Folks

Lets not jump into conclusion and think that we can
learn from the Kenyan Opposition. Whilst, I welcome
the Kenyan People for diching KANU after 40 years in
office, I remain sceptical that this could only happen
not as a result of policies but on who should lead the
KANU party. Don't forget that the likes of Raila
Odinga and many others had one time formed an alliance
with KANU in the hope of contesting this General
Election.

If there is anything we can learn from NARC then
surely it must be based on how Kibaki was selected as
Presidential Candidate. Remember that the Movement for
Restoration of Democracy in  the Gambia did publish a
reference document on forming an alliance for the
entire opposition. If our Opposition parties had taken
notice of that useful document, then surely we would
have been seen the end  of Jammeh and the APRC in
power.

To conclude; I enclose an article which I read from
Sunday's Observer Newspaper,UK;

Kenya sweeps corrupt ruler out of power

Opposition hails 'fantastic victory' after peaceful
election

James Astill in Nairobi
Sunday December 29, 2002
The Observer

Kenyans revelled in a day few dared to dream of in
four decades, as the preliminary results yesterday
from Friday's elections suggested a landslide victory
for the opposition, sweeping away many crooks and
cronies of a ruling party that has terrorised and
impoverished them since independence.
With about a fifth of the poll already counted last
night, Mwai Kibaki, a veteran opposition leader and
former Vice-President, had won around 70 per cent of
the votes. Uhuru Kenyatta, the candidate of the
outgoing President Daniel arap Moi's Kanu party and
son of Jomo, Kenya's founding father, had won less
than 30 per cent, offering Kenya the chance of one of
the most peaceful and democratic transitions from 'Big
Man' rule in history.

'We are cruising to a fantastic and historic victory,'
said Kijana Wamalwa, a key member of Kibaki's National
Rainbow Coalition (NARC).

'The mood here is very sombre,' said an official at
Nairobi's State House, the centre of a kleptocracy
which has forced some 60 per cent of Kenyans into
wretched poverty.

Fearing a repeat of the violence that claimed
thousands of lives before previous elections,
Nairobeans barely ventured out over Christmas, except
to vote. But as radio stations broadcast the
unofficial results from polling stations around the
country, small, disbelieving crowds emerged. 'No
violence and no more Kanu, no more Moi - it's too
much, a gift from God,' said Josiah Owade, one of a
group of youths hunkered round a radio.

After 24 years of misrule, Moi was constitutionally
obliged to step aside. Yet many Kenyans feared that he
planned to rule on through Kenyatta. 'Choosing
Kenyatta was all about self-preservation for the old
man and his family,' said one diplomat in Nairobi
yesterday. 'But the trick hasn't paid off, because
Kenyans wouldn't be fooled.'

Even more remarkably in a country where every vote has
traditionally had its price, many of Moi's most
notorious cronies lost their seats. They include
Vice-President Musalia Mudavadi; Justice Minister
Julius Sunkuli; Moi's crony-in-chief Shariff Nassir;
and John Haroun Mwau, a Kanu vice-chairman.

'This is a glorious day for Kenya,' said John Githongo
of Transparency International, the watchdog which
ranks Kenya among the world's most corrupt nations.
'All the evidence suggest Kenyans have taken bribes
across the country, and then voted with their
consciences.'

At a military parade yesterday morning to mark his
passing, Moi shrugged off the first results. 'That's
democracy,' he said. 'As long as Kenyans are united, I
am satisfied.' At the time, Moi's thuggish son Gideon
- one of the most feared men in Kenya and Kenyatta's
likely choice as Prime Minister - represented Kanu's
only victory. He stood unopposed after opposition
candidates mysteriously withdrew.

NARC's likely victory took on added significance in
western Kenya where the sun wore a halo on Friday.
Meteorologists said the phenomenon was caused by light
refracting through ice. But the Luo tribe, one of
Kenya's poorest, celebrated it as propitious and more
than 90 per cent of them voted for NARC.

As Kenya's likely new government, NARC looks only
fairly auspicious. It was formed when many of Moi's
leading cronies deserted Kanu, after being passed over
for Kenyatta. United only by hatred of Moi, it has no
ideology, no concrete policies and could crumble over
the division of spoils.

With many of Kanu's most violent politicians now in
NARC, Kenyans have been spared the politically stirred
tribal clashes that claimed more than 3,000 lives
before two previous elections.

On polling day, the threat of rioting lurked in
Nairobi's slums, where NARC's candidate - and likely
Prime Minister - Raila Odinga claimed two million
voters had been disenfranchised (though NARC had
insisted on the regulation that caused this), and
threatened to lead a million-man march on State House.


But NARC's campaign was better characterised by
Kibaki, virtually bedbound for the past three weeks
after a car crash. On Friday, the man who promises he
will 'Save Kenya' was so frail he had to cast his vote
from the back of his Mercedes. NARC's campaign was
mostly peaceful, disjointed and lethargic, counting
entirely on the poor's desperation for change. Indeed
it was they - and not Kibaki's slick London PR
consultants - who supplied NARC's real slogan:
'Unbwoggable' - the made-up title of a hit pop song,
meaning 'unstoppable'.

NARC also boasts Kanu's most accomplished thieves, so
Kibaki's promise to fight corruption rings hollow. Yet
NARC is also introducing a handful of distinguished
activists to politics - notably Wangari Maathai, a
celebrated environmentalist - and, most importantly,
since Moi began constructing his patronage network
Kenya has changed.

High rates of literacy and an energetic press are
closing many of the tribal divisions Moi abused to
divide opposition.

The Western donors who allowed Moi's cronies to steal
their loans during the Cold War demand change too.
Kenya's aid was frozen four years ago because of the
corruption. If Kibaki wants the half billion pounds
pending to restart Kenya's shrinking economy, he will
need to offer stiff guarantees. Already he has
promised to pass two anti-corruption Bills. One
ensures that all politicians declare their wealth.


HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY

Sanusi





--- Seedy Khan <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > An
opposition leader, Mwai Kibaki has been confirmed
> as the winner of Kenya's
> Presidential elections.
>
> It will be recalled that Kibaki contested the
> elections under the umbrella of
> National Rainbow Coalition, a coalition of about 12
> political parties.
>
> This is a huge example for the opposition political
> parties in a country(The
> Gambia), where there is no presidential term limits.
> This, indeed, is a great
> historic lesson ought to be emulated from the
> Kenyans.
>
>
>
> In the coming ALD
>
>
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