Since the first day I launched this blog I have never feared to speak my mind or the truth as I saw it. One well know political personality made a comment recently in my hearing; “the amazing thing about that Kumekucha guy is that most of his predictions seem to come true.”
Kumekucha does NOT support Raila, but I am obligated to report the truth and to investigate the mood on the ground and get back to my readers without fear or favor. So even when I’m trying my best to do that many desperate Kenyans bluntly scream; “Kumekucha is an ODM blog.”
I’ll tell you one thing—it will take much more than that to stop me.
The situation on the ground is that Raila Odinga and ODM are leading in ALL provinces except Central where one poll has given Raila 15%. This is according to no less than 5 different independent polls—3 of them were commissioned by the Sunday Nation and published last weekend, one was commissioned by the Standard and the other was the usual Steadmann poll.
I never like to brag but do you remember the results of my own survey in this blog where I said that Raila will receive 15 per cent of the vote from central province? Do you remember how most readers reacted? Even the Raila’s own supporters doubted my figures. Of course Kibaki supporters mocked that post. Well, I have news for you. I was wrong and the other pollster who seems to confirm what I said here weeks ago is also wrong. The very latest word on the ground from the heart of Central province is that the man from Luo Nyanza will get a much higher percentage than that.
So what has happened countrywide? What is really going on? Why this sudden Raila euphoria?
Actually it really isn’t sudden. The support the ODM crowd has enjoyed in the grassroots has been extremely high, right from the days of the referendum on the new constitution. But then how could Kenyans see it? Especially those of us who read newspapers every day. And even more so, those of us seated in air-conditioned luxury apartments surfing the web and leaving sworn and abusive comments in this blog about what you know about Kenyan politics and how sure you are that you are correct in your analysis.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is in fact the crux of the sharp differences that I have had with many of my dear “knowledgeable” readers here. The truth is that they can hardly understand the majority voter (the common man on the ground). The difference between me and many mainstream media journalists is that when I want to find out the mood on the ground I go right down to the grass roots and my rule is to never trust what politicians say. I only listen to them when they seem to confirm what I have already heard on the ground. There you are—the secret of Kumekucha’s success is now out. Yep. The secret formula that has lifted this blog from oblivion to the most read political blog in the history of Kenyan politics.
Let me put it in another way so that it is clearer. The difference between me and you and the majority of the guys who are going to vote in less than 78 days from today is this. You and me are very fortunate and we do not miss meals. Some of my readers here are so wealthy that it will make you dizzy. Now, the guys who are going to vote skip most meals (NOT voluntarily to cut their weight). They are also very frustrated and they tend to get upset when you tell them as a government that you have done a good job and grown the economy and that they should give you another 5 years and a chance to finish the job you started. The way they see it is that judging by what has happened to them in the last 5 years, by the time you “finish” your intended job, they will also be “finished” and dead from starvation.
Raila Odinga and the ODM crowd are not poor. Some of them are very wealthy. But they have taken the trouble to find out what is really going on down there. The result is that whenever they open their mouths, as hypocritical as some of them are, they strike a chord with the common man. So what do you expect?
The truth is that if elections were to be held today ODM would have a landslide victory. That is the truth and I don’t create the news and neither did I create that situation. Mine is only to observe and report it without fear or favor.
