Wetangula, Mudavadi seeks to solidify support among western Kenya voters (Youtube-Clip)

“Western Kenya has been keen on getting its share of the pie in as far as occupancy at state house is concerned…and keen to fly that flag from the region drawing the interests of Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula and anc Leader Musalia Mudavadi…however reports of cord wooing Mudavadi into the fold appears to have sent Wetangula, himself a co-principal, into panic…while insiders told Citizen Tv the talks are infact near completion, Wetangula would dismiss such reports…instead, urging Mudavadi to back his bid…but leaders from the area hold a different view—calling upon them to join hands and work together instead of against each other” (Kenya Citizen TV, 2016)

Opinion: The U.S. we’re hoodwinked by Kenyan Government on Dadaab; If not it looks like it!

Dadaab Refugee Camp

The Jubilee Government and their leadership have conned themselves from a giant heist today. The heist includes innocent civilians who fled civil wars and disasters in their home country either in South Sudan, Ethiopia or Somalia for safety in Kenya. The reality is that these refugees are pawns in the money game made-up by the Kenyan Government under the lead of CS Interior Joseph Nkaissery who used his powers to succumb the West with their ideals and wishing for the bail-out they needed.

The Dadaab Refuguee Complex we’re a pawn on the chess-set in the fitted schedule of the Government. Therefore the debt-rising government of Kenya just needed to schedule a closure of the settlement to spread fear of their hospitality. With the sense of national security that they could sell to own citizens and also the international community; the news of the closure just happen about the time the European Union we’re triggering negotiations with Turkey about the immigrations and transport of refugees from the Greek Islands toward the Turkish hinterland. This is the kind of cash-flow that Deputy President William Ruto wanted to taste and also President Uhuru Kenyatta. They got their loyal man CS Nkaissery to speak their peace and pay respects to the Somalian Authorities with threats of serving them the fleeing population back to the shores of Mogadishu. Take a look!

Joint Communique from Kenya and Somalia:

“H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta and H.E President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held bilateral talks at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, 7th June, 2016. The meeting reviewed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues in particular peace, security and stability in Somalia, repatriation of refugees from Dadaab and economic cooperation” (Full Joint Communique from Kenya & Somalia ‘On Dadaab’, 2016).

Update from Ministry of Interior:

“For reasons of pressing national security that speak to the safety of Kenyans in context of terrorist and criminal activities, the Government of the Republic of Kenya has commenced that exercise of closing Dadaab Refugee Complex. The refugees will be repatriated to their countries of origin or to third party countries for resettlement” (…) “What is worse is that Kenyans have to pay for the water while refugees get it for free, not to mention the enormous economic cost to businesses in Kenya furthered by the use of the camps as smuggling centres for contraband goods. Refugee camps have become centres for poaching human trafficking and proliferation of illicit weapons which compromises Kenya’s international security rating” (…) “Finally, government shall be putting out a timetable for the execution of the representation process once the Taskforce presents in report, which should be ready by or before 31st May” (Kenya Ministry of Interior, 2016)

From the US to Kenya:

“WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, August 23, 2016 – Today, Secretary of State John Kerry announced in Nairobi that the United States is providing more than $146 million in additional U.S. humanitarian assistance to support refugees, voluntary returnees, and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. This new funding includes a significant new contribution of more than $59 million for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to protect and assist refugees in Kenya, and support voluntary refugee returns to Somalia. In addition, the funding includes new humanitarian assistance of more than $87 million in food and non-food support for refugees and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. This announcement brings the total of U.S. humanitarian assistance in Kenya and Somalia to nearly $265 million in fiscal year 2016” (…) “The funding announced today will support UNHCR and other international humanitarian organizations as they provide for basic survival of thousands of vulnerable people and durable solutions for refugees, and as they help assist with efforts to improve conditions for return inside Somalia. This contribution is available to support UNHCR’s enhanced plan for the voluntary return and reintegration of Somali refugees from the Dadaab camps and to ensure that any returns that take place from Kenya are truly voluntary, safe and dignified, consistent with international law, and within the framework of the Tripartite Agreement among UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia” (U.S. Department of State, 2016).

Kerry Kenyatta

So the initial plan payed off for the Kenyan Government that they made sure to get extra funds using the Dadaab Refugee Complex and supposedly close it. Well, that doesn’t have to happen if you give us some more donor-aid or general agreement for funding it. Then we can walk away from it. That is how it looks like as the closure of Dadaab happens as the UNHCR and voluntary return of refugees. This is seems like a scheme for me. Not a legit action from the Government of Kenya. They did it when the refugee transports and the negotiations in Europe happen and the Kenyans thought! Why can’t we do the same?

Seemingly with time the U.S. Government knows the issues on the Horn of Africa and in East Africa, as they are allies with Ugandan counterparts, Ethiopian counterparts and also the Kenyans. All of them are involved in the AMISOM mission in Somalia. So the liability of making it more fragile will make it not feasible for the economic development projects from United States to the area if the place turns into shambles. The stability is needed and the Dadaab isn’t a hotbed, but is giant fatigue on the NGOs and the Governments as they are not temporary housing anymore. It’s been static for decades now and the Kenyan wants to get their rewards for their humanitarian activity. So why not the extra donations from the American Government as the looming election and the other prospects as the U.S. Government want to be in peace and diplomatic to the Kenyans.

The Kenyan Government felt the pressure of the International Community as they planned to close the Dadaab. The Multi-National Organizations that are supporting the Camp would be frustrated as much as all the people who wouldn’t have a place to go to or secure future. The mentality of the government proves to what level they will use leverage to gain capital and the fiscal funds. While shipping the rest of the billing are going on the USAID and UNHCR. Peace.

Reference:

U.S. Department of State – ‘Additional Funding for Kenya and Somalia’ (23.08.2016)

Kenya Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government – ‘GOVERNMENT STATEMENT AND UPDATE  ON THE REPARATION OF REFUGEES AND SCHEDULED CLOSURE  OF DADAAB REFUGEE CAMP’  (11.05.2016)

Full Joint Communique Republic of Kenya and Federal Republic of Somalia ‘on Dadaab’ (09.06.2016)

 

Nike Apparel scandal for the Kenyan Athletes as the NOCK we’re skimming off the Rio2016

nike-free-kenya

“You can run wit losers, or run wit winners and win” 50 Cent on Young Buck – ‘Let Me In’ on LP ‘Straight Outta Ca$hville’ (2004).

It is Olympics season and Rio Olympics started the 5th August 2016. There we’re long planning for each athlete and Olympics team through the National Sports Authorities who fixes funds and also allocate monies to the needed equipment and so on. Therefore the recent days mayhem around the Kenyan Olympic Team and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K). This team and Committee have come under fire. The NOC-K and Kenyan Athletics have both been questioned about their use of funds and corrupt behaviour.

Today I am going over the recent articles on the Rio Scandal of the Athletes who was not getting their needed National Nike Kits from the NOCK. As they we’re even at one point claimed to been stealing from a Nike Shop in Rio and had a meeting with Nike Officials in Brazil. This happens as the Nike Corporation has already gotten shredded review for their newest agreement with the Kenyan Athletics and NOCK in 2013. They can be questioned for their “commitment bonus” and the reason for paying off Chinese counterparts to keep the Kenyan Runners running in Sports Appeal from Nike.

The NIKE Corporation wants the best wearing their gear at the biggest sports events so they can be the Golden club, like 50 Cent said so poetically: “Run wit winners and win” in 2004, the same kind of acts are apparently the key for the Nike Executives who rather for branding sake bribe Kenyan Officials to have the quickest men wearing their running shirts. This should be a crown example of the American Sports Industry and how far they go to pay off Athletes and Sports Organizations who fit their bar. The Kenyan Sports Officials are getting easy money for their associates to wear clothes and brand them. But it goes further as some officials apparently have been selling of special clothes made for the athletes and this year’s Olympics. So they didn’t have enough Sports Gear for their delegation in Brazil. So the greed of NOCK officials just sold the designated apparel for the Athletes. That shows the little care for their obligated work and more about the extra funds for themselves.

Kipchonge Rio Olympics

Reports from earlier in 2016 – Commitment Bonus saga:

“In a contract signed several years ago, Nike agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in honorariums and a one-time $500,000 “commitment bonus,” which the former employee called a bribe” (…) “For more than 20 years, Nike Inc. has been paying the Kenyan national runners’ association millions of dollars in exchange for the Kenyans wearing Nike’s signature swoosh, superb advertising in the running world” (…) “After they received a letter from a Nike lawyer saying there were no legal grounds to terminate the contract, the Kenyan officials abruptly changed course. They negotiated a new contract in which Nike agreed to pay Athletics Kenya an annual sponsorship fee of $1.3 million to $1.5 million — plus $100,000 honorariums each year and a one-time $500,000 “commitment bonus.” (…) “In a sworn statement provided to Kenyan investigators, the former assistant said the $500,000 commitment bonus was “bribe money from Nike” so that the top officials could pay back the $200,000 from the scuttled deal with the Chinese company and then make even more by agreeing to sign up again with Nike” (…) “Nike wired the money into the federation’s account instead. But before that, the chairman emailed a Nike executive, Robert Lotwis, with “invoice” in the subject line. “Urgent!!” the message said. “Dear Robert, U.S. 500,000 being commitment Bonus. Regards, Isaiah Kiplagat, Chairman.” (Gettleman, 2016).

It was all well in July 2016:

“Kenya’s track and field team received it’s Nike kit for the Rio Olympics yesterday with the elite distance runners saying they are ready to take the game to their Ethiopian arch rivals at next month’s game” (…) Stephen Soi (above), Kenya’s chef de mission to the Rio Games, said Nike had sent training leisure and competition kit to the Tusker­ sponsored Team Kenya” (Makori, 2016).

What they we’re supposed to get:

“Some athlete revealed that the National Olympic Committee (NOCK) officials were diverting the kits for sale in Kenyan market. “Nike submitted 1,900 pieces of uniform both for training and racing to the 52 athletes who were in Rio. Nike had a different set for coaches, trainers, and officials,” said a Sports ministry official who had travelled with Ruto” (…) “NOCK chair Kipchoge Keino dismissed the claims saying every athlete was given enough kits.”There is no problem with uniforms. All the athletes were e given enough pairs of uniform,” said Keino. One member who traveled with Ruto to Rio, however, faulted CS Wario and his PS for the problems that faced the athletes in Rio” (Mwalimu, 2016).

Kenyatta Rio Team 2016

CS for Sports and Culture Hassan Wario Speaks:

Nock officials were being chauffeured around in limousines. I walked to most of the venues where Kenyan athletes were competing and some of them were five kilometres away” (…) “The Rio Olympics will go down as one of the Kenya’s best ever, in terms of performance. But what people are seeing are unnecessary problems entirely created by guys managing the team” (…) “Nock are the ones who draw up the list of the athletes and the travelling team. They are the ones to accredit all members of the travelling team. I, too, had to request Nock officials to get me into the Olympic village because I did not have the right accreditation from them. There are some things that went wrong, but we could not help because whenever we try to do so, Nock says they are independent” (…) “We also need a new team at Nock, which is 21st century in thinking. Some of the current officials have been in office for more than 30 years. They operate in a cartel-like manner. They ensure they vote one another to office in perpetuity” (…) “I am the one who prepared his itinerary in Rio. It is just that when he landed, I was caught in a traffic jam coming from cheering Okwiri (boxer Rayton Okwiri). I called the DP and requested that I meet him at his hotel together with the Kenyan team” (…) “We paid Sh800,000 into the accounts of each of the athletes a week before travelling to the Olympics. There are only four cases which we shall solve soon. We shall add each one another Sh150,000 as a token of appreciation. The cheque is being prepared” (Kipchumba, 2016).

Alleged stealing kits:

“Mr Robert Lotwis, a Nike executive, wrote to Nock: “Dear FK (Francis Paul, the Nock Secretary General). I have not heard back from you around any of the product issues I have emailed you about. I have sent you a list of product that was sent and you received. “I don’t understand why I have athletes both here (in Rio) and back in Nairobi saying they did not receive the products. I’m asking again for an explanation. I’ve also listed what each track (athletics) athlete should receive in a pack. I’ve also relisted below what was sent to Nock. Please respond with an explanation on why athletes are saying they are not getting all the products they should.” (…) “In an invoice mailed to Nock, which is in our possession, Nike shipped a huge consignment of kits to Kenya, which confirms claims raised by Mr Korir. For example, they sent 450 bags but very few were distributed to athletes. Nike labelled a clear distribution order of the consignment on what each athlete would receive” (Komen, 2016).

Kipchonge Rio Olympics Finish Line

What we can questioning is how much does the NIKE Corporation accept to have their name on the Apparel for Olympic runners in global sports events like the Olympics and World Cup. The Kenyan Runners are famous and together with Ethiopians has a running tradition when it comes to sports. That is something the Nike Corporation has supported and been a sponsor for decades.

This seems okay that they are paying facilitation fees to the Kenyan Officials because Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge wins Gold on 42 kilometre Marathon while wearing the NIKE Apparel shirt. The reason why they have the Sponsorship with the National Olympic Committee – Kenya (NOCK) and Athletics Kenya (AK); are there to make the company get a feel good vibe and be there with the right people even if they are bribing officials to get it there; doesn’t seem like a problem for NIKE. I am sure NIKE has some good deals with the FIFA organizations as they want the Governing Football body to be associated with the Nike brand.

That the NIKE Company accepts deal which CS Hassan Wario calls Sports Cartels as they are licensing the sports and delegating the teams for the Olympics. Therefore they knew how much Apparel they would need; still they had the greed to sell it. This shows the length the Officials who are in charge of the deals and facilitation of the Athletes and their trainers for the competitions like Rio 2016. The ironic is how much money the Sport Organizations gets from Sponsorships and apparel; still the Gold Medal winner of Marathon today Elihud Kipchoge didn’t get picked up on the Airport or even scheduled by the Athletics Kenya or the National Olympic Committee Kenya. He was driven by a Ugandan Athlete to his destination instead, which shows the brotherhood of East Africa, but also the indifference from the AK and NOCK. This should worry NIKE who pays fortunes to have their name on their Apparel and are affiliated with the corrupt behaviour.

The Kenyan Officials are earning funds and even thieving to earn extra out of the deal. As much as the Government also gives funds for the Kenyan Athletes as they represent the Nation at the Rio Olympics. That because of the issues with funding, apparel and the rest Deputy President Willam Ruto had to show up. Sure not just drive limousines with other officials to the stadiums, but hopefully to get clarity in the scandal of NOCK.

team Kenya

So it proves the systematic use of the sports to gain personal gains for the Sports Organizations as they use sponsorship deals to earn more shillings. The BOBs must be spent on more heavy things as the total amount of monies can be used on more than chapaties. The scandal makes the Kenyan Sports look bad, when they could be looking shiny. Instead of the representation and golds will not glimmer because of the artistic ways of diminishing money and plans that the Gold Winner of today might have felt twice with the problems of Nike Apparel and the left behind in Rio before coming to the Olympic village. That shouldn’t be an issue for well-funded organizations who are sponsored by Multi-National Corporations and Tax-Payers Monies to deliver results for the common good.

The Sports results and gotten metals for the Kenyans and that should be celebrated. But the organizations behind it should deserve to scrutinize for their economic behaviour and their organizational work towards their athletes before the Rio Olympics and during. The Athletes shouldn’t be in the cross-fire for Apparel before their time to start doing their thing as Olympians.

If there is nothing backfiring the Organizers and the men and woman who run them; then the Government are actually fuelling and accepting their corrupt behaviour earned on the sweet and tears on the athletes. Peace.  

Reference:

Gettleman, Jeffrey – ‘Money Given to Kenya, Since Stolen, Puts Nike in Spotlight’ (05.03.2016) link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/world/africa/nike-under-scrutiny-as-payments-for-kenya-runners-are-drained.html?_r=0

Makori, Elias – ‘Freshly kitted Kenya track team ready for the Ethiopians’ (18.07.2016) link: http://www.ipsos.co.ke/NEWBASE_EXPORTS/Unilever/160718_Daily%20Nation%20-%20Monday_50_b9066.pdf

Mwalimu, Kaka – ‘Revealed: Why Uhuru sent Ruto to Rio de Janeiro’ (19.08.2016) link: http://www.hivisasa.com/kisii/news/163517

Kipchumba, Some – ‘I’m not to blame, Nock is a cartel, says Sports CS Wario’ (21.08.2016) link: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/I-am-also-a-victim-of-Rio-Olympics-cartel-says-minister/1056-3352298-95os78/

Komen, Jonathan – ‘Nike alleges shoplifting, seeks answers from Kenya team managers’ (20.08.2016)

Link: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000212655/nike-alleges-shoplifting-seeks-answers-from-kenya-team-managers

Hon. Junet Mohamed statement: “While we see no need to chest-thump as the CORD negotiating team on IEBC reforms, CORD has achieved what we know” (16.08.2016)

Junet Mohamed

While we see no need to chest-thump as the CORD negotiating team on IEBC reforms, CORD has achieved what we know is critical to delivering a free, fair and peaceful polls next year.

One; what Jubilee intransigence throughout this process has revealed to us is that the much hyped ‘numbers’ by Jubilee are nonexistent. The fear to have a credible electoral institution by Jubilee tells it all.

Having said that; our team has achieved one critical objective that we set to achieve which was, foremost, to have the current crop of IEBC commissioners to go.

We’ve also reduced the number from nine to seven and delineated their roles from those of the secretariat.

We’ve set modalities for getting a new set of commissioners in the most rigorous manner possible which, in our human estimation, should guarantee utmost credibility.

There are finer details to this that we’ll share in coming days.

My experience with Kenya’s democracy project so far is that it is work in progress. Today we give this, tomorrow we get that. It is give-and-take. And while often we wished we had all; that isn’t how it works in reality.

Two; the voter register will be forensically audited. While Jubilee and current IEBC didn’t want anything done on the voter register, and we were adamant the register had to be expunged and a new one instituted; the middle ground was to audit it and should there be ‘multitude of ghosts’ in it; that will automatically lead to a new one.

Three; from next year the country will go for electronic voting. This goes to voter identification, registration, ballot casting, votes transmission and and tallying. Should this system collapse, there shall be no reverting to manual: the election shall be repeated.

Four; we have anchored it in law that IEBC must provide, within 48hrs, all documents it used to declare any candidate a winner. Many of you who followed 2013 presidential petition knows why this is significant.

Finally, there are finer details of what our side has achieved which cannot be reduced to A FACEBOOK post – much as I wished I could – but I felt it was important to clarify that CORD has achieved much, much more; though not all.

In the end; the only way to get jubilee out of power is to VOTE them out of power. This is the next stage.

Mudavadi plans to join Cord as Wetangula promises Raila a run for his money (Youtube-Clip)

ODM MPs claim Jubilee is taking Kenya back to single party era (Youtube-Clip)

“A section of ODM members of parliament have dismissed the new jubilee party as an attempt to roll back the gains made since multi-party democracy was re-introduced in 1991. Led by Siaya Senator James Orengo, the mps alleged that President Uhuru Kenyatta is out to stifle democracy by presiding over the dissolution of more than 10 parties to form the jubilee party. And in Nairobi, another group of Odm mps have asked co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula to support Raila Odinga’s presidential bid next year” (Kenya Citizen TV, 2016)

Opinion: Kenyatta goes after CORD claiming they trade insults instead of policies; maybe he ought to show his own achievements in office!

Kenyatta Aug 2016

“Policy not to compete with insults. Kenyans can shipyard insults” – Uhuru Kenyatta

As Uhuru Kenyatta the current Kenyan President dropped this tweet with fire-power as a direct answer to the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD). Kenyatta goes against the alliance on the opposition. The Jubilee who are next month becoming one party, the Jubilee Party. Instead of the 12 parties it where in the recent elections. The Jubilee will be one big party under Kenyatta and Ruto.

Kenyatta goes after ODM Hon. Raila Odinga, FORD-Kenya Hon. Moses Wetan’gula and Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) Kenya Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka as he wants to say they trade insults instead of moving Kenya forward. Well, the CORD are asking for another way forward.

If Uhuru Kenyatta we’re serious about insults of his opposition, than he should look into the words of his running mate and Deputy William Ruto. He has been saying this on national broadcast himself about his opponents without any consideration:

“What we are doing to the country today in these street engagements is not different with what the Al- Shabaab  is doing to us” (…) “What the Al-Shabaab want is to instill fear in Kenyans, they want to sabotage our, they want to create an impression that the country is unsafe and you cannot do business.  CORD is doing exactly the same thing with their weekly street battles,” (News24.co.ke, 08.06.2016).

So that Kenyatta speaks about policies are more important why they stifled the Referendum of the constitution (OKOA) to get a free and fair election in 2017. After all the demonstrations and police brutality had to happen before the Jubilee sat down to discuss the matters of the corrupt and insubordinate Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) that needed to be change. The IEBC board will change, but hopefully the deemed new leadership gives credence to certain procedure and righteous behaviour that the Kenyan citizens can trust.

Uhuru Kenyatta has to think of his own men and woman that are on the Jubilee tickets not only the Opposition. As the CS Interior Joseph Nkaissery attacks all other for “hate-speech” but doesn’t consider how the Ruling Regime are discussing their opposition. That is combined together doesn’t show the progress of a ruling party as the Jubilee. The Jubilee should show what their so-called policies have done. Instead they are addressing the opposition.

Together with the hate-speech Members of Parliament that we’re arrested for their words like Moses Kuria, Ferdinand Waititu and the others who have spoken out of terms for their political gain. So the Jubilee and CORD work out for them as the heated discussions and the reality of the political landscape for General Election 2017.

But the President should expose his policies instead of directly attacking his opposition as a real competitor and a real politician that wants to be elected for his second term. But his PR Games from the State House of late haven’t made him look smart or the next in line. Instead of doing so he is directly going into the fire without the needed plan to extinguish the fire. Therefore the common sense isn’t common; the sense of Kenyatta isn’t common. Apparently the policies are in the background as the other subjects are keys to keeping the mantle and leadership from 2017. Peace.

CS Nkaissery allays divisions in National Police service (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk0vh7lJGSA

“Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery  has today  downplayed the friction between the Inspector General of police  and the National Police Service Commission over the list of police officers to be promoted. In thinly veiled admission of discrepancies in the list of promoted officers Nkaissery clarified that the confusion emerged from a miscommunication between commission and the Inspector-General saying  adequate measures have been put in place to  prevent  a recurrence of the anomaly. Nkaissery spoke after holding a two hour closed door meeting with NPSC chairman Johnstone Kavuludi and Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet” (K24TV, 2016)

Opinion: The questions ahead as Jubilee Alliance launch their new Jubilee Party at the Statehouse!

Kenyatta Ruto 09.08.2016

Find something wrong as the 12 Party coalition of the current Jubilee Alliance becomes a new political party during the next month, but the launch we’re today. This is supposed to be joyful, but will start a power struggle and negotiations for the slots for official position in the new party as the former ones ran on ticket for each of the 12 parties in their constituencies, but now will run for the Jubilee Party and cannot even run against each other for another term under the new Party Organization controlled by President Kenyatta and his DP Ruto.

As he boldly wrote today:

“Proud to announce the transformation of our alliance and the launch of the new Jubilee Party, with representation across the nation. We are guided by ideological clarity, a solid development agenda and a progressive governance platform” (Uhuru Kenyatta, 09.08.2016).

The easy thing is announce a change, but to transform a change is much different. Just ask Barrack Obama and his plan to shutdown Gitmo. That didn’t actually go as planned. The same will happen with the Jubilee Merger as the 12 parties and their loyalties of the past will come together and work against a common goal. Because the One-Party will run on one platform and under the current leadership; the organization has to be organized to make sense and gain confidence.

Uhuru Kenyatta have not only inherited people and constituencies under the other parties gone together, but party organizations and party history that has to embedded in the new party. Jubilee should emerge through the different spectrums of leadership from all of the 12 parties combined. Not only the main leadership dodging the minor parties and their loyalties. The different political cultures and backgrounds will also come to surface as they worked on their own in their own area, but now the Nairobi cannot run on 12 tickets, but on ONE from Jubilee. This make the negotiations hard and will make some hurt. The discussion on righteous places and nominations will not happen naturally. People think the CORD will struggle with the leadership trio and the one running for Presidential Nominee for the Opposition. The problem will be who can be the nominations for the Jubilee in the counties and regions for Senators, Governors and Members of Parliament. They will have to garn and credible become nominees for the new party through the new organization.

Kenyatta 09.08.2016

The Jubilee, might be all smiles today after two days of PR exercises at the State House. As Ruto and Kenyatta we’re all giddy and happy today of their achievement of building one singular running government party. Still, the issues before the coming General Election will be hard not to hurt or lose relations as the different parties might want their golden boys up for re-election and the frictions between the old 12 parties might come to forefront. The agreement might be easy to sign as any official document. It is the actual doing and the ratification of it that is the hard scenario. As there are MPs, Governors and Senators who might have to be swallowed in the coming election for the sense of the New Jubilee Party!

Trust me, there will be fallouts, there will allegation of centralized organization who decided over them and the persons from so-and-so we’re not respected. Trust me that will happen as certain individuals will feel the new program doesn’t respect the old-party and want to leave and run as a independent. It will happen as the months are coming, especially when it comes closer to IEBC deadline for nominations of candidates to the General Election.

The last issue, why at the State House? Using government funds and government facilities to launch the new Political Party? Why not a hotel on the bills of parties as they are not government themselves, they are representing the people as representatives of the citizens. They do not own the State House for private and party business, but for government official work. The launch of a new political party is not official government business as the General Election is coming. The Kenyatta Government show’s not well considering of how they use their state resources.
The State resources are used on state business and civil servants who works for the state. The President and New Jubilee Party might become the Government after the next election. Jubilee Coalition should have done this elsewhere even if it is easy and well-spaced area to launch a party. Still, the justification to use official and State House to own party organization is questionable. The Kenyan Government and under the 12 Party Coalition should be more cautious with the use of Government facilities. Especially if it is for Party work and not direct state. The Kenyan citizens deserve the honor of just behavior from their politicians. They will sometimes blunder, but this is more likely the modus operandi by Kenyatta and Ruto. Peace.

Opinion: The IEBC dilemma continues even after firing the corrupt ‘band of brothers’ now

gado iebc

The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission of Kenya is now at a standstill after months of hustling from the Opposition against the Commission and their men. The band of brothers run by the Commission Isaack Hassan have been under fire and besieged as their fate have been questioned by ‘Chickengate’ their involvement in the questionable Burundi third term election in 2015 of Pierre Nkurunziza and all the other issues entangled in the current leadership.

Therefore the reasoning for staying while the Jubilee government under President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto could by law keep the men, even as the trust between the IEBC and the people where in tatters. Still, the viable approach through laws and constitution could let them keep the men in charge and run another election in 2017. Though the perception on the rigging and the embezzlement of government funds would be stamped on the foreheads of the commission as they legacy are filled with CHICKENS. The chickens and facilitation of the ones who bought the ballots and needed electoral equipment for by-elections and other elections who earned extra monies on the transactions; these people shouldn’t be there and they can be compromised by the ability to facilitated to give a counted number instead of real cast ballots, as long as the Commissioner would be given a brown envelope.

The Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) Kenya leader and ODM head Raila Odinga wrote today: “Yesterday, those discussions culminated in a very encouraging development—the expression by the IEBC commissioners of their willingness to resign to allow a new team take over in time for 2017 elections. I wish to congratulate Senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo for the steady leadership to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament that has ensured harmonious and mature discussions which has produced this commendable progress” (…) “I thank all the members of Parliament serving in this committee for putting aside partisan politics and focusing on what really matters at this moment in the history of our country which is the need to have a credible electoral body that enjoys the broad support of a great majority of Kenyans ahead of 2017 elections” (…) “Once the talks began, it quickly became clear that CORD and Jubilee have more in common on the IEBC and how to conduct future elections. This is usually what happens when we choose to talk to each other and not at each other and when we give dialogue a chance” (twitlonger, 04.08.2016).

IEBC-ROADMAP-2017

Also this we’re reported:

“The audit report, which also formed basis of a petition forwarded to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee by Mr Barasa Nyakuri, blamed the commissioners led by Mr Hassan and part of the secretariat for irregular procurement of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits for the 2013 elections” (… ) ”Mr Hassan, who has gone to court seeking to have his name expunged from the report, is also alleged to have single sourced lawyers handling the 2013 presidential election petition, in which over Sh380 million was paid to three prominent lawyers” (…) “The select committee has summoned the IEBC commissioners and senior directors at the commission to present their defence before it today, as it works towards finalizing its report within 30 days as contained in the Motion approved by both Houses, which also set its terms of reference” (…) “The committee’s report could be last nail on the coffin of careers of electoral chiefs mentioned adversely in corruption allegations, including the chickengate scandal, and throw a lifeline to those found not to have engaged in fleecing the taxpayers of millions of shillings” (Njagi, John – ‘Team to probe threats on auditor over IEBC report’ 01.08.2016, Nation.co.ke).

As the reports coming in and the mentality of the change is of guards are coming. IEBC had to be changed before the General Election 2017, as the standstill between the opposition and the ruling regime. Still, with these negotiations, that has happen after the dozen of violent demonstrations because of the police brutality.  In this crisis the judgement from the Police and then CS Nkaissery defending their misbehaviour towards the citizens and members of opposition was not just.

Paying Commissioner for thieving:

“Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said the Government will use cash from the Contingency Fund to pay off the commissioners. “We have contingency funds for such unforeseen expenditure if it does occur,” Mr Rotich told the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms” (…) “This means that the nine, each earning Sh1.2 million per month, will get Sh372,000 for the five years served, translating to Sh1.86 million per person and Sh16.7 million for the team. The current commissioners are Issack Hassan (chairman), Lillian Mahiri-Zaja (vice chairperson), Albert Bwire, Kule Godana, Yusuf Nzibo, Abdullahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule, Muthoni Wangai and Mohamed Alawi” (Michira, Moses – ‘IEBC bosses will take home Sh180m 04.08.2016 Link: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000210764/iebc-bosses-will-take-home-sh180m ).

Nairobi 16.05.2016 Police P2

The Kenyan Parliament must be proud of how they are promising payment and salaries towards the former Electoral Commissioners who we’re embezzling funds. They are initially getting paid for stealing funds from government and even not being trusted with delivering trustworthy elections. Free and Fair elections under their leadership we’re under question as they actions we’re bent for the ruling regime and as their financial adjustments we’re done to create bigger wallets from the ones signing contracts for the IEBC. That shouldn’t be paid to silence and to get rid of them. As John Githongo we’re sent away from addressing corruption for being a whistleblower, the men behind the IEBC scandal shouldn’t be paid, but be sent to court and express their guilt or be free-men for not having evidence of the illegal transaction.

The CORD had grievances with the Electoral procedure and the Electoral laws, not only the Commissioners who could be bought and secure funds for themselves as the Kenyan Constitutional Referendum or the OKOA we’re shut down by the same Electoral Commission under Commissioner Isaack Hassan. The other just happens to follow his lead and create an atmosphere where this is justifiable.

Who will take over for former-IEBC Commissioners are not easy to foresee as the negotiations and the agreement between CORD and Jubilee is not something a man can find the answers on the skyline. The next IEBC men and woman have to be people that the current MPs and Parliamentarians trusts as they will both parties agree to their acts as a Commission and their turn for holding the election. The reality will be that no matter what they do and who get picked they will be scrutinized and should be accountable. As the previous ones tried to keep people in the shadow and keep the monies encircled for themselves instead of trying to reasonable and honourable men who did their duty for their country. They tried to quick fix their own pockets instead of just doing their job and being content. Isaack Hassan and his band of brothers will be remembered for their chickens, not for their work or the ballots casted in the elections. Peace.