Indeed it was extraordinary

The proverbial Sword of Damocles hang precariously in the House for almost a week before it suddenly fell.
The House and country at large seem to have been held at ransom and the suspense on the air was reminiscent of the tick tack tock clock of the Apocalypse.
When he took to the chamber, the House Speaker Kenneth Marende, with authority and sage probably drawn from his ancestors of Wanga read and explained the content, letter and spirit of the law to the surprise, chagrin and shock of Honourable Members of parliament, who, in the whole week had reduced the House Business into the endless debate of who came first between the egg and the chicken.
Hook, line and sinker
The past one week had seen bitter words exchanged between members of the coalition even others calling for a snap election though the mechanism for handling the same is non existent. The country was treated to a replay of the Day of Long Knives premiering in the House early last year.
To diffuse this tension and return the House and by large extension the country, the Speaker acted in a manner least expected by both sides of the divide and decided to take over the leadership of the House Business Committee and refer the feuding parties back to the drawing table to consult of who would finally occupy that seat.
Even the man who had been appointed by the president to head the HBC found himself in unfamiliar waters when the letter from his boss to the speaker was trashed and rendered null.
Good Neighbourliness
Once again Tanzania, which has been Kenya's good neighbour and brother especially in tough times came to the rescue of the country. The Speaker borrowed strongly from the Tanzanian Constitution regarding the leadership of the House and it is from these clauses that the man from Emuhaya(Western Kenya) found more strength and authority to apportion himself power and with the will and stamina of a man in a catch twenty two situation he delivered his verdict with finally which left the whole House and Country by extension in awe and amazement.
Solomon the Sage.
It will be recalled that on Thursday last week when the stalemate broke officially, a man of cloth in the House (Rev.Mutava Musyimi-Gachoka MP) went divine and sold an idea to the Speaker and the House at large. His Kingdom experience reminded him of the sagacious leader of the olden day Israel-Solomon who decided to cut a kid fought for by two women into two.
With the humility of a man in the pulpit over the years and leader of church council in the country, the disturbed Rev. called on the Speaker to make reference to this story and save the country from degenerating into apathy, a situation still fresh in the minds of the citizenry.
Indeed the Speaker did not fail this man of cloth who, during his day in the helm of the church council and many at times in the pulpit had made tough and bitter decisions on some issues.
Reformed House
Perhaps the most interesting bit of yesterday's development was the reaction after the Speaker's ruling. Yes, it was a sigh of relief to many and to others, a raw deal. Almost all those who stood to contribute to the immediate motion congratulated the Speaker for his decision. However, hangovers lingered in the heads of others. They felt that the Speaker's decision should be contested and real definition of government and appointing authority be revisited.
What remains to be seen is the next course of action for the disintegrated coalition government on choosing the Leader of Government Business.

Parliamentary Impasse a set back to peace and stability in Kenya

Barely three days after the state opening of parliament in Kenya, the ugly monster of the grand coaltion government seems to be poking its head into the August House. The coalition government has been accussed by all and sundry for failing to deliver to the satisfaction of the citizenry given the promises made immediately after signing the peace accord following the ethnic convulsions which erupted after the bungled elections in December 2007.
The wrangling-which now seems to be a common feature of the coalition is extending to the House as both parties in the coalition jozzle for parliamentary suppremacy. This development portends a danger to the country's stability given the suspicions still existing among the various ethnic communities in Kenya. Hopes of Vision 2030 seem to be on the hanging line as priorities of building the nation seem to have been misplaced.

Migingo Controversy

The recent developments in Kenya and Uganda regarding the ownership of the small island-Migingo is a course of worry to not only the two countries but to the entire East African Region in general given the quest for a political federation by 2015.
It is reminiscent of the events which led to the collapse of the East African Cooperation way back in 1977. The suspicions and mistrust which seems to be cropping up is likely to impact negatively especially on the other East African Countries which may not be having any hand in the impasse.
This development adds to the twist being experienced by these countries as each seems to be guarding its interests without the realisation of the fact that the various documents signed towards the formation of the community are binding and calls on each country to compromise and adjust to the realities of a union or some organisation of that sort.
It remains to be seen now if Kenya and Uganda, not to forget Tanzania which has kept to its guns will let go their national interests and ambitions for the sake of a greater interest-the Political Federation of East Africa.

Paul Muite Press Release

Paul Muite Press Release

Press Statement By Paul Muite S.C on threats to his life over Extra Judicial
Executions in Kenya issued 8th April 2009

Last Sunday, 5th April 2009, I received specific information from credible
sources that Members of the "Kwekwe squad" responsible for carrying out extra
judicial executions have been given instructions to get rid of me.

The question you will ask and the one that jumped to my mind when I received
the information is, what have I done, why now? This is the question my mind has
been grappling with since Sunday.

My conclusion is that the consistent public stand which I have taken on extra
judicial executions may have something to do with it. Some of you Ladies and
Gentlemen of the media will recall that I was amongst the very first public
figures to condemn extra judicial executions and to point fingers at the
Government. I attended the funeral services of both Kingara and Oulu at which I
spoke strongly on Government involvement in the killings. In so
doing, I was aware that Intelligence Officers would be present wanting to know
who was saying what. It is their work.

Recently, Professor Philip Alston handed over his report on extra judicial
executions in Kenya to the ICC Prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo and requested the ICC
to take action.

Behind the scenes, I have myself been urging Ice through emissaries to take
action since this issue is grave and serious. The documented cases are over 600.
Thousands more are listed as missing. It is possible that the Intelligence
agencies are aware of my behind the scenes efforts for ICC to take action. They
listen to phone conversations and hack emails as we all know.

I have accordingly decided to write formally to the ICC Prosecutor Louis Moreno
Ocampo drawing his attention to the imminent threat to my life and urging him to
open investigations into extra judicial executions in Kenya with a view to
prosecuting those involved. I am making available to you copies of my letter to
Mr. Ocampo. You will see from the contents of my letter to Mr. Ocampo that under
Article 28 of the Rome Statute, I finger criminal responsibility for these extra
judicial executions on the President himself, the Hon. John Michuki who was the
Minister of State in the Office of the President in 2006 when this policy of
extermination through extra judicial executions appears to have been formulated
and implementation commenced, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of
Intelligence, the
Commanders of these squads and at the bottom, those officers who carry out the
executions.

It is possible however that the last straw might well have come from the latest
spat with H.E. the President over the criminal raid on KTN and the Standard and
with his then Minister of State in his office in charge of Internal Security the
Hon. John Michuki. It will be recalled that the President himself issued a coded
threat" or where ever else we might meet. It is the only way." My lawyers'
letter to the President in which this coded threat was taken up is a matter of
public record and I make available to you copies of that letter.

The Hon. John Michuki, too, sent a demand letter which was responded to.The
last paragraph of my lawyers' response reads and I quote:-

"Thirdly and finally, we have been instructed to state that our client will
take the suit your client files as invitation to disclose and adduce evidence of
the meeting at which the decision to carry out the criminal operations was made,
who was present and in particular who presided over that meeting and gave the go
ahead, including the fake articles on an alleged visit by "someone" to Southern
Sudan back in 1997 to visit "someone" there.. Your client will bear
responsibility for disclosure of that evidence including the implication and
consequences. "

This too I suspect might have contributed towards the final straw.

If a government which is supposed to protect the lives of its citizens is the
one taking those lives in extra judicial executions and political
assassinations, there is very little a citizen can do to escape execution.

I have called this press conference to let Kenyans know that if anything does
indeed happen to me, let no one be fooled that it was "ordinary thuggery or car
jacking." It will have been pre-meditated political assassination/extra judicial
execution.

It would pain my soul wherever it might be to hear Erick Kiraithe and Dr.Alfred
Mutua telling the public that the Government/Police are investigating with a
view to bringing to book those who might have been involved.

Equally, it is pointless reporting to the Police. They are the suspects who
should be investigated. To report to them will only give them the opportunity to
probe from where the leak might have occurred so that they deal with the
"msaliti" (traitor) the way they dealt with Kiriinya.

The Pirates Movie

The developments in the Gulf of Eden and the Indian Ocean at large is a sign of more trouble not only for the good neighbour Kenya and other countries in the region, but to a large extend an acid test to president Obama and the new administration. perhaps it is one of the first exercises for Obama to exhibit his military might and prove wrong those who see him as a weak president. And for sure Obama's victory was first recorded yesyterday when the US Navy managed to resue the Maersk Captain Philip Richard. But what is disturbing to say the least is the level of sophistication employed by these pirates. Perhaps a new strategy ought to be employed. 24 hour surveillance may not be the real panacea.

Coalition Under Threat

The political developments in Kenya is taking several twists and turns with coalition partners blaming each other on various issues from anti reform forces, political responsibility, power sharing and short-changing on the same to a host of other disturbing matters.
The latest scenario from Kilaguni Lodge in Masai Mara is a cause of worry as political tempers rose and for once, differences between the Prime Minister and the President came out in the open, this time without any public relations to diffuse any untimed perceptions by the media and the public at large.
The Pot however, broke in the welll this morning when the president's staunch supporter and ally-Justice, Constitutional Affairs and National Cohesion minister, Ms Martha Karua threw in the towel and hanged her boots as minister in the Kibaki administration. What becomes of this is speculation and more in the days to come.