Kumekucha Exclusive: How Maina Njenga's Wife Died

EXCLUSIVE: Maj Gen Ali’s Link to Execution of Mungiki Leader’s wife

Fresh details emerged today how the wife of jailed Mungiki leader Maina Njenga was brutally murdered and the involvement of a new elite squad directly answerable to police commissioner Mohamed Hussein Ali.

It emerged that Ms Virginia Nyakio’s execution was plotted by an elite squad codenamed The Eagle, which was recently formed by Maj Gen Ali to replace the disbanded Kwekwe Squad. Just like Kwekwe, the Eagle Squad is directly answerable to Maj Gen Ali and it was formed to exclusively hunt down members of the dreaded Mungiki sect.

Police officers who spoke on condition they would not be named for security reasons said Nyakio was seized by members of the Eagle Squad in Nairobi on suspicion she had taken over the leadership of Mungiki on behalf of her husband, who is serving his jail term at the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison after he was convicted for being in possession of an unlawful gun and bhang.

They said the Eagle Squad interrogated the woman on the activities of the outlawed sect and how much money she had in her bank account. The police claim they had received information that Mungiki members were still channelling part of the cash they extorted from public service vehicles and businesses, mostly in Nairobi Central and Rift Valley provinces, to Mr Njenga’s wife.

Afterwards, the officers said, Ms Nyakio was tricked to call her driver, Mr George Njoroge, to meet pick her in a certain location in Nairobi. The officers from the elite unit ordered her not to betray she was under arrest when making the call and they promised to release her if she cooperated.

She believed the officers and obeyed their instructions. The officers then accompanied Ms Nyakio to the meeting place and seized Mr Njoroge. They then proceeded to the bank and ordered Ms Nyakio to withdraw all the cash she had in her account. The account was reportedly holding more than Sh5million. It’s unclear what became of the seized cash since it has triggered bad blood in the squad, with junior officers accusing their head of pocketing all of it.

The officers who spoke to us said Ms Nyakio and Mr Njoroge were later taken to a forest in Kajiado District where the driver was told how the woman had betrayed him. The police tricked him they would release him if he carried out their orders which required him to rape the Mr Njenga’s wife and then slit her throat with a dagger that was provided by the officers. Mr Njoroge was threatened with death if he defied their orders.

As soon as Mr Njoroge had finished executing the police orders, an officer from the squad who was standing behind him gave him a vicious blow at the back of his head using a sledge hammer and his lifeless body slammed to the ground.

The officers then loaded the two bodies in their vehicle and ferried them to Gatundu District where they dumped them at Gakoe forest.

Police later “discovered” the bodies and transferred them to City Mortuary in Nairobi and booked them as unknown. Family members discovered the bodies a day after they were dumped in the morgue.

Even before anybody raised a finger against them, the police quickly informed the media that the two were allegedly abducted while driving in a Toyota Rav4 car along Lang’ata road towards Ongata Rongai.

Family members later accused the police of executing the two. But Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said detectives were investigating the killings and denied that police were responsible. He said detectives suspect that the killings could be connected to feuding within the Mungiki sect over leadership after their chairman was sentenced to a five-year jail term.

Police have gone further to allege the execution was ordered by Mr Njenga after he was allegedly informed that Mr Njoroge was having an affair with his wife while he was in jail. They claim the execution was carried out by Mr Njenga’s loyalists.

It emerged today that the love affair theory was coined by Maj Gen Ali’s key advisers, Mr Kiraithe included, to shift the blame and heat from the force. The trick didn’t fool Mungiki followers. Under the Kenya National Youth Alliance, the sect members last week one of the most violent protest in Central, Nairobi and Rift Valley provinces as they barricaded key highways with heavy trucks paralysing road transport for four days. The well-coordinated protest saw business premises remaining closed, vehicles and other property being burnt or damaged and an estimated 15 people dead. The worst affected was Murang’a and surrounding areas where residents remained indoors and businesses remained closed for four days.

It emerged today that the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) had gathered intelligence about the protest and passed on the information to Maj Gen Ali. But the police chief dismissed it saying Mungiki was wiped out last year and the remnants were incapable of organizing any protest. He got a rude shock when he was worked up by his aides at 3am when Mungiki struck with vengeance in the dead of the night. That explains why the police were caught napping when Mungiki struck plunging Kenya into grief just a few hours after they had celebrated the naming of the much-awaited Grand Coalition Cabinet by President Kibaki.

The Eagle Squad, headed by Inspector Zebedeo Maina, was formed by Maj Gen Ali to deal with Mungiki after he quietly disbanded its predecessor, the Kwekwe Squad, following local and international outcry that greeted the discovery of bullet-riddled bodies of Mungiki suspects in Ngong forest late last year.

An estimated 5,000 youth who were branded Mungiki followers by the Kwekwe Squad were rounded up from their homes at night in parts of Central, Nairobi and Rift Valley provinces by members of the elite unit and never to be seen alive again.

The seized youths were then shot dead and their bodies dumped in parts of Ngong, Kiserian and Kajiado to be eaten by wild beasts while the rest were loaded into police vehicles and ferried to the crocodile-infested River Tana.

The human rights abuse scandal became a matter of public knowledge when some Maasi herdsmen discovered some of the rotting bodies, which wild beasts were unable to feast on due to plenty of human flesh, at Ngong Forest and alerted human rights organizations and media houses.

Offcicials of the state-owned Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have since documented hundreds of cases of young men who vanished and their bodies have never been found after they were arrested by the Kwekwe Squad officers.

Although a furious Maj Gen Ali called a press conference to deny his officers were involved in any of the extra-judicial killings, he has never made any attempt to have them investigated. The police chief was at pains to explain how the youths went missing yet there was evidence that some of them were even booked in police stations.

After Kwekwe was disbanded, its head, Mr Francis Njiru, who also reported directly to Maj Gen Ali, was rewarded with a promotion of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police. The rank is held by all provincial CID chiefs.

It emerged yesterday that the Eagle Squad was more ruthless and discreet than the Kwekwe Squad. To avoid the pitfalls of Kwekwe, the Eagle Squad draws it members from Gikuyu-speaking police officers since Mungiki’s followers are predominantly from the Kikuyu community.

The officers disguise themselves as Mungiki followers in order to infiltrate the sect. They use car hire vehicles instead of police cars. Unlike Kwekwe who betrayed themselves by killing the youths using police bullets, the Eagle Squad uses the tactic of executing their victims in the Mungiki-style of beheading and using pangas and other crude weapons to look like the sect members were eliminating each other.

The Eagle Squad does not take or book its victims in police station to avoid leaving any trace. They detain victims lined up for execution in discreet houses they call “Safe Havens” during the period of interrogation.

The tragedy with the Kenyan media is that crime reporters swallowed the lies fed to them by police headquarters regarding Ms Nyakio’s grisly murder and never bothered to dig beneath the surface.

How To Get The Information You Are Looking For

The information that you are interested in is of a highly sensitive nature. I have increasingly found that a lot of the raw information I have I am NOT able to use in the public domain and especially here in Kumekucha for various reasons. I have therefore decided to launch a private facility called Kumekucha’s raw notes where I openly share the very latest hot intelligence information I have in my notes weekly, and especially what I am NOT able to use directly in Kumekucha. I will charge a mere $15 (or Kshs 990) for one full years' subscription to this information. If you are interested in subscribing to this hot info drop me an email NOW at umissedthis at gmail dot com and you will get an instant response, no waiting.

By subscribing to Kumekucha’s raw notes, you will also be helping to finance the continued existence and enhanced quality of the Kumekucha blog.

Email Me right away

P.S. New subscribers will get all back issues of the raw notes ever published.

Political Games Being Played In New Cabinet

Kenyans finally have a cabinet in place. However nobody has popped the champagne yet. In fact what is rapidly emerging amongst most Kenyans all over the world is deep exhaustion when it comes to Kenyan politics these days. Very telling was the fact that the wild celebrations that one would have expected from Kisumu did NOT happen.

Just thinking about the twists and turns in Kenyan politics since last December makes many Kenyans feel very tired. But as our very own mwalimu likes to say; na bado.

One of two things will happen next. Either Ali Baba and his 41 thieves will eat in bliss and you will not hear a sound because when thieves know too much about each other, they fear each other. Or alternatively we are about to be treated to endless squabbling, turf wars and all sorts of clownish activity. Most analysts agree that there is no option “C”

Sigh. Just thinking about it makes even me feel very tired.

There are a few things that have clearly emerged from the coalition cabinet named yesterday. For instance, the dominance of Kenyan politics by one tribe continues. There is no doubt that the Prime Minister’s office will wield immense powers despite what skeptics say. That means that the deputy Prime Ministers will be fairly powerful people and will no doubt overshadow even the vice presidency which has just become an even weaker office that it was previously. It beats logic how the president of Kenya can hail from the Kikuyu tribe and then have one of the deputy prime ministers hail from the same tribe. That does not augur well for the country, period. It is instructive that all the front runners for deputy premiership from PNU were from that single tribe. In fact this is the big weakness with PNU that many people have not seen. The memories of Kenyans are indeed very short. Everybody seems to have forgotten that what really caused Moi’s downfall was the fact that Kanu was fairly dominated by persons from the Kalenjin community. However what President Kibaki has done in barely a quarter of the time that Moi was in power is amazing to say the least (that is in the 5 years, going to 6, that he has ruled Kenya in comparison to Moi’s 24 years). Kibaki has surpassed what his predecessor did in 24 years in avery short time. When you understand this key point, you will understand why President Kibaki lost the elections of last December by close to a landslide and you will also understand why chaos broke out immediately after the so-called election results were announced. You will also understand why PNU’s fall will create a more resounding crash than that of KANU before it.

The choice of Uhuru clearly shows you just how influential retired president Moi still is. We all know the thinly veiled threat that came from Kanu before the cabinet was named. Clearly the old man is still dreaming dreams about KANU. In my view the rapidly emerging political landscape can only mean that Kanu is dead as a dodo, whatever Moi or anybody else does.

The other thing that is very clear from the bloated cabinet is the fact that political games are still being played big time. ODM has emerged in a much stronger position than most analysts seem to realize.

We now have a prime minister at the heart of government with constitutional powers for the next 2 years to stick his nose in government business and government secrets. That can’t be good news for PNU hardliners some of whom were determined to retire very rich when President Kibaki’s final term comes to an end. That is the point that everybody has missed, concentrating instead on the much hyped portfolio balance.

Raila likes to say; Usione Simba imenyeshewa ukafikiri ni paka. (Do not see a lion that has been rained on and dare mistake it for a cat). That is the exact position Raila thrives from, that of being seen as an underdog. Indeed he started his presidential campaign as the “unelectable presidential candidate.” Remember? It looks like Raila is at a great disadvantage now but just watch what will happen.

Of course the other thing that all this does is to complicate the Kibaki succession a great deal and I am convinced that the current Mungiki troubles across the country are linked somehow to the Kibaki succession (I reveal what is really happening in my raw notes this week scroll down to the bottom of this page to find out how you can get them today).

What PNU have done as precautionary moves is to move the Ministry of Special programs out of the president’s office and then crowd the presidents office with numerous new portfolios that they believe need to be watched, mainly because of the individuals who occupy those dockets. These are immigration (Otieno Kajwang) national heritage and culture (William Ole Ntimama) as well as public service (Dalmas Otieno). All these are key allies to ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Clearly ODM have been fed a suicide ministry called the ministry of Lands (headed by James Orengo). This is the ministry that will have to be at the forefront of sorting out the mess created by President Kenyatta with big help from retired President Moi in the 60s which culminated in the recent troubles. Orengo has been set up for major failure mainly because he has no powers to make the bold changes required to correct the injustices of the past which is the only way to restore permanent peace. This story of always falling back on the law and the legal owners of the land will just NOT wash.

Then somebody has gone and done a ludicrous thing with the ministry of education. We now have a ministry of education and a ministry of higher education, science and technology (Sally Kosgei). The implication here is that the Ministry of education is the “boss ministry) while the Higher education ministry is a junior ministry reporting to it. If this were not the case then Sam Ongeri’s ministry should have been called the Minstry for basic education.

Another political game that has been played is what has been done with the Ministry of tourism and wildlife. It has been split into the ministry of tourism headed by Najib Balala of ODM and the ministry of Wild life and forestry headed close Kibaki confidante Noah Wekesa. At first glance Hon wekesa looks like he’s been fed a weak ministry. However the truth is that Forestry and Wild life will control all the lucrative parks in the country and will have the real power while the ministry of tourism will see Balala as a pen pusher and globe trotting salesman for Kenyan tourist attractions.

Na bado

How snake was used I attempt to make barren woman give birth

About Raila and Circumcision

Dear Kumekucha

I have read so many derogatory articles and comments about Raila Odinga not being circumcised as the main reason why some tribes in Kenya can't vote for him. I do NOT whether he is or not. I think circumcision is a matter between Raila and Ida. Kumekuchans, I don't know about you but I find this man/woman from Nevada a little bit weird. But I would suggest that we talk in some details on the issue he loves most - Circuncision. Circumcision is a very small thing that should not determine leadership. In my HR Classes i have never seen a chapter called circumcision! If it is there then I have not seen the book it is written in.

But I want to take this issue and discuss it further. It is not that Luos, Tesos, Turkanas and even other tribes fear it. It is only that they do not want to make it a public issue. There are so many people from these communities who have faced the knife but they look at it as a personal issue. Can Njoroge prove that he is circumcised? Can anyone prove that our leaders are circumcised or not? And how does circumcision improve leadership?
I want to assume that Wamalwa Kijana was circumcised because his community practice it. But Wamalwa (RIP) was more junile at heart than any of our leaders. Kijana was known to be a great lover of cartoon programmes on TV than take on serious issues head on. Kibaki is said to be circumcised. But who fence sits more than him? When Kenyan history is written, Kibaki will go down as the fence sitter par excellence! The most indecisive leader we have ever had! A man who sits and watch his wife assaulting his visitors!

And by the way what percentage is the foreskin to the whole human body? I can't get it on an ordinary calculator! If the small skin was the organ for making decisions, then the world would be a very dark place. Why? In a population of over 3 billion Men less than 0.5 billion are circumcised. I quote 'More than 80 percent of the world's males are intact, meaning they retain their foreskins' and about 80 percent of the world's population do not practice circumcision, nor have they ever done so. Among the non-circumcising nations are Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, the U.S.S.R., China, and Japan. People employing circumcision do so either for "health" reasons or as a religious ritual practiced by Muslims, Jews, most black Africans, non-white Australians, and others.

Read more about reason why some people practiced circumcision in Caucasian population. So called "health" circumcision originated in the nineteenth century, when most diseases were of unknown etiology. Within the miasma of myth and ignorance, a theory emerged that masturbation caused many and varied ills. It seemed logical to some physicians to perform genital surgery on both sexes to stop masturbation; the major technique applied to males was circumcision. This was especially true in the English-speaking countries because it accorded with the mid-Victorian attitude toward sex as sinful and debilitating'.

If only circumcised populace were to rule this world, then we would still be in stone age. The Wright brothers were not Circumcised. If their contributions to aviation was to be ignored because of the fact that they had foreskin than where would we be today? And many more.

Not that only 1% of white population in NewZealand and Australia are circumcised.

What is my poin in all this? The foreskin does not matter in issues of leadership. All that matters is individual capability and capacity.

In any case, those hybrid humans who have met the knife should be able to give birth to hybrids only i.e. born already circumcised! But because this is not possible means that circumcision is not important except for health and hygiene reasons only!

By the way I met the knife too but do I say... It does not add any tea or ugali on my plate! It is a matter between me and my wife. It does not affect my work at all. Period.

STATEMENT ON CURRENT IMPASSE BY SALIM LONE, ODM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

I would like to address some of the issues surrounding the current impasse on the implementation of the National Accord and the formation of the grand coalition government the Accord mandates for our country.

To begin with, let me emphasize two important statements made yesterday. The Prime Minister Designate Raila Odinga described the differences in the negotiation as “a small gap.” President Mwai Kibaki on his part indicated that the differences were “not insurmountable.” So clearly substantial progress has been made in these discussions and both sides are hopeful of a speedy conclusion.

The other point I want to address is the assertion yesterday by Government Spokesman Dr. Alfred Mutua that new conditions by ODM are not acceptable to PNU, and that there should be no pre-conditions. I am afraid Dr. Mutua is wrong on both these counts.

In our last letter to President Kibaki, dated 7 April, we wrote that “we look forward to availing ourselves at the earliest opportunity” to continuing the discussions.

In an earlier letter the same day, the PM designate proposed that in view of the numerous inconclusive meetings between the two principals, a joint team should prepare a series of agreements that would make it easier for the principals to conclude the negotiations. As I am sure you will all agree, each time a meeting between the President and the Prime Minister Designate is announced, Kenyans breathe huge sighs of relief. But when nothing concrete emerges, there is huge let down and even anger and frustration.

In neither letter was there a hint of new conditions or any pre-conditions.

Given the disagreement about what transpired in the one-on-one meeting on Thursday, we laid out in the letter the issues that needed to be addressed. NONE OF THE ISSUES WAS NEW. In a number of previous communications, we had indicated that the power sharing concerned not only the Cabinet but a range of other senior political appointments which have a direct bearing on the efficient running of the government.

Just as with the cabinet, these senior positions must also reflect the diverse face of our nation. At the moment, this is not all the case, and in fact is a source of immense concern in the country.

These issues remain on the table to be discussed.

So let me state clearly that the key stumbling block to an agreement is, first and foremost, the formation of a new Cabinet which reflects genuine power sharing as enshrined in the Accord and the Constitution. On this front, we have made numerous concessions in the hope that a final agreement would end the current anxiety and allow a new government to address the pressing priorities facing our nation.

On the basis of the portfolio balance we proposed, only five ministries are now at issue – Local Government, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Transport and Cabinet Affairs. We had gone to our very maximum in earlier negotiations by giving up the key Finance and Internal Security portfolios, even though we had previously insisted that one of these must come to us. That is why we refer to our position now as the “irreducible minimum”.

So let me conclude by saying that we, and all Kenyans, are extremely keen for the negotiations to move forward rapidly. We appeal to PNU to reconsider its position on the one immediate issue, portfolio balance, so that Kenyans can finally begin to feel that hope, and alleviation of their plight, is around the corner.

PNU Makes Its First Move In Grand Anti-ODM Dirty Tricks

KACC Asks Mudavadi To Explain Kshs 10 Million Woodley House

The move that PNU masde this morning has been expected for months now. Those who have been regular readers of this blog will know that in the run up to the failed elections of last year and with dwindling support from Western province, this blogger was reliably informed that Musalia Mudavadi’s file was being looked at with blackmail being high on the minds of PNU operatives then.

One thing Kenyans should not forget about the duly elected president is that he has never made a decisive decision in his life. He always moves and hesitates a million times before finally making his move very late when the very effectiveness it may have had has been completely diluted. The Mudvadi issue is no exception because this writer is very much aware that it has been in the works now for a long time. Just the way William Ruto’s is still in the works.

Now after weeks of intimidating Musalia Mudavadi, the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission which is best known for prosecuting traffic policemen for taking Kshs 50 from matatu touts, has this morning moved to the high court to compel Mudavadi to appear before it to disclose how he acquired a Woodley house valued at Kshs 10 million which is in his name.

With that single move PNU have hit right at the heart of ODM in a strategy that is meant to create cracks of disunity within the ODM pentagon top brass of the party. It is yet another classic example of how justice in Kenya is so selective. The game is really very simple. Any ODM Pentagon member who dares to lift a finger will be told; “File yako pia tunangali.” (We are also looking into your file).

Interestingly in all the suspect deals that Mudavadi may have been involved in the past, those involving retired President Moi have been very conveniently ignored and the one chosen is a mere Kshs 10 million house in Woodley. Indeed it is the same reason that has helped William Ruto avoid harassment from KACC because most of his deals during the Kanu days involved Mama na Baba President Moi (now retired). President Moi, a close advisor of the duly elected president is obviously being protected and the idea is to keep his name out of the limelight as much as possible as his assets around the world are moved.

Also ignored by KACC are numerous personalities at the heart of PNU starting with a well known cowboy contractor who never completes projects but always finances President Kibaki’s campaign kitty. His name is Ephrahim Maina of the infamous Kirinyaga construction. Even more interesting is the fact that Roads Minister of the illegal cabinet, John Michuki in canceling contractor’s contracts is yet to touch good old Ephrahim. How can he?

Also ignored by KACC are some individuals close to the president who have been involved in a very dirty deal that has hived out a large tract of land from the famous Masai Mara game reserve. There is plenty of evidence on that case including some collected by a certain judge. But alas, it is not politically correct to prosecute those crooks. Instead KACC has gone for a man who when put next to most of the crooks within PNU is clearly made to look like Mother Teresa incarnate.

Of even more importance to the nation, if KACC are really eager to attempt to redeem themselves, would have been for them to prosecute all those jokers at the disgraced ECK who caused so much blood to be spilt in the country when they deliberately bungled the election at the tallying stage. Even my 7 year old grandson can clearly see the tons of evidence that clearly show the ECK announced results without any paperwork to support the gibberish they wanted Kenyans to believe were presidential election results. This corruption beats all other corruption deals done in the history of the motherland because it has spilt lots of blood (over 5,000 Kenyans lost their lives) and then it has split the country into half. The truth is that had the ECK announced genuine results, PNU supporters on the ground would have accepted them and gone back to the drawing boards thus keeping the country united. Instead the ECK acted at the behest of a handful of people who were prepared to do anything to ensure that Hon Raila Odinga (whom they just see as Mujaruo) did NOT ascend to the presidency.

Sigh. That’s Kenya and its’ selective justice for you.

The next move PNU are planning is to arrest another prominent ODM pentagon member and then to hoodwink the public that justice is fair this time, they will also arrest and charge a PNU MP who has been linked to financing violence and has had US visa problems very recently. Court cases take a long time and when the public have forgotten, the PNU operative will win his case and be freed while the ODM guy will be roasted.

As my favorite ODM MP said the other day; BRING IT ON!! Kenyans are ready.

We Are Ready For Fresh Elections, PNU Now Says

And Why Kibaki Must Go NOW

The question on the minds of worried Kenyans now is whether the violence that has broken out in the country is spreading or it is just pockets of resistance that will easily be contained?

Reports reaching this blogger indicate that protests and skirmishes have so far been reported in Nairobi’s Kibera slums, Kipkelion (near Kericho) and in Kisumu. However all have been contained quickly and successful only that in Kibera the railway line that cuts through East And Central Africa’s largest slum was once again destroyed by rioting mobs. Still, at the time of writing this post, tensions remained high in most of Rift Valley.

But the biggest surprise came out of the tough talking PNU and affiliate parties parliamentary group meeting yesterday. The MPs emerged from their meeting vowing to fully support the president even if the worst came to the worst and he dissolved parliament and called for fresh elections.

Of course PNU were bluffing and the truth is that a fresh general election is the last thing President Kibaki wants. But Kenyans will also remember that not too long ago, the last thing President Kibaki wanted were the Anan-brokered peace talks. But they still happened did they not? And shortly after he had sent his ministers to say that those coming to broker peace were coming all that way for a cup of tea. My take is that I will be surprised if Kenyans do not go back to the polls within the next 12 months. But more on that later.

Obviously the game being played by PNU is one of bravado because the call for fresh elections from ODM is hitting where it hurts most.

The biggest problem president Kibaki would face (if he was even eligible to run again) would be from his own Kikuyu community. The truth is that these dear fellow Kenyans, our brothers and sisters have suffered greatly in IDP camps. But to add insult to injury politicians have taken to mentioning IDPs in recent times with only political mileage being the motive. There is nothing that can be more cruel and insensitive.

Nobody has lifted a finger to help alleviate their pain and suffering. In fact the IDPs problem has exposed our political class for who they really are and most of that blame must lie squarely on the door step of one Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki. Indeed it should be very clear now that what is ailing Kenya most terribly now is a disease, nay a fatal disease called Mwai Kibaki. Any Kenyan who is honest with themselves irrespective of what tribe they come from will quickly admit that if Mwai Kibaki were to leave office today the country would quickly get out of every crisis facing her today.

Let us completely forget our tribal affiliations for one minute and analyse the Kibaki presidency soberly and how the country has limped from one crisis to another, culminating in the biggest political crisis ever seen here (indeed bigger than the crisis of 1952 involving Mau Mau cutting off people’s heads and the state of emergency).

To be totally honest, the man is just NOT a leader. In fact for many years those who study management will have a text book example of how indecisiveness can be so dangerous in any kind of leadership. Not to mention the fact that he finds it difficult to get out of bed before 11 am on most mornings.

And now with the country at edge of abyss, President Kibaki has a chance to do the only brave thing he has ever done in his long career in politics, but NO, he won’t. Instead he will hang on to power, even if the country goes to the dogs.

In the man’s mind we are in the year two thousand and sixties. Liitle has it dawned on him that a vast majority of Kenyans today were not even born when that decade was starting. Indeed the most dangerous criminals we have today were not even born in the mid sixties. So how on earth can a politician like Mwai Kibaki lead the government to a creative solution? In deed so far his strategy has been to treat the symptom rather than address the root cause of the disease. In deed his supporters would ask themselves what happened to all those rosy promises of finding employment for the youth? He current troubles are not an excuse because the Kibaki government has spend a fortune on security and hiring new cops and the reason for the country requiring so many more policemen so suddenly again lands squarely on Mwai Kibaki’s door step.

This is all totally unacceptable.

I just want to make my position very clear here, because I can already see the barbs being aimed at me for this post. I am NOT suggesting that Kibaki steps down for Raila. NO WAY. Although the truth is that Raila won the last general elections, my view is that even he too should step aside so that the country has a chance of being re-united once more. The difference here is that Raila Odinga has had a long history of giving sacrifices and I have no doubt that he is the kind of person who would quickly step down if convinced that the people were demanding it.

The 10^th Parliament Will Be The Shortest Serving

Anybody taking a little time to analyze the political mood in the country at he moment will be able to tell that whichever way one looks at the current situation; the 10^th parliament will go down in history as the shortest serving parliament ever.

It is now abundantly clear that this American solution that was imposed on us of a grand coalition will just not work. Not now and not in 100 years. And amazingly many Kenyans too relived when the Anan peace deal was signed did not realize that there was no way it was going to work.

Picture the following situation. Thieves break into your house and steal everything. However because they are well-connected and powerful thieves, when police confront them, they claim that the property belongs to them and that they duly purchased it from various shops. And since they have stolen from poor folks who have no connections, the police know which side of their bread is buttered. One telephone call from one of the thieves and the local police chief will be transferred to oblivion. But then the poor people rise up and start protesting and violence breaks out. To restore peace and order the police decide that the stolen property will be shared out. However human nature is such that once a thief, always a thief. Have you heard of a thief who stole something so that he could return it? Only circumstances force thieves to return stuff and very dire ones at that.

So is it surprising that the side that stole wants the lion’s share of the loot? Not really it is human nature and even ODM were fools to believe that thieves reform overnight.

The only solution now is for Kenyans to use the information they have gathered since last December to go back to the polls. And in my view the country will be prepared much more quickly for those polls if Kibaki, Raila and Ruto are barred from running again. Indeed it will be an excellent idea if anybody who has ever held political office before is barred from running so that Kenya can get a real chance of having a clean new start.

A Slip of the Tongue

In the shoes of a teacher whose tongue did a jumble, in front of the whole school and parents on closing day, when he was reading the marks of the pupils for all present to hear.

'Twas on closing day,
When my tongue did a jumble,
Not my liking, I suppose,
But it did all the same.

'Stood up to read the marks,
And I called parents pupils,
Tried again, stammering,
But it didn't help a thing.

Okay, I was corrected,
And called parents parents,
I could see them smiling,
Smiling at my slip.

'Asked them to forgive me,
For I would read in Kiswahili,
There again my tongue somersaulted,
This time my face felt hot.

I don't know what they thought of me,
A tall, good-for-nothing teacher, maybe,
But one thing I know, surely,
All of us 've had a slip one time or the other.

(Drop Ritch a line here: undaunted at yahoo dot com)

Please Forgive Me

These are the words of a man asking for forgiveness from a woman. It takes loads and loads of guts for a man to ask for forgiveness from a woman. Most men believe asking for forgiveness, especially from a woman, is stooping too low and that it is a sign of subservience. However, I say, men of honour admit when they are wrong and, unabashedly, ask for forgiveness (even from women!)

I am lost for words,
Because of how I played my cards,
It's a real shame,
To even imagine.

'can't imagine,
That I did it,
To no one but you,
I simply can't imagine:

To you,
Whom yours is mine,
And mine yours,
I did such a damn thing.

How could I break your heart?
I know it hurt,
Right betwixt and between,
The wound and the flesh.

Oh, please do for...

'can't bring myself,
To say what I must,
(Though, I really mean it),
Please honour my request.

Don't shame me this once,
Lend me a listening ear,
Right, are you set?
Let me spill the beans.

I verily entreat you,
And earnestly ask,
Do forgive me,
Please forgive me:

Oh please do...

(Drop Ritch a line here: undaunted at yahoo dot com)

Is ODM Secretly Preparing For Fresh General Elections?

As the comedy of errors over naming a simple cabinet, being played out at Harambee house in Nairobi drags on, seemingly endlessly, one thing is becoming increasingly clear by the day. And that is the fact that the sooner the country can go back to the polls the better.

In fact there are those who believe (including this writer) that only free and fair polls as soon as is practicable can save our beloved motherland from more blood letting. As usual the political class has completely failed to see the increasing clamor by ordinary Kenyans for fresh new leadership under a new constitution. Needless to say, it is abundantly clear that if the will of the people is continuously ignored and frustrated, we are headed for an ugly class war in Kenya.

But it appears that not everybody is oblivious of the inevitable. Recent actions by ODM leader Raila Odinga and indeed the unfolding of events behind the scenes at the party seem to suggest that ODM could already be preparing for fresh general elections. Probably the most significant change around Raila Odinga that seems to suggest this is the rise and rise of one Dalmas Otieno. It is instructive that in the names handed over to the President by ODM Dalmas Otieno has been earmarked for one of the most significant portfolios on the ODM side, namely the Ministry of Roads.

More telling is the insistence of analysts that the sudden sharp rise of Asian businessmen lining up to see the Prime Minister designate can directly be traced back to this Dalmas Otieno character. This writer is currently preparing a detailed dossier on the man that Kenyans need to know a little better. My report will appear here soon.

Incidentally the rise of Hon Mr Otieno has coincided with the rapid decline of Prof Anyang Nyong’o as a major force and figure on Raila’s side in ODM.

Clearly all signs point to ODM being keen on cutting the kind of deals that raise money for a political campaign, more specifically a general election and a presidential campaign.

But is Kenya really headed to another general election?

The answer to that question should be pretty obvious by now and I reckon that Kenya could well be back at the polls within a year at the most.

To start with the circus that has been played over the cabinet appointments makes it quite clear that there is no way that the two sides can work together. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to see that what will follow soon, even after the naming of the grand coalition cabinet will be endless squabbles within the crowded cabinet room. In fact it has become abundantly clear that even the reform agenda being touted may just end up still-born. Instead we will be treated to eternal drama as Kenyans continue to suffer in unprecedented levels. Interestingly President Kibaki honest view is that reforms are Upumbavu. Raila on the other hand will be hard pressed to push through any reforms when he will be so busy trying to contain the PNU onslaught and put out the constant fires they will surely light all over the place. In any case the ODM leader does not even bother to pretend to be a reformer any more.

Then there is nobody talking about accountability any more. What has actually happened is that we have opened the doors of the “jewelry shop” that is Kenya, wide open to mostly known jewelry thieves. The consequences of this are not too difficult to predict.

Of course President Kibaki and PNU will do everything in their power to resist a general election which would obviously put them at great disadvantage. However going by the mood in the country at the moment, they will soon find that they cannot stop the tide which will be powered by the masses of Kenya. In other words Kibaki and his cronies who are now confidently at the helm believing that controlling the military and security forces is enough will be hit by something they will not see until it is too late.

In fact the biggest threat to PNU and its’ affiliate parties which they are yet to see is in the numerous IDP camps in Rift Valley where people who mostly voted Kibaki are living in deplorable and inhuman conditions. These persons are extremely upset and will soon act in a way that will surprise the political class who are all busy sharing out the national cake without giving more than lip service to the plight of the displaced.

Actually on a positive note that anger is about to turn the Kenyans in those IDP camps from people who mostly voted along tribal lines into people keenly aware of the fact that there are only two genuine tribes that matter in the country. Namely the haves and the have nots.

It really is sad that this coalition government was a foreign idea imposed on Kenyans that will end up NOT working. Former UN general secretary Kofi Annan who fled soon after the deal was signed knows it and will not return for anything, which in itself is very telling.

P.S. President Kibaki was due to leave the country tomorrow for a State trip to India. It has now emerged that the president has cancelled the trip due to the ongoing keen negotiations with ODM over the cabinet crisis. Foreign affairs cabinet Minister, Moses Wetangula will represent him as head of the Kenyan delegation.

Who Is President Kibaki’s Boss?

Grand Coalition Government Will NOT Be Announced On Sunday After All

Will The Real Duly Elected President Of Kenya Please Stand Up

It is unacceptable that as we enter the second quarter of 2008, I am writing this post.

The latest news is that even the bloated 40 member-cabinet will not be named tomorrow after all. Signs that all was not well emerged on Friday when the government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua released a list of the proposed cabinet and the way they were going to be shared out between ODM and PNU.

It immediately became clear that President Kibaki had changed his mind after his breakthrough meeting with Raila Odinga, just the previous day. In fact my mind immediately went back to the widely circulated version of what had transpired at the Kibaki/Raila meeting. It is said that President Kibaki had reduced his earlier demand of cabinet poirtfolios from 44 to 40 expecting Raila to still protest but to his surprise, the ODM leader quickly conceded (for the sake of moving the process forward) and that caught the president unwares. He mumbled something about consultation and Raila is said to have asked him if he had other bosses above him. The two men then quickly concluded all details concerning the grand coalition cabinet including how they were going to share out ministries. In my view this list still greatly favoured PNU. (see ODM version of the agreed upon portfolio balance).

However it appears that when Kibaki consulted his bosses at PNU, they quickly rubbished the agreement he had had made with Raila necessitating the statement by Dr Alfred Mutua, this time presenting a brand new list approved by Kibaki’s bosses.

This latest antics from the handful of people who have held the country at ransom since last December provoked great anger in the ODM camp and Raila’s spokesman Salim Lone speaking on behalf of the ODM leader quite rightly pointed out that ODM had conceded a lot to get the country to where it was currently and there was NO way he was going to concede any more.

A government statement a short while ago now says that Raila Odinga and President Kibaki are due to have a meeting tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 10:00. Which makes the President’s remarks at a passing out parade at GSU headquarters on Friday take on a whole new meaning. The president said that the cabinet would be announced on Sunday afternoon. He emphasized Sunday afternoon. Could it be that after the meeting in the morning, the new cabinet will be announced tomorrow afternoon?

I posed this question to some knowledgeable insiders and they insist that it is doubtful. The point to the fact that the bridge to be crossed between the cabinet list prepared by Kibaki’s bosses and ODM’s position is very wide indeed. Besides whatever Raila and Kibaki discuss tomorrow morning will still have to be ratified by President Kibaki’s bosses later in the day.

Which leads us to the million shilling question; who is President Kibaki’s boss(es)?

There was a time when it was widely believed to be one Lucy “slap everybody in site” Muthoni Kibaki. But then the first lady has not made any public appearances since the disputed general elections of last December. Could it be that the new bosses have been in office since the election crisis? And if this is the case, who are they? Who are these people who did not present themselves for elections and did not even steal votes to qualify themselves as the final authorities over Kenya?

But even as Kenyans debate long and hard on that question, the civil society campaign against the bloated proposed cabinet has picked up with a vengeance. They have threatened to make sure that the swearing in ceremony scheduled for Uhuru park next weekend does not happen. Their argument and that of the vast majority of Kenyans is clear. Why should starving Kenyans support the big fat bloated cabinet? They are demanding a cabinet of not more than 24 portfolios.

If you want to know how serious Kenyans are, you should note the fact that nobody is laughing at some of the ministries. My eyes tell me that there is a ministry of cabinet affairs!! Can you believe that!! And then the ministry of Nairobi affairs has persisted!! We now demand one for Mombasa and another for Kisumu and why not add every major town in Kenya (while we are at it), after all the smaller towns need a ministry much more than Nairobi where all the big fat ministers sit and action is always quickly taken pretty quickly when there is a problem affecting them (and not the wananchi). For example, shortly after some of them spend 4 hours in a traffic jam, all matatus are quickly banned from the CBD.

P.S. It seems that Raila Odinga’s handlers are keen to portray their leader as an emotionless statesman (which is just not like Raila). Speaking at the funeral of William Ruto’s dad in Eldoret earlier today. Raila spoke about a new constitution for Kenya which will be the number one priority for the coming grand coalition government. Emotional issues like the numerous concessions he has made to PNU and how he will now NOT make any more concessions were left to his foot soldiers like Salim Lone.

P.S. 2 No PNU minister turned up at the burial of William Ruto’s dad. However Nichloas Kipyator Biwott was there. Surprise, surprise.

Who is listening in to your cell phone conversations?

How you can protect yourself

After decades of Nyayo house torture chambers and government clamp downs on political activity, many Kenyans are still extremely nervous about who may be listening in to their cell phone conversations.

In the latest issue of my raw notes, I publish some extremely sensitive information detailing exactly how the system has been set up by security agents in Kenya to listen in to cell phone conversations and also to access sms messages sent.

Few Kenyans know it but there are quite a number of still-baffled Kenyans waiting for their cases to be heard where they have been charged with spreading alarming reports using their cell phones. What most of these people did was to simply forward messages that they received on their phones, some of which were true, according to my sources.

Get my raw notes today and get all this fascinating information and also learn how you can protect yourself and why sms messages are much more riskier than ordinary calls.

Plus the little known secret behind the real reason the Kalenjin love and trust Ruto so much.

* And numerous other heart-stopping stories every week.

How To Get Kumekucha's raw notes every week

I have increasingly found that a lot of the raw information I have I am NOT able to use in the public domain and especially here in Kumekucha for various reasons. I have therefore decided to launch a private facility called Kumekucha’s raw notes where I openly share the very latest hot information I have in my notes weekly, and especially what I am NOT able to use directly in Kumekucha. I will charge a mere $15 (or Kshs 990) for one full years' subscription to this information. If you are interested in subscribing to this hot info drop me an email NOW at umissedthis at yahoo dot com and I will give you further details of what you need to do.

By subscribing to Kumekucha’s raw notes, you will also be helping to finance the continued existence and enhanced quality of Kumekucha.

What Language Is Used?

One commentator here today posed an interesting question that I would like to take up and ask Kenyans because it is important that we all know the answer to this question.

When the Safaricom IPO was being discussed in the corridors of power, what language was being used?

When John Michuki and now George Saitoti are being issued with instructions on how to shoot to kill and torture ordinary Kenyans (evidence is now rapidly emerging of military atrocities in the Mount Elgon region with killings and the kind of torture that makes the CIA look like kindergarten kids), what language is used?

When critical issues are being discussed amongst the most powerful in the Nairobi Stock exchange, what language is used?

When the most inner of the inner cabinet meet to discuss how to deal with “Raira” and those stone-throwing “Mjaruos”, what language pray you tell me is used?

When the issue of vetting ODM cabinet choices (and not PNU because they are all pure and holier than thou) first came up, what language was used? And as the reaction to this well timed demand is being monitored, what language is it being monitored in?

Are you in Nairobi… or Mombasa? Go now to the CBD and hang around listening to Kenyans talk. What is the most common tongue you will hear?

When Martha Karua misses her appointment at Serena Hotel and instead goes to State House instead to receive fresh instructions, what language does she communicate in and what language does she receive the most emotional parts of her instructions in?

What language does the President discuss the most sensitive issues arising from his regular NSIS briefings in?

When the inner cabinet is discussing strategy on how best to play for time and generally frustrate the ordinary folks and indeed the law concerning a grand coalition government, what language is used? When they discuss how the Safaricom IPO is more important than the IDPs, most of whom voted for them blindly in the last general elections (and most of whom speak the same language as they do) what language do they use?

What was the language of choice in the first Kenyan cabinet as ministers discussed amongst themselves waiting for the president Kenyatta to come in? This is what forced Daniel arap Moi, then the VP to take a crash course in this beautiful and well loved language. Luckily the late Tom Mboya who was in the same cabinet, had already learnt it and could even speak it fluently. And that’s because most of his constituents spoke the language.

What is the language of choice of the hardliners within the Kibaki administration?

My dear brothers I do not need people to hurl insults at me or throw stones. I just need a simple answer. If you do not know, just say, I do not know and keep your venom to yourself. Please.

Let me finish this post with two short stories of what happened to me on two different ocassions. I used to work for this monthly business and finance magazine as the editor. The owners of the publication spoke this language and one day I felt pity for a graduate who walked into our offices who had been jobless for many years. I recommended that he be given a chance in the sales and marketing department, the only place where a vacancy existed. Before I knew it, this guy (who spoke the same language as the owners of the magazine) was in the accounts department, and voila before I could say “what is happening?” discussions were being held between the owners of the publication and this accountant whom I picked off the streets, about my conduct. It was of course being conducted in that language. It did not matter that I rescued the publication from the jaws of bankruptcy and made it extremely profitable within a period of less than 3 months.

Actually in all my time at the helm of the business monthly, no article I wrote personally or published in the magazine had a single comma changed. But one day I did a cover story about the controversial language we are discussing here and the community involved in general. The owners demanded that I change the cover and leave out the story.

I was mad as hell, but ninge-do?

Then when my son was born and I went to the maternity hospital to see my wife, I had barely spent two minutes in the place when my in-laws came. They greeted me in Kiswahili and then switched to that language. One of them snatched the baby from my hands and the language filled that entire bed-side as they chattered away excitedly completely ignoring me without whom what had just happened would never have happened.

I was mad as hell, but ninge-do?

Actually I did do something. I walked out of that hospital and was never seen again until several days later when my wife called my office (there were no mobile phones in those days) asking me to come and clear the bill at the hospital and bring her home. I obliged.

I love my in-laws but nita-do?

Statement by ODM on obstacles to forming a legitimate coalition government

Read by Hon Najib Balala, MP, Parliament building, 2 April 2008;

On 28 February, our nation breathed a huge sigh of relief and celebrated with joy as the tension and terror that gripped the entire country was brought to an end through a painfully negotiated Accord signed by President Kibaki and Hon Raila under Kofi Annan’s guidance. It seemed then that the terrible crisis we lived through had, at the same time, opened up the possibility of addressing the festering wounds that have troubled the nation for four decades.

Five weeks on, we are still in the same place we were on 28 February. Not a single concrete step forward has been recorded in the negotiations. There have been endless meetings without any agreements. PNU is repeatedly raising issues and making claims about presidential powers and government structures that were rendered irrelevant by the constitutional amendment and the National Accord and Reconciliation Act.

The heart of the Accord is “real power sharing” and “portfolio balance.” PNU continues to try to circumvent these cardinal principles in order to either have its own way or delay the creation of a new government for reasons best known to itself.

Kenyans are getting anxious and even alarmed by the stalemate. Yesterday’s tear gassing of a group of human rights defenders led by our Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, who wanted only to deliver a letter addressed to the President and the Prime Minister designate on the need to limit the size of the csbinet, has further eroded the enormous goodwill among all Kenyans and raised fears that the old discredited methods of suppression are back in play.

In the meantime, numerous national priorities that need to be addressed urgently are being unattended to. Chief among these is the intense suffering of the very vulnerable IDPs in their scanty shelters in this rainy season, which will lead to increased illness and death among children in particular. PNU insists that they care deeply for the IDPs, and yet their words are belied by their actions.

Nearly 30 billion shillings needed to address the IDP and related issues were sought from donors two weeks ago. Donor ambassadors told the government then that funds for this exercise would only be released once a credible coalition government was in place. This applies to other donor funding for reviving the economy, tourism, agriculture, etc, which is also being held up as PNU delays the formation of this government by putting one hurdle after another in the negotiations.

So even as it delays the formation of a legitimate government which will allow IDPs and other suffering masses some relief, PNU was in a huge rush to ensure that the Safaricom went on sale without the built-in measures to ensure that privatizations are conducted in al lawful manner which benefits Kenyans, who as taxpayers helped build such profitable companies. It is hard to believe that ordinary Kenyans will only be able top purchase about 40 percent of the shares. A huge 35% of them are going to overseas investors, who will of course be primarily well-connected Kenyans with access to already vast fortunes abroad. More than a quarter of the shares are reserved for institutional investors.

The latest hurdle to the formation of the new government is the supposed drive by PNU to form what they term a “clean” cabinet, through which they are now aiming at one of us, Hon. William Ruto, as being disqualified. This is nothing less than laughable! The architects of the most ignominious mega corruption scandals, such as Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing, are serving in the PNU cabinet, as are others connected to organizing funding for Mungiki. And they are talking about vetting ministers to be proposed by Hon Raila for the cabinet? The Accord makes clear that PNU has no such power to challenge the names proposed by the head of the party.

This latest PNU ruse to raise side issues has a very simple purpose. By aiming at one of the pillars of the ODM team, and his region, these folk think they will be able to divide the party that decisively defeated PNU. Let me tell them that ODM unity is rock solid and cannot be undermined by cheap tactics of those who should be in the dock for their own crimes. If there is any evidence against Hon Ruto, why has this government which sees him as a key opposition figure, not prosecuted the case against him these last 4 years?

In any event, Kenyans know that it is ODM which stands for a cabinet which is both lean AND clean, That is why they elected us in overwhelming numbers. And that is why we believe that 25 is the ideal size of a cabinet, as we stated in our manifesto. We believe that even in the current circumstances, the best size is 28, and certainly no more than 30.

The fact is that we are back to the same situation as we were in 2002. Then Mr. Kibaki blithely reneged on an MoU that won him the presidency, claiming that the MoU was a private arrangement that did not need to be honoured. But this new Accord has the full force of the constitution and our laws behind it, and still the president is refusing to implement the power sharing arrangements. Kenyans would be forgiven for believing that the group in power has no intention of sharing or ceding, now or at any other time, the power it assumed on 30 December.

Let me conclude by saying that the currently stalled negotiations are not merely about the cabinet but about the formation of a legitimate government that will respected by all Kenyans. Government includes Permanent Secretaries, ambassadors, heads of parastatals, directors of state corporations and so forth. The cabinet is only the first step.

Kenyans will not tolerate any further delays in the formation of the new government.

Battle Lines Drawn... Again

What do you expect if you go to your local police station and start throwing stones inside? Do you perhaps expect the police officers to invite you inside for a cup of tea while they calm you down and find out what the problem is? Figure it out for yourself my friend.

Yesterday, in what I am very sure was a carefully timed move, PNU MPs known to be mouthpieces of the party’s most rabid hardliners came out with guns blazing and insisted that William Ruto should be left out of the cabinet because of his alleged role in post election violence. Actually this particular utterance came out hot in the heels of another statement from the illegal cabinet to the effect that President Kibaki should scrutinize ODM nominees for cabinet posts.

Clearly there is a very deliberate effort to isolate William Ruto by PNU hardliners. It will be interesting to see what their next move will be.

In a quick rejoinder ODM came out and asked PNU to concentrate on their half of the cabinet and leave that of ODM alone.

Something else significant happened yesterday. The Anan peace talks collapsed. The reason was a lack of interest from the PNU side. Only one representative turned up, namely Mutula Kilonzo. Meaning that the illegal cabinet is pretty busy at the moment. The big question is… doing what?

The answer is… something more important than the “grand coalition nonsense.” Yep. That’s the thinking within PNU at the moment as the hardliners have taken complete control.

Of course they have totally failed to read the writing on the wall even as President Robert Mugabe seems to be on his way out in Zimbabwe. Most Kenyans are hardly interested in foreign news but spare a minute to consider something that directly relates to Kenya. If Mugabe is indeed ousted then this will be extremely significant. Mugabe is NOT KIbaki. Remember that this is the man who won independence for Zimbabwe and has distributed land to peasants and the landless all over the country. For this reason he was extremely popular in the grassroots. Probably the quote that best illustrates the resolve of the angry Zimbabwean voters is the following one which the International press captured in an interview with a voter somewhere in that landlocked country;

“We have never though of not voting for Zanu PF (Mugabe’s party) but this time, hunger opened our eyes.”

There is a wind of change blowing across Africa once again and the problem with these kind of winds is that they sweep everything from their paths. Especially stubborn and selfish persons with self interest as their only agenda.

It would seem from the recent happenings in the country that we are sliding back to exactly the same position where we were previously. A small gathering of activists graced by Nobel peace prize laureate Wangari Mathai which had gathered at Freedom Corner in Uhuru Park demanding that Preisdent Kibaki should not constitute a cabinet of more than 24, was dispersed by police using tear gas. This is interesting because this was not your usual group of hooligans from the slum mingling with thugs looking for an excuse to loot. This was a peaceful gathering of mostly the NGO fraternity.

Then 3 Ukambani MPs including Charity Ngilu echoed William Ruto’s call for fresh elections. PNU MPs promptly replied that the IDPs were a bigger priority than fresh elections. This would have been rather amusing if the situation of the IDPs was not so desperate and tragic. The truth is that PNU hardliners don’t care about the IDPs, at least not as much as they care about the Safaricom IPO and retaining plum ministerial dockets.

So the question now is; what next?

It is clear that PNU hardliners who are now in total control of the country, are spoiling for a fight judging from their utterances and behaviour over the last few days. And on the other side it is abundantly clear that ODM are pushing for fresh elections but do not want to look like they are the ones who have messed up the grand coalition even before it starts.

And as politicians play their games while waiting for their close to a million Kenya shillings salary at the end of the month, children are dieing from the cold and rain in IDP camps and ordinary folks are suffering the highest inflation rates since 1990. The price for Unga (maize flour) has climbed steeply in the last few weeks and there are clear signs that the country is headed in the direction of the kind of famine that has never been seen in these shores before.

Then there are numerous Kenyans who have lost their jobs and livelihoods as a direct result of the post election skirmishes.

Amid all these clear signs that all is not well in the country, a significant number of smart alec Kenyan investors (or shall I call them wishful gamblers?) are lining up to purchase Safaricom shares.

It is easy to predict the following quote coming out of the country in the near future;

“We have never thought of participating in demonstrations against the political class. But hunger opened our eyes.”

In my raw notes this week I will reveal what some high ranking ODM insiders believe will happen next. Find out how to get your copy of my notes.