Is Raila in Self Destruct Mode?

[kamalet]

You just have to wonder about this man....and his mouth. His supporters in this forum will not agree with me, but I can live with that!

Raila has been know to have been around the world popularising ODM though if you asked me he was popularising himself. But that is neither here nor there. What has been reported in many Kenyan forums is that apart from addressing Kenyans in the diaspora, he has also been fund raising for his campaign. Someone in KANU I hear is pretty miffed to realise that the fund raising was for RAILA and not ODM!! But then you have to give it to Kenyan politicians.

In one of his forays (I think to Canada), he made that famous quote about drug money at the Nairobi Stock Exchange. His supporters were all in agreement - am not sure if this is justification for not joining other Kenyans to invest in the NSE -whilst the mandarins at the CMA and NSE went into overdrive to fight this false fire lit by Raila. It surely must have been a case of humble pie when he had to go to Joe Wangunyu's house in Muthaiga for the Ngurario of his sone Fidel. Joe is one of the bigger stock brokers at the NSE. Hopefully he gave Raila a couple of tips on how to invest in the NSE without becoming a drug dealer!

But I think something he will regret is the incident at parliament on Tuesday during the official opening of the House. Raila stole the show by arriving in a wine red HUMMER! Now this is not a cheap car and whilst I do not agree with the figure of 43 million being bandied about, it is still expensive! Yesterday he decided to show it off a bit more in the city centre where he parked it at The Stanley Hotel where Muungano wa Katiba were meeting to come up with a response to Kibaki on the Katiba talks. Never mind that the crowd milling around the hotel are idlers who walk daily from his OWN constituency's slum of Kibera - but they still happily cheered their leader. Watching it on TV, I seriously was pained by that whole act. You just cannot show off such extravagance and still talk about poverty amongst Kenyans!

When asked, he came with this strange explanation that the vehicle was bought for him by ODM friends abroad whom he declined to name. Then I imagined that these friends of ODM living abroad either have no sense of priorities for Kenya or were simply fooled into the act! But why would these friendly Kenyans opt to dole out some 43 million shillings to buy a Hummer and not buy books or asked for building the dilapidated schools in most of the ODM strongholds? It is simple to conclude that they were buying future loyalty by this act of buying a car. This is corruption that was being cheered by those idlers at The Stanley!


Amos Kimunya must have smiled when the cheque for 9 million in taxes was paid to the exchequer!

But Raila must either take his friends in the Diaspora or Kenyans for fools. I do not think all those guys that dole out their $50 for a meal to fundraise for Raila do this to buy him a Hummer. If this is the money he has used to by the Hummer, then he surely has stolen from those that contributed towards the campaign

Raila is prone to making political blunders. But this is one that will follow him for a while! In the meantime here is what is already in Youtube! … =t&f=b


Enjoy!

[denno]

Kamale, you have the wrong link. Anyway I heard about this from a friend in Nairobi and I was quite disappointed. Talk about shooting ones own foot. It doesn't matter whether he paid for it himself...the perception it leaves makes me sick!!! Its totally poor judgement. I think the new version Range is still more exoensive than the Hummer

[kamalet]

I think this is the correct one:

[miguna]

Kamau,

Raila is the next president of Kenya. That will happen whether you like it or not. Kenyans like it though...

As for the Hummer, it is much less expensive that your Mercedes Benz and Kibaki's custom-made Maybachs, the latter fetching over $1,000,000 (US) each!

This is non issue. Take my word for it. [unedited]

MM
================================

[kamalet]

Miguna,

You delude yourself....I understand this thing is the talk in Nairobi bars! I am told that there are several unhappy people about this show of extravangance. Perhaps if it was a non-issue the rabid lot of RCB would not have committed the lines they have. But I will take your word and wish it away

BTW - Kibaki is driven in Merc Benz 600 and certainly not a Maybach! Or did you confuse the fellow with King Mswati?

[miguna]

Well Kamau, it is called stealing the thunder under Kibaki's feet. Only The Agwambo knows how to execute such things.

The people all over the country (even in Nairobi bars all the way to New Delhi) are talking about The Agwambo; not the President!

That's good news to me. Nobody noticed the President's entry or departure in Parliament yet it was supposed to be his day.

The very few unhappy ones like you don't really count. I know that. Check the referendum results again. Kibaki and his henchmen had characterized it as: Kibaki vs Raila. Raila won hands down.

The elections in December will also be Kibaki vs. Raila. Raila will win that, too.

Get very worried my friend because in politics, that kind of free publicity sells all the way to the voters' booths!

It is music to our ears, and we are just whistling....[unedited]
Miguna
----------
PS: Even Mercedes S600 costs more than $150,000 (US). [But I know that Kibaki ordered custom-made Maybachs. Do you remember the Artur ghosts? Well, we have all the information at our finger tips. Nowadays it does not matter that Kibaki has the "Official Intelligence;" we have ours, too.)

Compare the price of a Merc S 600 with that of Raila's Hummer. The most expensive Hummer (which Raila's is not) does not cost more than $90,000 (US).

Nonetheless, Raila's Hummer is a demonstration of power, strength, courage and muscle! That is why you and your clique are pivved. As the president-in-waiting, Raila deserves more than a Hummer! And he purchased it with his own money.

MM [unedited]
==================================================

[50cents]

s R playing with our psyche or is he positioning? Or is it all crap???

Positioning

Simply, positioning is how your target market defines you in relation to your competitors.

A good position is:
1. What makes you unique
2. This is considered a benefit by your target market

Both of these conditions are necessary for a good positioning. So what if you are the only red-haired singer who only knows how to play a G minor chord? Does your target market consider this a good thing?

Positioning is important because you are competing with all the noise out there competing for your potential fans attention. If you can stand out with a unique benefit, you have a chance at getting their attention.

It is important to understand your product from the customers point of view relative to the competition.

Environment

In order to begin positioning a product, two questions need to be answered:

1.What is our marketing environment?
2.What is our competitive advantage?

The marketing environment is the external environment. Some things to consider:


* How is the market now satisfying the need your software satisfies?
* What are the switching costs for potential users for your market?
* What are the positions of the competition?

The competitive advantage is an internal question. What do you have that gives you advantage over your competitors. Some things to consider:


* Is your company small and flexibility?
* Do you offer low cost and high quality?
* Does your product offer unique benefits?
* Are you the first on the market with this product (First mover advantage)?

Positioning Strategies

There are seven positioning strategies that can be pursued:

Product Attributes: What are the specific product attributes?

Benefits: What are the benefits to the customers?

Usage Occasions: When / how can the product be used?

Users: Identify a class of users.

Against a Competitor: Positioned directly against a competitor.

Away from a Competitor: Positioned away from competitor.

Product Classes: Compared to different classes of products.

Segmentation

There are three types of segmentation:

Mass Marketing or Undifferentiated Marketing: Go after the whole market with one offer and focus on common needs rather than differences

Product-variety Marketing or Differentiated Marketing: target several market segments and design separate offers for each

Target Marketing or Concentrated Marketing: Large share of one or a few sub-markets. Good when company’s resources are limited

To identify a niche market, a series of 2 by 2 matrixes can be used to identify an area that is being overlooked by larger competitors. The competitors are mapped on this matrix and you can see where there may be some opportunities.

Positioning Differences

The differences that are promoted for a product must be:

Important: The difference delivers a highly valued benefit to the target buyers

Distinctive: Competitors do not offer the difference, or the company can offer it in a more distinctive way

Superior: The difference is superior to other ways that the customer might obtain the same benefit

Communicable: The difference can be explained and communicated to the target buyers

Preemptive: Competitors cannot easily copy the difference

Affordable: Buyers can afford to pay the difference

Profitable: Company can introduce the difference profitably

[adongo12345]

Kamale

Leave this kind of stuff to the cyber scavengers that pollute the net with convoluted running shows on Raila. You are too smart for this. I worry about people who breathe Raila every time they take in air. I hope you have not joined the club that want to know which toilet Raila used last night and then rush to the net now with pictures and youtube.

Who cares if Raila drives a Hummer or a Toyota. I care more about spending millions to buy ministers multiple high end cars at the expense of taxpayers money. If Raila can afford a Hummer or whatever that is his business.

Telling us that Raila is going to loose elections because he was seen in a Hummer is a bit lame. Don't we have some other dirt to put on this man. Where is the god**n Ndung'u report when you need it. Poa ndugu yangu.

Adongo

[miguna]

LETTERS

Mshindi view on ODM incisive

Adongo,

Here is the view of yet another Kenya:

Publication Date: 3/24/2007
Columnist Tom Mshindi’s piece on ODM Kenya leaders’ London trip was incisive and candid.

The failure by Mr Kalonzo Musyoka specifically and other ODM presidential aspirants in general to travel to London was a political mistake.

I deliberately put Mr Musyoka into perspective since despite having considerably lost ground in the ODM nomination battle, he is still touted as the main rival of party strongman and Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga.

It is the Mwingi North MP who, in an attempt to seek credit that seems to have misfired, told a public rally in Kakamega that ODM-K would be going on a bonding mission in the UK.

There was even the laughable talk that some party leaders were toying with the idea of isolating Mr Odinga as a result of the London debacle.

This shows how naïve and out of touch with the political reality that the people behind such a scheme are.

Mr Odinga is the driving force behind and, more importantly, the public face of the ODM philosophy, and he has apparently taken his campaign internationally in an unprecedented manner.

As Mr Mshindi put it, the London trip would have given the other leaders the opportunity to neutralise Mr Odinga’s rising profile on the international stage.

Mr Odinga has this uncanny way of wiggling himself out of awkward situations and emerge on top of things. This is because of his bold, courageous and decisive style of playing politics.

He has no time for dithering and squandering opportunities, making him stand out from the rest of the crowd.

This is why he has quickly managed to regain the captaincy of the ODM-K ship and left his rivals dumbfounded.

I wish to tell Mr Musyoka that the die is cast, and that his clout among the ODM-K rank and file is diminishing fast due to the perception that he is politically insecure and not a team player, but one whose aim is to cause disaffection in the party.

The sooner he adjusts himself to the reality that Mr Odinga is unassailable in the presidential nomination the better for him.

I am prepared to bet my last coin that Mr Odinga’s name will appear on ODM-K ballot paper and not Mr Musyoka’s.

S.M GAKUNGU,
Nairobi.

[kamalet]

Miguna

I now think you are in denial!!


This is the same man who would criticize the government for loading itself with extravagance and yet instead of humbling himself he thinks the Hummer is the the best to show off with? You see Kenyans will ask questions if Raila can be this ostentatious before he is elected, then how bad will he be? Perhaps you can look up the joke in Madd Madd World!!!

Raila will not lose an election because he was "bought" a hummer...NO! But he will certainly create judgement upon himself.

This your attitude that "si ni pesa yake" in my view is wrong. In the first instance it is not his money so one really must question the motives of those who gave him the car!!!

But looks like I waste my time with people that see no evil, hear no evil or think no evil as far as Raila is concerned!!!

[miguna]

Kamau,

If you rely on cartoons to interprete politics, then perhaps you should go back to ALL the past political cartoons, incuding the one on Thursday and see who is winning and who is losing.

You are the one in denial.

Raila is winning this year's election whether you like it or not.

Kibaki is losing. That, my friend, is the truth on all Kenyan streets, villages, towns, ridges, valleys, hills - everywhere. You must be living in Pluto not to realize it.

Kenyans are just not having enough of Raila's Hummer. And Raila is going to "hummer" Kibaki in the December polls.

Remember my words in January 2008! [unedited]

MM
====================================

[miguna]

COMMENTARY: Isn’t it time for Kibaki to cry: Raila ‘Tosha’?

Story by MUTUMA MATHIU
Publication Date: 3/25/2007

The Opposition is being clever. By insisting that the government agrees to a constitutional amendment requiring the winner in a presidential election to garner 50 per cent plus one of the votes cast, they are not so politely asking President Kibaki to put a gun to his head and squeeze the trigger.

It is highly unlikely — especially in the light of the disagreements in Orange and therefore the possibility of more than one opposition presidential candidate — that any one candidate will get 50 per cent of the vote in the first round.

Which means that Mr Kibaki will have to face a single opposition presidential candidate in the run-off, another name for electoral suicide. Traditionally, at election time since 1992, virtually the whole country troops to the opposition.

Even those who have eaten with the incumbent suddenly discover their alleged scruples, their anti-corruption credentials, their humility and their determination to fulfil the pledges made five years earlier. They will say: “Look at this fool, he made promises at the last election but he has not kept them. Vote him out!”

In this ridiculous category falls Mr Musikari Kombo, the Local Authorities minister and his Health colleague, Mrs Charity Ngilu. You will recall that they presented Mr Kibaki with a list of guys they wanted given jobs ASAP, lest they quit the government and put Mr Kibaki in political trouble. He obliged.

In the four years they have been in government, they have issued nothing but the most glowing encomiums about Mr Kibaki, his alleged superior wisdom and all that. But now that there is an election coming, they are itching to join the rest of the country in opposition.

What is keeping them glued to their places is quite probably the attraction of ministerial perks and perhaps the lack of a suitable political special purpose vehicle on which to get re-elected and back to a better job in the Cabinet.

If Opposition truly believed in political accountability, it would insist that Mrs Ngilu and Mr Kombo stay put in government, where they have been all along, and face the electorate shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Kibaki.

As I was saying, the opposition is the place Kenyans troop to at election time. My view, which none else is obliged to agree with, is that a dead yellow puppy standing as the joint opposition candidate would beat Mr Kibaki hands down.

Which is why I cannot believe that Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Mr Raila Odinga, the big candidates in Orange, are bickering. These are guys with a fat morsel in their mouths and are fighting to spit it out, as Chinua Achebe would put it.

One of Mr Odinga’s supporters, with whom I spoke during the week was very angry. He told me he is “no longer interested in unity with Mr Kalonzo. He should just leave and go look for another party.”

“Why?” I asked.

Because he brings nothing to the party, my source said, just a few votes in Ukambani and Steadman opinion polls. He has no money, no grassroots network, no superior campaign skills, nothing, the guy fumed.

When I spoke to one of Mr Musyoka’s people, to get the contrary view, he informed me that there was no deep problem at all, the two candidates just have a different “world view”.

Mr Odinga’s people, he educated me, were of the view that it was this year or nothing; their man must run. (A view I second, by the way). Mr Musyoka’s people on the other hand, I was told, believe that he is the only candidate who can beat Mr Kibaki in a straight contest and that has nothing to with Steadman opinion polls. “It is what Kenyans are telling us,” he said.

This same group of people when I called to ask whether they were circulating on e-mail undated pictures of Mr Odinga with Bishop Deya, informed me that indeed it was the Nation which was doing so, that we had obtained these pictures and were “waiting to unleash” them in the event of the London meeting taking place. I nearly swallowed the mobile phone.

I sat back and wondered what happens to people when they get into politics. Do they live in Africa or are they on loan from Jupiter?

The preposterous picture claims aside, I have a problem with this group’s argumentation. Based on last December’s Steadman results, and assuming that votes will transfer (that is Mr Kalonzo’s supporters will vote for whomever he supports, for example) the combined opposition beat Mr Kibaki in every province with the exception of Central, where he wins and Eastern where the vote was evenly divided.

The opposition constitutional strategy is very clever, it forces, by means of the Constitution, the opposition to unite without the necessity of anyone having to cry: Tosha!

My view is that someone needs to cry “Tosha”, but I will come to that in a minute.

I dislike consensus as a means of taking competitive decisions because it always arrives at a compromise candidate who is almost always the weakest fellow. The wimp, who threatens no one because he is a colourless yes-man, is the natural product of consensus.

I think the best way to proceed, to heal national divisions and ease tensions, get rid of the tribal bad feeling, is for Mr Kibaki, at an opportune moment, to call a meeting at Uhuru Park attended by all presidential candidates and cry: Raila Tosha!

Mr Kibaki, with the string of insensitive tribal appointments, is going off-rail. A second term can only take things further south. In any case, at 76, there is no compelling reason for Mr Kibaki to be running for president.

Mr Odinga on the other hand will get the chance to channel his restless energy in more useful directions. It will also afford politicians an opportunity to pay him the back-hand compliment by conspiring against him for a change.

The realities of Kenyan politics are such that the national interest for the next 20 years would best served by having one-term presidents, each from a different region of the country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mutuma Mathiu is the managing editor, Sunday Nation.

[aeichener]

An astute columnist in the Kenya Times gave a very good explanation:

"The Hummer's major drawback is high fuel consumption, its large size, high maintenance cost, and its destructiveness as an off road."

Exactly these qualities might just endear the vehicle (and its driver) to Kenyans.

Alexander

[dubois]

If Miguna is a betting man I'd like to take him on who becomes the next president. I am convinced, hummer or no hummer, Raila's chances are extremely slim. Kibaki might be beaten but not by Agwambo. Remember my words in January 2008!