Why the Westgate cash will be pinched

PHOTO: Courtesy

Kenyans spirit of togetherness and love was best captured in the ensuing moments after terrorists attacked shoppers in Nairobi’s premier shopping Mall few weeks ago, and man, people gave their all, including money, assurance and even blood, in a public show of solidarity.

However, there is a new twist to the finances collected in aid of the victims.

In a land where everything turns to a full blown scandal in a matter of days, fresh fears have emerged after mobile phone service providers which initiated the assistance program announced that monies collected surpassed the expected amount by far, opening a new gateway for people with sticky fingers to reward their pockets.

300 million in days

It was reported that Kenyans raised a whopping 300 million within days, though questions were raised over whether the response could have been te same had poor Kenyans, the riffraff of the society, had been in the thick of things as has happened before.

Just a quick preview, tragedies of even bigger intensity than the Westgate have rocked Kenya, from the Sachang’wan fire tragedy where more than a hundred perished as they tried to salvage fuel from a burning tanker, to unknown numbers of others dying out of hunger and starvation in far flung Turkana.

Burnt to death

Still, dozens were burnt to death as they tried to siphon petrol from another tanker in Nairobi’s Industrial area.

However, most Kenyans watched, and pointed fingers to the victims who, quite reasonably, had shed the fear of death in a bid to feed their families, oblivious of the danger involved.

 No one came to their aid, save for the humanitarian organization, The Kenya Red Cross, and a few politicians eager to make a name out of it. So the question goes, why was the recent tragedy treated with kid gloves?

Why did it raise so many hullabaloos?

Was it because the Big fish were involved, who consequently whipped the small fish into helping them?

Why did it take so long for Kenyans to respond to the Turkana starvation?

Interestingly, the Kenyans for Kenya initiative which was formed to aid those affected by the killer drought in Turkana raised more than half a billion shillings, and though there were a few hushed questions over whether the amount was embezzled or not, that was just extra ordinary.

Back to the West gate affair. How ironical that the money, having exceeded the amount required, now lies un used, and the handlers of the said cash cannot figure out what to do with the cash?

Revolving fund

Something should be done. There are still pockets of people sleeping hungry all over the country; others have been detained in hospitals after failing to pay the hefty bills.

What about forming a revolving fund for helping those involved in such tragedies, like a fund which is always there, where people can contribute throughout?

The fund could be managed by the Kenya Red Cross and could come in handy whenever Kenyans find themselves in such tragedies.

Enough said!

Of pulling out of ICC, and elusive justice

If news doing rounds in the local scene are anything to go by, it is little secret the H.E the president of the Republic of Kenya, who is a suspect at the International Criminal Court, will not attend the hearing of his case, a move that is set to stir a heated debate over the fate of the victims of Post Election Violence.

President Kenyatta, together with his deputy and Radio journalist Joshua Sang are facing war crimes and crimes against humanity leveled against them by The Hague based court.

A fortnight ago, cabinet secretary in charge of foreign affairs insinuated that at no time in history has any head of state appeared before any court of law to answer to criminal charges.

“No” to Rome statute

Little wonder that she confirmed what the Kenyan parliament has been mulling over for quite sometimes now.

For the record, parliament has been preparing a motion to pull Kenya out of the gnashing jaws of the ICC, a motion that “is set to be tabled at the floor of the House soon,” Majority leader Adan Dualle told the press in Nairobi.

As the government grapples with the question of how to deal with the trials which have claimed the audience of the top most echelons of power , thousands of victims, still languishing in appalling conditions inside tents say any remaining hopes of ever getting justice now hang on the balance.

Political pundits have predicted dire consequences for the East African nation if the presidency makes the move, and a stall in international relations will be among the short term implications as the outside world supposedly slaps Kenya with economic sanctions.

However, a survey conducted by a private media house indicated that most Kenyans were contented with the presidency skipping the trials, claiming that the country is sovereign, while a handful thought that this will promote a culture of impunity in a country reeling from the aftermath of the 2007 post election crisis which claimed the lives of at least 1000 people.

Permanently disabled

Scores of others were injured, while dozens remain maimed, permanently disabled and unable to fend for themselves.

More than 500, 000 were also left landless and consigned to the tents.

The president is on record promising to honor court summons and to appear before the ICC, and many have now been left wondering, why the cold feet? Why now?

His deputy is already at The Hague where he is attending a hearing of his case. His conformity with the ICC could only fuel speculation that his senior will follow suit and take his stand, in a move that could have given the victims a lifeline, as justice could have been done, or be seen to be done.

nothing happened after the 2007 election

In a worst case scenario where the presidency gives the court a wide berth, PEV victims will be handed a final and fatal blow as there is nowhere else to turn to, sadly, and as expected, there is not even a local mechanism to try anyone.

It is like nothing happened after the 2007 election.

The question remains, who will fight for the victims?

The move might been seen as the best by the powers that be, but, what if a repeat of the violence recurs in the near future?

Who will try who?

Will justice be meted on the victims and the perpetrators of the violence?

What will happen to that man or woman who saw his or her children been butchered, just because they came from the wrong tribe?

Will the woman who was burnt but survived to tell the story ever get justice?

What about the orphaned? Their lives were turned into nightmares after their parents were butchered by bloodthirsty goons, all in the name of politics?

What about the yelling voices of women and children who were burnt to death inside a church where they had sought refuge, will their spirits be avenged?

Who performed the atrocities?

What happened to more than the reportedly 500 people named by the Commissions of inquiries formed to investigate the violence?

Where will they be tried, who will try them, what happened, why is there no local court trying them?

Was the ICC the only path to justice?

Where are the human rights activists, the defenders of the poor, the champions of justice?

Kenyans and the government will wish the above questions away, simply because you were not affected does not mean you will never be affected. Next time it might be you.

Sadly, it is like hiding our heads in the sand to avoid seeing a disaster.

I rest my case, hoping that God will hearken to the cry of the victims, the wretched of the earth.

GOD BLESS KENYA.

Politically Incorrect!

 Politically incorrect

That Martha Wangari Karua, a presidential hopeful is worth only Sh.56 million is not only ridiculously unbelievable but also treacherous.

In a country where what you have and not what you can do is the only thing that matters, her confession yesterday  can only boost her political career and also prove to her doubting critics that her level of integrity as a leader is unrivalled.

56 million shillings is a lot of money by certain standards, but that coming from a presidential aspirant raises some questions as most Kenyans believe only the filthily rich can govern.

Just last week, The National Alliance, a political party that sponsors Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta for presidency declared that it will use 13 billion shillings only to campaign for the next two months.

What is most appalling is that Kenyans cannot stand up and ask where they got all this money, but they will, in their usual characteristic fashion, worship the money and the leaders and forget about the modest and sincere leaders who have not stolen our money, leaders like Martha Karua.

Yesterday I met a friend who was complaining that every time she withdraws cash from her bank ATM, a cool 300 shillings disappears.

Her position was that a presidential front liner, who is among the majority shareholders in the said bank, might be robbing her hard earned money to campaign.

That aside, Kenyans might have gotten their answer in the form of Martha Karua.

If her figures are true, which I presume are, she is a person of modest means and there is general comfort in knowing that we can for once break from the power mandarins featuring the same names since independence, Names like Kenyatta, Odinga, Mudavadi, Moi have been circulated and regurgitated for the last half of a century, that s why Kenya will never move forward as these cronies are after safeguarding what their fathers had stolen in subsequent regimes.

Uhuru Kenyatta was estimated to be worth 56 billion shillings by the Forbe’s magazine.

It is completely clear that he is not after leading this country to greener pastures but to safeguard certain interests. What will a salary of 4 million that he will earn as president do to his fat wallet and treacherously deep pockets, anyway?

It is common knowledge that a Karua presidency will deliver the goods, at least for the dirt poor of this country whose interests have never been represented. They have only been raped by one regime after the other, they have been used, misused and abused, and they have witnessed stinking corruption, high levels of crime, murders, violence and have been made to kill each other after being divided along tribal lines by the so called leaders.

Now let’s look at the figures.

Martha Karua has represented Gichugu constituency for the last 20 years.  Let’s assume she earned a cumulated salary of KES 1 million per month. That amounts to a cool 12 million in one year.

Let’s multiply 12 million with the twenty years she has been in parliament. What do we have? 240 million shillings.

Factor in the lavish lifestyles that MPs live and the figure of 56 million in fixed assets, including a home and two vehicles, looks more than convincing.

That said; can all those doubting the figures stand up? And shut up!

That implies that we can now exempt Hon. Karua from corruption, thieffery, and misappropriation of funds. That’s the best measure on integrity.

Now let’s have a look at his rivals.

Peter Kenneth

Kenneth is a Member of Parliament representing Gatanga constituency in Murang’a County.

His history is scarce and scattered. He has been in parliament for the last ten years; he had a short stint heading the Kenya Football Federation and the Kenya Reinsurance.

Kenneth is a proud owner of three choppers each costing a staggering 300 million shillings, making him a big fish.

In simple terms, three choppers cost a whooping 900 million shillings, or rather five times what Matha Karua has earned for the entire 20 years she has been in parliament.

Peter kenneth is filthily wealthy. With all due respect, Kenyans might want to know just how you acquired the wealth, so be the gentleman you are and declare your wealth. I rest my case!

Why Raila will win the elections...

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Why Raila will win the elections!

You may contest this if you like, but Prime Minister Raila Odinga will win the next elections with a landslide.

Here is why

Raila Odinga is a known political schemer. His biography, Raila Odinga, an enigma in Kenyan politics describes him as a man who is always at the right place at the right time and a man with a thick skin.

He has always made the right political choices contrary to what many might think. Look at 1998, he awed both friend and foe when his commandeered his party to merge with Kanu, something that was unthinkable but bore fruits for the Siaya born man.

In 2002, he again joined the winning side. He supported President Mwai Kibaki whose Rainbow party was reeling in mixed fortunes after crafting a winning coalition and Raila had no option but to obey the adage, “if you cannot beat them, join them”.

Methinks Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is in a similar fix after seeing Raila craft a winning formula and now wishes he can join him, but thanks to his tribalistic supporters, he just can’t do that.

Raila realized he could not beat kibaki’s team in 2002 and that is probably why, minutes later after crafting a deal at the Serena hotel, he joined president Kibaki at the nearby Uhuru Park, where the man from Othaya was haranguing a mammoth crowd and made the shocking revelation that he had joined them.

That pronouncement marked the start of a political fairly tale that saw Raila and Kibaki sign an MOU on power sharing, a deal that went sour sooner than later.

The Coalition aftermath

Raila is said to have claimed he had been shortchanged by a cunning Kibaki and opted out.

It was a revamped Raila who led a massive successful campaign against the draft constitution and it was the same Raila who crafted the Orange Democratic Movement party that was riding high after winning a referendum against Kibaki and the government.

Raila proceeded to stage a concerted challenge to the incumbent president Mwai Kibaki in the 2007 vote.

An enigma in politics?

But wait! There is one thing with this Raila. There are hushed woes about his conduct if he clinches real power, and questions arise about his dictatorial tendencies, and how is fanatical supporters behave in an uncouth if not barbaric, manner.

Then there is this one thing that most people do not know. This man’s name has been involved in heartbreaking scandals which fleeced Kenyan taxpayers of their money in broad daylight.

How did he acquire the Kisumu molasses plant? How about Spectre international? And how did he mint millions from just politics?

Miguna Miguna in his tell all book, peeling back the mask, he describes Raila Odinga as a man who was painfully broke in the 90’s, but whose fortunes hit hundredfold when he was elected mp.

And why has he appointed his siblings, cousins, in laws, and relatives to high flying power dockets? Doesn’t that shout nepotism of the highest order? Just what might happen if he becomes president?

Just asking.

Miguna tells us of a Raila whose sole job was to hop from one club to the other after the bungled elections, which he believed he won and clung with that come what may, as Kenya burnt. He came out as a man who was greedy of power and who could not afford to lose at whatever costs.

Worrying point

This is a worrying point considering that the man is still seeking the tenancy of the miraculous house on the hill which his predecessor, his Excellency Mwai Kibaki, also vowed to rather die than accept defeat.

The question is, now that this is the only real chance for Raila to ascend to State house considering he is in his sunset years, will he ever accept defeat in case one comes his way soon after the water shed march 4 elections?

Or will he again lay claims of winning and let loose his archaic gang of hooligans to terrorize Kenyans again akin to the 2007 tragic drama? But before you lay a finger on Raila Odinga, look at his “worth competitors” as an ODM allied Mp was heard calling the Jubilee coalition.

They are disorganized, hapless, hopeless ad helpless and when they go head to head with Raila in terms of scandals and controversies, they outdo him! Making them even more worthless than their nemesis. Look at the Hague affair that haunts them day and night?

Now back to the winning business of the day.

Raila Amollo Odinga will win the next general elections whether you like or not. Look at his house, cord is so organized that it is sending cold shivers down the spines of Jubilee architects and strategists.

And the opinion polls? Wait, an old man told yours truly that, “Though ragingly insane, a mad man will always speak some truth”. My two pence…..All the opinions polls might have been doctored or something, but at least there must be some truth in that.

Raila remains the man to beat if elections can be held today, or tomorrow, or next week. Period!

Party hopping and Arsenal fans

Most Kenyans who could have opted for another coalition like the jubilee, which can only come second even in a race where it is the only contestant, have defected in their thousands to the winning house that is cord. No one wants to be associated with a loss, or with a losing team, save for the extremely fanatical and emotional Arsenal fans who have come to accept defeat as a way of life. No offence please.

Let’s look at it this way. After any elections have you ever asked a voter who he or she has voted for. And what was the answer? Do not answer that.

The reason why no one will expose his or her choice is that no one wants to be associated with failure.

What about after the results have been released? Everyone claims to have supported and voted for the winning lot, and who voted for the losers? Food for thought.

The Jubilee Alliance

The Jubilee alliance headed by former president Jommo Kenyatta’s scion, Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, was seen as the only outfit that could have given the tale telling Cord outfit a run for their money, but who has time to listen to suspects trying to woo the voters when they have grave cases at the international criminal court while we can listen to good old “vitendawilis” (sayings)?

A massive population of voters have ran out of the Jubilee coalition, to join Cord and with that we go back to where we started, Raila and Kalonzo will have a very smooth ride all the way to the revered house on the hill. Enough said!