A little lip on the 'Crisis'

A lot has been said, a lot remains unsaid about the current 'crisis' in our coalition government. I must also claim my lip rights to mouth what my mind tells me.

Question is, why has Raila all of a sudden decided in the view of most Kenyans to take a rope and commit political suicide? First with the mau issue and now with maize and school fees issue? Why is he playing into the hands of his enemies? why when in fact a by election looms large?

My mind tells me that a number of people in 2007 could have voted one Mr. Raila Amolo Odinga as president due to his tribe but a big number could have voted him due to good old hope. Hope that his consistency in fighting various ills in society could be used to finally right the many wrongs. I am persuaded that there were a number of Kenyans who voted Raila in for being Raila and being Raila in their minds meant being right and firm.

But in the last 2 years since he shared power with Kibaki, has Raila been Raila? not really. He tried to play siasa. Doing a number of things to please his key accounts namely the Rutos of this world.

It seems clear that all of a sudden Raila has now woken up from the slumber and realized that for his own sake and for the sake of the country , he needs to be Raila. He needs to give to the country that which his personality promised. Meaning good governance at all costs to him. He has decided to be himself. And thats why I dont agree with Mutahi Ngunyi who reckons that Raila played into Kibakis bait. First I dont believe Kibaki is that sharp. If he were he would not have lost the referendum and subsequent general election with all those resources he had. I mean honestly for one he was a head of state and government controlling vast resources and a corrupt provincial administration together with the police force. Then secondly he was being backed by the most populous and most wealthy tribe in the nation. He was up against a person on the exact opposite of the social spectrum. He should not have lost this leave alone tie and take us through the painful experience of 2007. For that matter I dont buy the Kibaki brilliance theory of Ngunyi.

In any case, my mind tells me that its Kibaki who played into Raila's bait and rushed to squash his decision thus giving himself up to everyone as to who was the corrupt principal. Talk of hook , line and sinker.

But my good friend jakondiek is a worried man, being a blood supporter of Raila he wonders whether the man will survive this and I tell him, I dont know but what I know is that the man seems to emerge stronger from every crisis. Probably only Raila knows what it means to be Raila so time will tell.

If Q Could Change...

It was in November 2008 when I blogged here about my Arduous argument with Q. Wow time does fly! I remember leaving that debate really feeling low, tired and wasted. I remember bloggers giving me encouragement and reinforcing my stand and points. Well just about 16 months later, I met Mr. Q again. his circumstances have changed greatly. For one, he got promoted and now heads a very strategic department in his company. His company is leading in the service industry in the region. Mr. Q sat me down and told me how his work has become almost impossible to do.

Somehow those things I told him that fateful November touched his intellect as he put it. He describes it as 'The Moment'. He changed his ways of doing things and vowed to work things professionally and in a clean manner. And that is what has caused him all manner of problems. He has been exposed to long running and complex corruption chains some so entangled that he finds he is man island of sorts in a sea full of sharks. For every deal he stumbles upon and tries to correct, he gets several smses some friendly and offering goodies while some being hard core threats. I had no words for my convert but I learnt that indeed you should never underrate what you believe in. Whether someone tries to bring you down just tell them. I was actually shocked that while I thought I had lost the argument that November, my words had somehow found some soft landing in him and converted him. Now even when he sat across from me telling me about his hard times with corruption cells in his company he was asserting that he will not compromise his principles. He was telling me of how many such cells he had already dismantled and I was nodding inside me and smiling happily.

But broadly speaking in this country corruption and disrespect for other peoples property is almost as ingrained as a culture. Its almost a given concept that if no one is looking, you are welcome to grab and plunder to your fill. When a few guys like Ongeri and Karega are unlucky or stupid enough to be caught every one else goes for their necks yet the bottom line is simple and straight forward: Just let us respect and accept what does not lawfully belong to us.

mwakweres exit

Wow. the reaction to the news of Mwakwere's lose of the matuga parliamentary seat is overwhelming. Does it mean the man was this unpopular?