This is my opinion.
Let me make it clear I am for KIBAKI totally and against RAILA totally and as such no objectivity is possible on my part. If you can die for Raila you have no business reading it.
I was going to steer clear of politics in my blog being the most sensitive subject today in Kenya but seeing that everyone found it totally in their capability to talk about this I too will.
I believe just because Kibaki doesn't say anything or doesn't storm ECK or complain bitterly, it is not because he has nothing to say but because all those theatrics Raila & Co. pull are nothing but seeking sympathy from all and sundry which he is clearly above.
We must never forget that Raila led the bloodiest (FAILED) coup so far in Kenya. He has tried another (against Kikuyu coup) which has also failed.
What Raila sympathizers seem to shock me about is the way they behave like there was only one possible choice and possibility that Raila would win. Sorry folks he didn't.
Me & other 4m Kenyans voted for Kibaki but to the Raila fanatics this number is too useless to them, it only matters that Raila was to win, why we were going to the polls if it was automatic? Even this one challenges Kivuitu.
Let's now look at the realities & numbers
Kibaki had 25 % votes in all provinces.
Raila lost miserably in Kibaki strongholds being Central & Eastern. He scored less than 1000 in most constituencies
Kibaki did not lose miserably in Nyanza & Rift. He actually garnered almost 600,000 votes in Rift and almost 300,000 votes in Nyanza.
.
Reality 2
You cannot alienate the largest community in Kenya from National Politics, as we have seen it fails miserably. Raila poses "how can 2 tribes out of 42 tribes elect a president?" The two communities largely fought for Kenyan independence again alone. And are the Luhyas, Kisiis, Kurias, Kambas & the others who voted for Kibaki not people?
Reality 3
Raila & Co. were unbelievably silent and invisible until Kibaki's strongholds results started to trick in, they then started disrupting ECK and demanding that no results be released. They were disrupting ECK and they are in the opposition, God knows what would happen if they were in the Government. Raila even went on to call Kivuitu just a clerk, it is amazing then just how much a clerk can do.
Reality 4
Kivuitu has not yet said Raila was a winner. He however did declare Kibaki a winner. Meaning if there is a winner, Kibaki is. Who said Raila won??
Reality 5
If there was rigging, Both ODM & PNU rigged heavily. We all saw the stunts Wanjiru pulled in Starehe that left even the policemen totally helpless. Hours later she was declared a winner. It is only that ODM was caught in its own game and beaten at it. Who is the chicken now?
Reality 6
Kikuyus are not ECK, if ECK rigged in favour of Kibaki why was there mass slaughtering of Kikuyus in the Rift and other parts of the country?? If Raila had won which was a possibility since this was an election, do you think, all Kalenjins & Luos would have been in danger in the same way? So why were Kikuyus being slaughtered, this one HURT ME THE MOST. Equity Bank was among the first casualties in Kisumu, why?? Not Barclays, stanchart or others
Why are they crying peace now, peace that they disturbed? It was really disturbing to see the volatile Ruto pretend that he has the interest of Kenya at heart. He is now too afraid of what Kikuyus are capable of doing if they decided to retaliate!
To Raila and to quote him, Kibaki should have LOST to save the nation. Why was the nation been saved? Kenya was fast moving towards being an economic hub, of which part of that is accredited to Raila & Ruto.
The two most dangerous men again have proved to be Raila & Ruto and they have history to support them;
Raila was involved in '82 coup which in itself was very much unnecessary and led to the dictatorship of Moi and death of so many others.
Ruto was part of Y '92 a group that saw the killing of many Kenyans. He totally fought against multi party. Amnesia anyone?
The two are a match made in hell (heaven is not appropriate for them) and together they are destroying Kenya and fooling most Kenyans at the same time.
Raila has to admit there is a bigger player than him only that he is too full of himself to admit. There is the people's president and then again there is the Kenyan president. We all now know who is who.
Aii Shiroh, you need to calm down. Right now you sound no better than those Raila supporters you are railing against.
ReplyDeleteWe need voices of reason, not comments like "He has tried another (against Kikuyu coup) which has also failed".
I hope you can step back and realise this is not the route to take.
Ms K, i said i will not be objective and that was a warning. I don't mind sounding like them, if only you had lost a relative to those clashes or know someone who has you would understand my bitterness. My friend's parents were camping at a police station, others in church which they burnt. Their houses have been destroyed! just because someone lost an election fairly or unfairly?
ReplyDeleteLife is sacred.
Yes Shiroh, but what does it profit us to all react the way you have?
ReplyDeleteThere are many non-Kikuyu families who are hurting and have lost family members. Many non-Kikuyu families have also been displaced. Many non-Kikuyu businesses have been destroyed.
I understand your anger, but it will be remiss of me not to call you out on divisive statements, in the same way I would do it for ODM supporters who make similar statements.
And to remind you Shiroh, I am also a Kikuyu. I have just as much right to be annoyed as you do.
I choose to rebuild Kenya. What do you choose?
Obviously i wish no more war, God knows we have suffered enough already. I agree many non Kikuyus community have been displaced but that is because they were caught in between but they were not exactly target.
ReplyDeleteYou have to agree some things cannot be wished away. This kind of hate should not be tolerated, it helps nobody. Someone should be accountable.
Rebuild we must but we must also avoid such situations from happening. Raila's supporters burnt and destroyed don't compare me to them.
Shiroh i don't want to get caught up in an exchange of words, my point is that both sides behaved badly and we can only begin to heal when we acknowledge that. Not all of Raila's supporters burnt and destroyed, and not all of Kibaki's supporters behaved well. When both sides can accept that wrong was done by both, then we have a basis to move forward. Let us deal with our anger and pain, but not by stoking more hatred.
ReplyDeleteI pray peace for you dear.
I agree with you no one behaved well.
ReplyDeleteI have so much peace my dear. I just thought i would write on my blog what i have been thinking all this time. Believe me it feels good to let it out!!
Both Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki received approximately four million votes and in meeting with the predictions of opinion polls, there was not much more than 200,000 to 300,000 votes between them either way. Indeed, it was Raila’s assertion, prior to the release of the results by the ECK, that Mwai Kibaki wouldsteal about 200,000 votes but would come in just behind ODM.
ReplyDeleteThe 300,000 figure (the higher limit) is about 3.3% of the votes cast. It is not unreasonable to assume that the inflation of ODM figures in their areas of strength (as has been shown repeatedly to have happened) could also easily fall within 3% of the total votes cast. This manipulation is likely to have happened before figures were recorded onto Forms 16A, especially as the lack of opposition agents in these areas meant that ODM had unfettered access to such methods of electoral fraud. In the absence of PNU agents it is necessary that independent organisations stand in to give us these figures, for example, local or foreign observers.
At this stage it is almost without dispute that there was rigging in PNU’s favour of the sort mentioned in Molo, which consisted of changing the figures recorded on Form 16A. It is likely that the total impact of this vote manipulation to the advantage of the PNU would also fall within the 3%. Strangely however, Raila was recently reported in the Nation newspaper claiming that Kibaki’s votes were inflated by over one million. I am personally doubtful of the validity of this number as it would mean that Mwai Kibaki ended the election with a count of about 3.5 million only - a number that is not only inconsistent with the wealth of votes he harvested from Central and Eastern Kenya, but also ignorant of the very high turnout experienced in Central Kenya.
So who won the election? I do not know, no one really knows. The ODM and some of its supporters have been claiming that the statements of the foreign press, Kivuitu and Amos Wako prove that Kibaki 'stole' the election, but the truth is, with all the reported irregularities and the closeness of the election, it is impossible to tell who really won the December 27th vote.
To put a firm answer to this question would have required an immediate recounting of the votes (impossible given transportation and vote integrity issues as witnessed in the 1992 elections) or an auditing of the Form 16As by the ECK (this would help uncover the later rigging while acquitting the earlier methods. One interesting mystery is ODM’s assertion over several days that they had collected a total of 4.2 million votes, yet the final ECK announcement ascribed 4.3 million votes to the ODM .
Outbreak of violence
Even had President Kibaki won the election fairly or by a larger margin, there would certainly still have been riots. The ODM did not prepare its following for the possibility of losing the election. In fact they primed them towards an outright rejection of a Kibaki win, preaching that any such result would be indicative of electoral fraud.
So it is not for the irregular manner of Kibaki's victory that we have blood in the streets, rather people are rioting because of the Kikuyu factor. (I must apologise for all the Kikuyus who have been responsible for bringing this country to such a woeful place, whether in the ECK or around Kibaki.) Still, the facts speak for themselves. The ODM galvanised half the nation around the logic that since Kibaki is a Kikuyu and Kikuyus are thieves, are corrupt and are against devolution thus keeping you from getting your right and just share of national wealth, it follows that Kikuyus are bad and that Kibaki must go. Kibaki Toka! This strategy worked overwhelmingly in five provinces giving the ODM a massive one hundred seats in parliament.
There is similar non-tolerance in the Kenyan blogosphere and Internet forums for anyone who does not support the ODM, the logic being that the overwhelming majority of the four million plus votes cast for Kibaki were Kikuyu (president of one tribe) and that Kibaki did not garner a significant number of votes in the rest of the country.
Finding a solution will be difficult if the leaders stick to their dug-in positions. Raila Odinga seems so intransigent he is unwilling to stop insisting that Kibaki step down. The president on his part, and he is supported in this by Archbishop Tutu, insists that the ODM and Raila first accept that there is a governing authority in Kenya. We will keep praying for greater flexibility and a faster resolution, for heaven knows we need a peace, and we need it fast.
The way forward
It now behoves the head of state to take charge, to reach out to the opposition and to bend over backwards to accomodate them. It is important that he has made concessions regarding the composition of government, but he must also find a way to have the ODM leave any such talks with an element of pride.
The ODM on its part must stop talking about Kibaki as having the support of only one or two tribes. The effects of this strategy are already visible around the country and it is most important that the leaders who inspired this seperation, whether in the ODM or in other parties, work hard to heal the divide.
Third, rallies must be held in all regions of this country to persuade the people to calm down and to desist from wrecking the very economies of their regions. I laud the actions of KISS and Citizen radio stations, and of the mainstream newspapers to this end.
Finally, politicians must realise that there is for each side one half of the country that is represented by the other. This little fact means that it is impossible for the one side to vanquish the other except by destroying the nation. Such ideas as the Million Man March rallies and the like do not help promote harmony and a return to some semblance of unity. What they do instead is bring us closer and closer to confrontation. Remember both sides could call four million person rallies!
Shiroh,
ReplyDeleteI certainly understand you anger, sadness and bitterness about the events that transpired since the elections. Certainly no one is blameless from both sides. I am neither kikuyu nor Luo but it certainly does not matter! at least that is what I believe.
I fully respect your right to your opinion and feelings but Having said that I must say I do not agree with your choice of words! I agree with the sentiment but not the words. As Ms K said, there is a danger of not differentiating between you and those you castigate.
The violence and killings are deplorable on so many levels that anger does not need any more fuel.
We have all lost lives and with sentiments like yours how are we to move on with our fellow citizens from the other side? (whichever it may be)
You have demonstrated exactly why KENYANS are so against Kibaki and the Kikuyu arrogance. Not a shred of intelligence in your post an just full of vile and misplaced tribal ignorance. You shouldnt even try and hide your tribalistic views...! You are a shame to the majority of Kenyans who are appalled at the Thievery YOUR 'candidate' and his cronies have exerted on the KENYAN people.
ReplyDeleteYOu are a shame...
My dear,
ReplyDeleteI too think that this post is not helping any. There were angels and demons on both sides and it is folly to believe otherwise.
Now, more than ever we need to embrace each other and make peace. As Moshe Dayan said, we don't make peace with our friends. We make peace with our enemies.
Stoking the fires at this stage I fear would be detrimental.
Lets start by stating, life is sacred.
ReplyDeleteLets also say, ounce you break something it will take a long time to put together.
Lets also agree that even if manage to put it together, you also see the cracks for a long time.
If I lost a brother or sister or mother or child, how long should I take to heal?
Some countries still remember what happened in 1950. Please check neighbor, Eastern Europe etc.
Argue for honest institutions but do not forget those folks that lost their love ones. Minimizing their pain will not help. Those children whose parents will not be there to help through life because someone angry. Independent Kenyans that are beggars.
Even if Kenya goes back to 'normal', I hope there is someone in Kenya that will be responsible to ensure Kenya heals. To get there someone will have to work hard to move forward.
Love your country and your neighbor. Hate will just comeback to bite you in the end.
Andrew
I think today is when I have read/heard ODM supporters aknowledging they have to take some responsiblity.
ReplyDeletePersonally I have been vexed, hurt, insulted etc but I have chosen to have peace.
My country is bigger than any politician or any kind of politics.
Right now we need to have healing in the country. The tribal line can be seen from space today. I pray that that will not be the case in afew months.
Gob bless you all
Enlightening! Thank God for 'free' speech. Politics is dirty look what its doing to you! Suddenly you look like a villain and you've done your homework well (!?!?) Are you sure u are not the Justice minister?
ReplyDeleteThis is a totally uncalled for outpour of bile that does nothing to help rectify the state of affairs that Kenya is in at the moment.
ReplyDeleteUnless you work for ECK and had access to all the statistics you have no business whatsoever peddling your half researched statistics for us here.
Have you asked yourself the same question you posed for Raila? You cannot alienate the other 20 plus tribes in Kenya and hope for peace.
You seem to forget that Kivuitu said he was not sure who won later on.
Kikuyus are not yet deciding to retaliate, they retaliated; it seems you havent read cases of mungiki hitting back in the slums.
You should have let the red mist leave your mind before you wrote this post because there is nothing positive you have brought to the table.
I understand you are angry, we all are. Don't think that Kikuyus are the only ones who suffered in this mayhem. In many cases the mobs clubs and the policemen's bullets knew no tribe at all.
At this point in time as Kenyans it is time that we looked at what brought us here, try to prevent it and rebuild instead of pointing fingers; because when you point a finger at Raila or whomever else you are blaming 3 are pointing back at you. Ask yourself if you are part of the solution or are you just being part of the problem.
Unfortunately i am not a policy maker and nothing i say or do will ease the situations that we have faced as Kenyans. I can only not hack my neighbour.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless it is my opinion & i choose to support the other side which has not been supported.
yes we are all hurt but there was a clear target. Nevertheless it makes little sense to keep arguing on this one.
Make no mistake i offer no apologies.
You say "nothing i say or do will ease the situations that we have faced as Kenyans".
ReplyDeleteThat is not true. There is a lot you can do to ease the situation. And I don't think this post is it. Just step back a minute and read it objectively. Do you not see how it can be construed as being no different from what those panga weilding mobs are shouting?
M, i am totally sorry that you find me the same as Panga wielding but believe me i just represent a huge majority of the people who feel this way but cannot speak. This is from your own blog
ReplyDelete"I need not tell you that as I write this our country is on fire. Flames stoked by the ineptitude of the current regime and outright tribal polarization by politicians have finally exploded in a shocking turn of violence and destruction. Neighbours are turning against each other. People are suddenly afraid"
That was your choice of words. I just wonder how mine are different. You chose to blame one party, i blame another.
I am now so past this discussion. Looking at it positively, we can work today. The rally is off.
Kindly read what I wrote. I did not say that you are the same. I'm sorry you feel your words are no different from mine.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. This is your blog and you can say as you please.
Good day and stay safe
Whilst I can understand your anger, I cant understand your stance.
ReplyDeleteLike you, am sick and tired of being accused of being arrogant because I am kyuk( well part Kyuk)
Your post does not help in this regard and goes on to propagate this gospel