Palaver

The political lynch-mob that went after Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya won’t be satisfied that he has only taken a ‘demotion’. His sin is that he "lied" (says Parliament) or "was econmical with the truth" (says Cockar), nothing illegal. Does the ‘punishment’ fit the crime? The President may think so, but MPs see pain in loss of cash and perks, not loss of power. Take away the big salary and their bloodlust might end!

****

While we are pondering our incredibly high rate of road accidents (40 times the US per km driven), some questions: Is it just reckless drivers who are to blame or even sensible ones? Why do we have the peculiar habit of accelerating when being overtaken? And why do oncoming drivers, who know we are accelerating, blaze their lights at the hapless overtaker, blinding them when they need to see to stay alive?

****

Remember Terry Davidson, former KCB boss, telling this newspaper how he sold shares in Uchumi just before things went haywire? As KCB was a creditor, he has since been charged with insider trading. Guess who was in the NSE’s disciplinary committee? Johnson Githaka (former Kenya Re MD, now in court) and Patrick Gakiavih (Nyaga Stockbrokers). And guess which nice folks did the selling? Suntra, whose bosses are allegedly legging it from the police!

****

If PM Raila Odinga was Obama, writes Samson Sumba, he would warn the media for "maliciously" claiming he is a Muslim. He would bash the New York Times for saying that he was perceived as naive by whites. When Sarah Palin claimed he was palling with a local terrorist, Raila would retreat to his home turf, say Illinois, and accuse media houses that reported it of trying to "Paka him tope"!

****

And finally...

Talk about the audacity of hope and the blindness of cops: Authorities in Chicago say a young aspiring officer wearing a uniform walked into a police station and duped officers into letting him ride in a patrol car for five hours. The 14-year-old’s cover was only blown when officers noticed his uniform wasn’t regulation after the half-day patrol ended!

palaver@eastandard.net