Breaking: 2022 Elections To Be Postponed To Accommodate BBI...

In Kenya political marriages are hardly based on ideological convergence - they just bring together different ethnic kingpins whose main interest is state power and unlimited access to national largesse.

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In our series of letters from African journalists, media and communication trainer Joseph Warungu reflects on the broken political marriage between the Kenyan president and his deputy, as well as the third person in their troubled relationship.

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Against all odds, their Jubilee coalition had been declared the winner of the presidential election on 9 March 2013. Like any other couple on their wedding day,
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto wore broad smiles when they stood on stage.

Ruto called their victory a miracle, saying God had turned insurmountable hurdles into bridges for their coalition.

The marriage was a convenient political move after the International Criminal Court (ICC) tried, in what turned out to be a failed attempt, to put them on trial for the devastating political violence witnessed in Kenya in 2007. Love was in the air in those early days.

Life was good, the marriage was strong and the future looked bright.

The digital couple walked together, sometimes hand in hand; and worked in sync, at times dressing alike.
They prayed together in public and they laughed a lot. An excited public laughed with them, too.

Kenyatta was 51 when they first assumed office, while Ruto was 47.
The man they had defeated, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, was 68 at the time.
He was branded old and of the analogue generation that defined Kenya’s dark and forgettable past, while the new “youthful” presidential couple was defined in modern terms - a digital couple.

Eight years and two presidential elections later, the marriage is broken and we, their children, the ordinary citizens of Kenya, are lost.

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[SIZE=6]The handshake that changed politics[/SIZE]
The first sign of the break-up came in March 2018, when the president introduced his old rival, Mr Odinga, as the third partner in the union.

After the 2017 election, Mr Odinga, who was also in a polygamous union in the National Super Alliance (Nasa) with three other partners, had launched a wave of protests complaining that the poll was not free and fair.

Concerned that protests would undermine the delivery of election pledges in his final term in office, President Kenyatta reached out to Mr Odinga and the two men shook hands in public as a declaration of peace.

Ruto feels betrayed by President Kenyatta, who has not kicked him out because it could make things even messier.
When the two joined forces, they had an unwritten 20-year prenuptial agreement, in which Mr Ruto would back Mr Kenyatta to serve as president for two five-year terms.
After that Mr Kenyatta would reciprocate by supporting his deputy to win the presidency in the 2022 election and he too would serve two terms, totalling 10 years.
But in January 2021 the president gave the clearest declaration yet that the deal was dead.

Do we stick with a dad who is supposed to retire from the presidency next year? Do we embrace his new partner Mr Odinga, who offers a future of peace and a more equal society, blended with uplifting reggae that he occasionally sings on stage when campaigning for changes to the constitution? Or do we follow Mr Ruto - the ex, who is bold, energetic, and promises hope for the masses that are struggling to make a living?
The breakdown of Kenya’s presidential marriage has come at a big cost. The home is broke. International financial institutions, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have had to step in with loans to help cover the national budget deficit. Repayments will hurt. These organizations are demanding a restructuring of expensive publicly funded institutions including some universities and Kenya Airways. This will mean lay-offs.
There are indications that the general election scheduled for next year could be postponed to accommodate possible constitutional amendments, including increasing the size of the cabinet and creating more parliamentary constituencies.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57666911

BBC should mind their own business.

2022 tunachagua Alfred Mutua.

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Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday morning, July 11, accused ODM Leader Raila Odinga and the NASA coalition of nagging President Uhuru Kenyatta with frequent demands for their inhouse squabbling.

Speaking in a church service at Huruma, Nairobi, Ruto criticized NASA coalition co-principals asking them to stop disturbing the President and unite themselves.

He warned the opposing camp that if they continued disagreeing without a plan, then his team was ready to occupy the house on the hill in the next 12 months.

“They are all greedy and fighting for their own benefits. Some are talking of bullets as others are crying over money. The president was elected to serve all Kenyans, not five, six people,” Ruto stated.

The country’s second in command further stated that the opposing camp started by bothering the President with constitutional amendments but when it hit a dead end, now they want him to arrange them for elections.

The DPlso expressed his confidence in how he would win the elections if NASA relations remains unstable.

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DP, William Ruto attending service at Newbreed City Chapel Kiambu County

He also defended why he attends church with donations, saying he wouldn’t have been where he is were it not for God.

“Why do you have a problem when we go to church? Some of us have no godfathers apart from God,” he added.

ODM leader Raila Odinga is on record, without mentioning names and linking some of the church donations made by politicians to graft.

According to the former premier, donations made in the church are often the proceeds of corruption.

Ruto’s remarks were inspired by the recent fallout in NASA, that saw Kalonzo blame co-principals for not sharing funds equally adding he will not support Odinga a third time.

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Former NASA leaders from Left, Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetangula, Raila Odinga, and Musalia Mudavadi during a press brief in 2018.

The spat has seen NASA principals scramble for the president’s attention, in what political experts term as ‘seeking endorsements’.

However, in a recent interview with Citizen TV, Odinga hinted at a possible super alliance, similar to the NARC in 2002 that saw Kibaki become president, putting an end to the 24-year KANU regime.

The DP had also suggested that the country was stuck as a result of the few men (NASA co-principals).

His sentiments come in the wake of NASA principals being embroiled in a public spat, making accusations against each other.

tell us something we do not know. Hakuna elections 2022.

My friend we are ready for anything put in place by Ohuru and Raila, so far they are the major determinants. We know very well Raila will determine the next President come 2022. As mentioned earlier, the wheelbarrows must just know that dynasty is heavy than hustlers. I am sore for wheelbarrow drivers or let me say pushers. WHo happen to be thugs

Let us agree that after the kaburu left we have failed to create kenyans. Infact we are more tribal than our grandparents. So let us invest in our tribal chiefs. Every 5 years we give them mandate to go and meet other chiefs and then at the end of the day They tell us which chief will be the president. Hi upusi sijui national parties, manifesto, ati ideologies or this and that ni porojo and we all know it.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmyZg8QAIUQ:4

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2udqRO8vcd4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvfHYxKBr5g:4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rugPioM_aI

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Kirinyaga Governor, Anne Waiguru, has denied endorsing Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, for the country’s top seat.
Speaking on Saturday, August 21, during a Mt Kenya leaders retreat in Laikipia, the Kirinyaga Governor said they had not settled on a candidate for the presidential position yet. Her sentiments were echoed by Kiambu Governor, James Nyoro.

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Waiguru who has been a champion of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which was nullified by the Court of Appeal, distanced herself from reports that she was allied to Odinga, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s handshake partner.
The Governor, who accompanied Raila to most of the BBI rallies, appeared alongside him at meetings in Mt Kenya, and defended him against Deputy President William Ruto.

:D:D:D:D

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The Governor now says that they are in consultations with the former Prime Minister and other presidential candidates even as the elections draw closer.

“We have not settled on anyone. There have been speculations that we are leaning towards Raila Odinga. That is not true. In fact, what we are doing is pure consultations. Whoever we think will articulate our issues is the one we will support,” Waiguru stated.

The Jubilee Governor averred that Mt Kenya would present itself as a united front and demand that candidates who seek the region’s support must first address crucial issues facing the region.
"Many of residents think we are divided, yes, on account that we are talking to these people who are seeking the top seat, but you will witness many of these meetings before we unite,” Waiguru added.
Murang’a Woman Representative, Sabina Chege, added that the region would rally behind one leader after President Uhuru Kenyatta retires. Other leaders who were in attendance included former Nairobi County Speaker, Beatrice Elachi, and Ndaragwa Member of Parliament, Jeremiah Kioni.
In her last meeting with Raila in Nakuru County, on August 17, Waiguru recalled her tumultuous relationship with the former Prime Minister. The two were foes prior to the handshake when the opposition called for her apprehension and conviction after she was roped into the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.
“If there is someone who has been on the forefront of supporting the handshake is Governor Minji Minji (her nickname). From day one when hands were shaken. I made peace. I cried. I had even sued Raila,” Waiguru recalled.

After the BBI was nullified, she issued a statement via her official page stating: “Kenya will go on. BBI intended well but we must respect the constitutional authority of the courts and find other legitimate means to achieve Kenya’s unity and prosperity."
“And for some of us, it’s time for serious introspection on the political way forward,” this last phrase left analysts debating on her next move.

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The One Kenya Alliance (OKA) says the country can achieve the gains entrenched in the Building Bridges Initiative despite the Court of Appeal judgment that declared it unconstitutional and illegal. OKA principals, including Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper Democratic Movement, Musalia Mudavadi of the Amani National Congress, Senator Gideon Moi of KANU and Moses Wetangula of Ford Kenya, expressed optimism on Saturday, August 21, stating that Kenya still had the opportunity to realise the BBI dream through other processes.

In a statement to newsrooms, the OKA leaders said the judgment as delivered by a seven-judge bench was not the end of the road, but rather an opportunity for Kenya and Kenyans to explore other avenues and conquer new frontiers in the quest for a united country.
“We still have an opportunity to hold a broad-based, honest and people-driven dialogue on expediting progressive proposals requiring legislative and policy interventions," read the OKA statement in part.

The OKA team said the country should now focus on initiatives that will help grow the economy and spur equitable growth, exemplifying the need to strengthen devolution through increased revenue allocations and reduction of levies on services rendered by the county governments.

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The co-principals, who have been supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s push to amend the Constitution of Kenya 2010, noted their satisfaction with the judgment rendered by the Appellate Court, urging the other leaders to follow suit and focus on addressing the most pressing issues affecting Kenyans.

“As an alliance that cherishes the rule of law, we accept and respect the verdict of the Court of Appeal,” said the OKA four.
They, however, remained non-committal on whether they would abandon their presidential ambitions and support Odinga, who is seemingly President Kenyatta’s favorite candidate in his succession race.
The four had earlier in the week remained coy on the future of their coalition and the push to revive the National Super Alliance (NASA), saying they would only make a decision on the way forward once the decision on the future of BBI was made by the Court of Appeal.
The OKA four supported the BBI Bill, which sought to create more positions in the executive arm of the government with the hope that they would all be part of the bloated leadership.
The Bill sought to establish the Office of the Prime Minister, two deputies and the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. The proponents of the Bill argued that the expanded Executive would ensure all communities in the country are represented.

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One Kenya Alliance Leaders Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Gideon Moi (KANU), Moses Wetangula (FORD-Kenya) , and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper)

In the Saturday statement, OKA implied that it would forge ahead with its plans to front a presidential candidate as agreed during a retreat in Naivasha less than a week ago.
“As we had unequivocally declared in Naivasha, One Kenya is solidly on course to be the alliance of choice for Kenyans, irrespective of the court case outcome,” they noted.
It is now a wait-and-see situation as political parties and leaders rush to form coalitions and seek partnerships, all with the sole aim of capturing power in the 2022 polls.

Meanwhile…

Francis Atwoli, has urged workers across Kenya to respect the Court of Appeal judgment which declared the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) unconstitutional. Speaking in Mombasa County, Atwoli acknowledged the ruling issued by the seven-judge bench led by President of the Appellate Court, Justice Daniel Musinga, on Friday, August 20. He added that he knew the court would uphold the High Court ruling which nullified BBI, owing to the introduction of the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman which would have created a direct conflict and duplication of roles of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

JSC, under then Chief Justice, David Maraga, criticized the proposal stating that it was a far-reaching recommendation that would affect its roles as the Ombudsman would be a direct appointee of the President, tasked with handling disputes too.

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7-bench Court of Appeal judges hearing the BBI case

“The Court of Appeal was not going to rule in favor of BBI because one of the fundamental issues in the 74 proposed amendments - that judges would not have accepted was the issue of the Ombudsman," stated Atwoli.

“This was like a disciplinary measure proposed against the judges and would have escalated the poor relationship between the Judiciary and the Executive.”

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COTU leader Francis Atwoli (left) and Deputy President William Ruto (right)

The labor leader added that workers would not appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court, as they had shifted their attention to the 2022 General Election. He, moreover, urged leaders to find a way to solve election disputes amicably as they (workers) always shouldered the burden during clashes. In a statement issued via his official page, Atwoli castigated Deputy President William Ruto for opposing the BBI, yet he had supported and called for the creation of the office of the leader of the opposition.

“It was with great bemusement when I saw the same man who called for the creation of the office of opposition leader, admonish the same proposal as contained in the BBI,” he stated.

Atwoli noted that the proposal to amend the 2010 Constitution was far from over and that any administration that comes in office in 2022 will make constitutional review their first order of business, especially after realizing how polarized the country will be with the current constitutional dispensation.