During my controversial visit to Nairobi and then on to the Rift Valley some months back and which I talked about here, something very fascinating happened which I have not mentioned until now. (The visit was “controversial” because I admitted that it was the first time in many years that I was visiting the Kenyan capital and many of my readers felt cheated because they had always assumed that I was based in Nairobi.)
Anyway, during that visit, I sat at a dinner table somewhere in Nakuru with some relatives and listened as they explained to me in great detail how Kenyans were making a killing investing short term in some “solid investment companies.” One of the companies mentioned was Sasanet. They vehemently denied that it was a pyramid scheme and went on to tell me this amazing story about some smart lady who collects her cheques every month and then spends the rest of her time touring the world on some mercy missions and on holiday too.
What struck me was that I was not talking to some ordinary gullible wananchi on the streets. These were highly educated persons. The cream of society, so to speak. Some of the people on that table were the kind that regularly visited those capitals of the world the rest of us only hear about or see in movies and world news. New York, Washington, Paris, London etc.
Still, I only needed to ask a few questions and I was sure that what they were referring to were pyramid schemes (at the end of this article I explain how to tell a pyramid scheme instantly and the difference between pyramid schemes (illegal in most of the world) and Multi-level marketing (MLM) or Network marketing companies which is a very legitimate business. But what puzzled me even more was the fact that some companies mentioned like Sasanet had a very good image and were considered to be reputable businesses. Sasanet is one of the companies that had passed scrutiny and been licensed by the CCK Communication Commission of Kenya.
I asked where the money was being invested so as to yield such high returns and I was promptly told that it was being invested “off shore.” I could hardly prevent myself from giggling. Most of the returns “offshore” were usually very low, in the region of single digit percentages. Certainly not what would provide cash for the amazing returns of almost 20% for a brief 3 month periods being paid out by the likes of Sasanet in this case.
I took time to quietly explain to everybody why the investment schemes were definitely scams. But I could see that they were hardly convinced. After all I had no track record as a known investor. Who was I? In fact a couple of the people I was talking to on that table had leant me some cash during some hard times I had passed through not too long ago. And besides these “investment companies” were paying, and conmen never pay. And the investment contracts were even being drawn and signed with lawyers.
That last part really amused me but it was difficult to laugh because of the amounts of money that I was hearing being thrown around on the table, which just made me feel sick. Even if one wished bad things to happen to others you would have to be sick to wish for them to lose hundreds of thousands of shillings of their hard earned money just like that.
All this came flooding back to my mind yesterday when I heard that a large number of Kenyans were meeting at Garden Square Restaurant (on the grounds of the Kenyatta International Conference centre) to map out a strategy of how to recover their cash from Sasanet whose directors have vanished. One Asian businessman, a Mr Aman Sharma invested a staggering Kshs 10 million in what was clearly the Sasanet pyramid scheme. Others invested a couple of millions. Thousands invested hundreds of thousands.
What is really surprising is how all this happened right under the nose of the government without anybody asking any questions. It is difficult to believe that no government officials were paid to look the other way.
Folks should know that the first rule of investment is never invest anything that you are not prepared to lose. The reality with investments is that your investment can easily go either way—the higher the returns the higher the risks. And there are in fact very few specific investments with a guarantee (and these usually have much lower returns). However in the Sasanet scheme, investors were given contracts guaranteeing them a very high return. That is fraud, pure and simple. In a legitimate investment investors should be made to understand the basic rules of virtually any genuine investment.
I highly suspect that the so called “offshore destination” where these funds were being invested was in fact very local and more specifically, the Nairobi Stock Exchange. My suspicions here are based on the fact that most of these high profile pyramid schemes suddenly came crashing down at around the time the Nairobi Stock Exchange went through what analysts were calling “a correction.” But which was obviously much more than that. Thousands of speculator investors lost billions of shillings as the prices of many stocks suddenly tumbled. If my suspicions are true then this market upheaval must have dealt a serious blow to the cash-flow projections that had been put in place. And the irony of it all is that it is very possible the sudden invasion of the market by these short-term speculators could have contributed to the sudden dramatic fall in share prices. Just imagine the simple law of supply and demand at work. What happens when the market is flooded with maize from all the shambas around?
The thing with pyramid schemes is that they will always collapse at some point, and the directors of Sasanet must have considered themselves very smart investing the money in the stock exchange and then paying hefty monthly returns while retaining the principle. With some careful cash flow projections and relatively high short term returns (like what used to be enjoyed at the NSI) you can keep a pyramid scheme going for a long period of time. Long enough to fleece most Kenyans out of a fortune.
The Sasanet strategists were of course trying to re-invent the wheel by ignoring all the basic rules of investing. Like the critical need to diversify a portfolio and the basic rule that you cannot pay short term returns when entering into long term investments like property (which some insiders say Sasanet had already started venturing into. It was really just a matter of time before some small thing like the tumbling of shares at the Nairobi stock exchange was bound to bring everything crashing down.
What we now have in our hands are many Kenyan families going through a lot of suffering.
The main difference between a pyramid scheme and a genuine MLM program is the fact that there is no emphasis on the promotion or sale of any product. The emphasis is always on recruiting even more members and convincing friends and colleagues to join the scheme while focusing on a high short term return for joining or investing. Hardly any product is mentioned. Genuine MLM companies will emphasize on an excellent product that is useful and will encourage members to refer others only as a part of the business but certainly not the most important part of it all. In this way MLM companies are able to move huge volumes of products and this is what easily sustains the business even as some members get rich from building a large chain of referrals.
Monday, November 12, 2007
The 5 Most popular stories in Kumekucha today-12th Nov
The 5 Most popular stories in Kumekucha today-12th Nov
1. ODM advert that Media will not dare air.
2. Did Steadmann consultant mellow after State House visit?
3. Shocker as devolution makes it to PNU manifesto
4. President Kibaki loses his temper on national TV
5. Kenyans are too British
1. ODM advert that Media will not dare air.
2. Did Steadmann consultant mellow after State House visit?
3. Shocker as devolution makes it to PNU manifesto
4. President Kibaki loses his temper on national TV
5. Kenyans are too British
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Shocker As Devolution Makes It In To Kibaki’s PNU Manifesto
It is now clear that devolution (Usamabazaji wa mamlaka or majimbo or whatever you want to call it) is an idea whose time has come. The concept sneaked in, albeit at No 10 (the last item), in the PNU Manifesto.
But here’s the comedy; speaker after speaker at the PNU manifesto launch spoke against ODM’s Majimbo plan apparently oblivious of the fact that PNU had now sneaked in the exact same idea into their own elections “contract with Kenyans” as president Kibaki referred to his manifesto.
Of course the president pointed out quite clearly that the devolution they had in mind was “very” different from the ODM one. But then let us be honest here. This is like saying the multi party democracy Kanu was planning to introduce in 1991 was quite different from what the opposition then had in mind. Pure meaningless semantics, if you ask me.
So what has happened to change the president’s mind? What has caused this about turn from the same man who called those pushing for devolution “dreamers” barely 2 weeks ago?
The first very noticeable thing any analyst will tell you is that the president is now listening a lot more to some of the brilliant minds surrounding him. It is also apparent that he is making much more use of the excellent intelligence information he is receiving every week via the State-run but highly efficient NSIS. This information comes in from every corner of the country and is bound to be much more accurate than any Steadman poll in terms of measuring the pulse of the country and the likely way Kenyans will vote.
In one sentence, things in the PNU camp have changed and they have changed a lot. To be honest I am quite relieved because now we have a real contest in our hands—a little late in the game but better late than never.
No doubt this change was inevitable. After spending most of his presidency locked away in the luxury of State House and shielded from reality, the president has over the last few weeks gotten out a lot and has on many occasions come face to face with Kenyans and the reality on the ground. The truth is that he now has a much better “feel” of the country than he did when he launched his campaign without a clear message or even direction a few weeks ago. Some hostile encounters from ODM die hard supporters have no doubt helped his reality check to some alive quite a lot.
If the ODM brigade does not re-group fast, then chances are that they could be staring defeat in the face.
Actually President Kibaki’s strategy for victory is very clear and is based on playing the numbers game that Moi became quite good at in 1992 and 1997.
The president’s handlers are already aware that the near fanatical support he has in his Mount Kenya stronghold is intact and will give him a couple of million votes. So what the president is focusing on now is putting all his effort in areas where voters are still undecided and where the vote can easily swing in his direction. This includes areas like Coast province, Nairobi, certain pockets in the Rift valley and Western Kenya. Calculations have shown that just a few million votes in those key areas added to the voluminous Mount Kenya vote, would carry the President comfortably back into the comfort of State House.
Still the good news for all Kenyans whatever side of the divide you fall is that now it is clear that whoever wins the elections, devolution is coming to Kenya. So far the devolution debate has been carried out very emotionally and without clarity or solid points in support or against because people on both sides of the debate are talking out of a lot of ignorance. It is hoped that now that there is no debate on who is for or against devolution (since all major political parties have embraced it) that we will finally start to carefully look at the details of a devolved system that will take into account the current weaknesses of Kenyans.
But here’s the comedy; speaker after speaker at the PNU manifesto launch spoke against ODM’s Majimbo plan apparently oblivious of the fact that PNU had now sneaked in the exact same idea into their own elections “contract with Kenyans” as president Kibaki referred to his manifesto.
Of course the president pointed out quite clearly that the devolution they had in mind was “very” different from the ODM one. But then let us be honest here. This is like saying the multi party democracy Kanu was planning to introduce in 1991 was quite different from what the opposition then had in mind. Pure meaningless semantics, if you ask me.
So what has happened to change the president’s mind? What has caused this about turn from the same man who called those pushing for devolution “dreamers” barely 2 weeks ago?
The first very noticeable thing any analyst will tell you is that the president is now listening a lot more to some of the brilliant minds surrounding him. It is also apparent that he is making much more use of the excellent intelligence information he is receiving every week via the State-run but highly efficient NSIS. This information comes in from every corner of the country and is bound to be much more accurate than any Steadman poll in terms of measuring the pulse of the country and the likely way Kenyans will vote.
In one sentence, things in the PNU camp have changed and they have changed a lot. To be honest I am quite relieved because now we have a real contest in our hands—a little late in the game but better late than never.
No doubt this change was inevitable. After spending most of his presidency locked away in the luxury of State House and shielded from reality, the president has over the last few weeks gotten out a lot and has on many occasions come face to face with Kenyans and the reality on the ground. The truth is that he now has a much better “feel” of the country than he did when he launched his campaign without a clear message or even direction a few weeks ago. Some hostile encounters from ODM die hard supporters have no doubt helped his reality check to some alive quite a lot.
If the ODM brigade does not re-group fast, then chances are that they could be staring defeat in the face.
Actually President Kibaki’s strategy for victory is very clear and is based on playing the numbers game that Moi became quite good at in 1992 and 1997.
The president’s handlers are already aware that the near fanatical support he has in his Mount Kenya stronghold is intact and will give him a couple of million votes. So what the president is focusing on now is putting all his effort in areas where voters are still undecided and where the vote can easily swing in his direction. This includes areas like Coast province, Nairobi, certain pockets in the Rift valley and Western Kenya. Calculations have shown that just a few million votes in those key areas added to the voluminous Mount Kenya vote, would carry the President comfortably back into the comfort of State House.
Still the good news for all Kenyans whatever side of the divide you fall is that now it is clear that whoever wins the elections, devolution is coming to Kenya. So far the devolution debate has been carried out very emotionally and without clarity or solid points in support or against because people on both sides of the debate are talking out of a lot of ignorance. It is hoped that now that there is no debate on who is for or against devolution (since all major political parties have embraced it) that we will finally start to carefully look at the details of a devolved system that will take into account the current weaknesses of Kenyans.
Kenyans Are Too British And Conservative And It is Dangerous
I will tell a very personal story to get an important point across.
I believe that I was born to write and publish and not too long ago I was extremely frustrated and at the end of myself because my prosperous publishing business collapsed and nothing that I tried worked. This was mainly due to the damaging blow against the gutter press in Kenya (which the Nairobi Star is still struggling with today) that the mainstream press had successfully engineered. Every publication I tried to come up with (no matter how ingenious the concept was) completely failed to take off. There was of course also the hard economic times Kenyans were facing, but that was a secondary reason for my persistent failure. You will not believe how many times I tried. Finally in deep frustration I left Kenya for a foreign land and in my mind promised myself that I would never again go into publishing, at least not for the Kenyan market.
Employed full time working for somebody else, the opportunity to publish on the World Wide Web suddenly presented itself. But everybody I talked to told me I was dreaming. Not enough people had access to the Internet (that was early 2005). And how did I hope to make money from the exercise? I did not know enough about the web to succeed, I was bluntly told repeatedly. Actually I soon had a million and one reasons why it would never work.
At about the same time an interesting new conventional publishing opportunity in East Africa quite suddenly presented itself.
My choice was very simple. Either try something totally new and blaze the trail in a new direction or keep on doing what I had been repeatedly doing in recent times without much success.
You know the choice I took because you are reading this. Publishing on the web has so many advantages that I have lost interest completely in ever going back into conventional offline publishing.
The point I want to make is this. How do Kenyans expect change and success without trying something new? A centralized government system has NOT brought success. In fact it has caused so many problems (inevitable when so much power and resources are put in the hands of one person or a few people).
Yes blazing new trails has its’ risks. In fact it often involves very big risks. When I went into Internet publishing I was in a foreign land with nothing to fall back on and so I gambled everything including my family continuing to have regular meals on the table, on one roll of the dice so to speak.
In my view we as Kenyans don’t have a choice when it comes to embracing devolution. The truth is that we desperately need to try something different.
Despite all the noise they make, it is shocking how conservative Kenyans really are at heart. The Britishness in us has never really left.
I believe that I was born to write and publish and not too long ago I was extremely frustrated and at the end of myself because my prosperous publishing business collapsed and nothing that I tried worked. This was mainly due to the damaging blow against the gutter press in Kenya (which the Nairobi Star is still struggling with today) that the mainstream press had successfully engineered. Every publication I tried to come up with (no matter how ingenious the concept was) completely failed to take off. There was of course also the hard economic times Kenyans were facing, but that was a secondary reason for my persistent failure. You will not believe how many times I tried. Finally in deep frustration I left Kenya for a foreign land and in my mind promised myself that I would never again go into publishing, at least not for the Kenyan market.
Employed full time working for somebody else, the opportunity to publish on the World Wide Web suddenly presented itself. But everybody I talked to told me I was dreaming. Not enough people had access to the Internet (that was early 2005). And how did I hope to make money from the exercise? I did not know enough about the web to succeed, I was bluntly told repeatedly. Actually I soon had a million and one reasons why it would never work.
At about the same time an interesting new conventional publishing opportunity in East Africa quite suddenly presented itself.
My choice was very simple. Either try something totally new and blaze the trail in a new direction or keep on doing what I had been repeatedly doing in recent times without much success.
You know the choice I took because you are reading this. Publishing on the web has so many advantages that I have lost interest completely in ever going back into conventional offline publishing.
The point I want to make is this. How do Kenyans expect change and success without trying something new? A centralized government system has NOT brought success. In fact it has caused so many problems (inevitable when so much power and resources are put in the hands of one person or a few people).
Yes blazing new trails has its’ risks. In fact it often involves very big risks. When I went into Internet publishing I was in a foreign land with nothing to fall back on and so I gambled everything including my family continuing to have regular meals on the table, on one roll of the dice so to speak.
In my view we as Kenyans don’t have a choice when it comes to embracing devolution. The truth is that we desperately need to try something different.
Despite all the noise they make, it is shocking how conservative Kenyans really are at heart. The Britishness in us has never really left.
Avoid violence for Kenya, It is a generation issue
Guest post
These elections have promised to be the most contested in the History of Kenya. It is a defining moment for Kenya. May the best candidate win.
While there are issues that many are ignoring, I am confident that The President has in him dignity and interests of the country at heart. My belief is based on the fact that he humbly accepted the results of the 2005 referendum. Very hard for a seating President, if you asked me.
I am still of the view that HE will facilitate a free and a fair elections. Whether he is to win or to lose. That's what will be his legacy. That he allowed and accepted the voters verdict.
Those who have read history will confirm that generational change usually happens in or about 40 years.This might turn out to be true for Kenya. Only Kenyans will confirm this on the election day.
I read the PNU manifesto today and wondered whether they were actually serious. How could they ignore the issues pertaining to a New constitution and efforts to control Corruption?.None of the 3 candidates shouldn't ignore these. They are universal as far as Kenya is concerned.
However smart any president is elected, the current constitutions is not right for democracy.The president yields too much absolute power and his/her good intentions easily consumed before delivery.
I expected the PNU strategists to "mention" these issues in a clever way.They didn't, which gives competitators( ODMs) the necessary arsenals-That PNU is not serious about the constitution or corruption which has been the worst enemy for Kenya?
2002, many people said enough with KANU. Today, same KANU is swallowing PNU affiliate parties. Not the other way round. Thats where the problem lies. Ask Ngilu (in ODM) and Prof Maathai (in PNU). Both speak of TRUST. Even moi has said it that Kenyans must trust the president. It was his employees/appointees who have let him dowm.Tue. But where does the buck stops?
May Kenyans vote those they TRUST, for any contract runs on Trust. Presidential contract with the people is sacronant.
Whichever way Kenyans decide, individually, Kenya is greater than any person. Please safeguard that Peace. No leader worth any salt would want to wake up every morning and see blood painted in their whole bedroom. That is, why celebrate when you are the cause of that blood. Is it worth it? In Kibera, Muthaiga, Machakos or State House (that Museum as we have been told).
Gatheru Rwamba
Former secretary General,KMDJ, London
These elections have promised to be the most contested in the History of Kenya. It is a defining moment for Kenya. May the best candidate win.
While there are issues that many are ignoring, I am confident that The President has in him dignity and interests of the country at heart. My belief is based on the fact that he humbly accepted the results of the 2005 referendum. Very hard for a seating President, if you asked me.
I am still of the view that HE will facilitate a free and a fair elections. Whether he is to win or to lose. That's what will be his legacy. That he allowed and accepted the voters verdict.
Those who have read history will confirm that generational change usually happens in or about 40 years.This might turn out to be true for Kenya. Only Kenyans will confirm this on the election day.
I read the PNU manifesto today and wondered whether they were actually serious. How could they ignore the issues pertaining to a New constitution and efforts to control Corruption?.None of the 3 candidates shouldn't ignore these. They are universal as far as Kenya is concerned.
However smart any president is elected, the current constitutions is not right for democracy.The president yields too much absolute power and his/her good intentions easily consumed before delivery.
I expected the PNU strategists to "mention" these issues in a clever way.They didn't, which gives competitators( ODMs) the necessary arsenals-That PNU is not serious about the constitution or corruption which has been the worst enemy for Kenya?
2002, many people said enough with KANU. Today, same KANU is swallowing PNU affiliate parties. Not the other way round. Thats where the problem lies. Ask Ngilu (in ODM) and Prof Maathai (in PNU). Both speak of TRUST. Even moi has said it that Kenyans must trust the president. It was his employees/appointees who have let him dowm.Tue. But where does the buck stops?
May Kenyans vote those they TRUST, for any contract runs on Trust. Presidential contract with the people is sacronant.
Whichever way Kenyans decide, individually, Kenya is greater than any person. Please safeguard that Peace. No leader worth any salt would want to wake up every morning and see blood painted in their whole bedroom. That is, why celebrate when you are the cause of that blood. Is it worth it? In Kibera, Muthaiga, Machakos or State House (that Museum as we have been told).
Gatheru Rwamba
Former secretary General,KMDJ, London
The 5 Most Popular articles in Kumekucha today 11th Nov
The 5 Most Popular articles in Kumekucha today 11th Nov
1. President Kibaki Loses his temper on national TV
2. Kenyans speak bluntly about 2007 elections
3. PNU manifesto launch; another chance
4. PNU propaganda causes Christian church in Kenya to panic
5. Why has Njoki Ndungu resigned from PNU elections board?
1. President Kibaki Loses his temper on national TV
2. Kenyans speak bluntly about 2007 elections
3. PNU manifesto launch; another chance
4. PNU propaganda causes Christian church in Kenya to panic
5. Why has Njoki Ndungu resigned from PNU elections board?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
President Kibaki Loses His Temper On National TV
President’s outburst in a fit of rage: Wewe toka hapo. Kamata Huyo. Mtoe hapo mara moja
The joy of a blog like Kumekucha is the fact that there is no censorship. Self-censorship or those uncomfortable calls from State House “demanding to know why?”.
The truth is that especially now when the campaigns have started in earnest, our poor newspaper editors have to be very careful about what they put on their pages or allow to go on air. My heart goes out to them.
Let me give a very recent example of self-censorship.
During president’s Kibaki’s recent campaign trip to the Coast, there were a number of nasty incidences (unfortunately I have to censor myself because if I give them in detail I will be branded an ODM sympathizer). Anyway a few Kenyans left President Kibaki in no doubt how they intended to vote and at it finally became too much for the President and he lost his temper on camera. At one point he ordered the security personnel close to the crowd to deal with a poor mwananchi (oops I meant to say “to deal with the president’s employer”).
Part of that clip was shown on the popular KTN News Shot feature last night, except that the cameras did not show what had caused the president to lose his temper in the first place which included a large ODM placard.
Anybody who has been employed for any length of time knows the golden rule; you never, ever, ever lose your temper with your employer. The minute you do, it is just a matter of time before the sack comes. But you can be sure that it will come. Your employer will of course look for some other excuse to get rid of you, but it will all have started with your tantrum or fit of temper.
The same rule applies to any politician.
Locally President Kibaki is not the only presidential candidate to have lost it. Most Kenyans will remember the famous ODM Kenya incident in Mombasa (before the split into ODM and Hoo Ndii Eemm). Kalonzo Musyoka was booed by a section of the crowd and he promptly lost his head. Tat, tat. You just don’t do that.
ODM presidential aspirant, Raila Odinga is famous for his temper but now seems to have matured tremendously as a politician. There are days when it would not take much to spark off that famous temper, but Agwambo now seems to have become a professional politician.
Early in Raila’s campaign before Mwai Kibaki had made him so popular countrywide, in Mombasa a cheeky “employer” asked his a straight question; what was it with this circumcision thing and his seeking the presidency? There was pin drop silence at the meeting in the famous Tononoka grounds as some handlers started castigating the person who had asked the question. But Raila silenced them all and rose to the occasion beautifully by answering the question with another question. Who should be asking that question, he asked? A woman or a man? The crowd burst into prolonged laughter and the question has never been asked again to date.
There are of course still other questions about Raila’s character that will need to be addressed by his handlers. Like the time he vengefully went out of his way to block the appointment of a former colleague in LDP Shem Ochudho to the Kenya Pipeline Company. It is said he was vengeful and still upset over an earlier encounter the two had had.
Mark Anthony in that political classic from the pen of William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was extremely angry at the funeral of Julius Caesar his friend, because of the brutal senseless way in which Caesar had been killed for such flimsy reasons. But he controlled his temper and humbly asked for permission to address the people starting with those famous but very deceiving words; “I do not come to praise Caesar but to bury him.” By the time he was done with that little speech the revolt that would thrust him into power and cause Caesar’s assassins to flee was well under way.
You just never, ever lose your temper in public at your employer. You Just don’t.
But to president Kibaki’s credit his health has never been the same after that terrible road accident in 2002 before the elections that put him in State House. The truth is that after 4 years of relaxing in State House and rarely being seen in public, he is now going through a very punishing daily schedule of campaigns. Something had to snap, he’s human after all.
The joy of a blog like Kumekucha is the fact that there is no censorship. Self-censorship or those uncomfortable calls from State House “demanding to know why?”.
The truth is that especially now when the campaigns have started in earnest, our poor newspaper editors have to be very careful about what they put on their pages or allow to go on air. My heart goes out to them.
Let me give a very recent example of self-censorship.
During president’s Kibaki’s recent campaign trip to the Coast, there were a number of nasty incidences (unfortunately I have to censor myself because if I give them in detail I will be branded an ODM sympathizer). Anyway a few Kenyans left President Kibaki in no doubt how they intended to vote and at it finally became too much for the President and he lost his temper on camera. At one point he ordered the security personnel close to the crowd to deal with a poor mwananchi (oops I meant to say “to deal with the president’s employer”).
Part of that clip was shown on the popular KTN News Shot feature last night, except that the cameras did not show what had caused the president to lose his temper in the first place which included a large ODM placard.
Anybody who has been employed for any length of time knows the golden rule; you never, ever, ever lose your temper with your employer. The minute you do, it is just a matter of time before the sack comes. But you can be sure that it will come. Your employer will of course look for some other excuse to get rid of you, but it will all have started with your tantrum or fit of temper.
The same rule applies to any politician.
Locally President Kibaki is not the only presidential candidate to have lost it. Most Kenyans will remember the famous ODM Kenya incident in Mombasa (before the split into ODM and Hoo Ndii Eemm). Kalonzo Musyoka was booed by a section of the crowd and he promptly lost his head. Tat, tat. You just don’t do that.
ODM presidential aspirant, Raila Odinga is famous for his temper but now seems to have matured tremendously as a politician. There are days when it would not take much to spark off that famous temper, but Agwambo now seems to have become a professional politician.
Early in Raila’s campaign before Mwai Kibaki had made him so popular countrywide, in Mombasa a cheeky “employer” asked his a straight question; what was it with this circumcision thing and his seeking the presidency? There was pin drop silence at the meeting in the famous Tononoka grounds as some handlers started castigating the person who had asked the question. But Raila silenced them all and rose to the occasion beautifully by answering the question with another question. Who should be asking that question, he asked? A woman or a man? The crowd burst into prolonged laughter and the question has never been asked again to date.
There are of course still other questions about Raila’s character that will need to be addressed by his handlers. Like the time he vengefully went out of his way to block the appointment of a former colleague in LDP Shem Ochudho to the Kenya Pipeline Company. It is said he was vengeful and still upset over an earlier encounter the two had had.
Mark Anthony in that political classic from the pen of William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was extremely angry at the funeral of Julius Caesar his friend, because of the brutal senseless way in which Caesar had been killed for such flimsy reasons. But he controlled his temper and humbly asked for permission to address the people starting with those famous but very deceiving words; “I do not come to praise Caesar but to bury him.” By the time he was done with that little speech the revolt that would thrust him into power and cause Caesar’s assassins to flee was well under way.
You just never, ever lose your temper in public at your employer. You Just don’t.
But to president Kibaki’s credit his health has never been the same after that terrible road accident in 2002 before the elections that put him in State House. The truth is that after 4 years of relaxing in State House and rarely being seen in public, he is now going through a very punishing daily schedule of campaigns. Something had to snap, he’s human after all.
Moi's planned meeting with Marianne (Kenya Betrayed)
Chapter 31
Moi put down the phone..... what does this mean? Is Nicholas really crazy enough to try to kill Marianne? And in my presence? Has he become that much insane? .....
He walked to his bedroom, picked up the secure line, then dialed. The instant Mutula Kilonzo answered, he blurted, "The meeting cannot go through."
"What? Why not?"
Cough, "Bad things could happen."
"So you want me to cancel?"
"No. Let the Committee believe that I am still meeting Marianne."
"So what are we doing then?"
"We just don't appear." .....Click .....
***
Over at Parliament Buildings, Chairman Sunguh got the Committee going. Today, the witnesses were low-key. They covered a lot of ground in just a few hours.
By 4:00 p.m., they adjourned.
***
Bozo, from his Korogocho hide-out, called Bad Boy and Osiris. He told them, plans were changing. He filled them in on their new roles, taking care to warn that Moi would be in that vicinity, so everything had to be done with military precision.
***
Like I had promised to Sandra, I called the German Embassy in Nairobi and was assured of protection should I need it.
Since I had dual nationality - Swiss and German - and they knew about the risks I was taking, the Embassy informed me that they had already received 'green light' from Berlin granting me the status of utmost security.
They assured me to be at my disposal and would also get into contact with me immediately should they receive information regarding any security risk.
***
The following day I was awake by 6:00 a.m. This was the D-day. Later this afternoon, I was going to fly from Malaga to Zurich and from there a few hours later to Nairobi. My ticket was ready. My luggage was pretty much ready too.
The only thing that was not in place yet was the security at Jomo Kenyatta Inernational Airport and during my stay in Nairobi. I had asked Chairman Sunguh about it and he had promised me to get back.
He had not called up to now .....
I made a mental note regarding this.
Sweeping away the comforter, I sat on the bed for a while, then decided it was time to get going. I went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, brushed my teeth - then got back into the bedroom to dress.
Before I drew the curtains to see what the weather looked like. I was stunned. The sun was just getting up and painted the Mediterranean Sea with a pinkish glow. I turned on the TV to check what they were saying: Sunny, but cold.....
I decided to make a real 'English' breakfast and just as I was cracking the eggs for the omelette, the phone rang..... at six-thirty? ..... I answered it.
It was a quite upset Dr. Njoroge Mungai, "Why do I have to find out via the Media that you are coming to Nairobi?"
"I thought I would call you when I am there ..... kind of surprising you ..... because I want to see you while I am there. Do you think, this will be possible?"
"It depends - where are you staying?"
"Sunguh did not tell me yet. But I will call you and let you know. Will you also come to the Hearing?"
"I would like to - but maybe it would attract too much publicity if I would also attend. But I will for sure follow it on the Television. You know that there will be a life transmissation on all channels?"
"Sunguh told me about that."
"Anyway, I do not think that I will be able to help you with your evidence. There is not much I know about this matter. I told you already at that time that this Molasses Plant was a project tainted by the involvement of too many politicians. You and also Dr. Ouko should have never tried to get involved...... you should have also been much more careful with the people you were dealing with. Remember, I had warned you more than once - but you did not want to listen ..... by the way, did Sandra tell you that I am now also growing roses? In fact my company is already one of the biggest and well-known all over the world. We have just been proclaimed the winner as the best company of Agriculture, Food and Beverages in all Africa by the renowned South African University of Stellenbosch's Africa Centre for Investment..... I told Sandra about this new venture last time I had dinner with her in Zurich. I explained to her - and I am sure you are smiling now like she did - that it was most appropriate for me to exchange politics for flowers, governing for business and United Nations for roses."
I laughed loud, "Yes, Sandra told me about it. She liked your explanation. You know that she actually told me that now she understands me why I had fallen in love with you..... she admires especially your sense of humor. She is very happy about your contacts."
"I am happy too. She is very intelligent and very beautiful. I only hoped, she and Philipp could decide to come to Kenya and live here."
"I hope so too. But I am not sure that it would be advisable at the moment."
"Let's bring this Ouko thing behind us and we will talk again. Just be careful what you say - but stay to the truth."
When I did not reply, he must have sensed how depressed I suddenly had become, so he added, "To cheer you up ..... just remember something I wrote to you only a short while ago ..... I told you that I hope that one day, you will come back to Africa and then you and me, Sandra and Philip, will go together to the spot facing Mt. Kenya, the land of Kenyatta ..... this is still valid. Just think about it and how wonderful it would be."
Finally he got me smiling because as usual he had found the right words, "Thank you..... I also hope, it will come true. Anyway, I will call you when I am in Nairobi. Let's try to meet."
"I will see that I can do ..... and if the Committee agrees. In the meantime, give my regards to Sandra. I am sure, she will see off in Zurich?"
"Yes, she will be at the airport."
"Have a good flight. And remember, be very careful in Nairobi."
"I will. Good bye and thank you."
Moi put down the phone..... what does this mean? Is Nicholas really crazy enough to try to kill Marianne? And in my presence? Has he become that much insane? .....
He walked to his bedroom, picked up the secure line, then dialed. The instant Mutula Kilonzo answered, he blurted, "The meeting cannot go through."
"What? Why not?"
Cough, "Bad things could happen."
"So you want me to cancel?"
"No. Let the Committee believe that I am still meeting Marianne."
"So what are we doing then?"
"We just don't appear." .....Click .....
***
Over at Parliament Buildings, Chairman Sunguh got the Committee going. Today, the witnesses were low-key. They covered a lot of ground in just a few hours.
By 4:00 p.m., they adjourned.
***
Bozo, from his Korogocho hide-out, called Bad Boy and Osiris. He told them, plans were changing. He filled them in on their new roles, taking care to warn that Moi would be in that vicinity, so everything had to be done with military precision.
***
Like I had promised to Sandra, I called the German Embassy in Nairobi and was assured of protection should I need it.
Since I had dual nationality - Swiss and German - and they knew about the risks I was taking, the Embassy informed me that they had already received 'green light' from Berlin granting me the status of utmost security.
They assured me to be at my disposal and would also get into contact with me immediately should they receive information regarding any security risk.
***
The following day I was awake by 6:00 a.m. This was the D-day. Later this afternoon, I was going to fly from Malaga to Zurich and from there a few hours later to Nairobi. My ticket was ready. My luggage was pretty much ready too.
The only thing that was not in place yet was the security at Jomo Kenyatta Inernational Airport and during my stay in Nairobi. I had asked Chairman Sunguh about it and he had promised me to get back.
He had not called up to now .....
I made a mental note regarding this.
Sweeping away the comforter, I sat on the bed for a while, then decided it was time to get going. I went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, brushed my teeth - then got back into the bedroom to dress.
Before I drew the curtains to see what the weather looked like. I was stunned. The sun was just getting up and painted the Mediterranean Sea with a pinkish glow. I turned on the TV to check what they were saying: Sunny, but cold.....
I decided to make a real 'English' breakfast and just as I was cracking the eggs for the omelette, the phone rang..... at six-thirty? ..... I answered it.
It was a quite upset Dr. Njoroge Mungai, "Why do I have to find out via the Media that you are coming to Nairobi?"
"I thought I would call you when I am there ..... kind of surprising you ..... because I want to see you while I am there. Do you think, this will be possible?"
"It depends - where are you staying?"
"Sunguh did not tell me yet. But I will call you and let you know. Will you also come to the Hearing?"
"I would like to - but maybe it would attract too much publicity if I would also attend. But I will for sure follow it on the Television. You know that there will be a life transmissation on all channels?"
"Sunguh told me about that."
"Anyway, I do not think that I will be able to help you with your evidence. There is not much I know about this matter. I told you already at that time that this Molasses Plant was a project tainted by the involvement of too many politicians. You and also Dr. Ouko should have never tried to get involved...... you should have also been much more careful with the people you were dealing with. Remember, I had warned you more than once - but you did not want to listen ..... by the way, did Sandra tell you that I am now also growing roses? In fact my company is already one of the biggest and well-known all over the world. We have just been proclaimed the winner as the best company of Agriculture, Food and Beverages in all Africa by the renowned South African University of Stellenbosch's Africa Centre for Investment..... I told Sandra about this new venture last time I had dinner with her in Zurich. I explained to her - and I am sure you are smiling now like she did - that it was most appropriate for me to exchange politics for flowers, governing for business and United Nations for roses."
I laughed loud, "Yes, Sandra told me about it. She liked your explanation. You know that she actually told me that now she understands me why I had fallen in love with you..... she admires especially your sense of humor. She is very happy about your contacts."
"I am happy too. She is very intelligent and very beautiful. I only hoped, she and Philipp could decide to come to Kenya and live here."
"I hope so too. But I am not sure that it would be advisable at the moment."
"Let's bring this Ouko thing behind us and we will talk again. Just be careful what you say - but stay to the truth."
When I did not reply, he must have sensed how depressed I suddenly had become, so he added, "To cheer you up ..... just remember something I wrote to you only a short while ago ..... I told you that I hope that one day, you will come back to Africa and then you and me, Sandra and Philip, will go together to the spot facing Mt. Kenya, the land of Kenyatta ..... this is still valid. Just think about it and how wonderful it would be."
Finally he got me smiling because as usual he had found the right words, "Thank you..... I also hope, it will come true. Anyway, I will call you when I am in Nairobi. Let's try to meet."
"I will see that I can do ..... and if the Committee agrees. In the meantime, give my regards to Sandra. I am sure, she will see off in Zurich?"
"Yes, she will be at the airport."
"Have a good flight. And remember, be very careful in Nairobi."
"I will. Good bye and thank you."
The 5 Most Popular stories in Kumekucha today-10th Nov
The 5 Most Popular stories in Kumekucha today-10th Nov
1. Kenyans speak bluntly about elections 2007
2. Latest Steadmann opinion polls, Raila still tops
3. Rumour yet to be verified
4. PNU propaganda causes Christian Church In Kenya to panic
5. Why has Njoki Ndungu resigned from PNU elections board?
1. Kenyans speak bluntly about elections 2007
2. Latest Steadmann opinion polls, Raila still tops
3. Rumour yet to be verified
4. PNU propaganda causes Christian Church In Kenya to panic
5. Why has Njoki Ndungu resigned from PNU elections board?
Friday, November 09, 2007
Kenyans Speak Bluntly About Elections 2007
I love nothing more than going out to chat politics with ordinary folks from all walks of life. This time I managed to get some pretty good comments from PNU strongholds as well. What I have done below is to give you all the comments and opinions I got right across the political divide. Many were unprintable, even in kumekucha.
Before I list the comments, I would like to appeal to all Kumekucha readers for support to launch a Middle ground movement to sell the idea to Kenyans that whichever side wins, life must continue. One thing I was able to sense is that to many people if their side does not win, there will be no Kenya left which is pure nonsense.
Having said that, let me emphasize once again that there is a lot of suffering going on in the rural areas of Kenya and whichever candidate wins, they should address this problem as a top priority. It is OK for the economy to grew, but surely we cannot turn a blind eye to milions of starving Kenyans, especially when they are in such high numbers.
If Raila wins the presidency, there will be no peace in Kenya. Nairobi will be full of stone throwers 24/7. The capital city will also be moved to Kisumu. Luos will sh** on our heads.
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
There are enough young progressive people in Dagoretti to ensure a KJ victory irrespective of which party ticket he stands with.
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
If KJ stands with the Mujaruo party (ODM) he will not get any votes.
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
Beth Mugo in the 10th parliament!! Is the earth flat?
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
The day I hear Kibaki has won the election is the day I will pack my bags and leave Kenya, most probably for Tanzania. Not because I hate the guy, but because Kenyans cannot take another 6 months of Kibakism. There will be matata shortly after a Kibaki victory.
Dagoretti, Nairobi
People will die in large numbers in Langata constituency in the forthcoming polls because the area people will not allow any of the outsiders who have been registered to vote. So who will take responsibility for the deaths?
Dagoreti, Nairobi.
You cannot rule a country and take the people for granted and then at the last minute start distributing goodies to appease them. Kenyans are not children. I am certain that mzee Kibaki is going back home to Othaya to rest after 27th Dec.
Changamwe, Mombasa.
The NSIS must have told Kibaki that he is losing. Even the mad man in our Market knows that. But he is still in the race. He is a very proud man and so I ask myself what exactly is he up to when he must know he is losing? This is what should worry Kenyans a lot.
Machakos, Kenya
I am sure Kalonzo will win. Just consider the following; Kibaki is out and most Kenyans cannot vote for Raila. So who does that leave?
Machakos, Kenya.
Even if I wanted, I cannot vote for Raila because if I do, my elderly mother will remove all her clothes and that is a very bad curse in our community. The reason she will do this is because in our community we cannot vote for people who have not been cut (circumsized).
Tharaka Nthi, man living in Changamwe
These people trying to play dirty against Raila should know that Raila also knows more dirty tricks than they do. Come what may, Raila will win in Langata. People will die but Raila will win.
Kibera, Nairobi.
These people (the Kikuyu) want to rule Kenya forever. Why must it be them every time? Why? Why? Why?
Changamwe, Mombasa.
The day Raila is announced President; I will take a holiday and go to Nairobi for one week. It will be the happiest day of my life.
Luo lady living in Changamwe, Mombasa
You are wasting your time, young man. Nobody ever fought the government of Kenya and won. Kibaki is coming back as president. We don’t like him but there is nothing anybody can do about it. Just wait and see the rigging that will happen. You ddi nothing when Moi did it and you will certainly do nothing when Kibaki does it.
Changamwe, Mombasa.
Mark my words. Whichever MP (it doesn’t matter who they are) makes it back to parliament this time. They should kneel down, thank God and take a big gift to their church. They should also sacrifice something like not sleep with a woman for one week. My point is that they’ll not be many of them.
Machakos, Kenya.
Before I list the comments, I would like to appeal to all Kumekucha readers for support to launch a Middle ground movement to sell the idea to Kenyans that whichever side wins, life must continue. One thing I was able to sense is that to many people if their side does not win, there will be no Kenya left which is pure nonsense.
Having said that, let me emphasize once again that there is a lot of suffering going on in the rural areas of Kenya and whichever candidate wins, they should address this problem as a top priority. It is OK for the economy to grew, but surely we cannot turn a blind eye to milions of starving Kenyans, especially when they are in such high numbers.
If Raila wins the presidency, there will be no peace in Kenya. Nairobi will be full of stone throwers 24/7. The capital city will also be moved to Kisumu. Luos will sh** on our heads.
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
There are enough young progressive people in Dagoretti to ensure a KJ victory irrespective of which party ticket he stands with.
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
If KJ stands with the Mujaruo party (ODM) he will not get any votes.
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
Beth Mugo in the 10th parliament!! Is the earth flat?
Dagoretti, Nairobi.
The day I hear Kibaki has won the election is the day I will pack my bags and leave Kenya, most probably for Tanzania. Not because I hate the guy, but because Kenyans cannot take another 6 months of Kibakism. There will be matata shortly after a Kibaki victory.
Dagoretti, Nairobi
People will die in large numbers in Langata constituency in the forthcoming polls because the area people will not allow any of the outsiders who have been registered to vote. So who will take responsibility for the deaths?
Dagoreti, Nairobi.
You cannot rule a country and take the people for granted and then at the last minute start distributing goodies to appease them. Kenyans are not children. I am certain that mzee Kibaki is going back home to Othaya to rest after 27th Dec.
Changamwe, Mombasa.
The NSIS must have told Kibaki that he is losing. Even the mad man in our Market knows that. But he is still in the race. He is a very proud man and so I ask myself what exactly is he up to when he must know he is losing? This is what should worry Kenyans a lot.
Machakos, Kenya
I am sure Kalonzo will win. Just consider the following; Kibaki is out and most Kenyans cannot vote for Raila. So who does that leave?
Machakos, Kenya.
Even if I wanted, I cannot vote for Raila because if I do, my elderly mother will remove all her clothes and that is a very bad curse in our community. The reason she will do this is because in our community we cannot vote for people who have not been cut (circumsized).
Tharaka Nthi, man living in Changamwe
These people trying to play dirty against Raila should know that Raila also knows more dirty tricks than they do. Come what may, Raila will win in Langata. People will die but Raila will win.
Kibera, Nairobi.
These people (the Kikuyu) want to rule Kenya forever. Why must it be them every time? Why? Why? Why?
Changamwe, Mombasa.
The day Raila is announced President; I will take a holiday and go to Nairobi for one week. It will be the happiest day of my life.
Luo lady living in Changamwe, Mombasa
You are wasting your time, young man. Nobody ever fought the government of Kenya and won. Kibaki is coming back as president. We don’t like him but there is nothing anybody can do about it. Just wait and see the rigging that will happen. You ddi nothing when Moi did it and you will certainly do nothing when Kibaki does it.
Changamwe, Mombasa.
Mark my words. Whichever MP (it doesn’t matter who they are) makes it back to parliament this time. They should kneel down, thank God and take a big gift to their church. They should also sacrifice something like not sleep with a woman for one week. My point is that they’ll not be many of them.
Machakos, Kenya.
The 5 most popular stories in Kumekucha today - Nov 9th
The 5 most popular stories in Kumekucha today - Nov 9th
1. Latest opinion poll Raila still tops
2. Why has Njoki Ndungu resignied from PNU elections board?
3. Rumour yet to be verified
4. PNU propaganda causes Christian church in Kenya to panic
5. I successfully recommended that my boss should be fired so that I take over
1. Latest opinion poll Raila still tops
2. Why has Njoki Ndungu resignied from PNU elections board?
3. Rumour yet to be verified
4. PNU propaganda causes Christian church in Kenya to panic
5. I successfully recommended that my boss should be fired so that I take over
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Why Has Njoki Ndungu Resigned From PNU Election Board?
That all is not well within the PNU election board was further confirmed a few hours ago when Njoki Ndungu suddenly tendered her resignation. But what was even stranger was the fact that the usually very open Ms Ndungu was tight lipped as to her reasons for resigning.
Actually the PNU election board appears to have been hit by confusion right from the word go, because they started by appointing a man who had already been named to the ODM-K election board and the fact had been publicized widely in the media. Meaning that none of the folks making decisions bother to read the daily newspapers or catch the news bulletin on TV and radio.
But why exactly has Ms Ndungu resigned?
Some members of the press have speculated that it was because a section of the aspirants were very strongly against her appointment right from the word go because they did not have any confidence that she would be impartial. The MP who was one of the biggest achievers of the 9th parliament is known to be very tight with the top brass at PNU. This is in a backdrop where it is being increasingly felt that the PNU will force certain “favoured” candidates through the nomination process and leave many aspirants who are popular on the ground out in the cold. This in a nutshell is the bone of contention that has made it impossible for parties affiliated to the PNU to agree on a joint nomination exercise despite several meetings, some of which have been attended by President Kibaki himself.
Ms Njoki Ndungu is known to be a die hard backer of some of these characters whom it is expected will be given automatic nominations. One of these people is of course the influential Chris Murungaru.
Actually the reality of the situation is that the president will require a few trusted and experienced foot soldiers on the ground and for this reason there are some people who cannot be left out of the PNU line-up. If this is indeed what is going to happen, then PNU will have committed yet another critical mistake that will cost it dearly in the forthcoming polls.
In fact one hawk-eyed avid reader of thus blog has already seen what is happening and has predicted that Hoo Ndii Emm’s Kalonzo Musyoka will have a surprisingly good showing in Central Kenya from all those voters totally fed up with President Kibaki and also those who have lost loved ones to the Mungiki menace that swept through most of the province earlier this year but who can’t bring themselves to vote for Raila. Recent utterances by the Kibaki administration that bodies dumped in mortuaries all over the country had nothing to do with the police or government have only served to add salt to some very raw wounds. Indeed it is now emerging that much of the president’s support in central province is from voters who are not really voting for him but are voting against Raila Odinga and ODM in giving their votes to PNU. This is the feed back that I am getting from impeccable sources on the ground.
The mistake many Kenyans make in generalizing their attacks against the Kikuyu is to forget that this community has suffered untold misery under the Kibaki administration, especially in the issue of the so-called Mungiki purge. It is also a fact that many younger members of this community are not going to vote tribally this time round. It is instructive that John Kiarie (KJ of Redyculus fame) is standing on an ODM ticket and not PNU in Dagoretti constituency. I recently spoke to one of my in-laws who lives in the constituency and he told me bluntly that KJ will not get much in terms of votes if he stands with ODM. The younger people think different of course.
I must quickly add that I have always had an excellent relationship with my in-laws whom at the beginning used to call me Mujaruo for a reason I did not quite understand because they were told clearly that my Father is Kamba and my mother a Bukusu. My Kikuyu beauty once explained to me that my features are not quite what my in-laws expected from a Kamba man. They expected a thin almost-malnourished, small man. So my guess is that they linked me more closely to my Bukusu side which many of my in-laws think is right next to Luo Nyanza.
Still they love me to bits after all these years and I have no doubt that if I stood for the parliamentary seat in Dagoretti, I would receive overwhelming support from them and their influential friends in the constituency. You can be sure that I will work very hard to push that support in the direction of KJ.
Actually the PNU election board appears to have been hit by confusion right from the word go, because they started by appointing a man who had already been named to the ODM-K election board and the fact had been publicized widely in the media. Meaning that none of the folks making decisions bother to read the daily newspapers or catch the news bulletin on TV and radio.
But why exactly has Ms Ndungu resigned?
Some members of the press have speculated that it was because a section of the aspirants were very strongly against her appointment right from the word go because they did not have any confidence that she would be impartial. The MP who was one of the biggest achievers of the 9th parliament is known to be very tight with the top brass at PNU. This is in a backdrop where it is being increasingly felt that the PNU will force certain “favoured” candidates through the nomination process and leave many aspirants who are popular on the ground out in the cold. This in a nutshell is the bone of contention that has made it impossible for parties affiliated to the PNU to agree on a joint nomination exercise despite several meetings, some of which have been attended by President Kibaki himself.
Ms Njoki Ndungu is known to be a die hard backer of some of these characters whom it is expected will be given automatic nominations. One of these people is of course the influential Chris Murungaru.
Actually the reality of the situation is that the president will require a few trusted and experienced foot soldiers on the ground and for this reason there are some people who cannot be left out of the PNU line-up. If this is indeed what is going to happen, then PNU will have committed yet another critical mistake that will cost it dearly in the forthcoming polls.
In fact one hawk-eyed avid reader of thus blog has already seen what is happening and has predicted that Hoo Ndii Emm’s Kalonzo Musyoka will have a surprisingly good showing in Central Kenya from all those voters totally fed up with President Kibaki and also those who have lost loved ones to the Mungiki menace that swept through most of the province earlier this year but who can’t bring themselves to vote for Raila. Recent utterances by the Kibaki administration that bodies dumped in mortuaries all over the country had nothing to do with the police or government have only served to add salt to some very raw wounds. Indeed it is now emerging that much of the president’s support in central province is from voters who are not really voting for him but are voting against Raila Odinga and ODM in giving their votes to PNU. This is the feed back that I am getting from impeccable sources on the ground.
The mistake many Kenyans make in generalizing their attacks against the Kikuyu is to forget that this community has suffered untold misery under the Kibaki administration, especially in the issue of the so-called Mungiki purge. It is also a fact that many younger members of this community are not going to vote tribally this time round. It is instructive that John Kiarie (KJ of Redyculus fame) is standing on an ODM ticket and not PNU in Dagoretti constituency. I recently spoke to one of my in-laws who lives in the constituency and he told me bluntly that KJ will not get much in terms of votes if he stands with ODM. The younger people think different of course.
I must quickly add that I have always had an excellent relationship with my in-laws whom at the beginning used to call me Mujaruo for a reason I did not quite understand because they were told clearly that my Father is Kamba and my mother a Bukusu. My Kikuyu beauty once explained to me that my features are not quite what my in-laws expected from a Kamba man. They expected a thin almost-malnourished, small man. So my guess is that they linked me more closely to my Bukusu side which many of my in-laws think is right next to Luo Nyanza.
Still they love me to bits after all these years and I have no doubt that if I stood for the parliamentary seat in Dagoretti, I would receive overwhelming support from them and their influential friends in the constituency. You can be sure that I will work very hard to push that support in the direction of KJ.
Nervous that I might die in Kenya (Kenya Betrayed)
Chapter 30
Today I felt very nervous. The fear that I might die in Kenya, kept gnawing at me, making me unable to be focused. Whenever I tried to read my notes, go through my earlier testimony at Scotland Yard's Office in London, my mind chewed a lock. And my body tensed. Was I going to be safe? And being that Philipp's letter approving his travelling alongside me had not come yet - was it sensible to take chances?
I walked into my study and started looking at some pictures on the wall. I saw a photo of the founding couple, Jomo and Mama Ngina Kenyatta.
..... decent people .....
I saw a picture of other friends - Grace and Bethwel Ogot.
..... fantastic people .....
Then a picture of Moi ......
I don't know that to think..... he could have been a wonderful President ..... a real Statesman ..... what has happened to the man I once knew and loved? Can I have been that wrong? When I meet him, I will let him know that is not too late to make things right. He can apologize to Christabel and to the nation. I even believe, Kenyans will forgive him. I will tell him that.....
Finally, I looked at a picture of Sandra. She was wearing a sleeveless dark-blue evening dress. There was a soft chandelier handing slightly to the left making her long flowing hair shine like black ebony - she was stunningly beautiful - and like Dr. Mungai once said: like a cover girl on People Magazin....
Looking at Sandra's photo, I thought again about Moi. What would he say when he could see Sandra now? Would he still recognize the little girl he once knew? Would he be proud like me that she had fulfilled her childhood dream and really had become a Veterinary - a dream he had planted in her when they visited together the game parks in his beautiful country?
I knew that Sandra was still hoping to be able to go back to Kenya and also live up to the other part of that dream: to look after the animals in the game parks. But would she ever be able to do this? Would it be safe for her to go?
Suddenly I felt very sad - there were so many lost opportunities - so many open gaps - so many chances to be happy gone for all of us - destroyed by a man called Nicholas Biwott.
When my phone rang, it startled me, "Hello?"
"It's Sandra, Mami."
"Hello, sweetheart, how are you?"
"Only one day left, Mami, and I am very worried about your trip. Are you still going?"
"I told you, I have to."
"Have you made arrangements for your security like you promised?"
I hesitated. When I informed Philipp a few days ago about the delay in processing his letter, he had told me that his Superiors may send him to another destination which would make it impossible for him to accompany me.
But I decided not to go into this new situation with my daughter, so instead I said, "Sandra, I am going to call the German Embassy. I will let them handle my security."
"Is this a promise? And will they agree?"
"I hope so."
Sandra kept quiet for a minute. She wiped a tear. Finally, she said, "Mami, if you travel tomorrow, I will meet you at the Zurich-Airport. What time is your flight?"
"10:30 p.m. - but I will arrive from Malaga already around 6 p.m. - so we have some time to talk and maybe have also a small dinner together."
"Then I will see you at Zurich-Kloten, Mami," she sighed, "I love you."
"I love you too - actually, do you know I was just looking at your picture, the one in the blue dress. You look adorable."
I heard her laughing and then saying, "Of course I do ..... it runs in the family, remember?"
I smiled, "See you tomorrow, darling."
Today I felt very nervous. The fear that I might die in Kenya, kept gnawing at me, making me unable to be focused. Whenever I tried to read my notes, go through my earlier testimony at Scotland Yard's Office in London, my mind chewed a lock. And my body tensed. Was I going to be safe? And being that Philipp's letter approving his travelling alongside me had not come yet - was it sensible to take chances?
I walked into my study and started looking at some pictures on the wall. I saw a photo of the founding couple, Jomo and Mama Ngina Kenyatta.
..... decent people .....
I saw a picture of other friends - Grace and Bethwel Ogot.
..... fantastic people .....
Then a picture of Moi ......
I don't know that to think..... he could have been a wonderful President ..... a real Statesman ..... what has happened to the man I once knew and loved? Can I have been that wrong? When I meet him, I will let him know that is not too late to make things right. He can apologize to Christabel and to the nation. I even believe, Kenyans will forgive him. I will tell him that.....
Finally, I looked at a picture of Sandra. She was wearing a sleeveless dark-blue evening dress. There was a soft chandelier handing slightly to the left making her long flowing hair shine like black ebony - she was stunningly beautiful - and like Dr. Mungai once said: like a cover girl on People Magazin....
Looking at Sandra's photo, I thought again about Moi. What would he say when he could see Sandra now? Would he still recognize the little girl he once knew? Would he be proud like me that she had fulfilled her childhood dream and really had become a Veterinary - a dream he had planted in her when they visited together the game parks in his beautiful country?
I knew that Sandra was still hoping to be able to go back to Kenya and also live up to the other part of that dream: to look after the animals in the game parks. But would she ever be able to do this? Would it be safe for her to go?
Suddenly I felt very sad - there were so many lost opportunities - so many open gaps - so many chances to be happy gone for all of us - destroyed by a man called Nicholas Biwott.
When my phone rang, it startled me, "Hello?"
"It's Sandra, Mami."
"Hello, sweetheart, how are you?"
"Only one day left, Mami, and I am very worried about your trip. Are you still going?"
"I told you, I have to."
"Have you made arrangements for your security like you promised?"
I hesitated. When I informed Philipp a few days ago about the delay in processing his letter, he had told me that his Superiors may send him to another destination which would make it impossible for him to accompany me.
But I decided not to go into this new situation with my daughter, so instead I said, "Sandra, I am going to call the German Embassy. I will let them handle my security."
"Is this a promise? And will they agree?"
"I hope so."
Sandra kept quiet for a minute. She wiped a tear. Finally, she said, "Mami, if you travel tomorrow, I will meet you at the Zurich-Airport. What time is your flight?"
"10:30 p.m. - but I will arrive from Malaga already around 6 p.m. - so we have some time to talk and maybe have also a small dinner together."
"Then I will see you at Zurich-Kloten, Mami," she sighed, "I love you."
"I love you too - actually, do you know I was just looking at your picture, the one in the blue dress. You look adorable."
I heard her laughing and then saying, "Of course I do ..... it runs in the family, remember?"
I smiled, "See you tomorrow, darling."
The 5 Most Popular Stories On Kumekucha 8th Nov
The 5 Most Popular Stories On Kumekucha 8th Nov
1. Is Maj Gen Hussein Ali telling the truth?
2. Marianne Briner releases statement from hospital
3. PNU propaganda causes panic in Kenyan christian church
4. PNU manifesto launch another chance...
5. I once successfully recommended sacking of my boss so that I replace him
1. Is Maj Gen Hussein Ali telling the truth?
2. Marianne Briner releases statement from hospital
3. PNU propaganda causes panic in Kenyan christian church
4. PNU manifesto launch another chance...
5. I once successfully recommended sacking of my boss so that I replace him
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Is Maj Gen Hussein Ali Telling The Truth?
Over 500 bodies dumped in mortuaries country-wide: who killed these youngsters?
Before we examine this disturbing development where there is a war of words between the police and the Chairman of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (over the issue of 500 dead bodies) , let me tell you a little background story I know you will love.
My knowledge of the police and the way they operate is rather deep although I have never been a police officer myself (I almost became one though, but that is a story for another day). You see I grew up living with a very senior police officer who happened to be the man who sired me.
In primary school I distinctly remember my Dad, suddenly, and out of the blue starting to carry a large automatic firearm around with him everywhere he went. I was puzzled and did not know why until many years later.
You see the old man was trained by the colonial government and for some reason certain basic principals stuck with him that were to put him on a collision course with the new direction the police force took shortly after independence. He probably only survived because he was quite senior and had a very powerful friend in the Kenya Army who was equally principled and had to step in once or twice to “cool down” things for him.
In this particular case my dad as a matter of principle refused to look the other way when coffee belonging to Mama Ngina Kenyatta came in and those escorting it, cockily demanded a police escort to Mombasa for it (it was during the coffee boom). I hope you’ve seen the very funny joke here—police escorting criminally smuggled goods.
The old man flatly refused and played it by the book, in fact he impounded the smuggled goods. Naturally he received threats and this was not a joke because he was dealing with people closely affiliated to the then dreaded Jomo Kenyatta kitchen cabinet. I have told you many times about the kind of things those “nice” guys used to do to other Kenyans, so I will not repeat myself.
Although the coffee still got to Mombasa (his boss over-ruled him) things got so bad that for weeks on end the cop who refused to go crooked never slept at home but spent the night in different hotels under an assumed name. He had been told that a contract was out for him to be killed. That crisis passed but they were many others that followed until finally during the Moi era, they forced him out of the police and into early retirement.
Ironically a few months later he read in the newspapers that a police officer whom he had wanted to prosecute for stealing money belonging to the police canteen in a certain province where they served together once, had been appointed police commissioner. Yep, that’s what the police force degenerated into when politics happened to it.
And then we ask ourselves today why the police seem to be losing the war against criminals. Strange people, we Kenyans are!
Let me admit that when I was growing up I believed that my dad was making a mistake being so stringent and principled. Especially when he worked hard to instill the same principles in us, his children. For years we joked how our house was an extension of the police station.
I watched with envy as other policeman’s kids showed off their expensive toys (delivered by some “Asian friend of their dad”) and later as they drove around in expensive cars given to them as gifts by “family friends”. I continued to be dropped in school by a ramshackle jalopy of a car that the other kids made fan of because it looked like it would give way at any moment. Mercifully on rare occasions when the jalopy gave in, I was dropped by a police car and they didn’t make fun then.
That old man is one of the reasons why I am here with all you good folks doing the thankless task of writing this blog, instead of chasing Ken-Ren-like contracts with government departments and so called family contacts and friends—like intelligent sane Kenyans do. Or receiving some smuggled sugar from speed boats somewhere in Mombasa. It is the reason why unlike many Kenyans my hero is John Githongo and not Kamlesh Pattni or some other stinking rich tycoon that many Kenyans hero worship.
Now onto this latest saga involving the police.
Let me start by asking you some simple questions that you need to ask yourself?
If John Githongo issued a statement and then Stanley Livondo contradicted what he said, whom would you believe?
If Ndingi Mwana Nzeki issued a statement and Cardinal designate John Njue issued another one contradicting him, whom would you believe?
Finally if the chairman of the Kenya Human Rights Commission issued a carefully worded statement and then the Police commissioner issued a statement contradicting what he had said, whom would you believe?
I think the simple answer to this war of words is right there.
I have a simple test I use with all public figures. I look them straight in the eye and observe carefully how they react. Many of them have this shifty look in their eyes that gives them away and the moment they fail my test, I will never believe anything they say in public. I am especially wary of press conferences called “to clear the air.” The truth is that most of the time they do the very opposite, they pollute the air with lies. The truth is that there are too many lies flying around in Kenya today. The normal thing is for public figures to rush to the press and deny things.
Peter Kenneth the assistant minister for finance and his senior ministry officials called a press conference yesterday to strongly deny that the Ken-Ren deal exists. But payments of that contract are clearly documented in black and white in the budget. Anybody who can read English will be able to see them. And besides when the civil society first raised this issue months ago (we published their statement here in Kumekucha), the government said nothing.
It is virtually impossible to come up with any evidence to link the police to the extra-judicial killings of hundreds of young, Kikuyu youths whose bodies were dumped in mortuaries all over the country (we reported here based on information from impeccable sources that some of those bodies were dumped at the Nairobi National Park to be eaten by wild animals).
The truth is that the police who undertook these killings based on instructions from the Minister in charge of Internal security (that were not that secret, but which Kenyans have now forgotten about) could not have been stupid enough to leave any calling cards or even a shred of evidence.
My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones and know the truth about how innocent the Kenya police are in this matter. Be strong, one day the truth shall be known.
This post is dedicated to relatives of all those who lost their loved ones and who find it extremely painful to hear grown men who are supposed to protect them, tell lies on national television. It is also dedicated to all those straight policemen who refused to be corrupt. Those gallant sons of Kenya some of whom lost their lives because of their principles.
I salute you all.
I thank you all…
and I bless the day Kenyan mothers gave birth to you.
Before we examine this disturbing development where there is a war of words between the police and the Chairman of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (over the issue of 500 dead bodies) , let me tell you a little background story I know you will love.
My knowledge of the police and the way they operate is rather deep although I have never been a police officer myself (I almost became one though, but that is a story for another day). You see I grew up living with a very senior police officer who happened to be the man who sired me.
In primary school I distinctly remember my Dad, suddenly, and out of the blue starting to carry a large automatic firearm around with him everywhere he went. I was puzzled and did not know why until many years later.
You see the old man was trained by the colonial government and for some reason certain basic principals stuck with him that were to put him on a collision course with the new direction the police force took shortly after independence. He probably only survived because he was quite senior and had a very powerful friend in the Kenya Army who was equally principled and had to step in once or twice to “cool down” things for him.
In this particular case my dad as a matter of principle refused to look the other way when coffee belonging to Mama Ngina Kenyatta came in and those escorting it, cockily demanded a police escort to Mombasa for it (it was during the coffee boom). I hope you’ve seen the very funny joke here—police escorting criminally smuggled goods.
The old man flatly refused and played it by the book, in fact he impounded the smuggled goods. Naturally he received threats and this was not a joke because he was dealing with people closely affiliated to the then dreaded Jomo Kenyatta kitchen cabinet. I have told you many times about the kind of things those “nice” guys used to do to other Kenyans, so I will not repeat myself.
Although the coffee still got to Mombasa (his boss over-ruled him) things got so bad that for weeks on end the cop who refused to go crooked never slept at home but spent the night in different hotels under an assumed name. He had been told that a contract was out for him to be killed. That crisis passed but they were many others that followed until finally during the Moi era, they forced him out of the police and into early retirement.
Ironically a few months later he read in the newspapers that a police officer whom he had wanted to prosecute for stealing money belonging to the police canteen in a certain province where they served together once, had been appointed police commissioner. Yep, that’s what the police force degenerated into when politics happened to it.
And then we ask ourselves today why the police seem to be losing the war against criminals. Strange people, we Kenyans are!
Let me admit that when I was growing up I believed that my dad was making a mistake being so stringent and principled. Especially when he worked hard to instill the same principles in us, his children. For years we joked how our house was an extension of the police station.
I watched with envy as other policeman’s kids showed off their expensive toys (delivered by some “Asian friend of their dad”) and later as they drove around in expensive cars given to them as gifts by “family friends”. I continued to be dropped in school by a ramshackle jalopy of a car that the other kids made fan of because it looked like it would give way at any moment. Mercifully on rare occasions when the jalopy gave in, I was dropped by a police car and they didn’t make fun then.
That old man is one of the reasons why I am here with all you good folks doing the thankless task of writing this blog, instead of chasing Ken-Ren-like contracts with government departments and so called family contacts and friends—like intelligent sane Kenyans do. Or receiving some smuggled sugar from speed boats somewhere in Mombasa. It is the reason why unlike many Kenyans my hero is John Githongo and not Kamlesh Pattni or some other stinking rich tycoon that many Kenyans hero worship.
Now onto this latest saga involving the police.
Let me start by asking you some simple questions that you need to ask yourself?
If John Githongo issued a statement and then Stanley Livondo contradicted what he said, whom would you believe?
If Ndingi Mwana Nzeki issued a statement and Cardinal designate John Njue issued another one contradicting him, whom would you believe?
Finally if the chairman of the Kenya Human Rights Commission issued a carefully worded statement and then the Police commissioner issued a statement contradicting what he had said, whom would you believe?
I think the simple answer to this war of words is right there.
I have a simple test I use with all public figures. I look them straight in the eye and observe carefully how they react. Many of them have this shifty look in their eyes that gives them away and the moment they fail my test, I will never believe anything they say in public. I am especially wary of press conferences called “to clear the air.” The truth is that most of the time they do the very opposite, they pollute the air with lies. The truth is that there are too many lies flying around in Kenya today. The normal thing is for public figures to rush to the press and deny things.
Peter Kenneth the assistant minister for finance and his senior ministry officials called a press conference yesterday to strongly deny that the Ken-Ren deal exists. But payments of that contract are clearly documented in black and white in the budget. Anybody who can read English will be able to see them. And besides when the civil society first raised this issue months ago (we published their statement here in Kumekucha), the government said nothing.
It is virtually impossible to come up with any evidence to link the police to the extra-judicial killings of hundreds of young, Kikuyu youths whose bodies were dumped in mortuaries all over the country (we reported here based on information from impeccable sources that some of those bodies were dumped at the Nairobi National Park to be eaten by wild animals).
The truth is that the police who undertook these killings based on instructions from the Minister in charge of Internal security (that were not that secret, but which Kenyans have now forgotten about) could not have been stupid enough to leave any calling cards or even a shred of evidence.
My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones and know the truth about how innocent the Kenya police are in this matter. Be strong, one day the truth shall be known.
This post is dedicated to relatives of all those who lost their loved ones and who find it extremely painful to hear grown men who are supposed to protect them, tell lies on national television. It is also dedicated to all those straight policemen who refused to be corrupt. Those gallant sons of Kenya some of whom lost their lives because of their principles.
I salute you all.
I thank you all…
and I bless the day Kenyan mothers gave birth to you.
5 Most Popular stories in Kumekucha today 7th Nov
5 Most Popular stories in Kumekucha today 7th Nov
1. I successfully recommended that my boss should be fired
2. Where is all the fake currency coming from?
3. PNU propaganda causes Christian churches to panic
4. Why Raila will lose Langata Parliamentary seat
5. We are headed for Kikuyu versus the rest.
1. I successfully recommended that my boss should be fired
2. Where is all the fake currency coming from?
3. PNU propaganda causes Christian churches to panic
4. Why Raila will lose Langata Parliamentary seat
5. We are headed for Kikuyu versus the rest.
Marianne Briner Releases Statement From Hospital
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
The answer to the question: "Who had an interest to disable my blogs and why"
As you may have realized, all my three blogs 'mariannebriner-jeffkoinange', 'mariannebriner-excellency' and mariannebriner-kenya-betrayed' had been disabled over the weekend ..............
--------------------------
Sam Okello, my 'co-author' in the Shining Star is now claiming to have done it and not only for himself but also because he felt that he had to 'defend' Jeff Koinange ......... Sam has even sent a letter to a notorious Kenyan Blogger regarding this and they have published it more than willingly ...... and I even suspect that this Blogger received money for it ...........
Why I say this?
Because Jeff Koinange is used to do this .......like he did in the infamous Niger-Delta-Story where he allegedly paid some actors to present themselves in front of his camera as 'rebels' - all under the title: I got my fame and CNN got their story ...... only this time he went too far and this 'broke his neck' ....and with it his job ...........
In his so-called letter, Sam Okello also claims to know that the surveillance in the London Hotel confirms that Jeff never entered my room and therefore could not have had any sexual 'encounter' with me and that CNN all got it wrong ............ Jeff 'put the brakes early enough' as Sam puts it.
This is offending and hurting ........... since as Sam knows very well I have all the emails confirming the opposite and underlining Jeff's guilt .........
-------------------
Sam also mentions that I had approached him to act as a ghost-writer for the Distant-Lover, a request he declined .........
The truth is quite different as I can easily prove with the exchange of emails between me, Sam and his wife Hellen regarding this subject ........
It was in fact Sam who made the proposal that I should publish the whole story in a book - after they had realized the unbelievable reaction this matter had raised all around the world ..........and as Sam put it to me: 'you have a legitimate story to tell here...'
He then offered to put it together and act as a kind of 'ghost-writer' .......... (and for all those doubting me: I am willing to provide you with the facts, i.e. our email-exchange on all this)....................
---------------------
But before I continue on this subject, allow me to give you the following information - which also explains Hellen and Sam Okello's 'change of mind' or as I call it 'brain-washing'.
I am sure that Jeff Koinange is behind all this - since only he knew about this and now obviously is taking advantage of this knowledge for his own personal reasons ...........
And as usual 'hiding' behind others - like in this case where he is hiding behind Sam Okello - who is more than willing to act as Jeff's 'servant' .............
Because the truth is that Jeff Koinange is a coward ...... afraid to show his own face ..............he is using people - their mind and their feelings and this he did all his life ............
Before going into detail regarding this, I should mention that I still have an 'open' account with Sam Okello, something Jeff knew about and therefore made it easy for him to 'convince' Sam:
When Sam and I agreed to write the Shining Star together, we signed a mutual agreement and I also signed the document which he was then supposed to send to the Publisher XLibris ...... we agreed to share the royalties of the book in equal terms.
When I did not hear anything anymore about this, I contacted XLibris and found out that Sam had only passed to them our mutual Author's Agreement but not the one regarding sharing the royalties ..... everything was put instead under his own name and his own company - at that time Sahel Books Inc. ........ which had been put by him as the only ones receiving the royalties .........
When I asked him to clarify this, he and especially his wife Hellen became very offensive .............
In short:
Up to today I never received one cent ........... and they even 'topped' their cheating when they unilateral cancelled the agreement with XLibris and formed their own Publishing Company Sahel Publishers (funny that this happened at the moment where the Jeff-Koinange-Saga and my blog about this attracted a huge attention all around the world and always the Shining Star was mentioned ......).
--------------
Coming back to the Distant-Lover:
Sam assured me to settle also the accounts for the Shining Star is and when I pass also the Distant-Lover-Book to them.......... he even sent me his version of how it should be done ............
I read his script and was not just amazed but really disgusted:
- he had left out any mentioning of Oprah Winfrey - although Jeff talked about this relationship with her in many emails at various occasions ...........
- there was also no word regarding the Niger-Delta-Story - although this should have been discussed not only in one chapter - publishing all the emails Jeff had sent to me ............
- Sam furthermore left out all the mails Jeff had sent to me after London in which he was accepting his guilt .............
Don't you think that this is more than funny?????????
Sam Okello had obviously contacted Jeff before sending me his 'proposal' for the book and both must have agreed what to leave out and what to mention .......... there is no other explanation .......
and the following fits into this 'pattern': it took Sam more than one month to send me his proposal ...... always claiming that he was busy ......... now it's clear: he was 'busy' to track down Jeff Koinange .............
And in coming out now in Jeff's defense, Sam is even more underlinding their 'collaboration' .......... don't you think so?
In this connection, it is interesting to know Jeff Koinange's previous opinion about Sam Okello:
When I told Jeff about the cheating regarding the royalties, Jeff called the Okellos 'criminal bastards which make me feel ashamed being a Kenyan ...' and further: 'the only serious book Sam has ever published is the Shining Star and this thanks to you ...... all his other books are just 'trivial' and I would not even spend one minute of my precious time to read one line .....................'
And it was for this reason that he declined to write a forward to the Excellency-Book which Sam Okello had asked him to ..............
I will be more than pleased to supply you with Jeff's comments on this if you ask me to ...............
And now these 'two' - Jeff and Sam - have become 'friends' - joining forces against this dangerous woman called Marianne Briner ?????????
Just think about all this.......................
And for all those of you to get to know the whole story:
Just send me a mail (mariannebriner@hotmail.com) and I will send you the complete script ------------ the book will come out early next year ----------- so this is your chance to get it now free of charge .............
And here is the reason why I am so 'gracious' ............
It is now confirmed that Jeff Koinange has infected me with Herpes and even worse with the most contagious form 'Herpes-18' .........
An infection which can be treated but can never be cured .........
I will have to live with it for the rest of my life.
I had published an appeal (before my blogs were 'disabled') asking Jeff to at least tell me since when he is infected and which medicaments he is taking. This would be useful to know for my own treatment ..........
But his 'reply' was the disabling of my blogs .......................
------------------
Friends and family tell me to 'slow down' - to be careful with a man like Jeff Koinange who obviously is much more dangerous then we ever expected ......................... but I cannot do that.
Because knowing what he did to me - he will for sure continue infecting other women like he has already done in the past as one woman from Kenya wrote to me and I am sure that there are more 'out there' feeling ashamed to talk about it ............
There are more than 45 million people infected worldwide - and since the diagnosis is very difficult, the real figures may be more than double -
So since I have been diagnosed with this infection, I have decided to go into the open with it and to publish everything I found out ......
Jeff knew he was infected and still forced me to have sex with him without using any protection ........ and even after I started bleeding and having pain, he did not stop ..............
And if you don't believe me, just read his emails afterwards ........................
He once told me to believe him and that he was 'a man of his words' ..........
So here is my appeal to you, Jeff Koinange, come out and show your face - don't hide behind Sam and others .......... tell me the truth .... tell me since when you are infected and which treatment you take .........
You owe me at least this because I will have to come to terms with the fact that you have infected me and that I will have to live with it for the rest of my life............
Marianne Briner
The answer to the question: "Who had an interest to disable my blogs and why"
As you may have realized, all my three blogs 'mariannebriner-jeffkoinange', 'mariannebriner-excellency' and mariannebriner-kenya-betrayed' had been disabled over the weekend ..............
--------------------------
Sam Okello, my 'co-author' in the Shining Star is now claiming to have done it and not only for himself but also because he felt that he had to 'defend' Jeff Koinange ......... Sam has even sent a letter to a notorious Kenyan Blogger regarding this and they have published it more than willingly ...... and I even suspect that this Blogger received money for it ...........
Why I say this?
Because Jeff Koinange is used to do this .......like he did in the infamous Niger-Delta-Story where he allegedly paid some actors to present themselves in front of his camera as 'rebels' - all under the title: I got my fame and CNN got their story ...... only this time he went too far and this 'broke his neck' ....and with it his job ...........
In his so-called letter, Sam Okello also claims to know that the surveillance in the London Hotel confirms that Jeff never entered my room and therefore could not have had any sexual 'encounter' with me and that CNN all got it wrong ............ Jeff 'put the brakes early enough' as Sam puts it.
This is offending and hurting ........... since as Sam knows very well I have all the emails confirming the opposite and underlining Jeff's guilt .........
-------------------
Sam also mentions that I had approached him to act as a ghost-writer for the Distant-Lover, a request he declined .........
The truth is quite different as I can easily prove with the exchange of emails between me, Sam and his wife Hellen regarding this subject ........
It was in fact Sam who made the proposal that I should publish the whole story in a book - after they had realized the unbelievable reaction this matter had raised all around the world ..........and as Sam put it to me: 'you have a legitimate story to tell here...'
He then offered to put it together and act as a kind of 'ghost-writer' .......... (and for all those doubting me: I am willing to provide you with the facts, i.e. our email-exchange on all this)....................
---------------------
But before I continue on this subject, allow me to give you the following information - which also explains Hellen and Sam Okello's 'change of mind' or as I call it 'brain-washing'.
I am sure that Jeff Koinange is behind all this - since only he knew about this and now obviously is taking advantage of this knowledge for his own personal reasons ...........
And as usual 'hiding' behind others - like in this case where he is hiding behind Sam Okello - who is more than willing to act as Jeff's 'servant' .............
Because the truth is that Jeff Koinange is a coward ...... afraid to show his own face ..............he is using people - their mind and their feelings and this he did all his life ............
Before going into detail regarding this, I should mention that I still have an 'open' account with Sam Okello, something Jeff knew about and therefore made it easy for him to 'convince' Sam:
When Sam and I agreed to write the Shining Star together, we signed a mutual agreement and I also signed the document which he was then supposed to send to the Publisher XLibris ...... we agreed to share the royalties of the book in equal terms.
When I did not hear anything anymore about this, I contacted XLibris and found out that Sam had only passed to them our mutual Author's Agreement but not the one regarding sharing the royalties ..... everything was put instead under his own name and his own company - at that time Sahel Books Inc. ........ which had been put by him as the only ones receiving the royalties .........
When I asked him to clarify this, he and especially his wife Hellen became very offensive .............
In short:
Up to today I never received one cent ........... and they even 'topped' their cheating when they unilateral cancelled the agreement with XLibris and formed their own Publishing Company Sahel Publishers (funny that this happened at the moment where the Jeff-Koinange-Saga and my blog about this attracted a huge attention all around the world and always the Shining Star was mentioned ......).
--------------
Coming back to the Distant-Lover:
Sam assured me to settle also the accounts for the Shining Star is and when I pass also the Distant-Lover-Book to them.......... he even sent me his version of how it should be done ............
I read his script and was not just amazed but really disgusted:
- he had left out any mentioning of Oprah Winfrey - although Jeff talked about this relationship with her in many emails at various occasions ...........
- there was also no word regarding the Niger-Delta-Story - although this should have been discussed not only in one chapter - publishing all the emails Jeff had sent to me ............
- Sam furthermore left out all the mails Jeff had sent to me after London in which he was accepting his guilt .............
Don't you think that this is more than funny?????????
Sam Okello had obviously contacted Jeff before sending me his 'proposal' for the book and both must have agreed what to leave out and what to mention .......... there is no other explanation .......
and the following fits into this 'pattern': it took Sam more than one month to send me his proposal ...... always claiming that he was busy ......... now it's clear: he was 'busy' to track down Jeff Koinange .............
And in coming out now in Jeff's defense, Sam is even more underlinding their 'collaboration' .......... don't you think so?
In this connection, it is interesting to know Jeff Koinange's previous opinion about Sam Okello:
When I told Jeff about the cheating regarding the royalties, Jeff called the Okellos 'criminal bastards which make me feel ashamed being a Kenyan ...' and further: 'the only serious book Sam has ever published is the Shining Star and this thanks to you ...... all his other books are just 'trivial' and I would not even spend one minute of my precious time to read one line .....................'
And it was for this reason that he declined to write a forward to the Excellency-Book which Sam Okello had asked him to ..............
I will be more than pleased to supply you with Jeff's comments on this if you ask me to ...............
And now these 'two' - Jeff and Sam - have become 'friends' - joining forces against this dangerous woman called Marianne Briner ?????????
Just think about all this.......................
And for all those of you to get to know the whole story:
Just send me a mail (mariannebriner@hotmail.com) and I will send you the complete script ------------ the book will come out early next year ----------- so this is your chance to get it now free of charge .............
And here is the reason why I am so 'gracious' ............
It is now confirmed that Jeff Koinange has infected me with Herpes and even worse with the most contagious form 'Herpes-18' .........
An infection which can be treated but can never be cured .........
I will have to live with it for the rest of my life.
I had published an appeal (before my blogs were 'disabled') asking Jeff to at least tell me since when he is infected and which medicaments he is taking. This would be useful to know for my own treatment ..........
But his 'reply' was the disabling of my blogs .......................
------------------
Friends and family tell me to 'slow down' - to be careful with a man like Jeff Koinange who obviously is much more dangerous then we ever expected ......................... but I cannot do that.
Because knowing what he did to me - he will for sure continue infecting other women like he has already done in the past as one woman from Kenya wrote to me and I am sure that there are more 'out there' feeling ashamed to talk about it ............
There are more than 45 million people infected worldwide - and since the diagnosis is very difficult, the real figures may be more than double -
So since I have been diagnosed with this infection, I have decided to go into the open with it and to publish everything I found out ......
Jeff knew he was infected and still forced me to have sex with him without using any protection ........ and even after I started bleeding and having pain, he did not stop ..............
And if you don't believe me, just read his emails afterwards ........................
He once told me to believe him and that he was 'a man of his words' ..........
So here is my appeal to you, Jeff Koinange, come out and show your face - don't hide behind Sam and others .......... tell me the truth .... tell me since when you are infected and which treatment you take .........
You owe me at least this because I will have to come to terms with the fact that you have infected me and that I will have to live with it for the rest of my life............
Marianne Briner
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Where Is All The Fake Currency Coming From?
Most Kenyans, it seems are well aware of the fact that when elections are around the corner the volume of fake currency sharply rises. This time is no exception and according to our research the most common fake note in the run up to elections 2007 is… surprise, surprise, the Kshs 200 note. Very handy for dishing out under a tree in some remote village. Or even for purchasing some voting cards in some extreme poverty stricken area like Turukana (a place where most of my readers here have never set foot on. I assure you, you will not believe you are in Kenya. If a dog dies in this part of the country—it doesn’t matter from what— folks here celebrate because that means a serious nyama choma session is in the offing. I kid you not.) Kshs 200 is a lot of money in Turukana.
But what should be even more worrying to Kenyans is the question; where is it coming from this time?
It has been previously assumed that printing fake notes is quite often the work of some small time crooks situated somewhere around River Road in Nairobi. The Kroll report authoritatively told us otherwise and the name of Philip Moi (yep, the former president’s son) was linked to the printing of fake Kenyan currency and US dollars as well. Suddenly everything began to make so much sense since for example we all know that during the landmark 1992 elections fake Kshs 500 notes were printed in huge quantities. And we all know what the purpose was, along with the genuinely printed ones that were being packed at Anniversary Towers up to the roof and were dished out in carton loads.
Now this time it was assumed that all the bad guys specializing in the printing of fake notes for election purposes have retired along with former President Moi. Sadly it is clear that they have not.
The problem was so serious a few weeks ago that Hoo Ndii Emm reported that they had unknowingly received more than Kshs 200,000 in fake notes as nomination fees payment from aspirants for both parliamentary and civic seats. According to the party Secretary General, Kshs 169,000 in counterfeit cash was received in Nairobi and Ksh 55,000 in Mombasa. He said they had reported the matter to the police. That was about 3 weeks ago and to date nothing has been done. If anything it seems that the idea is to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible.
ODM has also received some fake notes although the party has not revealed details.
The presence of so much fake currency many believe in larger quantities than was the case in 2002, is a clear indicator that dirty politics is in full swing and this may make other stranger than fiction allegations of foul play in this elections more believable. And don’t for a moment lie to yourself that dirty tactics are limited to one political party. It seems that during the campaign period the law is conveniently trashed and even murder is not really a criminal offence. One immediate former MP closely escaped death yesterday when gunmen sprayed bullets at his car as he was coming from a campaign meeting. And have you noticed that hardly anybody is ever arrested for a murder linked to the electioneering?
So the printing of currency is hardly a big deal.
P.S. Did you know that there are some parts of the world where everybody prints their own money. It happens in Somaliland (which is a peaceful area of Somalia that is seeking autonomy and recognition from the world). The printing is allowed because all the currency is simply pegged to the US dollar and there isn’t enough dollar to go round and apparently there is no Central bank with resources to order for it’s own printing of cash so the private printing helps a lot. I’m informed that most new notes are released on Fridays.
It may look like a lucrative undertaking to somebody who doesn’t understand the economics involved but the truth is that with the crazy triple digit inflation happening in some of these parts, the printing could easily be a serious loss. In other words, the printing bill ends up being much higher than the value of the currency produced.
But what should be even more worrying to Kenyans is the question; where is it coming from this time?
It has been previously assumed that printing fake notes is quite often the work of some small time crooks situated somewhere around River Road in Nairobi. The Kroll report authoritatively told us otherwise and the name of Philip Moi (yep, the former president’s son) was linked to the printing of fake Kenyan currency and US dollars as well. Suddenly everything began to make so much sense since for example we all know that during the landmark 1992 elections fake Kshs 500 notes were printed in huge quantities. And we all know what the purpose was, along with the genuinely printed ones that were being packed at Anniversary Towers up to the roof and were dished out in carton loads.
Now this time it was assumed that all the bad guys specializing in the printing of fake notes for election purposes have retired along with former President Moi. Sadly it is clear that they have not.
The problem was so serious a few weeks ago that Hoo Ndii Emm reported that they had unknowingly received more than Kshs 200,000 in fake notes as nomination fees payment from aspirants for both parliamentary and civic seats. According to the party Secretary General, Kshs 169,000 in counterfeit cash was received in Nairobi and Ksh 55,000 in Mombasa. He said they had reported the matter to the police. That was about 3 weeks ago and to date nothing has been done. If anything it seems that the idea is to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible.
ODM has also received some fake notes although the party has not revealed details.
The presence of so much fake currency many believe in larger quantities than was the case in 2002, is a clear indicator that dirty politics is in full swing and this may make other stranger than fiction allegations of foul play in this elections more believable. And don’t for a moment lie to yourself that dirty tactics are limited to one political party. It seems that during the campaign period the law is conveniently trashed and even murder is not really a criminal offence. One immediate former MP closely escaped death yesterday when gunmen sprayed bullets at his car as he was coming from a campaign meeting. And have you noticed that hardly anybody is ever arrested for a murder linked to the electioneering?
So the printing of currency is hardly a big deal.
P.S. Did you know that there are some parts of the world where everybody prints their own money. It happens in Somaliland (which is a peaceful area of Somalia that is seeking autonomy and recognition from the world). The printing is allowed because all the currency is simply pegged to the US dollar and there isn’t enough dollar to go round and apparently there is no Central bank with resources to order for it’s own printing of cash so the private printing helps a lot. I’m informed that most new notes are released on Fridays.
It may look like a lucrative undertaking to somebody who doesn’t understand the economics involved but the truth is that with the crazy triple digit inflation happening in some of these parts, the printing could easily be a serious loss. In other words, the printing bill ends up being much higher than the value of the currency produced.
“I once successfully recommended to my boss’s boss to relieve him of his job and give it to me. I got it without undermining anyone!”
I have never met this Kenyan, but he makes a lot of sense to me.
I like to think of my readers as friends and anything of interest that they should know, I will gladly pass on.
I hope that it has dawned on you guys that the world and especially the workplace is changing too fast for most people to understand and grasp the meaning of the changes. Least of all our Njenga-Karume-type-cabinet Ministers. That’s why I was talking about Kenyans making the effort to seek a younger generation eladership in our beloved country.
Anyway let’s forget siasa for a minute.
A Kenyan motivational speaker gave a fascinating talk in Nairobi the other day that every Kumekucha reader should take a very careful look at. I guarantee that you will NOT regret it.
A talk by Eric Kimani to the British Council Leadership Forum in Nairobi, Kenya on 19th September 2007.
Distinguished guests ladies & gentlemen,
I am delighted to have been invited to come and share some thoughts with you.
Tonight I have chosen to address one of the topics you asked me to speak on-target setting or planning for success. This is a wide topic and I have chosen to provoke our thoughts on Personal Branding.
To answer the question why brand yourself I will narrate in short a chapter by Tom Peters the management guru in one of his books – “The Circle of innovation”.
He tells the story how in 1980 Percy Bernevik left his job in the US to take up the leadership of the giant Swedish engineering firm ASEA.
There he inherited a 2,000 –person headquarters. He pruned it quickly to 200 people!
In 1987 ASEA merged with Switzerland’s Brown Boveri to create the world’s largest Electrical engineering firm Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) inheriting Brown Boveri’s 4,000 strong headquarters. Six months later the headquarters was down to 200! As of 1998 the headcount had gone down to 140 down from 6,000. The message is that if it has not happened to you it soon will- 59 out of 60 of you and me here tonight are at risk and hence the need to brand ourselves!
How do we brand ourselves?
Keep time! As a general rule we have little respect for time. You give someone an appointment and they come half hour or an hour late. You call a meeting and half the people turn up late. Until you have a reputation for respect for time you will not project yourself as a powerful brand. I have chaired a professional committee for over 8 years and we meet from 7.30 to 8.30 a.m. and occasionally to 9 am. We have never started the meeting late or ended it late! I chair many others and I will be on time 99% of time. I have a reputation for keeping time. It is part of my branding effort. I have little respect for people who do not keep time. Ordinarily they are unreliable and weak brands. This is an area of life that is easy to improve. In some cultures like Germany, it is commonly taken as a personal affront to be late and they will cancel important business or social appointments on this score alone.
To build a powerful brand of yourself you must be passionate at what you do. I once worked for a large tea company and my calling/visiting card besides my name had the inscription “Passionate about Tea”. And those who knew me will tell you I was passionate about it! I have heard someone comment that if I worked at Sameer with the same passion heaven would be the limit for “Yana”. I am intending to print new business cards screaming “Yana where the rubber meets the Road”! Like Martin Luther said once- if you are a sweeper sweep to the glory of God.
I say if you are a teacher here tonight teach with passion; whatever your vocation give it your best. If you cannot account for the day don’t bother to wake up and burn energy and fuel through the Nairobi traffic. If you do not show up on time to passionately deliver a measurable product you will not be a powerful brand. I get to work often earlier than 6.30 a.m. to keep my brand equity higher than the competition! My friend Bill Lay the CEO of General Motors sometimes comes for coffee to my office before 7 a.m.! Martin Oduor Otieno the CEO of KCB Group gives me a 7 a.m. appointment! This is the branding I am talking about! These men are passionate about the work they do!
You must learn how to deliver extra-ordinary service. You must be reliable to your customers- and this applies whether you are talking of a finance department staff, HR or any enterprise. For 10 year we have run a small family business with my wife in a service industry dominated by big competitor firms. Our customer base is largely what I would call the 5-star institutional market. Our customer retention in that decade has been close to 95% - the greatest reason for this is that we are reliable in service delivery! Most great managers and leaders are head hunted for their extra ordinary service delivery which portrays them as powerful brands.
Understand globalization. I will never forget a picture that appeared in the Economist somewhere in the late 90’s showing a Maasai herdsman looking after his cattle with his legs traditionally crossed and talking on a mobile phone- it looked so distant then; it became a reality so soon thereafter. The world is not a global village anymore but a virtual one! Jobs are no longer limited to within borders. The boundaries are no longer in existence except in our politicized minds! Our competition for the jobs and market share is not local – it is global. Entrepreneurial competition is also now global. I am incoming chairman of Help Age International the leading global Non-Governmental Organization on ageing with headquarters in London. I fly out on a Wednesday night to attend board meetings and other functions on Thursday and Friday and I am back in Nairobi on Saturday night! I tell people to stop complaining about Chinese and get their acts together- China is here to stay! We must be prepared to compete with China and anyone else on a global level.
Today Indians are sub-contracting Kenyans on technology for back office operations; the government of Kenya has announced that each constituency will have a technology village. In the Sameer Export Processing Zones we have American Corporations run by Kenyans on Kenyan soil but the call centre customer has no clue and does not care who handles the call!
The world has truly flattened. To appropriately brand yourself, you must understand globalization and the flattening of the world. I heard a serious joke the other day that not long ago mothers threatened their kids in America to think of the starving Indians and eat their food;
I hear that today they are implored to read or an Indian will take their jobs! To project yourself as a powerful brand in the world we must understand globalization.
Jobs have been re-engineered and continue to be re-engineered by technology. I joined Sameer Africa 2 years ago. Six of us had 6 secretaries. Today we share 2!It takes weeks or months before anyone types a letter for me in the office! Today you can buy your air-ticket from the comfort of your office or home; print your boarding pass and show up at immigration. Travel agency has been totally re-engineered by technology- what next? You must think and brand yourself appropriately!
To create a brand of yourself you must stop thinking employment/employee and begin to see yourself as an independent contractor irrespective of whether you are a cleaner, a CEO, a teacher or a middle executive. No independent contractor will refuse to show up for work or do a shoddy job because the repercussions will be major in lost income and bad future references. A couple of years ago a Jewish friend who thought I was a good brand stopped me at a roundabout to offer to ask whether I would take a job contract with a certain company! I did and it was one of my most lucrative jobs. Not long ago I negotiated a very good job contract in a Java Coffeehouse! I tell people that I am not employed by Sameer Africa- I work with Sameer Africa and my intentions are to passionately deliver an extra-ordinary performance that will raise my brand equity higher!
Begin to be known as the best Accountant around; the best lawyer; the best sales person; the best at whatever you do- it is at the heart of the brand you wish to become.
You are Chairman/CEO/of life; forget that you work for someone. It is liberating like you cannot imagine.
In the same way Coccola, Yana, Keringet are powerful brands, you need to make Kamau, Otieno or Kioko a powerful brand! You must understand that it does not work any longer to tell a prospective employer that I was Finance Director, or General Manager of XYZ- You must say what it is you achieved- A measurable achievement! I know this one man that was CEO of a company that then fired him many years ago and for the last 20 years all he has told anybody who cares to listen is that he used to be the CEO of XYZ….! He made a poor brand of himself and no one ever employed him again.
To brand yourself, you must pass what one management writer called the Painter test. Imagine that your painter did not turn up for work would you pay him on a daily rate? Why is it then that a manager who habitually misses work and deadlines only gets away with a down grading on his/her annual appraisal while a painter would go without pay? Would you recommend a painter who misses to show up or does a shoddy job? In the same measure a Brand You requires that you pass this test. This test is increasingly becoming the measure in an era of performance management.
Branding yourself for success demands that you exercise power that is far beyond what is vested in your employment, contract or work environment. I tell those wishing to grow their careers that authority is never given; authority must be grabbed.
Most well branded managers know that you take action and then seek affirmation- Powerlessness is indeed a state of mind.
I have done things in the past that even my immediate boss could not have the “power” or “authority” to do. I once successfully recommended to my boss’s boss to relieve him of his job and give it to me. I got it without undermining anyone!
Powerful branding demands a high level of moral authority. This is the highest form of authority anyone can have- far higher and transcendent than any form of formal authority. Moral authority will give you access to people and places you have never imagined. It increases your brand visibility. This is the kind of authority Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King etc had. Moral authority gives you access to a very large circle of influence. I am sure Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai will be remembered far into the future for the moral authority she built than for the fact that she was in parliament! Recently I conceived an idea to strengthen the activities of Palmhouse Foundation- an educational trust I co-founded with my wife and whose mission is to finance the secondary education of bright and deserving children.
I invited 13 extremely highly regarded and placed Kenyans to become the Advisory and Oversight Board. Some are men and women I would otherwise hesitate to ask for any kind of favor because of their high status in society. Not one of them turned down the request! And why?
What authority did I have? I have moral authority. Moral authority belongs to those who offer themselves for the well being of others. The reward you get is a powerful circle of influence and a very high brand visibility!
Many of you know me for higher positions I have held in society but I can guarantee you that none of those positions would beat the Palmhouse Foundation and its moral signature on my life.
Personal branding demands higher credibility. Credibility comes from trust. I recommend a book by the chairman of one of the leading companies in the USA titled “winners never cheat”. Those looking to establish a truly transcendent brand must be trusted. I have on many occasions told the story of a man who years ago offered me a seven digit “thank you” for something he perceived I did for him. I was aware that I had done nothing out of my work/job and he had won the contract transparently and performed it judiciously. I turned down his thank you offer. To this day he remains perhaps one of my greatest brand testimony to many in his very wide and global circle of influence!
Credibility and trust are central to protecting your brand equity! Nothing will kill your self confidence and self worth as taking a bribe and no matter how rich you become through this avenue, you will remain a weak brand in the market. I know many seemingly successful and rich people who would pay anything to increase their brand presence but their credibility kills it!
To increase brand visibility it would help to build yourself a website. I have had one since 2003! Some of the most incredible lessons I learn today are from some of you who visit and post messages on my website.
It need not be the most state of the art. Very soon a website will become as much a necessity as an email address and if you do not have one you are “mteja” – you cannot be reached.
Four months ago I received an email from Australia from a man I do not know. He was looking for the founder/chairman of Group Four Security a gentleman by the name Ed Van Tongeren. He told me in an email that he had been looking for him for a long time because he once saved his life many years ago but they lost contact. When he went to the World Wide Web and searched, the only Ed Van Tongeren was mention in a speech I posted on my website. I was able to connect the two gentlemen. I trust you understand the power of the website.
Finally learn and upgrade your skills to improve the brand you! Read voraciously. I am an accountant, lawyer and motivational public speaker! To retain my command on these and many areas I have to read widely. Only this way can you learn to anticipate the future! People ask me where we get the time. I respond by saying to them redeem time! Many people spend unnecessary time on TV, and reading newspaper from end to end. Like my chairman likes to put it by the time you finish reading the news paper your morale is so reduced by the bad news that are the hallmark of our newspapers that your output is greatly reduced. I read all my three papers in about 10 minutes and if I missed to read them I would not notice. I can go without TV for days. I choose to do things like reading that enhances my brand.
Having spoken about how to set targets and brand ourselves for success, I will conclude by trying to answer the question often posed;
How much success does a man need?
I will attempt to answer this question with a short story told by the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy in his book- “How much land does a man need”. In this book he narrates the story of a man who was asked to walk all the land he needed as long as he had to be at the starting point before darkness. The deal then was that he would get all the land as far as he walked and back. He started at day break and walked and walked and walked. Every time he thought it was time to start heading back he would think of a little more land to walk ahead.
The sun started threatening to go down and he started walking back. The sun was now threatening to set faster. He began to run. He ran, and ran and ran. He tried harder and faster. Finally as the darkness was about to fall he crossed the finishing line with final leap and fell on the ground with blood oozing out of his mouth he died! His servant who had accompanied him dug a shallow grave long and deep enough to bury his master’s dead body. Leo Tolstoy answered his question- how much land does a man need? - Only enough to cover him from the head to the toe.
How much success do you need?
Thank you and God bless you.
©Eric Kimani 2007.
I like to think of my readers as friends and anything of interest that they should know, I will gladly pass on.
I hope that it has dawned on you guys that the world and especially the workplace is changing too fast for most people to understand and grasp the meaning of the changes. Least of all our Njenga-Karume-type-cabinet Ministers. That’s why I was talking about Kenyans making the effort to seek a younger generation eladership in our beloved country.
Anyway let’s forget siasa for a minute.
A Kenyan motivational speaker gave a fascinating talk in Nairobi the other day that every Kumekucha reader should take a very careful look at. I guarantee that you will NOT regret it.
A talk by Eric Kimani to the British Council Leadership Forum in Nairobi, Kenya on 19th September 2007.
Distinguished guests ladies & gentlemen,
I am delighted to have been invited to come and share some thoughts with you.
Tonight I have chosen to address one of the topics you asked me to speak on-target setting or planning for success. This is a wide topic and I have chosen to provoke our thoughts on Personal Branding.
To answer the question why brand yourself I will narrate in short a chapter by Tom Peters the management guru in one of his books – “The Circle of innovation”.
He tells the story how in 1980 Percy Bernevik left his job in the US to take up the leadership of the giant Swedish engineering firm ASEA.
There he inherited a 2,000 –person headquarters. He pruned it quickly to 200 people!
In 1987 ASEA merged with Switzerland’s Brown Boveri to create the world’s largest Electrical engineering firm Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) inheriting Brown Boveri’s 4,000 strong headquarters. Six months later the headquarters was down to 200! As of 1998 the headcount had gone down to 140 down from 6,000. The message is that if it has not happened to you it soon will- 59 out of 60 of you and me here tonight are at risk and hence the need to brand ourselves!
How do we brand ourselves?
Keep time! As a general rule we have little respect for time. You give someone an appointment and they come half hour or an hour late. You call a meeting and half the people turn up late. Until you have a reputation for respect for time you will not project yourself as a powerful brand. I have chaired a professional committee for over 8 years and we meet from 7.30 to 8.30 a.m. and occasionally to 9 am. We have never started the meeting late or ended it late! I chair many others and I will be on time 99% of time. I have a reputation for keeping time. It is part of my branding effort. I have little respect for people who do not keep time. Ordinarily they are unreliable and weak brands. This is an area of life that is easy to improve. In some cultures like Germany, it is commonly taken as a personal affront to be late and they will cancel important business or social appointments on this score alone.
To build a powerful brand of yourself you must be passionate at what you do. I once worked for a large tea company and my calling/visiting card besides my name had the inscription “Passionate about Tea”. And those who knew me will tell you I was passionate about it! I have heard someone comment that if I worked at Sameer with the same passion heaven would be the limit for “Yana”. I am intending to print new business cards screaming “Yana where the rubber meets the Road”! Like Martin Luther said once- if you are a sweeper sweep to the glory of God.
I say if you are a teacher here tonight teach with passion; whatever your vocation give it your best. If you cannot account for the day don’t bother to wake up and burn energy and fuel through the Nairobi traffic. If you do not show up on time to passionately deliver a measurable product you will not be a powerful brand. I get to work often earlier than 6.30 a.m. to keep my brand equity higher than the competition! My friend Bill Lay the CEO of General Motors sometimes comes for coffee to my office before 7 a.m.! Martin Oduor Otieno the CEO of KCB Group gives me a 7 a.m. appointment! This is the branding I am talking about! These men are passionate about the work they do!
You must learn how to deliver extra-ordinary service. You must be reliable to your customers- and this applies whether you are talking of a finance department staff, HR or any enterprise. For 10 year we have run a small family business with my wife in a service industry dominated by big competitor firms. Our customer base is largely what I would call the 5-star institutional market. Our customer retention in that decade has been close to 95% - the greatest reason for this is that we are reliable in service delivery! Most great managers and leaders are head hunted for their extra ordinary service delivery which portrays them as powerful brands.
Understand globalization. I will never forget a picture that appeared in the Economist somewhere in the late 90’s showing a Maasai herdsman looking after his cattle with his legs traditionally crossed and talking on a mobile phone- it looked so distant then; it became a reality so soon thereafter. The world is not a global village anymore but a virtual one! Jobs are no longer limited to within borders. The boundaries are no longer in existence except in our politicized minds! Our competition for the jobs and market share is not local – it is global. Entrepreneurial competition is also now global. I am incoming chairman of Help Age International the leading global Non-Governmental Organization on ageing with headquarters in London. I fly out on a Wednesday night to attend board meetings and other functions on Thursday and Friday and I am back in Nairobi on Saturday night! I tell people to stop complaining about Chinese and get their acts together- China is here to stay! We must be prepared to compete with China and anyone else on a global level.
Today Indians are sub-contracting Kenyans on technology for back office operations; the government of Kenya has announced that each constituency will have a technology village. In the Sameer Export Processing Zones we have American Corporations run by Kenyans on Kenyan soil but the call centre customer has no clue and does not care who handles the call!
The world has truly flattened. To appropriately brand yourself, you must understand globalization and the flattening of the world. I heard a serious joke the other day that not long ago mothers threatened their kids in America to think of the starving Indians and eat their food;
I hear that today they are implored to read or an Indian will take their jobs! To project yourself as a powerful brand in the world we must understand globalization.
Jobs have been re-engineered and continue to be re-engineered by technology. I joined Sameer Africa 2 years ago. Six of us had 6 secretaries. Today we share 2!It takes weeks or months before anyone types a letter for me in the office! Today you can buy your air-ticket from the comfort of your office or home; print your boarding pass and show up at immigration. Travel agency has been totally re-engineered by technology- what next? You must think and brand yourself appropriately!
To create a brand of yourself you must stop thinking employment/employee and begin to see yourself as an independent contractor irrespective of whether you are a cleaner, a CEO, a teacher or a middle executive. No independent contractor will refuse to show up for work or do a shoddy job because the repercussions will be major in lost income and bad future references. A couple of years ago a Jewish friend who thought I was a good brand stopped me at a roundabout to offer to ask whether I would take a job contract with a certain company! I did and it was one of my most lucrative jobs. Not long ago I negotiated a very good job contract in a Java Coffeehouse! I tell people that I am not employed by Sameer Africa- I work with Sameer Africa and my intentions are to passionately deliver an extra-ordinary performance that will raise my brand equity higher!
Begin to be known as the best Accountant around; the best lawyer; the best sales person; the best at whatever you do- it is at the heart of the brand you wish to become.
You are Chairman/CEO/of life; forget that you work for someone. It is liberating like you cannot imagine.
In the same way Coccola, Yana, Keringet are powerful brands, you need to make Kamau, Otieno or Kioko a powerful brand! You must understand that it does not work any longer to tell a prospective employer that I was Finance Director, or General Manager of XYZ- You must say what it is you achieved- A measurable achievement! I know this one man that was CEO of a company that then fired him many years ago and for the last 20 years all he has told anybody who cares to listen is that he used to be the CEO of XYZ….! He made a poor brand of himself and no one ever employed him again.
To brand yourself, you must pass what one management writer called the Painter test. Imagine that your painter did not turn up for work would you pay him on a daily rate? Why is it then that a manager who habitually misses work and deadlines only gets away with a down grading on his/her annual appraisal while a painter would go without pay? Would you recommend a painter who misses to show up or does a shoddy job? In the same measure a Brand You requires that you pass this test. This test is increasingly becoming the measure in an era of performance management.
Branding yourself for success demands that you exercise power that is far beyond what is vested in your employment, contract or work environment. I tell those wishing to grow their careers that authority is never given; authority must be grabbed.
Most well branded managers know that you take action and then seek affirmation- Powerlessness is indeed a state of mind.
I have done things in the past that even my immediate boss could not have the “power” or “authority” to do. I once successfully recommended to my boss’s boss to relieve him of his job and give it to me. I got it without undermining anyone!
Powerful branding demands a high level of moral authority. This is the highest form of authority anyone can have- far higher and transcendent than any form of formal authority. Moral authority will give you access to people and places you have never imagined. It increases your brand visibility. This is the kind of authority Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King etc had. Moral authority gives you access to a very large circle of influence. I am sure Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai will be remembered far into the future for the moral authority she built than for the fact that she was in parliament! Recently I conceived an idea to strengthen the activities of Palmhouse Foundation- an educational trust I co-founded with my wife and whose mission is to finance the secondary education of bright and deserving children.
I invited 13 extremely highly regarded and placed Kenyans to become the Advisory and Oversight Board. Some are men and women I would otherwise hesitate to ask for any kind of favor because of their high status in society. Not one of them turned down the request! And why?
What authority did I have? I have moral authority. Moral authority belongs to those who offer themselves for the well being of others. The reward you get is a powerful circle of influence and a very high brand visibility!
Many of you know me for higher positions I have held in society but I can guarantee you that none of those positions would beat the Palmhouse Foundation and its moral signature on my life.
Personal branding demands higher credibility. Credibility comes from trust. I recommend a book by the chairman of one of the leading companies in the USA titled “winners never cheat”. Those looking to establish a truly transcendent brand must be trusted. I have on many occasions told the story of a man who years ago offered me a seven digit “thank you” for something he perceived I did for him. I was aware that I had done nothing out of my work/job and he had won the contract transparently and performed it judiciously. I turned down his thank you offer. To this day he remains perhaps one of my greatest brand testimony to many in his very wide and global circle of influence!
Credibility and trust are central to protecting your brand equity! Nothing will kill your self confidence and self worth as taking a bribe and no matter how rich you become through this avenue, you will remain a weak brand in the market. I know many seemingly successful and rich people who would pay anything to increase their brand presence but their credibility kills it!
To increase brand visibility it would help to build yourself a website. I have had one since 2003! Some of the most incredible lessons I learn today are from some of you who visit and post messages on my website.
It need not be the most state of the art. Very soon a website will become as much a necessity as an email address and if you do not have one you are “mteja” – you cannot be reached.
Four months ago I received an email from Australia from a man I do not know. He was looking for the founder/chairman of Group Four Security a gentleman by the name Ed Van Tongeren. He told me in an email that he had been looking for him for a long time because he once saved his life many years ago but they lost contact. When he went to the World Wide Web and searched, the only Ed Van Tongeren was mention in a speech I posted on my website. I was able to connect the two gentlemen. I trust you understand the power of the website.
Finally learn and upgrade your skills to improve the brand you! Read voraciously. I am an accountant, lawyer and motivational public speaker! To retain my command on these and many areas I have to read widely. Only this way can you learn to anticipate the future! People ask me where we get the time. I respond by saying to them redeem time! Many people spend unnecessary time on TV, and reading newspaper from end to end. Like my chairman likes to put it by the time you finish reading the news paper your morale is so reduced by the bad news that are the hallmark of our newspapers that your output is greatly reduced. I read all my three papers in about 10 minutes and if I missed to read them I would not notice. I can go without TV for days. I choose to do things like reading that enhances my brand.
Having spoken about how to set targets and brand ourselves for success, I will conclude by trying to answer the question often posed;
How much success does a man need?
I will attempt to answer this question with a short story told by the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy in his book- “How much land does a man need”. In this book he narrates the story of a man who was asked to walk all the land he needed as long as he had to be at the starting point before darkness. The deal then was that he would get all the land as far as he walked and back. He started at day break and walked and walked and walked. Every time he thought it was time to start heading back he would think of a little more land to walk ahead.
The sun started threatening to go down and he started walking back. The sun was now threatening to set faster. He began to run. He ran, and ran and ran. He tried harder and faster. Finally as the darkness was about to fall he crossed the finishing line with final leap and fell on the ground with blood oozing out of his mouth he died! His servant who had accompanied him dug a shallow grave long and deep enough to bury his master’s dead body. Leo Tolstoy answered his question- how much land does a man need? - Only enough to cover him from the head to the toe.
How much success do you need?
Thank you and God bless you.
©Eric Kimani 2007.
The 5 most popular articles in Kumekucha today 6th Nov
The 5 most popular articles in Kumekucha today 6th Nov
1. Why Raila Odinga Will Lose Langata parliamentary seat
2. Why PNU will never hold joint nominations
3. PNU propaganda causes panic in Christian Church in Kenya
4. How important is younger leadership in Kenya?
5. Raila exposes elaborate rigging scheme
1. Why Raila Odinga Will Lose Langata parliamentary seat
2. Why PNU will never hold joint nominations
3. PNU propaganda causes panic in Christian Church in Kenya
4. How important is younger leadership in Kenya?
5. Raila exposes elaborate rigging scheme
Monday, November 05, 2007
The 5 Most popular stories in Kumekucha today-5th Nov
The 5 Most popular stories in Kumekucha today-5th Nov
1. PNU propaganda causes Christian church in Kenya to panic
2. Why Raila Odinga will lose the Langata Parliamentary seat
3. President Kibaki and public perception.
4. Makau's end of year score card for Kumekucha regulars
5. Jirongo re-defects back to himself
1. PNU propaganda causes Christian church in Kenya to panic
2. Why Raila Odinga will lose the Langata Parliamentary seat
3. President Kibaki and public perception.
4. Makau's end of year score card for Kumekucha regulars
5. Jirongo re-defects back to himself
How Important Is A Younger Leadership To Kenyans?
I recently had a grueling soccer match with my 17 year old son and 7 year old grandson that taught me a lot about why we have a leadership problem in Kenya today.
The idea of the game was to display individual flair and dribbling skills with each player supposed to dribble past the other two and score in the single goal we were using. Now, I was a pretty useful soccer player in my days and managed to play for the school first 11 when I was in Form 1 (high school used to go to Form 6 in those days) and it was only my interest in rugby that made me shift my concentration away from the game and more into rugby, otherwise I was headed straight for Harambee Stars. I still ended up donning national colors in Rugby while still a sixth former. I was in fact knocking on the rugby national team doors when I was in form four. I am not bragging here folks, the background is important because of what I am about to say.
Our games with my son and grandson are pretty serious affairs with everybody playing hard to win. It is so serious that there is no laughing around, unless somebody gets so well beaten that they lose balance.
My grand son grabbed the ball first and shifted his feet over the ball either way without touching it—Ronaldino style, which did not fool me but when I lunged for the ball, he was too quick for me and easily got round my large frame and headed towards the goal. He was stopped dead on his tracks by my son whom I moved quickly to challenge after a quick recovery. This time I did not lunge for the ball but used a trick I had learnt years ago. I pretended to go for the ball forcing him to make his move but when I moved to take the ball, he easily got to it before me and left me on the ground as he slammed in the first goal.
I tried to step up my game but to no avail. Many times I gave instructions to my body that the latter stubbornly refused to obey or obeyed in slow motion. The truth that I hate to admit even to myself, finally dawned on me. I am not the same person I was 24 years ago when I wore the Kenyan short in foreign lands. Age has started catching up.
No matter how much I deny it, it is a fact and it can not go away. The reason why my kids were beating me to the ball was because I was doing things much slower (almost in slow motion) while they moved quickly all over the place. I was no match to them.
Sadly that is exactly what is happening to our leadership in our beloved country. Other countries with younger leaders are able to do things much faster while we rely on our grandfather-types to solve pressing new problems like how to deal with the war on terror and still keep our important allies happy. Or how to tackle rising crime. The old folks cannot get their minds to picture devolution working in the country.
Think of me telling myself that there was no way these youngster whose soiled napkins I was changing just the other day could beat me at a game that I knew so well. That’s our current leadership believing that their experience is the kind that younger politicians and leaders can never have and therefore handing over power to them would bring chaos.
Then think of the young idle potential in leadership as my son and grandson effortlessly moving around the pitch and running circles around me. They don’t have the experience I have like having two huge framers charging down on me near the touchline where I had just gotten the ball, moments after another colleague had been stretchered off the pitch after an encounter with them (my shuffle left them on the grass and wondering where I had gone). But that experience was useless to me because this was soccer and a completely different ball game and I was no longer as fast as I was when I did that shuffle over 20 years ago. The truth is that our current leaders are most experienced when it comes to figuring out a way of getting the paper work done to get money out of treasury for non-existent goods and the recent re-emergence of the Ken Ren fertilizer deal tells us that the highest authority in the land is playing those games too.
None of the leaders in the main parties standing for president is young enough to be classified in the new generation of leaders Kenya needs badly. They are all too old. Still devolution would thrust many young leaders into responsible positions to tackle some of the pressing problems facing many districts in the country today. Kenyans would be able to see for the first time the soccer match I had with my kids in progress as districts lead by older slower men would lag behind as those led by younger new thinking leaders would thrive.
If only PNU also changed tact and supported devolution, then we would be sure that at least the way in which the country is being governed would change after 2008.
The idea of the game was to display individual flair and dribbling skills with each player supposed to dribble past the other two and score in the single goal we were using. Now, I was a pretty useful soccer player in my days and managed to play for the school first 11 when I was in Form 1 (high school used to go to Form 6 in those days) and it was only my interest in rugby that made me shift my concentration away from the game and more into rugby, otherwise I was headed straight for Harambee Stars. I still ended up donning national colors in Rugby while still a sixth former. I was in fact knocking on the rugby national team doors when I was in form four. I am not bragging here folks, the background is important because of what I am about to say.
Our games with my son and grandson are pretty serious affairs with everybody playing hard to win. It is so serious that there is no laughing around, unless somebody gets so well beaten that they lose balance.
My grand son grabbed the ball first and shifted his feet over the ball either way without touching it—Ronaldino style, which did not fool me but when I lunged for the ball, he was too quick for me and easily got round my large frame and headed towards the goal. He was stopped dead on his tracks by my son whom I moved quickly to challenge after a quick recovery. This time I did not lunge for the ball but used a trick I had learnt years ago. I pretended to go for the ball forcing him to make his move but when I moved to take the ball, he easily got to it before me and left me on the ground as he slammed in the first goal.
I tried to step up my game but to no avail. Many times I gave instructions to my body that the latter stubbornly refused to obey or obeyed in slow motion. The truth that I hate to admit even to myself, finally dawned on me. I am not the same person I was 24 years ago when I wore the Kenyan short in foreign lands. Age has started catching up.
No matter how much I deny it, it is a fact and it can not go away. The reason why my kids were beating me to the ball was because I was doing things much slower (almost in slow motion) while they moved quickly all over the place. I was no match to them.
Sadly that is exactly what is happening to our leadership in our beloved country. Other countries with younger leaders are able to do things much faster while we rely on our grandfather-types to solve pressing new problems like how to deal with the war on terror and still keep our important allies happy. Or how to tackle rising crime. The old folks cannot get their minds to picture devolution working in the country.
Think of me telling myself that there was no way these youngster whose soiled napkins I was changing just the other day could beat me at a game that I knew so well. That’s our current leadership believing that their experience is the kind that younger politicians and leaders can never have and therefore handing over power to them would bring chaos.
Then think of the young idle potential in leadership as my son and grandson effortlessly moving around the pitch and running circles around me. They don’t have the experience I have like having two huge framers charging down on me near the touchline where I had just gotten the ball, moments after another colleague had been stretchered off the pitch after an encounter with them (my shuffle left them on the grass and wondering where I had gone). But that experience was useless to me because this was soccer and a completely different ball game and I was no longer as fast as I was when I did that shuffle over 20 years ago. The truth is that our current leaders are most experienced when it comes to figuring out a way of getting the paper work done to get money out of treasury for non-existent goods and the recent re-emergence of the Ken Ren fertilizer deal tells us that the highest authority in the land is playing those games too.
None of the leaders in the main parties standing for president is young enough to be classified in the new generation of leaders Kenya needs badly. They are all too old. Still devolution would thrust many young leaders into responsible positions to tackle some of the pressing problems facing many districts in the country today. Kenyans would be able to see for the first time the soccer match I had with my kids in progress as districts lead by older slower men would lag behind as those led by younger new thinking leaders would thrive.
If only PNU also changed tact and supported devolution, then we would be sure that at least the way in which the country is being governed would change after 2008.
Why PNU Will Never Have Joint Nominations
Most predictions including the so-called NSIS figures give PNU 65 seats in the 10th parliament. It is now emerging that the party is unlikely to get even half that number. And don’t think for a moment that those seats will do to ODM or ODM-Kenya. NOPE! They won’t. But what will happen is that the seats in PNU areas will be scattered and shared out amongst many different, some obscure political parties that Kenyans have never heard of.
Indications are that most PNU affiliate and Kibaki-Tena-sympathetic parties are going for individual nominations. The reason is very simple. Most of the incumbent MPs in NARC Kenya and other parties have manipulated things and are sure of getting the PNU nomination so that it will be Kibaki and them TENA (easier to sell when you tell the electorate mimi na Kibaki tena). This has effectively shut out the much more popular candidates in PNU strongholds who are gunning for parliament with the strong grassroots backing from the people.
If you understand this situation clearly then you would know that the only way out of it would be to tell the incumbent MPs to back down. Now that is impossible because these guys are backing the president and in fact backed him during his difficult times when his government looked like it was going to collapse, so how can he abandon them now?
That is the difficult catch 22 situation that the President’s handlers find themselves in now.
It is really complex because if President Kibaki is re-elected he will need all the strength he can master in parliament. As it is now, if estimates of parliamentary seats are anything to go by, it will be virtually impossible for the president to rule with a vast majority of the 10th parliament being hostile and in the opposition. With at least 65 seats solidly in PNU it will be easier to manipulate and bribe a number of broke legislators in the opposition to cross the floor and join the cabinet. However if the other side smells blood (remember after the referendum when people were turning down cabinet posts), nobody will accept any cabinet appointment and chances are the country will head straight back to the polls only weeks after the general elections.
And this is why joint nominations for PNU are a must, but news on the ground clearly shows that there is no way it is going to happen. Even the president does not have powers to prevent a parliamentary candidate from presenting his nomination papers to the ECK for a seat in a PNU stronghold.
I say this very reluctantly because I do not want to look like I am siding with any candidate from now on. The truth is that structurally whoever designed the president’s campaign overlooked this very obvious issue of joint nominations. In retrospect it may have been better for the president to have just joined Narc Kenya.
Indications are that most PNU affiliate and Kibaki-Tena-sympathetic parties are going for individual nominations. The reason is very simple. Most of the incumbent MPs in NARC Kenya and other parties have manipulated things and are sure of getting the PNU nomination so that it will be Kibaki and them TENA (easier to sell when you tell the electorate mimi na Kibaki tena). This has effectively shut out the much more popular candidates in PNU strongholds who are gunning for parliament with the strong grassroots backing from the people.
If you understand this situation clearly then you would know that the only way out of it would be to tell the incumbent MPs to back down. Now that is impossible because these guys are backing the president and in fact backed him during his difficult times when his government looked like it was going to collapse, so how can he abandon them now?
That is the difficult catch 22 situation that the President’s handlers find themselves in now.
It is really complex because if President Kibaki is re-elected he will need all the strength he can master in parliament. As it is now, if estimates of parliamentary seats are anything to go by, it will be virtually impossible for the president to rule with a vast majority of the 10th parliament being hostile and in the opposition. With at least 65 seats solidly in PNU it will be easier to manipulate and bribe a number of broke legislators in the opposition to cross the floor and join the cabinet. However if the other side smells blood (remember after the referendum when people were turning down cabinet posts), nobody will accept any cabinet appointment and chances are the country will head straight back to the polls only weeks after the general elections.
And this is why joint nominations for PNU are a must, but news on the ground clearly shows that there is no way it is going to happen. Even the president does not have powers to prevent a parliamentary candidate from presenting his nomination papers to the ECK for a seat in a PNU stronghold.
I say this very reluctantly because I do not want to look like I am siding with any candidate from now on. The truth is that structurally whoever designed the president’s campaign overlooked this very obvious issue of joint nominations. In retrospect it may have been better for the president to have just joined Narc Kenya.
Marianne (Kenya Betrayed)
Chapter 29
Chairman Sunguh went to his office this morning feeling good. The session with Mrs. Ouko had gone well the previous day. A throng of gratified Kenyans had called his office and commended him for handling the widow in a dignified way.
But this was another day. He had now idea what it was going to bring.
Deciding to start with optimism, he elected to get most of the negative stuff out of the way. In that regard, he placed a call to me. He told me that the Committee - after consulting with the CID - had voted to let Philipp accompany me. But that it was going to take a while to clear him.
Next, he called Moi's lawyer and warned him to be absolutely careful with the planned meeting between the former Head of State and me.
Once the negative was out of the way, he grabbed the Nation and perused it. He read about me ...... about my life in Kenya. As he was about to get done, he saw the paper's conclusion ..... If ever there was one witness who holds the key to this mystery, it is Marianne Briner-Mattern.....
Marianne Briner? .....
He spun on the swivel chair and pulled down a file. It was marked: Annexes No. 29. He took a look at the history of the company I together with Domenico Airaghi and Abraham Kiptanui had founded in the mid-eigthies. The BAK-Group - as the fledgling company became known - was used by the Moi Administration to secure mind-boggling amounts of money to put up projects in Kenya.
Delving deeper into this file, the Chairman was stunned by the number of projects that were proposed but never saw the light of the day. They included:
- Low-cost and medium-rent Housing Projects in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa and other towns.
- Completion and Management of the stalled Kisumu Molasses Plant including a Housing Scheme for its workers
- 'Greater Nakuru' and 'Mzima Springs' Water Projects
- Food Storage Facilities in Nyanza Province
- a new Cement Factory near Kisumu with direct investment of the leading Italian Cement Producer
- a Fish-Filetting Plant near Lake Victoria
- Road Projects like Limuru-Naivasha
- Steel Factory (Rolling Mill) - direct investment by one of the world's biggest Industrial-Group
- Rehabilitation of Kenya Meat Commission and Uplands Pig Factory - including management
- Building of new slaughterhouses
And for all these projects, I had been able to only secure the financing, but had also attracted new big international Groups to come to Kenya willing to invest with their own capital and to enter into partnership with the Kenyan Government.
Sunguh's jaw dropped...... What? So Dr. Ouko - as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - was working on a lot more than the Molasses Plant? I wonder why the media and the Moi Administration have always portrayed the Molasses Plant as the 'Dr. Ouko Pet Project' ..... for somebody doing so much for his country, I find this quite insulting.
As he closed the file, a tear dropped. He realized something he had been unable to see all these years.
It hit him that had Dr. Ouko lived, and had he been allowed to see these projects through - with BAK Grou's help - Kenya would have been a very different place now. There would have been low-cost houses, clean water, better roads and a lot more. ..... what a shame! ..........
..... so Dr. Ouko meant to change Kenya? .....
..... so Marianne meant well? .....
Those thoughts flashed through the Chairman's mind as he got up. He started thinking very differently about me.
..... if that Swiss lady would have had her way, this nation would be a much better place today .....
..... because of what I know now, I will do everything to protect her.....
Chairman Sunguh went to his office this morning feeling good. The session with Mrs. Ouko had gone well the previous day. A throng of gratified Kenyans had called his office and commended him for handling the widow in a dignified way.
But this was another day. He had now idea what it was going to bring.
Deciding to start with optimism, he elected to get most of the negative stuff out of the way. In that regard, he placed a call to me. He told me that the Committee - after consulting with the CID - had voted to let Philipp accompany me. But that it was going to take a while to clear him.
Next, he called Moi's lawyer and warned him to be absolutely careful with the planned meeting between the former Head of State and me.
Once the negative was out of the way, he grabbed the Nation and perused it. He read about me ...... about my life in Kenya. As he was about to get done, he saw the paper's conclusion ..... If ever there was one witness who holds the key to this mystery, it is Marianne Briner-Mattern.....
Marianne Briner? .....
He spun on the swivel chair and pulled down a file. It was marked: Annexes No. 29. He took a look at the history of the company I together with Domenico Airaghi and Abraham Kiptanui had founded in the mid-eigthies. The BAK-Group - as the fledgling company became known - was used by the Moi Administration to secure mind-boggling amounts of money to put up projects in Kenya.
Delving deeper into this file, the Chairman was stunned by the number of projects that were proposed but never saw the light of the day. They included:
- Low-cost and medium-rent Housing Projects in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa and other towns.
- Completion and Management of the stalled Kisumu Molasses Plant including a Housing Scheme for its workers
- 'Greater Nakuru' and 'Mzima Springs' Water Projects
- Food Storage Facilities in Nyanza Province
- a new Cement Factory near Kisumu with direct investment of the leading Italian Cement Producer
- a Fish-Filetting Plant near Lake Victoria
- Road Projects like Limuru-Naivasha
- Steel Factory (Rolling Mill) - direct investment by one of the world's biggest Industrial-Group
- Rehabilitation of Kenya Meat Commission and Uplands Pig Factory - including management
- Building of new slaughterhouses
And for all these projects, I had been able to only secure the financing, but had also attracted new big international Groups to come to Kenya willing to invest with their own capital and to enter into partnership with the Kenyan Government.
Sunguh's jaw dropped...... What? So Dr. Ouko - as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - was working on a lot more than the Molasses Plant? I wonder why the media and the Moi Administration have always portrayed the Molasses Plant as the 'Dr. Ouko Pet Project' ..... for somebody doing so much for his country, I find this quite insulting.
As he closed the file, a tear dropped. He realized something he had been unable to see all these years.
It hit him that had Dr. Ouko lived, and had he been allowed to see these projects through - with BAK Grou's help - Kenya would have been a very different place now. There would have been low-cost houses, clean water, better roads and a lot more. ..... what a shame! ..........
..... so Dr. Ouko meant to change Kenya? .....
..... so Marianne meant well? .....
Those thoughts flashed through the Chairman's mind as he got up. He started thinking very differently about me.
..... if that Swiss lady would have had her way, this nation would be a much better place today .....
..... because of what I know now, I will do everything to protect her.....
Friday, November 02, 2007
President Kibaki And Public Perception
It is said that the late Kwame Nkrumah, the founding father of the Ghanian nation (who went to University in the United States) was a master of “spin”. That is the term used to describe PR practitioner’s re-positioning of news and events to portray a certain desired image.
So good was Nkrumah at the art of spin that even as he enjoyed the trappings of power and behaved more or less like every other despotic African leader, he still managed to get the message across to his people that he was working very hard and making personal sacrifices on their behalf.
Legend has it that during a particularly wild party on the beach, Nkrumah took the time to be captured by cameras on a deserted area of the beach forlorn and deep in thought “carrying the heavy burden of his people.” When that photograph was splashed on the front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, the entire nation was touched and many people persevered in their poverty knowing that somebody was at least trying very hard on their behalf. If only the camera were able to show what was behind the cameraman, Ghanaians would have been shocked at the sheer fraud and manipulation.
American president Richard Nixon was an extreme case when it came to controlling public perception by hook or by crook and was in fact a control freak. For example he illegally crashed a spirited effort by British pop legend ex-Beatles, John Lennon’s peace movement to get many young voter’s across America registered and to basically vote against Nixon’s re-election. One of the “tools’ he used was J Edgar Hoover’s FBI which amongst other things attempted to deport Lennon. It worked and under immense pressure the pop legend abandoned his campaign which would well have changed the course of history.
Now in Kenya for the first time in our history we are faced with a president who is a politician of many years but has no grasp or understanding of how powerful and important public perception is. Or worse still, if he does he doesn’t care.
Clear evidence that this is a big weakness on the part of the president emerged early in his administration when the unprecedented decision was taken to appoint a government “spin doctor.” It is said the government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua was lured away from a lecturing position at some university in the Middle East with a hefy pay package and perks.
Still this has done little to create a good image in the eyes of the public for the president. Incidentally have you noticed that Dr Mutua in recent briefings has been emphasizing the policy of president Kibaki rather than the policy of the government?
Sickly Kenyatta cut the image of a hard working mzee with his busy working holidays (is a busy working holiday plausible?) in Mombasa frequently announced in the national media. President Moi was seen by many Kenyans as the president who personally lifted stones with the wananchi to build gabions against soil erosion and always looked sharp and in a hurry as he told Kenyans “we are on the run.” That spin fooled Kenyans for quite a long while. Things only really started going wrong when Dr Ouko was murdered. In fact Moi did such a good job with his image that when Dr Ouko was murdered majority of Kenyans (including this blogger) refused at first to see the obvious. I remember arguing passionately with a friend that there was no way that the government would have been involved in Dr Ouko’s murder. How naïve I was then.
Now how do Kenyans view president Kibaki? Just ask around for yourself. The mzee who wakes up at 11 am and loves to play golf. Also has a penchant for using the word “pumbavu.”
But recently the Kenyan commander in chief has acquired a very damaging new label. I talk about that in my next post.
So good was Nkrumah at the art of spin that even as he enjoyed the trappings of power and behaved more or less like every other despotic African leader, he still managed to get the message across to his people that he was working very hard and making personal sacrifices on their behalf.
Legend has it that during a particularly wild party on the beach, Nkrumah took the time to be captured by cameras on a deserted area of the beach forlorn and deep in thought “carrying the heavy burden of his people.” When that photograph was splashed on the front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, the entire nation was touched and many people persevered in their poverty knowing that somebody was at least trying very hard on their behalf. If only the camera were able to show what was behind the cameraman, Ghanaians would have been shocked at the sheer fraud and manipulation.
American president Richard Nixon was an extreme case when it came to controlling public perception by hook or by crook and was in fact a control freak. For example he illegally crashed a spirited effort by British pop legend ex-Beatles, John Lennon’s peace movement to get many young voter’s across America registered and to basically vote against Nixon’s re-election. One of the “tools’ he used was J Edgar Hoover’s FBI which amongst other things attempted to deport Lennon. It worked and under immense pressure the pop legend abandoned his campaign which would well have changed the course of history.
Now in Kenya for the first time in our history we are faced with a president who is a politician of many years but has no grasp or understanding of how powerful and important public perception is. Or worse still, if he does he doesn’t care.
Clear evidence that this is a big weakness on the part of the president emerged early in his administration when the unprecedented decision was taken to appoint a government “spin doctor.” It is said the government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua was lured away from a lecturing position at some university in the Middle East with a hefy pay package and perks.
Still this has done little to create a good image in the eyes of the public for the president. Incidentally have you noticed that Dr Mutua in recent briefings has been emphasizing the policy of president Kibaki rather than the policy of the government?
Sickly Kenyatta cut the image of a hard working mzee with his busy working holidays (is a busy working holiday plausible?) in Mombasa frequently announced in the national media. President Moi was seen by many Kenyans as the president who personally lifted stones with the wananchi to build gabions against soil erosion and always looked sharp and in a hurry as he told Kenyans “we are on the run.” That spin fooled Kenyans for quite a long while. Things only really started going wrong when Dr Ouko was murdered. In fact Moi did such a good job with his image that when Dr Ouko was murdered majority of Kenyans (including this blogger) refused at first to see the obvious. I remember arguing passionately with a friend that there was no way that the government would have been involved in Dr Ouko’s murder. How naïve I was then.
Now how do Kenyans view president Kibaki? Just ask around for yourself. The mzee who wakes up at 11 am and loves to play golf. Also has a penchant for using the word “pumbavu.”
But recently the Kenyan commander in chief has acquired a very damaging new label. I talk about that in my next post.
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