Lucy for president…yes, she can!

Behind every successfuk man, is a woman who knows what buttons to push.

During Kibaki’s first term, she was told her place was by his side…to be seen and not heard. There’s no excuse for her attack at the Nation Centre for instance

The number does count..or doesn’t it?

Ok! The Cabinet list is out…previous post was near accurate when it came to the numbers involved…

Now, time for pay rises and other important issues Asap! I’m so tired of this petty politicking… Kanu rules…just that this time there is more of the second generation involved.

Have a great week!

Leaked Cabinet*

 *disclaimer: this is not yet official…just the rumour doing rounds

1. President – Emillio Mwai wa Kibaki

2. Prime Minister – Eng. Raila Amollo Odinga

3. Vice President – Kalonzo Musyoka

4. Deputy Prime Minister And Minister For Finance -Musalia Mudavadi

5. Deputy Prime Minister And Minister For Internal Security – Kiraitu Murungi
6. Minister For Planning – Amos Kimunya

7. Minister For Justice And Human Rights – James Orengo
8. Minister For Constitutional Affairs – Martha Karua
9. Minister For Roads And Public Works – William Ruto
10. Minister For Co-operative Development – Sam Ongeri
11. Minister For Education for Higher Education – Onyang Nyong’o
12. Minister For Education for Basic Education – John Munyes
13. Minister For Housing – Kabando Wa Kabando
14. Minister For Foreign Affairs – Moses Wetangula
15. Minister For Science And Technology – George Saitoti
16. Minister For Defence – Joseph Nkaisery
17. Minister For Special Programmes – Naomi Shaaban
18. Minister For Local Government – Uhuru Kenyatta
19. Minister For Environment and Natural Resources- Henry Kosgey
20. Minister For Communication, Information And Broadcasting -Joseph  Nyagah

21. Minister For Water And Irrigation – Omingo Magara
22. Minister For Livestock – Samuel Poghisi

23. Minister For Trade – Soita Shitanda
24. Minister For Fisheries – Dalmas Otieno
25. Minister For Youth Affairs – Danson Mungatana
26. Minister For Gender Affairs – Mohammed Kuti
27. Minister For Sports – Musa Sirma.

28. Minister For Agriculture – Bonny Khalwale
29. Minister For Energy-Mwangi Kiunjuri
30. Minister For Health – Charity Ngilu
31. Minister For Lands-Noah Wekesa

32. Minister For Home Affairs – Chris Okemo

33. Minister For Transport – Chirau Mwakwere
34. Minister For Regional Development – Wilfred Machage
35. Minister For Home Affairs – Najib Balala
36. Minister For Labour – Alfred Khangati
37. Minister For East African Community – Mutula Kilonzo
38. Minister For Public Service – Sally Kosgey
39. Attorney General – Amos Wako

40.Head Of Public Prosecutions – Paul Muite
41.Secretary To The Cabinet And Head Of Civil Service -Wangari Maathai

Coalition: Finally!

Finally the two have agreed on a coalition and the agreement has been signed on, a Prime-minister it will be. Annan saying “We have a deal” sounded like music to my ears… and I hope neither of the two parties backs out again. It will be interesting to see where all this will leave Kalonzo and ODM-K as a whole.

Breaking the shackles of colonialism: Africa vs World Bank, G8 et.al

Africa as a continent has been subjected to a lot from the so called westernized or industrialized countries. My wrath today is directed towards the role these so called developed countries have played in what they term as trying to get Africa to be at par with them.

Colonialism is something we brush to the side and say, that was in the past, let’s get on with the future now.

What about present day colonialism? Why are we as a continent so heavily indebted to the World bank and never seem to make any good of resources availed to us in the name of goodwill? Are we playing the guilt trip or are we just a lazy lot or we just don’t give a damn what the big shots are up to as long as we can survive from one paycheck to the next?

Loans, loans, loans… the money loaned to our states and we spend a lifetime paying taxes to service these loans while not benefiting from them directly as individuals.The World Bank claims to support development projects… show me one school in Kenya built from World Bank funds, or a hospital, or anything that is of benefit to the common man. The poor man dies in bed because he cannot afford the medicine needed… Infant mortality rates due to tropical diseases like malaria is still high. So where exactly does the money go? Why should I the tax-payer service a loan and yet I don’t see what the money has done? Fellow African brothers and sisters, am I losing my mind?

There is a difference between an educated and a learned man. What calls for the abandonment of our beloved continent in search of greener pastures? Who is building and educating our people in the way forward? I have a lot of senseless questions today but it is important that we search within ourselves and face the reality of what we have become… our roots and pride aside.

We who have such a large source of minerals, metals and precious stones and yet our women don’t even have real jewelery on them. And you may still ask about what is happening in Zimbabwe. For a long time I thought that Mugabe had just lost it. On the other side, the struggle Zimbabwe is going through right now, is something they are working on through their own sweat,No funds whatsoever… and they are still alive for that… I wonder how many other African countries could survive a month of that?

Why should we be concentrated into regions? Where did communal property go to? I hope you are still not asking about the post election violence that made Kenyans realize how scarce a commodity land actually is. We have become materialistic in every sense of the word and it makes me weep to imagine what our forefathers would have said to us were they to come back from the land of the spirits.Nothing belongs to the community any more…it is either yours or mine… not ours!

We should stop being passive listeners to what goes on around us. We need to wake up as a continent, mobilize our leaders and question their deeds where they are deemed as wanting. It is we who are receiving the short end of the stick and at the same time smiling in the name of diplomacy. We don’t dictate what the industrialized world does in their territory so why should we let them dictate us? We are a developing continent and we can develop it to our taste. Let us leave our children a heritage they can be proud of.

Modern day colonialism is very much alive.

A new constitution; It’s about time

The solution of a new constitution or rather part of it to solve the political impasse… now that is news worth writing about.

What I wonder though is how long it will take to;

• get a team together to carry out this delicate task
• actually get a draft both parties(the nation??) will agree on
• get the amendments passed in parliament
• gazette the changes seeing who is president…miracles do happen you know

Annan had said within a year… I hope these people take this agreement seriously, I mean we have all witnessed how seriously they take their own MOU’s.

Remembering ‘92 and the old gang

When I flashback to ‘92… I feel the euphoria once again. The beginning of the Multi Party system in Kenya. I remember Prof. Maathai as one of the women who stood high on my list as potential future leaders, the cartoon showing her planting trees in our potholes if elected president in one of the dailies not withstanding… just can’t remember the cartoonist, I think it was Gado.

Then there was the famous Youth for Kanu and correct me if I’m wrong but the names associated with it were Jirongo and Ruto among others. Yes, Ruto who is now very much vocal in matters concerning ODM. I remember the nyahunyos (whips) and the harassment that was under-reported as usual. Ruto… Youth for Kanu.

I remember how the majority were convinced that Matiba had won the elections and that as a result of rigging, the seat went back to Moi. This is where I stop thinking and start wondering about all those who say that the Kikuyu(I apologize sincerely for getting into the tribal warfare but it’s for a good reason) do not want the power to go to other people… why didn’t they go on a rampage and maim the Kalenjins then? Think about it hard my fellow Kenyans and let’s stop pointing fingers left, right and center in the heat of propaganda. There are many powerful leaders that were swept out in the just concluded elections, the likes of Biwott, but you don’t hear them bickering over the results… what is really going on?

The old gang… the seniors or elders… I still don’t know where Moi is. The others who are silent.. Nyachae, Awori, ole Ntimama and the rest…you know them. Why are they so quiet??? are they waiting for things to completely disintegrate before they come back to the political scene? Are they afraid of saying the wrong thing or stepping on ‘powerful’ toes?

I can only imagine what they are thinking.

Kivuitu protesting?

That has made my week if nothing else. Kivuitu is protesting his being striken off the Roll of Honour of Advocates by LSK.

He says that when he was put on the honour roll, it was his past merits that were considered… I can understand that but what I don’t get is how he can even dare protest. This is only a pinch compared to the blow his actions have resulted in! The say pride comes before a fall and this is just the beginning for Kivuitu.

I could ramble all his past achievements but you’ve heard it all before. I could write about what has lead to this action by LSK, but you all know that as well. He may have a few sympathizers  but I doubt if any of them is under the age of 70.

Di.a.logue

According to my Webster’s

n:

1a: a conversation between two or more persons

b: an exchange of ideas and opinions

It is interesting to note that the ‘President’ has formed a 10-man team to spearhead(that should also be defined) dialogue with the opposition led by ‘The VP’ Kalonzo.

You all probably know what I’m going to say next…or maybe not.

The president is acting like a coward, sending other people to clean up the mess he has helped create. Was Kalanzo there when the swearing in was being done? There seems to be a lot more going on beneath the surface than I the ordinary mwananchi can fathom.

At least he can get some credit for trying but what if he should have done  is stepped down and accept that the results are/were not valid and ask Kenyans for forgiveness for putting us through hell in this day and age.

It will be interesting to see how it goes now that Koffi Anan has not given up.(he’s expected to arrive onTuesday) .

Dialogue? I’m sceptical where all this may lead to.

I say spend the 8Billion Kshs

I am ready to line up once again and cast my vote…better sacrifice two working days, or even a week if need be and get everything done with transparency than spending the first hour of my day every morning sms-ing and calling everyone on my phone-list to see which is the safest route to the office so I can at least earn some money to pay our dear parliamentarians come end month.

I am pissed off that it is taking this long. When I think of Uhuru Park right now, I’m getting flashes from the ‘Release Political Prisoners March’ and the camp at Freedom corner…. should we all strip and march for peace? Then the police will definitely see that we are unarmed and mean them no harm… that doesn’t mean the teargas canisters won’t be missiled at our direction and if we are unfortunate enough, the dogs could be unleashed… could it get any worse than that? Just my thoughts taking a walk as usual.

It already is worse than that, people are still dying. Many have lost loved ones. Many are still refugees in their own country…or the proper term which is thrown around in Government reports and NGO’s ‘Internally displaced persons’. Going to the polls again will not bring all these lives back, but it may help prevent spilling more blood. Our trigger-happy police force could be better used elsewhere like following up real crime and cattle rustlers who make life a living hell for our brothers up in the north.

I am at my wits end… there is nothing like getting back to ‘normal’. The pages we are writing now determine how we can live with our conscience for the rest of our lives. I for one refuse to back down and still insist that Uhuru Park is not a necessity! I’m definitely ready to go to the polls again! Then again, now that Marende is in place, maybe the war will continue there after all…though it is peace I want.