By Wanderi wa Kamau

FALLACIOUS ATTACKS TO MIGUNA BOOK AN INDICATION OF ITS IMPACT TO KENYA'S
POLITICAL SCENARIO

Reading Miguna Miguna's reply to what he calls 'Raila's groupies and KANU orphans'(The Star 31st July),I was left with a lot of questions as well as innumerable makings of this man.Firstly,Miguna is a jurisprudence pundit who argues factually.His arguments revolves around sound ,concrete and substantiated evidences;not fallacious theories,as his critics would like us to believe.

Ngunjiri Wambugu was the first one to hurl a salvo at demonizing Miguna's personality,terming him as 'narcisstic'.In almost his entire colunm,Wambugu tried to present validities that would have driven us to believe that Miguna is indeed a man who suffers from a psychological incapacitation.To Wambugu and his ilk I present this question:If Miguna was then psychotic,as he proposed,would his intelligently written book be a subject of national discussion?Would he be a responsible man,handling a family as a father?Many other questions and doubts would follow,but real opinion writing calls for rhetorical modicum as well as sense of decorum.

Miguna's seething fury is primarily driven by what he found at the OPM.He has constantly emphasized that he never thought a man he thought one of Kenya's best sons and political heroes was sorrounded by masters and kingpins of corrupt deals,scandals and mega-scandals.True to his argument,isn't is true that the PM was reluctant to sack Water and Irrigation Minioster Charity Ngilu and recently Medical Services minister Anyang' Nyong'o over the NHIF scam?Why did the premier hury to demote and eventually sack Eldoret North MP William Ruto from his Agriculture Ministry docket?Isn't this a clear sdemonstration of double standards? Does posing such a question qualify one as a mental attendee?

On the other hand,Prof Makau Mutua termed Miguna's book as a 'cheap piece' which scores a mere 'D' to the reader(Sunday Nation,29th July).Mutua went on to state that 'people should not write cheap books' to settle their scores.Miguna responded by correcting Mutua that his was not an 'academic' book but mere political memoirs.Its true that any type of memoirs do not have any academic referencing.As a person who found his way to the corridors of Kenya's mainstream politics,Miguna incorporated his observations in his stint as the PM's seniormost political advisor,and a member of his political think tank(s).A participation of such critical strategies involves reliance on other strategies that were used elsewhere in various political systems in the world.This calls for the adoption of use of detailed political ideologies and applying them in the Kenyan context.

Having an interaction of such knowledge,Miguna developed his principles, which he believed would best suit the cleansing of our polar and volatile political system.At our disposal,we have some renown works that suit Miguna's Peeling Back The Mask such as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's Not Yet Uhuru,JM Kariuki's A Mau Mau Detainee,Wanyiri Kihoro's Never Say Die:The Chronicles of A Political Prisoner  among others.These works recapture the respective author's presonal life and struggles as well as highlighting their believes in ideologies which they thought that were best suited to redeem our country from the manacles of one-party rule totalitariasnism as well as perpetual economic stagnation,as highlighted in Oginga's Not Yet Uhuru,who championed for the adoption of communism,as Julius Nyerere had done in Tanzania.Kariuki's work demonstrates the suffreings of Mau Mau freedom fighters in colonial camps and their eventual betrayal by the Kenyatta regime,as powerful political figureheads ganged up to grab large tracts of land meant for these poor freedom fighters.Up to now,they are still fighting for their rights,courtesy of the ongoing case at London.Thousands of others are squattres in various parts of the country.

Other frivolous and half-baked attack says that Miguna wrote the book in a hurry.I wish to state that not only did he delay the production of the book,but also could have added more contents.During its launch,Miguna non-hesitantly asserted that he could be writting two more books.Having the facts at his disposal,did he have to consult other publications to authenticate his message which he already had?The publishing of the book was timely,in ordrer to put to weigh,the effectiveness of our predidential aspirants.Peeling Back the Mask gives an untold accuracy of exact dates,days and the time that events happened.What else could have been 'researched' as the critics poses?

Summarily,I do not wish to underscore the popularity of Prime Minister Raila Odinga as a doyen of Kenya's multiparty politics.Budalangi legislator,Ababu Namwamba,once wrote that Kenya's politics are driven by two waves:Railamania and Railaphobia.This is very true,for a critical observer.For instance,in 2002 the PM's slogan of Kibaki Tosha is the one that changed the whole course of the presidential polls.In 2005's referundum,the PM was the central figure in determining the vote outcome-his NO side won by a landslide.In 2007's poll,Railamania was one of the two competing factions.And now,its all about the two manias.The PM  will remain a legend of Kenyan politics,just as his late father.

Conclusively,lets uphold sobriety when debating national issues.

 By Wanderi wa Kamau

PEELING BACK THE MASK:WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR RAILA?

The much anticipated book,Peeling Back the Mask,by former premier's advisor,MIguna Miguna may have serious political implications on the PM ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections.

In the initial stage of public revelation of the book,it was said to be in the hands of renown American conspiracy theorist,Dr,Jerome Corsi.Going by the publications of the leftist author,his works on various political figures in the United States politics have had significant repercussions upon their political careers.The most renown one is Unfit for Command:Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Aganist John Kerry,whose sole aim was to negate the presidential bid of John Kerry,who sought to oust incumbent President George Bush in the 2004 presidential elections.It worked out,as the book became a bestseller and managed to change some diehard Democrat supporters following fallacious theories it had advanced aganist Kerry.

This leftism stance is what Miguna Miguna seemed to have taken.I wish to contradict with those already convinced that these explosive memoirs may not manage to taint Raila's political legacy.Currently,the PM is campaigning on a what ha calls a 'reformists' versus 'non-reformists' platform.

Going by the serialisation as well as the initial reviews of the book,one of its aims is 'to question the reformist credentials' of the PM.Miguna was the PM advisor on coalition government matters for close to three years,and he knows the inside account on what transpired in the PM's ofice during his tenure.I can bet that Miguna can not cook up his own theories,but he is trying to give the real picture of what characterises our political offices.

The anticipation of the book has elicited shockwaves,even to the ordinary voters,who also have great anxiety to know the contents of the book.Some FM radio stations,through their shows have gone to the extent of pinpointing to their audiences of Miguna's book contents.Some of these stations command great geo-political influence in their respective areas.

The timing of the launching of the book is also another important consideration.It is at the height of the electioneering campaigns and it may be used by anti-Raila crusaders to perpetuate negative propaganda about him.Therefore,the impacts of the book should not be overlooked.

However,Miguna's portrayal of great negativism aganist the PM in this book may work as an impediment to its credibility.The book is replete with portraying the murky side of his former boss,weakening it as a demonstration of emotional revenge,qualifying it as subjective.

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 JOEL GITIMU:WASIFU WA DIWANI MSHAIRI

 

Amewahi kuangaziwa na Taifa Leo mara mbili kama mmoja wa viongozi wachanga zaidi nchini Kenya.Ni kiongozi mshairi,mchanga na mwenye mwonolimwengu mpana.Anaelewa changamoto ambazo wananchi hupitia maanake amedhihirisha wazi kwamba vijana wana uwezo wa kuongoza pasi dhana ambazo huwa na jamii kwamba wao hawafai kutwikwa nyadhifa na wajibu wa uongozi.

Lakini Joel Gitimu,diwani wa wadi ya Lenginet,Nakuru, amedhihirisha kwamba vijana wana uwezo wa kuongoza,na kufikia malengo makubwa ambayo jamii inaweza ikafaidika nao.Tangu aliposhinda uchaguzi mdogo katika wadi hii mnamo 2008,wengi walikuwa na tashwishi kwamba kijana kama huyu angeweza kuwajibikia majukumu sufufu ambayo yalimngojea kama kiongozi aliyetegemewa na jamii kama mfano wa kuigwa.

Nikiwa mkaazi wa wadi hii,ni dhahiri kwamba mengi yamebadilika tangu 2008.Kwanza,eneo hili lina wakaazi wa jamii mbalimbali.Gitimu,chini wa uongozi wake mwenye maono,ameweza kuwaunganisha wakaazi wa hapa pasi kujali jamii wanamotoka.Kupitia kwa ughani wake wa mashairi ambao amekuwa akiufanya katika mikutano ya hadhara,diwani huyu amekuwa katika mstari wa mbele kuupiga vita ukabila na kuwaonya wananchi kwamba ni kikwazo cha ustawi wa kimaendeleo.

Mengi ya mashairi yake huonyesha maudhui ya uzalendo.Aghalabu yeye huwa hatoi hotuba kama wanasiasa wale wengine.

Amekuwa mfano wa kuigwa na vijana,wazee na kila mmoja katika jamii.Chini ya uongozi wake,eneo hili limestawi kimiundo msingi ambayo ilikuwa imedorora hapo kabla.Wanagenzi wa shule za upili wamekuwa wakinufaika kwa fedha za basari ambazo huwasaidia sana wazazi wao katika ulipaji wa karo yao.Mfumo wa utoaji wa fedha hizi aidha umekuwa na uwazi mkubwa,tangu awe diwani.

Badala ya kuita na kuandaa mikutano ya kisiasa,mingi ya mikutano yake huwa ni kumbi za kutoa nasaha kwa wanafunzi hawa kupitia mashairi,hadithi na hotuba zilizojaa na kusheheni nukuu za wanafalsafa mashuhuri.Diwani huyu ni mwandishi mtajika kwani ameandika diwani kadhaa za mashairi,ikiwemo 'Ota na Uwe' iliyozinduliwa miaka miwili iliyopita.Diwani hii imewasaidia wengi katika kuwapa motisha maishani.

Ni dhahiri basi kupitia kwa mfano wa diwani Gitimu,vijana wanao uwezo mkubwa wa uongozi ikiwa wanaweza kupewa nafasi katika jamii kudhihirisha hayo.