How Ruto and the gang are lying on amendments to draft before the plebiscite

Hon William Kipchirchir Samoei arap Ruto, WKR, has said it is STILL possible to negotiate amendments to the draft before the referendum. Well, that is what I would like to see happen. The reasons for our agreement with WKR might be different, however. And that is the end of our congruence of thought. Personally, I hate to see schisms in our society fed by fear and twisted logic. Facts are scary for agents of disinformation. And I guess that is why some people do not want to allow room for civic education. I have heard of tales of people who are scared with stuff like "The RV land is targeted in the constitution". Now the people being told that have no land in the first place! So what shall be taken away from them, if I may ask.

FACT: The current Draft is driven by an Act of parliament, the Constitution of Kenya Review Act (2008) published in the Kenya Gazzette of 22nd Dec 2008. A summary of the Act is given graphically at the CoE Wbsite.

FACT: There exists NO provision in the current driver, the Constitution of Kenya Review Act (2008) for negotiations outside the framework provided which means there is only one logical destination for the draft, safe for editorial corrections at the AG Chambers. That destination is a plebiscite with a clear and YES or NO.

KCC: A historical perspective

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.

Ruto candidacy

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.