Post by adongo12345 on Oct 11, 2006 2:16:48 GMT 3
By Adongo Ogony
Just when you thought he had learnt his lessons, former president Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi still comes out as a man searching for a new legacy. I am afraid it might end up to be a legacy of double failure. Make that triple failure or more.
He left office with a collapsed economy and the reputation of a man who supervised torture and repression of the very people he swore to protect. The nation forgave him because of the peaceful transition he presided over. Our respect for him seems to have gone to his head.
Today Moi is a besieged man. The other day Martha Karua came up with her sham list of shame, which as most have observed was meant to serve the sagging political fortunes of the Kibaki regime rather than fight corruption.
Many Kenyans though, are pretty mad with the robbers who have ruined our country for decades and would have wished Martha Karua had the political will and integrity to actually fight corruption instead of laundering lists for purposes of political intimidation. Nonetheless it is obvious a great deal of robbery of the economy took place under Moi watch, just as a whole lot is happening under Kibaki. The new government seems to think we elected them to put a contest as to who is more corrupt.
By the way wasn’t it rather comical that the same Martha who released the so-called list of shame was the other day in Gusii land declaring that one of those named in the list, Mr. Simon Nyachae was clean?
When did Martha cleanse him and how? Does it mean anybody who supports Kibaki is automatically clean? Isn’t it the KACC that is supposed to declare suspects clean or headed to court? In any civilized political environment a government minister declaring corruption suspects clean without the benefit of investigations would be forced to resign for lack of integrity. More so if such suspects were part of the same cabinet. But of course the word integrity is alien to Kibaki and his cohorts. Good for them.
Anyhow, soon after Martha’s list the VP Moody Awori in response to a question I Parliament about the grabbing of over 2,000 hectares of prison land in Kitale came with his own list of shame. Almost every one of those miscreants who now own prison land who prisoners starve, declare they got the land lawfully. Guess who gave it to them? Yes you got it right, it is the man we are paying Kshs 2 million plus benefits a month to enjoy his retirement.
And then the stinker from The Hague came in. The International Court dismissed a case by Mr. Ibrahim Nasir Ali against the government because they concluded on the basis of evidence provided to them that the deal was made after Mr. Ali bribed the former president with Kshs 144 million delivered to the former president during a visit at Kabarak. I am not going to say anything about the Goldenberg mess today.
The question most Kenyans are asking is this; just how many more scandals involving the former president are out there waiting to be exposed? Your guess is as good as mine, but it is safe to assume there are a handful at the very least.
How on earth can this same person surrounded with shame and infamy be the one trying to herd Kenyans and direct them on which party they should join to steer the affairs of the country? Moi should be hiding his head in shame somewhere and praying that we don’t yank the retirement salary and benefits he is getting from the taxpayers of Kenya instead of posturing around as the messiah Kenya needs to guide us out of the mess he and his former VP who is now our president has created in the governance of our beloved nation.
But let me tell you why Moi and his hanky panky plans are going to collapse in utter failure.
Number one, the reason there is near panic with Moi summoning his old wafuasi like Katana Ngala and Nicholas Biwott to join hands in a desperate attempt to disrupt ODM is because the ODM is moving fast and with precision. They are consulting and strategizing. They have become very inclusive and very well organized, but above all else; the ODM leadership has refused to engage in petty fights and divisive politics over who will be their presidential candidate. That is what Kibaki, Moi and their crew has been waiting for. They are getting nervous the breakdown may never occur primarily because there is no Plan B.
Historically Moi has always thrived on divisive politics. That is what he knows and that is how he maintained control over Kanu up to the last minute when he split the party right in the middle by refusing to have a democratic decision mechanism, which probably could have still elected Uhuru Kenyatta as their presidential candidate. The mere though that Raila Odinga, Moody Awori, Kalonzo Musyoka and Saitoti could challenge his decision was just unfathomable to Moi. He couldn’t believe it. Imagine how he feels now to see people whose political careers he created defying him and actually getting the support of the masses in Rift Valley. The old man must be burning with rage.
He is behaving like a spouse who refuses to accept the end of a relationship and is engaging in all sorts of mischief to hurt his ex-partner out of bitterness. Such a spouse wouldn’t even notice that he is hurting himself even more with his unrelenting jealousy and rage. In a relationship you would call it utter stupidity and vindictiveness. In politics it is a disaster waiting to happen. And for Moi that disaster is getting to his doorstep.
Secondly, Moi claims Kanu was the founding party of our nation that brought independence to the country and should not be destroyed. Mr. Ex-President, you were in Kadu, which opposed immediate independence and wanted a slower process for granting our country its absolute sovereignty. You were working with people like Sir Michael Blundell who did not want a Kanu government. Don’t you remember where you were when Kenya achieved its independence?
Where were you when Kadu dissolved and joined Kanu later? That is when you should have been protesting. Simply put, Moi has no mandate to make himself the guardian angel of Kanu, a party he joined and ruined after independence.
How did Moi ruin Kanu? Well Kenyatta did his piece too, but Moi brought things like arbitrary expulsion of members on flimsy grounds. At some point all it took was a delegation visiting Moi, like the one that visited him a few days ago, complaining about Mr. So and So and they would be suspended on the sport. Is that what Moi wants to revive in Kanu? That would be delusion of the worst order. Mzee that era is over, give the nation a break.
Third the opportunity for Moi joining hands with Kibaki, which is what all the whole drama is about, has just slipped by in case Mzee hasn’t noticed.
Kibaki wanted the likes of Henry Kosgey, Joseph Lagat, Musa Sirma, Kones and may be even Ruto and Uhuru to work with him to give him a stronghold in Rift Valley. Those guys are now firmly in ODM Kenya. This is part of the reason Kibaki cannot complete his cabinet.
Kibaki has no use for Gideon Moi, Nicholas Biwott, Katana Ngala Nick Salat and kina Ezakiel Barngetuny. These guys do not add any sufurias of ugali at State House.
My sense is that the more desperate Moi gets the more he loses whatever credibility he may have and the more irrelevant he becomes in Kenyan politics. Good riddance.
As for the ODM, I would urge them to move with speed and build the party structures. The idea of having a retreat for all the MPs and other non-MP members is great. Don’t be distracted by hoopla from the desperate forces that have now been reduced to playing catch up. Pay them little attention and don’t engage in a pissing contest with them because that is what they are dying for.
Respect the Mzee, but tell him the truth. His days are over and he has not been invited to ODM, like Kosgey said. If he wants to start another party and even seek re-election, that is his prerogative. Otherwise keep your eye on the prize.
Look at the so-called Third Force. Laughable. Really. I mean it all amounts to supporting Kibaki, by any means necessary.
First they thought Narc Kenya would do the magic of tricking Kenyans. They won three seats in the by elections and went nuts, even some calling for snap elections. Kenyans smoked them out of their caves where they were hiding their true colours as DP fraudsters who had hijacked the Kenyans democratic revolution achieved in 2002. Then they got scared and people like Kombo and Ngilu went ballistics vowing never to join Narc Kenya.
Then Nyachae woke up after a long slumber and invited them to Kisii to launch the “Third Force”. Turns out, all they were about to announce is that they will all support Kibaki. Has it occurred to them that they already support and work with Kibaki.
Now they say they will retain their party identities and field candidates in their strongholds. Don’t kill me with laughter. ODM already failed with that experiment. It ends up in endless squabbles. That will never work.
ODM Kenya should do itself a big favour. Go for individual membership so as to build a cohesive and functioning party with representation and following across the country. Kenyans will never again trust a coalition of so-called corporate members- meaning an amalgamation of parties after the disaster they witnessed with LDP and NAK. Never again. At least not for a long time.
And one last thing. We welcome the message and resolve of ODM leadership to stay united. We have heard you and it sounds good. Now we need to know how you will unite our great peoples and our country with all its diverse demographic and ethnic groups to build one country, one nation with a vision for prosperity, justice and equality for all. Kenyans want to know how the ODM will salvage the country from the tribalism and nepotism that Kibaki has perfected in his four years in power.
There is danger and real fear our nation can go up in flames if we don't put out the toxic flames of tribalism Kibaki has been setting up everywhere.
The unity of the leadership is not an end in itself. We need to know how that unity will translate into the unity of the country and for what purpose. That is what the nation is waiting to hear. Good luck.
The writer is a human rights activist
Just when you thought he had learnt his lessons, former president Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi still comes out as a man searching for a new legacy. I am afraid it might end up to be a legacy of double failure. Make that triple failure or more.
He left office with a collapsed economy and the reputation of a man who supervised torture and repression of the very people he swore to protect. The nation forgave him because of the peaceful transition he presided over. Our respect for him seems to have gone to his head.
Today Moi is a besieged man. The other day Martha Karua came up with her sham list of shame, which as most have observed was meant to serve the sagging political fortunes of the Kibaki regime rather than fight corruption.
Many Kenyans though, are pretty mad with the robbers who have ruined our country for decades and would have wished Martha Karua had the political will and integrity to actually fight corruption instead of laundering lists for purposes of political intimidation. Nonetheless it is obvious a great deal of robbery of the economy took place under Moi watch, just as a whole lot is happening under Kibaki. The new government seems to think we elected them to put a contest as to who is more corrupt.
By the way wasn’t it rather comical that the same Martha who released the so-called list of shame was the other day in Gusii land declaring that one of those named in the list, Mr. Simon Nyachae was clean?
When did Martha cleanse him and how? Does it mean anybody who supports Kibaki is automatically clean? Isn’t it the KACC that is supposed to declare suspects clean or headed to court? In any civilized political environment a government minister declaring corruption suspects clean without the benefit of investigations would be forced to resign for lack of integrity. More so if such suspects were part of the same cabinet. But of course the word integrity is alien to Kibaki and his cohorts. Good for them.
Anyhow, soon after Martha’s list the VP Moody Awori in response to a question I Parliament about the grabbing of over 2,000 hectares of prison land in Kitale came with his own list of shame. Almost every one of those miscreants who now own prison land who prisoners starve, declare they got the land lawfully. Guess who gave it to them? Yes you got it right, it is the man we are paying Kshs 2 million plus benefits a month to enjoy his retirement.
And then the stinker from The Hague came in. The International Court dismissed a case by Mr. Ibrahim Nasir Ali against the government because they concluded on the basis of evidence provided to them that the deal was made after Mr. Ali bribed the former president with Kshs 144 million delivered to the former president during a visit at Kabarak. I am not going to say anything about the Goldenberg mess today.
The question most Kenyans are asking is this; just how many more scandals involving the former president are out there waiting to be exposed? Your guess is as good as mine, but it is safe to assume there are a handful at the very least.
How on earth can this same person surrounded with shame and infamy be the one trying to herd Kenyans and direct them on which party they should join to steer the affairs of the country? Moi should be hiding his head in shame somewhere and praying that we don’t yank the retirement salary and benefits he is getting from the taxpayers of Kenya instead of posturing around as the messiah Kenya needs to guide us out of the mess he and his former VP who is now our president has created in the governance of our beloved nation.
But let me tell you why Moi and his hanky panky plans are going to collapse in utter failure.
Number one, the reason there is near panic with Moi summoning his old wafuasi like Katana Ngala and Nicholas Biwott to join hands in a desperate attempt to disrupt ODM is because the ODM is moving fast and with precision. They are consulting and strategizing. They have become very inclusive and very well organized, but above all else; the ODM leadership has refused to engage in petty fights and divisive politics over who will be their presidential candidate. That is what Kibaki, Moi and their crew has been waiting for. They are getting nervous the breakdown may never occur primarily because there is no Plan B.
Historically Moi has always thrived on divisive politics. That is what he knows and that is how he maintained control over Kanu up to the last minute when he split the party right in the middle by refusing to have a democratic decision mechanism, which probably could have still elected Uhuru Kenyatta as their presidential candidate. The mere though that Raila Odinga, Moody Awori, Kalonzo Musyoka and Saitoti could challenge his decision was just unfathomable to Moi. He couldn’t believe it. Imagine how he feels now to see people whose political careers he created defying him and actually getting the support of the masses in Rift Valley. The old man must be burning with rage.
He is behaving like a spouse who refuses to accept the end of a relationship and is engaging in all sorts of mischief to hurt his ex-partner out of bitterness. Such a spouse wouldn’t even notice that he is hurting himself even more with his unrelenting jealousy and rage. In a relationship you would call it utter stupidity and vindictiveness. In politics it is a disaster waiting to happen. And for Moi that disaster is getting to his doorstep.
Secondly, Moi claims Kanu was the founding party of our nation that brought independence to the country and should not be destroyed. Mr. Ex-President, you were in Kadu, which opposed immediate independence and wanted a slower process for granting our country its absolute sovereignty. You were working with people like Sir Michael Blundell who did not want a Kanu government. Don’t you remember where you were when Kenya achieved its independence?
Where were you when Kadu dissolved and joined Kanu later? That is when you should have been protesting. Simply put, Moi has no mandate to make himself the guardian angel of Kanu, a party he joined and ruined after independence.
How did Moi ruin Kanu? Well Kenyatta did his piece too, but Moi brought things like arbitrary expulsion of members on flimsy grounds. At some point all it took was a delegation visiting Moi, like the one that visited him a few days ago, complaining about Mr. So and So and they would be suspended on the sport. Is that what Moi wants to revive in Kanu? That would be delusion of the worst order. Mzee that era is over, give the nation a break.
Third the opportunity for Moi joining hands with Kibaki, which is what all the whole drama is about, has just slipped by in case Mzee hasn’t noticed.
Kibaki wanted the likes of Henry Kosgey, Joseph Lagat, Musa Sirma, Kones and may be even Ruto and Uhuru to work with him to give him a stronghold in Rift Valley. Those guys are now firmly in ODM Kenya. This is part of the reason Kibaki cannot complete his cabinet.
Kibaki has no use for Gideon Moi, Nicholas Biwott, Katana Ngala Nick Salat and kina Ezakiel Barngetuny. These guys do not add any sufurias of ugali at State House.
My sense is that the more desperate Moi gets the more he loses whatever credibility he may have and the more irrelevant he becomes in Kenyan politics. Good riddance.
As for the ODM, I would urge them to move with speed and build the party structures. The idea of having a retreat for all the MPs and other non-MP members is great. Don’t be distracted by hoopla from the desperate forces that have now been reduced to playing catch up. Pay them little attention and don’t engage in a pissing contest with them because that is what they are dying for.
Respect the Mzee, but tell him the truth. His days are over and he has not been invited to ODM, like Kosgey said. If he wants to start another party and even seek re-election, that is his prerogative. Otherwise keep your eye on the prize.
Look at the so-called Third Force. Laughable. Really. I mean it all amounts to supporting Kibaki, by any means necessary.
First they thought Narc Kenya would do the magic of tricking Kenyans. They won three seats in the by elections and went nuts, even some calling for snap elections. Kenyans smoked them out of their caves where they were hiding their true colours as DP fraudsters who had hijacked the Kenyans democratic revolution achieved in 2002. Then they got scared and people like Kombo and Ngilu went ballistics vowing never to join Narc Kenya.
Then Nyachae woke up after a long slumber and invited them to Kisii to launch the “Third Force”. Turns out, all they were about to announce is that they will all support Kibaki. Has it occurred to them that they already support and work with Kibaki.
Now they say they will retain their party identities and field candidates in their strongholds. Don’t kill me with laughter. ODM already failed with that experiment. It ends up in endless squabbles. That will never work.
ODM Kenya should do itself a big favour. Go for individual membership so as to build a cohesive and functioning party with representation and following across the country. Kenyans will never again trust a coalition of so-called corporate members- meaning an amalgamation of parties after the disaster they witnessed with LDP and NAK. Never again. At least not for a long time.
And one last thing. We welcome the message and resolve of ODM leadership to stay united. We have heard you and it sounds good. Now we need to know how you will unite our great peoples and our country with all its diverse demographic and ethnic groups to build one country, one nation with a vision for prosperity, justice and equality for all. Kenyans want to know how the ODM will salvage the country from the tribalism and nepotism that Kibaki has perfected in his four years in power.
There is danger and real fear our nation can go up in flames if we don't put out the toxic flames of tribalism Kibaki has been setting up everywhere.
The unity of the leadership is not an end in itself. We need to know how that unity will translate into the unity of the country and for what purpose. That is what the nation is waiting to hear. Good luck.
The writer is a human rights activist
