Kenya Edging Into Dark Times.

Police in Mombasa city have confirmed reports that leaflets were spread around the coastal county warning Kikuyus to move from the area or face unspecified consequences. The area is purportedly an ODM zone.

This comes the same week that we heard the country’s Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on a press conference reveal that there have been threats to his life and those of judges serving in the judiciary. The threats were contained in what is termed as a “poison pen” letter.

Not so long ago, the theft of IEBC computers in Kisumu hit the news after thugs broke into, vandalised the premises and stole the lap tops.

Within this same time span, the CORD presidential candidate Raila Odinga was all over the news claiming that the government, which he is peculiarly part of, was planning to rig the coming elections in favour of his challenger Uhuru Kenyatta.

Around the same time, the Chief Justice was refused to fly out of the country by an immigrations official who claimed that the CJ must clear with the Head of Civil Services Frances Kimemia according to a circular issued to the immigrations personnel concerning all civil servants. The CJ is not part of the civil servants but the judiciary.

After the immigration official was suspended by recommendation from the national security advisory committee pending investigation, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang (ODM) said he would not sanction the interdiction (suspension) of the immigration officer as he was acting on instructions from Kimemia.

Meanwhile, Miguna Miguna was reportedly arrested after allegedly assaulting his house help. Miguna talking to the media disclosed that the house girl had been paid to poison him by members of the ODM political party. It was after the discovery that he had fired and chased her away. 

This dangerous pattern does not bed well under ten days to the general elections. Could all this be related as some analysts have speculated?

That all this events are happening about the same time says a lot. While it is unacceptable that Kenya’s judiciary can be threatened, it leaves a lot of questions about the procedure followed after the threats. What you would normally expect is that the CJ would have contacted the country’s security head quarters to present his fears.

It should also be expected that he would have contacted the office of the president which harbours the Head of Civil Service and demand an explanation as to why he should report to them before leaving the country.

The immigration officer in question works under the ministry of immigration and this is where such directions, and circulars, pertaining to the activities at the airports to the officials should come from. The minister for immigration has since denied his involvement but while we wait for the comments from the Head of Civil Services the CORD coalition has already taken to the streets calling for his (Kimemia) resignation.

Could all these be part of a conspiracy, through gradual propaganda, aimed at blinding the public form the more important issues taking place?

The same week saw presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta overtake his rival Raila Odinga for the first time in the opinion polls. Though by a very small margin it is significant given that the elections are around the corner and Uhuru has been gaining ground persistently.

Last week, Miguna, Raila Odinga’s eternal proverbial thorn in the place where the sun does not shine, came back to bite. Kidneys for The King, the second of Miguna’s books is now doing the rounds while Miguna has also revealed that he has uncovered an assassination plot against his self. He at the same time endorsed Odinga’s nemeses, Uhuru.

It is ironic that the Mungiki, well known to be associated to CORD through its ‘former’ leader Maina Njenga, would threaten the CJ on behave of Uhuru Kenyatta whom Maina Njenga hates with a passion. Maina Njenga’s Mkenya Solidarity is part of the CORD Coalition and his friendship with the PM is in public domain.

There is only one Mungiki, there is only one known leader, although it was pronounced dead, it has never been dissolved and its activities are still witnessed in some parts of central region. But the Mungiki can never advertise its threats while actually implicating itself: as an illegal organisation it plays best in the dark. Something about its involvement in the threats do not characterise.

Uhuru Kenyatta has called for investigations into the saga while categorically denouncing the threats; he further suggested that the CORD coalition should provide explanations as all these somehow seem to be poignantly pointing at them.

Apparently, a man by the name Victor Owuor has been arrested in connections with the poison pen letter. The man who has confessed to be an adherent follower of Raila Odinga is said to have conceded to the charges. Investigations continue. 

Raila Odinga is well known for his cry wolf syndrome, in the past it was always about his life being in danger but given that his security has been immensely improved as Kenya’s PM, could he be using the same through proxy?

The CJ has already been accused of polarising the country through his choice of announcing the threats to his life by two lawyers. He chose the media instead of the police. Willy Mutunga, Makau Mutua and Raila were co-accused by one lawyer of taking Kenya back to 2007. The end of the year 2007 saw the culmination of political tensions into violent chaos that resulted in over 1000 Kenyans dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Mr Odinga’s insensitivity in volatile times is well known. Against the advice of the IEBC, the police and other authoritative organisations, he continues to engage Kenya in heated debate on emotive issues with total disregard of the outcome. At a time when Kenyans world wide are preoccupied with spreading peace in a notion of fairness and democracy, Mr Odinga is using his best propaganda tools to deny Kenyans a peaceful election after sensing defeat.

In his own backyard, Kisumu, residents are said to be vacating their homes in fear. This in good reason after chaos erupted after the nomination mess that took place in December last year. His party ignored the will of the people and endorsed on them leaders that had already been rejected. If this happened within his political party, what will happen in the coming national general elections?

After the leaflets in Mombassa, enraged residents have refused to submit while some others chose to move out of the area.

“It is high time the police and the electoral body protected voters. This time round we are not moving, and we are also calling on those who have already began leaving the town to come back and exercise their democratic right,” said one of the residents.

Just one week remaining, Kenya is face to face with the beginning of the nightmare last seen in 2007/2008 chaos. It came to pass after ethnic hatred fuelled by an evil war strategy of 41 against 1, an invention of engineer Raila, the self confessed architect of 1982 coup.

Njoro.