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Post by politicalmaniac on Mar 13, 2008 23:52:36 GMT 3
This is interesting and actually encouraging. At some point mutual respect and trust between the ODM team and PNU is going to be necessary to move the country. A lot of these people have worked together in far more dangerous environments than they have today. I think it is time to increase the positive while being cautiously optimistic that our country is on the verge of re-inventing itself in a direction that could help reduce tribal chauvinism, the single biggest culprit for th mess we have in Kenya today. Here it is www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143983271&cid=4AO The proof of how sweet the pudding is, is in the actual eating. I read the same report and cynically smiled. Is this not the same Kiraitu who in Sagana lodge "confessed" for hounding and undermining R out of the chairmanship of the PSC, and pledged to behave? Untill these miscreants are out of power there will be no meaningful change in political tone and discourse in the country. They dont understand the concept of give and take in politics. For them its take, take, take. They dont understand the concept of honor in politics. For them its screw you and the MoU, 'na mta do'? Just yesterday muthaura was making very irritating pronouncements, and then their chief whip took the message and ran with it to parliament. A leopard doesnt change its spots, and neither a zebra its stripes. They want something, believe me.
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 14, 2008 0:12:17 GMT 3
This is interesting and actually encouraging. At some point mutual respect and trust between the ODM team and PNU is going to be necessary to move the country. A lot of these people have worked together in far more dangerous environments than they have today. I think it is time to increase the positive while being cautiously optimistic that our country is on the verge of re-inventing itself in a direction that could help reduce tribal chauvinism, the single biggest culprit for th mess we have in Kenya today. Here it is www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143983271&cid=4AO The proof of how sweet the pudding is, is in the actual eating. I read the same report and cynically smiled. Is this not the same Kiraitu who in Sagana lodge "confessed" for hounding and undermining R out of the chairmanship of the PSC, and pledged to behave? Until these miscreants are out of power there will be no meaningful change in political tone and discourse in the country. They don't understand the concept of give and take in politics. For them its take, take, take. They don't understand the concept of honor in politics. For them its screw you and the MoU, 'na mta do'? Just yesterday muthaura was making very irritating pronouncements, and then their chief whip took the message and ran with it to parliament. A leopard doesn't change its spots, and neither a zebra its stripes. They want something, believe me. PMI think the "us versus them" mentality has to be buried, but it would have to be based on concrete actions specifically on the constitutional reform agenda. That is the yardstick Kenyans should hold for both ODM and PNU. If they are committed to comprehensive constitutional reforms and to equity in the nation, fine. If they digress we will be on their case from morning to evening. They already know that. That is the good part. adongo
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Post by fanyamambo on Mar 14, 2008 13:19:38 GMT 3
This is interesting and actually encouraging. At some point mutual respect and trust between the ODM team and PNU is going to be necessary to move the country forward. A lot of these people have worked together in far more dangerous environments than they have today. I think it is time to increase the positive while being cautiously optimistic that our country is on the verge of re-inventing itself in a direction that could help reduce tribal chauvinism, the single biggest culprit for th mess we have in Kenya today. Here it is "My mother is a Luo, my father a Suba and my husband a Zulu. What tribe would my child be when I have it?" she asked.www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143983271&cid=4Adongo, I could not agree more.
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Post by kamalet on Mar 15, 2008 19:02:56 GMT 3
Adongo,
May I clarify that my call for the withdrawal of the bill was not because it was legally flawed, but because it allowed room for mischief. Secondly the fact that there seems to be miles of differences in the interpretation of the powers of the Bill means that at the end of the day, PM's power will be as determined by the president - who appoints the PM but cannot sack him! Which is different to the case of the our Michukis and Karuas who are also appointed by the president and can be sacked by him. Now the bit about supervising a minister whilst still a minister means that the minister can ignore you as PM and there is nothing you can do!
I am happy that the printing of this Bill in Jukwaa has elicited more reasoned arguments than previously when you all relied on what the media wrote - especially the PM's press unit at the standard!
I warned about people playing with the minds of Kenyans - this is what this bill exactly does. The public gallery thinks Raila is executive PM but a strict reading of the bill actually suggests that he has taken over the role of Muthaura (who now comes fighting for his turf)!!
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Post by mimimzalendo on Mar 15, 2008 19:54:17 GMT 3
its good that the hardliners on both sides and their appendages (like kamale) are getting isolated. I REPEAT AGAIN. TO THE MASSES, ITS EITHER THIS BEAST IS SHARED EQUITABLY WITH ALL ITS POWERS. OR WE PART PEACEFULLY. ITS NOT THE KIND OF MESSAGE THE ELITE WANTS TO HEAR. BUT THIS IS REALITY TIME. ------------- www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=24&newsid=119111EDITORIALS It’s not just about the motorcade, is it? Publication Date: 3/16/2008 The debate of the week on the interpretation of the National Accord was exactly what one would expect: One side, possibly angling for a little more than they got, the other side angling to give a little less than they promised. The haggling has just started and will continue until the new government is formed then, for a while, there will be a string of complaints as the hopes of some are dashed. There are probably more jobs than there are seekers. We just wish that politicians from both sides could borrow a leaf from their principals, Mr Raila Odinga whose own contribution has been moderate and carefully reasoned and President Mwai Kibaki, who is good at not jumping headlong into every controversy. As it is, politicians who, after all, are hired to talk, go into every argument with such heated and illogical extremism, conspiracy theory spinning and such a take-no-prisoners we-are-being-finished gusto that every debate verges on a declaration of war. You have agreed to govern together, you are no longer enemies. Contain your passions, govern your fears, tame your prejudices, get a hold on your emotions and debate like partners. It should not be lost on anyone, least of all Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, that the accord is a power-sharing agreement. The Prime Minister must have real power, real authority and real influence in government. That power cannot be reduced in retrospect. This whole thing was not just about a motorcade. Equally, the PM is not just an MP, he is the leader of the largest party in the House. In a democracy that should count for a lot. And from a value point of view, to the Kenyan taxpayer, the PM makes sense only if he is given a lot to do. --------------------------------------------- www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=25&newsid=119101COMMENTARY Embracing tribalism to end elite conflict Story by MUTUMA MATHIU Publication Date: 3/16/2008 By the end of next month, a good observer of politics will be able to tell you whether there will be peace in this country in 2012 or whether it is going to be another train wreck. Kenyans have already established their capacity for barbarity — they are capable of taking pangas and loping off the heads of babies. Question is, will our politicians -- experts at political incitement, who are now scrambling for jobs -- give the mob a new reason to wield the machete? Kenya has one principle reason which creates instability and tribal hatred. The only way to be wealthy, to have a house in the South of France, to get ahead rather quickly, say from a chief accountant to the Governor of the Central Bank, and especially if you are not particularly gifted, is through the control of power. When elite get out to look for big jobs, they hunt in tribal packs. KENYAN POLITICS IS NEVER ABOUT POWER per se, it is about jobs and access to communal wealth. Kenyan politics as it is now designed makes it possible for the President’s tribe to have access — whether they choose to use it or not — to the biggest jobs and the best business deals. The elite from those tribes which are locked out of the circle of power are forced to live on their sweat which, as I can attest, is not the easiest of lives. The war in Kenya which has destroyed our reputation and our national brand is not over. Its causes are with us, buried like a fresh skeleton in our soil. The national accord has merely bought us a couple of months within which to fix the country, to unearth the skeleton of conflict. To do that, I am convinced that we must first of all completely destroy the presidency as an instrument of centralising power and national wealth. We can do that by taking the powers of the president and dispersing them to other institutions. Secondly, we must make it reasonably possible for people from all tribes to ascend to the presidency. The way the political elite look at it, in 45 years of independence, Kenya has been ruled by two tribes -- the Kalenjin for 24 years, and the Kikuyu 21 years to date. This, you will be horrified to know, is a big deal. You can either deal with it, or deal with war. So what do we do? I think we should design the political framework of this country so that tribes are forced to need, rather than fight, one another. We can do this by dividing the country into three electoral districts, the Coast, Central and Western. At the election, each district will have a chance of producing either the president, the vice-president or the prime minister. Each district will have an equal chance of supplying one of those people every 15 years, taking turns to give the country the president, the premier and VP. The way this system would work is that all districts would go to the primaries on the same day, but each would be nominating for a different office. For example, if it is the turn of the Coast to produce the president, all political parties would hold their presidential primaries at the Coast, resulting in as many candidates as there are parties. If it is the turn of Central to produce the premier, all the parties would have a poll for nominating the candidates for premier. The same thing would happen in Western for VP, for example. Come the General Election, all parties would have a candidate from the Coast for president, Central for premier and Western for VP, or whatever the case. The effect of this is that every region would have a 100 per cent chance of occupying positions of power. AND THE CANDIDATES WHO SUCCEED ARE not those who appeal to the fears or prejudices of their tribes, it is those who are able to make a convincing case to other regions to support their candidacy. Within the regions, political parties will have to design mechanisms to ensure equity. This formula presupposes two things. First, strong, formal parties — as opposed to pre-election mongrels assembled on the hoof — must become a feature of national politics.Secondly, primaries become serious business, supervised by the electoral commission on the basis of clear and respected rules. It also means that power sharing will have to be real and genuine. The president can be retained as the guarantor of the security and rights of Kenyans as head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. The prime minister will be head of government, with the power to appoint, remove and chair the Cabinet. The vice-president, too, would have substantive power, such as over State finances, foreign policy or some other important aspect of government. My fear is that the longer we delay radical, revolutionary reform, the more chances are given to hardliners to throw a spanner into the works. PARLIAMENT SHOULD PASS THE ENABLING power-sharing legislation as quickly as possible. Then within the month, we need to start the process of writing a new constitution. The more the memories of blood fade, the harder it will be for politicians to agree. We all live in this country, we all must have a hand in its government. None of us was born to rule, none should be excluded. * * * * *
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 15, 2008 20:06:23 GMT 3
KamaleHere we go again. Even after you have read the actual constitutional amendment bill as presented in parliament you are still making outlandish statements and misrepresenting obvious facts. First of all read what Paul Muite said which is posted in this very thread. Muite cautioned those trying to trivialize the powers of the PM that they are being delusional. I agree with him. Secondly if my eyes serve me right, the bill specifies the duties and responsibilities of the PM in plain English. Namely "to supervise and coordinate" the functions of the government including of course supervising the ministers. So the gossip that the president will determine the powers of the PM as you suggest has kind of bombed out. You might want to give up on that one. Third, you have persistently insinuated that since the PM cannot fire ministers it means ministers who do not want to work with the PM can just ignore him. That is another delusional thought. The mere fact that even the hard core PNU ministers who have spent the entire careers bad mouthing and fighting Raila are streaming to Orange House to have those endless cups of tea with Raila tells you they know there is is no bending around the fact that the PM's office will supervise their work and have a big say on the direction, policies and activities including the budget of every ministry. There is no minister who will risk the scorn and ridicule including public reprimand of their actions or inactions by the PM in the floor of the National Assembly. If the PM wanted to be tough when dealing with ministers who are malicious all s/he will need to do is set up questions with M.Ps regarding matters that he thinks a minister is hiding and refusing to cooperate on. Once those questions are raised in the floor of the House, the PM is obliged to get to the bottom of the matter and woe unto you if you are a minister who tells parliament to go to hell and tells the PM to follow suit. Such a minister would actually be a terrible embarrassment to the president himself who might have no alternative but to act. In other words under this bill, a minister will refuse to cooperate with the PM at their own risk. This is not a marriage or a love affair like Raila said. Folks do not have to like each other. We don't care if they hag every morning. They can shout at each other and bang doors in each others' faces but we expect the business of the nation to be done efficiently. And then you predictably make the rather obscene statement that Raila is taking over Muthaura's job. Even you know that is a silly thing to say but I guess it is a matter of looking for bricks to throw in frustration. Muthaura is by and large Kibaki's secretary to keep his (Kibaki's) interests served in the cabinet. You know very well that is not Raila's job. Raila has a national agenda arising from the deal they have signed, the merged manifestos and the weight of national expectation to lift the country from the murky waters we have been dragged into by the politics of tribalism, greed and selfishness that resulted in a national catastrophe. Muthaura would not even know what something like that looks like. So to compare a little bureaucrat trying to find a little spot hang his court with the country's second Prime Minister with clear executive powers is like comparing a small alleyway cat with a lion. It makes little sense except to people like Kamale. I know you folks are so hang up on the so-called executive and non executive powers. I will refer you to an article by Kopkorir a prominent lawyer who was once a close confidante of Kalonzo Musyoka before he quit ODM K. The article appeared in the Daily Nation. The question to many Kenyans is not whether Raila has executive powers or not, we have crossed that bridge already. The question is how well will he use those powers to serve Kenyans and help move the country forward. That is more relevant to us now than to keep wishing and hoping that the office has no powers. If it makes you folks happy to delude yourselves that way, good. It doesn't matter to those who read and understand the spirit and substance of the bills. This is Donald Kipkorir's article www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=2&newsid=119064adongo
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Post by politicalmaniac on Mar 15, 2008 20:37:33 GMT 3
I wonder if Muthaura was amongst the lot of his kinsmen/tribesmen that ka-ruci derisively refered to "foolish". He was such a darned fool for reading that idiotic statement about a 'hierachy' of the putative Govt, something he knew precious little about.
This colonial homeguard mentality that is so perasive amonsgt the septuagenerian/octogenerian MKM elite, is so annoying, and inflamatory. Nyandusi jnr is onother one of that same ilk, really despicable greedy patronizing lot.
Bieng a political appointee, muthaura's job and that of goebels should be on the line for elimiantion or marginalization.
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 15, 2008 21:01:10 GMT 3
PM
Muthaura can stay as Kibaki's secretary to the cabinet. His job will be to take notes for Kibaki during cabinet meetings. The PM's office will have a top level bureaucrat to assist the PM in the supervision and coordination of cabinet affairs. That will be the equivalent of a PS in the PM's office with over reaching role in every other ministry. They will have to find a title for that. This is going to be one of the toughest jobs in town.
You will need someone with John Githongo kind of mentality in that position. I know there are many John Githongos and I am confident that Raila as the PM will put someone there who will take no prisoners and not be intimidated or compromised. The PM's office is also going to need an anti-corruption crusader who reports directly to the PM and who has access to all ministries. People like Muthaura are basically out of business. Things have moved a notch up. Now we need to see what Raila as the PM brings to the table in terms of promoting ministerial efficiency and accountablity as well as fighting corruption.
The one question I cannot wait to have presented to our new PM as soon as he takes office is to tell Kenyans who owns mobitelea now that he has endorsed the IPO for Safaricom. We want to know how the shares were acquired and paid for and when. Talk about baptism with fire. It is coming! Raila will have to be honest and frank with Kenyans. The bloody honeymoon isn't going to last very long when the real work of the nation begins. We are waiting impatiently and so are the IDPs.
adongo
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Post by gakungu on Mar 15, 2008 21:16:07 GMT 3
Adongo,
The issue of Safaricom cannot be wished away.
RAO must give us proper explanation on this IPO we vehemently opposed.
Mobitellea mystery must be unraveled what comes may. Otherwise, it will be a false start for the legitimate country leader if he will to be frank and candid on this infamy.
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 15, 2008 21:44:17 GMT 3
Adongo, The issue of Safaricom cannot be wished away. RAO must give us proper explanation on this IPO we vehemently opposed. Mobitellea mystery must be unraveled what comes may. Otherwise, it will be a false start for the legitimate country leader if he will to be frank and candid on this infamy. Yes gakunguI agree with you that we should not let Raila and the ODM off the hook on the Safaricom issue, if we do we will have another false start. We need to know if the concerns they had before have now been addressed and how. We understand that the situation may have been outside their control, but the fact that Raila has personally and very enthusiastically endorsed the Safaricom sale, he owes the nation some serious explanations. Also I think he is the one who may finally unravel this mobitelea business. Raila is not going to lie in parliament when the matter comes up and it will almost as soon as the amendment bills are over with. If those shares were given to people who never paid for them or who obtained them corruptly they should be reverted to the public. I also had a discussion with a friend who was a top notch PNU strategist during the campaigns and who is now back in Canada. He told me rather plainly that most of the folks around Kibaki and State House have one and only one agenda. They want the Kibaki presidency to speed up the sale of public corporations and facilitate processes for them to acquire big stakes on those corporations which they want dumped on their laps at throw away prices. According to this friend of mine, in their estimation they thought that could be done in the next five years and after that they really don't care who is the president. They will have the money and legally nothing can be done after the fact. It is very possible that this group has now realized they missed their target but if they can work with Raila and have good working relationships, they may still achieve the same objectives with even more legitimacy. That is why we cannot lower our guards. If fact we are going to be even more harsh with Raila than we are with Kibaki because he promised us a different political culture while Kibaki promised us the status quo. I don't know what happened to the privatization act? Is it operational yet? We are going to sort that out and put a lot of pressure on the office of the PM to protect public assets from scavengers. This coalition thing is not an end in itself like Ruto said in his interview posted here. It must be a means to doing what is good for the country. So while we are fighting for a new constitution and a new political order in the country, we should not let them sneak through the back door and run off with the nation's wealth while we are arguing about clauses and comas in the katiba. The nation is very ready for these folks. adongo
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Post by politicalmaniac on Mar 15, 2008 21:51:05 GMT 3
AO/gakungu
Indeed there is this unsavory part of the job that R will have to deal with. This involves calling the game as it is without fear or favor but at the same time, having solomonic wisdom as to how he frames the negative stuff, to escape the radioactive fallout that comes with heads rolling. I hope that folks wont crawl into the "My community is being finished crap". After all when s/he was ripping us off, the community was not there.
If R cant say who owns the 5% shares in Safaricom, he should ask the Minister in charge under whose docket corporate issue fall, to spill the beans. That way the fallout if negative does not rub on R directly. But R should run a transparent Govt.
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Post by kamalet on Mar 15, 2008 22:02:21 GMT 3
Raila okays safaricom and only Jukwaa fellows seem to remember that it may have had a problem.
When I told you that PNU discovered that all you need to do to get Raila on your side is to massage his overblown ego, you thought I was joking. Now he has lunch with Karua, then a meeting with Kibaki junior and he okays the Safaricom deal. Why do we forget that we are a bunch of idiots who will believe that the man is never wrong, after all did he not import a political failure from and make him Mayor of Kisumu?
Now that elaborate security arrangement and pampering has the man all but praise the king - Mwai Kibaki.
I would shudder to imagine that what Moi said could be true, and 50 bob has not even been swung his way!!!
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Post by JAHAATWACH on Mar 15, 2008 22:14:13 GMT 3
Adongo & Kamale
Did Raila call a press conference or issued a press statement endorsing the safaricom sale? where? when?
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 15, 2008 22:25:26 GMT 3
Raila okays safaricom and only Jukwaa fellows seem to remember that it may have had a problem. When I told you that PNU discovered that all you need to do to get Raila on your side is to massage his overblown ego, you thought I was joking. Now he has lunch with Karua, then a meeting with Kibaki junior and he okays the Safaricom deal. Why do we forget that we are a bunch of idiots who will believe that the man is never wrong, after all did he not import a political failure from and make him Mayor of Kisumu? Now that elaborate security arrangement and pampering has the man all but praise the king - Mwai Kibaki. I would shudder to imagine that what Moi said could be true, and 50 bob has not even been swung his way!!! KamaleStop being childish please. Take that to your local busaa or muratina club or the beer dens in Nairobi where you gossip with some chauvinist idiots. Your pathological hatred for Raila may obsess your personality, but some of us prefer to deal with the real issues. Why are you so petty with minor things like security details etc. Leave that kind of talk to villagers who know no better or may be that is the mentality you have really. That is kind of sad. Kenyans have every right to ask questions about safaricom. It is stupid for anyone to imagine that Raila had to give permission for the safaricom issuing shares. The man is not even in office yet. We know that. Raila will ran the government from the time he comes to office and that is why we are telling him even now that we have questions regarding the safaricom ready for him. Once the PM is in place we know where the buck stops. It will be at his desk. It is not like Kibaki who will be snoring at State House. he will be in the House and will face the daily grind. That is where we are going not some childish ego trips from people like you who have been wailing and crying around since Kibaki swore himself in office and was unable to run the country. Things have gone outside your little box my friend. If you can't think outside the box, just sit back and watch things in peace. adongo
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 15, 2008 22:33:20 GMT 3
Adongo & Kamale Did Raila call a press conference or issued a press statement endorsing the safaricom sale? where? when? He doesn't have to call a press conference. He obviously endorsed the deal and actually promised to buy shares himself. It is not a big deal for me. The shares were going to be sold. ODM lost the case in court and there is nothing in the books to stop Kimunya really. For me the real issue is when the matter comes to parliament as it will in the next few weeks and I am more interested in the Mobitelea angle. The rest of the matters cannot be changed. Nobody can undo what is already done. It also tells you how the PM's job is going to be a tough one because every significant action by every ministry like this safaricom kind of deal wil have to pass through that office and get a nod because at the end of the day when the shit hits the roof, it is the PM who will be answering the tough questions. adongo
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 16, 2008 0:39:17 GMT 3
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 16, 2008 1:13:07 GMT 3
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Post by eosir on Mar 16, 2008 15:02:34 GMT 3
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 16, 2008 23:06:52 GMT 3
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Post by job on Mar 17, 2008 20:19:22 GMT 3
Deal making or deal breaking, the Safaricom issue is too important to be casually handled. And by the way this is way beyond the offer of IPOs to the public. It is deeper than that. Who else is being offered the FAT share holdings?
Frankly speaking, Raila needs to limit his public statements on toxic issues like these, until he is duly sworn in as Prime Minister with clearly defined executive authority. After that, he will have to DIG DEEP to the BOTTOM and comprehensively level with us in a frank manner about these recent & RUSHED privatization deals. Unless he wants to join the Kimunya Express Bus.
One can in fact interpret that in the recent photo-op, Kimunya essentially used Raila’s profile to boost public interest in Safaricom shares. But wait a minute, nobody has answered valid concerns and misgivings about this whole Safaricom thing.
FIRST, in Safaricom, we are talking about East Africa’s most profitable company that recorded Sh 17 billion in profits last year alone. That means, Safaricom is still indeed Kenya's NATIONAL JEWEL before these expected transactions pass.
If it must be disposed, it must be done (1) TRANSPARENTLY and (2) AT THE REAL MARKET VALUE. The courts couldn't get it, that's why they couldn't be entrusted to resolve the election dispute.
Transparently means, - we must know who else owns a part of Safaricom and how they acquired those shares (full disclosure). Real market value means, - we must not sell an expensive jewel for 10 pieces of silver.
Clouding the public eye via exciting offers for public IPOs or even the power-sharing deal will not conceal the true market value of what's being sold.
Raila must know that Kenyans will not adjust their demands for public accountability and transparency, coalition or no coalition.
TRANSPARENCY. How many shareholders does Safaricom currently have? Why does it say TWO on paper - (Telkom (60% shares) and Vodafone (40% shares)), while in reality, we know there is another elephant entity called MOBITELEA (K) - owned by Gideon Moi, Nicholas Biwott, and a Canadian son-in-law of Biwott?
Mobitelea has a 5% indirect stake in Safaricom held under Vodafone‘s shadows. Meaning that last year alone, Mobitelea raked in about Sh 1 billion in profits from Safaricom sales.
Trouble is, there is no record of how the Moi and Biwott families acquired from Kenya, this billion shilling generating stake (Mobitelea). We suspect, this significant portion of Kenya’s jewel, was handed over FOR FREE, to Moi and Biwott, as a kick-back for pushing forth the initial PRIVATIZATION DEAL that brought in Vodafone (UK).
We also suspect that the name MOBITELEA is an acronym derived from, MO (Moi) BI (Biwott) TEL (Telephone) EA (East Africa). We want MOBITELEA to revert back to TELKOM KENYA (national jewel) however hard it is to regain stuff already thrown into the market waters. If not, it must be paid for in full, at true market value.
And we are adding, that we already KNOW, that YET ANOTHER KICK-BACK is in the offing by this second PRIVATIZATION DEAL by Kimunya, - that offers shares both to the public and to some select so called HIGH-NET INVESTORS. We don’t need another freebie handed entities called WHATEVER-TELEAs and such nonsense.
While privatization may have its economic benefits, the fundamental point remains that it ends up benefiting someone other than the common man. This rush to collude with foreign multinational corporations to STEAL local corporations is not doing Kenya any favour, whether we throw in some IPOs to the public or not.
Foreign companies like Vodafone find it quite easy to take over our local firms or go into joint ventures with our corrupt government, while concurrently enticing gullible rank and file with paltry share offers.
All they do to take over public corporations is ally with the IMPERIAL PRESIDENT who then does the 'due dilligence' opening the right doors and BOOM - they got a stake, and the President’s interests are represented in the new firm as partnership contribution. We then end up with the MOBITELEAS or KIBAKITELEAS.
For the umpteenth time, however much you try to cloud gullible public eyes with enticing offers for IPOs we will remind these coalition folks that………we KNOW that disposal of public assets is riddled with corruption,……. mainly through kick-back-facilitated gross undervaluing of the entities. Selling expensive jewels for 10 pieces of silver and having palms greased in the process maybe business as usual for them BUT IT WILL NOT BE FOR US.
SECONDLY, we are in the midst of a crisis of confidence in the stock market with the recent demise of top stock-trading brokerages, some going under with investor funds. What happens to those who want to trade some of their portfolios in other stocks, held by Nyaga brokers, for safaricom shares? We need serious streamlining of CMA regulation. We need separation of conflicts of interests between NSE, CMA, Stock brokerages, and even transaction advisors.
This very Safaricom IPO deal has numerous conflict of interest scenarios interplaying between Safaricom itself, CMA, NSE and Dyer & Blair Investment Bank with one conspicuous face of Jimnah Mbaru popping up at every front. You can’t be CEO and/or board member of all these entities involved in the same transaction. Where the heck are standards for ethical conduct in corporate governance?
Besides shares floated to the public, people need to be concerned about Kibaki cronies acquiring major stakes in all of Kenya’s public companies for a song. TransCentury owned by a group of well-known allies of Kibaki — has in the past five years been on an unending acquisition spree (both public and private) under questionable circumstances. They have purchased East African Cables, KPLC (the shares formerly owned by NSSF), Development Bank of Kenya, Housing Finance Ltd, Kenya Railways etc etc. Let’s call a spade a spade, this is a group of politically connected individuals emerging as bargain-acquisition artists of Kenya's public assets. We are cheaply handing over our jewels to a few people who intend to lord over Kenya’s political system for their sole benefit.
THIRDLY, if this recent phenomenon of fascination with IPOs is not at all influenced by the clear warning shots - from the recent Francis Thuo and Nyaga Stock Brokerage placement under statutory management (with more than ¼ of TOTAL stock-investor accounts held locally) then folks must be daredevils to invest 100% confidence in these IPOs.
Even after the announcement of a new brand of Orange mobile phone competitor by the French company that acquired Telkom, does anyone think anymore that this sector will continue being a DUOPOLY? The days of domination by Safaricom and Celtel will be over the moment a third player enters the market. It has already happened by the way. To the ordinary folks, invest wisely with your eyes wide open.
LASTLY, is the important question of - where is the projected Sh 30-something or 40-something BILLION raised by the government from this IPO going? My friends, it is INDEED SAD that IT IS NOT GOING TO BUILD ROADS, SCHOOLS, OR HOSPITALS. Kimunya explains that the money is heading to “fill in some deficits in budgetary expenditure”….an euphemism for either….. “fill in the pockets that funded our campaigns”……”fill in the gaps created by lavish expenditure by executive and legislative government”…..”fill in elite pockets” - just choose.
Job
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Post by politicalmaniac on Mar 17, 2008 22:41:27 GMT 3
Job great piece. R seems to be throwing us under the bus on this one. On one hand he needs to move into the alliance in a post partisan way, but this smells and stinks. Wapi transparency?
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 17, 2008 23:03:56 GMT 3
"LASTLY, is the important question of - where is the projected Sh 30-something or 40-something BILLION raised by the government from this IPO going? My friends, it is INDEED SAD that IT IS NOT GOING TO BUILD ROADS, SCHOOLS, OR HOSPITALS. Kimunya explains that the money is heading to “fill in some deficits in budgetary expenditure”….an euphemism for either….. “fill in the pockets that funded our campaigns”……”fill in the gaps created by lavish expenditure by executive and legislative government”…..”fill in elite pockets” - just choose"
That is a big issue you have raised. The idea that they are going to grab some 30-40 billion bucks to "fill in" gaps is outrageous. How were they going to fill those gaps without Safaricom? It suggests they were already spending the money before they got it.
This Safaricom file is headed to the PM's desk as soon as he is in office. This is going to be a big test for Raila and Kimunya. The best thing for them is to be honest and straight with Kenyans. The two primary issues here are resolving the MOBITELEA theft case and reverse that money to the taxpayers and the second is to not use the money raised to plug some dubious holes.
In a way this is the beauty of having a PM with supervisory powers over the cabinet. The country will no longer be limited to the arrogance and lies from the Treasury. Remember Kimunya basically told parliament he does not care who owns mobitelea and that was it. Well this time th ebuck stops with the PM. This is going to be fun. I can't wait.
adongo
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 18, 2008 0:13:51 GMT 3
Here comes Mutahi Ngunyi going against the grain. www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=25&newsid=119249COMMENTARY Amend the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill today! Story by MUTAHI NGUNYI Publication Date: 3/18/2008 THIS IS A LETTER TO MPs. AS you begin debating the two ‘‘peace’’ Bills tomorrow, consider some thoughts. For starters, the important thing in the peace deal is not the letter of the agreement; it is the spirit. Which is why you should not dismiss the ‘‘Muthaura project’’ and the leaflet circulated in Parliament on Wednesday last week. In the spirit of the ‘‘peace deal’’, you must remember that this was never a struggle between a right and a wrong. It was a struggle between two rights. The ‘‘Muthaura forces’’ are right, although they are sheepish about their claims. Similarly, and fundamentally too, ODM is right! And this is why you must not be rushed. In fact, you have no choice but to amend the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill. Reasons? First I want to address ODM legislators. Good people, you are being cheated. My hunch is that PNU will support the Accord, and botch the amendment entrenching it in the Constitution. Not because the ‘‘Muthaura forces’’ are sneaky, but because the Accord is untenable in its present formulation.
If you pass the Accord before the constitutional amendment, nothing could stop the President appointing the grand coalition Cabinet the following day. And the country would break into a party. IN THIS MOOD OF BLIND CELEBRAtion, the Constitutional Amendment Bill would be put to the vote. At this point, the ‘‘Muthaura forces’’ would ensure it does not garner the two-thirds majority. In fact, instead of the 148 MPs required to pass a constitutional amendment, they would raise something like 145 MPs. The other MPs will either be absent or will abstain from voting. And with this, PNU will have won. They will have created the position of Prime Minister through an Act of Parliament as opposed to a constitutional amendment. Would you blame President Kibaki for this? The answer is a resounding No! This would be blamed on the renegade MPs from PNU. In the meantime, you would be in government with Mr Raila Odinga as Prime Minister. Would you abandon your positions and return the country to violence because the power deal was not constitutionalised? Maybe not. But if you accept the deal through an Act of Parliament, you would be cooked! Let me explain why. If you accept the deal using the Act, PNU can decide to withdraw from the coalition at some point. This would annul the Act, disband the position of prime minister, and send all your ministers packing. But can PNU do this? Definitely. If the country returns to normalcy and the bandit forces in the Rift Valley and Mt Elgon are neutralised, PNU can gamble on this. More so if the coalition government is problematic. And this is why you must accept nothing short of a constitutional amendment. In fact, you must insist on amending the Constitution first and enacting the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill later. Otherwise, you will be at the mercy of PNU. Now I want to flip the argument and argue that a constitutional amendment is fatal for PNU legislators. First, I must disagree with you regarding the creation of two centres of power. I submit that you will be the biggest beneficiaries of the position of prime minister in future. When Mr Odinga is president with 50 per cent executive powers, Ms Karua can be premier enjoying 50 per cent powers. And when Ms Karua is president, Mr William Ruto can be premier. At any given moment, you can either occupy the position of president or prime minister with 50 per cent powers. Why would you fight such an arrangement unless you are myopic? Second, if you plan to sabotage the Constitutional Amendment Bill, you would have a point. PNU has the numbers, but can never control Parliament. This is why, with 4.5 million votes, Mr Kibaki could only manage 45 MPs, plus some 20 or so from the fringe parties. With 4.3 million votes, ODM had over 90 straight MPs. What does this tell us? If the prime minister is to be chosen by Parliament, PNU would stand no chance in future. This is so because some of our constituencies have as many as 100,000 voters, while others have as few as 4,000. Yet the two extremes produce one MP. And if it takes more voters to elect a PNU MP, than an ODM MP, ODM would occupy the PM position forever. In other words, you must not rush the constitutional amendments. If you entrench this position in the Constitution, you must also go for proportionate representation in which your number of MPs is increased to match your population size. The two must be mutually exclusive and constitutionalised. Short of this, you could lose both the presidency and the premier position to ODM in future. NOW, IF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDment is bad for PNU and the National Accord and Reconciliation Act is bad for ODM, what must you do? This takes me back to my original submission: you have to amend the Accord. You have to introduce Section 9 to the Act or amend Sections 6 or 8. The amendment should state clearly that, in the event one coalition member pulls out and the Act is annulled, we should go for fresh elections. This would secure ODM’s 50 per cent power-sharing deal and provide PNU enough time to think through the constitutional implications of a PM position. Otherwise if the Accord is passed and the constitutional amendment fails, ODM will be the loser. And if both the Accord and the Constitutional Amendments are passed, PNU will lose big. What do you think? Mr Ngunyi is a political scientist with The Consulting House, a policy and security innovation think-tank working in the Great Lakes Region and West Africa.
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Post by politicalmaniac on Mar 18, 2008 0:46:32 GMT 3
This guy has gone loco. First of all is he claiming that generali kegs got 4.5M votes legit? NO way!
This line of thinking is the PNU bunker mentality that they can play hide and seek games with the minds of the Kenyan people. Seems like they have not learnt yet. Devolution of power at the executive level is fait accompli just like Majimbo will in a little while.
These silly games are good for the bars and political blogs. In reality, the PM post will be embeded in the constitution. There are no if or buts but just when.
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Post by adongo23456 on Mar 18, 2008 0:59:34 GMT 3
PMNgunyi is saying what many PNU big wigs feel but are too afraid to say. His idea about PNU tricking the ODM and not endorsing the constitutional amendment bill is something the PNU M.Ps and the Central Kenya contingent has been thinking about but they know they don't have the guts to pull it off. Ngunyi's theory is that the bills as they are means a total defeat for the chauvinist agenda of PNU and probably any other such groupings. Personally I think that is a good thing for the country. Millions of other Kenyans share that sentiment. Obviously Ngunyi thinks otherwise. He is three weeks late. Nobody can change the DNA of the Peace Deal after the baby has been born and even named. Not even the parents can do that. Killing the baby is not an option. Should never be. Right?The reality is that there are many PNU hardliners who would really want the deal renegotiated. They simply can't believe Kibaki actually signed on this accord. To his credit Kibaki is going ahead and basically acting on the principle that the bills are for all practical purposes already law. I think Kenyans should applaud Kibaki for practically implementing the deal with resolute action since it was signed. www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=119272The constitutional amendment bill establishing the PM's office will be passed into law whether the Mutahi Ngunyis and Muthauras like it or not. Sooner or later they have to join the rest of the country in moving to the next level. adongo
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