RE: Hon. Raila Odinga's Vision for Kenya and Kenyans

Otieno,

You get choked quite easily, dnt you? We all have our worldviews Otieno. We see things through different kinds of lenses.You accuse me of relying on what "I hear" but in the same breath you commit the same "sin" by quoting what you "heard" from your guest from Tana River ..."Last week, I hosted my friend from Tana river and he had just come from kenya. The best news he gave me was that these days we are very lucky because if you are traveling to kisumu, you achoice of going thro' Narok or nakuru."

Kibaki allowed minsters to take charge of their ministries without the "higher power" syndrome. Raila was in charge of roads, Otieno! Blame Raila for doing nothing about the Tana - Nairobi - roads - whichever they are. He demolished a few homes that were built on road reserves and then took off to do politics.

I don't deny there is a lot that is yet to be done in Tana River, Nairobi and elsewhere but there is strong evidence that there is progress in the right direction - two terms for the Kibaki government will solidify the developmental mileage gained in the past four years. This was not the case a few years back. My other point is that Raila can show what he has done to push for multi-partyism but not much in terms of actual economic development - other than their family business empire. Make no mistakes, I am closer to Raila than you are. Show me what he has done for Kibera. He returned the CDF funds for Kibera. Kibaki is working on a plan to phase out slums and provide better housing. Instead of acknowledging this and then saying Tana River needs to be next, you quickly brush the progress aside and point out deficiencies. Who is fooling who here?

We could argue back and forth about this and that but the gist of my response as one of the people the e-mail was meant to woe is this "No, not Raila!" If I don't have a right to do so and warn fellow Kenyans to see through Raila's smokescreen then I don't understand what freedom and democracy you are talking about. Raila has a right to post his vision and I have a right to reject it. I don't see why some of us are getting so pissed off!

Even over on our other side in Nyanza there is progress, CDF funds are given to constituency without discrimination. Sometimes I think the MPs themselves are to blame rather than the government. What are CDF funds in Tana doing? Kibaki announced a dual carriage road project for a stretch from Ukambani to Nairobi. Tana will get there gradually - but not on Raila's watch.

You should simmply have pointed out what is good about Raila's vision or speech instead of getting sidetracked to attack my dismissal of Raila's speech! Have a nice day Otieno but don't worry too much about Raila - he is as useful as Shikuku.

Pinto