Mysterious police trips fuel poll rigging claims

Published on December 26, 2007 

By Standard Team

With the elections only hours away, at least 20 civilian buses drove out of a high security facility in Nairobi on Monday night as The Standard and KTN undercover reporters and crew watched. 

The buses left the Embakasi Administration Police Training College, initially at intervals of between 10 and 20 minutes. Later, they left in much quicker succession.

Hours later, the destination of the buses and the mission of their occupants became known. TV footage and still pictures in our possession show the names of the buses and their registration numbers. 

Several people said to be APs were injured at Mbita in Suba District, when members of the public attacked them. They were also attacked in Sori in the volatile Nyatike Constituency. In Mbita, police moved in swiftly to save about 100 other members of the entourage from an enraged mob, who accused the visitors of being part of a team of APs allegedly trained to disrupt the elections. The chaos paralysed business in Mbita and disrupted Christmas festivities.

Elsewhere in Homa Bay, Migori and Rongo, tension was high after people claiming to be Party of National Unity agents arrived in several buses.

Two — a Citi Hoppa KAW 055W and a KBS registration KAX 040C — drove into Homa Bay in the morning with one group. On alighting, the officers quickly mingled and freely chatted with the locally based APs, locals said.

As word spread about the presence of the officers, members of the public quickly gathered in groups and sought to know their mission, heightening tension.

By 1pm, there was no official word on what exactly they were doing in Homa Bay. But a source within the Provincial Administration circles, who preferred anonymity said, "Hawa ni wageni wa DC (These are the DC’s guests)".

Nyanza Provincial Police Officer, Ms Grace Kaindi, told The Standard she was not aware of the presence of the APs. "I’m not expecting additional security from outside the province".

In Mbita, the group that claimed to be PNU election agents ran into trouble on arrival in two Mololine buses from Nairobi.

One of the said agents was beaten and left for dead at the Mbita Bus Park, where he was cornered as his colleagues rushed for refuge at the local police station.

The Mbita Kanu parliamentary candidate, Mr Okuku Miregi, who has been campaigning for PNU in the region disowned the group, saying it had a sinister motive and should not be allowed anywhere near polling stations.

Said he: "The Suba OCPD called this morning to inform me that some 100 PNU agents were in town. This shocked me because I should have been told as the local PNU official".

When contacted, PNU spokesman Mr George Nyamweya, said: "Those people you are talking about cannot be attributed to PNU. We have our own agents and we do not have to use APs or police".

He said what the APs do at their camp, "like loading their officers into buses" is not a PNU affair, adding that they did not control what APs do.

He said the party — under which President Kibaki is seeking re-election — would send its agents that it will have recruited to all parts of the country.

The first bus drove out of the AP College in Nairobi at 12.10am on Monday/Tuesday, the last at 1.45am in the morning. The college is set in a high security area adjacent to both the Army and the General Service Unit (GSU) camps. Also within proximity is the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), which is watched by satellites and power cameras.

Asked who the civilian buses were ferrying from a high security facility, AP spokesman Mr Masood Mwinyi explained that just like other security agents, the officers were being deployed to various parts of the country to provide the needed services.

The AP Commandant, Mr Kinuthia Mbugua, had earlier denied claims that there was a plot to use the officers to rig the elections, dismissing the allegations as "mere propaganda".

On Tuesday, sources familiar with this seemingly shadowy operation hinted that the passengers, who were only silhouettes with interior lights switched off, were being bussed to Opposition strongholds.

More of the buses, hired from a number of upcountry and city PSV operating companies, were expected to drive in and out of the facility last night. The rest will follow this morning to conclude the exercise, impeccable sources said. 

On its part, the Electoral Commission of Kenya termed as disturbing allegations that APs have been recruited as PNU polling agents.

ECK chairman Mr Samuel Kivuitu, however, said the ECK had no role to play in the appointment of polling agents and only sought appointment letters presented by the agent.

"We do not have any role in the appointment of agents. What the law requires is that the agent presents an appointment letter to the ECK three days before the poll," he said.

Kivuitu said APs were barred by law from acting as political party agents.

"They may sneak in if they operate like civilians. We have no powers to detect if an agent is an AP or not. However, the ECK will clamp down hard on any officer found to have masqueraded as an agent," he said.

He said the AG will be called upon to act against such officers whose offence is punishable under the Public Officer Ethics Act.

"These are heinous crimes. Such schemes are utterly undemocratic and retrogressive. They sadly will return the people to the slavery they freed themselves from in 1991," said Kivuitu.

He added: "It may be impossible to associate that candidate (Kibaki) with such schemes going by his past record. However, his overzealous campaign leaders can be tempted to abuse State power and authority to his advantage without his personal involvement," he said.

He said the ECK had received the claims through the media, SMS and by ODM and ODM Kenya.

"ECK has not yet received any evidence that these schemes were contemplated or are awaiting implementation. Kenyans must be alert and report truthfully to ECK any attempt to offer bribes to members of the Provincial Administration," he said.

What undercover team found out

On Monday night, The Standard investigative team pitched camp outside the facility following a tip-off from a reliable source at the camp.

The AP Training College, which is at the far-flung end of Nairobi’s sprawling Eastlands, has been at the centre of claims — which have been vigorously denied by the authorities — of ballot stuffing and training of personnel to disrupt polling in target constituencies to slow down or altogether derail ODM, whose candidate Mr Raila Odinga is the strongest contender for the presidency, according to opinion polls.

One bus, a Citi Hoppa, which our undercover team trailed moments after departure, took the Northern Airport Road, entered the Mombasa-Nairobi Road at City Cabanas, and drove down Uhuru Highway. The bus, registration No KAX 150S then drove down Waiyaki Way before it stopped briefly at Oil Libya Petrol Station in Westlands to fuel. This was at 12.45am. It was the second bus to leave. 

The bus’s interior lights stayed off.

The first to leave the facility was a Kenya Bus KAZ 178U. It shook off our trail, with a clever turn before City Cabanas. It must have headed towards Ruai, an alternative exit.

Apart from what our undercover team witnessed, an AP officer, who was drafted into the squad, turned up at KTN studios on Tuesday and gave fresh insights into the plot. He was dropped at the 11th hour on account of where he hails from, he said. 

On Tuesday, questions were left in the wake of faceless men and their intentions. Faceless because even though they are believed to be APs, sources said they had been stripped of their uniforms, IDs and certificates of appointment to eliminate the paper trail. It was also difficult to establish exactly how many they were.

Our team was informed that they only had letters of appointment allegedly signed by a senior person in Government and addressed to Returning Officers, which will give them access to restricted polling areas. 

Last Saturday, KTN ran an exclusive story on how some 2,500 APs were being trained to interfere with tomorrow’s General Election, drawing a furious response from the Government and earning the station a date with the newly constituted Media Council of Kenya after the Information Permanent Secretary, Dr Bitange Ndemo, lodged a complaint.

This was after a whistleblower leaked information to the station that some police officers were allegedly marking ballots at the AP Commandant’s house in Embakasi and at the fourth floor of Harambee House.

Meanwhile, A KTN reporter, who was part of the undercover crew, has received threatening calls urging him to "go slow on the story or face death".

A source told The Standard that each of the officers on the "strange mission" was given anything between Sh21,000 and Sh62,000 according to their rank.

The Standard established that the recruits held Bibles then uttered the following words in unison: " I ...swear that I will not at the General Election taking place on December 27, 2007, do anything forbidden by Section 5 of the Election Offences Act which has been read to me..." 

Sources said this vow, which is the standard ECK pledge, was taken to make them look like just harmless party agents. 

Our investigations revealed that a senior deputy AP Commandant was present at the facility on Monday night as the buses drove out.

There were also reports of tension and suspicion at the camp, with suggestions that the exercise did not go down well with some officers.

The full magnitude of the operation and the personnel involved was unclear, with some sources saying up to 55 buses will have ferried the officers from the facility.

ODM Raises Red Flag Over Rigging

By DAVE OPIYO and DAN OTIENO 
Daily Nation, 26 December 2007

ODM Presidential candidate Raila Odinga Tuesday claimed that the country’s security forces had been sent to various parts of the country to rig Thursday’s General Election. 

He repeated claims that the officers, largely drawn from the Administration Police, had been posted to voting stations as polling agents for the Party of National Unity, and produced a copy of a letter bearing a signature with the names of the President as proof. 

The claims were, however, dismissed by the Press Secretary for the Kibaki Tena campaign, Mr Gituku Ngari, as attempted forgery. 

“We are confident enough of victory on Thursday and have no reason to rig the poll,” he said. 

A spokesman for the AP, Mr Masoud Mwinyi, also dismissed the claims as false and said officers would only be used as security officials alongside their regular police counterparts. 

Appointment letters 

Mr Odinga made the claims at a news conference in Nairobi Tuesday evening, when he produced copies of what he said were the APs’ appointment letters, allegedly signed by President Kibaki. 

“This gives them authority and unfettered access to polling stations so as to effect the rigging plot,” said Mr Odinga. 

“They were all issued with 1000 pre-marked ballot papers to be stuffed by them in ballot boxes on election day,” he added. 

By posting the APs as his polling agents, said Mr Odinga, President Kibaki was violating the Constitution, which bars public servants from being recruited into party politics. 

The outgoing Lang’ata MP said his party had video evidence to support the allegations and asked the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) to investigate the matter thoroughly. 

However, ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu said the commission had not received any evidence that the rigging schemes were contemplated or were awaiting implementation. 

In a statement, Mr Kivuitu, however, conceded that some overzealous campaign leaders could be tempted to abuse state power and authority without his personal involvement. 

Mr Odinga, who was accompanied by outgoing Westlands MP Fred Gumo, gave the number plates of at least 18 government and three private vehicles which were used to transport the officers and the marked ballot papers from the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi, Nairobi. The government vehicles include that of an assistant minister and one belonging to the ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Vehicles intercepted

Mr Odinga said that one of the vehicles had been intercepted by the public in Mbita constituency. 

One person was seriously injured by the public, which suspected him to be one of the people allegedly preparing to rig Thursday’s elections in Mbita and Homa Bay towns. 

Police however described the people who were attacked as election observers. 

The attack prompted an impromptu meeting of the Mbita district security council, as government officials sought to calm the public. 

The district commissioner, a Mr Laparmai, and the police boss, Mr Jimmy Mnene, both said that they were not aware of the presence of the group, leading to the public to demanded its immediate ejection. 

In Nairobi, Mr Odinga said the AP’s were briefed on their mission by a leading education official in the country, a permanent secretary and a senior ECK official. 

“The AP’s brief included being given an oath of secrecy and being given appointment letters as the President’s polling agents,” said Mr Odinga. 

Mr Odinga said that those deployed to Sabatia and Eldoret North constituencies had already arrived at their stations. 

In Lang’ata, said Mr Odinga, the AP’s were now looking for houses to rent.

ODM threatens renewed protests

Story by CAROLINE WAFULA
Daily Nation
Publication Date: 2/20/2008

ODM is threatening to renew its calls for mass action next week and is demanding for parliament to be recalled to pass constitutional changes that could enable the Kofi Annan brokered deals to be implemented.

The party is demanding that Parliament be summoned within a week to enact necessary constitutional changes to pave way for implementation of proposals from the ongoing mediation efforts.

The ODM parliamentary group, which met at the Old Chambers of Parliament, accused PNU of deliberately delaying the mediation talks.

A statement issued after the talks said ODM does not see a serious partner in the PNU in negotiating for a peaceful settlement of the political crisis.

ODM Pentagon member Mr Najib Balala warned that ODM had become impatient. “We have been patient as ODM from the extreme position to a middle ground. But we are tired of delays, tactics and excuses that a political settlement could not be reached,” he said.

The meeting was attended by 45 party MPs and chaired by Mr Balala and party Secretary General Prof Anyang Nyong’o.

The meeting was held a day after President Mwai Kibaki said he was ready to work and share responsibilities in Government with ODM members, but that a political solution must be within the current Constitution.

He also proposed a comprehensive Constitutional review within 12 months. He was categorical that although he was encouraged and committed to the talks, a solution should be in tandem with the Constitution.

The ODM MPs said PNU was not treating the talks with seriousness and warned that ODM was becoming impatient.

Mr Balala accused PNU of arrogance. “They don’t believe this country has a crisis. They are not in a hurry. They don’t believe it is a powerhouse of Sub-Saharan Africa. They believe they want to rule and be able to steal what they have lost in 24 years,” he said.

The Pentagon member added; “We are pressurised by our people, if the negotiations are not working, then we change the terms of reference of the negotiations to discuss boundaries then we reduce them to an Island like Lesotho and that is the language they understand.”

Mr Balala said the party had in its parliamentary group meeting resolved to give the mediation team one week to see whether anything concrete will come out. It plans to meet again on Wednesday to prepare for a peaceful mass action at the end of next week.

Speaking on behalf of the group, ODM Secretary General Prof Anyang Nyong’o added that PNU was procrastinating in the talks, ignoring the urgency of finding a political solution.

“They are behaving as if it is business as usual and pretending that there is a legitimate government even though this is one of the issues at stake. We are impatient and MPs are sick and tired, We have tried to be decent enough to keep quite to give the talks a chance but we realise that we have no serious partners in the person on PNU,” he said.

Said Mr Balala; “We thought that the pressure from the international community would be able to make President Kibaki and his team to be flexible and come to a middle ground but it seems mass action is the only thing they can listen to. We shall therefore revive the power of the people.”

The parliamentary group said the current insistence by President Kibaki and the PNU leadership that the mediation proposals must be made only within the confines of the present constitution was a deliberate strategy to delay decisions at the mediation talks.

The MPs noted in a statement that the present constitution was itself a problem to democratic change and must be changed to be in tune with the popular demand for democratic governance in the nation.

The group argued that it was clear in Kenya’s history that past governments have always moved fast to change the constitution to deal with political crises, whenever they happened.

The case of 1964 was cited , when the Constitution was changed to abolish regional assemblies and to create a unitary system of government, soon after which the post of the Prime Minister was abolished to make the President the head of state and government.

The group also cited a case in 1966 when the Constitution was further changed to compel those who crossed the floor to join the KPU to seek fresh mandate from the people in a 'Little General Election.’ In 1991, President Moi compelled KANU to support the repeal of Section 2A of the Constitution to allow for multi-party politics.

All these, ODM said, was done without resorting to a national referendum.

PNU’s insistence that proposals be within the confines of the constitution, was according to the party, borne out selfish interests meant to frustrate the ongoing talks.

“Now, more than ever before, the popular pressure for a political settlement that will be inclusive and that will provide justice and peace for out nation in a democratic system of Government cannot be frustrated by those hiding behind the constitution while protecting their positions in the Government,” party members stated.

Said the group; “We are not surprised, however, that the hard-liners in the PNU are more zealous about protecting the imperial presidency than fighting for the rights of ordinary Kenyans when the agenda for change is now on the table.”

The party has, however, appealed to Kenyans to stay steadfast and support the Kofi Annan led initiative.

President embarks on second term with tarnished mandate

Daily Nation, Dec 31, 2007

MACHARIA GAITHO

If President Kibaki had a difficult first term ruling without any semblance of a ruling party, the trials he faced could be minor compared to what lies ahead of a second term with a deeply tarnished mandate.He took the oath of office with the immediate task of moving urgently to contain a highly volatile situation that could easily plunge the country into anarchy and chaos.
Yet he will be trying to do so from a position where he has been declared president but does not enjoy legitimacy. 


This is especially in some of the biggest and most populous regions of the country where perceptions of a stolen election have provoked the most anger. 


Political solution


He of course has the instruments of state: the police, the Provincial Administration and other security organs, which may be required to deal with any threats to law and order. 


Yet the crises Kenya faces require much more than the strong arm of the state law enforcement machinery; it calls for a political solution. 


It is doubtful that an Opposition convinced it was cheated of victory will readily cooperate with the President in the urgent mission to calm down their angry supporters. 


President Kibaki faces a situation where he may claim the popular vote, but won mostly from regions which are his political strongholds. 


It follows that the rest of the country could totally reject the results announced Sunday by Electoral Commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu through state-owned broadcaster KBC after opposition representatives left the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. 


Mr Kivuitu conceded there had been a lot that went wrong with the process, but insisted the normal recourse would be through the laid-down legal machinery. 


The problem here is that the Opposition might not be interested in filing election petitions that could take years to resolve. 


Some of the election petitions filed after the 2002 General Election had yet to be concluded by the time the present election was called!


The Opposition still has a strong card up its sleeve that could present more nightmares for the Kibaki Government than any legal action. 


Even before the final results were announced, there had been widespread riots in various parts of the country. 


In the populous Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces, the Governments security arms might be completely unable to contain any renewal of violence. 


It might be worse when violence is aimed at those perceived to be supporters of PNU and the President. 


And here it could take an ugly turn because there could be indiscriminate targeting of people from President Kibaki’s central Kenya. 


Those are the people who bore the brunt of the so-called ethnic clashes in the Rift Valley engineered by the Moi regime in the early 1990s to counter the multi-party campaign. The polarisation from those dark days has never died, as seen by recent violence in the Molo-Kuresoi area. 


If the Kibaki victory ignites even more resentment against what could be seen as a 
scheme by a particular community to dominate the country, then people from central Kenya living and working in regions hostile to the Government could undoubtedly be in grave danger. 


The Government simply does not have the security resources to contain what could be a very deadly situation. 


It might not help, in any case, for the Government to send in security personnel to a hostile zone to protect a very vulnerable community that happens to be the President’s own. Such a security presence could itself be seen as an occupation force. 


With such a flawed mandate in any case, there is the possibility that the President Kibaki would find it difficult to command the loyalty of the entire security apparatus, which is made up of people from all communities in Kenya. 


In a nutshell, President Kibaki has taken office for a second and final term, but might be completely unable to govern in a situation that could easily lead to destruction of the country. 


That leaves him with the urgent need to reach out to the key Opposition leaders to secure cooperation in calming down their angry people. 


Yet at the same time the Government will also be keen to blame the same leaders for inciting violence. 


Terrible scenario


Indeed in his various press conferences Sunday, Mr Odinga pointedly suggested that any declaration of a Kibaki victory on the back of fake results would lead to an Ivory Coast-type situation, what he called a scenario too terrible to contemplate.


And at the exchanges with ECK officials at KICC on Saturday, Mr William Ruto, now the new Rift Valley kingpin, former MP Musa Sirma, and others, explicitly cautioned that a stolen election would lead to a very dangerous situation. 


Mr Raila Odinga and Mr William Ruto would need very strong incentives to respond positively to any appeals from President Kibaki for their help in restoring peace. 


They might be quite happy, to borrow a phrase from former President Moi who in 1997 set the precedent for a hurried private swearing in at State House to forestall a legal challenge — to let President Kibaki stew in his own fat; suffer the consequences of a situation of his own making. 


Security issues aside, there is also the basic issue of a president trying to govern without a majority in parliament. 


Strong opposition numbers could make the Government’s legislative agenda impossible. 


Even forming a government will not be easy.


With MPs mostly from central Kenya, the President will have a hard time creating a Cabinet that will be seen to represent the face of Kenya.


Hard bargain


Perhaps the urgent option will be to speedily invite ODM Kenya leader Kalonzo Musyoka into a coalition, but there is no doubt he would drive a hard bargain. 


He would probably settle for nothing less than the Vice-Presidency, provoking resentment from those who stuck by the President from outside central Kenya and survived the voter massacre. 


Mr Moses Wetang’ula, Dr Noah Wekesa, both from western Kenya, and Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere (Coast) might also lay their own claims. 


With the volatile situation that is in the making, however, appointing a Cabinet might be the President’s least worry.

ODM rebel MPs claim Pentagon behind poll chaos

By CAROLINE WAFULA Posted Thursday, October 7 2010 at 09:19

Two ODM MPs have claimed the party's top leadership organ is to blame for the post-election violence that rocked Kenya following the disputed 2007 elections.

Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu, ODM) and Charles Keter (Belgut, ODM) claimed the party’s pentagon team held several meetings to plan mass action.

The Pentagon top brass included Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Najib Balala, Joe Nyaga and Charity Ngilu, who all serve in the Coalition Government.

The two were among five MPs from Rift Valley who demanded Thursday that Prime Minister Raila Odinga should present to the International Criminal Court (ICC) minutes of the ODM meetings that planned the post-election chaos.

“Every time we had meetings and discussed mass action plans,” Mr Ruto claimed during a press conference at Parliament Buildings.

He said the PM should give the ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo the ‘mass action minutes’ of meetings that were held to protest the outcome of the vote.

Asked to confirm the claims, Mr Keter added that the ODM “had meetings from time to time".

“We welcome the ICC to do their investigations thoroughly as they seek minutes from the Provincial Administration, they should extend the same to the ODM and there should be no bias and be balanced and extend to the ODM minutes,” Mr Keter said.

The five MPs convened a press conference to announce that they will not be attending a public forum that will be led by the PM in Kericho Friday.

The others were: Zakayo Cheruyoit (Kuresoi, ODM), Julius Kones (Konoin, ODM) and Benjamin Langat (Ainamoi, ODM).

They had received an invitation from the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr Mohamed Isahakia to attend the forum meant educate the locals on the provisions of the new Constitution. It will take place at the Tea Research Training Centre starting 10.30 a.m.

The MPs were in the ‘No’ team which opposed the new Constitution. They declared that their position has not changed.

“If the people want, I can speak to the ‘Yes’ people,” Mr Ruto said.

The invitation letter to the local MPs says it will be preceded by a consultative meeting of party officials at the Tea Hotel from 9.00 a.m.

The PM had asked the MPs to join him at both events and to identify six youth, women, elders, professional and councillors totalling to thirty people from their constituencies to attend the forum.

But the MPs said they will have other engagements and "can only help improve the PM’s agenda by reminding him some of the things he needs to do for the locals and Kenyans at large".

“On that day we already have other engagements so we will forward our recommendations,” they stated.

The MPs described the PM’s agenda as "very strange" and said civic education on the provisions of the new Constitution was not a priority to the people of Rift Valley.

“Of course we are grateful because we may still be ignorant of what is contained there but we don’t think our ignorance is a priority now,” said the Chepalungu MP.

Among others, the MPs said the PM should be more concerned with the resettlement of people who are still living in camps in Kuresoi and Konoin saying they hope he will use his visit to announce the date of their resettlement.

Further, they reminded the PM his promise two years ago of Sh20 million to rehabilitate the road connecting Kipkelion and Kuresoi.

“We hope he also delivered the minutes to Ocampo and we believe he will be doing no favour addressing those issues than addressing the Constitution that is already functional and we will learn of its contents as we go on,” Mr Ruto said.

Mr Langat said the PM’s visit was a bit misplaced as there were more pressing matters.

“He should pass through the camps and explain to the people there why he felt they should be there and when he is going to get them homes,” he said.

Further, he said the PM should be reminded that 150 people were shot dead by police during the post-election violence.

“He should tell their families what compensation they shall receive,” he said.

Mr Keter said the MPs were aware the education will give special focus on the running of counties and said the locals can educate themselves.

“We want to tell the PM that we went to school and have lawyers and we can tell our people what is contained there,” he stated.

He equated the PM’s visit to an insult stating: “ He should find other things to do because it means he is doubting the integrity and capacity of the people of Kericho.”

“There are issues he can do better than educating us on the Constitution,” he said.

The MP said Rift Valley’s position on the Constitution has not changed.

“We made a decision as a region and unless he is coming to the Yes people, we will stand by that,” said the MP.

“We hope he is going to respond to the peoples’ concerns,” he said.

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/MPs%20claim%20ODM%20Pentagon%20behind%20post%20poll%20chaos/-/1064/1027738/-/item/1/-/xuibo3/-/index.html

Njenga Rebrands Mungiki for 2012

Nairobi Star
22 June 2010

Nairobi — FORMER Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga is quietly rebranding the banned organisation to establish it as a viable political vehicle in readiness for the 2012 elections.
Njenga has taken over the Kenya National Youth Alliance, the sect's political mouthpiece, and managed to convince politicians in Central Province, Nairobi and other parts of Kenya that the sect is now only interested in youth development and peace.

Previously Mungiki was believed to be running extortion and protection rackets, especially in the matatu industry, and used the funds to build up a membership of at least one million.


The intention now is to rebuild trust and confidence with Kenyans and to become a political player in 2012.

Njenga has been campaigning for the proposed constitution through his National Youth Movement for Yes.

"There is nothing wrong if we transform this movement into a political party. What we can do is just to remove the words 'For Yes' and we are left with the National Youth Movement," Maina told the Star in an interview.

He intends to accommodate the interests of both PNU and ODM on condition that "only matters of youth should be addressed." "Our mission is to erase the old image of Maina and the sect. That is why we are preaching peace and asking young people to engage in gainful employment even if it means self employment," said a former MP from Rift Valley who is now working closely with Njenga.

"By mid next year, for sure Maina will decide who becomes an MP in Central Kenya and some parts of the country where we have support. Those who want to be President will have to look for him because his base remains solid and we are converting more people," said the former MP.

Since his release from prison eight months ago, Njenga has managed to closely associate with Prime Minister Raila Odinga's son Fidel, three times share a platform with former President Moi, and several times be a guest at rallies called by current and former Cabinet ministers and MPs campaigning for the proposed constitution.

Last year Njenga successfully appealed against a five-year sentence for possession of an illegal firearm. His release came shortly after he prepared an affidavit for court naming top government officials as members or supporters of Mungiki. The affidavit was never released.

Over the weekend, Njenga was the chief guest at a meeting in Thika town attended by an estimated 5,000 people where he was made a Kikuyu elder.

The meeting organised the 'Kikuyu Council of Elders' was aimed at celebrating Kikuyu culture but turned out to be a Yes rally.

On his release from prison last October, Njenga was baptised and born again. He announced that the Mungiki sect was 'dead'.

Instead of protection rackets, former Mungiki members have now formed small 'saccos' to raise funds to conduct their business. The launch of one sacco in Eastleigh last week was postponed to this week.

Njenga's National Youth Movement for Yes claims to have five million members. It is mapping out strategies to select candidates for civic, parliamentary and presidential elections. He wants it to become a political party before 2012.

According to close associates, Njenga intends to contest a parliamentary seat in Nairobi but would also be interested in becoming a governor in a devolved government if the proposed constitution passes.

Politicians from both President Kibaki's PNU and Prime Minister Raila Odinga's ODM are now hovering around the former Mungiki leader hoping that he will collaborate with them in future.

They have been surprised at the huge numbers turning out at the rallies addressed by Njenga.

Many politicians or their emissaries have visited the offices of the Labour Party of Kenya on Amboseli Road, at the boundary between Nairobi's Lavington and Kawangware, where Njenga operates from.

There is already an existing youth initiative started in October 2005 called the National Youth Movement that he may absorb.

"We know that each other exist, we have worked before with Maina Njenga in his previous outfits and agitations. All young people share common vision and agendas," said Boniface Juma, chairman of the National Youth Movement.

"He has not approached us officially to partner with National Movement for Yes, because it is for campaigning for the proposed constitution. We have our activities running and they will continue running even after the referendum. When need be, we will cooperate with Maina," said Juma.

When he appealed for Sh5 million to offset mortuary fees for his late wife Virginia Nyakio in January, Maina collected Sh9 million, mostly from ordinary youth through M-Pesa and from politicians including finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta, former minister Njenga Karume, Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu, Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara, Assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru and former Kabete MP Paul Muite.

Renewed rivalry as ODM, PNU pick candidates

Published on May 7, 2008, 12:00 am
By Standard Team


Hostilities are set to be renewed between the Party of National Unity (PNU) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as each party picks its candidates and rolls out campaigns for the June 11 parliamentary and civic by-elections.


The Standard reliably learnt last night that negotiations are ongoing between ODM-Kenya, Kanu and PNU together with all its affiliates aimed at fielding one candidate in every electoral area under one party — PNU.


Five parliamentary and 55 civic seats are up for grabs in another contest that is beginning to display all the signs of a cliffhanger.


Its timing — coming hardly before the dust settles on a post-election crisis that drove the country to the brink — easily makes it another life and death affair for the two main coalition partners eager to assert their political supremacy. ODM will be seeking to maintain its dominance of the House, while PNU will be out to wrench leverage from its rival. The numbers remain crucial to both sides.


In Nairobi, where ODM will be seeking to recapture Embakasi, a seat it lost through the death of its youthful MP-elect, the late Mugabe Were, the Mungiki factor is expected to play a role.


But this time the outlawed sect, earlier perceived as sympathetic to PNU, appears to have switched allegiance. Its political leadership has openly stated it will support the ODM.


David Mwenje, who previously held the Embakasi seat before it was wrenched away from him by Were has also since passed away.


Apart from Embakasi, the parties will also fight it out in Emuhaya, Kilgoris, Wajir North and Ainamoi.


The by-elections will be historical in the sense that both PNU and ODM are in Government after being forced into an uneasy cohabitation by a peace deal that hauled the country out of a crippling post-election bloodletting and mayhem triggered by a disputed presidential vote.


Whether President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who signed the historical peace accord that returned sanity to the nation, will go at each other hammer and tongs as was witnessed in last year’s elections also remains to be seen.


"We will not take each other lightly. Even if we are partners, we won’t spare our comrades in Government. Just like a man and his wife find themselves sharing ugali from one plate, but they all end up swallowing for each self but still end up on the same bed after that. That is what will happen when by-elections come," Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, the ODM secretary-general and Medical Services minister has been quoted saying.


Both the ODM Pentagon campaign centre and the PNU headquarters on Lenana Road, Nairobi, are expected to erupt back to life all over again.


With both sides in Government, civil societies will be watching to see who abuses State resources during the campaigns. It has been common for Cabinet ministers to hit the campaign trail with their official vehicles, raising an outcry from taxpayers and civil rights activists.


Discredited ECK


The December 27 General Election cost the taxpayer Sh5 billion. Supplementary financial estimates released last week show some Sh400 million has been pumped into the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), part of which could go towards funding the mini-polls.


Still standing discredited and currently under investigation over the manner in which it handled the 2007 General Election, the ECK will handle the polls at time when public confidence on its performance is at the lowest ebb.


ODM is already understood to be lining up big names for Embakasi, a constituency with 249,811 registered voters.


Top on the queue is Ms Esther Passaris, whose ambition to become Nairobi Mayor was nipped in the bud after the then Local Government minister, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, rescinded her nomination to City Hall.


"I’ve been approached by a number of residents. But I’m still weighing my options," Passaris, a Nairobi businesswoman, told The Standard by telephone. " I still have the bigger dream of representing the entire city as a Mayor and not just Embakasi Constituency as an MP. I can do more from the City Hall."


Others seeking the seat on an ODM ticket include former Juja MP Mr William Kabogo, Mr Irshad Mohammed Sumra, former Bumula MP Mr Lawrence Sifuna and Mr Stephen Mwanga, who contested the Ugenya Parliamentary seat but lost to Lands minister Mr James Orengo.


Orange House again erupted to life yesterday as the prospective candidates started picking nomination papers. They included Passaris, Kabogo, Mwanga, Sifuna, Prof Tony Wambua, Mr Lameck Kiage, Mr James Kabitu and Nairobi lawyer Mr Robert Asembo.


It is also understood that a brother to the late Mugabe Were, Mr Julius Were, is also interested in the seat on an ODM ticket.


Former councillors Mr Ferdinand Waititu and Mr John Ndirangu both who contested the last General Election are in the race too.


Waititu already has his PNU posters and large banners displayed in the constituency ahead of the by-election.


On the PNU, ODM-Kenya single-candidate consultations, the PNU spokesman and nominated MP Mr George Nyamweya was cautious.


"We’re in consultations but affiliate parties are yet to hold meetings of their respective party organs to ratify any decision," he said.


He said members of the coalition were seeking ways of approaching the by-elections as a united entity, but no decision had been reached yet.


Party deputy executive director Major (Rtd) Francis Matu said the general consensus is that the PNU coalition should field a single candidate.


"The general consensus is that we would like to field one candidate. The party’s’ leadership is going to sit down to agree on the best way forward,’’ said Matu.


Elsewhere, the outlawed Mungiki promised to marshal support for ODM to show solidarity with Raila and his party.


The Lang’ata MP appeared to have opened a new political chapter with the sect on the day he was sworn in as Prime Minister when he stated: "It’s time the Government spoke to Mungiki and listened to their grievances."


Mungiki sect


He even compared the leadership of the sect with that of the Lord’s Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony, saying it started in a similar fashion and now for more than a decade had snowballed into a guerrilla outfit difficult to control.


Last week, Raila seemed to cement this new relationship when he sent Maina Njenga, the jailed Mungiki leader two books of immense political importance —The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green and Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom.


In Wajir North, the Kanu and ODM candidates tied in the last elections, occasioning the by-election.


Emuhaya voters will go to the polls to elect a new MP after Mr Kenneth Marende was elected Speaker of the National Assembly, thus relinquishing the seat as required by law.

The seat has so far attracted scores of personalities including Mr Joshua Otupa, Ms Helen Alitsi, former MP Mr Sheldon Muchilwa and Prof Norah Olembo.


In Kilgoris, fresh elections will be carried out after ECK nullified the results, while in Ainamoi constituents will vote to replace the late David Kimutai Too (ODM), who was shot dead in Eldoret by a policemen in unclear circumstances.


Two former Cabinet ministers who are both now allied to PNU — Mr Gideon Konchela and Mr Julius Sunkuli — could battle it out against each other in Kilgoris.
In Ainamoi, elders from the constituency have already endorsed the candidature of the slain MP’s younger brother, Mr Benjamin Langat. His candidature was given a major boost during the burial when speakers, including top ODM officials, spoke in his support.


In Wajir North constituency, the battle will be between the two candidates — Mr Mohamed Hussein Gabow of ODM and Dr Abdilahi Ali Ibrahim of Kanu — who tied during the December 2007 polls.


Presently ODM has 106 MPs, while PNU has 98. However, a PNU affiliate DP has indicated it will be going it alone. The party’s organising secretary Mr Jacob Haji said DP was not party to PNU’s agreement to sponsor joint candidates for the vacant seats.


Narc Kenya’s Danson Mungatana is also on record stating his party’s position on the by-elections. The Medical Services Assistant minister said Narc Kenya will being going it alone.
-Additional reporting by Joseph Murimi and Beauttah Omanga