Thursday, March 22, 2007


STORIES OF THE WEEK-Kenya Politics

In matters free primary education, Uhuru Kenyatta should hold his peace. In the 2002 Kenya's General Election, he and his campaign team told the country it was not possible. Now he has the cheek to rubbish it, saying the increase in enrolment is a mere 10 per cent. Palaver doesn’t know what the man scored in primary school maths, but a rise in numbers from 5.9 million pupils in 2002 to 7.6 million now can’t be a 10 per cent jump. To be precise, it’s 28.81356 per cent!
****

Kenya's Presidential Address is a crucial session for MPs to take a nap. But a few women MPs had a nobler idea on Tuesday. They raised their legs and placed them on the seats in front of them. Only when the camera zoomed their way did they relent. Where has decency gone?
****

What do you want the Big Man in the House on the Hill to do? When he and his sidekicks parrot the economic turnaround, they are told the common man and woman can’t feel it. Then he goes on a freebie-giving spree and he’s accused of campaigning for re-election. Isn’t this the way to spread economic growth? Teachers’ 10-year poverty resolved, civil servants laughing all the way to the bank and youth and women only speak of billions.
****

And Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Francis ole Kaparo had his goodies for MPs, too, may be because he needs their votes in 2008. He extolled the virtues of Honourable members and they ranged from diligence, superb Bill scrutiny, funeral MCeeing and even acting Father Christmas at weddings and birthday parties for their constituents. But Mr Order! Order! has not always felt this way about his clients. There was a time he felt MPs were so petty and he had no doubt why: Many are ex-councillors!
****

And finally...

The so-called celebs should get out of the way for celebrity has been taken to a new level. It’s not for naughty teenagers, but men whose rave is the Hummer, the Sh45 million American bulletproof military sports utility car that greets you when you enter and refuses to start if the driver is drunk. It’s the preserve of only four Kenyans — Raila Odinga, Dennis Oliech, a tycoon and MP.