Musalia Mudavadi, Deputy Prime Minister has decided to part ways with ODM during the coming elections. This decision may indeed change the destiny of Kenya as these shapes to be most competitive presidential race ever in Kenya. Whereas many have said it is bad to think tribal, there is nothing bad for a person from any tribe aspiring to lead listening to his constituents. Western Kenya 4 counties have a population of about 4.5 million settled. If any region could spark the growth of Kenya it would be Western Kenya. Mudavadi should be thanked for taking an initiative to see the 5.4 million Luyha community is on the Presidential ballot.
The count now of political parties in Kenya is that 28 political parties have applied for full certification. By April 30th 2012 a few more parties like KANU now headed by Gideon Moi, Safina for Paul Muite, Saba Saba asili, Chama cha Uma and others may also end up filing. Once this is done a total of 35 political parties is expected. Based on these many parties we may end up having County parties as each county rallies behind the leader from their county. It is quite obvious that Kenya will have to go another 5 years before strong parties system can emerge. ...
In prayer meetings in Kenya thousands will flock to hear Uhuru. If you go to any gathering of Kenyans abroad who follow Kenya politics the name Uhuru Kenyatta is bound to be mentioned. For Uhuru to become the 4th President of Kenya he has an uphill battle. The first thing toward becoming President is getting in the presidential ballot about 45 days before elections. “Uhuru will not qualify because of the ICC case!“ Kenya based human rights lawyer Njonjo Njue told us during his visit to Boston. However if he were to qualify to win the Presidency one would have to win 50% plus one or the highest 2 percentages to be in the run-off. In the run-off one would have to win 50% plus one. Looking at the requirements it is indeed true, Uhuru Kenyatta, can become President but he may have to find a way to overcome the following 5 reasons that may limit him from becoming the Presidenct of Kenya 2012/3. ...
It is sad that often, our leaders do not listen to the people; we are all Kenyans and we want to be so. Our ethnicity should not be a way of dividing us. Instead, we should celebrate our collective cultural beauty....
“How can Uhuru be very comfortable with inheriting a land bigger than Nyanza at a time the Mau Mau kids are landless? The worst thing Kenyatta regime did was to disown or disrespect the real and true Kenyan freedom fighters for our independence. And that was the Mau Mau fighters,” Paul Nyandoto writes in an Email he is circulating in the Internet. He further writes, “Kenyatta acquired land bigger than Nyanza at a time the returning freedom fighters (Mau Mau) could not get any land to farm or settle on.” Nyandoto further implies it is the Mau Mau offspring behind the Uhuru Kenyatta ICC misfortune. But is this the case? Did Kenyatta really acquire land bigger than Nyanza? ...
Dr. Mukisha Kituyi open letter to Uhuru Kenyatta should be a wake up call to all candidates who aspire to lead Kenya. The open letter should also be a wake up call for all Kenya voters to start discussing their future as citizens of Kenya. Whereas individuals of Gikuyu, Embu, Meru Association (GEMA) were under their constitutional right to voice their support to Uhuru Kenyatta; it is up to Uhuru Kenyatta, as Dr. Kituyi notes, to shape his political destiny. Indeed many of the younger generation may not understand what GEMA, which started in 1971 and was banned in 1980, really is or was other than knowing that in involves three tribes: Gikuyu, Embu and Meru. All candidates aspiring to lead Kenya should understand that to become president of Kenya a 50% plus one requirement is needed and to get this a candidate must be a national leader. ...
President Kibaki said he is following the constitution and his Cabinet Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Mutulo Kilonzo supported him on March 2013 Election. The IEBC since has independently set the date of 4th March 2013 even though constitutionally the date of elections could have been any date between January 15th 2013 and March 16th 2013 which are within 60 days as provided. Martha Karua, Presidential aspirant and immediate former Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs who arguable spent thousands of hours working on this constitution, in her facebook wrote, “If the election date is ruled for 2013; we will have illegally extended our term in Parliament and I will not accept my salary past December.” ...
Having name on the Kenya Election Ballot, this time around, will be much harder than during the past elections. To be on the Kenya Election Ballot candidates for different seats have to meet many requirements. The hardest will be collecting signatures which many have none done. To get on the County Ward ballot one will require 500 signatures and this could also apply for the Governor depending on interpretation of article 180 (2). 1,000 signatures of supporters will be required for Member of Parliament National Assembly seat through constituency or Women’s seat, 2,000 signatures will be required for Member of Parliament running for Senate and the Presidential seat requires 2,000 registered voters supporting candidate from a minimum of 24 counties or 48,000 signatures. If anyone desiring to run for the Presidential seat was to ask two of the U.S major presidential candidates for Republican nomination, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, who missed appearing on the Virginia State ballot because they had not raised 10,000 signatures required then one will understand this is not easy. ...
The Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission (IEBC) estimate is that it will take an Intelligent person, 25 minutes, to vote for six people — President, Senator, MP-National Assembly , MP-Women Representative, Governor and County Assembly member. To be able to give all persons their right to vote 45,000 polling centres countrywide are planned for with each polling station to handle about 400 voters. If a voting day is 10 hours then each voting machine would be allocated about 600 minutes. This divided by the 25 minutes allocated would mean 24 voters per machine. A polling station of 400 voters would thus need about 16 machines. The total machines required would be 720,000 machines for the 45,000 polling centres. ...
President Kibaki cited he would base the Elections date on the court ruling. He first called the elections for December and then changed to March 2013. The court had ruled that the elections could be based on two things. Break-up of National Accord that would lead to the elections being conducted 60 days after this break up occurs. The other way was within 60 days after the current term of parliament ends, which is fixed to end January 15th 2013. Under this law the elections would be held any day from January 16th 2013 to March 15th 2013. Since President Kibaki has chosen the end of Parliament and called for March the person who now has the final say on the Election Date is Prime Minister Raila Odinga. ...
