ODM-Kenya: De javu all over again?

Wanakenya Wenzangu,

All the facts are not in. The next few days may tell a different story. But I have been worndering since yesterday on how history seems to be repeating itself again.

In 1991 when FORD seemed poised to trounse KANU in the elections of 1992, Hon. Shikuku ate "ugali" at State House then ran away with party documents. Kenneth Matiba and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga would not agree to step down for the other. Since effective FORD power lay with Shikuku and Shikuku was allied to Matiba, breakup of the original FORD into FORD Asili and FORD Kenya became inevitable. In the ensuing elections of 1992, the opposition would not prevail.

Fast forward to July 30, 2007: Hon. Kosgey, Hon. Anyang' Nyong, Hon. Magara are all allied to Hon. Eng. Raila Amolo Odinga. Although the Henry Kosgey team that favors Raila are supposed to be the party officials, Maanzo holds tight to the ODM-Kenya chairmanship that really matters. For all intents and purposes, whether Hon. Henry Kosgey et al cry foul as loud as they can, it seems that effective power is with Mr. Maanzo. If, as it seems, Maanzo is singing the Kalonzo Musyoka tune, then other ODM-Kenya presidential aspirants need to either work with Maanzo, sic Kalonzo Musyoka, or find other ways of dealing with the situation. It seems to me that confrontation at this time will lead to further fragmentation. Do I smell an ODM Asili in the making? Where does ODM-Kenya, whose signature activity day in day out since inception has been trying to find ways of nominating a candidate to stand against Mwai Kibaki, go from here?

God bless Kenya.

Michoma Moenga

Article originally published on July 31, 2007 on news that Kalonzo Musyoka had changed parties from LDP to LPK.

ODM-Kenya: "D" for "DEMO-CRAZY": The other side of mass action.

Wapenda Kenya Wenzangu,

I have been accused of 'hating' Raila Odinga although what I am trying to do is size him up to see if he is the man I'd be proud to call President of my beloved country Kenya. To those who see me as a "hater", please don't take me seriously. Just let me play my harp.

My friends, we all love Kenya. We would love to see real true competition of ideas to make our country better. We do not relish in witnessing the kind of infighting that we are witnessing in ODM-Kenya at the moment. I for one would have wished to watch a debate between the major candidates vying for the position of President of Kenya. The debate would be centered around how and what good each of the candidates plans for Kenya. As of now, we are forced to watch the specters in ODM-Kenya. So let us see what this specter has for us. What are some of its basic implications?

Fellow compatriots. It is as clear as day. The so called de facto ODM-Kenya officials led by Henry Kosgey as Chairman with James Magara as Treasurer General and Anyang Nyong' as Secretary General are all declared Raila Odinga supporters. Nothing to deny about that. Mr. Magara has even said that he will die for Raila!! It then is a fair question to ask: How would one expect Kalonzo Musyoka to accede to the demand by Kosgey and company to be handed the leadership of the party? How do you hand over tools of war to your adversary? Now that Kalonzo is in the house as it were, how does he hand over the keys to Raila who will swiftly get in, push him out and lock him out?

The de jure ODM-Kenya leadership under Maanzo and company may be inconsequential as individuals but they are the ones that have the real power in ODM-Kenya. Now that the Maanzo team has indicated that they are in tune with Kalonzo Musyoka and that Kalonzo has their ear, the die is clearly cast. Raila's group has just two options.
1. Genuinely negotiate with Kalonzo and company.
2. Quickly form a party of their own.

Then this is absurd really. Just look and think about it. Today, I read that the Raila-Mudavadi-Ruto group put the Registrar of Societies on notice and announced mass action if the "recognised" party officials led by "Chairman", Mr Henry Kosgey and "Secretary-General", Prof Anyang Nyong', were not registered. I do recognize that the Registrar's office has been abused in the past. However, the registrar can only register new officials when they show that they have been elected following the laid down rules and regulations of the registered organization, ODM-Kenya in this case.

If mass action and public demonstrations should be what is needed to get decisions made as the Raila group would have us believe, then it is a valid argument to make that in the event that Raila is elected president, the registrar of societies under his administration will be required to register and/or deregister officials of societies or parties based on public demonstrations?

We have heard threats of public demonstrations by Raila before. When you see Raila start to call for public demonstrations, then you know that he is extremely desperate and in a very tight legal corner. Unfortunately, Raila's "demo-crazy" has never achieved a thing. Public demonstrations did not succeed to register ODM. Some ingenuous ways had to be found to finally have the ODM-Kenya registered. It will be a bad day for Kenya when decisions begin to be made on the basis of public demonstrations and mass action. It will be a bad day indeed.

Thanks.

Michoma Moenga

Article originally written on August 1, 2007 as Raila's faction in ODM-Kenya was threatening mass action to force Kenya's Registrar of Societies to recognize the slate of ODM-Kenya officials led by Henry Kosgey.

The Raila Odinga Enigma: A BIG FOX that is always outfoxed and bolting!!

Wapenda Kenya Wenzangu:

What became of the temper tantrums that Raila et al were throwing when Kalonzo moved from one ODM-Kenya party to another ODM-Kenya party? Did they ever storm the Registrar's Office? Who then defected? Was it Kalonzo Musyoka or Raila Odinga et al?

Nothing stands out more starkly in recent Kenya politics than this. Hon. Eng. Raila Amollo Odinga who is often billed as a master strategist, the BIG FOX bolts from party to party once he is outfoxed by "LESSER" FOXES who bid their time and bite at the most appropriate moment. See FORD-Kenya with Wamalwa Kijana, KANU with Daniel arap Moi, NARC with Mwai Kibaki and now ODM-Kenya with Kalonzo Musyoka. In the paper party for sale called ODM that has now been acquired by none other than Raila Odinga and company, we may well see another outfoxing. The only factor that keeps Raila standing is his strong block of admirers who will follow him from the lake to the desert and back again back and forth. Maybe that is Raila's grand march to State House!!

With Raila being seen as the man to watch in this year's fight to wrestle the presidency out of the hands of Mwai Kibaki, it is obvious that Kenya is still in need of and searching for a man who has principles, a man who will stand by principles and a man who will fight for those principles. In Raila, I see no principles, no standing and no fighting. It is just jumping helter skelter for political expedience that is taking Kenya nowhere better than where it is. Maybe I am wrong. What is it you see?

Thanks.

Michoma Moenga


Article originally written on August 21, 2007