Palaver

It’s hard to sidestep the sideshows hugging the spotlight around the alliance-making. Where are the candidates who have nothing to do with such covenants? Have the crowded coalition platforms drowned out their voices? How about they continue putting up a brave face and soldier on? Yes, that’s better. And what game is Musalia Mudavadi playing at? Is it true the deadlock in the Jubilee Alliance had all to do with his demanding a boardroom consensus to pick the Jubilee flagbearer? If memory serves us right, he left the Orange party in a huff when he was categorically informed  he could not challenge Raila in a constituency-by-constituency for the party presidential ticket. Has he again run into another Delegates Only party?

 Susan Rice takes the Cup of Integrity for 2012 for wisely withdrawing her candidature for  consideration for Secretary of State job after she realised hawta-wes-make! Not so around here. Prospective candidates fume, demand re-vetting, claim their tribe is being targeted and ensure a year-long court injunction paralyses the target office.  

 When William Ruto finally decamped from ODM after months of threatening to leave, there was a chorus of ‘good riddance’. Musalia fled and he was told he had no future out of ODM. Charity Ngilu walked and she was termed inconsequential. Balala fled and his action was dismissed. Now another former‘Pentagonian’ Joe Nyagah has switched sides and message remains the same: ODM is better without ungrateful Joe. We have a column to write. Any chance ODM can vary this template reply?

 Remember how Barack Obama whitewashed the competition as he charged into his first term? His teams did not court the billionaires and zillionaires for funding. They swelled the numbers and campaign kitty from 10-dollar and 20-dollar donors — A real mwananchi deal! This year, they went a step further with the door-to-door volunteers recruiters. It worked. Will this latter strategy work in IEBC’s favour today and make the surge? Keep it here.  

And finally...

Good morning Dear Kenyan. Did you make a detour by the BVR yet? No, IEBC has not failed to reach their target roll numbers. It is you who has failed to spare five minutes.

   editorial@standardmedia co.ke