Opinion: Is the IEBC scheming now, just to be prepare for 2022?

I feel I have been here before, as I see the shadow-games are playing behind the scenes and also in-front. The Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC), whatever Chairman Wafula Chebukati does now. He will not be able to wash of the grease of his hands. The dirt and dust will hang-on. That he suspended CEO Ezra Chiloba. Just looked like a PR move by the Electoral Body.

Now three fellow Commissioners has resigned, but not notified the Chairman, these was Consolata Nhakta, Paul Krugat and Margaret Mwachanya resigned on the 16th April 2018. We know that Chairman Chebukati, Commissioner Prof. Ayub Guliye and Boya Molu has pissed someone off. Since, they suddenly lost their Security Detail today.

The IEBC has had issues ever since Chickengate and the bribes the Commission back-then took. There wreck of an election in Burundi and so-on. That I have hard time believing the shenanigans from the IEBC is because of how they conducted themselves last year. It isn’t forgotten the tenders agreements for the ballots, the BVR Systems from OT Morpho, the Server directly connected to Cambridge Analytica, the use of Harris Media and so on. The skeletons of the rigging of last year is so vicious. The devastation and the massacre of free and fair elections.

Therefore, I don’t feel sorry for the fate that has befallen the men and woman on the top. That they have resigned and the ones losing their security detail, neither feeling bad for Chiloba. All of these people should answer to Kenyans for what they did and who they did it for. We all know that Jubilee Party and the two leaders on top is responsibility for it all. They are far from innocent, but they did it as ordered. They delivered the results they wanted announced from Bomas.

Whatever, that is playing out, seems more like cleaning show to make it legit for 2022. Make sure the IEBC looks better, like they tried to do before 2017. Even if the Chickgate leadership of Isaack Hassan had to get lost. The same sorts of sins was still within the walls. Chiloba and Chebukati followed the suit of the previous leadership. The difference, is how the leaks has shown how the IEBC has rigged and who they have used as partners.

That the IEBC doesn’t care about their legitimacy and trustworthiness within the public. That is evident by the disgraceful public persona Chebukati has become. The IEBC are acting more as villain, less as a hero. IEBC could have changed ways and even tried to audit itself. Hired someone more believing that KPMG, who has a lousy record even in South Africa. But that doesn’t matter to these fellow people, who are delivering the sanctity of the ballots.

Instead these people are playing games with the Republic. They are trying reconfigure the IEBC for their favors in 2022. They are trying to fix it in their way, so their people is behind the scenes. That is how it seems, like they might make more than 1 % more ballot-papers, they might use other tricks than from Cambridge Analytica. Who knows what sort of foul play they do next to fit the next master. Whatever it is, it won’t be respecting the ballots and the will of the people. They are only there to serve the political elite and the ones who they serve. They are not there for the people. Not the way it look these days.

To say otherwise is to be naive, we should give credit, where credit is due. Here there is no credit or debt and warning signs of default payments. They have not delivered what is promised to the people. To be named independent is the first lie, they are deeply connected to the Jubilee agenda. They are just trying to get away with that. Peace.

IEBC – Re: Withdrawal of Security Attached to IEBC Commissioners (17.04.2018)

IEBC Press Statement: Dissimissing the 3 Commissioners who resigned earlier today (16.04.2018)

Opinion: DP Ruto shows his fear for Odinga as a possible PM!

During the homecoming party for International Trade Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo at Chepkosom Primary School in Uasin Gishu County, Mr Ruto said the ongoing unity talks should benefit citizens not leaders. “Even if we amend the Constitution, it should not be for creation of positions like an executive prime minister,” he said. “Kenyans have the capacity to elect their leaders, not a few of us sitting in corners over a cup of tea and doing the selection.” The remarks come after a meeting between National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga and retired President Daniel arap Moi in Kabarak on Thursday last week” (Wycliff Kipsang – ‘Handshakes not meant for leadership posts: DP Ruto’ 16.04.2018, Daily Nation).

It is ironic, it is special, that someone like Deputy President William Ruto speaks of elections and people electing their leaders. When he has used foreign entities, when the Jubilee has juiced-up the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC) to favor his needs within the two Presidential Elections in 2017. Therefore, he shouldn’t speak about selections of leadership, when he himself is rigged into power. That is throwing stones in a glass-house and he is bad at it.

DP Ruto should fear Odinga, even if Odinga gave-up Canaan. He might fear for the agreement Odinga made with Kibaki back in the day. But DP Ruto and Jubilee has made up roles for Chief Administrative Secretaries. These wasn’t made in the Constitution. So it is okay to amend when it is directly own cronies or political figures into new roles? But when your having partners and leaders from the outside of Jubilee, you cannot alter the Constitution or make provisions to make it work?

Not that Kenya needs an Executive Prime Minister, neither does it need any of the CAS. However, the Jubilee has hired the latter and could for peace sake give Odinga a ceremonial role. Though, it would be a hard time be a Minority Leader in the Senate as a Party and have a Cabinet position. That would mean Orengo would be packing and someone else, which isn’t ODM would become that. Surely, Aden Duale should react to all of this, not only Ruto who fears for the popularity of Odinga.

It is healthy to question it all, as the state shouldn’t get away it all, but neither should Odinga be silent on the matters. That is if he still is an opposition, if not he is totally compromised by the Handshake and the parlay gave way for the regime to do what they like. Ruto seems shaken and frighten… like he is worried about himself. Since he had to use the idea of an election. When he knows what he did to get power last year and should humbly kiss the shoes of Odinga for doing the handshake.

Instead, he does what he usually do, belittle others and trying to weasel himself more power. That is the DP does and has done perfectly well over the years. Now Odinga is the hit-piece again.

Maybe, someone who didn’t use the IEBC to rig himself in, shouldn’t be talking about electing people into leadership. He should be happy with a narrow selection of leadership over a cup of tea. He shouldn’t talk about democratic principals, when they doesn’t measure up, when talking about his own election victory in 2017. Peace.

Sen. James Orengo Statement on the IEBC resignations (16.04.2018)

IEBC: Press Statement from Chairman Chebukati (16.04.2018)

IEBC: Joint Statement of Resignation (16.04.2018)

NASA Senators Joint Statement on removal of Moses Wetangula from the office of Minority Leader (10.04.2018)

A IEBC Mirage: Chiloba on leave again, but the system is still the same!

A mirage is a sort of optical illusion, a reflection of light that can trick the mind into interpreting the sight as an apparently solid thing. It makes sense, therefore, that the word mirage has its roots in the concept of vision. Mirage was borrowed into English at the dawn of the 19th century from the French verb mirer (“to look at”), which also gave us the word mirror. Mirer in turn derives from Latin mirari (“to wonder at”). Mirari is also the ancestor of the English words admire, miracle, and marvel, as well as the rare adjective mirific (meaning “marvelous”)” (Merriam-Webster – ‘Mirage’ 02.04.2018)

The Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC) announced today, that CEO Ezra Chiloba would be put on temporary leave after an internal review and report. This was a decision made by the Commissions Plenary Meeting on the 6th April 2018. Still, what is striking the reluctant attitude towards delivering any substance of reasons. This isn’t the first time the CEO Chiloba was put on this sort of leave, then he was chilling at a Hotel, while the Fresh Presidential Elections was on-going.

Not like the IEBC can be trusted, as the breaches, the server connected to Cambridge Analytica, the death of the ICT Manager Chris Msando, the tenders to OT Morpho for the fraud of BVR Equipment, combined with Safaricom and the ones already printing the ballots. The whole 2017 in the eyes of IEBC should be how to shatter all public trust in one institution. There was two rounds of Presidential Elections and none of them was trustworthy, because of all lacking performance of the IEBC. I don’t care if the Carter Center, American Ambassador or the IGAD/AU Mission praise the events.

The lack of respect for voter registration, the bounds of how many who could actually vote differed with times. The voter turnouts was extreme and abnormal, the evidence of corrupt forms and the lack of oversight was evident. As even parts of the political players gave-up following the IEBC and their inner-works, it was a shoddy display and lack of character. The display of ignorance and cooking the books was the mission of the IEBC. They worked so hard to make things official, but in the end. Only the naive or the ones paid to, would believe the numbers and the calculations. The 26th October 2017 and the 8th August Election 2017. Are two strikes of injustice done to the Kenyan people in favor of the Jubilee Party.

They can try to say, we are putting him on leave, so Chiloba can learn his lesson. But they have used that trick and it was all in vain. That because the system is made for rigging, because the political powers to be, want it rigged. Kenyatta and Ruto wanted it rigged and secured in their favor. They couldn’t care less about the will of the people. They are useful props in the Harris Media/Cambridge Analytica/PSCU messages and press releases. Rest of the time, they are just a hassle that comes with the job.

The IEBC cannot use the same mirage, the same trick twice, they did the same to him in October 2017. Now they are pulling the same plug in April 2018. Like we don’t know the IEBC is lying to us yet again. Because someone wants to push the agenda and make a forgery look real. It looks like Monet, but the brushes is not. It is a make believe, a copy and a fraud.

The IEBC has to work harder to be taken serious. We know they are a machinery to deliver the wanted results the Jubilee wants. To say something different would be taken as a fool. I prefer not to be, especially with knowledge of how these people rig the game. The end-game in favor of the rulers and policy makers.

The Chickengate brought down one part of the IEBC, but the not the part of the rigging, neither the part of suspect tenders and corporations ready to cook the books. So the IEBC got a lot of work to do and that does not involve playing tricks with society. Unless, that was the brightest idea Cambridge Analytica could come-up with. Peace.

The Uganda Budget Framework Paper FY2018/19 for Energy and Mineral Development is saying that the External Financing is the key for this Sector – Period!

The Budget Framework Paper for Financial Year of 2018/2019 for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is really revealing how the financing of the sector is and how the state is involved with the manner. Also, how low-key the main factors are and lacking transparency is hitting the Energy Sector of Uganda. Not that is surprising, since the agreements, the licenses and the tenders are usually kept behind closed doors.

However, the main part of the Framework Paper is evident of the issues at hand:

The indicative budget ceilings for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development have been rationalised in line with the sector priorities and national priorities as communicated in the Budget Call Circular and in the Presidential Directives. The ceilings for Vote 017 for the FY 2018/19 are as follows: Wage Recurrent is UGX 4.23Bn; Non-Wage Recurrent is UGX 74,04Bn; GoU Development is UGX 307,84Bn and the Development Partner contribution is UGX 1,608.41Bn. Under Vote 123 ceiling is UGX 81.98Bn is for the GoU Domestic Development and UGX594.00Bn is from external financing” (Energy and Mineral Development, Budget Framework Paper FY 2018/19, 2018).

The building of vital infrastructure, the refinery, the pipelines and energy production facilities are all dependent on funding from abroad. If it is grants, loans or paid-in-full agreements done in secrecy. Because, there are more than the shadows of this budget framework paper. It is saying a lot and the votes for the future is showing the future too. That the Ugandan economy is prospering, as the budget are needing all funding from afar to be able to build needed infrastructure. Also, needs the grants for the Rural Electrification, the ones who the state has even borrowed to do.

Therefore, this Budget Framework Paper is showing the troubles ahead. This isn’t voting for better economy, know this is dependency and also proving how much the donors and partners are involved in making sure the economy gets addicted to it.

When it comes to the refinery, the details are clearly still in the wind: “The process of selecting of the Lead Investor is still progressing and the negotiations are ongoing between Government and the selected investor. The process is expected to be completed in FY 2017/2018. There after FEED and ESIA for refinery development will be undertaken with the Lead Investor on board” (Energy and Mineral Development, Budget Framework Paper FY 2018/19, 2018). So the selecting of it is not finalized, well, for some thought Russians had secured agreement and the reason for Museveni to visit Moscow. Clearly, that ship has sailed, we can wonder if Total or any other company would do this. As Total has the biggest chairs of licenses in the Lake Albertine Basin. Time will tell, but another proof of lack of transparency, when the Ministry has to write this.

Procurement Bottlenecks including lengthy bidding processes that require no-objections from the external financiers at each stage of execution. There is need for PPDA to revise guidelines for procurements relating to flagship projects. In addition, the following measures need to be considered: financing agreements are signed, project is almost ready to kick off. PPDA should reduce the administrative review timelines that sometimes stall progress” (Energy and Mineral Development, Budget Framework Paper FY 2018/19, 2018).

This here is initially following the guidelines of the First Amendment of the 1995 Constitution of 2017, the Land Amendment that the National Resistance Movement put forward before the Age Limit. That would fit the narrative of the Ministry and their wishes. It is like reading the same idea, to give more power to the state and able to land issues quickly.

What we can learn, also and which is important, these developments, these infrastructures projects couldn’t have been built if it wasn’t for external loans, externals grants or direct aid, if not on the license fees and the parts that is taxed. However, the grand amount and the majority of the projects needs the external funding.

This is not surprising, it is to be expected because Museveni doesn’t want to use his money. He want to spend other people’s money and also the money of the future. To benefit him today, that is why the deals are done in the secrecy…. We don’t know the reasons and the value of the licenses, the ones who is to build the refinery, even the grand agreement between the Corporations who will build the Pipeline. We know that certain companies has failed to build the dams and used bad material, but that is because of the Chinese Contractors has saved money, while being paid-in-full.

President Museveni blessed that deal and got scraps back. Time will tell, but this isn’t a good look. Not because I want it to be bad, but because the money says so. Peace.