If you have ever known a clumsy person, then you also know that such a person can be dangerous to limb and life. Both ODM and PNU must be feeling like they swallowed several live wasps who are now working their stomachs.
It all started with the decision by Mutula Kilonzo to head to The Hague. He must have had a very low opinion of Koffi Anan. He somehow managed to convince those who matter that taking the short trip to The Hague would see the idea of an international tribunal to try the big names behind the election violence in 2007/ 2008 dead and buried. Mutula is not a man given to thinking small. His grand vision of events in The Hague comprised of an ICC prosecutor who would accede to every demand by Mutual Kilonzo. In fact he was so sure of his success that he took time off to tell off Koffi Anan. The Standard drew attention to the tiff in tabloid fashion: Mutula Scoffs at Annan...
For those new to Mutula Kilonzo, he is the minister who planned to construct the largest lego city in Africa - complete with special highways for the President, Prime Minister, ministers and other VIPs. He thought a helipad to give VIPs a headstart on the traffic jams towards the airport was a good idea.
Not to be outdone, ODM threw in James Orengo.
Now there is a reason why somebody decided to include breaks on every moving car.
The team met Koffi Anan. He told them his piece. They had to have the tribunal in place by August or he will hand over the envelope.
Wiser men would have rejected his offer for them to talk directly to the ICC prosecutor. The prosecutor would never move if the former secretary general of the UN sitting together with former presidents Benjamin Mkapa, Joachim Chissano and the wife of a living legend Nelson Mandela is telling him to stand still.
The team went to the Hague and a few days later Anan made his own trip to The Hague with an envelope in his hand.
The mission to The Hague was a disaster.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Richard Bowen's Elections
Phase one of the elections at RCB has just been completed. Looks like all moderators who chose not to resign have been retained. It is unlikely I would have served had I been elected any way. The terms of my contesting were sadly not met.
I stated that if one of the moderators gets re-elected I shall not serve alongside him. He has a huge tally of votes of which I am made to understand none included the many new handles. It appears out of all the new handles four or so voted for me ( and their votes were deducted from my total). Still none voted against me or any other candidate (at the time of going to press). It is amazing that none voted for or against Mla Chake.
Any way a full summary of my take on the election will be forthcoming later. Right now my supporters are more hurt than the candidate. It hurts me that they are so hurt.
I shall go to bed soon and when I wake up, will consider listening to all the good ideas that I have heard this long night. I am not entirely against the idea of patronizing an alternative site. It pains me though that I would undermine the work Nene and I did back in 1996. I urge supporters to stay calm. Do not plaster RCB with complaints. It does not work and works to build the egos of your detractors. Use your heads and consult as you have been doing.
For those waiting for the usual speech, save your lantern oil. I shall not be writing any surrender speeches any time soon until I am convinced that stories about unfairness in the process are untrue.
I stated that if one of the moderators gets re-elected I shall not serve alongside him. He has a huge tally of votes of which I am made to understand none included the many new handles. It appears out of all the new handles four or so voted for me ( and their votes were deducted from my total). Still none voted against me or any other candidate (at the time of going to press). It is amazing that none voted for or against Mla Chake.
Any way a full summary of my take on the election will be forthcoming later. Right now my supporters are more hurt than the candidate. It hurts me that they are so hurt.
I shall go to bed soon and when I wake up, will consider listening to all the good ideas that I have heard this long night. I am not entirely against the idea of patronizing an alternative site. It pains me though that I would undermine the work Nene and I did back in 1996. I urge supporters to stay calm. Do not plaster RCB with complaints. It does not work and works to build the egos of your detractors. Use your heads and consult as you have been doing.
For those waiting for the usual speech, save your lantern oil. I shall not be writing any surrender speeches any time soon until I am convinced that stories about unfairness in the process are untrue.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Beth Mugo and Publicity
For someone who yearns for publicity - Beth Mugo must be feeling on top of the world this week. She got her Swine Flu and nothing attracts the media better than 12 cases of swne flu.
She has had this running war with Anyang Nyong'o over who controls what in what used to be one ministry before Kibaki rigged elections and demanded to share government with the winner.
Stop Press: The British kids were after all free of the swine flu!
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=1144018504&cid=4&
She has had this running war with Anyang Nyong'o over who controls what in what used to be one ministry before Kibaki rigged elections and demanded to share government with the winner.
Stop Press: The British kids were after all free of the swine flu!
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=1144018504&cid=4&
Trouble At RCB
I woke up one day to find fire at RCB. As I write the fire brigade has not yet declared the fire extinguished.
They had it coming. For a long time I campaigned against the idea of moderators. I once returned from vacation and found moderators in place. So began the campaign to get the new supervisors act less like village headmen who 'fine' villagers cash and several hens, which they then slaughter, cook and wash down with liquor paid for by the 'fine'.
For starters, I advocated against moderators heavily participating in debates. However since they are free human beings whose rights cannot be violated, I suggested that they simply avoid moderating the debates in which they are participating because such an act amounts to ad hominem. A moderator who suddenly pulls out his moderating hat amid a debate reminds me of the girl I grew up with who would borrow her mother's bicycle for us to play with in some childish competition. The 'game' would go on as long as she was winning but once she starts losing matters would take a different turn. She would suddenly withdraw the bike without ceremony.
I still wonder how Rich could have been so blind not to see the express bus driven by a madman crashing his way.
Kenya is a tribal society in every way you look at it. The President of Kenya uses tribe to decide who sits close to him. The country's key insitutions are now shamelessly headed by his own tribesmen. It no longer requires substantiation and anybody asking me to name names better bring along a huge container for me to pour them in.
Every minister (apart from hapless Mwakwere) appoints tribesmen to all parastatals within his ministry. There are no exceptions beyond the above mentioned. Thus if the minister is a meru, be sure that all parastatals within that ministry will be headed by merus. And if you find luos controlling the parastatals, don't waste your time and money going for a brain transplant. It is no teaser! The minister would be a luo.
So how did anybody expect a place where Kenyans have been gathering for the last 14 years to be free of tribalism?
I hope and pray the site survives the latest tremors. I helped promote that site. The man who should get the credit for promoting the site more than anybody else is a Mr. Nene. This guy sent out emails and so on to every Kenya with a keyboard. I wonder where he is? (see story elsewhere).
They had it coming. For a long time I campaigned against the idea of moderators. I once returned from vacation and found moderators in place. So began the campaign to get the new supervisors act less like village headmen who 'fine' villagers cash and several hens, which they then slaughter, cook and wash down with liquor paid for by the 'fine'.
For starters, I advocated against moderators heavily participating in debates. However since they are free human beings whose rights cannot be violated, I suggested that they simply avoid moderating the debates in which they are participating because such an act amounts to ad hominem. A moderator who suddenly pulls out his moderating hat amid a debate reminds me of the girl I grew up with who would borrow her mother's bicycle for us to play with in some childish competition. The 'game' would go on as long as she was winning but once she starts losing matters would take a different turn. She would suddenly withdraw the bike without ceremony.
I still wonder how Rich could have been so blind not to see the express bus driven by a madman crashing his way.
Kenya is a tribal society in every way you look at it. The President of Kenya uses tribe to decide who sits close to him. The country's key insitutions are now shamelessly headed by his own tribesmen. It no longer requires substantiation and anybody asking me to name names better bring along a huge container for me to pour them in.
Every minister (apart from hapless Mwakwere) appoints tribesmen to all parastatals within his ministry. There are no exceptions beyond the above mentioned. Thus if the minister is a meru, be sure that all parastatals within that ministry will be headed by merus. And if you find luos controlling the parastatals, don't waste your time and money going for a brain transplant. It is no teaser! The minister would be a luo.
So how did anybody expect a place where Kenyans have been gathering for the last 14 years to be free of tribalism?
I hope and pray the site survives the latest tremors. I helped promote that site. The man who should get the credit for promoting the site more than anybody else is a Mr. Nene. This guy sent out emails and so on to every Kenya with a keyboard. I wonder where he is? (see story elsewhere).
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The PNU Inspired 'Maize Scandal'
The Kenyan news media is plastered with headlines on a maize scandal. This time it is not William Ruto at the centre of it. Lo and behold, it is Prime Minister Raila Odinga!
First, I wish to advise Raila to find a proper PR person and fast. Some of the things I read in the standard attributed to his communications director are plain damaging and can send an innocent person to the gallows.
When I grew up I was repeatedly told that the Fourth Estate was objective and check out stories before publishing the same.
Consider this:
A few weeks ago, the media went ballistic on Agriculture Minister William Ruto accusing him of 'stealing maize'. This despite the fact that a simple check of the ministerial portfolios as published by the Office of the President wouød have shown that the said maize was never under the ministry of agriculture. I have yet to see a single apology from any quarter for smearing William Ruto - particularly after the minister in charge - Naomi Shaban - turned up to own the lost maize.
When I saw a huge image of Raila on the Daily Nation, I expected to read how the PM had been enriching himself personally from the maize imports. Instead I find circumstances described which then lead to the naming of "Raila's Family". One would think family would include more than one member of Raila's clan.
That granted, why on earth is the picture of that member of the family replaced with that of the Prime Minister?
Now we all know that last Tuesday was not a good day for the Party of National Unity (!) The Speaker of the National Assembly made a ruling that many would find neutral. Not so for PNU that has interpreted it as a 'victory' for Raila Odinga. Can they now convince a child in Kenya that the whole maize scandal is not a revenge attack against the man they believe beat them in parliament?
First, I wish to advise Raila to find a proper PR person and fast. Some of the things I read in the standard attributed to his communications director are plain damaging and can send an innocent person to the gallows.
When I grew up I was repeatedly told that the Fourth Estate was objective and check out stories before publishing the same.
Consider this:
A few weeks ago, the media went ballistic on Agriculture Minister William Ruto accusing him of 'stealing maize'. This despite the fact that a simple check of the ministerial portfolios as published by the Office of the President wouød have shown that the said maize was never under the ministry of agriculture. I have yet to see a single apology from any quarter for smearing William Ruto - particularly after the minister in charge - Naomi Shaban - turned up to own the lost maize.
When I saw a huge image of Raila on the Daily Nation, I expected to read how the PM had been enriching himself personally from the maize imports. Instead I find circumstances described which then lead to the naming of "Raila's Family". One would think family would include more than one member of Raila's clan.
That granted, why on earth is the picture of that member of the family replaced with that of the Prime Minister?
Now we all know that last Tuesday was not a good day for the Party of National Unity (!) The Speaker of the National Assembly made a ruling that many would find neutral. Not so for PNU that has interpreted it as a 'victory' for Raila Odinga. Can they now convince a child in Kenya that the whole maize scandal is not a revenge attack against the man they believe beat them in parliament?
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