Letters

ODM missed the point on Miguna

Sarah Elderkin, an ODM media consultant, has penned a well thought out article on former ODM hatchet man Miguna Miguna, now turned foe. In it she describes Miguna as belligerent and subject to emotional fits, delusional, untrustworthy and having a distorted sense of self.

Those are powerful adjectives that beg the question, why did they hire him ab initio and why did they not book him into a lunatic asylum once they discovered these character flaws?

Elderkin goes further to allege Miguna was arrested and charged with sexual assault in Canada, a matter which has been on the blogosphere for years. What is the import of this at this point in our history? Is ODM about to drown and hanging on anything to avoid being swept downstream? Is it not akin to a person being arrested and arraigned for a crime then pleading in his defense that his neighbour is also a criminal? It just doesn’t wash!

Many patriotic Kenyans concur that Miguna by his acts and omissions is egoistical, undisciplined, and temperamental and is a walking loose cannon. On more than one occasion he has behaved like a bull in a china shop or a demented ox.

What is surprising and unconvincing is that ODM is discovering these characteristics now. We have reason to believe their memory is incredibly selective or that they collectively suffer from amnesia.

Reverse gear

While it is not our business to interfere with them as they destroy themselves they must be honest and forthright. Miguna was good for them for as long as he was “taking the battle to the other political players”. Now that he has turned his gun on his former colleagues, he is described with adjectives bordering on his insanity. After all what goes around comes around.

The process of ODM self-destruction has clearly commenced. Before it self-destructs absolutely, we must request them to address and respond to issues and desist from launching useless and senseless personal tirades. Kenyans want them to respond to issues of corruption including the maize, oil and KKV scams as raised by Miguna.

Kenyans want to know the origin of the PM’s and cronies’ sudden immense wealth. They want to know whether electoral violence was on their agenda as alleged by Miguna and the same should be swiftly and independently investigated.

Then there are disturbing reports in the book that the PM is “a disastrous negotiator” always outwitted by President Kibaki. Were we to trust him with the presidency, how would he fare against sly, shrewd, cunning leaders? Miguna has also hinted at the PM’s poor diplomatic skills and lack of proper and efficient management at his office.

These are weighty matters that ODM needs to effectively address, instead of attacking Miguna.

{Daudi Mwenda, Nairobi}

 

A casual look at the controversial Miguna book Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, it seems the author had at least two, if not the three, sides of a coin. At least his ‘unmasking’ business wasn’t just about ODM but the coalition government.

The two sides come out when he unmasks impunity, foul-up, corruption and conspiracy that has been taking place in the coalition Government, and not ODM wing per se. However, he dwells so much on providing provocative insights on the way egregious financial and nepotism scandals have been condoned within ODM.

The third side of the coin has been brought out when all his ‘unmasking’ business has been repudiated by the PM office and ODM party stakeholders. It has been referred to as illegitimate evidence and depicted Miguna as political opportunist and scandalmonger.

So, who is fooling who, now?

Whatever happens, Miguna’s passion for transparency and indefatigable fight for constitutionalism should not be discontinued arbitrarily.

{Joseph G Muthama, Thika}

 

Let author give information to right parties

Miguna Miguna, the former advisor to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, should do this country a favour by reporting the scandals he has mentioned in his new book, Peeling Back the Mask, to the police and anti-corruption authorities.

Since he says he has all the facts about the scandals he should do the right thing and report to the relevant authorities. Writing a book will not help us. He should report how much money was stolen and by who.

He also claims to have information about senior ODM figures who were involved in planning the post-election violence of 2008. This information doesn’t belong to the public. Let him hand it over to the police and the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Threatening to expose this or that individual in the new book, I guess, it’s just a marketing strategy for the book.

{Dr Kowino  J O, London}

 

Whether Miguna is right or not (about his unmasking of scandals in the office of the Prime Minister) is not important for now. The most important thing is that he has given us a window through which we can view the hypocrisy in politics.

However, Miguna exposed himself as a person who cannot be trusted in the society – one who can be paid to watch thieves loot.

{Ngunjiri Warui, Maseno}

 

For me, Miguna is a man on a mission. Though he is not a political herring as minister Otieno Kajwang’ would like Kenyans to believe, and that Miguna is not Judas Iscariot, the brilliant lawyer is simply on a revenge mission. Remember the PM humiliated Miguna by sacking him on the phone.

This Miguna-Raila drama is a good lesson to future leaders that they should be very careful when dealing with activists. In 2005 John Githongo created panic in Kibaki’s inner circle. In 2009, Tony Gachoka behaved like a spoilt child when he resigned as chief of protocol in the PM’s office. These three have no respect for the offices they served.

The trio have a lesson to learn from former Chief Justice Charles Njonjo. When he resigned from Moi’s government in 1983, everybody expected him to go ballistic and vomit all what he knew about the president. He would have boasted rightfully how he helped the man climb to the throne after Kenyatta’s death. Instead Njonjo resigned from ‘dirty’ politics and has never said anything negative publicly about his former boss.

{Muchiri Gichuhi, Nairobi}

 

Church can’t repent same mistake twice

When they came up after the 2008 election skirmishes in repentance with covered faces, Church leaders vowed never to engage in politics of separation and steer off politic-like acts about their pulpits. The forgiving Kenyans accepted the apologies and left it to the Church to live as per the clergy’s word.

A cursory look today, however, reveals a rude scene: that the Church is once again going to bed with politicians. Why for example, are politicians most of whom rarely grace church services now trooping in their numbers to church and with questionable ideals away from the fishing for souls to the Lord?

They are keen in fishing poor souls from the altar of the Lord to that of politics and they have found a partner in unsteady clerics who allow them the very Lord’s pulpit to hunt for votes albeit religiously.

The Church should remember its vows of 2008 and keep politicians and their dirty games from pulpits.

{Robert Amalemba, Kakamega}

 

Give Mombasa the value it deserves

Mombasa is arguably one of the leading coastal cities in Africa. It is the gateway to the eastern Africa and centre for lucrative businesses.

Unlike any other city in Kenya, Mombasa is rich in historical sites and other tourism attractions including parks, ocean beaches and geographical sceneries.

These make Mombasa a distinct centre for tourism.

However, Mombasa needs to be beautified to make it more attractive. For instance, water fountains needs to be placed on the major roads after cleaning the city of heaps of dirt.

{Zakayo Amayi, Mombasa}

 

What happened to Mwariro market?

Five years ago, the City Council of Nairobi, in partnership with WEMA Foundation Trust, launched a project to build a hawkers market (Mwariro) in Kariokor area in the city. The local authority kicked out Jua Kali artisans who occupied the plot and fenced it off. However, to date, nothing more has happened.

The intention was to decongest the neighbouring Muthurwa and Ngara markets and also lock out hawkers from operating from the city centre, where they have a cat-and-mouse game with City askaris.

Most saddening is the fact that the fenced Mwariro plot is now a hideout for criminals who rob and mug passers-by and motorists in this area. Definitely, this was not the idea CCN and WEMA had in mind.

{Jesse Kamwaro, Nairobi}