VISUAL MESSAGES COMMUNICATED BY POLITICAL PARTIES IN MALAWI

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no

<Send to API by Stewart A. Mafeni.

Visual Communications as held by Lester, 2007 is an exploration into the idea that memorable visual messages with text have the greatest power to inform, educate, and persuade an individual. It stresses the idea that images are a collection of signs that are linked together in some way by the viewer.

Visual aids which are amongst tools of visual communication can be anything from the way one dresses, to writings on any flat surface, party colours, party emblems, to items brought in to show what you are talking about. They support the expressive and receptive communicative needs of presenters, teachers, politicians, or individuals in general. In other words, they are nonverbal symbols that reach the audience via the eyes thereby helping them decode meaning from a particular context. As such, they carry meaning whether positively or negatively. It is the purpose of the present work to discuss visual aids or messages communicated by political parties in Malawi.

In order to understand how visual aids carry meaning, there’s a need to understand the basic vocabulary of visual language. By visual language one refers to the idea that communication occurs through visual symbols, as opposed to verbal symbols, or words.

Presenters, teachers, or politicians who understand nonverbal language, especially visual language can and do manipulate attitudes of their audience to suit their purposes. This is so because naturally humans respond to visual messages unconsciously, preferring to believe that their opinions are formed by their own judgment and personal taste.

For example, the body language, party colours, party emblems, dress, and expressions of politicians in the modern age of democratic Malawi seem to be as crucial to the success of a particular party’s programme. This also plays a role towards the policies and ideas particular political parties hold. Once the politicians send wrong nonverbal signals, the populace simply does not trust them on whatever platform they may be presenting their ideals.

Visual messages sent through the emblem or colour associated with a particular political party also play a vital role to either build or destroy political groupings.

On the other hand, effective use of visual aids (party colours, party emblems etc) can make listeners overlook a great deal in a politician’s or political party’s background.

To exemplify this, an experience from Malawi would suffice. Evidently the Malawi’s transformation from one party state to multiparty government portrayed a clear example of this situation. The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which was then the only ruling party in Malawi’s one party system of government was using a Black Cock as an emblem for the party. Furthermore a slogan ‘kwacha’ was used in whatever activities the party was conducting.

During the transitional period, new political groupings were formed to advocate for multiparty democracy. These new groupings were known as Political Pressure Groups. They used a lighted lamp as their visual aid (emblem). Therefore two emblems were at play, black cock vs lighted lamp.

VISUAL MESSAGES CARRIED BY THE BLACK COCK AND THE LIGHTED LAMP.

In most cases black is associated with attire used during times of bereavement. Satanism acts are also associated with black colour. The black cock emblem for Malawi Congress Party was the target by underground pressure groups to champion the fight for introduction of multiparty politics in a country which was under one-party authoritarian rule since its independence from the British colonial rule in 1964 under Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP). This was done to effectively sell the idea of multiparty system of government.

The party was associated with evil acts such as murdering its people once they happen to oppose bad policies, throw its critics into Shire River so that they become feed for crocodiles. Simply put, the black cock visual image carried negative messages which to most Malawians was very clear. There was correlation between the black cock and the bad things that were happening during the one rule.

As a result Malawi Congress Party lost during a referendum. The Political Pressure Groups showed and told Malawians about the hidden bad meanings /messages of the black cock.

On the other hand, the lighted lamp emblem for the Political Pressure Groups communicated messages of hope or light at the end of the tunnel. Light is associated with good things. As such a ‘brighter future’ was talked of by the Pressure Groups.

Showing and telling has been discussed by researchers that it leads to higher retention after some considerable time period. People retain information longer when they receive it both through their eyes and through their ears. Visual aids of the black cock did not require to be carried around. Black cock emblem was in each and every place in Malawi. All the Political Pressure Groups had to do was to ask Malawians to check for it in their party member cards or national flag by then which previously had black cock on it. Audiences that remember a message because the visual aids helped their comprehension or understanding, are more persuaded to take action for change. That is why countrywide they voted for change.

All paraphernalia for MCP had black cock and were likened to satanic worship which demand for use of black attire or black everything everywhere. These negative relationships made Malawians dissociate themselves from Malawi Congress Party. And it lost its massive countrywide support. Black cock was correlated to cruelty, oppression, nepotism, murder and monopoly.

The black cock visual image destroyed Malawi Congress Party. Who would be happy to be associated with negative visual images? MCP’s visual symbols turned into its visual distractions or destructions.

MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY DURING THE DEMOCRATIC MALAWI.

After a successful transition into multiparty democracy, MCP confessed to the whole nation that it has now changed. It has become a new MCP.

The nation has been trying to look for that rebirth in MCP. One wonders whether MCP is portraying that new self which has been talked of quite often.

As I have indicated at the beginning that for a very long time visual language has been used to encode meaning. Wikipedia contends that vision gives humans inexhaustibly rich information about the objects, events, political parties or people’s behaviour in the world.

Simple language a picture is worth a thousand words. The body language, dress and expressions of any MCP political leader inside or outside parliament speaks to viewers louder beyond mere words in the multiparty era of government.

What is in an individual’s mind may be manifested through his/her actions, utterances and body language thereby sending visual messages.

During 2007 budget sitting, the leader of opposition in parliament who happens to be MCP leader has communicated to the entire nation his self image. Standing on a point of order ‘Section 65 first, budget second.’ This expressed and communicated a visual message that as a leader John Tembo considers political struggles or power very important above the needs of Malawians. These needs are met by availability of the national budget.

Only that time when the leader of opposition rose up and said “no to budget, till injunction on Section 65 is vacated”- did he destroy most his reputation and dignity in the eyes of Malawians thereby minimizing his chances of testing the fruits of the highest office on the land.

The tone in this leader’s response communicated more bitterness, anger and uncontrollable ambitions by the leader of opposition to Malawians.

My simple message to opposition leaders is ‘Malawians have been observing, read the writings on the walls. Otherwise your visual messages will be eating you out and it will be difficult to regain any lost glories.

VISUAL MESSAGES THE UNITED DEMOCRATIC FRONT COMMUNICATED.

It is believed that the United Democratic Front (UDF), Malawi’s former ruling party which is seeking to extend its mandate in the 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections, was founded by Brown Mpinganjira, now not very vocal as he used to be when he formed his defunct NDP. Mpinganjira himself has never at any time confirmed or denied the assertion. Under this, visual messages of unclear genesis is evidently communicated.

While the beginnings of the party are scanty, its President and National Chairman Bakili Muluzi claims he is its founder, saying he formed it as a pressure group in 1989.

The UDF and Alliance For Democracy (AFORD) emerged from underground and started campaigning vehemently for change after the Catholic bishops issued an epic pastoral letter in March 1992, criticizing the MCP government of human rights abuse and bad governance, the first ever open challenge Dr. Banda’s one-party rule ever faced since independence.

The pastoral letter opened the way for more debate on whether or not the country should remain a dictatorship or embrace multiparty democracy. As pressure piled up, Banda cracked and later ordered that a referendum take place in June 1993.

When the referendum finally did take place, Malawians overwhelmingly voted for change. That spelt the beginning of the end for Dr. Banda and his MCP.

When the first multiparty general elections were held a year later, in 1994, the UDF scored a landslide victory and wrested power from the MCP’s 30-year stranglehold.

Under Muluzi, the party started well with a lot of promises such as free primary education, poverty alleviation, better social services, good roads, respect for human rights and the rule of law. This sound beginning sent a very upright visual message to Malawians. A ‘bright future’ that Malawians were anticipating seemed eminent. But later it was evident that instead of bright things, yellowing of everything was coming out.

Ten years down the line, Malawians got disillusioned that they are poorer than they were 10 years ago, according to a UNDP report.

The party with its yellow colours started to lose its grip on the reins when in 2001 its President Bakili Muluzi wanted to manipulate the constitution of the land allowing for open terms rather than the mandatory two five-year terms to give him a chance to continue ruling the country.

After facing strong resistance from the opposition and some rebel UDF MPs, the open-terms bill finally collapsed in parliament in July 2002. Not admitting defeat, the government side drafted another bill to allow the president a third term. This, too, received massive resistance from the opposition and civil society. Sensing another eminent defeat, the government withdrew the bill before it was debated in parliament.

Knowing he would not be given another mandate to rule, Muluzi then handpicked economist Bingu Mutharika in 2003 to his successor,a move which many view as undemocratic. This led to some heavyweights in the party resigning to join the opposition. Simply put, these painted a different visual image for the UDF party. Party officials felt betrayed thereby leading to massive exodus.

Among them are First Vice President Aleke Banda, senior cabinet minister Harry Thomson, former deputy finance minister Jan Jaap Sonke, former deputy agriculture minister Joe Manduwa and most recently Justin Malewezi, vice-president of UDF and state.

With all these defections, the UDF party surely lost the popular support it used to in its heady days.

The yellow colour was associated with leaves of plants during wilting stages. Plant leaves are green but when they turn yellow, it means that they will fall off the plant to later die and decompose. This analogy was likened to UDF. A party that has matured and is now wilting or dying- waiting for regeneration of new leaves. The new growths are the new political parties that have emerged out of UDF.

DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY’S VISUAL MESSAGES.

The new government in Malawi, democratically elected in May 2004, is pursuing an agenda that focuses on growth, wealth creation, and poverty reduction. It recognizes that corruption is a widespread and endemic problem that must be addressed in order for Malawi to realize sustainable economic growth.

After taking office, Mutharika came into conflict with Muluzi, head of the UDF, over Mutharika’s campaign against corruption. The dispute between them has characterized Mutharika’s time in office thus far, and it has been claimed that political conflict is interfering with the country’s governance.

On February 5, 2005, Mutharika announced his resignation from the UDF, saying that he had no support in the party because of his stand against corruption. There had previously been talk of expelling him from the party, and there had also been an alleged assassination plot against him by party members in early January 2005. Those accused were later pardoned by Mutharika, but he maintained the existence of the plot. Mutharika subsequently formed his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). In April 2005, Muluzi apologized to the country for choosing Mutharika as his successor “and imposing him on the country”. This communicated an affirmation of Muluzi’s failure to rule from behind as was previously reported.

Mutharika has upheld the memory of Hastings Banda as a national hero; in May 2006, he was present at the unveiling of a mausoleum for Banda that cost US$620,000. This has earned him high repute and esteem amongst Malawians but mostly people from Central Region.

Through the DPP led government, Malawi has attained debt cancellation, food security, single digit inflation rate, and some sound economic growth. These have communicated a good and sound visual message to the people of Malawi. Message of trust, security, development in most fronts, brighter Malawi and hope.

Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika administration does not practice favouratism in terms of distribution of development activities. For example, each and every constituency is treated with equal measures when it comes to project distribution. Dedza central , a constituency of Honourable John Tembo-leader of opposition in parliament has benefited from these development projects. Mangochi has seen establishment of new food silos though being a stronghold of UDF an opposition political party.

Neno district is a constituency under an opposition MP but it has received development projects. Unlike during UDF’s rule where Bakili Muluzi would openly say during his public rallies that where there is an opposition MP, there shall be no development activities.

The stand of DPP on development for all regardless of political parties dominant in that area is a clear visual message for a political party that puts every Malawian at heart. A party whose central focus is on Malawians. This visual aid has helped to build DPP into a strong political party as it enjoys support nationwide though being very new on the scene as compared to other political parties which have failed to penetrate Malawi in all the three regions such AFORD, RP, PETRA, UDF, MCP and PPM .

DPP is doing everything it can to protect this visual language that it has already communicated to the entire Malawi nation. For example, when Regional Governor for the South Nyakamera was quoted as saying ‘no coupons for traditional authorities who support opposition political parties’the DPP came on the scene instantly with a refutation. The party’s secretary general Honourable Hetherwick Ntaba came up with a press statement to refute media reports on the same.

It is very essential to jealously guard the visual message a political party sends out. DPP is aware of this that is why it resorts to every means and ways to protect and safeguard it.

From this discussion, it is evident that visual aids that a particular political party uses may build it or destroy it. A Malawi case has it image to the public.

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API

Kenya: Tenants in Kisumu to paralyse operations - storm immigration offices over Asian Tycoons conduct

Publisher: Korir, afrcanpress@getmail.no

By Shem Kosse

Following a recent massive exposure of alleged exploitation of tenants of the ultra-modern shopping malls of the Mega City and Mega plaza situated along Kisumu’ Nairobi road and the prestigious Oginga Odinga street respectively, the proprietors of the twin malls have now embarked on harassments, intimidations and threats to the tenants fraternity for having leaked the dossier of their agony and the questionable migration status of their manager, to the press.

 

Talking to this journalist on strict conditions of anonymity, they claimed that the owners of the gigantic building Mithesh Shah, Deepak Shah and the manager Raj Sunil, literally went round each shop, hurling unprinted obscenities to tenants to brace fully for dire consequences of their recent move to lay them bare to the public domain.

 

 “I will teach you African idiots a lesson that you will leave to remember. Am highly connected, influential and moneyed you can take me nowhere!” thundered the bulky Mithesh Shah, as the trio were walking tall, shuttling from door to door within the magnificent business premises.

 

The enraged traders have vowed to paralyze the operations of the pair malls and subsequently take to the streets to demonstrate against the management’s hefty rental fee and further storm the immigration offices to demand for the deportation of one Raj Sunil, whom they claim is an illegal immigrant who bought Kenyan citizenship.

 

Sunil citizenship status is rearing its ugly head hot on the heels of a mombasa based Italian business man who is currently criss-crossing the court corridors after thwarting the move by immigration minister Otieno Kajwang to deport him.

 

It was reported that the fire spitting traders have vowed to default their contractual payment because their relentless efforts to management to renew the terms and conditions of their tenancy, has since fallen on deaf ears.

 

The tenants bid to read the riot act to the duo Asian tycoons comes at a time when lakeside city’s business community is struggling to overcome the negative economic effects slapped on it by post election upheavals.

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API

Harrowing experience: Court process server held at gun-point and forced to sign affidavits

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no

Written by Leo Odara Omolo

 

A court process server in Kisumu is currently living in fear that his enemies real or imagined are plotting for his possible elimination by death.

 

<John Harun Okello (left) has eventually disappeared from the public and went underground for fear of his dear life.

 

Okello is a man under siege. He is now hiding in his rural Gem location, not even to venture to the main road fearing that  those who had been tormenting him could get hold of him at any time.

 

Okello’s tribulation started last Saturday afternoon. He had just alighted from a Kisumu bound country bus from Nairobi where he had gone for a business. Not knowing that he was a marked man and was being followed by some people, he stopped at a bar called Yala Bar in Manyatta estate, but before he could consume a bottle of beer he had ordered came two men in an open pick-up. The men told him that he was wanted by police. One of the two men was dressed in a  black suit, and he believed him to be a genuine police officer.

 

Okello reluctantly left the Yala Bar in the company of the two men on the understanding that he was under arrest. Instead of being driven to the main Kisumu Police station, the two men drove him to a house, which is a disused residential house –cum office. The house is located in Nehru Road. They entered in and within minutes, three other men arrived at the scene.

 

The men were members of a wealthy Asian family {Sikhs} farming in the Miwani Kibos area. Immediately the three men entered the house, they interogated  Mr. Okello and asked him tom sign a series of fresh affidavits. In this affidavits, he was instructed to repudiate and renounced his earlier affidavits, and a statement he had made to the representative of the Kenyan Anti-Corruption Commission{KACC} who had visited Kisumu the previous week to investigate certain issue related to the recent allegedly sale by public auction of the 10,000 hectare neuclus estate farm of ther miwani sugar Mills {1985}, which is the subject of the on-going mega civil suit pending before a Kisumu High court.

 

He was told that he must sign the new affidavits alleging that he had been forced to append his signatures in the previous affidavits by a local Kisumu based lawyer{name withheld}. The men also took his finger-prints. They offered him Kshs 20,000- which he declined to take. As the interrogation was in progress the alleged policeman produced a revolver and placed it on the table as part of the group’s intimidation to have him sign the seemingly prepared documents.

The legal tussle involved the transaction and sales of Miwani farm to an alleged decree-holder plaintiff is in progress. The plaintiff, however, has remained a ghost in a case which has elicited a lot of controversies involving lawyers, magistrates, and the receiver management of Miwani Sugar Mills Limited. The stage managed auction allegedly took place last December and the farm’s land title deed was transferred the same day.

 

It later emerged that the management of the Miwani Sugar Mills were unaware of the unfolding court cases.

 

Okello yesterday narrated that after being forced to sign the fresh affidavits at gun-point. He immediately moved to the CID headquarters in Nairobi where he gave a statement. He was given a letter by the Deputy CID director to take to the Nyanza DCIO  on the alleged harrassment and intimidation by police. It later emerged that the policeman who had taken part in Mr. Okello’s interrogation could not be identified.

 

Okello said that his involvement in the matter started in May 2007 when he was approached by somebody who he knew well. The man told him that he had some summons to serve on Miwani Sugar mills{1985} for unpaid debt. He undertook to do the jobs, but when he visited the company, there was nobody responsible who could accept the summons/ He returned and informed the man who devised another method that he should make photo copies and have the summons posted to Miwani Sugar Company by a registered postal mail. Which  he did. Some other copies were later sent by  van carriers.

.

Okello said he innocently did the job well as had been requested by his friend, who  later it was transpired to be an employee of an asian family with the vested interests in Miwani Sugar neuclus estates. But all this time, he had no idea nor slightest information that what he was doing  had some element of forgery. He was duly paid his dues. But the matter became worse for him early this year, when the issue become a subject of court’s legal tussle.

The case is sounding like a Hollywood story. It involved a lot of interests, which include local politicians, senior government officials, lawyers and other parties. It is said to involve investors and industrialists both foreign and locals

 

The government, which now owns 100 per cent shares through the Kenya Subar Board had called for bids in its  effort to off-load it shares to new investors., And one firm had made a bid to buy the facility at Kshs 3.7 billion. But the  sale has been shelved following the emergence of a legal tussle over the company’s neuclus estate. The issue has also attracted the interest of the local farming community in Kano plains and Kajulu areas

 

 

Okello has now appealed to the government to protect the court’s process servers in the same manner it protects the Judges, magistrates and other senior court officials, because the process servers are always handling some serious and risky documents involving millions of shillings in litigation cases, which puts their lives at a high risk.

 

He said he had reported the matter and gave the PCIO a letter from one Mr. Bakari from CID headquarters and gave the names of people who had interrogated him. He knew them well and gave their names to this writer, but for legal reason the names cannot be divulged.

 

Mr. Okello has also become suspicious that the KACC  men who had interrogated him were working in collaboration with his tormentors because when they interrogated him a fresh, they seemed to have the full details of what he had told the KACC men. He revealed that the KACC men had interviewed him at the sunset hotel and on their second mission the interview was conducted at a small hotel called Nyawanda, which is located on the main Kisumu-Kakamega road.

 

He said he had now abandoned his Kisumu Office from where he used to operate when handling court summons due to fear for his dear life, especially when the police frankly denied that any of their officers were involved in the kidnapping plot.

 

After signing the document, the men drove him back to Manyatta after two hours of close door interrogation. It was then that he went back to Yala Bar and paid his bill for the beer he had consumed before he was taken away forcefully from the bar in full view of other customers and the bar owner.

 

Okello has now appealed to the Police Commissioner and the Nyanza PPO to intervene  with the view to ensure this safety, and to issue a public statement over the issue.

 

Thye Nyanza PPO and the PCIO could not be reached for the verification of Mr.Okello’s claims. But it is understood that the affidavits, which he had been forced to sign under duress would definitely be used in the civil case now pending before a Kisumu court.

 

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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API

Kenya: ODM MPs opposed to Raila will join Grand Opposition in Parliament no matter what he says.

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.standard.ke

Opposition to hold two-day retreat

By Alex Ndegwa and Ayub Savula 

MPs fighting for official Opposition in Parliament have accused some foreign diplomats of hatching a plot to derail their plans.

Announcing that they would today head to Nakuru for a two-day retreat, the members claimed they had collected 80 signatures from MPs supporting their cause.

Mutito MP, Mr Kiema Kilonzo, said members would use the retreat to fine-tune a Private Members’ Bill to be presented when Parliament resumes next month.

However, Kilonzo did not disclose the number of MPs who had confirmed that they would attend.

During a Press conference at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, four MPs — Kilonzo, Mr Cyrus Jirongo (Lugari), Mr Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany) and Mr Mithika Linturi (Igembe South) warned foreign envoys to keep off Kenya’s opposition affairs.

Without disclosing the names of ambassadors or the foreign missions involved, Kilonzo warned the envoys to stop meddling with Kenya’s internal affairs.

New twist

“For obvious reasons, I cannot disclose names of the foreign envoys. What I can tell you is that today at 4pm, some MPs have been invited to some residences to lobby them against this Bill,” Kilonzo said.

The allegations introduced a new twist to the raging debate on the controversial plan by some ODM and PNU MPs to amend the law to provide for a coalition opposition.

Last week, a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Kibaki opposed the move on the grounds that it would be unconstitutional.

A grand opposition, the Cabinet said, would contradict the National Accord and Reconciliation Act and rock the fledgling coalition Government.

In what was seen as an attempt to tighten the noose around the MPs and warning that they risked losing their parliamentary seats, the President gazetted July 1 as the date when the Political Parties Act would come into force.

In the Act, any MP who supports the activities of a party other than the one that sponsored him or her to Parliament would be deemed to have defected and should, therefore, seek a fresh mandate from the electorate.

Last week, the Cabinet advised parties in the coalition Government to meet their parliamentary groups and reach an amicable solution. As a follow up, Raila met ODM MPs at the weekend in Nairobi to prevail upon them to drop their plans.

But Budalang’i MP, Mr Ababu Namwamba, accompanied by 10 MPs, declared at a rally in his constituency at the weekend that nothing would stand in their way.

Although they said the political parties law did not compel them to resign, Kilonzo said in Budalang’i they were willing to seek a fresh mandate from voters if need be.

Namwamba said the battle for the formation of the grand opposition in Parliament must be won.

“As far as I am concerned, I have my democratic right to be in the grand opposition and this does not mean that I am going to join another party,” he said.

Namwamba, the man behind the opposition initiative, said he had not fallen out with his party leader. He had only differed with Raila’s opinion, not on party affairs.

“I am in ODM and we don’t intend to form another party. We are only agitating for the Grand Opposition,” he said.

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African Press International - api

My opinion on “The Raila factor.”

Written by Sam Okello

The question uppermost on Kenyan’s minds today is…what’s happened to Raila Odinga? I’ve met many Kenyans during my travels who’ve asked me to explain what the ODM game plan is. I don’t pretend to be an insider in ODM politics. Matter of fact, I’m just a humble writer. But I know something about the Hon Odinga’s kind of politics because I’ve watched the man for years. I therefore propose that for us to understand where the Prime Minister is coming from, let’s study how he has handled the most crucial public moments of his life.

1.  When I first heard of Raila Odinga, I was in Form 1 at Kamagambo High School. On a Sunday morning, I was told that the Moi government had been overturned and that a certain Lt. Ochuka had acted in concert with Mr. Odinga to beat another bunch of plotters led by Sir Charles Mugane Njonjo. I was intrigued by the events. When you are a young man, such things as coups are very exciting. But to come to the point, the important thing here is to answer the Why question. Why did Raila find it necessary to kick Moi out by force? The answer is simple. Moi was literally raping Kenya. Be reminded that the man was presiding over a regime that instigated and abetted tribal clashes in the Rift Valley, killed political rivals like Dr. Ouko, looked the other way as corruption threatened the economy, and enriched his family…and the families of his cronies…beyond measure. So why did Raila do it?

 

2.  As I became of age, I watched as the Hon Odinga transformed himself into a political machine unrivaled in Kenya politics. Matter of fact, I’m persuaded that the Langata MP is the most charismatic, most formidable politician Kenya has ever produced. JM came close. The point here is that Raila decided to become a politician to save the nation. You have to remember that during that time, the winds of democratic change were sweeping across Africa and the world. The only way to legitimately acquire power was through the ballot. So Raila did just that. If you ask me, that’s a man who plays by the rules.

 

3.  Now that I’m a grown man, I’ve watched Raila handle fame and fortune with dignity and humility. He’s managed to build a business empire and a political following that makes his rivals go through sleepless nights. You’ll recall that he led the nation to defeat the retrogressive Constitution fronted by Kibaki during the referendum. He led the nation to defeat the Uhuru Project. He led the nation to floor Kibaki at the polls. He led the nation to find peace after Kibaki stole the elections in a fashion befitting a man blessed with just a quarter of a brain. Did somebody say Kibaki was a Makerere alum? How he shames his alma mater! The point I’m making here is that Raila has always led the nation…to a better place.

 

4.  Finally, we all watched, after the stolen elections, how Raila handled one of the most explosive situations Kenya has ever had to deal with. Love him or hate him, what you saw was a man who worried about Kenya more than he worried about himself. He chose to create peace for Kenya’s children rather than create space for himself at the State House. That tells a lot about a man’s core beliefs and character.

 

Fellow Kenyans, I’ve brought up the matter of the Hon Odinga because many people don’t understand what the plan is for the future. What we must all understand is that we are up against the forces of doom. We’re up against a cartel that has horded power and wealth since independence. They derailed our democracy in 2007, but we will not let them again. So when you see Moi scheme in the Rift Valley, just remind him that we defeated the Uhuru Project and we will defeat him again. When you see Kalonzo map a GEMA game plan, just remind the traitor that we are writing his final chapter in Kenyan politics. And when you see Kibaki’s allies do everything to humiliate the Prime Minister, just remind them that we beat them before and we will do it again…at a time of our choosing.

 

Why am I so confident? Because I trust the Kenyan people. And I trust Raila Odinga. I know for sure that a time is coming when a different kind of politics will have to be played. But, friends, that time is not now. The wise know that you only tip your hand when the path to victory is clear. So as we go forward, let us rejoice that the youth of Central Province, led by the Mungiki leadership, have teamed up with their fellow Kenyans to create a just and humane society. A society where all Kenyan children are cared for regardless of where they come from. Can we do it? Yes we can!

 

So let the Hon Odinga draw his game plan. In the fullness of time, he’ll tell us where we are going and how we’ll get there. When that time comes, don’t be caught sleeping. Let the man who has called himself the bridge to the future cross the Jordan with us, then we’ll pick the fruits when we get yonder!

 

For love of Country,

 

 

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Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no, African Press International - API

The Ministry effects transfers of Chief Officers

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no

Story by Dickens Wasonga, Kenya.

The ministry of local government has effected changes which saw seven chief officers moved within  Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces.

 

Notables amongst the changes includes  that of the clerk to the municipal council of Kisumu Mr.  Rashid Mwakiwiwi who has  been at the council for less than two years.

 

Mr. Mwakiwiwi who was in the news recently for launching a programme to repossess council houses now moves to Malindi county council as the town clerk a move viewed by many as a demotion.

 

The decision to repossess the houses  which was allegedly passed by a full council meeting was bitterly contested by  those targetted  who claimed that it was bieng done selectively to settle scores.

 

So far only one occupant has been evicted while over ten tenants had been identified and many are now wondering what became of the programme.

 

Those who are  in the know claims that  the transfer could have been  as a result of infighting  and bad blood between the clerk and the new mayor cllr. Sam Okelo.

 

  The two are understood to have been at loggerheads and on several occassions the Nyanza PLGO had to call them to his office to try to help them iron out thier differences in vain.

 

Mwakiwiwi will be replaced by Mr.Joshua Kutekha who moves in as the new Kisumu town clerk from his former  Kakamega municipal council base.

 

Mr.Tabman Otieno  moves from Mavoko municipal concil to replace Mr. Kutekha as the new clerk to the municipal council of Kakamega.

 

The transfers also affected the Malava acting town clerk Mr. Joe Odundo who was transfered to Kisii municipal council as the deputy clerk.

 

Bomet town treasurer Mr. Chris Kiptala goes to Suba while Stephen Osiro who has been the treasurer Suba moves Bomet.

  

Suba