trip and words from Uganda’s Opposition leaders are not kind to him. Read more below, especially Mr. Kanusu’s comment:
Other opposition spokespersons Kenneth Kakande (DP) and Robert Kanusu (UPC) said Mr Musyoka’s tour has no impact on the local politics. “They are free to express themselves but as far as I am concerned, we don’t have Kenyan voters in Uganda. The Kenyans are not going to decide for us who will be our President,” said Mr Kakande.
Mr Kanusu said: “I doubt whether Mr Musyoka can convince a street kid to support President Museveni. If Museveni had built good roads, hospitals and helped the poor, he would not need to bring in mercenaries of that category.”
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1089484/-/cj99p0z/-/index.html
Kuklux klan(KKK)of Uhuru,Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka http://allafrica.com/stories/201101190273.htmlhas been Finitwoed>shetani ashindwe>
RUTO UNDER PRESSURE TO TAKE ON UHURU
Monday, 23 May 2011 15:05 BY MATHEWS NDANYI
ELDORET North MP William Ruto is under pressure from his close supporters to run against Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2012 presidential election.
Ruto’s key advisers are not comfortable with the proposal for him to be the Deputy Prime Minister’s running mate. They want him to ask Uhuru to instead back him instead in reciprocation for the Kalenjin support in 2002 when Uhuru ran on the Kanu ticket but lost to President Kibaki.
Ruto’s dilemma emerged as Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who is expected to compete with Uhuru and Prof George Saitoti for the PNU alliance presidential nomination in 2012, called over 2,000 Kamba professionals to come for dinner tonight at his Karen home to discuss his presidential ambitions. Parliament is expected to dissolve in May 2012 to pave the way for presidential elections in August.
Ruto supporters are worried that the Kalenjin vote could potentially be divided if the suspended Higher Education Minister plays second fiddle to Uhuru in 2012. “We have taken a break to deal with some of the emerging issues and scenarios ahead of the 2012 polls. Our advisers are working on finer details which will be discussed before we move on”, said one MP allied to Ruto.
Ruto has deliberately stayed out of the political limelight since he returned from the International Criminal Court in April as he strategises on how to deal with the case.
Ruto has held several strategy meetings at his Karen home to discuss the 2012 elections and has hinted at support for Uhuru saying he will seek to become his running mate. “He told us he knows Uhuru’s backers are greedy but he knows how to deal with them once they get power. He also told us he is unwilling to back Kalonzo Musyoka because of his opportunistic ways,” said a former minister who participated in a dinner at Ruto’s home.
Cherenganyi MP Joshua Kutuny insists that Ruto’s presidential ambitions are still alive. “We are still very much on focus. William is active and we are in the race till the end,” Kutuny said without elaborating.
Paul Kiprop, Chairman of the Wareng County Council Chairman and Ruto confidant, said they already have a working formula to beat their rivals. “Ruto and Uhuru are just our leaders. We have leaders and communities from all over Kenya in this group which will actually represent the face of Kenya,” said Kiprop. “The Kalenjin community has fully embraced the team led by Ruto and Uhuru. It’s also acceptable in other areas of the country. Regardless of who will be the presidential candidate, this team will carry the day,” said former Nominated MP Mark Too, a well known political strategist in Rift Valley. Too is among those who have been hosting strategy meetings on how the G7 alliance can move ahead.
Other strategists want Ruto to run alone and only merge with Uhuru after the first round of the presidential elections. Respected local elder Daniel Tabut said the Rift Valley has gifted elites and should front their own candidate if Ruto ducks out. “We are not opposed to Ruto’s candidacy but he may be going wrong. That is why as elders in the region we are pushing for a plan B,” Tabut said.
Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Corporation, William Kirwa, is being groomed by some elders to fill the void if Ruto is not in the race.
Other names being floated include former Baringo Central MP Gideon Moi and Information minister Samwel Poghishio. But Mosop MP David Koech expressed confidence that the alliance being built to oppose Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s third run for the presidency will emerge victorious. “We have made it clear that our path this time is different. We will stand by Ruto and the other leaders in our team until we win the 2012 polls,” Koech said.
Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo said that Ruto is safer inside an alliance with Uhuru than when he runs alone. “The combination between Uhuru and Ruto is the one that will carry the day.The chemistry between the two is working well, that I can confirm,” he said.
In bid to build on his own strategy, Kalonzo will today meet Kamba professionals from Kitui at his Karen home. “The Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has called for an urgent working dinner for all our county professionals on Monday 23 at his Karen residence starting 6 pm. He requests that you pass this message to others,” stated an SMS message over the weekend. Last week Kamba professionals met Water minister Charity Ngilu and Kiema Kilonzo at Kefri hotel.
Kalenjin elders from North Rift have warned Eldoret North MP William Ruto against leading the community into an alliance that will not form the next government. The elders through their spokesperson further declared that the grassroot was getting impatient with Ruto’s political moves that had no vision for the community. In an apparent attack on the G7 alliance which brings together VP Kalonzo Musyoka, Uhuru’s Kenyatta, William Ruto, Eugene Wamalwa and Najib Balala, the elders warned Ruto against teaming with Uhuru Kenyatta who is now being referred to as the de-facto leader of the G7. They said it was better to deal with ODM of which they were still members than to deal with an entity that is yet to to have credible structures.
Meetings by the elders to reconcile the Eldoret North MP and PM Raila Odinga have hit the wall. Whereas the MP welcomed the move, MPs from Nyanza and some from North Rift have objected to such a move terming it unnecessary. Members of Parliament led by ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo want Ruto out of the party and has initiated a process to through the registrar of parties to throw Ruto and allies out.
KKK Is Dead On Arrival and the tribal chiefs have decided to go it alone in 2012.
Kuttuny said that a project earlier initiated to forge a working alliance with Uhuru has collapsed. “We have found difficulty on the ground selling to our people the idea of working with Uhuru. It has become impossible. We want it but our people don’t want it so we have to look elsewhere,” the Cherengany MP said. The MP said that Ruto’s side is yet to strike any deal in its efforts to get hold of Musalia.
Ruto recently announced that he will go it alone for the Presidency in 2012 exposing a snag in the alliance he was building with Uhuru. The Eldoret North MP made the remarks during an interview at Kass FM where he indicated that Uhuru should support him since he will bring the majority of the votes into the alliance.
A source in the know revealed that former President Moi has expressed willingness to work with the Musalia-Ruto alliance rather than an Uhuru-Ruto alliance. “Mzee is not happy with Uhuru anymore. In fact he is willing and very supportive of the initiatives to make Musalia work with Ruto than with Uhuru,” said a confidant of the former President.
The Group of Seven is a tribal alliance in all but name
Let’s look at some of the new “tribal” additions and their “barons” in the G7. Few people believe, for example, that Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa is a serious politician. But the KKK Alliance is propping him up in hopes of dividing the Luhya vote.
I wish him luck because Local Government Minister Musalia Mudavadi has most of that vote in his pocket. It’s going to be an uphill task to undercut ODM in Luhya country.
So why is the KKK Alliance pursuing a quixotic venture? It’s all about appearances — to give the false impression that the KKK is not just about the Kikuyu, Kamba and Kalenjin. The same is true of Tourism Minister Najib Balala. He’s the “coastal flower”.
You might wonder why Mr Wamalwa and Mr Balala are allowing themselves to be played like the violin. Mr Balala has had his own well publicised disagreements with Mr Odinga.
Mr Wamalwa is a “young buck” trying to make a name for himself. If the KKK Alliance wins in 2012, he could become the most powerful politico in Luhya country. He’s rolling the dice. Mr Balala has long fancied himself the king of the Coast.
An Odinga defeat in 2012 would establish Mr Balala as the unquestioned “overlord of Muslims” and the coastal region.
But this is playing Russian roulette. A defeat of the KKK Alliance would send him into political oblivion. But he’s decided to take his chances.
The great “unknown unknown” is what the International Criminal Court will do with Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto.
If the ICC takes these pivotal KKK members down, Mr Musyoka will be orphaned. He can only benefit from their political demise if they openly endorse him and ask their ethnic minions to support him. But it’s not clear whether that would be enough.
Competing interests
I have a feeling that the KKK Alliance will fall apart if Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto are formally charged by the ICC in September.
There are too many competing interests among the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin to hold the groups together without Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto. Mr Musyoka may be the loser in this case.
The bottom line is that the G7 has nothing to do with what’s good for Kenya. No tribal alliance of elites can ever be good for the country. That’s why the G7 is a retardant of the national project.
It looks deceptively inclusive, but it’s actually a corrosive and corrupt instrumentality that will further fragment our country.
It will heighten ethnic tensions by isolating the Luo — and possibly the Luhya — from the body politic.
I hope that religious groups, civil society and Kenyans of goodwill will press for the disbandment of the G7 hydra.
Makau Mutua is Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School and Chair of the KHRC.
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/The+Group+of+Seven+is+a+tribal+alliance+in+all+but+name/-/440808/1174840/-/item/1/-/t7k834z/-/index.html
Osewe you were so right there is nothing like KKK. Uhuru and Ruto are ICC candidates no doubt.
All the KKK leaders are back to reorganizing their tribal political parties.
UHURU, RUTO TO ABANDON VP KALONZO .
Tuesday, 14 February 2012 00:07 BY IBRAHIM ORUKO
UHURU Kenyatta and William Ruto are finalising a power sharing formula that excludes Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. The two have decided to form an alliance without Kalonzo because they do not believe he adds value to their campaigns, according to multiple sources close to the two politicians who spoke to the Star. When Uhuru and Ruto agree the finer details, they will register their accord with the Registrar of Political Parties six months before the general election as a sign of their commitment.
According to the plan, Uhuru and Ruto recognise there could be difficulties in entering the elections as a united front. Under the proposed power sharing arrangement, the two have agreed to contest the elections separately, but to share power on a 50-50 basis regardless of who wins the presidency. They will split Cabinet positions equally and then jointly agree senior government appointments, diplomatic postings and even county positions.
The new constitutional requirements stipulate that senior public appointments go through public vetting so their co-operation may have limited impact. The pair are also discussing the possibility of joint nominations with each party staying out of regions that the other considers its territory. The Ruto team is however uncomfortable with Uhuru using Kanu as his party because of its track record and former President Moi’s influence. They want Uhuru to shop for another party. Uhuru’s camp seems to have settled on Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa as his running mate.
However, Ruto’s camp is spoilt for choice. Former assistant minister Aden Dualle, Trade minister Ali Chirau Mwakwere and former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara are all lining up as the Eldoret North MP’s possible choice as running mate for Deputy President. Uhuru and Ruto have decided to abandon the VP in the wake of Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo’s recent disparaging remarks about their presidential prospects.
Mutula has incessantly argued that Uhuru and Ruto cannot contest the presidency after being charged by the ICC with crimes against humanity. Kalonzo yesterday refused to comment. “You can’t expect me to discuss with you these things while I am in the car. Please come to my office and I will gladly discuss the matter with you,” he said. The Star was unable to set up an appointment with the VP’s staff by yesterday afternoon. Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny yesterday said, “There have been roundtable talks involving many people from Uhuru’s and Ruto’s side. We have been exploring the best way to share power.”
Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama said, “That is gossip because nobody can say these things in public. It is only yesterday (Sunday) that the three assured the whole country they will stick together during a public rally in Machakos”. Nominated MP Mohammed Affey also denied the reports terming them “absolutely not true”. “There is no agreement of any sort between two or three individuals in the G7,” he said. Affey said the group is in the process of confidence building through the ongoing peace rallies. Affey said the three have constituted a team to to come up with mechanisms to select the flag bear in a free, transparent process.
He refused to discuss the possibility of Ruto and Uhuru going it alone minus Kalonzo, saying the scenario was unthinkable. “We can’t talk about that for now. We shall cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said. He warned that no single party or individual could win the presidency on their own. Kuttuny said that the Uhuru-Ruto accord discussions started long before “we knew that Kalonzo will work with us”.
Failure by the VP to sack Mutula has caused tensions because the Uhuru side believe Mutula may be acting on Kalonzo’s orders. However, this may not be Kalonzo’s fault as he has reportedly written to President Kibaki asking him to dismiss Mutula as he no longer represents his ODM-K party.
VP in trouble over Mutula views on ICC
By OLIVER MATHENGE and BOB ODALO Posted Tuesday, February 14 2012 at 22:30
The G7 Alliance on Tuesday seemed headed for a major fallout as allies of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto turned against Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka. The MPs meeting at a Nairobi hotel are demanding that the VP have Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo sacked, failure to which he will not be welcome to attend the joint rallies in support of International Criminal Court accused Kenyatta and Ruto. Mr Kenyatta attended the closed-door meeting at Nairobi’s Sagret hotel where his supporters took issue with what they said was the VP’s silence over Mr Kilonzo’s statements on whether ICC suspects can still run for presidency. The trouble appears to have started at a rally in Machakos last weekend where Mr Musyoka is accused of failing to decry Mr Kilonzo’s utterances. The MPs are also said to be irked by remarks from Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama, a close ally of the VP, during the meeting on Saturday. While Mr Muthama was missing at Tuesday’s meeting, notably present were some of Mr Musyoka’s critics in Ukambani — Mr Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito) and Mr Charles Kilonzo (Yatta). Those in attendance remained cagey with details of the meeting, but multiple sources confirmed that a key issue was the VP’s role in the G7 Alliance. “ We had to meet and put this house in order. This house was crumbling and it had to be saved because there is too much at stake and some people who do not even have the numbers are working to destroy it,” said one MP who attended the meeting. Speaking after the meeting, Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi said “consultations” were “ongoing issues” in the light of the reopening of Parliament on Tuesday.
MPs allied to Mr Kenyatta are preparing to take to the House a motion of no-confidence against the Justice Minister. Sources from the meeting revealed that MPs will sign a petition to be presented to Speaker Kenneth Marende arguing that Mr Kilonzo has been misinterpreting the Constitution. They are to cite Article 99(3), which protects an accused person from being kicked out of office unless all avenues of appeal have been exhausted. Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny said allies of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, who attended the Machakos rally, were not happy with what they witnessed and would rather have joint meetings without the VP. “Mr Muthama made a statement in Kikamba which we have not taken lightly,” Mr Kuttuny said, adding that the statement could be interpreted to mean that the VP stands to benefit from Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto’s troubles.
During the Machakos meeting, Mr Muthama is on record saying, “Mbaitu ni mwisi kana veekwa aati tukekaati (My brothers, do you know that if things go that way, we are going to win this battle)?” He went on, “Aa meekwaati, tukekaati, nikenda vekwe ati na indi tuyika ati (If it happens so, we will realise good tidings?”
Mr Kuttuny told the Daily Nation that during the Machakos meeting, the team had challenged Mr Musyoka to “get rid of Mr Kilonzo, but the Vive President appeared to have a soft heart despite openly showing disregard for Ruto and Kenyatta”. Soon after the Machakos meeting, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto led their entourage to a hotel in Kitengela where they reportedly said that they were unhappy with the reception in Machakos. Two MPs from Ukambani attended the meeting, the Nation has reliably learnt. The G7 alliance has planned another meeting for Nyahururu Town this weekend and it will be interesting to see if the VP will attend in light of the latest developments.