Now to my task as a Kenyan. I am not trained in legal matters and what I offer is basically a layman's wish. I have stayed limited to Chapters twelve (Executive) and fourteen (devolution) for now. I have some misgivings about certain matters of language such as:
Article 156 (2) The State President shall exercise the powers and perform the functions of that office on the advice of the Cabinet unless this Constitution states otherwise. Does he SEEK Cabinet advise OR does Cabinet offer such advise without prompting. I think this 'trigger' needs to be put in black and white. For example, the words: Always, constantly, regularly, etc may be juxtaposed somewhere to disambiguate this and help eliminate the Rigera-type scenarios. The president might argue, 'I didn't need the help of the cabinet' on that, and still point to the ambivalence of this loophole. Let us use a toothcomb on the language!
These are my observations and misgivings so far, which I am also sending to the CoE via email.
Ochamegei boiisiechu (abeere muren booi Boaz). Lagok che koyai tiemuutik ko mie koisto ng'olyoot ne kileen "ke tar sukul". Ma mii chi ne tarei sukul. Agot ane nga kimoori kaineet keleen Dr ko toom aatar sukul. Tarei biich sukul. Ye mwa lakweet anan ko sigiik kole "ki ko tar sukul kip anan ko chep shiancho". Mwaeet ne uu noo ko teechei ng'otweet em kabwotuutik. Ribegei chi marigindoab kabwatuutik.
Em kasari ko mi ole kimuuchi kesooman buch em university. Geer Finland ak Jurumaan. Oli kimuuch kesooman em university em robiisiek che ng'ering. Em Juruman ko Jimbo che mochei chepkondook kemogee lakwa elipu 60 kitio. Oltinweek alak ko ma kimochei chepkoonda.
Kobaate....
Nga mi ng'ony chepkondook che kemochei em Finland, Juruman, Sweden ak agot China, ko magaat keng'alaal kutiitnywa. Ara anyuun lakweet ne ko koit kilas 12 ko nda imuugaksei kowo kolej ne kineeti kutusweechu asi kobiit kiibara kiwotoosiekab sobeet. Nda momi chepkondokab Kolej ko amu nee lagook che mi oltinweek che kimuuchi keyai kandaras kou kap chai anan keebut bandek asi konyoor chepkondook che inetegei kompiuta anan kutuswek che tesei boroinwekab somaneet.
Omwachi lagook konai kole koobek pocket money yo ko itui sandukuutab sukul. Nguno ko yaachei ko am kaootikchiik.
Mie ke kaaman kanetisiet agobo koroi kiguree Ukimwi asi kitigiin ko ma itiaach lagook seseenik ne matinyei aiyo. Mi ting'ong'eet beek oriit, mat siil beek kiholeela.
In 1990, Egerton University upgraded its Dairy Technology Diploma to a degree course. The BSc Dairy Science & Technology was custom-designed to train 'future KCC managers'. The first batch of the 8-4-4s who had chosen a UoN Food Science found ourselves at Egerton. We were 26 in number. I was the only one from the RVP. In 1992, May to be precise, then Minister for Co-operatives, the late Kamwithi Munyi, ammended the Act that had hitherto given KCC a monopoly. The Kenya Dairy Board lost its teeth. Imports of dairy products came in, including products with radioactive material, that Ukrainian milk powder contaminated by the Chernobyl Nuclear disaster of Apr 1986.
Among the loosers were the farmers, who, without knowing also contributed to the demise of KCC. I wrote my term paper on this liberalisation and its impact on KCC and farmer payments. I am sorry that I cannot locate the hard copy at the moment. However, apart from a free-for-all- importation of cheap and subsidised milk and milk products, farmers were doing what they continue to do. In the morning, they'd supply milk to KCC, but either due to lack of knowledge or merely because they were trying to make a kill, they took their midday and evening milk on bicycle to Eldoret. They were selling full fat raw milk to the same target consumer to whom KCC was meant to sell processed milk, The farmer's milk was costing half the prize of the processed milk from KCC. This hawking was allowed because Munyi's amendment made 'hawking' of milk legal. For with it, the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) could not impound any unprocessed milk.
Amos,
It is democracy at play. For Ruto to declare his candidacy in ODM he is entitled and he should not cease to pursue that way. ODM must promote internal contests and democracy. However, his candidacy need not be Kalonzo-style. He should be guided to practice 'inclusion'. At the moment, guaging by what I have heard so far from third parties, he is not interested in ODM. Ruto's game plan is to herd the Kalenjiin to a party from where he will launch his bid. Knowing well (Kansola let it out today morning) that he will not make it but remain a king-maker, he will hawk us to a 'coalition partner' for trade-offs. Now that is where I part ways with his ambitions. Is it difficult for Ruto's handlers to sound him on the likelihood that Raila might as well be PM in future and not necessarily interested in the presidency? Why don't we encourage Ruto to 'use' Raila and his numbers as he builds bridges to other people like Balala? Surely you don't torch your house before you build another. ODM is a mass movement and Ruto needs to scheme well to not only inherit Raila's numbers but position the Kalenjiin in government, not as beggars to be included in a government. I would like to see Ruto contest within ODM, win the ticket or lose it BUT remain committed to ODM and its aspirations to lead Kenya. That is politics of the future, not the 'nomadism' that I hear coming through.
I hear democracy, democracy. Isn't it democracy when Musa Sirma, Magereer Lang'at and Frankline Bett or even Henry Kosgey decide to stick with Raila? Do we have two prisms through which we measure democracy? While we are passionate about a Ruto presidency, let us be cognisant of the fact that we have differences of opinion. People should be respected for that diversity. But again, Kanu taught us 'sauti moja' but it didn't tell us which one, Bass, alto, tenor or soprano! A lot of the Kanu lynch squad is loose and doing what is natural for them.
Arap Sang, ODM ko nenyoo Kalenjiin. Amu nee asi ma kiyan keele demokras ko le chi mochei koek President em ODM. Biikab ODM che imong'u chiito ne wendii ko soomei ng'echereet. Ngamwa ale mi ng'echerook aeng'u Kenya: president ak PM. Kalya asi ma king'omegituu ak kiroopgei biik che koneech koitoosiek (numbers) che indoeech Sirikali oriit. Momii bororieet ne imuchi ko boi Kenya inegei. Mochei biik toreteetab Kalenjiin, mochei Kalejiin toreteetab biik alak aki icheek.
Ma nyolu kecheeng'chigei buunik che chang. Kou yo kamwa Kansola ko ma chamei Ruto kaiin toroor ak ko nguno kocheeng'ei buunik em Kaap Some ak Kap Kulusya. Mageere amu ne asi ketinye korotiik che bo uoteet ne ki ombenooti kong'eete goot age agoi goot age. Atkinye kemande em Kadu, ye itio keng'eetee Kanu agoi ODM. Ngunoo omoche kokeny kebe kiroonget ke kertee oreet? Asoome ale kobiit internal democracy em Kalenjiin ak ODM. Kou yoo mitei biik che leweni age ko mii bik che ma mochei nootok. Kobaate chang saanik em ODM ak ke mochegei tugul. Nyolu Kalenjiin keteschii ng'ulootio ng'oomnon, amat kindoi seruun.
Nyolu koguur Elders tuiyeet ne bo MPs tugul asi kochoomnyo, ma nyolu ko amegei ng'eng'eweet ak komii tuguuk che chaang che igeneech. Ngo le chi mochei ng'echer ko ka tiech beekab ingiro? Biik che wolu (iyamuani). Sere igatwoo Cheptabach.
Ng'eet anyuun I wee, angu kaaga cham keng'oleech kele 24% biik alage em Kenya. Ageere ale nyolu kotuiyo kandoik tugul em Kalenjiin ak kobekchi ng'aleekchok. Amoche aleenji bikchook momi amu nee asi ke meeite kainaiikab koreet ak emeet ne ke reember ak kotesei tai ngelelyoondonoo ko saksakani emeet. Onge chamde kepchei Rift Valley, ang kaleen ki kiroo koiin age kele nga menyei wakiik che chang ko ng'olooli kipkutiinak. Ma mi ng'ala, kimuuchi keemeny komosweek che teer ak kiyopchigei ng'aleek, mitei Kass FM ak simoiisiechoo.
Tos tuiyo MPs chechook korok ak kobegeechi ole ta ki tilda emeet ama nyi Ligale ko mitweech ng'aleek? Joshua, oiin 2007 ko ki mitei Kalenjiin Professionals. Kichuus kowo anoondo? Magotiin nguno bichootok kosiir asi kogoon kandoinateet em ole ma magee kiy MP anan kansola.
Joshua, kata amoche amwa kou ni: ata MPs che tinyei Central ak ata che bo RV? Pchechii ile biik kepchechi MPs asi iroo ile biik ata em MP ageenge. Ki ke ng'aleech koek keny ak keleen ki ng'ering ko chaang' alage. Tos mi Kivuitu oloo kitesee koitoosiekab census? Aiywei ale imuuchi kochuchuuch koitoosiekab ole kimochei ketebee.
Ngot ko egoosiek che bwonei ko Constituency ne wendi ko egu korosioot ne iyumi biik ko nyolu keng'alaal em Asiistab ra.
Editor's note: This post was first published on June 27, 2007. It has since been reported to me as being corrupt. Fortunately, it was widely circulated and a good sAmaritan has sent me a copy he had saved on his pc.
That William Samoei Kipchirchir arap Ruto is a businessman with few equals is not a secret. The former student of the immortal KapsabetBoysHigh School has a nose for the shilling that is unmatched by his peers and agemates. Not many of his contemporaries have seen a million shillings, except in writing, and are unlikely to see it in their lifetime. Likewise, his rise in politics was undoubtedly as meteoric as it was highly unexpected. The former meek Christian Union (CU) and North Rift Evangelistic Team (NORET) official has confounded both friend and foe. Those who know Mr. Ruto well attest to a calculating and ambitious man, sometimes the ambition leading to serious fall-outs reminiscent of betrayals and not-entirely-over-the-table decisions. It is therefore not a wonder that he fell out of favour (or is it the other way round!) with the moneyed blue-eyed boys of the Moi Statehouse - Cyrus Jirongo and Gideon Moi. What led to their fall-outs and the fact that Mr Ruto has a near sneerish gaze at them whenever he comes face to face with them is both mysterious and tempting. But that is not the hypothesis of the present thesis.
Upon the retirement of the all-domineering Senior citizen Moi, the Kalenjin Moi Statehouse squatters were orphaned. With trepidation they lived each day, not knowing when the 'incorrigible' Kiraitu Murungi-led purge of the former official thieves could come knocking on their now porous doors. For with the departure of Mr. Moi, the deepest secrets of his side-kicks, including Mr. Ruto, were filtering through. It was then that the Kalenjin were cajoled and coerced into a cocoon of fear and scouting for a protector became inevitable. Admittedly, the first goof of the nuptial Kibaki Statehouse was a direct affront on the senior Moi who was fast gaining world-wide acclaim and local sympathies for having ceded power peacefully contrary to beliefs by the doomsayers. Nonetheless, Mr. Moi was making amends with the lynch-pins in the Kibaki Statehouse and as it became increasingly clear that he was safe, his former army of tainted poodles were running scared. Mr Ruto emerged as a noisy champion of Kalenjin 'rights to live in Kenya' and this elevated the former humble AIC-adherent to pop-status overnight. That emergence of Ruto came, perhaps by happenstance rather than design, with the emergence of the immensely popular vernacular radio station, Kass FM. Matters were to be God-sent when, unprovoked, some thinkers in the Kibaki Statehouse and particularly at the Information ministry imposed an illegitimate, if entirely unwarranted, attempt to gag the station. When Mr. Sang of Kass FM was thrown into a police cell, Ruto rallied the Kalenjin people to a free advertisement and instant elevation, of both Kass FM and Sang on the one hand and Ruto himself and a number of opposition MPs on the other, to glorified protectors of the Kalenjin against collective persecution by the Kibaki puritanists and Kalenjin-hate machine. It was therefore natural and a very logical consequence when Mr. Ruto decided to throw in the towel and offer himself as a presidential candidate in the crowded, if star-studded, ODM-Kenya. This came hot on the heels of Mr. Ruto having led his politically conscious constituency of Eldoret North to provide the highest count of 'NO' or Orange support against the mutilated and doctored constitution. Even when he was crowned as a Kalenjin elder, he still enjoyed near-hysterical support. The rest, as they say, is history.
After releasing his blue-print which was duped "A Kenya for all Kenyans", Ruto was hailed as a serious contender for Statehouse and not merely one escorting others to the gate. Although his vision was lacking in intellectual input and was massively silent on cardinal pillars of development for the 21st century and beyond (health, science and technology and anti-corruption), it was an eye-opener. That Kenya suffers political plagiarism is not unique. Many people simply take blue-prints and cover the original author's name with the sorry mistake that they forget to replace other salient items of identity. Nonetheless, Ruto promised a fair distribution of wealth, although the vision was silent on wealth creation. You cannot divide ugali equally unless you have made it! One could as well say that Raila's sterling and Hollywood-style launch was a stark revision of the preceding launch episodes. That of course is not to be taken at face-value because one may as well wish to ask why Joseph Nyaga decided to offer a comical display while he launched his with the laughable rider "I'm more educated than all the others" which only served to underline the below-par delivery of service that awaits Kenyans from President Joe Nyaga. It will be safe to imagine that Ruto evolved a highly unjustified ideation that he was as good as the 'god of the Kalenjin' with the launch. This possibly meant that he regarded the Kalenjin vote as his to lose. Suffice it to say that the Kenyan media treated the launch unjustly, offering him just but a page five three-paragraph coverage for all the evening's worth. Well that is an issue for the 'members of the fourth estate'. Notably, the Kenya Times, which Mr. Ruto is fighting a court case to take it away from Kanu members, gave him a front-page coverage. Another day we will revisit the claim that Mr. Ruto has vandalised the printing press in a bid to steal the newspaper.
Concomitant with Ruto's release of his vision and entry into the real-politik arena was a claim by the diminutive and highly experienced Kiprono Nicholas Kipyator arap Biwott's claim of Kanu. Derisively of course, Ruto et al dismissed Mr. Biwott and failed to notice the invisible hand of the senior Moi in the machinations. Soon it was to dawn on Ruto that, like Mr. Kenyatta, all of Moi's students cannot claim to graduate themselves unless the grand-master offers the green-light. He has woken up to realise in the last few weeks that he is currently party-less because Mr. Kenyatta has chickened out of the ODM-K juggernaut with the instruments of Kanu. Mr. Ruto, is therefore, in ODM-K as an individual, virtually party-less and with no bargaining chip. Although he took for granted certain undercurrents of the old Kalenjin suspicions, Ruto was to rue his wasted opportunities when the more experienced Henry Kosgey decided to openly back Raila and therefore drew a clear boundary between the ambiguity with which Mr. Ruto was moving around his politics and his resolute determination not to allow the Nandi to be 'held by the nose' for another 24 years. It is instructive that there is no love lost between Ruto and Kosgey, indeed almost any other Kalenjin leader who doesn't seem to grovel at Ruto's feet. Again things were not helped by Ruto's penchant of 'pursuing a snake to its hole' by stirring the hornet's nest each time he seemed to dismiss the senior Moi.
That some people have issues to grind with Mr. Moi because of his overbearing nature in politics is not news. However, the Kalenjin peoples' magnanimity should not be underestimated. In like manner, Ruto's tendency was spiralling fast towards the big-man syndrome and he was developing enemies among the elite in the Kalenjin community while accumulating a category of followers that are known for insults and lack of respect. This explains why he has reached where he is. At almost the same time, Mr. Ruto awoke to rude realities that the Nandi were pulling in tandem with Kosgey towards Raila, the Keiyo seem stagnant with Biwott while the Tugen are mark-timing with the cultic Moi family. These are not helped by the fact that some enigmatic Kipsigis leaders like his former schoolmate Nick Salat (who has stuck with his bakule Gideon, and Biwott) and the ebullient Kipkalya arap Kones (who, together with his Bakule Franklin Bett, are gravitating towards Raila Odinga in the ODM-K fallout) dropped Ruto's candidature like a hot potato! Consequently, Ruto has been left with a skeleton of hangers-on who have more fights on their own hands. Add these to the dilemma of a man with no secretariat for his presidential campaigns and you have a president indeed (tongue-in-cheek)!
It is important to note that the choice of an ODM-K candidate is not without pitfalls and the dangers of irreparable splits. Consensus is seemingly the most viable means at arriving at a winner. However, consensus should be guided on the principle that the most popular candidate be chosen. As matters stand in the fluid politics of Kenya, it would seem too soon to pick a candidate. One only needs to see the sharp fall of Kalonzo Musyoka from the overwhelming candidate of choice a few months ago to an also-run these days. Raila started off with a consistent sub-20% approval, he has risen now to become the only logical consensus candidate. What happens if the wave changes against him later? Raila is the man of the moment and to ask him to step down in favour of anybody else is laughable. That the Kalenjin are yearning for a consensus is no secret. That they want to support a decision that involves the winner, is without doubt, unmistakeable. It would seem natural, therefore, that our leaders need a close, even parasitic relationship with the people. For to ask Raila to step down when the gods are smiling at him is to ask the Kalenjin people to throw their caution to the wind. That is not practical and Ruto's think-thank seems to have gone on holiday the moment it appeared that he had everyone of us under wraps. 'Ma ki esee beep suuswo', the wind is blowing away that confidence with the consequence that the nakedness of the leaders are being revealed for all and sundry to see!
When Mr. Ruto, therefore, decided to pay a highly unexpected and unprovoked, if poorly thought out, tour to Nyanza MPs few of his supporters expected him to propose the ridiculous things that he did. Proposing to Mr. Odinga that they step down 'for the sake of a winning formula', Ruto got a taste of his medicine when the Nyanza entourage told him to his face to forget it. It is important that hot on the heels of this, Kass FM's fans took an unscientific but probable poll which showed that 74% of the Kalenjin would like to vote for Raila against 14% and 12% for Kalonzo and Mudavadi, respectively. The stark contrast between Mr. Ruto's alleged winning formula and the Kalenjin peoples' aspirations showed a man living on planet Mars. This is the consequence of pride and the schemes of a nakedly greedy man who lacks respect for the collective hope vested on him by the Kalenjin people. Left holding a dead baby in his hands, Ruto has refused to take counsel and retreat to seek the Kalenjin peoples' direction for the future. As I pen this argument, it is emerging that Mr. Ruto was yesterday steeped in yet another controversial effort to woo Mr. Musyoka to step down for Mudavadi. He could as well be heading to Kalonzo with the false believe that he will appear as a champion of sacrifice. What a fallacy! That Mr. Ruto was a pedestrian in the political terrain is now an open secret. That he is running from hotel to hotel hawking the Kalenjin vote and support is ridiculous and borders on the absurd. If Ruto does believe in Mr. Odinga stepping down, why didn't he contemplate asking him to step down and support the Ruto campaign? Why has Mr. Ruto not seen it wise to ask the others to step down for Raila, the overwhelmingly popular candidate at the moment? Is he serving his narrow, business-like interests with this new move or is he a Jeremiah for the Kalenjin?
It would now appear that Ruto is interested in deal-making as a means to nominating the ODM-K flag-bearer to the chagrin of Mr. Odinga and all democrats in the ODM-K. Mr. Odinga, like many ODM-K followers, believes in holding primaries to sort out the candidacy. It is important to note that the decision to back boardroom selections are reminiscent of all of Mr. Moi's 'speak with one voice' mantra. Question is, is Mr. Ruto hawking the Kalenjin for their good or for his good? Who mandated Ruto to 'do a deal' with the less popular candidates when he has not asked the Kalenjin people for the direction? The last time Ruto held a massive rally, it was at Kapkatet. At that meeting, just like on Kass FM, he had sworn to the point of telling off Mr. Moi that he was not going to give up the race. Why is he betraying the collective hope and aspirations of the Kalenjin? Why is he backing a minority candidate, when all indicators are that the Kalenjin 'koyameechin botaan keelog' to support Mr. Odinga's viable-ever bid for Statehouse. Is Mr. Ruto a mere pedestrian who wanted to use us to up his stakes in a game we least understood? Does anybody care to tell him to learn a culture of discussion and feedback so that people know why and where he is going? Or has he fallen to the old dismissive antics of 'leen nee noo?' Ko koaldeech arap Ruto, period!
Joshua, Nga atinye teeret em sobeet asi ma amwaa che chaang ko neegit ateebe biik che echeen eng acheek Kaplelacheek ale:
Chumeechu, Saweiyeechu ak Kipkooimetyeek/Koroongorreek omwaiweech....
Tos ki kowalak kieet yetaab kochutchi biik Mau? Unee roopta em Bureti ne Tebees, Kericho, Belgut ak Naikuro yetaab komeny biik Mau ak koluul ketiik? Ngot ko kiyoomio ainoosiek, ak ko kitiginiit roopta kotoi kopispiis ago kicham koraang'u kipupumuuit eng tai ko nyolu keguut ndureruut amu ki ko er ng'ony.
Ye igeer pichaiinik agobo tororeetab Mau ak timwek alak che uu Cheroondo ko riirin moo. Agot ileet ne kimii Tindireet ko ki kou neegit ma kemwoe keleen Tindireet Chebuusia ne ngooliel kegool bai.
Arap Sang, nda ki nge koonu mbareet eng Mau kigoochi kibananiaat ta murei yeto age. Kobaate ye ki kikoitoi mbareet ko kimiitei chemoetiinik che ma ristoos mootinweek eng mbareenikab ADC, Kapchai eng Nandi/Kipsigiis and timwek alak. Kinyoor mbareenik che tioniin chemogeenik eng Mau, ki igoochi che tioniin goriikwaak, Chebaigeiinikwaak ak alak.
Ye kiwos biik eng Mau ko ng'oo ne riirei ko ng'oo ne rooriei? Ageere ale ma nyolu kinde siasa Mau, ago nyolu kemitei tai eng ripseetab kieet (environment) ngaap kiboo teeta ak mbar. Ye kesen emeet ak koesio kotiaach roopta ko chiito ne tai ne nyalili ko chichoo kwerei keeldo agoi Naikurro kotugul kocheeng'ei kiruoget ne mie. Chemogeenik ko piru simeet kityo, ma ing'eigei.
Joshua, ageere ale nyolu serikali koweech mbareenik chebo ADC asi kigoochi pichootok kimoong'u. Ma nyolu kinde piik rawang, ago mie konai kiruogik ak kandoik kole ma kiyae kumbet sobonwekab biik amu biik ko ma tuguuk. Ileenji Kalenjiin koriip laatit, nyoonei kowolokwsei emeet ak ko luk roopta.
Ng'o ne tinyei saw mill eng Mau?
Ng'o ne ki ng'u ketiikab Mau ib kotamiit?
Kibaniinik che kinyoor ekaiisiek 500 chiichak konyooru kibananook ekaisiek aeng?
