· Here and there:
· 1) Ikolomani MP Dr. Bonny Bullfighter Khalwale has said (April 15, 2012) that it is just a matter of days before Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi joins New Ford Kenya party.
· Breathing fire and brimstone, Khalwale said: “Bwana Prime Minister if you could not manage to fight Bonny Khalwale, when he was alone in Ikolomani, how do you expect to fight us when Musalia Mudavadi is in the same court with myself? How can Raila expect to defeat Khalwale and Mudavadi? I will swing you up and down; up and down until I bring you flat to the ground!” Khalwale could be making a powerful and relevant point here:
· Mr. Kigeugeu is remembered saying, in one of his campaign meetings, in Ikolomani: “We are here knowing that the outcome of this by-election may be an indicator of political direction the country will take in the next General Election!”
· 2) Mr. Kigeugeu continued putting up a brave face, actually feeble bravado and fractured gusto, saying (Sunday Nation and Standard on Sunday, April 15, 2012): “Those preparing to leave the Orange Democratic Movement are digging their own political graves. ODM is a strong party that will form the next government.” It is called optical illusion!
· Elsewhere, supporters of Mudavadi dismissed claims by some Mijikenda elders that they had performed a ritual to bind Mudavadi and Mr. Kigeugeu.
· Led by the immediate former Kimilili ODM-KPU chairman, John Chikati, they said (Standard on Sunday, April 15, 2012): “Mudavadi is a nationalist and he has no business with oaths administered by tribal kings!”
· 3) A concerned Kenyan, Kariuki Muiru, from Karatina (Sunday Nation, April 15, 2012), said: “I feel sorry for Musalia Mudavadi. His last hope for a presidential ticket in ODM was cruelly dashed last Tuesday when top officials registered the party without removing a clause from its constitution that guarantees party leader Raila Odinga automatic presidential nomination. With only about two weeks to the deadline, it is not too late for Mudavadi to vie on another party…
· So the field of the top contenders now has William Ruto, Martha Karua, Raila Odinga, Uhuru Kenyatta, Eugene Wamalwa, Kalonzo Musyoka and others in the periphery like Mutava Musyimi…
· During the first round, I expect the first two contenders to be Kenyatta and somebody else between Odinga and Ruto. Odinga has been losing political support too fast as we approach elections to remain a clear leader. Wonder of wonders…would he pick Kalonzo Musyoka as his running mate?
· If Ruto and Kenyatta find it impossible to run because of the ICC cases, then for sure Odinga would find it impossible to make it in the second round because a combination that would occur between KAMATUSA, GEMA and Luhya would be so devastating to him!” Well done Muiru!
· 4) Kimaiyo Kirop, from Marakwet (People, April 9, 2012), inked the following on the threat by LSK chairman Eric Mutua to prosecute Ruto and Minister Kiraitu Murungi: “My attention has been drawn to a statement by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) calling for prosecution of Eldoret North MP William Ruto, and Energy Minister, Kiraitu Murungi, for inciting their communities against International Criminal Court (ICC) trials…
· But it hurts that whenever Ruto convenes a meeting, a number of leaders in this country become uncomfortable but when a meeting of the same nature is convened by other leaders, nobody raises concern…
· When Security Minister, Prof. George Saitoti, on Saturday, April 7, 2012, convened a meeting of Maasai leaders, a congregation similar to (the) KAMATUSA and GEMA ones, nobody has described it as tribal…
· However, LSK chairman, Eric Mutua, says if the Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) fail to arrest Ruto and Kiraitu, he will institute private criminal proceedings against them…
· The likes of Mutua should be made to understand that Kiraitu and Ruto were invited to the meetings, they have attended, and his attempt to institute criminal proceedings against the two is cheap politics…
· Mutua should understand that the new Constitution guarantees freedom of association and expression irrespective of tribe or political affiliation. We should learn to face facts and stop issuing threats which are personal and aimed at causing hatred!” Well done Kirop!
· We have already noted that the young lawyer is being “advised on what to do by the likes of Nowrojee, Caroli Omondi, Minister Mutula Kilonzo”, et cetera; and is also closely associated with Mr. Kigeugeu, besides being a slavish poodle of, firstly, the ICC (meeting/linking up with the ICC’s Outreach official in Nairobi, Ms. Kamara, from time to time), and, secondly, the Western envoys like the German ambassador…
· 5) A regular political commentator, Joel Onyango, from Kericho (People Weekend, April 7-8, 2012), wrote the following on the German ambassador’s comments, made recently, concerning Kenyatta and Ruto’s presidential bids: “The move by foreign countries through their diplomats to meddle in Kenya’s affairs is misguided. It was wrong for German Ambassador to Kenya, Margit Hellwig-Botte, to urge presidential aspirants, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, to leave politics and concentrate on the cases facing them at the ICC…
· This comes after the recent remarks by United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary, William Hague, who urged Kenyans to mind the country’s international image in their decision to let Deputy Prime Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Eldoret North MP, William Ruto, vie for the presidency in the forthcoming polls…
· Hague’s remarks were in disregard of the rule of law. We have a new Constitution which can guide us on the nature of leaders to elect and do not need foreigners to lecture us on what we should do! Foreign countries should explore ways of solving the food shortages facing some countries in the Horn of Africa instead of involving themselves in Kenyan politics…
· What happens if Kenyan ambassadors to UK, Germany and US, for example, wake up one morning and call (for) a press conference asking people to elect so and so as their prime minister or president? How would that sound? The ambassador would be chased away without any apologies. Foreigners should respect us!” Well done Onyango!
· Honestly, the German ambassador looked very foolish trying to give tastelessly arrogant “instructions” to two innocent Kenyan citizens! She should look for something to do if she is that idle;
· After all, an idle mind naturally becomes (a) devil’s workshop! She could also even explore the possibility of joining a local University for an undergraduate course, that is, if she has no University degree; she could consider enrolling for a course in Sociology or Swahili…Nothing to add: enough said! Everything is in black and white. Alluta Continua.
Kaluoch Maurice
April 16, 2012
Hard Talk Kenya is becoming an avenue to promote tribal hatred in the country. Don’t you think its a high time you became agents of constructive criticism instead of the reverse? There are a plethora of ills affecting Kenyans which need talking about, for starters, i would like to hear your views on this item, “Wouldn’t it have been of more economic value to have
used the resources used to construct the Thika highway on taming the perennial Budalan
gi floods and turn it into Kenya’s bread basket?”
thensc
April 18, 2012
To Kaluoch Maurice: It is only prudent to serve majority of the Kenyans as compared to part of it. I am not saying that the floods issue should not be taken seriously. Perhaps this question you put forward should be forwarded to the Member of Parliament of this area. What are they doing? You are the one throwing tantrums about tribal issues yet you say “Thika Highway”. I find that as a tribal notion. Well, the highways have been built in many areas in Kenya and anyone open-minded enough has seen how these roads are opening up traffic and when completed how they can open up our transport problem which has slowed down economic progress, and perhaps ease the “aid” to remote areas. . .
The author has good references but his tone comes off as sarcastic, and that would either 1. Make a good read for people with that sense of humour, or 2. Put away those without. That said, I attach a link where Mr. Maurice can read more about the Budalangi floods and pay as much attention to the comment section, where some people offer some solutions and if you feel moved enough then you can assist seeing that you are so passionate about this. At the end of the day, we cannot wait for other people to solve our own problems. We have to make that stand. “Be the change you want to see.”
John Z Njoro
April 19, 2012
“Hardtalkkenya”, you are still taking Kenya back to old dark days. Kenyans are brainier than these your a half-baked tribal talks. Kindly look for something else to discuss but not politics coz sooner or later kenyans will be back fighting each other after reading these baseless individual talks – Njoro