How Raila Odinga’s Presidency was Stolen in 2007 ?

On Thursday, December 27, 2007, the voting process in Kenya went on without major problems save for a few hitches here and there. Raila was himself faced with a situation where he couldn’t vote because his name was missing from the voter’s register at his Lang’ata Constituency. But after Kivuitu intervened, Raila was able to vote. Throughout the voting process, there was no huge documentation of cases where voters could not cast their votes or where circumstances made it difficult or impossible for the voting process to proceed. However, there are several reports to the effect that ODM Party agents, local and International observers were blocked from entering polling stations. In 42 constituencies, “presiding officers at polling stations refused to make Form 16A available for signature by agents verifying counting” while at some polling stations, ODM agents were not allowed to enter. 377 There were cases in which fake ballot papers were intercepted by Wananchi as candidates tried to smuggle them into the official ballot boxes. A key example is the case of Kajiado North where the brother of Professor George Saitoti, former Vice President in Moi’s government, had to be shielded by police from angry voters who claimed that he was caught red-handed trying to smuggle votes into the voting room. On the whole, the voting process was passed by local and international observers as having been smooth by democratic standards. Some Kenyans began to line up at the polling stations as early as three AM. After the votes were cast and Kenyans retreated to their homes to begin following the tallying process and announcement of results, trepidation set in especially when it became clear that election was being rigged in favour of Kibaki and his PNU Party. The results were being communicated live on TV and some of the scenes that were witnessed at KICC strongly pointed to the fact that something had gone terribly wrong. But how exactly was Raila’s Presidency stolen before the very eyes of Kenyans and the international community? According to a compilation of irregularities by an ODM investigative Committee, (378) local observers, (379) international election monitors and independent groups that were also monitoring the process, there were several cases of shocking irregularities. For example, Constituency results were not physically brought in at the tallying centre at KICC, returning officers were threatened against making results, signatures of Party agents were missing from relevant documents such as Form16A, returning officers completed the forms at KICC while there were cases where results were announced at KICC when tallying was still going on at the Constituency. (380) Ms Koki Muli, who led a team of local observers and who testified at the Kriegler Commission, told the Commission that she saw ECK officials changing figures and added that “Some returning officers arrived and were allowed to fill in official forms to align them with figures that had been announced.”(381) Further, “She (Muli) said that she witnessed presentation of photocopies of Form 16A, which were readily accepted by the ECK contrary to regulations which stipulates that only original forms filled by all agents are acceptable… She said some of the returning officers arrived at the national tallying centre without documents and their explanation was that they had handed them over to district electoral cocoordinators.(382) In some cases, Form 16A that was being sent from polling stations were either unsigned or signed by the same person using the same pen.(383) Another glaring observation was that results that were announced at the Constituency and that were recorded by ODM agents were different from those that were announced at KICC by ECK officials.(384) In several other cases, the Presidential ballot was higher than the Parliamentary ballot,(385) an indication that results had been tampered with. In some cases, the final results were thousands more than the valid votes registered as having been cast.(386) As had been outlined in the previous chapter, results contained in Form 16A are supposed to be the same as those in Form 17A but in many situations, this was not the case. In certain dramatic cases, Form 16A could not be traced even though results from affected Constituencies had already been announced by ECK at KICC.(387) When stakeholders began to ask questions, returning officers simply disappeared when asked about irregularities related to results they are supposed to have filed.(388) In the most serious cases, Form 16A was altered and votes inflated in favour of Kibaki.(389) Available documents from ECK, ODM, Election observer groups and other parties indicate that the biggest rigging took place at Juja polling station number 100 where 52,097 votes were added to Kibaki’s votes by ECK officials who altered Form 16A dated December 28, 2007, that was delivered by Returning Officer Watson Mahinda at the Constituency level and indicated that Kibaki had received 48,293 votes.(390) This is the same figure ODM agents recorded at the Constituency before the figure was publicly announced there. The Mahinda Report, which is signed by Mahinda himself, contains a long list of provisional results for both Presidential and Parliamentary candidates.(391) A careful scrutiny of Form 16A that were used to rig the Juja vote could give a clue about the internal mechanism of the rigging machine by ECK officials at KICC and shed some light on how the stealing of Raila’s Presidency was organized and implemented before Kibaki was secretly installed as President. The original Juja results in the original Form 16A that came from the Constituency were received at KICC by Agnes Kisero (ID no. 6057692) who acknowledged their receipt by signing for them at 5.30 PM sharp.(392) When these results arrived at KICC, a new Form 16A was issued by ECK officials and Kibaki’s votes was inflated from 43,290 to 100,390 after which the same official, Watson Mahinda (ID No. 3346925), allegedly signed the altered form.(393) Mahinda’s telephone number on the altered form was given as 0728458093. A key difference in details contained in the two forms is that after Form 16A was altered to show that Kibaki got 100,390 votes which was announced by ECK, a different ECK official named Catherine W. Mburu is the person whose name appears as the officer who “received” the results.(394). Other key differences are that the name “Mahinda” which appears on the original Form 16A at Juja, is miss-spelt to read “Mahiga”, the signature is overtly different in the two forms while the altered form is hand-written as opposed to the original form which is computer generated. What this shows is that ECK officials were consciously collaborating to rig elections by internally receiving results after they had been handed over by returning officers with the sole objective of changing them. In the case of Juja, it could be safe to conclude that the ECK officer who may have altered the results in Kibaki’s favour was Catherine W. Mburu because there is no other logical explanation as to why figures, changes in spelling of the name of the Juja Returning Officer and an alteration of Mahinda’s signature in the Juja Form 16A became apparent after it was handled by her. Although the original Form 16A submitted by Mahinda indicate that the results were signed at KICC on December 27, 2007, at 5.30 PM, the time and date changed to 8.30 AM and December 28, 2007, respectively when a new Form 16A was issued and received by Catherine Mburu. After the first results were received for this Constituency, ECK officials had more than fifteen hours to change the results which was then announced! Another interesting difference is that at the bottom of the original Form 16A signed by Mahinda, information exists to the effect that the form was printed on December 28, 2007, a day after the ballot was cast. In the altered Form 16A signed by Catherine, the date when the form was printed is December 26, 2007, a day before elections and two days before the Mahinda form was printed. A big question that has to be posed is why ECK officials at the tallying centre had Form 16A in their custody and where they got them because their work had nothing to do with entering results in Form 16A after voting but dealing with results after they were submitted from the Constituency. Where did they get these forms? The implication is that the forms that ECK officials were using to manipulate figures in Kibaki’s favour were printed BEFORE elections and what can be logically deduced from this glaring discrepancy is that the rigging at KICC might have been planned or anticipated. In the same manipulation at Juja, Raila’s votes were increased by 7,671, that is, from 6,081 to 13,752 votes. The increase in Raila’s votes was of no significance as Kibaki’s votes had been increased sevenfold. In the case of Juja, both the Presiding Officer and the Returning Officer refused to avail Form 16A to ODM agents at KICC while they also refused to avail copies of these forms at the Constituency as stipulated by law. I wish to argue that the reason why ECK officials refused to follow the law by refusing to avail Form 16A to ODM agents is that they were privy to or were aware that elections were going to be rigged and availing the forms could have worked against this objective. In Embakasi, Presidential votes cast were more than the total number of Parliamentary votes cast. Total Presidential votes cast was 141,125 while total Parliamentary votes cast was 103,570. According to ODM’s results recorded by ODM agents, observers and other sources at Embakasi constituency which was also publicly announced, Kibaki got 34,821 votes which were inflated by ECK at the constituency level to 72,376 395 votes which were later released by ECK at KICC. Here, Raila’s votes stood at 50,001 which was announced at both the constituency and at KICC. In other words, Raila defeated Kibaki at Embakasi but ECK overturned this result to give Kibaki the lead. An ODM investigative Committee Report on Election rigging indicated that a total of 37,555 votes were added to Kibaki’s votes. The argument is that it is unlikely that over 37,000 voters could have turned up to vote at the Presidential level and not at the Parliamentary level because, according to regulations, both votes are supposed to be cast at the same time. The same pattern of rigging was used at Nithi where 29,348 votes were added to Kibaki’s votes from 66,345 (396) to 95,693. (397) In this case, the returning officer refused to avail Form 16A to ODM agents at the close of polling and counting(398) and this was understandable given the huge number of votes that had been stolen and added to Kibaki to give him victory. It is instructive that this same case of rigging was emotionally alluded to by Henry Kosgey at the press briefing room at KICC. Kosgey asked Kivuitu how 66,000 votes could suddenly turn to 95,000 (399) after passing through the ECK’s tallying room but Kivuitu opted not to respond directly to the question. At this same Constituency, the total Presidential votes cast was 99,006, a figure that exceeded the total number of Parliamentary votes, which stood at 95,981. To give Kibaki an advantage, 3,025 votes were added to Kibaki’s votes on top of the total votes cast If rules governing the voting procedure at a polling station in Kenya are examined, it is almost impossible that a voter could cast his or her vote at the Presidential level and fail to do the same at the Parliamentary level. As has been shown in the above cases and in many other instances, ECK officials at KICC rigged elections by inflating Kibaki’s votes in a way that made the total votes cast at the Presidential level far much higher than at the Parliamentary level. Why was it physically impossible for voters to cast their ballots at the Presidential level and not at the Parliamentary level? The National Assembly and Presidential Elections Act, Cap 7 of the Laws of Kenya provides several steps in the voting process that are impossible to beat. Under Regulation 29(1) of this Act, the first person a voter arriving at a polling station meets is a clerk whose work is to verify the voter’s identity. At this stage, the voter has to produce a National Identification Card and a Voter’s Card. This is for purposes of verifying the voter’s name in the Voter’s Register for the particular voting station and Constituency. Once the verification is done, a line is drawn through the voter’s name after which the voter proceeds to the next stage manned by another clerk. At the second stage, the voter is provided with the ballot paper for the Presidential candidate before proceeding to the third and fourth stage where the voter gets ballot papers for Parliamentary and Civic candidates. All these ballot papers exist in different colours. The voter then marks the ballot papers and inserts them in respective ballot boxes in the open hall in the same room. Once the voter has cast the ballots, it is time to move to the last clerk who dips the voter’s left small finger in indelible ink to confirm that he or she has voted. The voter then gets back his or her identification documents together with the voter’s card duly pressed to indicate that he or she has duly voted. This process prevents the same voter from voting twice. From this rigorous procedure, it is practically impossible for thousands of voters to have voted at the Presidential level and failed to vote at the Parliamentary level. In almost all the forty-seven Constituencies where results were disputed by ODM, Presidential votes far much exceeded Parliamentary votes by a huge margin. Among Constituencies that were Kibaki’s strongholds and in which massive electoral malpractices resulted in appalling differences between Presidential and Parliamentary votes included Kieni, Molo, Juja, Limuru, Mwea, Lari, Kirinyaga Central, Kandara, Gatundu South, North Imenti, Igembe South, Igembe North, Tigania West, Nithi, Malava, Kimilili, 0l Kalou, Naivasha, Mandera West, Kajiado North, Tetu and Laikipia West.(401) In the case of Kirinyaga Central listed above, Kioko Kilukumi, a lawyer, told the Kriegler commission that a loser, Mr. John Ngata Kariuki, was declared winner although a Report compiled by the Kriegler commission indicated that the winner was Mr. Dickson Daniel Karaba, a former MP of the area. Mr. Kilukumi said errors by ECK gave losers seats that they did not deserve. “From the fresh additions carried by this very commission, it is now clear that a loser was declared a winner as an MP,” said Kilukumi… The study says it picked on Kirinyaga Central because it was among constituencies where ODM claimed results for the PNU candidate declared winner at the constituency was changed at KICC… The study reveals erroneous handling of forms and data, erroneous transfer of the figures from Form 16A to 17A, errors in additions and even in the final results published by the ECK. (402) The case of Presidential votes being higher than the Parliamentary votes is difficult to understand without an element of fraud coming into the picture because under section 29 (4) of Regulations guarding the voting procedure, it is the responsibility of the Presiding Officer or his/her Deputy to ensure that voters who enter the voting hall after passing through the initial stages cast their ballot papers at all the three stages of Presidential, Parliamentary and Civic elections. In case there is an error, rejected votes are supposed to be marked with the word “Rejected.” The point is that after the voting process, the number of Presidential votes should be equal to that of Parliamentary and Civic votes cast unless some are rejected and properly accounted for. According to the above-mentioned Act, it is a criminal offence for a voter to fail to cast his or her vote at all three levels. Since there was no mass arrest of voters who may have violated this rule, how did Presidential votes exceed Parliamentary and Civic votes in favour of Kibaki if the purpose was not to steal Raila Odinga’s Presidency? When figures continued to emerge indicating that Presidential votes exceeded Parliamentary votes, sometimes with tens of thousands of votes, the assumption was that some voters cast their ballots at the Presidential level but either walked home with other ballot papers or simply threw them away. What did happen and how was election rigged in Kenya? A study of documents recovered after rigging tells their own story. In Kandara, 36,618 votes were added to Kibaki’s votes, which rose from 33,825 declared and recorded by returning officers at the Constituency to 70,443 votes.(403) In this case, Form 16A was unilaterally altered by ECK officials at KICC while other Form 16As were filled in by two different persons. A new Form 16A dated December 29, 2007, was issued by ECK at KICC and signed by the same official. ODM agents at the Constituency were denied access to or copies of Form 16A as required by law. According to an ECK official, there were “…commissioners and three Cabinet ministers” who “were willing to have results tilted in a certain direction” while two of the Ministers who pushed for doctoring of results in a “rigging machinery” which was only known to a few commissioners, lost their seats.(404) At Ol Kalou, Kibaki got 50,280 votes (405) but after routine manipulations by ECK officials, Kibaki’s total votes shot to 76,998 Votes (406) therefore, Kibaki gained by 26,718 votes. For some reason (or probably to make the figures look probable) ECK officials would inflate Kibaki’s votes and at the same time inflate Raila’s votes. At the same station, Raila’s votes were inflated by 176, that is, from 243 to 419 votes. Increasing Raila’s votes was of no consequence because at the end of the day, it is Kibaki’s votes that were increasing. According to evidence gathered by ODM, there is no single case when Raila’s votes were increased more than Kibaki’s because the agenda of ECK officials who were rigging at KICC was to ensure that Kibaki emerged as the overall winner. In Molo, ECK officials altered Form 16A at KICC by changing Kibaki’s votes from 50,175 released by ECK at the Constituency to 75,261 votes, released by the Electoral body at KICC, a difference of 25,086 votes that all went to Kibaki. Once again in this case, a new Form 16A dated December 29, 2007, and signed by a new official was issued by ECK at KICC to facilitate the alteration. In the same Constituency, 4,073 votes were added to Raila Odinga’s votes whose tally increased from 19,195 released by ECK at the constituency to 23,268 released by ECK at KICC. The increase in Raila’s votes was of no consequence, given that Kibaki’s votes had been inflated with over 25,000 votes. The Molo case had an important feature in the sense that the announcement of the altered results was made by Kivuitu himself at KICC amid protest by ODM agents who insisted that they had documents that contradicted the results that were being announced but Kivuitu refused to listen. Even international observers who were at the briefing room at KICC and who were present when votes were announced at the Constituency were surprised that the final results that were being announced by Kivuitu exceeded the results they recorded at the polling station by over 25,000. This fake announcement was captured live on national TV. In Kajiado North, ODM agents were forcefully evicted from the polling station after they refused to accept the counting of ballot papers from extra ballot boxes that had been introduced at the polling station. (407) After this eviction, Kibaki’s votes were increased by 27,682 votes, from 21,356 to 40,038 released by ECK at the constituency to 49,038 released by the Electoral body at KICC. The Presiding Officer refused to avail Form 16A to ODM agents while the total Presidential votes cast was 79,901, a figure that exceeded votes cast at the Parliamentary level (66,190) by 13,711 votes. (408) In the same case, ODM recorded that a total of 210 votes were stolen from Raila Odinga and added to Kibaki by ECK officials. (409) Segments of disturbances at Kajiado were broadcast live on national TV with scenes showing Saitoti’s brother being whisked away by armed security personnel when he first tried to smuggle in ballot boxes stuffed with ballot papers in favour of Saitoti. A youth then addressed police briefly, insisting that the people of Kajiado North would not accept the result of a rigged election. Eventually, Saitoti’s brother was whisked to safety as officers at the polling station proceeded to rig the election with the protection of several armed security personnel. With the brutality with which votes were being stolen to rig Kibaki in as President of Kenya, even some ECK officials at KICC who were not in the loop began to get suspicious. According to a KPTJ log of the tallying process that was done between December 29 and 30, 2007, some officers even refused to accept certain results because of serious anomalies. In its report, KPTJ wrote: The atmosphere inside the ECK is tense. The day teams leave without properly handing over to the night teams. Kipkemoi Kirui, deputy leader for Team II (night), notes that although results for Lamu East, Lamu West, Wundanyi and Dujis have come in, they do not have the statutory documents, Forms 16A, 16 and 17A, accompanying them. The day team leaders responsible have therefore not signed for them. Kirui also refuses to receive them without the necessary documents because there are doubts about the verity of the data. Word goes round that his team is not accepting results without the accompanying Form 16As. For most of the night, he and his team repeatedly call the returning officers for results together with statutory documents. Statutory documents for Ijara, Galole, Wundanyi and Dujis are not received even though the results are phoned in. (410) This incident happened at 16:00 hrs on Saturday December 29. At that same time, heated exchanges were happening at the press briefing room between Kivuitu and ODM agents who had insisted that the results were being doctored at KICC by ECK officials but Kivuitu did not act. This failure to act on the part of Kivuitu, even when his own officers who were not part of the rigging were raising alarm is a pointer that Kivuitu knew more than he was telling the public. In its investigative report on election rigging, the ODM Committee noted that: “The ECK refused to act on disputes raised on the results announced for 47 constituencies where grave voting anomalies had been established by a tally team made up of representatives of political parties and observers. In most of these constituencies, the actual votes cast for Kibaki were lower than those announced by ECK”. (411) Then, there was the case of North Imenti where Form 16A dated December 28, 2007, was altered at KICC by ECK officials to add 16,216 votes to Kibaki who received 62,468 votes (412) announced at the Constituency but whose votes were increased to 78,684 (413) at KICC. In this case, a new Form 16A dated December 29, 2007, was issued by ECK officials at KICC and signed by the same official, Dickson M. Mweu. In a rare case of extreme manipulation, the same official then increased Kibaki’s figures for the second time from 78,684 to 84,006 votes while maintaining Raila’s votes at 3,370. (414) The returning officer did not avail Form 16A to ODM agents for safe custody as required by law. The case of North Imenti is significant because three different forms were used to submit different results. Secondly, the layout of the three forms was extremely different from other forms. Although all forms submitted by returning officers at the Constituency level were supposed to be Form 16A, the forms from North Imenti used in the tallying process were stranger because on the top left, they were described as Form “16-(r.40) (1)(a).” I have not examined whether Form 16As used to record results across the country had a standard layout but in the wake of massive rigging that was witnessed at the 2007 election and the consequences of this criminal act, questions could as well be asked. Were the forms used at North Imenti authentic and why were there three different forms for the Constituency signed by the same officer to report the same results? Another development that makes the case of rigging at North Imenti interesting is that it was Kivuitu, the ECK Chairman himself, who announced the results! This happened at exactly the time when Lawyer James Orengo was trying to intervene so that he could make a point to Kivuitu. Kivuitu refused to listen and continued to read the results. Orengo began to attract Kivuitu’s attention by saying, “Mr. Chairman…Mr. Chairman…” (415) as Kivuitu continued to read results from North Imenti. Shouts of “Mr. Chairman…Mr. Chairman” by Orengo persisted but Kivuitu could not listen. Orengo then moved to the Chairman’s table and continued to say, “Mr. Chairman….Mr. Chairman can you listen to me…we are entitled to a recount” (416) but Kivuitu continued with announcements. Eventually, Orengo managed to get the microphone and addressed Kivuitu but only after a scuffle in which Orengo had to be held by aides to prevent the situation from getting uglier. The GSU personnel were then called in although they were never given instructions to act. This is a situation where the Chairman of ECK himself was reading fabricated results to the media in the official press briefing room when he probably had, in his possession, documentary evidence that results had been tampered with. Worse still, a Party official who had stakes in the elections was trying to intervene but hecould not listen. Can Kivuitu convince the world that he was not part of or did not know that elections were being rigged? To be continued in part 3… Raila Odinga’s Stolen Presidency: Pages 283-289 Excerpts from Chapter Sixteen: “How Raila Odinga’s Presidency was Stolen”

How this happened Kenyata Family to own thirty thousand of acres of Land ?

The admission by Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta that his family owns about 30,000 acres of land in Taita Taveta County has elicited angry reactions from residents. The residents and leaders claimed that the land was irregularly acquired and should be returned to the community. They dismissed claims by Uhuru during the second presidential debate in Nairobi on Monday night that the land was acquired through a “willing buyer willing seller” deal. The residents accused the Deputy Prime Minister of being insincere on the controversial land question and said 80 per cent of the population in Challa Division where the Kenyatta land is located were squatters. Two Taveta parliamentary aspirants Ruth Lelewu (ODM) and Stephen Odiaga (Ford-Kenya) claimed that the Kenyatta family irregularly acquired the most productive land in the area. “It is not willing buyer and willing seller as claimed by Uhuru Kenyatta during the presidential debate. The fact remains that the local community was not consulted when the land was acquired by the Kenyatta family and they want it back,” claimed Lelewu. Odiaga, a Mombasa lawyer, said the land belongs to the local community and should be returned. Speaking to The Standard from Taveta yesterday, Odiaga accused the Kenyatta family of using the entire Tsavo River water source at the expense of the locals. “The family is the only one benefiting from the Tsavo River water and farmers in Jipe Settlement Scheme, Kidong and Sir Ramson. The community should be allowed to use the water for irrigation to improve food security,” he added. During the presidential debate Uhuru said: “My family owns 30,000 acres in Taveta. Most of the land there is government land. My family donated part of the land to settle squatters.” Uhuru maintained that they acquired the land legally and have not been investigated for any wrong doing. And Coast residents want the National Land Commission to implement the Njonjo and Ndung’u land reports and ensure squatters are settled. Chairman of the Coast Landless Social Forum and an official of the Ujamaa Centre Mr Mrima Wanyepe welcomed Safina presidential candidate’s remarks that historical land injustices were committed from Lamu to Vanga at the Coast. In Lamu County, residents welcomed remarks by Amani presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi that some land speculators have already acquired plots in Manda Bay to sell at a higher price when the Lamu port project kicks off. However, they blamed the Government for issuing title deeds to the land speculators. A civil society activist from Taita Taveta County Mr Mwakio Ndau demanded that the Kenyatta family returns the land to locals without seeking compensation as there was no evidence of the community selling its land. “At independence, Government was supposed to acquire tracts of land under sisal in Taita Taveta County belonging to white settlers and redistribute it to the local people but instead influential individuals allocated it to themselves and friends,” Ndau argued. Lelewu denied claims by Uhuru and Cabinet Minister Beth Mugo that the Kenyatta family had donated land to resettle squatters in Taita. “The family has not donated 4,000 acres of land as claimed by family members. This is political gimmick to hoodwink locals to support Uhuru,” he claimed.

Where did the great grand children and children of Mau Mau go to?

Mungiki is a terrorist group and a banned criminal organization in Kenya. The name means "A united people" or "multitude" in the Kikuyu language. The religion, which apparently originated in the late 1980s, is secretive and bears some similarity to mystery religions. Specifics of their origin and doctrines are unclear. What is clear is that they favor a return to indigenous African traditions. They reject Westernisation and all things that they believe to be trappings of colonialism, including Christianity. The ideology of the group is characterised by revolutionary rhetoric, Kikuyu traditions, and a disdain for Kenyan modernization, which is seen as immoral corruption.[3] Mungiki is often referred to as Kenya’s Cosa Nostra, Yakuza, or Kenyan Mafia due to its organization. They have been newsworthy for associations with ethnic violence and anti-government resistance.The founders supposedly modelled Mungiki on the Mau Mau fighters who fought British colonial rule. During the 1990s, the group had migrated into Nairobi with the acceptance of the government under Daniel arap Moi and began to dominate the matatu (private minibus taxi) industry. With the move to Nairobi came the development of a cell structure within the group. Each cell contains 50 members and each cell is then divided into 5 platoons. Using the matatus as a springboard, the group moved into other areas of commerce, such as rubbish collection, construction, and even protection racketeering. Inevitably, the group's actions led to involvement with politicians eager for more support. In 2002, Mungiki backed losing candidates in elections and felt the wrath of the government. The group's activities became less visible although it still received revenue from protection taxes, electricity taxes and water taxes. There have been unconfirmed allegations that Mungiki has links to both the old KANU government and some MPs in the current government. In fact, because of the cult's extreme secrecy, little is known about its membership or hierarchy. Many members state that at the height of its influence, the group could claim as many as 500,000 members and received substantial sums of money. Many Kenyans debate whether the group's influence in Nairobi is waning or is on the rise.2007, Mungiki was rumoured to have fractured into two groups. In spite of the peace gestures of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the dramatic murders of the top Mungiki leaders continued, and police also denied involvement in the assassinations. The Chairman and Treasurer of the Kenya National Youth Alliance (Maina Njenga faction) were gunned down at Uplands after a car chase on the Nairobi – Naivasha highway. The Kenya National Youth Alliance (KNYA) served as Mungiki’s political wing. According to relatives, Wagacha and Irungu were driving to Naivasha Prison, where Mungiki leader Maina Njenga is serving a jail term, to consult him over possible talks with the government, proposed by Prime Minister Odinga. The relatives said that elements in the government are using the police to ensure negotiations fail, hence the killings. However, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe denied the claims. At least 500 bodies of suspected Mungiki members have since been discovered in thickets outside Nairobi in the past year. Police say that the recent mysterious deaths of Mungiki leaders were a result of infighting between various Mungiki factions over control of funds and differing political positions. The Mungiki leadership, however, denied the split within their ranks n recent months, media in Kenya has reported the re-emergence of the terror group Mungiki in parts of the central region. Mungiki, an exclusively Kikuyu ethnic militia, has over the years been blamed for atrocious violence and extortion in central Kenya, the Rift Valley and Nairobi. Mungiki's last known leader was Maina Njenga, who announced two years ago that he had converted to Christianity and is now seeking election as senator for Nairobi County. No one speaks for the proscribed underground militia nowadays. The group is accused of having been used by powerful politicians to conduct retaliatory attacks in Nairobi and Rift Valley during the 2007-2008 post-election violence. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court alleges that Mungiki leaders held a meeting at State House, the president's official residence in Nairobi, to plot the attacks. Several Mungiki leaders were killed in mysterious circumstances or disappeared after the post-election violence. Four Kenyans, including Jubilee Coalition presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate William Ruto, will stand trial from April 10 at the ICC for crimes against humanity committed in the 2007-2008 polls chaos. Now, with another hotly contested election only days away on March 4, there are rising fears that Mungiki is regrouping possibly to stage another orgy of violence should their preferred candidate, Uhuru, lose the presidential contest. There are eight presidential candidates in this election. The latest opinion polls show that the contest is between Uhuru and the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) candidate Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with Raila leading by two percentage points at most. Pollsters are also predicting a second round, as neither of the two is likely to meet the high constitutional threshold for a straight win on March 4. On Wednesday, 20 February, a CORD campaign convoy was attacked by youths in Kiambu County, a Uhuru stronghold neighbouring Nairobi City, where Mungiki is believed to have reactivated its networks. The incident comes less than two weeks after gangs of youths attempted to disrupt Odinga’s campaign rallies in parts of central Kenya. On the day of the latest attack, Kenya’s Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court Dr Willy Mutunga issued a statement (see next report) stating that he had received a letter purportedly from Mungiki threatening him and High Court judges. The threat was connected to an integrity case concerning Uhuru and Ruto that was coming up for a ruling. Kenyan media has reported that, days before the letter was sent to the Chief Justice, a close ally of presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr. Kabando wa Kabando, issued a threat to the judges similar to that contained in the Mungiki letter. These recent developments have led to increased anxiety, with reports saying non-Kikuyu citizens living in central Kenya are relocating to safer places, despite repeated government assurances of increased security during the election period.

Makamu wa Kwanza wa Rais alipotembela Ofisi ya Utambulisho wa MZanzibari au ZANZIBAR ID CARD imeonesha Wazanzibari wengi hata wamepata uvivu kuvichukua vitambulisho hivi kwa vile havitumiki kwa manufaa ya nchi bali vinatumika kisiasa tu . Hivi Karibuni Mkurugenzi wa Vitambulisho alwiwaonesha maboksi ya VItambulisho waandishi wa habari kuwa Wananchi wengine hata hawafuatilii VItambulisho vyao kwa kuchoka na siasa ila imefika Wazanziabri kudai haki zao kuonesha Matumizi ya mamilioni yaliotumika kutengeneza VItambulisho Hivi ni wakati muafaka kuanza kutumika VItambulisho hivi Kabla ya kuanza Intergartion ya Afrika Mashariki miaka michache ijayo kuanza kuwazoesha Wananchi. Nishauri serikali ya GNU Iweke usalma wa Wazanzibari kwanza Iweke uzalendo na siasa baadae Iweke Camera kwenye Majengo yote Makubwa ya Ibada ya DIni zote .Hii Ndio ilivyokua Marekani baada ya Tukio la September 11 Misikiti ya Waislamu ilikua ikishambuliwa na serkali kwa kushirikiana na FBI Waliweka ulinzi kwenye sehemu za Ibada kwenye sehemu inazoingia waumini wengi ili ikitokezea majitu katili kushambulia sehemu hizi wakamatwe. Pia Ningewaomba Viongozi wa Juu wa GNU kurudisha tena ile Sheria ya Wazanzibari wakienda Tanganyika Waoneshe Kitambulisho na wageni Wengine wote Watakaoingia Zanzibar na Wazanzibari wawe na Kitambulisho au Passport, Kuna uwezekano mkubwa Magaidi kuingia na Kushambulia bila ya kuwa na Ulinzi wa kutosha na kujua nani anaingia na kutoka Zanzibar Kuna umuhimu wa kujua faida za Zanzibar ID sio kwa kujiandikisha kupiga kura tu Tupunguze kuifanya Zanzibar ID ni tool ya kisiasa tu . Makamu wa Kwanza wa Rais wa Zanzibar, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad amesema kuwa watu wenye nia mbaya wameamua kuyatumia matukio ya kuuawa na kujeruhiwa kwa viongozi wa kidini ili kuvunja umoja wa Wazanzibari .Makamu wa Kwanza wa Rais alisema kinachoonekana kuna ajenda imetayarishwa ya kutaka kulazimisha chuki za kidini Zanzibar, licha ya kuwa Zanzibar ina historia ya miaka mingi ya watu kuvumiliana na kuishi kwa pamoja, pamoja na kuwepo watu wa imani tafauti..Maalim Seif alisema vitendo vya kuuawa na kujeruhiwa viongozi wa kidini Zanzibar ni mambo mageni na kwa miaka mingi Zanzibar imekuwa ni mfano bora wa uvumilivu wa kiitikadi za kidini, licha ya kuwa asilimia 98 ya wananchi wake ni Waislamu.Na pia kulaani tukio la hujuma hizi kuzihusisha na ugaidi .Nasema Zanzibar hakuna ugaidi, hakuna ugomvi wa kidini. Yanayotokea yametusikitisha sana, ni matokeo ya uhalifu wa kupindukia, linaloweza kufanywa lifanywe kuwanasa wahalifu hawa na kuwafikisha mbele ya vyombo vya sharia,” alisema Makamu wa Kwanza wa Rais. Aliwataka wananchi wote wa Zanzibar kwa wakati huu kuwa watulivu na wasitawaliwe na jazba na wala wasichokozane, pia wasikubali kuchokozeka kitu ambacho DIRAYETU inakiona ni umakini wa Waziri anesimamia Wizara ya Mambo ya Ndani ambae wengi wanamini elimu yake haijulikani hata chuo alichosoma kuna wengine Wanahisi ni Waziri kihiyo.Ila Waziri huyu ameonesha sura yake ya ubaguzi kwa Wazanzibari Kwani tumeona Nyaraka zilizotolewa na Wizara mambo ya ndani juu ya uchunguzi wa Kifo cha MArehemu Mushi kiliweza kufikisha kwenye mwisho wa dunia na kwuahukumu Wazanzibari hata uchunguzi haujafanyika na kuna Website nyengine za Ulaya na Marekani tayari ziliihukumu Jumuia ya Kiislamu ya Uamsho ukitembeela website ya council of Christian imeweka bayana kua ni Uamsho ndio iliomuuwa Mheshimiwa Mushi , Pia tumeambiwa kuwa Rais kikwete ameziomba taasisis za nje kusaidia uchunguzi wa Mauaji ya Mushi ila jana tu tumeona Sheikh mmoja huko Zanzibar ameuliwa kwa kupigwa mapanga , wengi wamewahusisha watu wa dini nyengine kua wameenda Zanzibar kulipa Kisasi ch Mauaji ya Mushi.Hata wengine sasa watu Vijijini huko Zanzibar wamepata woga kuingiliwa na watu wasio vitakia amani Visiwa hivi na kuwaua . Naishauri Serikali ya Zanzibar irudishe tena sheria iliokuwapo huko Nyuma kuwa kila anaeingia Visiwani humo Lazima ajulikane anaenda kufanya nini na Lazima aingie na ID Kitambulisho Kunaweza kungiliwa na magaidi na kuripua mahoteli kama kina ALshabab kwa kupitia Tanganyika kwa vile hakuna kizuizi yakitokeze matukio ya kigaidi Zanzibar kama yale yalioripua Balozi za Mareakani Mwaka 1998 maana yake Utalii ndio umekufa mamai ya watu watakiosa ajira kwa kushindwa kueka usalama , ikiwa hakuna usalama Kwa raia Hata Mgeni hatoweza kuja Zanzibar kwa kuhofia maisha yake .Usalama ni moja ya mambo yanayoimarisha utalii tumeona Egypt Usalama uliposhuka Utalii umeshuka kwua ZERO. Kilichoniumiza Kichwa Zaidi ni vipi Mauaji haya serikali ilivyoonesha Udini na Ubaguzi wa hal ia yajuu kwa Wazanzibari .Rais Mkapa alikwenda kwenye mazishi ya mchungaji wa kanisa la Pentekoste Assemblies of God Mathayo Kachila (45) aliyepoteza maisha kwa kuchinjwa na watu wanaodaiwa ni waumini wadini ya kiislam kisha mwili wake kutelekezwa kwenye vibanda vya maduka na DR Shein na Viongozi wengine wa juu wa Zanzibar. Kushiriki Mazsihi ya Padri Mushi, ambaye ni paroko wa parokia ya Minara Miwili - Zanzibar . Pia jana Watu wasiojulikana wlaimvizia Sheikh au Imamu wa Msiskiti Mmoja huko Zanzibar alipoenda shambani kwake huko Kisiwani Unguja nje ya mji na kumpiga mapanga na kuvuja damu nyingi hadi kufa Hatukusikia media za Tanganyika Kulaani tukio hili kama lile la Paoko Mushi pia hatukuona Mazishi yaliopewa Uzito na Wanasiasa kama yale ya Viongozi wawili wa wlaioluwa mwanzo mabao sio Waislamu. Pia imefikia hata VIongzi wengine wa Upinzani kundika kwenye sicial media zoa kua ni majamabazi ndio waliomuuwa Imam huyu wa Zanzibar La kujiuliza kwani nin iwasiandike kuwa na Huyu Parko Mushi ameuliwa na majamabazi kama Zanzibar imeshindwa kuwe na Usalama au ndio double standard ya udini na ubaguziwa wazi.Pia tuliona Saidi Mwema alivyofika Zanzibar haraka na kutoa Malekezo yake kwa jamii ila hatujaona amelekezo yake kwa Imamu alieuliwa ! Ila Kubwa Zaidi lilionishangaza ni Kwanini Hadi leo hii Vyama vya Upinzani huko Tanganyika na Zanzibar vimeshindwa kushinikiza Waziri huyu awajibike kwani hata kulipokua na Mfumo wa Chama Kimoja Mzee Ruksa alijiuzulu kutokana na watu kumuona alishindwa kutekeleza majukumu yake na Mzee Ruksa alijiuzulu Uwaziri wa Mambo ya ndani na baadae kuweza tena kurudi kwenye siasa ila aliilinda heshima ya Chama chake kwa wakati huo na Watanzania Kumsamehe hadi kufikia kumpa URAIS kwa vipindi viwili. Nikiingia kwenye vipi serikali ilivyo weza ku handle suala hili na uchambuzi wangu juu ya mauaji ya Mapadri hawa wawili Mmoja ameuliwa na Watu waliojulikana kwa tukio la Kuchinja Nyama liliwahusisha Waislamu na Wakristo wa Tanganyika .Na kufikia Waziri Mkuu kufanya kikao cha Viongozi wa Dini kule Mwanza Viongzi wa dini hizi kuu huko Tanganyika walitoa maoni yao nani achinje nyama na mwisho wake Serikali ilisema Waislamu waendelee Kuchinja Nyama. KWa hili Nampongeza Mheshimiwa Mizengio Pinda kwa kuonesha Uongozi KWani kiongozi wa kweli pale panapotokea tatizo ndio huonesha ungozi wake Mtoto wa Mkulima ameonesha ushupavu wa kuwaweka watu pamoja haraka na kutuliza msuguano wa Udini Hapa Nampa A Plus Kiongozi shupavu ni yule anasiamam haraka kbla ya damu kuzidi kumwagika ila Bado Nawashauri Wana CCM kwa heshima yao Waziri Nchimbi hafai kwa Tanganyika na Hasa KWa Wazanzibari ameonesha dharau yake kusema Zanzibar kuna ugaidi wka vile Wazanzibaari asimia 98 ni Waislamu ni ubaguzi usilovumilika Kwa Mzanzibari yoyote Mwenye Chama na asie Chama Ubaguzi huu Lazima ukomeshwe Na Wazanzibari warudushe tena ile Style Mzee Karume Kuwa sheria zao nambo yao mengine Mwisho Kisiwa Cha Chumbe ! Wazanzibari Wamlaani Waziri Huyu Mchimbi Kwa kuwaita Wazanzibari Magaidi. America condems killing of Tanzania Roman Catholic Leader The United States of America strongly condemns the senseless murder of Father Evaristus Mushi in Zanzibar on February 17. We offer sincere condolences to his family, parishioners, and friends. This vicious and cowardly act is the third directed against a religious leader in Zanzibar since November 2012 and goes against the long held values and culture of peace in Zanzibar, a land known for its cultural richness, tolerance, and diversity, where many peoples and cultures have lived and worked side by side for centuries. Religious based violence is crime that has no place in Tanzania or anywhere else. In fact, it goes against the very character that Tanzania has been known for since its founding and the three national pillars carefully nurtured by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, which are also forever enshrined in the national anthem of this land: Hekima, Umoja, na Amani - Wisdom, Unity, and Peace. The people of Zanzibar and all Tanzanians should reject the violent hatred spread by a very few individuals whose actions threaten to tarnish the peace, security, and image of this wonderful land. The United States stands as a committed partner to all citizens of this land and we urge them to continue to denounce violence committed by those who threaten and undermine the security of their fellow citizens. We also stand ready to assist the Tanzanian justice system as needed, and call for the arrest, prosecution and conviction of those responsible for these heinous crimes against religious leaders in Zanzibar. Finally, we call on all citizens to build on the values of tolerance, wisdom, unity, and peace that are so cherished by all Tanzanians and civilized people of the world. Press statement by U.S. Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt in Tanzania Source: http://www.wavuti.com/4/post/2013/02/zanzibar-padrefather-mushi-emepigwa-risasi-na-kuuawa.html#ixzz2LsFk8kzF 1 .Padri Mushi, ambaye ni paroko wa parokia ya Minara Miwili - Zanzibar amepigwa risasi na watu wasiojulikana mida ya saa moja asubuhi akielekea kanisani kuongoza ibada Padre Mushi aliuawa na watu walipolisimamisha gari la Padre huyo alipokuwa akielekea katika kanisa la Mtakatifu Theresia lililoko eneo la Mtoni, na alipopunguza mwendo ili awasikilize, ndipo alipopigwa risasi kichwani na kusababisha gari alilokuwamo kukosa uelekeo na kuigonga nyumba iliyokuwa jirani. Watu walioshuhudia tukio hilo walimchukua Padre Mushi ili kumwahisha hospitalini katika jitihada za kuokoa uhai wake, lakini alifariki dunia. Waliomwua Padre Mushi bado hawajakamatwa.Watu watatu wanashikiliwa na Polisi kwa tuhuma za mauaji ya Padre Mushi. < 2. Pia Machafuko makubwa yametokea katika kijiji cha Buseresere Wilayani Chato Mkoani Geita kati ya waslam na wakristo na kupelekea watu 10 kujeruhiwa vibaya kwa mapanga huku mchungaji wa kanisa la Pentekoste Assemblies of God Mathayo Kachila (45) akipoteza maisha kwa kuchinjwa na watu wanaodaiwa ni waumini wadini ya kiislam kisha mwili wake kutelekezwa kwenye vibanda vya maduka ambavyo vilikuwa jirani na eneo hilo Mkuu wa Wilaya ya Chato Ludorick Mpogolo aliyefika eneo la tukio muda mfupi baada ya polisi kuwasili eneo hilo mbali na kusikitishwa na kitendo hicho aliwataka wananchi kuwa watulivu wakati serikali ikiangalia njia sahihi za kutatua mgogoro huo ambao unakuwa kwa kasi kila kukicha. 3 IMAMU WA MSIKITI WA MWAKAJE ZANZIBAR AULIWA KWA KUPIGWA MAPANGA. Pia Naitaka serikali na Wizara ya mambo ya Ndani iziweke kesi hizi mbili za Zanzibar kwenye Kapu moja kuwa wote wameulwia na Maharamia, Mzanzibari wa Kawaida haruhusiwi Kumiliki Silaha na serikali inajua hao Wafanya Bishara wachache waliopew SIlaha kwa kujilinda Silaha nyingi Zanzibar ziko mikononi kwa Polisi na JWTZ

Americans meddling in Kenya’s election,!

Johnnie Carson is a career diplomat from the United States who has served as United States Ambassador to several African nations. In 2009 he was nominated to become U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs by President Barack Obama Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, heading the Bureau of African Affairs. Former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer has termed the ICC case against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta weak and based on hearsay. She also dismissed the Kenyan cases at The Hague and accused her successor Johnnie Carson of meddling in Kenyan affairs. She said the US should not threaten Kenya on the choice voters make, pointing out that the two cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have not been proven. “I am troubled by Johnnie Carson’s statement essentially meddling in Kenya’s election,” said Frazer, who served under Bush administration from 2005 to 2009. “It is reckless and irresponsible, given that the election is very close, for us to try to intervene in Kenya’s election decision,” she said. She added: “I think the ICC case against Uhuru Kenyatta is a weak one and is based on hearsay.” Manipulated Carson had warned Kenya that March 4th General Election outcome would have consequences. But speaking to The Standard on Saturday on phone, former NGO Council Chairman Ken Wafula dismissed Frazer saying she is misguided and misinformed. He said the former US official is not a prosecutor at the ICC to dismiss the Kenyan cases as hearsay insisting that people died, houses were burnt and thousands were displaced after the 2007 bungled polls. “But of course we would want the US Government to come out clearly and tell us if their policy on the ICC has changed,” Wafula said. Ms Frazer, who was speaking at a Washington think tank on Kenya’s election, questioned the ICC’s legitimacy, saying the court is “a manipulated institution, particularly by the West.” Her stinging criticism of Carson’s “consequences” statement struck some observers as a partisan attack by a Republican Party supporter on a Democratic administration’s leading Africa diplomat. Her remarks drew a sharp rejoinder from Prof Karuti Kanyinga from the University of Nairobi who took part in the forum at the Brookings Institution. “The ICC is the best thing for Kenya,” he said. He described Kenya as “a country where senior and influential people are never held to account for anything whatsoever.” The ICC serves to warn those suspected of serious crimes that “no matter how far you run, no matter where you go, you will be treated like an ordinary person.” And Makau Mutua, the dean of a law school affiliated with the State University of New York, asked: “And how does she know the case is hearsay? That’s a Uhuru line.” Asked at the forum how she would respond to a Kenyatta victory if she were still a senior State Department official, Frazer said the US government “should continue to work with the Kenya government until the point somebody is tried and convicted.”

Uhuru overtakes Raila in latest poll

Prime Minister and CORD presidential candidate Raila Odinga on Thursday took his campaign to Elgeyo/Marakwet County with a reconciliatory message. He promised to unite all Kenyans and fast track reforms and the much needed development if elected. The Prime Minister said that his many years in politics had given him vast experience to chart a way forward for the country. He extended an olive branch to his Jubilee Alliance colleagues, saying he had no personal difference with them. Speaking at a rally at Iten stadium, the PM said he would improve the livelihoods of all Kenyans and urged the locals to desist from listening to propaganda. “You voted for me in 2007 overwhelmingly and I am asking for your vote once more so that I can implement what I had pledged to you then,” said the premier. He added: “Simnajua ngombe yetu ilizaa na ndama ikaliwa na mbwa?” (You are aware that our cow calved but the calf was devoured by dogs), he posed in reference to the bungled 2007 election. Raila said if elected, his Government would ensure county devolution is implemented fully. He added that youth and women would benefit from Trust Funds from his Government. The PM also said agricultural seeds would be subsidised to ensure farmers reap from their investments. “We will build stores to help farmers store their produce until they find favourable markets for their produce,” Raila added. Regional Development minister Fred Gumo and The Independent Party leader Kalembe Ndile accompanied Raila. He said he would ensure that agricultural inputs were provided to farmers on time and at subsidised prices to enhance production and also provide marketing facilities. On youth and women empowerment, the Prime Minister said his Government would revamp the existing youth and women enterprise funds and scrap the provision of security and interest. “Under CORD government, men and women over 65 years will each receive a monthly stipend under the old people social safety programme,” said Raila. He added that health centres would be established from the sub-location level to make health services accessible to all. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto have taken the lead from Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, according to the latest opinion poll. This is the first time the Jubilee alliance presidential team has been rated ahead of their Cord alliance rivals in the 2013 race to State House by any of the major opinion pollsters. Their slight lead is, however, within the poll’s margin of error, confirming the view the top two pairings are neck and neck. With just nine days to the General Election, the latest Ipsos Synovate survey puts Uhuru-Ruto (Jubilee) at 44.8 per cent against Raila-Kalonzo’s 44.4 per cent (CORD). The poll, released on Friday, shows Jubilee has overtaken CORD in popularity with a rating of 45.1 per cent against their rivals’ 44 per cent. Amani coalition flag-bearer Musalia Mudavadi is rated at 5.2 per cent and Eagle alliance’s Peter Kenneth at 1.6 per cent. The other contenders are Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua (0.8 per cent), ARK’s Abduba Dida (0.2 per cent), RBK’s James ole Kiyiapi (0.1 per cent) and Safina’s Paul Muite (0 per cent). Less than three per cent of the 5,971 people polled were undecided or refused to answer. The poll suggests Uhuru and Raila may end up in a second round, as no coalition will get more than 50 per cent of the vote. Ipsos Synovate’s last poll, released on Monday this week, had Raila and Uhuru tied at 43 per cent. Opinion poll dance Uhuru’s spokesman Munyori Buku dismissed the latest opinion poll, one of the last before a five-day ban prior to voting day kicks in. “The opinion polls dance can continue,” said Buku. “But the only poll Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto believe in is the one involving real ballots.” The poll indicated that Raila has an edge over Uhuru in the re-run. “Mr Odinga has a slight advantage over Mr Kenyatta in a second round but we cannot predict who will be a clear winner with 37 per cent undecided,” says Tom Wolf, Synovate’s Research Analyst

First Woman CEO of Precission Air in Tanzania

Newly apointed CEO of Precission Air in Tanzania SAUDA RAJAB, GM, CARGO, KENYA AIRWAYS Education: Coast Girls High School University of Nairobi Currently pursuing an MBA, Strathmore University Career: 1989 – present: management trainee; reservations, country manager (Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, GM Kenya, area manager East Africa; regional GM (Europe, America, Asia). Sauda isn’t the highest-ranking woman at KQ by chance. “I’ve had to work twice as hard as a man to earn credibility, but also to re-write the myth that women can only get ahead by sleeping their way through,” she says. In 1989, when she was interviewed for the position of Management Trainee before a team of eight, she told them that she would one day be the company’s first female MD. They probably thought it was all hot air. And you can see why she occupies the big office when you meet her: she’s got that personality that literally floods a room. She’s gregarious, sharp as a whip, unapologetic, highly opinionated and (sort of) loud. Our meeting last week coincides with a point in her life when she’s engaged in an intense internal dialogue. Where she is questioning not her capacity as a professional, or a woman, but as a human being. At the centre of this private self-evaluation, is a question she struggles with: ‘‘what is my role beyond here?’’ I will confess - and you’ll forgive me. Seeing you in a hijab, my first impression was that you are docile and subdued. Well then, is this fiery and robust personality informed by the power of your office or by your personality? (Smiles) I grew up in Mombasa with my father and three brothers. Ours was a single parent family. My parents divorced when we were quite young. When you are the only girl among boys – and if you are my size - you learn quickly that nobody will give you anything on a platter, that you have to fight for it. And you have to speak up, or else you won’t be heard. My dad always encouraged me to speak up. What did you have to do to get to the top? I’m not sure whether I’m at the top yet. But generally, it’s hard work. I’ve always taken responsibility and initiative. I have loaded bags on conveyor belts when I once arrived from Singapore to find the arrivals hall full of waiting passengers. I have ticketed customers whenever I found lengthy queues in the sales office. I have pushed trolleys in the warehouse, and in building pallets. I’m ready to work with my team on night shift. You name it. And I’m not afraid to ask questions, even stupid ones. And I don’t fear telling the bosses when I feel they are wrong. I speak the truth. Why Sauda is cynical about getting married Well, it’s a standard question. I try to get the light questions out of the way quickly. No. Never married. Perhaps my background made me more cynical about marriage. Reason why I never married- because I know you will ask why – I think is related to my childhood. At 16, I was already taking care of a family. I also remember after attaining three principals in my A-Level final exams, and being called to university, and my dad telling me, “Sauda, you realise that going to university means you have chosen career over marriage.” Of course, my going to university was something that made some of my uncles uncomfortable. But my father stuck with me. In the end, not to get married was a choice I made. was a very close friend of mine. He passed on a few years back. He was more than a father; he was someone I could tell anything. He worked with the customs in the statistics department and after his death, his dues were not paid even though workers in the East Africa Community have been paid. That makes me very sad. You have spoken reflectively about searching for deeper answers about yourself and your life. You sound like you are in transition. Are you? You mean, like I’m dying? (Laughs). It’s just that I have achieved something here and recently, I’ve taken to looking inwards, that Maslow’s thing. I want to do more, use more of my ability to shape and touch lives. I’m currently doing a bit of that but I’m keener on giving women independence to shape their own lives. Away from that heavy stuff. What does Sauda do for fun? I dance. And I’m a great dancer, if you want to know. I also love cooking. Of course, my cooking has the coastal influence, but it’s also influenced by my mood. So I will twist a salad and create something new. I also love travelling, but I’m on a lull now because before this position, I held a position that covered Europe, America and Asia and I travelled a lot as a result. Who influences you the most? Someone you admire. (Thinks) I can’t think of anyone, but my father. We shared the same likes and dislikes in many things. And he was a great man. What is on your bucket list? I have walked on fire have walked on fire, so that’s done. I have a great fear of heights, so it would be nice to go bungee jumping. I’d also like to travel to places I haven’t been to, like South America and Australia. Any interest in the arts? Yes, I love music and my taste is eclectic. I recently listened to some good Bongo flava. I also read, mostly self-help books. I’m currently reading Robin Sharma’s The Monk who sold his Ferrari. I’m into environmental issues and and questions of sustainability. Again, I guess I’ve hit that age where issues of where we are headed as humanity are more important. Even a fearless woman like you fears something. What is that? Losing people close to me, this emanates from my earlier life. I also fear saying goodbye to people, which is something I have been doing a lot in my life. So you don’t drink, you don’t smoke and you don’t splurge in fashion. What then, is your greatest indulgence? Perfume. Designer perfumes. I’m not those people who keep many perfumes in their closet, essentially because I don’t like changing from one scent to the other. Now I have only four perfumes and my personal favourite is Sheer Beauty by Calvin Klein. Okay, you seem like you have your ducks in a row. Which part of your life needs working on? What are your weaknesses? I’m not very patient with people who when I’m talking to aren’t quick to see my point, this is mainly because I think ahead in conversations and I expect people to follow my thoughts. I’m also opinionated, when I form an opinion about something or someone, it’s hard to change that opinion.

JOHNSON SAKAJA TNA CHAIRMAN NEW GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP IN KENYA RULING PARTY

Johnson Sakaja the chairman of TNA just recently celebrated his 28th birthday. Johnson Consultants which offers financial and strategic advisory services to Governmental and Private business entities in Kenya. He began his foray into national politics through student politics at the University of Nairobi (NASA – as vice chair of the Actuarial Students Association and later in SONU). Sakaja Johnson studied Actuarial Science and is currently pursuing Political Economics where he found his interests lie. He has been involved in National Politics since the 2005 referendum and played a key role in the 2007 re-election of H.E. Mwai Kibaki. Sakaja was also instrumental in the constitution making process being a key consultant to the COE and Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution on the issue of Representation and helped formulate the formula for delimitation of electoral boundaries in Kenya. He has also co-authored a book together with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ – Kenya Chapter) on Representation and Fiscal Decentralisation having particularly written the chapters on the Technical Framework for Devolution. Sakaja is also an avid musician and plays bass guitar for a local music band. Admittedly his experience in student politics at the University of Nairobi is useful in his new role as chairman of a popular national political party because SONU politics can sometimes get pretty rough and dirty. His profile also says that he played a key role in the “re-election” of Mwai Kibaki in 2007 I am still reviewing video footage of those who attended the bedroom swearing in at State house in 2008 (invited before the election results were announced) . I think I have a great chance of spotting Sakaja. I have no problem with youth. Indeed I have said many times here that this country would be better off with a president who was under 40 years of age. I still hold strongly to those views. This clearly shows the ambitions to overhaul the political environment completely by working in the present and not the past. This can be further testified by the age of TNA party officials who are in the age bracket of 30s; The alliance has a national outlook comprising of Johnson Sakaja from Western is listed as the party's chairman,Johnson Sakaja the chairman of TNA just recently celebrated his 28th birthday. Why Team Uhuru has established a strong social media presence for the party and for Uhuru Kenyatta ? The guys handling social media for this campaign clearly understand these social networks. They created a major buzz online I liked their simple website design with a screen showing the believe messages and feeds from twitter and Facebook and prompts one to join the conversation Public Relations Here's what I think is the PR strategy of the agency that's handling TNA's and Uhuru Kenyatta's account. Here's a short background that leads to the goal of all the PR efforts and the objectives they want to achieve at the end of the day.Many young voters before were not inspired to vote but Social media have change the mentality of young not to bother on voting ! .Establish a strong presence on Social Media and digital media- Kenyans are spending hours on social media daily, Kenya is also NO.4 in terms of internet usage in Africa so if you are doing a launch think of the massive platform you could tap into. The average youth no longer goes to newspapers to search for information; wego to Bwana Google it up!! It also good to have an online platform where people can search more information regarding your product or brand. like cool website .

Kagame strategy of Marketing Rwanda tourism .

Government policy requires that when Rwandan government officials visit a foreign country, they must, or ought to meet and have a dialogue with Rwandans living in that country. •The Rwandan government abolished the word "diaspora" where relating to its natives living abroad and replaced it with the term "Rwandese community living abroad". The thinking behind this change, according to the minister is that the word diaspora often refers to a community living abroad that has no ties or connection with its native country. On the other hand, the latter term clearly indicates that they are (in this case Rwandans) people living abroad and very much part and parcel of the country. Only, they are living abroad! •Gender Equality; Rwanda has promised and drafted charters into its constitution to ensure gender equality, the involvement and empowerment of women in all arenas. Out of the 11 million Rwandans, 52% are women and girls. Furthermore, girls are currently outperforming boys in Rwandan primary and secondary schools. •New Thinking; She encouraged Rwandans, Rwandan embassy and officials to embrace the new non-tribal thinking and be open minded to everyone disregarding old tribal mimics of hutu, tutsi or twa. •Home based solutions; She talked about how Rwanda is pursuing a home based solution program to its domestic issues. Rwandans solving Rwanda's problems •Education; she was questioned on the current state of education in Rwanda and their shortage in educators and a good answer was given by a Rwandan professor in the audience. Dira yetu have obsreved how Kagame have worked hand on hand with Rwandans to make there country. RWANDA DAY How Ruanda have succseful use Overseas Rwandans to Market the tourism industry , they have created Rwandans day where the big market of tourism North America .Kagame him self hand on hand with Diaspora worked to market the country and in 2012 he agree to be the guest of honour in Boston.Last year’s Rwanda Day traditional songs, poems, drums and dances. A variety of organizations was Using this opportunity to showcase their products and potential opportunities for trade and investment offered in Rwanda. Some of Government leaders shared information on the ongoing political and socio-economic development of the country, and a wide range of topics was covered during a series of panel discussions. Today we are seeing this effort of marketing Rwanda see the results below! /> The tourism sector registered tremendous growth as the revenue generated increased by 17 per cent last year compared to 2011. John and Mary Ann McDonald on their 75th tour of Virunga National Park are entertained by traditional troupes. Tourism generated $281.8m (Rwf178b) in 2012 compared to $251.3m (Rwf159b) the previous year. This corresponds to an increase of 17 per cent, according to 2012 Tourism Report released last week by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Addressing a news conference, Clare Akamanzi, the RDB acting chief executive officer, said hard work put in overtime by the government contributes to the continued growth of the tourism industry. “The general conducive business environment Rwanda has and specific reforms that have been put in place for tourism such as marketing and infrastructure and high-end tourism strategy, among others, have led to the unprecedented growth of tourism sector in the country,” Akamanzi said. She said the tourism industry topped export growth again in 2012 which makes it the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner and one of the top job creators. “Last year, we were able to surpass our tourism export promotion target of $276m to $281m, which is really encouraging,” she added. On investment promotion, the sector registered projects worth $323.8m last year compared to 117.3 generated in 2011 – an increase of 175 per cent. Rica Rwigamba, the head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB, said: “the tourism sector is on an upward trajectory, we are now working to enhance the sector through continuous product diversification while putting on an excellent service delivery.” She said the growth of investors helped boost tourism, which resulted in putting the country in the top end of the tourist destinations in the region. For instance, major international airlines such as KLM, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and South African Airlines have opened their routes to Rwanda. “There was a noticeable increase in revenues as we surpassed our targets due to the huge arrival of investors this year in the tourism industry,” Rwigamba added. The sector projects to generate $317m receipts in 2013, according to export promotion strategy. The statistics show that visitors from neighbouring countries of DR Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya accounted for 915,000 visits in 2012 compared to 714,000 in 2011. However, visitors from non-neighboring states increased to 161,186 in 2012 from 159,579 in 2011. Leisure visitors accounted for about 97,000, while business visitors were about 422,000. The US recorded the highest number of visitors, with 24,041, followed, by India (14,957), UK (13,355), Belgium (9,192) and Germany (9,180). Rwigamba said: “We are working hand-in-hand with the tourism chamber to improve customer service and to solve the skills gap that seems to be a hindrance to better service delivery.” Rwanda boasts of tourist attractions such as Mountain gorillas, Akagera and Nyungwe national parks, museums, Lake Kivu, bird watching, culture, and Congo Nile Trail, among others.

Mombasa resident Want Swahili Language on Presidential debate.

The destiny for the second round of the Presidential debate that is due on 25th this month hangs in the balance after elders from Mombasa County threatened to stop it in court if Kiswahili language will not be used in the debate. Speaking to the media in Mombasa yesterday, the elders criticized the organizers of the just concluded Presidential debate for failure to adhere to the constitution which recognizes Kiswahili as a national language. According to Mr. Mohammed, a resident of Majengo Mombasa, the debate failed to achieve its objective since majority of Kenyan particularly from the Coastal region did not understand a thing due to their low proficiency in the English language. The elders have petitioned the Media fraternity and the entire organizers of the next Presidential debate to divide the sessions into two, where one will be moderated in Swahili language for them and many other Kenyans to understand what their Presidential candidates are saying. The organizers have been given seven days to respond or else the elders move to court.

Kenya Wana ukabila je sisi tuna nini kama sio udini ?

Wakenya wameamua kuwachukua wakuu wao wa Tume ya Uchaguzi kuwapeleka Kigali Rwanda kuwoanesha athari ya mauaji ya Halaiki Kule Rwanda Kabla ya kumalizika uchaguzi na kuaonya kuwa Haki Ikikosekana au Uongozi Mbovu ukiwekwa kwa nguvu hapo March 4th kuna khatari kubwa ya Kenya kuingia kwenye Vurugu zisizoweza kuzimika.Nilikua Kwenye Party ya New Year Hapa Washington na Mtanzania Mmoja ameowa Mkikuyu wa Kenya Nilimuulizahuyu dada Mkikuyu ulikua na Furaha Kaka yako aliposhinda Urais wa Marekani alinimbia mimi sio Mpumbavu Siwezi kumpigia kura Adui wa Wakikuyu Nilimpigia Mzungu sikumpigia kura Obama .Kuanzia hapo Kichwa changu kiliona athari ya ukabila na kuona Wahamaiji wote wa Afrika Walivyokuwa kifua mbele Kuwa wamepata Kiongozi mwenye asili ya Bara Lao ila Mkikuyu huyu alinipa shock kubwa . Mgogoro wa Udini ulikua makapuni kuanzia 1950 Pale Waingereza Walipokua Wanaiongoza Tanganyika Waislamu wa Kilosa Waliadamana kupinga kujengewa Bucha Za nguruwe Kwenye maeneo wanayoishi na Muingereza aliweka sheria kuhakikisha kuwa Hak iza Waislamu zinaheshimiwa kwani zinagusa hsiia za kidini, Mwaka 1998 Pale Mwembe Chai Magomeni Dar na Bucha za Nguruw zilivamiwa na kuvunjwa , Jioni ya siku ya Pili Mzee Ruksa aliamkia Unguja na kutoa Khutba Kali Kuwa wanaotaka kula Hata Chura wale ni Ruksa ! Na Kule Unguja tumesikia mara nyingi kuanzia 2003 hadi leo Vilabu vya Pombe kwenye Makazi ya Waislamu kwua ni kero ilioifanya Jamii kuchukua sheria mikononi kwa vile Mamlaka inayohusika imeshindwa kueka sheria za kuwaridhisha Waumin i wa Dini zote Mbili ni kama Vile Mubarak wa Egypt na Gadafi wa Libya na leo ASad wa Syria kua hao ni wahuni tu wanaoleta fujo ila Kiukweli kuahirisha matatizo Yapo yako mvunguni tu .Kule Zanzibar Vialbu vingi vya Pombe ni vya wageni na hawajali Mila za wakazi wao wanatoa rushwa Manispaa wanapata Leseni Pombe inauzwa na utalii unakua na faida kebe kebe ila Kiukweli Tatizo liko pale pale. Tatizo la Upangaji wa Miji yetu na nguvu ya Wananchi kwetu ni Mwiko .Nitawapa Mfano Mara Moja nilialikwa kwenye panel ya Baraza la Mtaa mmoja wa Washington na Kampuni ninayotumikia na kufuatana na Wakili wa Kampuni yetu na Viongozi wa juu wa Kampuni yetu kwangu ilikua ni learning Lesson .Kampuni yetu ilikua ifungue tawi la kuuza vitu na Pombe ila watu wa Eneo lile wote Walipinga Duka hili kuuza Pombe na waliopinga wote Walikua ni Wakristo ni mimi peke yangu niliekuwa Muislamu pale.Leseni ya Duka ilitolewa ila Leseni ya Kileo ilipingwa na Wakazi wa eneo lile , Hawakuidhika kuwa maeneo ya makazi yao kuekwe sehemu ya kuuza Pombe .Tuwaulize wat uwa Manispaa zetu wanawauliza watu wa maeneo haya kuwa wanataka Vilabu vya Pombe au Bucha za Nguruwe kwenye maeneo yao.Demokrasi ni kitu Kizuri.Ushauri wangu ni Manispaaa zetu ni Kurudisha haki ya Wananchi kujiongoza wenyewe sio Kuongozwa na Rushwa. Hatuwezi ndio kua na Bucha za Waislamu na Wakristo , itafika siku tutasema tuwe na Bucha tofauti , Shule tofauti , migahawa tofauti na mitaa ya Wasialmu na Wakristo .Kinachotakiwa ni kuongeza Interfaith activities baina ya dini hizi mbili , Kueka mjadala au Kuunda tume ya Kusikiliza madai ya Waislamuna Kwuaweka Pamoja Makadinali na Ma sheikh wetu Vipi Tuishi kwa kuheshimiana bila ya kufikia kuuwana nani achinje nyama , Rafiki zangu wengine ni Wakristo huwaalika Nyama choma na hawaniulizi Umeichinja vipi ila Najua vipi wao dini yao inawafunza .Pia nilibahatika kutoa huduma Kwa jamii ya kiyahudi Hapa Marekani na kuona wasivyoaaamini Wakristo Kuhakikisha haki yao ya Kidini inavyoheshimiwa ( Kosher FOOD) sisi tuna Halal Food hata label za Vyakula hapa mareakani na Ulaya vinaatambua haki za Wayahudi na Waislamu na sasa imekua ni market strategy nani anaheshimu dini hizi zaidi kuhusu Vyakula Vyao CCM iache ubabe irudi KWa wananchi Kbla ya nchi kuwa vipande Vipande . USipoziba Ufa utajenga Ukuta Namalizia hapa kwa leo .Tyari Kule jamii forum na kwengineko matusi ya kwua watauche tule nguruwe wetu na waache kujenga Bucha maneo yetu ni Hatari ilioko mbele yetu .Kama Watawala Wamelala Please Amkeni sifike ilivyofikia kuuwana kwa Nyama si hivyo tutatue tatizo Litangazieni Tiafa no more meat wote tuwe Vegetarian no more Meat ! Machafuko makubwa yametokea katika kijiji cha Buseresere Wilayani Chato Mkoani Geita kati ya waislam na wakristu na kupelekea watu 10 kujeruhiwa vibaya kwa mapanga huku mchungaji wa kanisa la Pentekoste Assemblies of God Mathayo Kachila (45) akipoteza maisha kwa kuchinjwa na watu wanaodaiwa ni waumini wadini ya kiislam kisha mwili wake kutelekezwa kwenye vibanda vya maduka ambavyo vilikuwa jirani na eneo hilo. Habari za kaminika eneo la tukio hilo lililotokea majira ya asubuhi zimeeleza kuwa chanzo cha machafuko hayo ni watu wanaodaiwa kuwa wafuasi wadini ya kiislam kuvamia bucha lililokuwa likiwauzia nyama wakristo wa kijiji hicho waliokuwa wamepanga foleni kwa wingi kusubili huduma hiyo. Imeelezwa kuwa Wakristu hao walikuwa wamechinjia ng'ombe mmoja na mbuzi wawili eneo la Kanisani kabla ya kuleta nyama hiyo katika bucha hilo lililopo eneo la Buselesele Sokoni na ndipo walipokumbana na kadhia hiyo ya waislamu. Tukio hilo lilianza majira ya saa 2 asubuhi muda mfupi baada ya nyama kuwasili katika bucha hilo la wakristu kwa ajili ya kuuzwa jambo linalodaiwa liliwakera waislam ambao waliivamia bucha hiyo kwa lengo la kuifunga. Wakati wakristo wakitafakari uwepo wa waislam kwenye bucha lao lililpambwa kwa maandishi BWANA YESU ASIFIWE,YESU NI BWANA, ndipo waislam ambao kwa wakati huo walikuwa wametapakaa mtaani kwa lengo la kuhamasishana waliongezeka eneo lilipo bucha hilo na kisha kuimwagia nyama iliyokuwa kwenye bucha hilo vitu vinavyodaiwa kuwa ni sumu. Kutokana na hali hiyo wakiristo walionekana kukerwa na kitendo cha waislam kuimwagia nyama hiyo vitu hivyo na kisha mapambano yalianza baina ya wakristu na waislam ambapo mbali na wakristu kutumia mawe waislamu wao walitumia mapanga na majambia. Hata hivyo wakati mapambano hayo yakiendelea mchungaji huyo ambaye kwa sasa ni marehemu alifika eneo la tukio ili kujua kulikoni na ndipo naye alipojikuta akishambuliwa kwa mapanga sehemu mbalimbali za kichwa chake na alifia njiani wakati akikimbizwa katika hospital ya Wilaya ya Geita kwa matibabu zaidi. Mbali na mchungaji huyo kupoteza maisha,wengine waliojeruhiwa ni pamoja na Said Ntahompagaze(45),Sadick Yahaya(40),Yasin Rajab(56),Vicent Damon(22),wote wakazi wa Buselesele na mtu mmoja aliyefahamika kwa jina moja la Ramadhani ambaye yuko mahututi katika wodi namba nane katika hospital ya wilaya ya Geita. Hata hivyo watu wengine watano ambao majina yao hayakuweza kupatikana mara moja walitibiwa na kuruhusiwa kutokana na hali zao kuwa nzuri. Jeshi la polisi Wilayani Chato na Geita lilifika eneo la tukio hilo majira ya saa 4:30 na kukuta uharibifu mkubwa umekwishafanyika ikiwa ni pamoja na kukuta duka la Mwenyekiti wa BAKWATA wilaya ya Chato Yusuph Idd linalotumika kwa biashara ya M-Pesa na vinywaji baridi likiwa linateketea kwa moto uliodaiwa kuwashwa na waumini wa dini ya kiislam. Mkuu wa Wilaya ya Chato Ludorick Mpogolo aliyefika eneo la tukio muda mfupi baada ya polisi kuwasili eneo hilo mbali na kusikitishwa na kitendo hicho aliwataka wananchi kuwa watulivu wakati serikali ikiangalia njia sahihi za kutatua mgogoro huo ambao unakuwa kwa kasi kila kukicha. Akizungumza kwa njia ya simu na gazeti hili mkuu wa Mkoa wa Geita Magalula Said Magalula mbali na kuthibitisha kuwepo kwa tukio hilo, alionyesha kukerwa na watu ambao wanafurahia vurugu zisizo na msingi na kuonya kuwashughulikia wale wote watakaobainika ni wachochezi wa masuala ya kidini.

Two Strong Ladies Kule Bongo na Kijiweni !

I remember in Dar those days When Tubaijuka was in BAWATA Mwaka 1997, government was suspicious with BAWATA was accused been involved in Politics and this Organization was banned for 10yrs until Judge Amir Manento decide to allow BAWATA this Woman organization to continue their work again in Tanzania .But I was there when Tubaijuka start to fight for Tanzania Woman and the Curent President that time DR BEN was insulted to see Tubaijuka helped BAWATA to be more popular than UWT the ruling party Woman organization this was the reason this organization was punished for ten yrs and Tubaijuka left for Overseas Work at UN. Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, until recently the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, was 24th November 2010 appointed the Minister for Human Settlements, Housing and Urban Affairs in Tanzania’s new Cabinet.She have Internation Experience in her resume! I beleive this woman could be the shining star for the ruling party , she is quite Iron lady and strong enough to lead the Country less corrupt compare to many CCM big names , I feel she can lift up Tanzania woman .She is one of them in 2015 can help ruling party to keep power.Tubaijuka she show her power after fighting with Land grabers and Invaders in Dar es Salaam. For Zanzibar we have our own Iron Lady Fatma Ferej the Minister in Vice President office .She is taking her war on drug dealers and Inviroment , drugs which have destroy the youth of this Beautiful Islands of Zanzibar. I met her two yrs ago during her visit in USA , I am quite Impressed with Ferej is not easy Woman to treat her like second class, she is real and her love for the country and hard working .I am, not sure this two Political parties CUF and CCM Know the Jewel they have and how they will use them to benefit the country. I hear many names like Asha Migiro , AMbassador Maajar and others but this two in the picture look out on them few yrs to come .

Kenyan Iron Lady Martha Karua !

One by one, to the sound of polite applause from a select audience, the seven men and one woman who want to lead Kenya for the next five years walked on to a wide stage in a private school near Nairobi's national park, ready to make history in the country's first televised debate. Moderators Julie Gichuru and Linus Kaikai, both television journalists, asked the candidates to take their positions behind the podiums and to briefly introduce themselves. It was a polite, somewhat halting start to a three-and-a-half-hour marathon that gave Kenyans a chance to judge their prospective leaders on their words and policies rather than on who they are – a rarity in a country where politics has traditionally been intertwined with tribal identity, and where politicians often campaign on an "us versus them" platform. Beyond the walls of the ornate Hogwarts-esque Brookhouse International School, millions of Kenyans were watching on television, listening to their radios, or following the live stream on YouTube. On Twitter, where Kenyans are the second most active users in Africa, people immediately began tweeting quotes and impressions, making the debate one of the world's top trending topics. "Tonight has been good – we were united thanks to the debate," tweeted one man, reflecting a sense of pride among many Kenyans commenting online. If the debate was widely perceived as a positive political milestone, the civil and polite tone seemed worlds away from rising concern that Kenya may be heading for a repeat, or worse, of the politically motivated tribal violence that exploded after the last presidential vote in 2007 and that claimed around 1,200 lives. More than 14 million Kenyans will go to the polls to elect a president, MPs and county representatives on 4 March in an election that is one of the most complicated and crucial in the 50 years since Kenya achieved independence in 1963. If no one wins more than 50%, there will be a second round run-off in April. Observers have warned that there is a risk of violence if the vote is tight, or if there is doubt about transparency of process. Veteran journalist Kaikai showed his combative form with his first question, asking the candidates to talk about the role of tribalism in politics, and pressing the two frontrunners – deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta and prime minister Raila Odinga – on perceptions that their campaigns were exploiting traditional tribal animosities. The two men are members of Kenya's premier political dynasties, and their rivalry mirrors the relationship between their fathers – Jomo Kenyatta was Kenya's first president and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was vice president until he fell out with his leader, resigned and founded an opposition party. Kenyatta is a member of Kenya's dominant Kikuyu tribe, and his running mate, former education minister William Ruto, is a Kalenjin. Odinga is from the Luo tribe, which has never held the presidency. Both Kenyatta and Odinga rejected the claims that they were running ethnic campaigns. "Tribalism is a cancer that has afflicted this country for a very long time," Kenyatta said. Odinga described tribalism as "a disease of the elite". Kaikai also asked Kenyatta, who was arguably the most vulnerable going into the debate but who delivered a smooth performance, how he could run the country while facing trial at the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague for his role in allegedly stoking the violence in 2007. Kenyatta, who has denied any wrongdoing, was quick to reassure the voters that he would be able to govern even while fighting the charges in The Hague. "The job I seek is going to be given by the people of Kenya … who full well know the personal issues I am confronted with," he said. The moderators asked the candidates to talk about issues such as public finances, education, health and corruption. The candidates rarely engaged directly, and the format meant that interruptions were rare. Moments of humour were somewhat scarce and restrained, although Odinga raised a few chuckles when he said that it would be difficult for Kenyatta to run the country via Skype from The Hague. Many observers felt Martha Karua, the only woman standing for president and a former justice minister who is known as "the Iron Lady" because of her tenacity in a male-dominated arena, performed well, especially when she pointed out that nobody got their food from their tribe. Her tiny red handbag also delighted some online observers. Amid all the praise for a historic debate, there was also some criticism, with some Kenyans suggesting that having all eight candidates made the format too cumbersome. Polls give Odinga a slight lead over Kenyatta – 46% against 40% in the most recent survey – with the other candidates polling 5% or less. Some observers might have had difficulty in reconciling the fine words delivered in this public arena with reports of hate speech and intimidation on the campaign trail. More than 400 people have already been killed in 2012 and this year in intercommunal clashes that rights organisations have linked to politics .

Kenya’s Ambassador to the US Elkanah Odembo under fire !

The Jubilee Alliance now wants Kenya’s Ambassador to the USecalled over claims of misrepresentation. Jubilee says it has written to Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding that Mr Odembo be summoned to Nairobi to explain his role in the US’ mixed signal on the March 4 General Election. The coalition led by Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto further accused the envoy of working for the interest of CORD presidential candidate Raila Odinga. “As Jubilee, we have officially written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to state our position on the contradictory statement issued by US undersecretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson,” former Dujis MP Aden Duale said. Mr Duale said in their protest letter, the Jubilee coalition accuses Odembo of influencing Mr Carson to issue a statement to warn Kenya of possible sanctions should Uhuru/Ruto be elected in spite of President Obama’s assurance that US remains neutral. Jubilee claims that the ambassador received a call from Raila after President Obama’s speech and he made a “secret” trip to the State Department to meet Carson. “Odembo is Kenya’s ambassador to the US and protocol demands that any meeting he has must be official but we are reliably informed that he met Carson incognito at the state department for over three hours.” Influencing America “In our opinion he is not Kenya’s ambassador but a lobbyist for CORD and we have written a protest letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of Civil Service demanding that he should be recalled to explain his engagement in politics,” Duale added. However, Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi said the Ministry has not received such complaints. “The ministry has not received any complaint whether formal or informal and Odembo is still at his work station and will not be recalled,” Mr Thuita said. The envoy admitted meeting Carson but said this was to show support for Kenya’s candidate for the top job at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ms Amina Mohammed, and had nothing to do with influencing America’s position on the forthcoming General Election Former Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny said one of the senior officials at the Kenyan mission in Washington sent a text message to Uhuru over the alleged ‘secret’ meeting between the two. Jubilee has accused the US and some European countries of influencing the election in Kenya through threats of sanctions should Uhuru and Ruto who are indicted by the ICC win the polls.