21 thoughts on “TNA-URP-UDF Coalition is Doomed From the Beginning”
uhuru bought mudavadi to drop his bid and pave way for him.mudavadi has been used again to support retrogressive forces in kenya who stood against the people of kenyas aspirations for so long.this is old kanu and moi group regrouping ,thinking kenyans have forgotten the rot,mismanagement and injustices ,plunder of natural resources they did in the decages before narc revolution.
if people dont resist ,arise to register as voters and give resounding defeat to this group once and for all in 2013,kenya will loose opportunity to join league of emerging progressive states in africa like ghana,senegal etc
we must reject triumvirate of UHURU,RUTO AND MUDAVADI.
THEY HAVE BILLIONS OF PLUNDERED REOURCES TO BUY LEADERS,BUT KENYAN,KENYAN PEOPLE CANNOT ACCEPT TO BE BOUGHT/COMPROMISED/FOOLED/CHEATED/SWEETENED AGAIN.
LET THEIR POLITICS RING HOLLOW BECAUSE IN THE PAST AND THEIR RECORD,HISTORY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF —THEFT,PLUNDER,CORRUPTION,EVASION OF TAX,TRIBALISM,SELF AGGRANDISHMENT,INJUSTICE,TORTURE AND MURDER OF CITIZENS,FEW RICH WHO DONATE HARAMBE TO MAJORITY POOR,MASSIVE ECONOMIC DECLINE,UNEMPLOYMENT,NEPOTISM IN APPOINTMENTS ETC
THAT RECORD STINKS !
THEY CANT SAY IN THE LAST TEN YEARS THEY HAVE REFORMED AND SHOULD BE ENTRUSTED WITH GOVERNMENT GAIN
HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HOW BANKS WENT UNDER WITH SAVINGS OF WANAINCHI,LOOTING OF KPTC,RAILWAYS,NSSF WHICH LEFT RUTO,JIRONGO,KULEI,BIWOTT FATTER AND MILLIONAIRES
HOW CAN RUTO ,UHURU AND MUDAVADI TRY TO FOOL KENYANS AGAIN.PLEASE KENYANS BE AWARE AND REMAIN ALERT AND WISE.
The TNA-URP-UDF Coalition is led by blind people who does not know where they are going. Secondly their followers are all ignorants of the laws of the Country, and are following them because of the money they have without knowing the consequences of their destiny. Reasons; How can people with sound minds campaign for four years and then at the last minute they forget what they can tell people? Which Country are they going to rule? Can Criminals be elected to lead people or to lead thieves? By the way do they know that they are wanted people to face the Case in Hague ICC Court? Can the same people know that they were convicted because of the same acts they are showing people now openly of violance? Kenyans want peace and new Constitution for the new faces but not for the same impunity and Corruption protecters. I would like to tell our friends from Rift Valley and Central Provinces to forget to fight for leadership because they have tested it for total of 49 years since Independence and have failed the leadership examination. The answer is 0+0= 0. How can Zeros (00000) make a number to be read or define anything? All Kenyans should vote for ODM as everybody in Kenya has been voting for KANU.And by Mudavadi to think that Luhyas will give him vote to sail him to State House is a dream only those who have been bought like Khalwale and Villagers from Vihiga County but not from the Baluhya people. Those who gave him money to woo Luhyas will turn to be his enemies when they will see 0+0=0 too. Shame to those who say they will not be tested for Integrity because what they are doing is good in their eyes, mind you those are lawyers of darkness in Kenya.
Uhuru sacrificed his presidential ambition for Kibaki in 2007,its obvious that had Uhuru run,Kibaki would not have been reelected.The promise given to Uhuru was that he would get full backing of Kibaki and kikuyus come 2012.
Uhuru in order to save Kibaki’s stolen victory organised his boys to butcher non kikuyus in Naivasha and surrounding regions.This led him to the ICC.oooooh poor boy,you gave yourself soo much to the hyena,Kibaki now wants to drop Uhuru like a hot potato as if nothing happened.Uhuru being Uhuru will not go down smiling,he will have to put a fight,he knows he has central votes under lock and key,he has to run and run fast.Kibaki will have to find another formula of fronting Mudavadi.
C.O.R.D espouses DEMOCRACY &MERITOCRACY ¬ the REPUBLICAN hereditary entitlement mindset of TNA & URP…TRIBEKENYA do we want leaders who would rather bootlick into the hearts of Kenyans or bend over to be butt-flicked by two ICC SUSPECTS? On Ruto and Musalia nyama ya mkia pia si ni nyama? sivyo,waendele na kuji kanganya!
For the Uhuru-Ruto-Mudavadi alliance, if Mudavadi fails to clench the presidential candidature, the luhya community will not vote for the alliance and opt for the Raila-Kalonzo-Wetangula alliance. If Mudavadi clenches the presidential candidature, all the luhya community will vote for this coalition overwhelmingly. If Uhuru fails to clench the presidential candidature, the Kikuyu community will opt to vote for Peter Kenneth as the preferable candidate. the Kalenjin community will have to decide on whether to vote for the alliance or vote for the Raila alliance.
For the Raila-Kalonzo-Wetangula alliance, It will be the most preferred balance alliance by the whole of kenyans. many communities will support the alliance. there is a possibility of Ngilu and Kosgei ditching the alliance. Solidarity of the alliance has been established. people will support the alliance because of Raila’s reform agenda i.e the new constitution and the devolution of government. most communities will vote for the alliance to continue with the reform process. it will sustain most of it’s support nationally. The kamba community will support the alliance in totality together with the Luo community. coast province will also be featured prominently in the support. It risks losing majority of luhya support if mudavadi wins the presidential candidature against uhuru.
For Peter Kenneth-Tuju alliance, this is a team to watch out for, they are a new crop of leaders whose policies will be welcomed by many. especially the youths. they have to gain a sufficient following with in a short time or people will abandon their quest for the top jobs.tribally, if Uhuru fails to secure the alliance candidature, the Kikuyu community will support his candidature in totality. it will be easier for him to gain sufficient kikuyu support because since history,kikuyu community support their tribe in totality. this alliance will lose major support from the Luo and kamba community. majority of the supporters will decide on whether to vote for them during the last month to the elections date. most people will evaluate their support before they vote for them finally.
For Eugene-Jirongo-Biwott, theirs is an alliance of a sham, most kenyans will avoid it in totality. it will be extremely hard for them to garner even 200,000 votes. we all expected better from wamalwa. come one, his brother was a visionary leader whose idea led to a better idea for kenya in totality. he seems to lack this vision and keeps on jumping the gun.
Martha Karua, hers is to show superiority and try to gain numbers. it is very unlikely that she will win but will be able to gunner more votes than Eugene’s alliance. it is likely her support will majorly from the women of the Kikuyu community.
Ole kiyiapi, he will find it very difficult to be accepted among the youth. he will at least gain some ground by establishing himself in politics but for him to gunner sizable votes, it is very unlikely.
That is just an overview considering policies will be taken into consideration, tribalism and superiority. mine is just to ask you all to vote wisely and more importantly, be mindful of the IDPs who require our help as Kenyans. lets vote wisely.
There are no doubts that the African continent is very endowed with natural resources and able bodied men some whose ancestors were used to build other continents in the era of slavery. Africa controls a significant proportion of world’s natural resources such as oil, minerals and some even of rare variety. The environment has for centuries been endowed with huge forests, natural foods and fruits, huge rivers, waterfalls and generally un-disturbed environment.
Moreover changes in the global spectrum have changed the political, economic and social dispensation in Africa. Many would blame colonialism and neo-colonialism for the mess in Africa but even then a close examination of Africa’s leadership leaves a lot to be desired.
Kenya has may not have gone through too much of the mess that has beset most of the African states such as civil wars and state collapse. However, it can also provide a study of what leadership can do and what it has not done.
At independence Kenya was at the same or better economic dispensation with some Asian economic giants such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. Informed and focused leadership in the four Asian countries have made the Asian nations important global economic actors. Taiwan may have had a difficult history with its neighbor China and with limited diplomatic missions globally but the Asian nation is a global force in world trade. South Korea emerged from a brutal war with its sister nation North Korea and have been having persistent headache with the hermite nation but today she is a global force with products from her famed companies such in electronics conquering the globe.
Singapore a city state with little land mass is a study in what informed leadership can do to a country. Singapore has one of the most efficient port in the world and in Asia a study in economic growth is not complete without her inclusion. Malaysia under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed made huge strides in economic achievements and though not popular with the West he left an adorable legacy.
So what went wrong with Kenya? The answer lies with political leadership. Like most of the rest of Africa leadership especially during the era the US (Capitalism) and the then USSR (Communism) were fighting for global influence Kenya found itself under very autocratic rule during the era of the first two governments. Moreover, other evils that were to mess most of Africa and as well reared their ugly head in Kenya. Corruption became the way of life, tribalism defined politics and the political economy and obviously leaders acted with total disregard of human rights and in utmost impunity.
Part of the cause of the 2007 post election violence lies squarely with the ugly historical past. It’s true the colonial government divided Kenyans along ethnic grounds. Rift Valley land issues started the implosion at the height of colonialism. But what the subsequent government did with land especially condoning the grabbing meant that the spillover effects had to mess up innocent people who settled I Rift Valley as well as people who had little to gain from the political economy at play. Post independence governments used land as part of rewards to political potentates, sycophants and to buy support. Corruption in government was tolerated to keep oiling the wheels of powerful civil servants. With the head rotten it is said the fish rots the whole body. That meant the corruption ills permeated the ranks of governments all through.
Have had recent follow ups with government departments in obtaining vital documents for some organisations and others to legalise operations of some legal activities. With certain ministries it has been quite agonious. Delays have been the order of the day and I surmise this was to create room to solicit bribes from civil servants.
Similarly the most rated corrupt institution in Kenya the Kenya police has remained a study in what goes wrong in vital institutions in a country. Getting officers to sign vital sign documents for complaints or to seek assistance have been occasioned by what can be termed professionally executed delays. This was obviously to create critical room for inducements for the facilitation. To facilitate this it meant illegal money exchange is key.
With top officials doing as they wish and with no recourse by the public we have a huge problem. Up to very recent it was clear that powerful government officials could do as they wish knowing too well that even courts could not give remedy to the offended. The Kenyan judiciary has been condemned for mis-carriage of justice for eons.
Complaints range from delayed cases, lopsided decisions which were termed at best political in orientation. With deep pockets it has been variously argued that you could buy justice in Kenya. The same applies to political influence. Indeed after the disputed 2007 presidential vote the party that felt offended the ODM, felt it would have been a waste of time resulting to the Kenyan courts. The consequences of the dispute are part of the blots to encumber Kenya and part of the reasons the International Criminal Court (ICC) have had something to do in Kenya.
What amazes me is Kenyans take quite some time to learn. Tribalism is deep rooted. It is not just in the realm of government. It is in all facets of the society. It is in the government, it is in private sector and even in the social fabric. People fail to understand that what they think are small acts are the same that cause problems in the political realm. Favouritism on ethnic grounds in various sectors of life including employment, settlements, skewed opportunities for economic advancements and in vital appointments are part of the oil that fuel tribal hatred, ugly political confrontations and subsequent fights that dominate Kenya’s public life. In essence the seed for hatred is sowed slowly, in small ways and in big ways. Eventually the chicken come home to roost with ugly consequences. These are evils that need to be stopped.
Unless the country address these ills the country can only keep studying what the Asian tigers have done without much changing on her economic realm. The Judiciary has started to breathe a new lease of life. It should not be difficult to do the same to the other institutions. Moreover, the Kenyan people must learn to live as one.
South Koreas achieved it by being a single unitary entity despite the variety of people in the same nation though all being Koreans.
Similarly, great developed countries like the US and Britain made it by forging a unitary approach.
Uhuru Kenyatta Cannot bring about Land Reforms in Kenya Hence Kenyattas Family grabbed Land equal to Nyanza Province in Kenya>updated at 15:14 GMT
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Ian Smith’s farm seized in Zimbabwe as Robert Mugabe eyes election
Ian Smith, 1976 Ian Smith was Rhodesia’s prime minister from 1964 until 1979
Continue reading the main story
Zimbabwe – New Era?
Test of optimism
Wikileaks woe for Mugabe
Return to Harare
Torture camp discovered
The farm of former white minority leader Ian Smith has been seized by Zimbabwe’s government.
Mr Smith led Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known, when its forces battled Robert Mugabe’s guerrillas in the 1970s.
Most white-owned land has been confiscated for redistribution to black farmers since 2000. Mr Smith’s farm, known as Gwenoro, had been left alone.
The seizure came as Mr Mugabe addressed thousands of his supporters, ahead of elections expected in 2013.
Zimbabwe’s land-reform programme has been widely blamed for its economic collapse in recent years.
BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says Gwenoro was perhaps the most symbolic of all Zimbabwe’s white-owned farms.
It was where Mr Smith bred cattle and lived for most of his adult life, even after he lost power in 1979.
His ashes were scattered there after he died in 2007.
The farm has been handed over to a local technical college – a move some are linking to next year’s election.
Foreign firms targeted
Mr Mugabe, 88, is running for another term.
Our correspondent says land ownership remains a highly politicised, emotive issue, and seizing Mr Smith’s farm may be seen as a vote-winner.
The AFP news agency also reports that Mr Mugabe on Friday told delegates to his party conference that he wanted to seize full control of foreign-owned companies.
His government has already passed an indigenisation law, which forced companies to cede 51% of shares to Zimbabweans.
“I think now we have done enough of 51%. Let it be 100%,” he told thousands of Zanu-PF delegates.
The indigenisation policy is opposed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who will once more run against Mr Mugabe in the election.
The pair agreed to share power after disputes over the last election caused the economy to go into freefall.
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868
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Ian Smith’s farm seized in Zimbabwe as Robert Mugabe eyes election
Ian Smith, 1976 Ian Smith was Rhodesia’s prime minister from 1964 until 1979
Continue reading the main story
Zimbabwe – New Era?
Test of optimism
Wikileaks woe for Mugabe
Return to Harare
Torture camp discovered
The farm of former white minority leader Ian Smith has been seized by Zimbabwe’s government.
Mr Smith led Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known, when its forces battled Robert Mugabe’s guerrillas in the 1970s.
Most white-owned land has been confiscated for redistribution to black farmers since 2000. Mr Smith’s farm, known as Gwenoro, had been left alone.
The seizure came as Mr Mugabe addressed thousands of his supporters, ahead of elections expected in 2013.
Zimbabwe’s land-reform programme has been widely blamed for its economic collapse in recent years.
BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says Gwenoro was perhaps the most symbolic of all Zimbabwe’s white-owned farms.
It was where Mr Smith bred cattle and lived for most of his adult life, even after he lost power in 1979.
His ashes were scattered there after he died in 2007.
The farm has been handed over to a local technical college – a move some are linking to next year’s election.
Foreign firms targeted
Mr Mugabe, 88, is running for another term.
Our correspondent says land ownership remains a highly politicised, emotive issue, and seizing Mr Smith’s farm may be seen as a vote-winner.
The AFP news agency also reports that Mr Mugabe on Friday told delegates to his party conference that he wanted to seize full control of foreign-owned companies.
His government has already passed an indigenisation law, which forced companies to cede 51% of shares to Zimbabweans.
“I think now we have done enough of 51%. Let it be 100%,” he told thousands of Zanu-PF delegates.
The indigenisation policy is opposed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who will once more run against Mr Mugabe in the election.
The pair agreed to share power after disputes over the last election caused the economy to go into freefall.
Since not tribal, then religious but always will be those diligent enough to maintain the illusion of their illusion of power. “Many-few” have nothing if we make up our minds up not to help the superlative conspiracy survive.
Consider the philosophic hegellian dialectic. We have been making what we know from the pieces dished out when all we need is aim more than food and water and that will be solved. especially at the fact of governance being what we have accredited for the time being.
We are elastic beings so let a more amicable nature within us each reach out further to one another and give up on the unworkable independance and individualisim that designs failure. To perpetuate the lie the rogues of more aware humanity need to continue insisting on their inhumanity as being real. When the ditch is dug some bound to fall in.
Poverty kills and slavery too. Give first to yourself ahumble portion and share what u will.
The only real tribalism ahead is “thinkers that they have” and “those yet to know what they got”.
I was very wrong when i was thinking that A (PM) Prime Minister like UHURU KENYATTA ;Musyoka Kalonzo , Musalia Mudavadi cannot be arrested and locked in a Cell! How wrong i was Here a Corrupt and a war Monger PM of Mali was arrested and Detaine trying to Free to his Countrys Colonial Master to Enjoy the Loot he has Looted leaving his country men,women and Children dying for hunger and Poverty >http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20674573
To show how uhuru/mudavadi have little respect for good governance,rule of law and good sense,when they left their parties midstream coupled with international crime,both conveniently refused to resign from public positions for personal benefits and self aggrandizement at the expense of national good.how many times since then have they performed any function on behalf of publicand national good.is this not impunity and abuse of office,FELLOW KENYANS ? are these gentlemen fit to lead a government of men and women for benefit of commoners and national interest. arent we seeing arrogance and impunity ,atraint leant from 40 years of kanu rule we trying to change which moi perfected during his rule thereby ruining the country for 24 years.
musalia was hedged by statehouse henchmen and behind scene kanu operatives led by moi and gedion for alliance to give credibility to adoomed criminal alliance christened jubilee in futile attempt to fulfil moi old dream of kenya led by uhuru,mudavadi,gedion and ruto as was in 2002.their mission to reverse order in kenya tokanu edict.With return of mois and kenyattas ,ruto has every reason to worry because the empire he tried to build in rift valley is crumbling……he undermined moi for long and moi is back with new albeit order in rift valley.uhuru has reason to worry too,moi never forgave him for letting his son gedion languish in political cold yet he had powers to-nominate him as moi owned kanu which gave uhuru power.is it any wonder that moi prevailed on kibaki to prop musalia mudavadi at the expense of uhuru and ruto group who are in any event lack credibility in absence of chaperones and patrons,high priest of kenyan politics like moi and kibaki.without patronage ,uhuru and ruto have goofed,become rudderless despite spending billions of money tobuy political support.
unleashing mudavadi/ngilu,they hope to salvage the alliance known for seeking to return kenya back to backwardness,impunity,inequality,incompetence,mismanagement and underdevelopment where state power is used for self enrichment,personal benefit instead of equitable sustainable development,where power brokers are richer than the state.
why is Kenya falling apart if kanu brought development? inequality in development,favoritism ,neglect of regions and lack of meritocracy.
we cant afford return of kanu /moi under guise of uhuru/ruto/musalia mudavadi—–they are all zero sumgame
Another ICC witness has been murdered during daylight >Taxi driver MURDERED in broad daylight in Ongata Rongai
The Kenyan DAILY POST County News 06:57
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 – A taxi driver was found dead by residents of Rankau area, in Ongata Rongai, just a few hours after he was seen ferrying clients to an unknown destination.
According to taxi drivers in the area, John Evans Kegonyo was at a parking lot in the area when three passengers entered his vehicle. He sped off with them and hours later the taxi drivers were alerted that Kegonyo had been found dead.
Ongata Rongai police boss Simon Kiragu confirmed the incident and said that Kegonyo’s body was found at about 3 p.m with severe injuries on the head. Preliminary investigations confirmed that he was hit with a blunt object on the head causing his death.
Kiragu further added that the gang escaped using Kegonyo’s car. Police are trailing the vehicle and hope to find it soon and arrest the gangsters. Police fear that the gang may be members of a group of carjackers who have been terrorizing taxi drivers in Nairobi.
Kenya’s Coalitions of Convenience and Ethnic Politicking
As general elections approach, pragmatic allegiances along ethnic lines and tensions between communities could increase.
25 September 2012 – 12:18pm | By Nikita Bernardi
Nairobi, Kenya:
The conflict in the Tana delta region of Kenya between the Orma and Pokomo communities claimed more than 100 lives in just two weeks earlier this month. A curfew, the deployment of the General Service Unit and calls for military intervention seem to have quelled the fighting, although the government’s sluggishness in responding has been criticised. And even though the violence has stopped and arrests have been made, hundreds more villagers have lost their homes, livestock and farming land and they are too afraid to return to the area, choosing instead to remain in makeshift camps along the Kenyan coast.
Although claims of two mass graves apparently discovered near Ozi village have been dismissed, the mystery around them grows, and many are starting to blame the clashes in the area on more than just land and water disputes. The attacks on villagers have been described as organised and planned, leading many to believe that underlying political forces contributed to the violence.
What motivated the violence?
As has been pointed out by one researcher, if this was really a dispute over access to land and water – a “herder-farmer problem” – the Orma and Pokomo should have been able to formulate some kind of creative solution as other tribes in the Laikipia region have done. Even more worrying is the revelation that the government was reportedly warned about the possibility of conflict as early as May. At that time, residents complained to the government about boundaries changes and gave a three-month notice period, after which, they said, they would solve the issue themselves by any means necessary.
Furthermore, the politicking between acting Internal Security minister Yusuf Haji and local Galole district MP Dhadho Godhana, each of whom blames the other and refuses to partake in peace talks because of personal differences, enhances the political undertones of the violence.
Indeed, the Kenyan media seems sure that these are predominantly political battles, describing the violence as being due to “jostling for elective positions in next year’s General Election”.
‘Politics’ without politics
In Kenya, votes are rarely cast due to a political or ideological belief. The fight is not so much between Left and Right but between individual candidates, both at the local and national level. This is no more evident than in the curious fact that every time there has been a general election since the Kenya African National Union (KANU) lost for the first time in 2002, the individual politicians competing for the top positions have often been the same even though the political party backing them frequently changes.
People do not vote because of ideas but according to what will be most beneficial for them – this is usually the party from their region or a leader from their ethnic group. The majority of parties in Kenya are more of a support system for a specific candidate and are almost always ethnically-based, using this specific identity to mobilise support. Kenyan parties are merely a formality for elections and remain inactive when there is not an election year, as reflected by the overwhelming lack of party websites. Instead, we see the personal websites of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga and William Ruto, each contending in next year’s election.
Kenya’s political elite can be seen then as an entity that fights amongst itself for the top spots using means other than political ideology to garner votes when necessary.
Ethnic allegiances
The centrality of ethnicity to political mobilisation in Kenya has been well-documented by academics and journalists inside and outside Kenya. Ethnicity is thought to be the easiest identity to exploit during elections and it is notable, for example, that President Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, won around 97% of the vote from his home region of Central Province in the 2007 elections.
The widely held assumption that Kenyans will vote along ethnic lines is partly due to the connection between the elite and their communities. It is understood that if a certain community votes someone into a position of power, the people of that community will benefit. There is an attitude that the state is a prize which will be shared out amongst a community once it has been acquired. This is in part a legacy of Kenya’s political system under colonialism in which colonialists would often explicitly associate political figures with their ethnic community and take them as representative of it.
Owing to the fact that not all ethnic groups are of the same size, however, politicians vying for the presidency often resort to forming alliances and coalitions with leaders from other ethnic groups. This is what academic Sebastian Elischer has labelled “coalitions of convenience”. A clear example of this is the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) which defeated KANU in 2002. Kibaki and Raila were both a part of NARC but even by 2005 they had split into separate groups – the Party of Natonal Unity (PNU) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) – and eventually went head to head in the 2007 general election.
Making deals
However to blame all Kenya’s political problems on ethnicity would be irresponsible and reductionist. More often than not, after leaders of the opposition have lost an electoral battle, they simply shift allegiance to the party in power. Or, as is being shown by the rising popularity of Uhuru’s newly-formed The National Alliance (TNA) party, even before elections, politicians or those with vested interests will “scramble” to show their support if it seems a certain individual’s power is increasing.
More recently at a political rally in Ukambani, an area with a predominantly Kamba population and therefore a stronghold of Kalonzo Musyoka, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a Luo, suggested that himself and Musyoka should join forces. Odinga advised Kamba people to “shun” ethnic politics and vote for him, but to be safe invited Kalonzo to join him. As the election – slated for March 2013 – nears, these kinds of proposals will continue and it will be interesting to see who will be the first to abandon their personal bid for the top spot in exchange for a lesser position of power but one that that will at least guarantee a term in government.
All this highlights the unfortunate situation in which Kenya’s political elite use apparent ethnic differences when it is convenient for them. It is this pitting against each other of ethnic groups by the elite which tends to have short-term gains for the politicians and devastatingly long-term losses for unlucky communities that miss out.
The Orma and Pokomo are two relatively small tribes who, apart from a few isolated incidents, have managed to coexist in considerable peace. Yet as the election nears, their apparent differences seem to become a problem – this is certainly not mere coincidence. If reports of incitement to violence by local MPs in the Tana delta are true, one cannot help but be concerned about the even greater power struggles that will occur next year. The problem is not that Kenyan people “like to fight”; as can be seen from social networking sites and talking to Kenyans, those against the violence always outnumber those for it. The problem is a culture of political contestation based on what is purported to be a zero-sum competition along essentialised ethnic divides, something promoted and sustained by a political elite who stand to gain the most and lose the least. For the long-term good of Kenya, politicians need to be more responsible – inciting violence should never be an option.
uhuru bought mudavadi to drop his bid and pave way for him.mudavadi has been used again to support retrogressive forces in kenya who stood against the people of kenyas aspirations for so long.this is old kanu and moi group regrouping ,thinking kenyans have forgotten the rot,mismanagement and injustices ,plunder of natural resources they did in the decages before narc revolution.
if people dont resist ,arise to register as voters and give resounding defeat to this group once and for all in 2013,kenya will loose opportunity to join league of emerging progressive states in africa like ghana,senegal etc
we must reject triumvirate of UHURU,RUTO AND MUDAVADI.
THEY HAVE BILLIONS OF PLUNDERED REOURCES TO BUY LEADERS,BUT KENYAN,KENYAN PEOPLE CANNOT ACCEPT TO BE BOUGHT/COMPROMISED/FOOLED/CHEATED/SWEETENED AGAIN.
LET THEIR POLITICS RING HOLLOW BECAUSE IN THE PAST AND THEIR RECORD,HISTORY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF —THEFT,PLUNDER,CORRUPTION,EVASION OF TAX,TRIBALISM,SELF AGGRANDISHMENT,INJUSTICE,TORTURE AND MURDER OF CITIZENS,FEW RICH WHO DONATE HARAMBE TO MAJORITY POOR,MASSIVE ECONOMIC DECLINE,UNEMPLOYMENT,NEPOTISM IN APPOINTMENTS ETC
THAT RECORD STINKS !
THEY CANT SAY IN THE LAST TEN YEARS THEY HAVE REFORMED AND SHOULD BE ENTRUSTED WITH GOVERNMENT GAIN
HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HOW BANKS WENT UNDER WITH SAVINGS OF WANAINCHI,LOOTING OF KPTC,RAILWAYS,NSSF WHICH LEFT RUTO,JIRONGO,KULEI,BIWOTT FATTER AND MILLIONAIRES
HOW CAN RUTO ,UHURU AND MUDAVADI TRY TO FOOL KENYANS AGAIN.PLEASE KENYANS BE AWARE AND REMAIN ALERT AND WISE.
The TNA-URP-UDF Coalition is led by blind people who does not know where they are going. Secondly their followers are all ignorants of the laws of the Country, and are following them because of the money they have without knowing the consequences of their destiny. Reasons; How can people with sound minds campaign for four years and then at the last minute they forget what they can tell people? Which Country are they going to rule? Can Criminals be elected to lead people or to lead thieves? By the way do they know that they are wanted people to face the Case in Hague ICC Court? Can the same people know that they were convicted because of the same acts they are showing people now openly of violance? Kenyans want peace and new Constitution for the new faces but not for the same impunity and Corruption protecters. I would like to tell our friends from Rift Valley and Central Provinces to forget to fight for leadership because they have tested it for total of 49 years since Independence and have failed the leadership examination. The answer is 0+0= 0. How can Zeros (00000) make a number to be read or define anything? All Kenyans should vote for ODM as everybody in Kenya has been voting for KANU.And by Mudavadi to think that Luhyas will give him vote to sail him to State House is a dream only those who have been bought like Khalwale and Villagers from Vihiga County but not from the Baluhya people. Those who gave him money to woo Luhyas will turn to be his enemies when they will see 0+0=0 too. Shame to those who say they will not be tested for Integrity because what they are doing is good in their eyes, mind you those are lawyers of darkness in Kenya.
Uhuru sacrificed his presidential ambition for Kibaki in 2007,its obvious that had Uhuru run,Kibaki would not have been reelected.The promise given to Uhuru was that he would get full backing of Kibaki and kikuyus come 2012.
Uhuru in order to save Kibaki’s stolen victory organised his boys to butcher non kikuyus in Naivasha and surrounding regions.This led him to the ICC.oooooh poor boy,you gave yourself soo much to the hyena,Kibaki now wants to drop Uhuru like a hot potato as if nothing happened.Uhuru being Uhuru will not go down smiling,he will have to put a fight,he knows he has central votes under lock and key,he has to run and run fast.Kibaki will have to find another formula of fronting Mudavadi.
C.O.R.D espouses DEMOCRACY &MERITOCRACY ¬ the REPUBLICAN hereditary entitlement mindset of TNA & URP…TRIBEKENYA do we want leaders who would rather bootlick into the hearts of Kenyans or bend over to be butt-flicked by two ICC SUSPECTS? On Ruto and Musalia nyama ya mkia pia si ni nyama? sivyo,waendele na kuji kanganya!
For the Uhuru-Ruto-Mudavadi alliance, if Mudavadi fails to clench the presidential candidature, the luhya community will not vote for the alliance and opt for the Raila-Kalonzo-Wetangula alliance. If Mudavadi clenches the presidential candidature, all the luhya community will vote for this coalition overwhelmingly. If Uhuru fails to clench the presidential candidature, the Kikuyu community will opt to vote for Peter Kenneth as the preferable candidate. the Kalenjin community will have to decide on whether to vote for the alliance or vote for the Raila alliance.
For the Raila-Kalonzo-Wetangula alliance, It will be the most preferred balance alliance by the whole of kenyans. many communities will support the alliance. there is a possibility of Ngilu and Kosgei ditching the alliance. Solidarity of the alliance has been established. people will support the alliance because of Raila’s reform agenda i.e the new constitution and the devolution of government. most communities will vote for the alliance to continue with the reform process. it will sustain most of it’s support nationally. The kamba community will support the alliance in totality together with the Luo community. coast province will also be featured prominently in the support. It risks losing majority of luhya support if mudavadi wins the presidential candidature against uhuru.
For Peter Kenneth-Tuju alliance, this is a team to watch out for, they are a new crop of leaders whose policies will be welcomed by many. especially the youths. they have to gain a sufficient following with in a short time or people will abandon their quest for the top jobs.tribally, if Uhuru fails to secure the alliance candidature, the Kikuyu community will support his candidature in totality. it will be easier for him to gain sufficient kikuyu support because since history,kikuyu community support their tribe in totality. this alliance will lose major support from the Luo and kamba community. majority of the supporters will decide on whether to vote for them during the last month to the elections date. most people will evaluate their support before they vote for them finally.
For Eugene-Jirongo-Biwott, theirs is an alliance of a sham, most kenyans will avoid it in totality. it will be extremely hard for them to garner even 200,000 votes. we all expected better from wamalwa. come one, his brother was a visionary leader whose idea led to a better idea for kenya in totality. he seems to lack this vision and keeps on jumping the gun.
Martha Karua, hers is to show superiority and try to gain numbers. it is very unlikely that she will win but will be able to gunner more votes than Eugene’s alliance. it is likely her support will majorly from the women of the Kikuyu community.
Ole kiyiapi, he will find it very difficult to be accepted among the youth. he will at least gain some ground by establishing himself in politics but for him to gunner sizable votes, it is very unlikely.
That is just an overview considering policies will be taken into consideration, tribalism and superiority. mine is just to ask you all to vote wisely and more importantly, be mindful of the IDPs who require our help as Kenyans. lets vote wisely.
CORRUPTION,TRIBALISM & IMPUNITY IMPEDE KENYA’S PROGRESS
There are no doubts that the African continent is very endowed with natural resources and able bodied men some whose ancestors were used to build other continents in the era of slavery. Africa controls a significant proportion of world’s natural resources such as oil, minerals and some even of rare variety. The environment has for centuries been endowed with huge forests, natural foods and fruits, huge rivers, waterfalls and generally un-disturbed environment.
Moreover changes in the global spectrum have changed the political, economic and social dispensation in Africa. Many would blame colonialism and neo-colonialism for the mess in Africa but even then a close examination of Africa’s leadership leaves a lot to be desired.
Kenya has may not have gone through too much of the mess that has beset most of the African states such as civil wars and state collapse. However, it can also provide a study of what leadership can do and what it has not done.
At independence Kenya was at the same or better economic dispensation with some Asian economic giants such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. Informed and focused leadership in the four Asian countries have made the Asian nations important global economic actors. Taiwan may have had a difficult history with its neighbor China and with limited diplomatic missions globally but the Asian nation is a global force in world trade. South Korea emerged from a brutal war with its sister nation North Korea and have been having persistent headache with the hermite nation but today she is a global force with products from her famed companies such in electronics conquering the globe.
Singapore a city state with little land mass is a study in what informed leadership can do to a country. Singapore has one of the most efficient port in the world and in Asia a study in economic growth is not complete without her inclusion. Malaysia under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed made huge strides in economic achievements and though not popular with the West he left an adorable legacy.
So what went wrong with Kenya? The answer lies with political leadership. Like most of the rest of Africa leadership especially during the era the US (Capitalism) and the then USSR (Communism) were fighting for global influence Kenya found itself under very autocratic rule during the era of the first two governments. Moreover, other evils that were to mess most of Africa and as well reared their ugly head in Kenya. Corruption became the way of life, tribalism defined politics and the political economy and obviously leaders acted with total disregard of human rights and in utmost impunity.
Part of the cause of the 2007 post election violence lies squarely with the ugly historical past. It’s true the colonial government divided Kenyans along ethnic grounds. Rift Valley land issues started the implosion at the height of colonialism. But what the subsequent government did with land especially condoning the grabbing meant that the spillover effects had to mess up innocent people who settled I Rift Valley as well as people who had little to gain from the political economy at play. Post independence governments used land as part of rewards to political potentates, sycophants and to buy support. Corruption in government was tolerated to keep oiling the wheels of powerful civil servants. With the head rotten it is said the fish rots the whole body. That meant the corruption ills permeated the ranks of governments all through.
Have had recent follow ups with government departments in obtaining vital documents for some organisations and others to legalise operations of some legal activities. With certain ministries it has been quite agonious. Delays have been the order of the day and I surmise this was to create room to solicit bribes from civil servants.
Similarly the most rated corrupt institution in Kenya the Kenya police has remained a study in what goes wrong in vital institutions in a country. Getting officers to sign vital sign documents for complaints or to seek assistance have been occasioned by what can be termed professionally executed delays. This was obviously to create critical room for inducements for the facilitation. To facilitate this it meant illegal money exchange is key.
With top officials doing as they wish and with no recourse by the public we have a huge problem. Up to very recent it was clear that powerful government officials could do as they wish knowing too well that even courts could not give remedy to the offended. The Kenyan judiciary has been condemned for mis-carriage of justice for eons.
Complaints range from delayed cases, lopsided decisions which were termed at best political in orientation. With deep pockets it has been variously argued that you could buy justice in Kenya. The same applies to political influence. Indeed after the disputed 2007 presidential vote the party that felt offended the ODM, felt it would have been a waste of time resulting to the Kenyan courts. The consequences of the dispute are part of the blots to encumber Kenya and part of the reasons the International Criminal Court (ICC) have had something to do in Kenya.
What amazes me is Kenyans take quite some time to learn. Tribalism is deep rooted. It is not just in the realm of government. It is in all facets of the society. It is in the government, it is in private sector and even in the social fabric. People fail to understand that what they think are small acts are the same that cause problems in the political realm. Favouritism on ethnic grounds in various sectors of life including employment, settlements, skewed opportunities for economic advancements and in vital appointments are part of the oil that fuel tribal hatred, ugly political confrontations and subsequent fights that dominate Kenya’s public life. In essence the seed for hatred is sowed slowly, in small ways and in big ways. Eventually the chicken come home to roost with ugly consequences. These are evils that need to be stopped.
Unless the country address these ills the country can only keep studying what the Asian tigers have done without much changing on her economic realm. The Judiciary has started to breathe a new lease of life. It should not be difficult to do the same to the other institutions. Moreover, the Kenyan people must learn to live as one.
South Koreas achieved it by being a single unitary entity despite the variety of people in the same nation though all being Koreans.
Similarly, great developed countries like the US and Britain made it by forging a unitary approach.
http://www.everyhumanhasrights.org
Who Can Trust (Watermelon?)Here comes a Proffessor analyising Musyoka Kalonzo) Makau Mutua of Buffalo University in The USA>
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/An-open-letter-to-Raila-and-Uhuru/-/440808/1639500/-/item/1/-/wyex2r/-/index.html
Uhuru Kenyatta Cannot bring about Land Reforms in Kenya Hence Kenyattas Family grabbed Land equal to Nyanza Province in Kenya>updated at 15:14 GMT
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Ian Smith’s farm seized in Zimbabwe as Robert Mugabe eyes election
Ian Smith, 1976 Ian Smith was Rhodesia’s prime minister from 1964 until 1979
Continue reading the main story
Zimbabwe – New Era?
Test of optimism
Wikileaks woe for Mugabe
Return to Harare
Torture camp discovered
The farm of former white minority leader Ian Smith has been seized by Zimbabwe’s government.
Mr Smith led Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known, when its forces battled Robert Mugabe’s guerrillas in the 1970s.
Most white-owned land has been confiscated for redistribution to black farmers since 2000. Mr Smith’s farm, known as Gwenoro, had been left alone.
The seizure came as Mr Mugabe addressed thousands of his supporters, ahead of elections expected in 2013.
Zimbabwe’s land-reform programme has been widely blamed for its economic collapse in recent years.
BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says Gwenoro was perhaps the most symbolic of all Zimbabwe’s white-owned farms.
It was where Mr Smith bred cattle and lived for most of his adult life, even after he lost power in 1979.
His ashes were scattered there after he died in 2007.
The farm has been handed over to a local technical college – a move some are linking to next year’s election.
Foreign firms targeted
Mr Mugabe, 88, is running for another term.
Our correspondent says land ownership remains a highly politicised, emotive issue, and seizing Mr Smith’s farm may be seen as a vote-winner.
The AFP news agency also reports that Mr Mugabe on Friday told delegates to his party conference that he wanted to seize full control of foreign-owned companies.
His government has already passed an indigenisation law, which forced companies to cede 51% of shares to Zimbabweans.
“I think now we have done enough of 51%. Let it be 100%,” he told thousands of Zanu-PF delegates.
The indigenisation policy is opposed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who will once more run against Mr Mugabe in the election.
The pair agreed to share power after disputes over the last election caused the economy to go into freefall.
Email
Print
868
Share
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Ian Smith’s farm seized in Zimbabwe as Robert Mugabe eyes election
Ian Smith, 1976 Ian Smith was Rhodesia’s prime minister from 1964 until 1979
Continue reading the main story
Zimbabwe – New Era?
Test of optimism
Wikileaks woe for Mugabe
Return to Harare
Torture camp discovered
The farm of former white minority leader Ian Smith has been seized by Zimbabwe’s government.
Mr Smith led Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known, when its forces battled Robert Mugabe’s guerrillas in the 1970s.
Most white-owned land has been confiscated for redistribution to black farmers since 2000. Mr Smith’s farm, known as Gwenoro, had been left alone.
The seizure came as Mr Mugabe addressed thousands of his supporters, ahead of elections expected in 2013.
Zimbabwe’s land-reform programme has been widely blamed for its economic collapse in recent years.
BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says Gwenoro was perhaps the most symbolic of all Zimbabwe’s white-owned farms.
It was where Mr Smith bred cattle and lived for most of his adult life, even after he lost power in 1979.
His ashes were scattered there after he died in 2007.
The farm has been handed over to a local technical college – a move some are linking to next year’s election.
Foreign firms targeted
Mr Mugabe, 88, is running for another term.
Our correspondent says land ownership remains a highly politicised, emotive issue, and seizing Mr Smith’s farm may be seen as a vote-winner.
The AFP news agency also reports that Mr Mugabe on Friday told delegates to his party conference that he wanted to seize full control of foreign-owned companies.
His government has already passed an indigenisation law, which forced companies to cede 51% of shares to Zimbabweans.
“I think now we have done enough of 51%. Let it be 100%,” he told thousands of Zanu-PF delegates.
The indigenisation policy is opposed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who will once more run against Mr Mugabe in the election.
The pair agreed to share power after disputes over the last election caused the economy to go into freefall.
Since not tribal, then religious but always will be those diligent enough to maintain the illusion of their illusion of power. “Many-few” have nothing if we make up our minds up not to help the superlative conspiracy survive.
Consider the philosophic hegellian dialectic. We have been making what we know from the pieces dished out when all we need is aim more than food and water and that will be solved. especially at the fact of governance being what we have accredited for the time being.
We are elastic beings so let a more amicable nature within us each reach out further to one another and give up on the unworkable independance and individualisim that designs failure. To perpetuate the lie the rogues of more aware humanity need to continue insisting on their inhumanity as being real. When the ditch is dug some bound to fall in.
Poverty kills and slavery too. Give first to yourself ahumble portion and share what u will.
The only real tribalism ahead is “thinkers that they have” and “those yet to know what they got”.
Found these videos online.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfdAJxUXgYI
re http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzUJ53Hd4VI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7JfRr22k_4
Alkebu-lan
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
I was very wrong when i was thinking that A (PM) Prime Minister like UHURU KENYATTA ;Musyoka Kalonzo , Musalia Mudavadi cannot be arrested and locked in a Cell! How wrong i was Here a Corrupt and a war Monger PM of Mali was arrested and Detaine trying to Free to his Countrys Colonial Master to Enjoy the Loot he has Looted leaving his country men,women and Children dying for hunger and Poverty >http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20674573
To show how uhuru/mudavadi have little respect for good governance,rule of law and good sense,when they left their parties midstream coupled with international crime,both conveniently refused to resign from public positions for personal benefits and self aggrandizement at the expense of national good.how many times since then have they performed any function on behalf of publicand national good.is this not impunity and abuse of office,FELLOW KENYANS ? are these gentlemen fit to lead a government of men and women for benefit of commoners and national interest. arent we seeing arrogance and impunity ,atraint leant from 40 years of kanu rule we trying to change which moi perfected during his rule thereby ruining the country for 24 years.
musalia was hedged by statehouse henchmen and behind scene kanu operatives led by moi and gedion for alliance to give credibility to adoomed criminal alliance christened jubilee in futile attempt to fulfil moi old dream of kenya led by uhuru,mudavadi,gedion and ruto as was in 2002.their mission to reverse order in kenya tokanu edict.With return of mois and kenyattas ,ruto has every reason to worry because the empire he tried to build in rift valley is crumbling……he undermined moi for long and moi is back with new albeit order in rift valley.uhuru has reason to worry too,moi never forgave him for letting his son gedion languish in political cold yet he had powers to-nominate him as moi owned kanu which gave uhuru power.is it any wonder that moi prevailed on kibaki to prop musalia mudavadi at the expense of uhuru and ruto group who are in any event lack credibility in absence of chaperones and patrons,high priest of kenyan politics like moi and kibaki.without patronage ,uhuru and ruto have goofed,become rudderless despite spending billions of money tobuy political support.
unleashing mudavadi/ngilu,they hope to salvage the alliance known for seeking to return kenya back to backwardness,impunity,inequality,incompetence,mismanagement and underdevelopment where state power is used for self enrichment,personal benefit instead of equitable sustainable development,where power brokers are richer than the state.
why is Kenya falling apart if kanu brought development? inequality in development,favoritism ,neglect of regions and lack of meritocracy.
we cant afford return of kanu /moi under guise of uhuru/ruto/musalia mudavadi—–they are all zero sumgame
Another ICC witness has been murdered during daylight >Taxi driver MURDERED in broad daylight in Ongata Rongai
The Kenyan DAILY POST County News 06:57
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 – A taxi driver was found dead by residents of Rankau area, in Ongata Rongai, just a few hours after he was seen ferrying clients to an unknown destination.
According to taxi drivers in the area, John Evans Kegonyo was at a parking lot in the area when three passengers entered his vehicle. He sped off with them and hours later the taxi drivers were alerted that Kegonyo had been found dead.
Ongata Rongai police boss Simon Kiragu confirmed the incident and said that Kegonyo’s body was found at about 3 p.m with severe injuries on the head. Preliminary investigations confirmed that he was hit with a blunt object on the head causing his death.
Kiragu further added that the gang escaped using Kegonyo’s car. Police are trailing the vehicle and hope to find it soon and arrest the gangsters. Police fear that the gang may be members of a group of carjackers who have been terrorizing taxi drivers in Nairobi.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
Kenya Army has been Raping Torturing and Maiming Kenyan youth from the most marginalized communities>
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktn/?videoID=2000062308&video_title=News-:-KDF-torture
Kenya’s Coalitions of Convenience and Ethnic Politicking
As general elections approach, pragmatic allegiances along ethnic lines and tensions between communities could increase.
25 September 2012 – 12:18pm | By Nikita Bernardi
Nairobi, Kenya:
The conflict in the Tana delta region of Kenya between the Orma and Pokomo communities claimed more than 100 lives in just two weeks earlier this month. A curfew, the deployment of the General Service Unit and calls for military intervention seem to have quelled the fighting, although the government’s sluggishness in responding has been criticised. And even though the violence has stopped and arrests have been made, hundreds more villagers have lost their homes, livestock and farming land and they are too afraid to return to the area, choosing instead to remain in makeshift camps along the Kenyan coast.
Although claims of two mass graves apparently discovered near Ozi village have been dismissed, the mystery around them grows, and many are starting to blame the clashes in the area on more than just land and water disputes. The attacks on villagers have been described as organised and planned, leading many to believe that underlying political forces contributed to the violence.
What motivated the violence?
As has been pointed out by one researcher, if this was really a dispute over access to land and water – a “herder-farmer problem” – the Orma and Pokomo should have been able to formulate some kind of creative solution as other tribes in the Laikipia region have done. Even more worrying is the revelation that the government was reportedly warned about the possibility of conflict as early as May. At that time, residents complained to the government about boundaries changes and gave a three-month notice period, after which, they said, they would solve the issue themselves by any means necessary.
Furthermore, the politicking between acting Internal Security minister Yusuf Haji and local Galole district MP Dhadho Godhana, each of whom blames the other and refuses to partake in peace talks because of personal differences, enhances the political undertones of the violence.
Indeed, the Kenyan media seems sure that these are predominantly political battles, describing the violence as being due to “jostling for elective positions in next year’s General Election”.
‘Politics’ without politics
In Kenya, votes are rarely cast due to a political or ideological belief. The fight is not so much between Left and Right but between individual candidates, both at the local and national level. This is no more evident than in the curious fact that every time there has been a general election since the Kenya African National Union (KANU) lost for the first time in 2002, the individual politicians competing for the top positions have often been the same even though the political party backing them frequently changes.
People do not vote because of ideas but according to what will be most beneficial for them – this is usually the party from their region or a leader from their ethnic group. The majority of parties in Kenya are more of a support system for a specific candidate and are almost always ethnically-based, using this specific identity to mobilise support. Kenyan parties are merely a formality for elections and remain inactive when there is not an election year, as reflected by the overwhelming lack of party websites. Instead, we see the personal websites of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga and William Ruto, each contending in next year’s election.
Kenya’s political elite can be seen then as an entity that fights amongst itself for the top spots using means other than political ideology to garner votes when necessary.
Ethnic allegiances
The centrality of ethnicity to political mobilisation in Kenya has been well-documented by academics and journalists inside and outside Kenya. Ethnicity is thought to be the easiest identity to exploit during elections and it is notable, for example, that President Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, won around 97% of the vote from his home region of Central Province in the 2007 elections.
The widely held assumption that Kenyans will vote along ethnic lines is partly due to the connection between the elite and their communities. It is understood that if a certain community votes someone into a position of power, the people of that community will benefit. There is an attitude that the state is a prize which will be shared out amongst a community once it has been acquired. This is in part a legacy of Kenya’s political system under colonialism in which colonialists would often explicitly associate political figures with their ethnic community and take them as representative of it.
Owing to the fact that not all ethnic groups are of the same size, however, politicians vying for the presidency often resort to forming alliances and coalitions with leaders from other ethnic groups. This is what academic Sebastian Elischer has labelled “coalitions of convenience”. A clear example of this is the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) which defeated KANU in 2002. Kibaki and Raila were both a part of NARC but even by 2005 they had split into separate groups – the Party of Natonal Unity (PNU) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) – and eventually went head to head in the 2007 general election.
Making deals
However to blame all Kenya’s political problems on ethnicity would be irresponsible and reductionist. More often than not, after leaders of the opposition have lost an electoral battle, they simply shift allegiance to the party in power. Or, as is being shown by the rising popularity of Uhuru’s newly-formed The National Alliance (TNA) party, even before elections, politicians or those with vested interests will “scramble” to show their support if it seems a certain individual’s power is increasing.
More recently at a political rally in Ukambani, an area with a predominantly Kamba population and therefore a stronghold of Kalonzo Musyoka, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a Luo, suggested that himself and Musyoka should join forces. Odinga advised Kamba people to “shun” ethnic politics and vote for him, but to be safe invited Kalonzo to join him. As the election – slated for March 2013 – nears, these kinds of proposals will continue and it will be interesting to see who will be the first to abandon their personal bid for the top spot in exchange for a lesser position of power but one that that will at least guarantee a term in government.
All this highlights the unfortunate situation in which Kenya’s political elite use apparent ethnic differences when it is convenient for them. It is this pitting against each other of ethnic groups by the elite which tends to have short-term gains for the politicians and devastatingly long-term losses for unlucky communities that miss out.
The Orma and Pokomo are two relatively small tribes who, apart from a few isolated incidents, have managed to coexist in considerable peace. Yet as the election nears, their apparent differences seem to become a problem – this is certainly not mere coincidence. If reports of incitement to violence by local MPs in the Tana delta are true, one cannot help but be concerned about the even greater power struggles that will occur next year. The problem is not that Kenyan people “like to fight”; as can be seen from social networking sites and talking to Kenyans, those against the violence always outnumber those for it. The problem is a culture of political contestation based on what is purported to be a zero-sum competition along essentialised ethnic divides, something promoted and sustained by a political elite who stand to gain the most and lose the least. For the long-term good of Kenya, politicians need to be more responsible – inciting violence should never be an option.
Ruto the land grabber wants to be Vice President of Kenya. Surely are Kalemjins that blind?