Kioko wa Kivandi: If I have to Blame Uhuru Kenyatta

Kioko wa Kivandi: If I have to Blame Uhuru Kenyatta: If I have to blame Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta on his role in misdirecting Kenya’s political destiny it will...

If I have to Blame Uhuru Kenyatta

If I have to blame Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta on his role in misdirecting Kenya’s political destiny it will not be on the reasons Nick Salat and his close allies in Kenya African National Union (KANU) may be thinking about.

The fact that Uhuru may be holding KANU at ransom and that Salat and group will want us to rally behind him so as to save the ‘father and mother’ of all political parties in Kenya will not form the basis for my argument.

Rather, if I have to blame Uhuru, then it will be on his role in the death of opposition politics in Kenya. But not on the alleged murder of KANU. NO! I say if I have to blame him because there may not be substantial reasons to blame him after all, apart from looking at the whole issue from a much more objective view.

At this point it is then important to set the record straight for KANU; that it was not the ‘father and mother’ of all political parties in Kenya. By the time KANU was being formed in 1960, the Kenya African Union (KAU) had been in place since 1944. In real sense though, the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) had been in place since 1924. Thus KANU is in this simple history a third generation party in Kenya since KCA is the one that gave birth to KAU which gave birth to KANU.

This history has been told in many forums but should you insist I will refer you to at least Cherry Gertzel’s The Politics of Independent Kenya: 1963-8, in which she also applauds the Kikuyu for setting the pace in political emancipation in the East African region. She refers to them as “the earliest and the most politically conscious section of the African population.”

Again were it not for the political wit of Kenya’s founding father the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, KANU would have ‘seen dust’ out of the competition it received in its conception days from Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) led by Ronald Ngala. 

In his book Political Parties in Kenya: Formation, Policies and Manifestoes, Nick G. Wanjohi elaborates how KADU was formed as a cluster of the parties that had been formed by communities that saw themselves as minorities. He points out that KADU received big support from the colonial government and was almost viewed as a colonial outfit as opposed to KANU, a nationalist party, at least by the time Kenya was attaining independence in 1963.

Kenyatta’s political moves then saw the absorption of KADU into KANU “for purposes of forging ahead with a common ground,” as Oginga Odinga argued but also a decision that KADU leaders agreed at after being assured of their future in KANU so explains Wanjohi. Of course they were awarded heavily with ministerial positions. That was in August 1964. 

So you see? All this hullaballoo by KANU is a misrepresentation. KANU was not the first political outfit in Kenya. It only realized early enough that it would not stand alone. Kenyatta knew better that for the rooster to crow and be heard clearly every day all other competitors had to be silenced by hook or crook. May be its true what they sing of Kenyatta in that patriotic song…Kenyatta mwerevu sungura mjanja ooi oooii… (Kenyatta is a chirpy cunning hare ooi oooii).

Skip the times and let’s have one Uhuru Muigai in the picture. My generation – the generation that is turning thirty…thirty one…thirty two this year – started seeing Uhuru in 2001 or there about. That was however not the first time he was getting into public service if not politics. It is reported that in 1997 he had contested a parliamentary seat at home but he lost. In 1999 then President Daniel Moi appointed him to be chairman of the Kenya Tourism Board. From then on we can say everything about him took a quick twist, all happening within a short time and before we could take time to meditate what was happening. 

Here is a quick update from that moment on to the present times. Within a short time Uhuru became a nominated Member of Parliament. Within a short time Uhuru became Minister for Local Government. Within a short time Uhuru became one of the vice chairpersons of KANU. Within a short time Uhuru became a presidential candidate. Within a short time Uhuru lost in the 2002 general elections to Mwai Kibaki in a big margin he conceded defeat even before the official count was released. All this was courtesy of Moi. 

Before we said aaa…eee…Uhuru was the official voice of opposition in parliament. All this from a man who had almost ran away from politics after the defeat in 1997. 

Then came the Uhuru Kenyatta of Kibaki’s epoch. We must admit it was beautiful to have him as the voice of reason countering the government. But that was short lived when we woke up one day to the news that he had backed Kibaki for 2007 general election. Several things happened, also in a flash, but the most crucial is he would never speak against Kibaki thereafter.

Uhuru’s stature as a respected Kikuyu elder started gaining ground. He became a critical power broker among the Kikuyu. If you watched the live transmission of the burials of the late John Michuki (aka ithe wa Martini) and the late Njenga Karume (aka charcoal dealer) you know where he is placed. Actually there are enough reasons to believe “Uhuru is the chosen guy by Kibaki insiders to inherit him,” as Joseph Omondi of Youth Reconciliation Awareness Forum (YRAF) Nakuru puts it. Even the late John Michuki is quoted as having passed him as his “choice”. 

But Uhuru has a case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is sinking him underground if not grounding him as the GADO cartoon has been insinuating of late. Omondi says “in the event he is blocked from vying, he is tasked to get a team to stop Raila (Odinga) getting the throne.” Here Omondi is merely trying to connect the argument around the Raila-Kenya’s ICC suspect’s link with the succession politics at the moment.

Anyway now you see how Kenya killed its opposition and went back to an ideologically de facto one party state just before the elections in 2007. The coalition government we formed in 2008 then went further to formalize that situation. Although the Parliamentary Select Committees (P.A.C’s) have been trying to fill the void together with some alleged ‘no-none -sense’ parliamentarians of the Bony Khalwale type, they have not been successful. Their members are in the coalition block.

Uhuru then is the man who initiated this period of no opposition. Whether this was his own idea or it was someone else’s is also debatable. After all even his entrance into politics has been widely viewed as a tactic of the political professorship of Moi. May be Moi merely wanted to give back to the Kikuyu or directly to his predecessor Jomo Kenyatta. Some people have argued he envisaged a safer retirement period under Uhuru’s reign. 

Still does Uhuru have a political future? Yes and No. the Kikuyu seem to have decided he is the one for them but first the ICC case looks to put a good number of people including those who back him in a catch 22 situation and second that feeling that he has never stood on his ground without a patron. Masese Kemunche of Center for Democracy and Good Governance (CEDGG) Nakuru, sums up Uhuru’s future as one that “is in limbo,” for he has “never been his own man, always doing other peoples’ bidding.”

I finish by saying that I don’t blame Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta for his alleged role in the alleged death of KANU, but for the second death of opposition politics in Kenya. I also urge him to aid KANU’s survival in these turbulent political times. He may be resuscitating what he killed.

Kioko wa Kivandi: Big is Best

Kioko wa Kivandi: Big is Best: “ One thing is that people listen much more to bigger guys; the bigger you are and the more impressi...

Big is Best

“One thing is that people listen much more to bigger guys; the bigger you are and the more impressive you look physically, the more people listen and the better you can sell yourself and anything else” Arnold Schwarzeneger.

In one of the best books I have read in recent times on personal branding Success Secrets of Top Leadership Gurus Michael Jeffreys, shares this quote.

Now, if you have been reading this kind of literature that we call motivational you know that Jeffreys is a good writer of that kind of stuff. He exhibits his utmost power in this said book which is arguably a master piece.

Perhaps it is his free-flow-style that makes the content an easy read. Or let’s just say he is a talented writer. So there is a way he keeps you glued to the book only you have to be careful not to miss the wisdom he shares with his artistic simplicity.

Such wisdom is the kind of lessons he shares through quotes as the one above, coz, you come to think of it being big is advantageous. Men – with the exemption of Jesus – have done whatever they can to be big; sometimes within their means, sometimes without. 

Being big can be viewed in two ways; you can either be big physically or be big psychologically. It comes with a cost though.

Anyway, let’s start with mythology and fairy tales. Whether you believed all the stories that oral history has handed over to us or not you know that bigness was the criteria that separated the two common worlds in such. In most cases the victor had to always assume greatness. Call into mind the story you’ve heard about say for instance Samson the great. He is said to have been big. Gor Mahia and Lwanda Magere were huge guys, right? Or the way we imagine God – omnipresent, omniscient, omni-big, omni-all.

Still in mythological context the villain is always a big guy as well. Consider the images we have about the snake that cheated Adam and Eve in the garden. It’s a mighty sapient. And ooh sure enough Satan is a big thing. They talk about him in Revelation that he has seven heads bla bla bla. 

Well, I know someone will say “David was a small guy but he killed Goliath.” Look here, smallness in some instances as these is used to exaggerate the bigness so that as we celebrate its quantity we only remember to be humble. 

Achilles of the Trojan war fame was fairly a small guy but you know where his fame in war had gotten to before they shot his eel tumbling him down. The hare was a small animal in the fairy tales we are told but see how it humbled the likes of elephant and lion the macho man. And ooh yes the Jack fellow in the Titanic story who is finally the male hero was a small boy, but he toppled a whole prince in a fight for female attention.

In all these circumstances though, the victor still assumes some level of greatness, thereby moving the crowds with him.

Let’s then come closer home and into our century. Big is still best. 

Many a times, we have revered big people. Consider the number of times you have run away from bouncers in clubs etc…simply because they are big. Most bad boys are big. Either they so imagine or we imagine them. 

Countries with a lot of wealth are big and we see their presidents as big. They control the small countries (small because they have small wealth) which have to dance to their tunes. Is it any wonder then that Barrack Obama is our big brother? Either he imagines himself so, or we imagine him so. 

Our leaders are literary big. We call them Bwana Mkubwa which translates as Mr. Big. Or simply we call them mkubwa – the big one or the master. Either they imagine themselves as such or we imagine them as such.

I know you are laughing coz you are either a boss, so some people call you bwana mkubwa or you have a boss who you refer to as mkubwa. You then know better than me that in some instances mkubwa’s word is final.

Being big though comes with a price. The big one has to stand above the rest. The big five in the animal kingdom are so called because they tower over the others…in height, in body size, in speed, or in noise, or something. When the lion roars for instance a gazelle grazing next to his pen will be excused for peeing unknowingly. With such simple privileges we call him King of the Jungle. On his part, the shark commands authority in water for swallowing smaller fish.

In the human kingdom bigness has the price of commanding more authority than the rest, more space, having more money, a good car and so on.  

Whilst one can ascribe to bigness, the best kind of it is the achieved one. In this you struggle to be on top of your game.

But one can also merely imagine he is big. After  all the entire mind is the reservoir of all human thought. Every other thought is set in there. 

Finally in the world of fantasy, one can merely dream big. NIC bank though encourages us to think biggest. Big dreams make big achievements.

Perhaps you and I have seen people who have assumed they are big and they make the whole lot of us treat them as such. Perhaps we have never liked the experience. Perhaps these people are the very crosses that Jesus warned us of their weight.

Still, that has not stopped us from moving on. Still that has not stopped us from dreaming. If we are not big does that stop us from dreaming big? Soul brother it pays to be big and or to dream big…let’s do the latter, at least.

“RUTO CAN BE A GREAT LEADER…BUT”

Charles Lwanga Orioki Aberi at Radio Amani Offices

About a week or two before the Holy Week – the week that precedes Easter – I received a call from a man who claimed to have a very special message for Eldoret North Member of Parliament (M.P.) William Ruto. 

 

It was just a random call, one of the many that I receive while hosting Taswira: Mambo Yalivyo, the morning show at Radio Amani, Nakuru. At first I didn’t quite understand why such a call had to be directed to me. I mean I have never in the past behaved in a manner likely to suggest that I have a close working relationship with Ruto. I have for instance never hosted him or anyone close to him. Not that I haven’t tried inviting him before. No. It’s only that my efforts have not borne any fruits. I have tried getting in touch with his team, tried calling him and sent him a text, but all has been in vain. 

So when this particular guy I am to tell you about insisted I get hold of Ruto for him I got surprised. I mean I would have understood had he insisted I get, for instance, Raphael Tuju for him since I have had live interviews with him at least twice and know how to get him when I want his comment on a particular issue. Or Martha Karua – I have also hosted her; or Stephen Ooko the one who claims to be the G7 flag bearer for I have also hosted him; or even Gatanga M.P. Peter Kenneth, he is one man who will get back to you even if you are a strange caller, plus, he is very active on facebook and twitter.

Anyway I guess it’s just the sheer belief about our being ‘connected’ as journalists that made this fellow conclude I can be of help. Still I neither looked for Ruto immediately nor took any other step on his behalf. I wanted to see if he would ‘nag’ me the more on the same…and sure enough he did. 

He called me the next morning “to remind you bwana Kioko about that issue.” (Sometime I laugh at the way people insist on calling me Bwana Kioko on air). He has since been calling and this morning (10^th April, 2012) he simply read my mind. “Bwana Kioko,” he called, “I am reminding you about that issue, just inform me even if you have published it on the internet” (sic). 

Who told him, I asked myself after he hang up, that I was to blog what he had shared with me about the fact that “Ruto can be a great leader but he has to tread with caution.” I mean it’s the easiest way of taking his story to the next level. 

Well maybe it’s because, as he alleges, he is a ‘dreamer’ literary like the biblical Joseph of the seven fat bulls and the seven thin bulls’ story whose interpretation was given as seven years of harvest and seven years of hunger. Yes Joseph of the days of King Pharaoh.

Perhaps I should tell you this is the main reason I spared a minute or two for him, that which takes the biblical angle is always sweet to listen to. You can frown or grin on that as I am doing right now. 

I wanted to invite him to our studio for a live show but two things: the context of the talk and its impact to my radio audience plus he stammers in his speech. Please get me clear, I have no bad feeling for people who stammer, only I feel having a live show with them would be to give them a high toll. You will ask me, how come he calls you. I say I don’t know how he manages, but when I talked to him one-on-one I didn’t have the confidence of taking him live-on-air.

His identity as a radio caller is “Baba Bena.” He resides in Kaptembwo, a village in the outskirts of Nakuru town known for all the good and bad things but more specifically as one of the hot spots in the Rift Valley during post election violence (P.E.V). Among the stories I have covered on P.E.V two were from Kaptembwa. They were on forced circumcision and rape. Should I tell you about them? Mmmhhh…may be in another post.

Baba Bena is a 39 year old father of two and his real name is Charles Lwanga Orioko Aberi. Formerly a Jesuit Seminarian, Aberi is now a businessman. He sells mtumba – second hand clothes – in Kaptembwo. Previously though, he has worked as volunteer with Jesuits and Comboni Missionaries in Nairobi. Let us also not forget to say he is a dreamer even if no one pays him for that. 

So what does he dream about and what exactly is his allegedly revelation about one William Ruto? We start with 2007 P.E.V.

2007 P.E.V: He says he saw bulls in a field ‘beating’ (sic) and or chasing Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki in different directions. The bulls left a trail of blood. He says he shared this dream with his wife. 

Note that for the visions to stop he says he has to share their content – if that’s how we call the stuff we see in dreams – with someone. It pays more however if he shares with the concerned, the specific individuals a particular dream targets. I guess Raila and Kibaki were out of his mind as tangible targets. 

He speaks with a lot of conviction that this is the best of his dreams that proves he has a prophetic eye. “On the day the presidential results were being tallied I woke and when I saw the small margin between Kibaki and Raila I told my wife there will be a problem.”

Well, was there a problem after the last general election? You can fill in the blanks for yourself. 

Prof. George Saitoti in Defending his seat as Kajiado North M.P. in 2007: Prof George Saitoti is M.P. for Kajiado North and Minister for Internal Security. He is surely one of our seasoned politicians having served as Daniel Moi’s vice president for more than a decade. Now the Mathematics professor is running for presidency on a Party of National Unity (P.N.U) ticket. 

Aberi says of him, “I saw him almost slip off into a ditch…diving towards the bottom of the valley…then towards the midst his cars turned and started going upwards.”

I didn’t ask him where the cars came from. For sure you won’t be surprised that someone of Saitoti’s stature goes down a valley in an entourage of several cars. It’s upon you to fill the blanks on whether Saitoti had it smooth to parliament or if it was a tough battle for him. Has he tried reaching Saitoti, (especially before the voting) I think he said so, but he has not succeeded to date.

Musikari Kombo: Musikari Kombo is a nominated M.P. A former cabinet minister Kombo lost his Webuye constituency seat to Alfred Sambu in 2007 general election. 

One wonders, “Was it prudent for Kibaki to give him a nominated seat to appease the Luhya electorate?” Mmmmh…serves as an entry point to another debate, another day.

Aberi says, “I saw two cups, one was big and the other was small. Kombo was given the small one while Sambu got the big one. Kombo started pointing to the one that was big. He got very dissatisfied. I would later see him on T.V use the same sign he used in my dream, i.e. brushing off everything from the point of his face.” 

Now do you still remember how Kombo behaved when he lost his seat? Fill in the blanks. He said he managed to share this vision with either directly or indirectly with Kombo.

Raphael Tuju: Tuju is the former M.P. for Rarieda constituency. He is famed for his development record. Well, at least you have heard about the Rarieda Mobile toilets of his time if not everything. 

Never mind in 2007 voters seemed to have a special dislike for all those who had a development record. Can you imagine even the guy who introduced the much acclaimed Constituency Development Fund (C.D.F) was sent home packing. He is the former M.P. for Ol Kalau, one Kariuki Murue. Even Koigi wa Wamwere who had also been in the top list of clean C.D.F spenders was also denied a chance by Subukia Constituency voters. All this you know better was about whose drum beats and tunes you were dancing to, politically.

Now, I may not be sure about Murue but I am sure about Wamwere and Tuju. While the former (my former employer for that matter) felt he could sell Kibaki’s P.N.U while selling his own Chama Cha Mwananchi (C.C.M), or what some people made fun of as Chama Cha Masikini (party for the poor), the latter simply and squarely refused to “sack up to Raila.” Tuju lost to one Nicholas Gumbo in 2007 and one may still say he is still acting the devil’s advocate in Nyanza, as far as Railamania/Railaphobia is concerned in the Nyanza region.

Says Aberi, “I saw him arguing with Raila, I saw some men in white robs who told him that if he wants to remain in the open field he should shake hands with Raila. He didn’t listen. So he left…and lost.” 

You need not any explanation on this at this point. I am writing about a prophecy, remember?

William Ruto:  William Ruto is the man Aberi wants to meet like yesterday. He kept on telling me he is not doing so to get any fame or money. He only wants to get peace of mind. Not before he shares his dream with Ruto will the dream go away. (Emphasis is mine…but this is how I read the urgent need in his eyes). 

Ruto needs no introduction, really. You know this hustler whose name found its appearance in the International Criminal Court list in a ‘movie-like manner’. I also don’t know how that happened and why now him, and Uhuru Kenyatta, Francis Muthaura and Joshua Sang. I don’t know. 

What I know is it might be a little bit tricky for the KAMATUSA to convince I.C.C to delay the case before it until we conduct our elections. One would describe what they are rallying themselves to do as one of those scenarios that Chinua Achebe aptly describes as being “pregnant and nursing a baby at the same time.” Still, I wish them luck and my prayers.

I met Ruto once in a ‘close up shot’. He was doing rounds in Nakuru and its neighborhood and we (journalists) trailed him the whole day. We went to Eldama Ravine, Mogotio, all the way up to a place called Poror. He was in the company of among other people then Minister for Higher Education and M.P. for Mogotio Prof. Hellen Sambili. Those days Ruto and his clique of M.P’s were in United Democratic Movement (U.D.M). As it is U.D.M is represented by Sambili in parliament to date. How Ruto and friends were toppling her in recognition for the party I don’t know but it was evident they were getting more focus than our learned professor. 

Of course that was partly the reason I had opted to follow them, so as to get a chance to read the behind-the-TV- political scenes between the lines. So in the evening we had a meeting with Ruto at one of the hotels in Nakuru town “to evaluate the day”, as he said. 

It occurred to me that Ruto is a very…I repeat…very humble politician. Plus the guy is very smart. He explains policies, and gets you facts about food security which our nation direly needs from his fingertips. He has experience from the Agriculture Ministry which he held before things started tumbling down for him, in a way politically. In short Ruto is a very convincing politician at a personal level, ceteris paribus. 

Now should I still remind you he is eyeing the presidency?

Aberi dreams of him, “I have seen him surrounded by seven planes on either side. He is in a transparent plane himself, so you can see him. That makes fifteen the total number of his plane entourage.  These planes are very high and flying at very high speed. I see him becoming a very great leader.”

Aberi says he has had this vision at least four times. He then goes on giving prescription for Ruto’s political dose if he envies the prophesized greatness. “He should not talk about Raila, Uhuru, O.D.M or P.N.U. Every time he talks about someone the planes get lost. If only he can keep quiet when in the public domain, or talk positively about other people. He should not take sides; he should have facts to back what he is saying, then keep quiet. He should be someone ready to reconcile. 

He adds, “If he does so even the I.C.C may pardon him (sic). But if he doesn’t then he goes nowhere. As long as he keeps hitting at Raila he goes nowhere.”

I ask him, “Do you also see Raila, Tuju and Uhuru anywhere?”

He answers.

Raila: “I have not seen Raila’s dream. I saw him last time weeping,” (insisting) “and he cried.”

Tuju: “Tuju is not appearing anywhere for now.”

Uhuru: “I see him just getting angry every time he wants to talk. He just wants to fight all the time.”

He is not yet through until he concludes “If I could get a chance to have Raila and Ruto face-to-face and at once tribal hatred will be gone forever.”

“Why do you say so?”

 “Whatever Ruto says he has a chance to change the face of Kenya…so much.”

…and there you have it. The alleged prophecy of Charles Lwanga Orioko Aberi, the former seminarian turned business man, turned dreamer. For your information his wife too also has dreams…prophetically.