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ODM Calls for Fresh Protests, Govt creates Mediation Team PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kiddi   
Monday, 21 January 2008

Over the weekend, the Orange Democratic Movement called for more protests among its supporters. [Check for Updates]

Scroll to the bottom for updates.

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Sunday, Raila announced that ODM would conduct protests in Kisumu and Kakamega beginning Monday.

The Daily Nation reports that Raila will not meet with Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. Musyoka has been appointed by President Mwai Kibaki to lead a 10-man team to mediate between the opposition and the government on the results of the disputed elections.

According to a press statement released by the government, the committee headed by Musyoka will "spearhead national political dialogue, national reconciliation and to promote international understanding and good relations on the political problems facing the country following the recently concluded elections." Raila, who feels betrayed by Kalonzo, has called him "Kenya's Judas".

Other committee members of the government's political committee are: George Saitoti, Moses Wetangula, Amos Kimunya, Uhuru Kenyatta, Chirau Mwakwere, Martha Karua, Amos Wako, and Mutula Kilonzo. 

According to the Daily Nation the weekend also saw more deaths across the country.

The UN and other relief agencies have expressed their concern over the government's decision to close Jamhuri Park later today. Over the last two weeks, Jamhuri Park has served as a temporary shelter for residents of Kibera and other places who lost their homes in the post election violence. According to media reports, the government plans to repatriate the displaced persons today. 

In Mombasa, displaced persons who were camped at the Dog Section have been asked by the government to go back home. According to these same reports, these residents cannot return to their homes since they are still in fear of their lives.  

The New York Times reports that there were signs that killings, especially in the Rift Valley were planned.  

ODM leaders, Raila Odinga, William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi are touring Kakamega and Kisumu for interdenominational prayers and a peace mission. While in Kakamega, they urged their supporters to refrain from violence. Ruto called those who have died in the post election violence "heroes".  Prayers for Kisumu are scheduled at the Moi Stadium later today.

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Classic FM this morning pointed out to Kenyans, that their MPs, who had been in parliament only one day, would be earning their January salaries in full, even as the post-election unrest continues to impoverish many Kenyans and render great numbers hungry, homeless and dead. 

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Francis Ng'ang'a, chair of the Kenya National Union of Teachers: "There cannot be a future for a nation with access to education. He was speaking at a Red Cross center where KNUT donated ksh 300,000 raised to benefit internally displaced persons. Teachers will not resume teaching in crisis centers, he said. 

The Standard and KTN report that the Ministry of Education will only pay fees for classes that have between 40 and 45 pupils.  

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Kiddi
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written by politicalscientist , January 21, 2008
I was beginning to think I would never get to say this but Alexander I agree with you completely. The government is not taking this mediation thing seriously at all.
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Was that a joke?
written by aeichener , January 21, 2008
Musyoka has been appointed by President Mwai Kibaki to lead a 10-man team to mediate between the opposition and the government on the results of the disputed elections. (...) Other committee members of the government's political committee are: George Saitoti, Moses Wetangula, Amos Kimunya, Uhuru Kenyatta, Chirau Mwakwere, Martha Karua, Amos Wako, and Mutula Kilonzo.


The list reads like a travesty, doesn't it? A mediation is certainly in place, and conciliatory attempts must be made in earnest by either side - but this is none!

The bile against Kalonzo vomitted by Raila once again only worked against the speaker, proving his chronic foot-in-mouth disease. But in one point the opposition leader is right: Kalonzo being an ally of Kibaki's government, he is party and not a neutral mediator. A mediation commission should be composed of neutral eminent persons, also and especially of civil society; it cannot be composed only of one side.

Once again, this thing is proof of the characteristic propaganda ineptness of PNU.

Alexander
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written by aeichener , January 21, 2008
Indeed, PS, indeed. And it betrays an old-syle arrogance of the powerful that really should be a thing of the past after 2002 - but unfortunately isn't.

Rather, it's a comparable attitude dominant on either side:

- The government feels they need not move a step because they are the government anyhow (the Alfred E. Neuman attitude: "What, me worry?", while parts of Kenya burn),

- and ODM feels that they are the crusaders of the Messiah, and any heretics and heathens not believing in The Anointed One must be fought down at whatever cost, (in the spirit of the apocryphal saying attributed to a to papal legate in the Albingensian wars: "Just kill them all, the Lord will know who is guilty.")

Alexander
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written by Vikii , January 21, 2008
No Alexander. I think the government takes the mediation efforts seriously. Kalonzo said the other side (Opposition) will be invited to pick their own people to the mediation commission. When you say the Vice president will be biased, I think you are missing the point. He will only act as a chair. For heavens sake every mediation session has to be chaired by someone and you do not expect the president to sit on the same table with such human beings like William Ruto. That is why he delegated to his deputy who can may be understand the language these "gentlemen" speak.

If it is mediation we are talking about, people must be prepared to play with their cards on the table. People have to show a little bit of honesty. Let us not see such clever things like Raila Odinga authoring a document, taking it to John Kuffour's room at the Intercontinental and demanding that the President should not only give his stand on the document but he MUST also sign and adhere to it. That is not mediation. It is something else.
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written by Nyangara , January 21, 2008
With every passing day there seems to be something that makes the Kenyan voter angry, or just seems to worsen the situation. The idea was for Kibaki and Raila to set their differences aside and have some form of compromise. Its now three weeks into 2008 and we are still worrying about wars and deaths and so on. For Kibaki to have gone and appointed someone to do his Job ... GOD!!!! I am disappointed. People are still dying and all people seem to care about is appointing committees that I believe will make the situation worse. Before the 2007 elections I was a supporter of Kalonzo ... now I am very sure that I do not believe in his kind.

Now ... Seriously ... What was the point of having free Secondary Education as a campaign pledge and only to have it thrown back in the faces of the voters. Which schools have classes of less than 45 students ? ... HALA!!!! We definitely have a long way to go.
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written by a guest , January 21, 2008
Kenya Hakuna Matata. Why bring in all these invasive foreign mediation teams to Kibaki's beacon of stability- the shining city upon the hill known as Kenya?

Kenya is a "great" country. With great internationally renowned "leaders" like Mwakwere, Mutua, Karua, Michuki, Kibaki, Kinuthia Muthengi alias Saitoti, who could ask for anything more?

Kenyans, in Kibaki we have a great leader. Kazi Iendelee.
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written by Vikii , January 22, 2008
Someone is impersonating me here Mr. Editor.The second comment by the fellow calling himself/herself Vikii is certainly not done by me. I believe there is nothing wrong with focussing on Raila Odinga because he is the root cause of the proble we are in. He is the father of tribalism, lies, negative democracy and violence.

"Vikii", as much as i respect your defense of Raila, I know deep down your heart you know what his role in the current mess is.
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written by vikii , January 22, 2008
(Use another name, this name is taken by a registered user. Ed.)
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written by john , January 22, 2008
I apologise for that vikii(using your name).pole sana it was by mistake.raila cannot be the father of tribalism ,lies nepotism it has existed even before him and Kibaki or?the current mess does not start with raila or even kibaki ,true or false?we all need to think about the future .do you believe people in power will ever have a free election?did both sides rig?should we put mechanisms to counter what happened or should we just wait 15 years and see another rwanda?
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written by Vikii , January 22, 2008
Got u John. You know what bro? This problem is not as big as people would want it believed. There is no doubt in my mind that the Party of National Unity and its candidate Mwai Kibaki rigged the elections. There is no doubt in my mind that the Orange Democratic Movement and its candidate Raila Odinga rigged the elections. There is no doubt in my mind that the only party and candidate that played it clean is ODMK and Kalonzo Musyoka. I am a loyal member of this last party, John and I want to be for the next many years.

I have said it before that no constituency in Luo Nyanza has ever registered an 80% voter turn-out. Not in '92, not in '97 and not in 2002. Now some people would want us to believe that just because someone talked of miracles, Luo Nyanza constituencies are now registering 85%-95% turn-outs. you can choose to buy that lie, I wont.

On the same breadth, the PNU reacted to these open manipulations and they did the exact same thing in the Meru country. ODMK actually decided to let them play with a couple of Ukambani constituencies to overturn the artificial lead the ODM had created through out-of-this-world numbers in Luo Nyanza. You cannot play as per the rules when your opponent is not.

Lemmie now come to your concerns that the ballot will not count any more. It will. I am thinking this violence we are witnessing could be a blessing in disguise. Nobody would ever try to rig the elections in the future.

We will have free and fair elections in 2002 and my prediction is that they will either be won by Kalonzo Musyoka or Uhuru Kenyatta. This violence was never about rigged polls, no it was about some childish tribal jealousies. I cannot say we wont see it in five years, what I dont know is the excuse they will adopt then.
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written by a guest , January 22, 2008
@Vikii - I sympathise with your thinking. Dont look at things from their face value. Look deeper. Yes Kalonzo might not have rigged. Kalonzo publicly admitted that both Kibaki and Raila rigged.So if he is as clean as he claims then why did he accept to be VP to the man who rigged an election. If there is anyone whose credibility should be doubted then it is Kalonzo. Wake up VIkii.
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Mkenya
written by kobangoshe , January 22, 2008
Raila is now joking by pretending to be serious about negotiations and at the same time calling for protests which he knows will result into more casualties, destruction of property and even deaths.

I now feel the government must stand firm and hold him personally accountable for any deaths, and mess on private property that arises from such protests.

Time for nicities and sweet talk should soon come to an end. If and after Kofi Anan, no solution is reached, then it will be high time Kenyans of goodwill and peace resolve to protect themselves and their property from hooligans and blood thirsty gangs. If government is scared, we the peaceloving Kenyans are ready and willing to do whatever we can the best way we know to save our country.
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written by a guest , January 22, 2008
What peace loving Kenyans? Do you understand the meaning of the word PEACE? Ask Kibaki to let our country rest by satisfying everyone. Let him make the aggrieved party believe that he truly won the electionns by doing what is required of him? Is he happy being president of a mourning nation? This is the time for him to show us his true statesmanship.

Every Kenyan is a peace loving Kenyan. What people want is that truth, justice and fairness for all Kenyans. If the Mau Mau and the other Kenyans who fought for independence had reasoned the same way you are reasoning then I believe you know where Kenya will be today.

I bet you are a Kibaki supporter or you are one of those dont care Kenyans. What would you have done or said if Raila and Kibaki roles were reversed? Raila has always been for mediation and talks, it is Kibaki who is not ready for talks and that is why he is sending Kalonzo and not himself.

Suluhu haiji ila kwa ncha ya upanga.
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re: Mkenya
written by aeichener , January 22, 2008
Raila is now joking by pretending to be serious about negotiations and at the same time calling for protests which he knows will result into more casualties, destruction of property and even deaths.

While I fully agree with this criticism (the ODM liidaahsheep desperately wants bloodshed and mayhem, since they feel this is the only way to garner world attention and to destabilize the consolidating new-old government), I will also have to say that Kibaki seems not a grain more serious about negotiations. Both sides appear to be firmly entrenching.

I now feel the government must stand firm and hold him personally accountable for any deaths, and mess on private property that arises from such protests.

I am quite confident that the fake Messiah from the Lake has not personally ordered nor commanded any attacks and murders, unlike his lieutenant goon Ruto.
(Once again, the same is true for the relationship Kibaki - Michuki).

Time for nicities and sweet talk should soon come to an end. If and after Kofi Anan, no solution is reached, then it will be high time Kenyans of goodwill and peace resolve to protect themselves and their property from hooligans and blood thirsty gangs.

Unfortunately, Kenya like most common law countries values the right to self-defence very little.

Alexander
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written by newafroguy , January 22, 2008
First off, Ed(s) forgive me if this comment amounts to something unacceptable being as things are sensitive. But someone must let the people know the gravity of the Kenyan situation. Previously my revelations have been judged alarmist and I grant the Ed the prerogative to call the last shot.

(We see nothing to be criticized - from an editorial view - in the moderate and factual wording that you now employ. Both your cautious concern and the link to the article are of interest, and one can certainly discuss the allegations raised therein. Ed.)

Having said that, lets all please realize that this is not about Raila anymore. Intelligence suggests a rapidly mutating disposition especially in the Rift Valley where wananchi now view the ODM luminaries as indecisive cowards. They are becoming more autonomous and decisive. As we speak, Luhyas are now being targeted for not protesting enough.

Secondly is that the disciplined forces are slowly blending into the scenario.

Surely this is not where we want to go. It is silly and myopic to wait for a powerless Raila to stop this. The Kibaki admininstration needs to whole heartedly take the lead in finding a resolution for it id=s against them that people are protesting not Raila.

Once again, there's no better time to fix this than now. Tomorrow is a little too far.
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written by manta ray , January 23, 2008
What peace loving Kenyans? Do you understand the meaning of the word PEACE? Ask Kibaki to let our country rest by satisfying everyone. Let him make the aggrieved party believe that he truly won the electionns by doing what is required of him? Is he happy being president of a mourning nation? This is the time for him to show us his true statesmanship.

Every Kenyan is a peace loving Kenyan. What people want is that truth, justice and fairness for all Kenyans. If the Mau Mau and the other Kenyans who fought for independence had reasoned the same way you are reasoning then I believe you know where Kenya will be today.

I bet you are a Kibaki supporter or you are one of those dont care Kenyans. What would you have done or said if Raila and Kibaki roles were reversed? Raila has always been for mediation and talks, it is Kibaki who is not ready for talks and that is why he is sending Kalonzo and not himself.

Suluhu haiji ila kwa ncha ya upanga.


Being a Kibaki supporter does not automatically equate one with being uncaring about Kenya. To the contrary, Kibaki supporters see Raila supporters as a greedy and selfish lot who want access to power in order to loot, and hence do not care about Kenya as such but about themselves.
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written by D , January 23, 2008
Let us not make generalizations. You can support either ODM and PNU and still want peace. We should all want a functioning democracy... not this farce that has been displayed in our country the last three weeks.

Not all ODM supporters are selfish. About 4 million voted for Raila and I know for sure that they are not all on the streets looting. Another 4 million voted for Kibaki, this does not mean that they support the actions of the government.

When we went to the polls on December 27th, we were voting for the leader that we each wanted. NO ONE VOTED FOR A RIGGED ELECTION. We wanted our respective candidate to win fair and square. No one voted for the violence and instability that has rocked parts of our country.

Let us stop the accusations and look at the bigger picture: our democracy is in a coma and needs to be revived. 600 people have died senselessly and hundred of thousands displaced because a few people in Kenya forgot how to respect Kenya and its people and continue to disrespect the Kenyan people with their grand-standing. Not only are ALL our leaders guilty but also those that thought that violence will bring about change. Shame on them. Kenya is bigger than all of them.

GOD BLESS KENYA
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written by manta ray , January 23, 2008
Let us not make generalizations. You can support either ODM and PNU and still want peace. We should all want a functioning democracy... not this farce that has been displayed in our country the last three weeks.

Not all ODM supporters are selfish. About 4 million voted for Raila and I know for sure that they are not all on the streets looting. Another 4 million voted for Kibaki, this does not mean that they support the actions of the government.

When we went to the polls on December 27th, we were voting for the leader that we each wanted. NO ONE VOTED FOR A RIGGED ELECTION. We wanted our respective candidate to win fair and square. No one voted for the violence and instability that has rocked parts of our country.

Let us stop the accusations and look at the bigger picture: our democracy is in a coma and needs to be revived. 600 people have died senselessly and hundred of thousands displaced because a few people in Kenya forgot how to respect Kenya and its people and continue to disrespect the Kenyan people with their grand-standing. Not only are ALL our leaders guilty but also those that thought that violence will bring about change. Shame on them. Kenya is bigger than all of them.

GOD BLESS KENYA


Well spoken.
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