Miguna should eat humble pie, quit

Political fallouts are not a new phenomena. All through history — in fact, from the biblical account of Judas Iscariot — traitorous ingratiates have come and gone.

Recently, in Britain, advisor Nick Clegg chose to humiliate premier David Cameron over the issue of extremist Islamism. He had his day but promptly faded into oblivion.

Based on this, suspended Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s advisor on coalition affairs Miguna Miguna should stop deluding himself that his fallout with the PM is earth shattering and must acknowledge his own insignificance in Kenyan politics.

A hitherto unknown lawyer whose abrasiveness landed him in exile until Raila brought him out, Miguna should thank his benefactor for giving him recognition and status. Sometimes, scholars thrust into murky political waters come across as daft. They refuse to learn from lessons that history offers. A small dose of fame goes straight to their heads and inhibits a cohesive thought process.

While still in office as the PM’s advisor, Miguna’s effusive praises of Raila bordered on sycophancy but now that he is out, Raila has turned out to be a tribalist and dictator to boot. Until recently, Miguna was content to be part of that tribal team, what changed over night?

Given his abrasive style, condescending attitude, constant disagreements with the PS and chief of staff in the Office of the PM, the inference one draws is that of a man suffering from acute superiority complex.

Politics of betrayal

What further supports this observation is Miguna’s emphasis on the fact that Raila met him on his own (Miguna’s) terms. It does not matter on whose terms Miguna met Raila, that they even met means Raila is not the belligerent here.

Following his dismissal, Miguna has been very caustic and rabidly anti-Raila, a fact that betrays his chagrin at having been dislodged from his high perch. His belief in his own infallibility is utopian.

Miguna’s refusal to take back his old job as an advisor to the PM might have been dictated by guilt, not principle. The guilt arises from having said some unsavory things about Raila that he cannot live with while working together again.

Anything Miguna publishes now to disparage Raila is propaganda, a clear case of sour grapes that will mark him out as a present day Judas Iscariot who, for 30 pieces of silver, betrayed a saviour — Jesus Christ.

{Alexander Chagema, Kakamega}

Miguna Miguna is writing a book where he has said he will reveal all that happened when he worked at Raila’s office.

The straight shooting Miguna and who practiced law in Canada before 2007 was recently offered his job back halfheartedly by the PM, which he turned down citing breach of an MoU with the PM struck at a private meeting at Nairobi’s Serena Hotel.

The PM had earlier offered the job to lawyer Paul Mwangi as head of legal affairs in his office. Considering that Miguna’s designated position was that of legal advisor on coalition affairs, it is puzzling why the PM thought Miguna could not handle the job he has given to Mr Mwangi.

However, this being an election year, it is easy to see what is happening at the PM’s office. The first thing to note is that Raila has been on a trailblazing adventure to endear himself to the Gema community voters, especially after his acrimonious political ‘divorce’ with the Kalenjin community.

So the latest move to thrust Mwangi to the limelight, is meant to give the impression to the Gema that Raila is electable.

However, what the humiliated Miguna will reveal in his book, and which is making Raila ‘panic’, cannot be just wished away especially now that he has vowed to spill the beans. In as far as Nyanza politics is concerned, I do not know how Miguna will benefit.

But remember he holds a Canadian passport and may be preparing to move back to his second home and adopted country to practice law again once he is through with Raila.

{Kariuki Muiri, Karatina}

Caucus of MPs out to serve selfish interests

Press reports that a group known as Mt Kenya East caucus — comprising leaders from Embu, Tharaka-Nithi and Meru counties — has met with intention to anoint a presidential candidate are extremely disturbing as its agenda is clearly tribal.

The so-called anointed is expected to emerge from amongst Uhuru Kenyatta, Kalonzo Musyoka or George Saitoti and must run on a PNU Alliance ticket!

Obviously, the interests of this group are not national, but myopic in nature and whose sole interest is maintaining the status quo with one of their own at State House by any means.

It is exactly this school of political thought that landed us in the 2007/08 post-election violence in attempting to compartmentalise political leadership in Kenya and many are surprised that the Mzalendo Kibunjia-led National Cohesion and Integration Commission and other concerned authorities have remained silent in the face of these dangerous and potentially explosive machinations.

Nepotism at work

Indeed some of the politicians selling this agenda have used the last ten years to accumulate obscene wealth for themselves, their relatives, friends and cronies.

To understand the level of nepotism, consider the fact that one village in the upper Eastern region has at least ten people holding national positions while districts like Tigania East, Tigania West and Igembe and Ntonyiri do not have a single person holding such post appointed in the last ten years despite having highly educated and qualified residents!

The same applies for parastatal and quasi-government appointments. These regions do not have a single ambassador in the diplomatic appointments while there is a village with four.

The same districts do not have a single permanent secretary while there is a village which, at one time, boasted of five.

Never in the history of independent Kenya have these districts been so neglected and marginalised. Sadly, the ill-treatment has come from persons traditionally considered our kith and kin.

Our message to presidential contestants is simple, we shall vote. But we shall vote for whom we choose. People from every corners of Kenya are welcome to seek our vote.

We shall certainly not vote for anybody fronted by the likes of current leaders from the region in whose watch, the region has experienced the darkest days in history.

With friends like them, we need no enemies?

{Mwanawa Tigania, Via Email}

Social media users must stop hatred

Hate speech is any communication that disparages a group or person on the basis of some characteristic such as race, colour, ethnicity, gender and so on.

Haters seem to be on the loose on Facebook and Twitter among other social sites in regard to the ongoing confirmation of charges hearings at The Hague process.

I would wish all users of these media to let the process take its course and stop posting irritable comments.

It is immoral for users to take advantage of their anonymity to insult members of a certain community.

{Concerned Kenyan}