Saturday, February 23, 2008

Today’s NON news broadcast.

There’s really bugger all to say. The mediation teams broke up early yesterday after the PNU camp turned up late and then the ODM camp walked out as far as I can tell, but it’s OK because Kofi says he still thinks he’s making progress.

That’s lovely dear, thanks for nothing really.

He keeps telling us “They’re making good progress”, and then the truth comes out and ‘good progress’ means they are still talking to each other and not a lot else, or perhaps I have it all wrong, and it just means the coffee was hot at break time, and lunch was a delightful spread.

- Who really knows?

Never mind, Mr Annan, at least you and your lovely wife got a spot of fresh air today and went for a stroll at the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.

When he spoke to the press, Mr Annan said the Orphanage was lovely and very peaceful and perhaps he might bring the mediation team along there with him next time

...... Good thinking Kofi, you could lock them up in the cages and throw away the keys!


I understand ODM issued some kind of statement along the usual lines of ‘Yes, we will have the Prime Minister’s position thank you, but you better make sure it comes with some serious power and that no-one can sack us!’

Kibaki responded with an official message from ‘The Office of the President’ which said ‘Let’s work together as Kenyans’ – but not a sausage about whether they will ever agree or not.

Monday will be yet another exciting day on the Kenyan calendar with mayoral elections taking place. Last time that happened it turned into a full blown fisticuffs fight with chairs and tables flying about the room, so what on earth they have in store for us this time round doesn’t even bear thinking about.

The arguments are already in full flow with ODM claiming that half their nominees were left out, (but they still have their allocated 13 names), and PNU had an allocation of 7 names and apparently have fielded 15 candidates, so there’s a good start!

Today, the Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka continued his Africa tour telling all Presidents in neighbouring countries not to worry about a thing as ‘things in Kenya were just hunky dory’ and ‘normalcy was returning’ ……

Shame he forgot to mention that in Nyeri today, all the civil servants downed tools and went on strike as the new treasurer that has just been transferred to their division is ‘a foreigner’ and they want ‘one of their own’ in that position or they will refuse to go back to work!

Great, and he calls that ‘normalcy’ …..

Personally I’d call it TRIBALISM.

9 comments:

BabaMzungu said...

Hi MC

Believe me, when I am in Kenya, I am the model of discretion as far as politics are concerned. "I know nothing, I see nothing, I speak nothing!"
DM

Gorilla Bananas said...

Someone should clear the air and say "Yes, we are a tribally divided country". Admitting the problem is the first step. How many "mixed marriages" are there?

Mzungu Chick said...

DM - That's good to hear.

Mr Bananas - 'Tribal' has become a forbidden word in this country. The media talks of 'those people from different communities' and 'rural homes', tribes are no longer mentioned, so having anyone admit anything like that is not happening.

As for mixed marriages, there are many between tribes, and sadly a lot of these are in trouble at the moment, and families are being split up.

Anonymous said...

President Jakaya Kikwete denied Raila Odinga entry into Tanzania during President George Bush’s state visit there.

Posted by africanpress on February 24, 2008

From Rachael Kurgat
It has finally emerged that for the second time in less than a month, Raila has been declared persona non grata at a key international function.
Apparently, on the night of 16th Feb, Raila sent Oburu Odinga (his brother) as an emissary to Tanzania to ask that he be allowed to join the tour of President George Bush in Tanzania. Somehow, Oburu received a confirmation of some sort from a member of the steering committee for the visit.
However, this was a middle level officer, one Mwisheshe, attached to the trade department. It was agreed that Raila was to have no official role, nor to make any speech. For Raila, it was enough to make an appearance and be photographed with George Bush, with the photo to be used by a local daily, headlining how Bush ‘invited Raila to discuss the Kenyan situation.
The entire plan became a cropper when Raila, who travelled by road to avoid alerting the Kenya Government, arrived at the Namanga checkpoint. An alert Tanzanian Immigration official quickly called his bosses in Dar.
Questions were asked as to the reason for his visit. After some delay in which even the Kenyan Ambassador in Dar es Salaam was called, Raila was informed that while he would not be denied entry into Tanzania, he ‘should return next week, or any other time thereafter.’ Raila quietly returned to Nairobi a rejected man.
Published by Korir, API africanpress@getmail.no

Mzungu Chick said...

Anon - thanks for that update with regards to Raila and his attempted visit to TZ. On Friday he went to Nigeria and press reports say that he also tried to get an audience with the President there but to no avail. He denied all the reports and said that he had just gone for 'private business'!
It seems no-one is willing to give him an audience outside of Kenya at the moment - which is obviously exactly what Kibaki wants.

Baba W 'n' M said...

Things seem to be getting forlon with Martha denying everything that seems to be comming out of these negos and junior MPs handing out serious ultimatums to the government.
My greatest fear is the stories of the organised militia who are still wreaking havoc in the slums. These guys are soon going to have a life of their own and the government will not be able to absorb them in the mainstream communities.

Mzungu Chick said...

Peter - You're so right. I'd say Kenyan news is just full on depressing at the moment.
One step forward and two steps back every week it seems.
:o(

Baba W 'n' M said...

A group of the ODM mayoral candidate supporters who were chanting in the streets around City Hall have just been dispersed using tear gas and shots fired in the air.
Strangely it happened so fast, right now things are so quiet it is eerie.

Mzungu Chick said...

Peter - thought I heard tear gas being fired. Guess I was right then. I always thought it may be a little bit of an eventful day.
Keep your head down !