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: 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.

Kenya: Preliminary Obejection to Joint Parlimentary Select Committeeon IEBC petitions (01.08.2016)

IEBC Prelimenary Statement 01.08.2016

4 MPs from Mt. Kenya endorse CS Wamalwa to face Kidero in 2017 (Youtube-Clip)

“A move by four members of parliament from the Mount Kenya region led by Kabete legislator Ferdinand Waititu to endorse Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa as their preferred candidate for the post of Nairobi Governor, has already stirred the political waters in the jubilee alliance. A section of Nairobi mps allied to the ruling coalition have dismissed the declaration made in Kiambu, terming it as self-serving” (Kenya Citizen TV, 2016).

Watangula’s move against Raila was a Cord strategy to galvanize Western Kenya votes (Youtube-Clip)

New Ford Kenya MPs, CS Wamalwa urge Wetangula to join Jubilee (Youtube-Clip)

“Several legislators drawn from new ford Kenya and water cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa have urged cord co principal Moses Wetangula to dump the opposition and join them in the jubilee alliance so as to strengthen the voice and position of western Kenya leaders. Speaking elsewhere, Sirisia mp john Waluke who is among odm mps from western Kenya who have differed with party leader Raila Odinga, also urged Wetangula to abandon cord and join a new alliance of western Kenya leaders dubbed the third force” (Kenya Citizens TV, 2016).

Nairobi Senator says he will join CORD if Musyoka is named its flag bearer (Youtube-Clip)

“Nairobi senator Mike Sonko says he is ready to decamp to cord if former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka clinches the cord presidential ticket. Sonko also urged Musyoka to ensure he brings all elected leaders together to ensure unity and development in the country. Sonko was accompanied by Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula, cord principal Kalonzo Musyoka and several other Cord MPs” (Kenya Citizen TV, 2016)

Raila’s final day in Western Kenya marred by fracas (Youtube-Clip)

“Raila Oding’a final day in Western Kenya to consolidate the regions vote amid fears of an internal revolt was marred by fracas. Politics of mumias Sugar Company dominated the day, as the ODM leader found himself facing irate youth who were demanding answers on his alleged role in the collapse of the region’s sugar sector. Simon Achola has details of the scuffle as the ODM leader wound up his 5 day tour of western Kenya” (KBC News, 2016)