Post by Onyango Oloo on Nov 17, 2005 18:58:05 GMT 3
By the way: yesterday evening, after making courtesy calls on my buddies Njuguna Mutahi at People Against Torture and Miriam Kahiga at the Amnesty Kenya offices- both located in the Westlands neighbourhood of the Kenyan capital, I took a matatu with my mshikaji to downtown Nairobi alighting somewhere near Graffin’s College to refuel at a certain cyber café before walking along Biashara Street past Muindi Mbingu, past Koinange, snaking our way until we reached Loita Street and turning right walked into Loita House and took the elevator to the second floor where we asked for Wycliffe Asalwa at the entrance of the Kenya Times offices. A few days earlier I had received an email from Wycliffe inviting me to pay them a visit after he had found out via the JUKWAA forum that I was back in Kenya. I found the KT offices a beehive of activity- inching past six o’clock this was crunch time and the bank of computers had focused Times staff keyboarding away. I was therefore quite humbled that the busy editors Mr Odwesso and Mr Lumbasi took time out of their hectic schedule to make my acquaintance. I commended the Kenya Times for their often unappreciated efforts to provide a democratic space for alternative voices like the Adongo Ogonys, Miguna Migunas and Onyango Oloos to express their often bold and controversial opinions. I also cited the fact that Kenya Times was way ahead of its more deep pocketed competition in being first to market with their online editions. Mr Lumbasi recalled with a light touch the incident from last year when the Kenya Times investigated and exposed a certain American-based Kenyan plagiarist who used to swipe my essays and submit them to the publication as the products of one “Dr. Onyango K’Oloo”. Later on I pointed out to the two gentlemen that one of the frustrating things about the Kenya Times online edition was the pesky habit of having the site stubborn retain the same issue for days on end without being updated- but they quickly reassured me that this was a glitch of the past that had been overcome when they changed their hosts. One of the highlights of my informal drop in visit at the Kenya Times offices was the chance to meet face to face with one of Africa’s most courageous and articulate contemporary journalists- the one and only David Ochami who is quite down to earth and self effacing. I personally congratulated him for his fearless and incendiary take down of status quo sacred cows of the Kenyan political and economic elite. Mr Odwesso explained to me the long journey that the Kenya Times had made from its early days as a Moi-KANU propaganda rag to its present status as one of the most independent and professionalized daily publications of Kenya...
Later on, both of us were famished- my mshikaji and I- so we decided to look for a place for a bite to eat so we walked back towards Koinange Street and walked north towards the main campus of the University of Nairobi, glancing at the notorious Florida Mad House, zipping past Cianda House and making a final stop at the entrance of the
Kengele's outlet on that storied street. Making our way upstairs we found the young DJ of Soul Sounds doing his old school routine spinning dance floor fillers from the early nineties to the obviously nostalgic and appreciative early evening patrons downing their Tuskers and other malt-related liquid products. Pointing to a somewhat secluded spot overlooking the street my mshikaji made the executive decision about what our temporary perch would be for the next couple of hours. After settling down we settled on something to chomp on and chow down. She opted for a little serving of chicken tikka and chips ( "freedom fries" for the star spangled banner waving readers out there) and I zeroed in on a Luo style whole tilapia fis with the accompanying ugali- with supuerile swear word wiki on the side for both dishes. I could tell you what drinks we ordered, but why bore you unnecessarily? The thing to note is that Onyango Oloo would rate that Kengele's joint as an accessible, affordable, snugly and comfy and somewhat sophisticated mkahawa that can make for a very pleasurable romantic dining experience.
Oops!
I just remembered what this essay was supposed to be about.
Very far removed from candle-lit dinners for two at snazzy Nairobi eateries.
I am supposed to be yakking about last night’s Big Debate-2.
Believe it or not there is a connection- because it was at that Kengele’s on Koinange that I took in every nanosecond of the Kenyan prime time extravaganza.
In fact it was my mshikaji who first pointed out to me that those who had gathered to ogle at the Yes-Bananiacs and No-Orangoids were mostly romantic couples- not necessarily married to each other, as we could tell from a few obvious generational mismatches.
Anywayz.
I was QUITE IMPRESSED by the show last night. It matched and even surpassed similar fare that I had seen in Canada and on US network television.
First of all, kudos to the anchoring duo of Mr Louis Otieno of KTN and
Ms Julie Gichuru of NTV for their excellent moderation. Ms Gichuru runs a tight ship and should be the top choice whenever anyone is looking for an even handed host who will keep a panel on time, on topic and on their best behaviour. She is a specimen of Kenya’s feisty and dignified lady population. Mr Otieno is witty and has a ready back up of piercing cerebral follow ups that forces panelists to veer from the memorized script and think on their feat. Once again hongeras for a job done very well.
Both camps-
Yes and No-
brought out some of their most brilliant debaters and each one of them had at least one memorable sound bite to their credit.
Let us start with the Bananiacs.
In my opinion they landed the very first jab with the mere fact of their lineup.
What an inspired decision to have a woman-
Martha Karua; a young Kiswahili speaker-Danson Mungatana; and a top notch articulate debater, Moses Wetangula represent the Yes side. Martha landed the second punch with her crisp opening salvo in Kiswahili. Danson Mungatana landed the third one by reaching out to millions of Kenyans by addressing them in our national language. The Ndizi Trio was obviously well prepped- being all legal beagles they cited chapter and verse of the Wako mongrel to slam home their points. All of them were quick on their marks with ready rejoinders and spicy ripostes. Of the three, Moses Wetangula stood out as the most thorough peddler of the Wako Mongrel. If I was a dog lover, I would have purchased the piteous pooch last night.
The Orange vendors were no slouches either. The tag team of William Ruto, Otieno K'ajwang’ and Mutula Kilonzo more than held their own. Braniacs all three, the No trio exuded supreme confidence, suave familiarity with the constitutional review process and a penchant for witty remarks that livened up the debate.
My mshikaji told me that the Big Debate Version 2.0. was a vast improvement on the initial one which to her was an unwatchable Shriek fest that she boycotted half-way when she tried to give it a chance in Mombasa more than a fortnight ago.
To cut a long story short, who "won" the Big Debate?
Well it is really a toss up.
In terms of presentation, articulation, preparedness and grasp on the issues the Yes Side WAS NOT KNOCKED DOWN, leave alone OUT by their opponents. They made their handlers proud and must have won some grudging respect from their implacable debating foes. Like I said, there were a couple of feathers in the Ndizi caps by having an intelligent woman lawyer and a suave Kiswahili debater on their team- in sharp contrast to the All Male English speaking No panel who could have used the services of Dr. Julia Ojiambo and Ndugu Mwandawiro Mghanga.
Having said that, the YES side grabbed the silver medal in their well-deserved runner up position. No need to be downcast about being second best.
Apart from the Kiswahili demerit, the NO side had everything that the Yes side plus much more. I literally cannot pick who was the best representative of the NO side- they all shone: William Ruto, having been part of the Bomas, Naivasha and parliamentary constitutional process often put his opponents, especially the otherwise unflappable Wetangula and the often flippant Karua on their toes and on the ropes with searing reminders of NAK’s flip flopping on key issues such as gender representation and devolution of powers; Otieno K’ajwang was especially brilliant on the Executive and the input of the ordinary mwananchi, while Mutula Kilonzo soared with his laser beam precision on the shoddily drafted portions of the Wako mongrel.
Instead of rehashing all the minutiae blow by blow, I refer you to the more detailed reports in the Nation, Standard and Times.
Over and above performance of the NO side in the live debate, what won the day for the Orange side was CREDIBILITY and INTEGRITY.
All of Mungatana's Kiswahili laced blathering, Wetangula’s scholarly interventions and Karua’s petulant flag waving sounded completely hollow because all viewers could see all three thoroughly SOAKED in the INNOCENT BLOOD of Kenyans killed in Kisumu, Likoni and elsewhere. It was all so much strutting and posturing. It is somewhat akin to the experience of the scales falling from one’s eyes on suddenly realizing that the Hollywood Moses himself- the currently befuddled and senile Charlton Heston was in reality nothing but a low down dirty life member of the National Rifle Association and the Republican Party.
I simply could not take any of the Bananiacs seriously when I saw none of them take a moment to pass their rambi rambis to the family of the late Kijana wa Shule, the 13 year old Paul Limera.
Who could countenance the rhetoric of the Yes side averring that President Kibaki will not abuse his powers under the new constitution when he is already violating the law under the current constitution with his court defying land giveaways, about face “pardons” of the same civil servants who were clobbered by state hired goons and pandering to chiefs, PCs and any interest group under the sun? Who could fault Ruto and K’ajwang for pointing out that Kibaki is already undermining multiparty democracy through his forays and poaching of opposition ranks?
As if to underscore and echo the points raised in the Big Debate, sample these headline from Today’s morning papers:
Vote Banana, civil servants ordered; Government Shuts (Kalenjin language) Kass FM- Kenya Times
Radio Station Shut as new Districts promised- Daily Nation
Kibaki creates 27 new districts, gives out land
Outrage as radio station is shut- Standard
Local radio station put off air by govt
Muthaura tells civil servants: Vote Yes at referendum-People Daily
In the light of the above, all the fine speeches of Mungatana, Karua, Wetangula and company sound completely FAKE and INSINCERE.
The crass desperation of NAK regime is just ludicrous. A very connected source told me the other day that according to the Kenyan National Security Intelligence Service, the NO side is projected to get between 60 and 70% of the referendum vote with the only Yes pockets in Central province and the Meru islets of Eastern province where the Bananiacs are slated to get between 65 and 80% of the vote.
The obtuse and myopic jokers who are misadvising Mwai Kibaki have thoroughly underestimated both the intelligence and indignation of millions of Kenyans who have been hankering for a new constitutional and democratic dispensation in this country for the last twenty years.
Whatever the outcome of the referendum vote- I expect a thorough drubbing of the thoroughly discredited and flip flopping Ndizi power maniacs- I predict that this year’s edition of John F Kennedy’s birthday will mark the onset of a further upsurge in mass democratic opposition to the increasingly isolated Kibaki-NAK axis.
Speaking of Yankees dead and undead, I want to take this opportunity to remind Kenyans living in the United States of America that every time they “celebrate” Thanksgiving, they are celebrating the genocide of the Indigenous people of Turtle Island; every time they take a knife to carve that turkey they are ululating in demented joy about the African holocaust that saw millions of Black slaves chained to southern plantations; every time they celebrate Thanksgiving they are saying that land grabbing is kosher…
Enuff Sed.
Onyango Oloo
Nairobi
Later on, both of us were famished- my mshikaji and I- so we decided to look for a place for a bite to eat so we walked back towards Koinange Street and walked north towards the main campus of the University of Nairobi, glancing at the notorious Florida Mad House, zipping past Cianda House and making a final stop at the entrance of the
Kengele's outlet on that storied street. Making our way upstairs we found the young DJ of Soul Sounds doing his old school routine spinning dance floor fillers from the early nineties to the obviously nostalgic and appreciative early evening patrons downing their Tuskers and other malt-related liquid products. Pointing to a somewhat secluded spot overlooking the street my mshikaji made the executive decision about what our temporary perch would be for the next couple of hours. After settling down we settled on something to chomp on and chow down. She opted for a little serving of chicken tikka and chips ( "freedom fries" for the star spangled banner waving readers out there) and I zeroed in on a Luo style whole tilapia fis with the accompanying ugali- with supuerile swear word wiki on the side for both dishes. I could tell you what drinks we ordered, but why bore you unnecessarily? The thing to note is that Onyango Oloo would rate that Kengele's joint as an accessible, affordable, snugly and comfy and somewhat sophisticated mkahawa that can make for a very pleasurable romantic dining experience.
Oops!
I just remembered what this essay was supposed to be about.
Very far removed from candle-lit dinners for two at snazzy Nairobi eateries.
I am supposed to be yakking about last night’s Big Debate-2.
Believe it or not there is a connection- because it was at that Kengele’s on Koinange that I took in every nanosecond of the Kenyan prime time extravaganza.
In fact it was my mshikaji who first pointed out to me that those who had gathered to ogle at the Yes-Bananiacs and No-Orangoids were mostly romantic couples- not necessarily married to each other, as we could tell from a few obvious generational mismatches.
Anywayz.
I was QUITE IMPRESSED by the show last night. It matched and even surpassed similar fare that I had seen in Canada and on US network television.
First of all, kudos to the anchoring duo of Mr Louis Otieno of KTN and
Ms Julie Gichuru of NTV for their excellent moderation. Ms Gichuru runs a tight ship and should be the top choice whenever anyone is looking for an even handed host who will keep a panel on time, on topic and on their best behaviour. She is a specimen of Kenya’s feisty and dignified lady population. Mr Otieno is witty and has a ready back up of piercing cerebral follow ups that forces panelists to veer from the memorized script and think on their feat. Once again hongeras for a job done very well.
Both camps-
Yes and No-
brought out some of their most brilliant debaters and each one of them had at least one memorable sound bite to their credit.
Let us start with the Bananiacs.
In my opinion they landed the very first jab with the mere fact of their lineup.
What an inspired decision to have a woman-
Martha Karua; a young Kiswahili speaker-Danson Mungatana; and a top notch articulate debater, Moses Wetangula represent the Yes side. Martha landed the second punch with her crisp opening salvo in Kiswahili. Danson Mungatana landed the third one by reaching out to millions of Kenyans by addressing them in our national language. The Ndizi Trio was obviously well prepped- being all legal beagles they cited chapter and verse of the Wako mongrel to slam home their points. All of them were quick on their marks with ready rejoinders and spicy ripostes. Of the three, Moses Wetangula stood out as the most thorough peddler of the Wako Mongrel. If I was a dog lover, I would have purchased the piteous pooch last night.
The Orange vendors were no slouches either. The tag team of William Ruto, Otieno K'ajwang’ and Mutula Kilonzo more than held their own. Braniacs all three, the No trio exuded supreme confidence, suave familiarity with the constitutional review process and a penchant for witty remarks that livened up the debate.
My mshikaji told me that the Big Debate Version 2.0. was a vast improvement on the initial one which to her was an unwatchable Shriek fest that she boycotted half-way when she tried to give it a chance in Mombasa more than a fortnight ago.
To cut a long story short, who "won" the Big Debate?
Well it is really a toss up.
In terms of presentation, articulation, preparedness and grasp on the issues the Yes Side WAS NOT KNOCKED DOWN, leave alone OUT by their opponents. They made their handlers proud and must have won some grudging respect from their implacable debating foes. Like I said, there were a couple of feathers in the Ndizi caps by having an intelligent woman lawyer and a suave Kiswahili debater on their team- in sharp contrast to the All Male English speaking No panel who could have used the services of Dr. Julia Ojiambo and Ndugu Mwandawiro Mghanga.
Having said that, the YES side grabbed the silver medal in their well-deserved runner up position. No need to be downcast about being second best.
Apart from the Kiswahili demerit, the NO side had everything that the Yes side plus much more. I literally cannot pick who was the best representative of the NO side- they all shone: William Ruto, having been part of the Bomas, Naivasha and parliamentary constitutional process often put his opponents, especially the otherwise unflappable Wetangula and the often flippant Karua on their toes and on the ropes with searing reminders of NAK’s flip flopping on key issues such as gender representation and devolution of powers; Otieno K’ajwang was especially brilliant on the Executive and the input of the ordinary mwananchi, while Mutula Kilonzo soared with his laser beam precision on the shoddily drafted portions of the Wako mongrel.
Instead of rehashing all the minutiae blow by blow, I refer you to the more detailed reports in the Nation, Standard and Times.
Over and above performance of the NO side in the live debate, what won the day for the Orange side was CREDIBILITY and INTEGRITY.
All of Mungatana's Kiswahili laced blathering, Wetangula’s scholarly interventions and Karua’s petulant flag waving sounded completely hollow because all viewers could see all three thoroughly SOAKED in the INNOCENT BLOOD of Kenyans killed in Kisumu, Likoni and elsewhere. It was all so much strutting and posturing. It is somewhat akin to the experience of the scales falling from one’s eyes on suddenly realizing that the Hollywood Moses himself- the currently befuddled and senile Charlton Heston was in reality nothing but a low down dirty life member of the National Rifle Association and the Republican Party.
I simply could not take any of the Bananiacs seriously when I saw none of them take a moment to pass their rambi rambis to the family of the late Kijana wa Shule, the 13 year old Paul Limera.
Who could countenance the rhetoric of the Yes side averring that President Kibaki will not abuse his powers under the new constitution when he is already violating the law under the current constitution with his court defying land giveaways, about face “pardons” of the same civil servants who were clobbered by state hired goons and pandering to chiefs, PCs and any interest group under the sun? Who could fault Ruto and K’ajwang for pointing out that Kibaki is already undermining multiparty democracy through his forays and poaching of opposition ranks?
As if to underscore and echo the points raised in the Big Debate, sample these headline from Today’s morning papers:
Vote Banana, civil servants ordered; Government Shuts (Kalenjin language) Kass FM- Kenya Times
Radio Station Shut as new Districts promised- Daily Nation
Kibaki creates 27 new districts, gives out land
Outrage as radio station is shut- Standard
Local radio station put off air by govt
Muthaura tells civil servants: Vote Yes at referendum-People Daily
In the light of the above, all the fine speeches of Mungatana, Karua, Wetangula and company sound completely FAKE and INSINCERE.
The crass desperation of NAK regime is just ludicrous. A very connected source told me the other day that according to the Kenyan National Security Intelligence Service, the NO side is projected to get between 60 and 70% of the referendum vote with the only Yes pockets in Central province and the Meru islets of Eastern province where the Bananiacs are slated to get between 65 and 80% of the vote.
The obtuse and myopic jokers who are misadvising Mwai Kibaki have thoroughly underestimated both the intelligence and indignation of millions of Kenyans who have been hankering for a new constitutional and democratic dispensation in this country for the last twenty years.
Whatever the outcome of the referendum vote- I expect a thorough drubbing of the thoroughly discredited and flip flopping Ndizi power maniacs- I predict that this year’s edition of John F Kennedy’s birthday will mark the onset of a further upsurge in mass democratic opposition to the increasingly isolated Kibaki-NAK axis.
Speaking of Yankees dead and undead, I want to take this opportunity to remind Kenyans living in the United States of America that every time they “celebrate” Thanksgiving, they are celebrating the genocide of the Indigenous people of Turtle Island; every time they take a knife to carve that turkey they are ululating in demented joy about the African holocaust that saw millions of Black slaves chained to southern plantations; every time they celebrate Thanksgiving they are saying that land grabbing is kosher…
Enuff Sed.
Onyango Oloo
Nairobi
