Kibaki rolls the cash

[adongo23456]

www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143973381

Yap, those who have been waiting, Kibaki is finally out with high tech and rolling funds. Drama! Right? You bet. I will keep my comments for now. But compaign based on money can be pretty deadly?

Telegraphing to the wananchi that you are coming loaded, can lead to a lot of problems. The first question the voters are going to ask is very simple: Okay so they pay you to get my vote, what do they pay me? The more you give them the more they want and before you know it the moneybags are in hiding because people want money and are ready to tear off their shirts to get it.

I saw this way back in Bondo with Odongo Omamo who had more money than I had seen then or since. By the time folks finished with Omamo's money all his agents were in hiding and the poor fella lost the election.

Let the funds flow.

adongo

[johns]

Somebody help me out here to understand how this strategy of money is supposed to produce votes for Kibaki short of exchanging votes for the money and destroying them.

Are these Mr. Money Bags going to sign a covenant with every voter who take their money to the effect that Voters will be paid a certain amount of money every month as long as Kibaki is re-elected and for the full 5 year term? That is the only option i see Kibaki selling as his strong
point from the way his campaign is being organized and projected.

From the way Kibakis campaign is starting i am beginning to sense there is going to be major flights of rats that have been populating his sinking ship, each scrambling for the shores to find a safe landing. Money or no money, Kibaki is going to find out for himself how kenyans are hungry and malnourished when they begin to swallow all those billions of shillings and wanting more of it without any assuarance of their votes. That will surely make a mockery of his 6.8% economical growth which we are supposed to be experiencing. Reality check is coming pretty soon for him.

[politicalmaniac]

AO
Thanks for this thread
I was gonna start one.

Its time we started talking about the incumbent. We need to know what he has up his sleeves and then counter that. Meantime we need to go on offense too, popularizing Rs and ODM vision.

This so called 'high tech' campaign with statellite phones, SUV's and wads of cash shouldn't be just laughed off like that. It must be taken seriously for perception, in the peoples mind, can coagulate very rapidly into a feeling that the incumbent's machine is too overwhelming to overthrow and depress voter turnout amongst beleaguered ODM supporters.

So ODM has to mount a real grass root operation where the councillors and MPs are gonna be pointmen in addition to Elders, like those who went to Eldoret.

I am hopeful that this 'showbiz' approach will turn folks off and instead, as Johns said, incite wenye nchi to demand a share of the campaign loot. And then vote ODM.

My feeling (no evidence yet as I havent heard from the ground back home) is that these folks will see the incumbents point men riding in cars and drinking beer and eating goat meat in the local centers and get so pissed off that they will either pretend to like them and eat or just plain take their these SUVs and telephones away from them and turn hostile to them.

What worries me more is the use of the provincial and district administration, the use of police, chiefs and other Govt functionaries, to act as surrogates for the incumbent campaign.

It will be interesting to see just how the incumbent campaigns. Where he goes etc

[johns]

PM,

The Kibaki money does not worry me much -- that is an area the MPK have mastered and know how to deal with. Involving the Provincial Administration into his campaign is what bothers me and it is something the ODM strategists have to come out with a plan to put a stamp on their influence be it through the courts or whatever means neccessary.

Another thing which might be a blessing to ODM campaigns is the constellation of Millionaires that are supporting Kibakis re-election. ODM should point this contrast to the suffering majority, reminding them how Kibaki is beholden to the wealthy and will not give a care to their sufferings once in office.

ODM should try to fundraise from the common poor and creating a participatory network with the downtrodden drawing a parallel of intention from the questionable millionaire club of Kibaki whose intention is perpertual lording over the masses.

[politicalmaniac]

Johns
So what to do?
Money speaks, how do we, as ODM, counter the message from the MKM that they are trying to project? A message of overwhelming force, the equivalent of shock and awe of mordern electoral politics in Kenya?

Then the Provincial and district administration also have to be reckoned with. Will they obstruct Rs campaigns? Will they intimidate voters both by the security aparatus and by hired goons? Will they interefere with the ECK? Where they place poll stations? Who will Determine their opening and closing times? will they harass ECK employees? Will they guard ballots and boxes? Will the chiefs interfere with boxes as they did with the recent Magarini By election?

So many ways to steal an election.

I dearly hope hungry Kenyans in opposition zones wont sell their voters cards to depress turnout.

[kamalet]

When Raila fundraises around the world, the intention is to help cover the costs of his campaign. He never does so to bribe voters and in fact any presidential candidate that had such a strategy would needs a lot more money to win over the country than what is being bandied about.

I therefore do not think that the Kibaki strategists are that dumb to fundraise for bribery of voters. The machine they must be looking for to win the election will be the media through advertising, bill boards etc. There is little doubt that the provincial administration will play a part if it is true they will provide intel on how the mood of the country in their jurisdictions is. But that is normally the power of incumbency that even the likes of Raila appreciate and can do nothing about.

[politicalmaniac]

So the folks with the satelite phones, and SUVs will be monitoring to mood of folks on the ground and NOT trying to influence their views?
So if the mood is pro incumbent then the beat goes on?
And if the mood is anti - incumbent then they put into gear Plan B to change those views? The question then becomes how?

Money will be needed also for transporting voters to the polling booths etc

[Daktari wa makazi]

I think the right question to ask are

1. who are these 1000 people paying Kshs 1 million each to dine with Kibaki

2. and how did they make their money?

We all know who bought Raila his Hummer, and when he went to USA his fundraising were done in public everyone invited hence we know who paid what. Do we know exactly same on Kibaki's fundraisings?

The truth of the matter is electing a well known thief like Kibaki was a fatal error we as Kenyans committed. Now we see him going back to his thieving comrades to help him steal another term in office using ill gotten wealth so that stealing can continue. The quicker we remove Kibaki the better.

I am writing a new thread on Angola - which is growing faster and is better managed hence dwarfing thief Kibaki tenure 100 times over.

[politicalmaniac]

Sadik
The 1M dollar attendees are various Gema functionaries who are Parastatal heads, Private prominent businessmen and the likes. The incumbent knew when he was doing when appointing all those Gemans to prominent posts. Basically he was building a war chest by proxy. I Scratch your back and you do mine in return.

[kamalet]

Sadik,

I am sure on the day of the luncheon the media will tell us who are these that belong to the million shilling club. The Kibaki team has been candid about doing this thing in public and that they will not pilfer from government funds.

I am happy for a professional colleague Owino Magana for his appointment to head up the ICT team! He has quite some experience in consultancy both in Kenya and Rwanda, so that could be a boon for the Kibs campaign!

[gakungu]

Kamalet,

Even the 1997 luncheon for Kanu was an open event. The likes of Chris Kirubi gave Ksh.5 million to sit next to Moi. So it makes no difference. Furthermore, we know KM is a project of the same clique that want to perpetuate the status quo.

They will certainly rue having wasted their millions once the results start trickling in. Even 20billions war chest will not move R unstoppable phenomenon.

[bkichwa]

I can see that team Kibaki's choice to be open with its campaign contributions, has denied the usual jukwaa Kibaki critics and haters a chance to go down this expected wail - "he is using govt resources for his campaigns!!." So now ya'll are left to wail and moan about his private business - contributions from his supporters. Why were there no demands from ya'll for the list of attendees during Raila's numerous past fundraisers? Why is it that an issue is being made when Kibaki's supporters fundraise for his re-election - is he not allowed to do this? There are super-confident opinions and discussions all over jukwaa about Raila's imminent victory in December. If that's the guaranteed reality, then why do Raila's main competitor's moves and machinations bother you? Si your guy is winning regardless? Pathetic - the usual over-righteous attitude on display as always.

[politicalmaniac]

Conspicuous consumption and flashy ostentatiousness is not a campaign message.
The incumbent will need to answer
-AF scandal
-GB scandal
-CID labs scandal
-Tribal line up in the civil service and parastals
-Artur saga
-Mungiki
-Most importantly, where is the new constitution? Where is the Ndungu land report?

These issues will be brought up time and again.
How much money can cover up these festering political sores?

[mzee]

politicalmaniac said:

Conspicuous consumption and flashy ostentatiousness is not a campaign message.
The incumbent will need to answer
-AF scandal
-GB scandal
-CID labs scandal
-Tribal line up in the civil service and parastals
-Artur saga
-Mungiki
-Most importantly, where is the new constitution? Where is the Ndungu land report?

These issues will be brought up time and again.
How much money can cover up these festering political sores?

If the Kibaki money machine can create some kind of amnesia so that we forget what PM has penned then MK will be home and dry. But just as in the referundum, the mwanainchi will take MK´s cash yet vote for R.

[adongo23456]

bkichwa said:

I can see that team Kibaki's choice to be open with its campaign contributions, has denied the usual jukwaa Kibaki critics and haters a chance to go down this expected wail - "he is using govt resources for his campaigns!!." So now ya'll are left to wail and moan about his private business - contributions from his supporters. Why were there no demands from ya'll for the list of attendees during Raila's numerous past fundraisers? Why is it that an issue is being made when Kibaki's supporters fundraise for his re-election - is he not allowed to do this? There are super-confident opinions and discussions all over jukwaa about Raila's imminent victory in December. If that's the guaranteed reality, then why do Raila's main competitor's moves and machinations bother you? Si your guy is winning regardless? Pathetic - the usual over-righteous attitude on display as always.

Bkichwa

How could you miss this part of the story below? It is the very first statement in the article in the Standard. Here it is.


"It’s an elaborate and well-funded election machine that is under specific instructions to work with the Provincial Administration to ensure President Kibaki is re-elected, was unveiled on Wednesday"

Using the Provincial Administration to achieve partisan political interests is supposed to be illegal in Kenya, but these are the dudes who gave us Anglo thieves and the Artur mercenaries so we expect everything.

So before you celebrate about how Kibaki now has millions of private money and we are all complaining just get back to reality for a few minutes.

Kibaki's plan was exposed a few days ago when he visited Western Province. During that visit when Mzee could not get the energy or may be it is the guts to address a rally in Kakamega, the Provincial Administrators were tasked to ferry women, a hundred per team, using government vehicles and being paid Kshs 500.00 to go have private meetings with Mzee. All the women were rounded up, literally, by Maendeleo Ya Wanawake and told Mzee wants to meet them and they get paid for it. Now you tell me what the heck is this if not brazen abuse of public resources to achieve Kibaki's re-election?

Why should Kenyan tax money be used to facilitate private meetings between Kibaki and some captive women in Kakamega?

By the way like most things Kibaki does the whole thing was a fiasco. Some women reached State Lodge only to be told their names were not on the list. I don't even think Kibaki had anything to tell the women. He probably forgot he had asked them to come to meet him.

Don't forget the women vote was a big part of the Kibaki re-election strategy and that is why it is inconceivable that Martha Karua screwed things up after being tasked with passing that bill to give Kibaki’s agents a good talking point. As they say things always don’t go as planned.

So we know the plan. Michuki already met with the same Provincial Administration and asked them to work with Kibaki's re-election team. The good news is that Moi tried this in 2002 and it never worked.

Let me tell you something. This strategy has many problems. One is that the PA no longer has the powers of life and death over political activities like they had before. So just like they tried and failed during the referendum by rounding up chiefs and giving them pay raise and doing all sorts of things, it is not going to be easy. Secondly the PA authorities have to face the reality on the ground. They bring BS and wananchi are going to whip their behind. People are not joking. Besides the PA folks will see where the wind is blowing. They are human, they need their jobs and when they see they are backing a dead tree they will have to think otherwise.

Bottom line is we are going to keep 24/7 vigil on Kibaki abuses public resources to get votes. The country is alert and awake.

Now for the money, the big money we are being threatened with always bites both ways. The very idea that Kibaki is paying these coordinators is going to cause more fights, romours porojo and infighting just within them. That is before we bring the voters who are going to be chasing these folks round the blocks to catch some of that loot. As far as voters are concerned that is free money. If the coordinator gets Kshs 100,000 his or her assistant is going to ask for Kshs 50,000.00, and the next person needs the cut and so on and so forth. I have seen this shit in practice. It is a nightmare. So bring it on.

The beauty with ODM and something they should take very seriously is that they have an army of highly motivated volunteers who are willing to use their resources, their money and their intellect or whatever they can offer to salvage the nation from the fangs of a failed transitional regime.

Kenyans want to end the error of one man tyranny in the nation, something they thought they achieved in 2002.

The issue for ODM is to convince the nation that finally we will have a team of committed Kenyan patriots willing to work together to give us our new katiba, seriously fight corruption, respect the diversity of the nation and liberate the country from godfathers who think they own the country and its people.

In fact when Kenyans see those big godfathers parading their wealth (Kshs 1m a meal etc) to buy the nation's votes so that they can continue getting filthy rich when the majority of the population sinks deeper in poverty it just gives them more reason to kick their stooges out of office.

If after 5 years in office, Kibaki can only get re-elected by this disgusting display of “I have got big money vote for me" then the ODM must step even harder on the gas.

Our fight is to have our people in every corner of the land working day and night for the good of the nation. It shall be done. This is going to be a titanic battle and when the dust settles, the bling bling boys and girls might be deep under the sea.

adongo

[politicalmaniac]

AO
We still should not underestimate the power of incumbency, money and the use of the PA.
The PA can in subtle ways deter voting, compromise the ECK officials, intimidate voters or otherwise inconvenience them so that they don't actually get to the polls. So issues like providing security to the ECK officials to open and close polls on time etc can suppress voter turn out in opposition areas.

As for the incumbents visit to Kakamega, not only was it a fiasco, the ground was very hostile. They burnt the white T-shirts with his mug on them, that they were provided when being rounded up to go to see the generali.

Remember also when ka-loser KM went to NEP on a solo visit, he had not gotten the money from Moi to distribute and when the local organizers learnt the money was not there they told him off and his rally was scantily attended.

So Kenyans I hope know which side of their bread is buttered.

Ostentatious and conspicuous consumption as displayed by these Million a plate fund raisers, I hope will be a turn off to the wenye nchi and vote out the keguouya generali sloth.

[adongo23456]

politicalmaniac said:

AO
We still should not underestimate the power of incumbency, money and the use of the PA.
The PA can in subtle ways deter voting, compromise the ECK officials, intimidate voters or otherwise inconvenience them so that they don't actually get to the polls. So issues like providing security to the ECK officials to open and close polls on time etc can suppress voter turn out in opposition areas.

As for the incumbents visit to Kakamega, not only was it a fiasco, the ground was very hostile. They burnt the white T-shirts with his mug on them, that they were provided when being rounded up to go to see the generali.

Remember also when ka-loser KM went to NEP on a solo visit, he had not gotten the money from Moi to distribute and when the local organizers learnt the money was not there they told him off and his rally was scantily attended.

So Kenyans I hope know which side of their bread is buttered.

Ostentatious and conspicuous consumption as displayed by these Million a plate fund raisers, I hope will be a turn off to the wenye nchi and vote out the keguouya generali sloth.

PM

I agree, the power of incumbency is huge. Secondly these guys want this thing so badly they are going to do crazy things to get re-elected.

On the other side of the equation though, incumbency has its problems. They are susceptible to scandals. We don't know what is coming up between now and election day. Kibaki has a record to deal with, good and bad. He can't ran away from it and Kenyans have a lot of issues with that record.

The last thing we need on our side is complacency. I am glad so far that is not the case. But they are going to hit ODM with everything they have and it is a lot.

One thing the ODM needs is to stay a head of the loop. You can't play defense in politics.

ODM has a tough battle a head of it but I think they are battle hardened. There is a reason they are called the Orange Democratic Movement.

Adongo

[aeichener]

adongo23456 said:

There is a reason they are called the Orange Democratic Movement.

Yes.
The reason is that the political class wanted to feed on something that is not theirs, and partially even was opposed to them. But maybe the assembly of old crooks and new greed can be changed from within.

Alexander

[adongo23456]

Now Kibaki reads the riot act to his 80+ ministers and assistant ministers

www.eastandard.net/images/election07/elec_230807_header.jpg

Big Problem:

Kibaki has already lost on two critical bills. The constituency and affirmative action bill is dead. They could bring back the women reps bill with the minimum reform package but they do not have the foresight and negotiating skills to do that. Karua yelling to ministers that they are under orders to vote for the government is not exactly stellar diplomacy.

www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143973416

The media bill has been crashed by Kenyans. Shows the power of ordinary citizens when they refuse to be kanyagwad by the powers that be.

The real trouble for Kibaki and bunge as a whole is that the next two bills are toxic. One is the "bloody handshake" bill. Kibaki has reduced the amount to give the M.P's from Kshs 6m a piece to Kshs 1.5 m. The other bill is the one to backdate the ripp off that Ministers and assistant ministers have been getting ranging from Kshs 300,000.00 per month to Kshs 800,000.00 a month. They call it Responsibility Allowance. In reality it is the bribery for ministers and their assistants to worship Kibaki everyday, not just sometimes.

These are not exactly the kind of bills Kibaki wants to jam the House to pass and get good publicity. These two bills are bad news for the whole bunge and the president included. Kenyans are going to come up in arms and the tone is going to be let's kick them out. As they say when it rains, it pours.


The idea of the legislative agenda of the president collapsing dramatically on the eve of General Elections is not exactly what Kibaki had in mind down the stretch. And then they have the Constitutional Amendment Bill which the opposition wants twined with the minimum reforms bill.

Kibaki has his work cut out for him.

adongo

[bkichwa]

Adongo, from your extensive analysis of Kibaki's latest campaign moves whose end you allude to as grossly ineffective, it follows that he is guaranteed to lose and that your guy will take the cup in december...no? If so, then why not just let Kibaki have his fundraising events in peace? Is that too much to ask, or is it that you will have nothing else to talk about?

[gakungu]

Why the loud silence on the 260million allocated to a phantom Ken Ren Fertiliser co?
We have every reason to get concerned about this luncheon.

[adongo23456]

bkichwa said:

Adongo, from your extensive analysis of Kibaki's latest campaign moves whose end you allude to as grossly ineffective, it follows that he is guaranteed to lose and that your guy will take the cup in december...no? If so, then why not just let Kibaki have his fundraising events in peace? Is that too much to ask, or is it that you will have nothing else to talk about?

Bkichwa

You call that long analysis? No only a fool goes to battle thinking their opponent is guaranteed to lose. Kibaki is the incumbent and if he did even half of what he promised Kenyans we won't even be having this debate. He would be a shoo-in for the second term.

When the old man sits back in Othaya, hopefully sometimes in January 2008 he will have to curse the day he decided to screw Kenyans up on the constitution he promised us in a 100 days. We will get that constitution five years later but it is the biggest blunder of the Kibaki error.

Some would say well, the constitution is not even in the top of the agenda for Kenyans right now. That may be so, but just about everything that Kenyans fault Kibaki with revolves around that constitution. Issues like devolution of power and resources, presidential monarchy, access to land, rampaging state tribalism to mention only a few all are tied to that Katiba. But that is not all.

The big deal is that there would be nothing called the Orange Democratic Movement if Kibaki did not try to cheat Kenyans on the constitution. In a way Kibaki created, nurtured and now must face a serious opposition movement in the country.

On letting Kibaki raise money in peace, no we wont. First our quarrel is using state resources which I noticed you didn't respond to. More importantly as Gakunju says up there, there are just too many crude deals being manufactured by Kibaki and as we know a lot of that is to raise money for his re-election campaign. The nation has to focus a relentless beam of light on those deals.

Yesterday they finally gave up on the deal of Solio farm which was intended to give Kibaki's buddy Njenga Karume over Kshs 1 billion of Kenyan taxpayer money on land whose ownership is already being disputed in court.

www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143973417

Now they say they will wait until the court case is resolved. What happened to due diligence? Is it possible that the government actually just found out now that the land they have already bought and were paying for has disputed ownership? How much money has Njenga Karume received already?

Now you see why we can't let the thieves do their robbery in peace? If no pressure was put on this "fundraising" Kenyans would be loosing a bundle to Kibaki's campaign kitty.

As to the filthy rich crooks lined up to dine with Kibaki for Kshs 1 m a pop we are waiting for them too. They may think they are doing Kibaki a favour but I doubt it. We know why these people want to bankroll this corrupt and incompetent government. For every penny they spend they expect a bundle in return.

But what is really going to make a lot of Kenyans mad is that their are so many friends of Kibaki who can afford to pay Kshs 1 m for a single meal when majority of the population live on less than 1 dollar a day.

How many meals would an ordinary Kenyan get from Kshs 1 m? Most Kenyan families do not get to spend that much on food their entire lifetime! That is how outrageous this thing is. And you want them to make a mockery of Kenyans all in peace? Hell NO.

adongo

[bkichwa]

Adongo, all the best in your anti-Kibaki policing activities. Enjoy.

[adongo23456]

bkichwa said:

Adongo, all the best in your anti-Kibaki policing activities. Enjoy.

Bkichwa

Thank you.

But No, I am not anti-Kibaki. I am opposed to his corrupt and incompetent regime that lied to Kenyans to get elected and turned around to menace the populace.

At any rate we welcome all patriots including you to join us. We all love the country unconditionally. That is the beautiful thing about all these.

adongo

[osirisisgod]

Unlike Adongo, I am anti-Kibaki, his entire career is filled with actions and events that anyone who cares about Kenya should find utterly deplorable.
But a little reason and less hypocrisy is always a good thing. There would have been ululations and more on these pages if the local deity had been the one holding the big do. It is not too long ago that he had his turn, now let's not be churlish, let's allow everyone a turn at mocking Wanjiku and insulting her with their balls and feasts. It is only good manners. We would not want to be accused of being racist would we?

P.S. It would be nice now to give Kibaki credit for rejecting the Bill, especially in the specific way that he did. Mgalla muue and all that.