What I wish official opposition (CORD) was doing instead of playing victim

As a person who voted for CORD and was deeply disappointed by the Jubilee win, I must say the recent actions by the CORD party are anything but impressive. Everywhere you turn, CORD is playing victim to something. Yes the election was not fair but we took it to the supreme court and lost. Whether that was because we did not present sufficient evidence or Mutunga and his team were bought is of no importance at this point simply because CORD accepted the ruling. But to do that then take a permanent victim position on every matter is simply shameful and shows lack of strategy on the CORD side. Why do I say that? Its only been 100days but look at all the pettiness that CORD has been part of. First it was the IEBC are the devils. This was understandable since clearly they performed way below average. But did we present a solid case to the Supreme court? Then it was Mutunga who became the devil himself never mind that both Issak and Mutunga were Raila's choice for the job. Just when Kenyans were beginning to get over the Mutunga hate, it was the Airport VIP drama...... oh the government is trying to shame Raila. Barely a month later its the Kethi battle.......oh TNA removed her from the voters list. Jesus Holy Christ..........I mean dont they get tired of being victims? Having said that, I think there are two ways that CORD could make its self useful to kenyans and while at it, bit Jubilee at their own game. 1. Instead of holding constant meetings with its Senators and Governors in mombasa to gauge their loyalty, they should use that money and the one the former PM is using to go around campaigning (i dont know for what position) to hire experts to go to each CORD county and help the officials there develop an integrated county development plan which is a 5 year development plan that is required by law for each county. Why is this important? Its no secret that most (if not all) counties lack capacity. If CORD hired this experts, they would ensure that they work with CORD governors to develop a full proof plan that would place CORD counties ahead of other counties. One year down the line, a simple audit would have us all wish Raila was the president. 2. Engage institutions intelligently. On this CORD members can learn from their brother Chris Wamalwa. Dont just run around telling us Isaak is a bad man, show us. The moment Isaak refused to take that oath, i am sure even those who believed the jubilee win was solid had a moment of doubt. That right there is a very strategic move and a big victory to CORD. If only they would do the same in parliament and their respective committees. Otherwise all this "tunaonewa" nonsense has gotten old.

Kenya: A country that celebrate villains

The 4th president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn-in in a colorful ceremony on 9th of April. In every sense of the word this was a proud moment for Kenya and Africa..........or was it? Its no secret that I am not a supporter of Uhuru but that’s not the reason I am writing this piece. After weeks of being bombarded with "peace and move on" messages everywhere I looked, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I’m one of those Kenyans who had boarded the ship and accepted Kenya's fate although with a heavy heart. However, scenes from the inauguration ceremony quickly jolted me back to the reality of the political madness in this country. In 2002 when we finally ended the Moi era, I thought to myself, Kenya has finally said goodbye to the worst of its villains………….we had turned a corner. Of course I knew many more challenges were ahead of us but I thought that one think will keep all Kenyans focused on achieving great things, the understanding that the likes of Moi will never again enjoy public space or have a say in this country. So you can imagine my shock when a stadium filled with 60,000 Kenyans literary gave the former president a standing ovation when he attended the inauguration. Why? why? why? Now, I understand how Kibaki can be cheered.......... the man has certainly brought this country from dumpster despite all his cons. I understand the excitement in celebrating the future expectations placed by a section of Kenyans on the new president Uhuru thus the non stop cheering (personally I have 0 expectations) but Moi???? Really?? Have we forgotten what Kenya was like 10 years ago? I bet even Moi himself doesn’t recognize Kenya today. A Kenya where citizens are free to express themselves and criticize their leaders. A Kenya where a 25 year old can be sure to find support for her/his brilliant business ideas etc etc. I’m not by any chance saying Kenya is perfect but looking at what we have been able to achieve in the last ten years, we were pretty much on the right track (don’t know about the next 5 years). So I ask again, what did Moi do to deserve the cheering? Is it because he introduced Uhuru to politics and therefore partly responsible for his position today? If so then most of the current political figures are Moi's orphans and therefore we should never have done away with him in the first place. But to think that we have been reduced to cheering Moi and Museveni in the name of teaching the west a lesson?? I feel sorry for us because our values as citizens keep fluctuating and therefore we will never get the leaders this country truly deserves. I have been told not to take the cheering too seriously because the stadium was full of under 30’s (which means they were under 20’s when Moi left) who don’t remember Moi and therefore cheered for the heck of it. I guess my question is, are we in that case rising a generation that knows 0 history? My friend Gacheke put it perfectly "Politicians the likes of Ruto (and Raila if you ask me) have mastered the art of using social movements language to appeal to the economically maginalised". The talk of Unga ya 60 bob is the exact kind of language that appeals to the mwananchi. But where has the good will been all this time? I guess we shall all wait and see.

Calling CSO's foreign parapets misguided

Since the IEBC announced Uhuru as the fourth president of Kenya, anyone who opens his or her mouth to challenge the outcome has been branded a western parapet. People from the Civil Society have particularly received their fair share of name calling with some of the newspaper articles going as far as to claim that the CSO's are getting paid by the west to destabilize Kenya's political landscape. Now, anyone who knows how NGO's operate or how they secure their funding for that matter will tell you that both are made much easier when they work under "difficult" environments. Difficult according to the donors/partners of course. Lets say the court was to throw out the petition by CORD, that move would make Uhuru the fourth president of Kenya. What would that mean for Kenya's relationship with the west? Now if the west consider Kenya an "unjust" country because they elected an individual who is facing charges for crimes against humanity the impression I get is that the so called democratic western countries would do anything in their power to ensure that Kenya is restored back to being an icon of the region by upholding justice and democracy. If this is the case, then it is a no brainer that Kenyan Civil Society would have more access to funding and thus their lifeline would be prolonged because Uhuru's presidency in the eyes of the west would validate the existence of NGO's(parallel governments). Baring this in mind, why would the Civil Society cut the hand that feeds them (Uhuru's presidency). Wouldn’t it be more convenient for them to shut up and let Uhuruto be sworn in then immediately after begin the efforts of fundraising to resort democracy? My point? It is no secret that citizens in this country rarely get the opportunity to contribute to the development agenda. Now if the only way you can get your voice heard is through civil society, then why not? Of course I have my own reservations on the fact that NGO's get funding from foreign governments to carry out an agenda (progressive or else). in countries like Brazil for instance, NGO's get funded by government without fear of getting gagged. In the so called western countries we all love to blame for our problems, Civil Society is funded by wananchi for as little as 100bob. Ask yourself what you have done to contribute to the democratic space of this country. If Civil Society was looking to increase their funding budgets, the right move would be to back Uhuru(silently of course). So please, before vindicating the Civil Society organizations that have gone to court to challenge the election outcome, please remember that they are also Kenyans who are trying desperately to ensure the democratic spaces we have all waited so long to enjoy are not closed up in the pretence of upholding peace.

Progressive politicians, a serious let down to Kenyans

In all seriousness, this article's title should be "what if". Since December 4th, all i have been asking myself is a lot of what if's. What if the progressive forces came together like the retrogressive forces? What if the politicians had not watered down the integrity bill and the political parties act? What if Kenyans were not so stuck in the tribal ways? Since the formation of the current grand coalition, Kenyans have been looking forward to a chance to right the wrongs that happened in 2007-08. A chance to show that we are not animals that cant wait to butcher each other. And so as the next election date gets closer you can feel the excitement and the new found hope in the constitution driving kenyans to demand more and better from our ruling class. However, the coalitions created to bit the 4th of december deadline have dried up any hope of having a progressive leadership for the next 5 (May be 10) years. Im sure no kenyan needs me to justify my point, its all been laid out in black and white by the Uhuruto's and Railonzo's for us to see. So i ask, where are the progressive forces in politics? why aren't they forming coalitions to give kenyans an alternative? The answer is simple, they are not as progressive as we all thought and are more concerned about holding on to their political party positions than give kenyans an alternative. Im talking to Martha Karua, Peter Kenneth, James ole Kiyapi, and Raphael Tuju. Surely if the greedy old guards can find a common ground to agree on i dont see why you who in my opinion are our last hope cannot find a common platform through which to rally kenyans. Kenyans are stuck behind their tribal chiefs because no one has given them a better alternative. Which makes me wonder, did you join the presidential race to win or simply prepare the ground for 2017. Suddenly what Mutahi Ngunyi has been saying for months makes sense, that you joined the race to build your profiles ahead of the 2017 election. In that case make it clear so that we get on with the business of voting for the lesser evil. But as you do that, please know that in 2017 Kenyans will remember that when we needed you the most, you all sat tight and protected your own tuff. Prof Kiyapi has come out guns blazing to demonize the coalition building dismissing it as being empty of any ideology. Prof, most of Kenyans agree with you 100% but we also know that you going it alone will not dent the so called evil coalitions even for a bit. What the four of you are doing is dividing the much needed progressive votes that would have otherwise made a statement to the status quo of this country. All said and done, i will vote for one of you and so will many other desperate kenyans. But as we do that, please note that you are making the work of those trying to sway the votes away from the old guard very difficult. If only your love and commitment to see a different kenya would trump your need to be the head of your political parties? What if you all joined one party instead of creating a coalition since we have run out of time for that? Its not too late, i beseech you as a very concerned Kenyan, do something NOW.

Mudavadi is right, we should all take responsibility

Its peak season for Kenyan politics which means that politicians running their mouths just so they can make headlines is nothing new. Kenyans seem to think that Mudavadi is one such politicians and to be honest when i first read the statement, those were my exact sentiments. How dare he blame us for the mess created by politicians? For me this was a true reflection of what they call the "silly" season in politics. But then his "silly" comments got me thinking and sadly im inclined to side with him......... at least to a certain extend. Why you may ask?? People, haven't we for the last four years talked about how a neighbor slashed a fellow neighbor to death. How a businessman well known to everyone in the community was kicked out of his land by the same boys he use to give Kibarua? So my question is, if i took a panga and slashed my neighbor, or at least know a person who did this, how can i now stand and blame William Ruto or Francis Muthaura for the death of that same neighbor. Of course we must have someone take responsibility for enabling or allowing kenyans to murder each other the way we did and thus the Hague process is completely valid. But really, shouldn't we also take some responsibility for the mere fact that since 2007, only one person has been found guilty for killing another during the post election violence and yet we live or still know the people who picked pangas against our very own neighbors? As i write this, the Tana River fire has barely gone out. And yes like the Kenya's we are, we are blaming it all on politicians and of course by doing so the crimes will go unpunished (unless you count the one night sleep over by Godana in a cell as punishment). What about the goons who decided to slash the women and children like animals? Or just because some politician somewhere incited them they are free of any blame? Im sorry if i don't agree with all the Kenyans who are begging for Mudavadi's blood but we as kenyans must also take POLITICAL responsibility for the mess we have made out of this country. Well you know what they say, 'personal is political', we kill our fellow country men/women so that we have power, power to control land, power to vote in our clans man and the list goes on. Politics is all about power, so don't tell me that only your area politicians was driven by the need for self preservation. Enough of blaming it all on politicians, after all they were all in their nice Runda homes as we murdered each other.

ICC case is not the only reason Uhuru cannot be our next president.

As the election date gets closer, the debate on who among the current kenyans running for the highest office in kenya gets more diverse and interesting by the day. At the rate we are going, we might be voting for the lesser evil because clearly there is no messiah coming to save us. And of course as the date gets closer, the candidates seem to get even better at the story telling game. Granted, every Kenyan has the right to run for office, but you would think that the statement between the lines here is that "Every Kenyan of credible character". It is no secret to Kenyans that the biggest source of tension in this country is land. I am however yet to hear any of the candidates speak comprehensively on how their stay in the statehouse will produce a solution to this problem. Even worse, some of the leaders still hold on to ridiculous amount of land at the cost of the Kenyans they supposedly want to redeem from the tribal conflict. Take Uhuru as an example, does anyone really know how much land the Kenyatta family owns for sure? It is no secret that this land was acquired during the first presidents tenure at statehouse. If Uhuru really wanted Kenyans to believe that he has our best interest at heart, wouldnt it be proper for him to start by relinquishing some of the land back to the people. I know that many other Kenyans have acquired land through dubious means but i doubt any of them has reached the Kenyatta family level and they also are not trying to become my next president, so the land commission will hopefully deal with the rest. But Mr. Kenyatta, how is the land commission to function effectively under your watch when you do not choose to lead by example? Where as the ICC case is a major hindrance to Uhuru's candidacy as Kenya's next president, I think he should disqualify himself by the mere fact that Kenya's biggest challenge to achieving peace i.e land ownership, will never be addressed so long as he is the president of this country. I challenge those planning to vote for the man to tell me how he plans to go around this issue.

Syokimau an opportunity to address land issues in kenya

When I saw the big mansions in Syokimau come down, I could not help but wonder what kind of a government would do that to its people. Every kenyan who is serious in investing in a home has known for the last 4 years that Syokimau is the place to look, so how come the government was blind to all the investment buzz around the area. But this is not just about Syokimau but also all the informal settlements that have year in year out faced the same predicament, the only difference this time round its the middle class that has been rattled by the government, something this government will regret for its remaining term.

I however want to look at the land saga from a different lens. Any kenyan will tell you that land is the cause of conflict in this country dating back to independence. The more we talk about land reforms the worse the situation gets and it makes you wonder if kenya is approaching this from the right angle. The current demolitions however give us an opportunity to approach this differently from how we have done in the past. When the Mau saga broke out, we all expected the reforms to hit the core of the problem but all we saw was poor kenyans who like Syokimau residents, had been duped into buying illegal property without protection from the government whatsoever. Since then we have been waiting for the big fish to be kicked out but instead what we got was a commission to investigate, something any kenyan will tell you has never worked in this country.

Like Mau, this is exactly what is going to happen to Syokimau. politics will be played at the cost of poor kenyans then the ruling class will retain the spoils when the dust settles down. The reason I compare the two is because, kenyans must wake up and smell the coffee, there is no such thing as land reforms, the political class is just playing politics with the issues. The solution can only come if kenyans demand justice dating back to 1963. the Ndugu report should be the starting point as it provides the history of land injustice in kenya. Kenyans should demand that the ruling class who benefited from land stolen from kenyans after independence be reverted back to government. The soon to be formed land commission (we can all hope) should then be tasked with the responsibility of handing the problem. Of course its easier said than done, but until we take that difficult path, innocent kenyans will continue to suffer at the hands of the politically correct leaders who have mastered the art of getting themselves out of any scandals. If we have learnt anything from Syokimau, its that the political class will stop at nothing to get what it wants.