People who say we have seen no increase in freedoms are speaking from ignorance. Where once only
an imperial president caned,
we soon moved to free-for-all slapping. Now punch-ups are possible anywhere in Government or Parliament, with no need to observe seniority protocols! If heads don’t roll in this coalition, we may have more to fear from flying chairs than from flying deathtraps.
People who pretend to have
received death-threats for politically sensitive whistleblowing ‘flee’ the country at their own cost and advertise the danger to the media — then return to take up parliamentary jobs or indulge in speaking engagements. Tellingly, they avoid any forum that will take sworn evidence. As for genuine exiles, they are spirited away in secret by foreign governments. Have you noticed someone missing from KNCHR?
As predicted, last week’s Judiciary Open Day became open-fire-on-Evan-Gicheru day, with civil society ganging up on the Chief Justice. But it turns out the big guns didn’t fire: Word is Martha Karua’s recent mockery of the 2003 ‘radical surgery’ was a hint at a "far more radical plan" cooked up with PM Raila Odinga and ODM-Kenya’s Mutula Kilonzo. Looks like its Kiraitu Murungi’s turn to herd goats as he is taught surgery.
Who was that guy who stampeded us into firing ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu and others before we were ready to replace them? The name is on the tip of my tongue... I remember him savaging Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka for suggesting we think before we act... Now that we’re moaning about the emotional mistake, I wish someone could remember the instigators name and warn us next time he spooks us!
And finally...
It only worked partly for Alfie, but that won’t stop others from trying: Nigeria is hoping a new patriotic slogan — Good People, Great Nation — can restore self-confidence and overturn its battered reputation. Africa’s most populous nation is known for corruption, poverty (despite decades of oil production), drugs and e-mail scams.
palaver@eastandard.net
