PANIC IN PNU KITCHEN CABINET

Fellow Readers,
 
Panic in PNU:

We have been consumed with Majimbo (what is ODMs new scholarly name for Devolution?), but something else is being ignored. The incumbent could be running without MPs running with him in his re-election vehicle, PNU. KANU, Narc-K, Ford-K, Ford-P, SAFINA, SHIRKISHO and KENDA are going it alone. No MP who wants to be reelected is going to try the untested engine known as PNU. You must be saying what about ODM? Is it not untested? That is not true. Orange won the referundum against BANA which is not in the race.

Making things rather perilous for most MPs is that the pay is very good, and no sane opponent is going to step down for any MP. The problem for PNU MPs is that they have spent so may months over meetings on how to meet that it is 54 days to go (no body campaigns on the last two days to election day) and they are still meeting on whether to run as PNU or whatever party. What they don't realize is that the man from Othaya is aready canvassing for votes, and won't remember that they ever campaigned for him if and when he has squeaked (?) through by 0.01% (treasonable thought!) with 88% of MPs being ODM. He will just cut a deal with ODM to let them have Majimbo, and a powerful PM,  several VPs, and 8 VPMs (there are acronyms for Regiona Kings) to run the country as he plays golf.

Talk of taking comfort in a group situation, however unpleasant the projected ending; that is the situation in PNU. Those from the inside say that there is panic in the PNU kitchen cabinate. Why the Panic? The MPs and other contestants have realized that there are only a few seats to run for, and many parties to shop for, and it is the eleventh hour, and their last pay has run out (literally) and have woken up to say, "We are running in our individual parties like Hon. Kenyatta is doing, to hell with PNU!"

No wonder ODM has left its doors open until 16-11-2007 (Now, those of us cowering in the Diaspora with ODM forms in our pockets, we still have some time to decide). There is going to be a big PNU fallout and a lot panic-stricken former MPs to whom recently-added madams have served notices! Not that ODM will promise any success to these last-minute wanderes, but the prospect for nominations to the regional East African Assembly are higher in ODM than PNU.

Now to the voter: Imagine you are a pro-PNU voter in Embakasi Nairobi, and faced with the choice of PNU for president and ten other chamelion-colored friendly PNU parties for the MP slot. Then there is the Big Orange you are used to eating, and you had missed your lunch, nobody would blame you for voting the inviting orange ODM suit. You have very good reasons for your action: One, it is more convenient and time saving. Two, you know that the MP and the Presidential tickets share one belief known as Devolution which promises six times your spicy but small CDF.
 
ODM:
What do you think is happening in ODM now that they have a host of folks
who have paid Sh 140,000 to contest for 210 vacancies? ODM managers under the watchful eye of Justice Richard Kwach are very tight on things. But I have heard that they have hired a lot of psychologists to handle those who may have no chance at the nominations. I am also reminded that it is not a bad gamble at all for the 1400 contestants who have invested in ODM. Devolution will create professional as well as political positions at every level. So you naysayers and pundits should hold your guns.
 
ODINGA FACTOR
Hey, there are a lot of people who are pitching for their cousins who are facing particularly formidable individuals such as Hon. Kajwan'g in Mbita. Sure, you have every right to pitch for your friends and clansmen on jaluodotcom, but keep it civil, and don't mix Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga in every little intraclan contest in Luoland. The man is walking through hostile arrows in Meru as you eat your lunch in London, UK; and when you are at a nyamachoma bar in Kariobangi, he is parachuting into a small field for a strategy session and dinner in a remote Kiosk in Othaya; and as you wake up in Oslo, your beautiful diasporic wife on your side, he is dodging airborne arrows in Northern Meru on his way to a camel-tent meeting in Moyale. As you can see, pundits, this Agwambo man is a busy man working for national reconciliation. He has no time to meddle with your cousin's campaign in Mbita, Alego or Rongo. Well, there is an Odinga Factor in Luoland, but don't try to attribute every small event to it.
 
Joseph R. Alila
(Author: The Wise One of Ramogiland: ISBN 1-4303-2554-3)
* I am a biased pundit.