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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has broken his silence on the ruling made by the court of appeal on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

Taking to his official Twitter account on Friday evening, Raila said that the ruling is not the end of the conversation.

He noted that the parties involved will each make their own decisions on how to proceed from the decision that was delivered.

The former Prime Minister, however, revealed that he will move on.

He noted that the court’s decision is remarkable since it forms part of the continuing conversation to the political culture Kenyans will practice.

“It is likely that today’s Court of Appeal ruling is not the end of the conversation and the parties involved will each make their own decisions on how to proceed from the decision that has been delivered today. But we feel that we have to move on,” Raila tweeted.

The court of appeal on Friday upheld the high Court ruling declaring BBI process null and void.

The Appellate judges poked holes into the whole BBI process, accusing its promoters of failing to follow the right procedure.

Justices Daniel Musinga, Roselyn Nambuye, Hannah Okwengu, Patrick Kiage, Gatembu Kairu, Fatuma Sichale and Francis Tuiyott found that the process undermined the doctrine of the basic structure of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

The judges outlined three major thematic areas that were highly contested including the basic structure doctrine, popular initiative and public participation. 

They noted that President Uhuru Kenyatta was the initiator of the BBI and that BBI was initiated by the political elite.

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Ever since president Uhuru Kenyatta started meeting ODM leader Raila Odinga and Okoa Kenya Alliance (OKA) co-principals for a possible coalition ahead of 2022, the details of his meeting has been leaking.

Former State House employee Dennis Itumbi who currently works as Deputy President William Ruto’s aide has been leaking the meeting’s details through his official social media accounts.

When President Kenyatta met Raila alongside ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula, Kanu’s Gideon Moi and Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya in Mombasa last week, Itumbi who runs Hustler Nation Intelligence Bureau leaked the details of the meeting to the public, through his Facebook account.

It has now emerged that there has been a mole among the politicians who have been meeting President Kenyatta. The mole, who is among the OKA co-principals, leaks the information to DP Ruto’s camp immediately after the meeting.

Details now indicate that the High-Ranking Politician was last weekend given a dressing-down by a senior senator who accused him of being a mole.

He was accused of leaking the contents of high-level and sensitive meetings to an operative of the opposing camp.

The senator complained that when President Kenyatta  and ODM boss met alone early this month, there was no leakage.

But when the leader was privy to the deliberations of the delegation that met the President in Mombasa, all the details and speculation spilt out.

The senator told the leader to his face that he was holding brief for their opponents and that the time had come to blow his cover.

Whom do you think is the mole among the leaders who met Uhuru in Mombasa last week?

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Raila Odinga

Government spokesperson Colonel (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna has been forced to issue an update on Covid-19 regulations after politicians seemed to have resumed political rallies.

Through his official social media handles, Oguna appealed to the members of the public and the political class to continue adhering to the stipulated Covid-19 regulations.

He reiterated that all public gatherings including political rallies remain suspended in the country to cut the chain of transmission and reduce the rising cases of the deadly coronavirus.

“We appeal to members of the public, including the political class, to adhere to the stipulated #COVID19 regulations. As a reminder, all public gatherings, including political rallies remain suspended. This is to ensure that we cut the chain of transmission and reduce the rising cases of #COVID-19 infection in the country,” he tweeted.

Over the weekend, the Okoa Kenya Alliance (OKA) leaders and their allies retreated to Naivasha to discuss their political path ahead of 2022.

At the same time, ODM leader Raila Odinga and his team were in Nakuru county on Tuesday August 17, where Raila addressed a road-side rally.

Deputy President William Ruto on the other hand has been meeting different political leaders at his Karen residence in Nairobi to chat his political path ahead of 2022 presidential polls.

The acts have caused an uproar among netizens, who have now flocked social media to demand for the lifting of the curfew.

With the Covid-19 cases continuing to spike in Kenya, do you think it is right to relax the stipulated Covid-19 regulations?

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Renown political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has sparked mixed reactions after taking to his official social media accounts to allege a political assassination on Jubilee nominated Senator Victor Prengei.

Senator Prengei who became popular among Kenyans when Jubilee party wanted to kick him out alongside Senator Millicent Omanga over disloyalty last year, died in an accident on Monday night August 16, at Gioto area in Nakuru County.

He was a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto.

His death was death was confirmed by area police boss Beatrice Kiraguri.

Reports indicate that Prengei was heading towards Kabarak direction from Nakuru Town, when the vehicle he was driving lost control and careened off the road before landing in a ditch at 9:45pm.

According to police, it was a self-involved accident, meaning the legislator’s vehicle did not ram an oncoming vehicle or one headed the same direction.

Prengei was rushed to Nakuru War Memorial Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.

However, Mutahi Ngunyi has read malice in the manner in which the accident occurred.

Taking to his official Twitter account, the political analyst argued that there is someone who was going to benefit from the death of the lawmaker.

According to Ngunyi, Prengei might have been assassinated through an accident. He further argued that the political beneficiary is the one who killed the senator.

“The QUI BONO question: Who BENEFITS if Senator Victor Prengei is ASSASSINATED through an accident? The political beneficiary is the one who KILLED him. Simple,” he tweeted.

Mutahi Ngunyi’s remarks have sparked mixed reactions, with a section of netizens telling hi off. Some urged him to stop politicizing the death.

Below are some of the reactions.

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Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has alleged that Deputy President William Ruto’s Turkish associate Harun Aydin has not been deported.

Instead, the former senate Majority leader through his official social media accounts says that the government only asked the businessman to leave the country voluntarily.

According to Murkomen, this was meant to help things cool down and to save the state’s face.

Murkomen went ahead to allege that there is pressure from the Turkish government which is demanding answers from Kenya on the treatment of the investor.

“Turkish Businessman Harun Aydin was NOT DEPORTED he was “requested” to leave the country “voluntarily” to help cool things off and for the desperados to save face. The truth however is that the pressure from Turkish government was unbearable.Questions were asked & answers are a MUST,” Murkomen tweeted.

Harun who was part of DP Ruto’s entourage to Uganda in the aborted trip was on Saturday morning arrested at Wilson Airport in Nairobi while re-entering the country.

He was detained by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), and was expected to be produced at Kahawa Law Courts today (Monday) to be charged with terror links.

However, that did not happen as reports emerged that he had already been deported to Turkey in the morning.

His lawyers, among them Ahmednasir Abdullahi took to social media to condemn the move, claiming that they had been kept waiting at Kahawa Law Courts when their client had already been deported.

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Deputy President William Ruto has spoken on why he is still in the ruling Jubilee party even after forming the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Speaking on Thursday August 5, 2021 after hosting a UDA party Parliamentary Group at his Karen residence in Nairobi, the second in command said that no one should dictate him on whether to leave Jubilee or not.

According to DP Ruto, he is not a guest in the President Uhuru Kenyatta-led party, maintaining that he has his own choice whether to leave the party or not.

The DP noted that people make choices at the opportune moment when they think different choices are necessary, and therefore nobody should be bothered on why they are still there.

Ruto who was flanked by his allies also said that people should stop mocking their bottom-up economic approach.

“We welcome criticism but don’t mock our bottom-up economic model..” said the second in command.

Ruto’s allies who also addressed the press at the same event termed Jubilee as a “collapsed” political outfit that had “abandoned its agenda.

They also accused the defunct National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition of hijacking the Jubilee agenda.

DP Ruto’s political opponents have been calling him to either resign or quit Jubilee since he has a new political outfit which he has been using to directly compete with President Kenyatta during by-elections.

The opponents who include ODM leader Raila Odinga’s allies and President Kenyatta’s loyalists have maintained that the DP has been disrespecting his boss.

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Days after Deputy President William Ruto aborted his trip to Uganda, the Yoweri Museveni-led country has issued a statement to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Ruto was set for a private trip to the neighbouring country on Monday, which was to be his second trip in a month but was blocked by immigration officials at Wilson Airport.

After waiting for clearance for about five hours, the DP is said to have given up and returned to his office.

Ruto’s communication secretary David Mugonyi said Ruto was asked to seek clearance from the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Joseph Kinyua.

The incident stirred mixed reactions, with some Kenyans arguing that Uganda was meddling into Kenya’s affairs.

However, Uganda in a statement has said that it had not arranged any protocol for DP Ruto.

Uganda’s ministry of foreign affairs said the Protocol Department has no record that there was a request for them to provide protocol services to Ruto.

“I was not informed by the chief of protocol being requested by the Kenyan High Commission in Uganda to provide protocol services to the Deputy President,”  State Minister for Foreign Affairs Okello Oryem said.

Oryem said Ugandan foreign policy is very clear that they don’t interfere in the internal affairs of any country whatsoever.

“We have no authority, we have no power over Kenyan government, they have their own reasons why they prevented Ruto from coming to Uganda,” he said.

during an interview with Inooro FM on Wednesday, Ruto said he has previously travelled without obtaining clearance.

“What happened at Wilson is part of the onslaught on me in the supremacy fights in the ranks of Jubilee,” the DP said.

The deputy president said he has been sidelined in government for quite some time.

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Over 100 Members of Parliament allied to Deputy President William Ruto on Thursday August 5, 2021 flocked his Karen resident in Nairobi for a ‘hustle nation’ meeting.

The ‘hustler nation‘ spokesperson Dennis Itumbi had on Wednesday August 4 given hints about the meeting, with discussions on the bottom-up economic approach set to dominate the meeting.

Itumbi through his official social media handles had hinted that the DP will host a hustler nation legislators parliamentary group meeting to take the bottom-up economy conversation to the next level.

Photos seen by this writer as at the time of publishing this article show several lawmakers allied to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) already at the venue.

The newly sworn-in UDA MP Wanjiku Njuguna, Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro and nominated MP David Ole-Sankok are some of the notable lawmakers that had already lined up to take photos at the venue.

More than 140 people are in attendance, with the Ruto-allied lawmakers expected to use the platform to evaluate their reach in the grassroots mobilisation and strategise how to navigate the political environment.

Njuguna who won the Kiamba parliamentary seat through a by-election was sworn in on Wednesday August 4 while in the company of MPs Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and Kimani Ichungwah (Kikuyu).

The DP Ruto brigade has been telling Kenyans that the bottom-up approach is the only way that will heal the country’s eceonomy.

The DP is banking on the narrative to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in a race that will pit him and the ODM leader Raila Odinga in 2022.

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Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho has torn into Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua over what he claimed as peddling lies.

Kibicho who was speaking during a televised interview on Wednesday night also told the lawmaker to cease from dragging him and the interior CS Fred Matiang’i into his woes.

According to Kibicho, Gachagua who is allied to Deputy President William Ruto was using the PS and CS Matiang’i as decoys and scapegoats in the case. 

Gachagua who served as Molo District Officer in the late President Daniel Arap Moi’s government was blamed for insinuating that the Interior Ministry was on a witch-hunt of DP Ruto’s allies. 

“Gachagua is an old DO who used rungus during their regime. He has forgotten that when we changed the Constitution, everyone was poised to be accountable for their actions,” stated Kibicho.  

“He keeps thinking that the recklessness continued. I want to tell him that it stopped. He needs to grow up and stop being reckless. He has issues with his own people of Nyeri who stated that he embezzled funds. Let him deal with that and desist from dragging Kibicho and CS Matiang’i in it.”

He, however, declared that no action would be taken against the MP as the Ministry had decided to avoid being dragged into the affair. 

“That is what he is looking for. We will not engage him even as he keeps telling lies on TV,” the PS added. 

Ruto’s allies were accused of creating tension in the country in an attempt to allegedly appease their master. Kibicho claimed that the MPs at times rushed to the DP with fake news and lies on how the police were planning to threaten or assassinate them. 

Kibicho dubbed these politicians as reckless as they seize any advantage to push the DP to find relevance in their allegations. 

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Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that he spent millions of money to fund President Uhuru Kenyatta‘s presidential campaigns during the 2013 and 2017 general elections.

Gahagua who spoke during an interview on Monday August 2 alleged that it is President Kenyatta who approached him in 2012 to ask for the funding.

He went further to claim that he is the one who funded Uhuru’s campaigns in the entire Nyeri county during the 2017 October repeat polls.

Without revealing the exact amount he spent, the lawmaker noted that he acquired campaign cars, erected billboards, mobilized people to campaign for the re-election of President Uhuru.

He stated that he offered to sponsor Uhuru and his Deputy William Ruto‘s campaigns as a friend.

“In 2013, Uhuru came to me and I asked me to fund to his campaigns and nobody had an issue with me. I gave money to him as a friend. In 2017 during the repeat Presidential elections,  I told DP Ruto and Uhuru and leave Nyeri for me, where I used my money. I used millions to get cars, I erected billboards and mobilized people to run the campaigns,” he argued.

Gachagua earlier worked as Uhuru’s Personal Assistant in 2002 after the current President plucked him from the business world. 

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Alice Wahome

Days after fumbling while trying to explain Deputy President William Ruto’s bottom up economic model during an interview on Citizen TV, Kandara MP Alice Wahome has come out to explain what transpired.

Wahome who is one of Ruto’s strongest supporters and a supporter of his hustler movement last week caused a stir online after saying that the bottom up approach was about empowerment starting from the bottom going down.

This attracted criticism from Kenyans who said she did not understand the model she has been pushing alongside other MPs allied to DP Ruto.

Speaking on the gaffe for the very first time on Monday August 02, the lawmaker said that she just had a slip of the tongue.

“That was just a tongue-twister. I know that the bottom-up economic model discussion bothers the ‘Cerelac’ babies, Kieleweke team and the ODM party,” she told a leading local daily.

She noted thatr trending on social media because of a tongue twist is not bad.

“..the clip was taken out of context. I was attending a show for one and a half hours…I said several things but they chose to bring a seven-seconds clip to show that we don’t understand the model,” she said.

She said the other parties have no alternative model.

“..bring your model let us compete on ideas, not jokes. I will not be finished by a small tongue twist,” she added.

On Sunday, Ruto once again defended his bottom-up economic approach, saying it is a noble approach about helping others.

“People are confused about this bottom-up approach. It is about helping the weak. Christ himself has said blessed are those who help others,” Ruto said.

Ruto is rallying supporters around his hustler narrative, which he says is a “bottom-up-middle-out economic approach” that has been received with admiration and criticism in equal measure.

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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has formally exited the National Super Alliance (NASA).

The move comes just days after Kalonzo Musyoka-led Wiper Movement formerly exited the coalition that was used by ODM leader Raila Odinga to contest for presidency during the 2017 general elections.

ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna in a statement disclosed that the Orange party held a meeting on Thursday, July 29, and made the resolution to quit the NASA relationship.

ODM held a National Executive Committee meeting to deliberate on, among other things, the party’s 2022 presidential candidate.

According to Sifuna, ODM intends to embark on a programme to build new partnerships. The party will also extend the ongoing talks with its potential partners to the grassroots.

Sifuna added that the party deliberated on the future and its need to build new partnerships.

“To this end regional meetings and engagements have been planned with like-minded parties,” he concluded.

The coalition agreement between the partners indicates that NASA would cease to exist if at least three constituent parties formally exit. 

NASA coalition has faced challenges since 2018 due to mistrust among the parties and competing interests among; Wiper Democratic Movement, ODM, ANC and Ford Kenya parties.

Early this week, the former Prime Minister agreed to share political parties’ funds after four years of a standoff.

Despite all this, Kalonzo has ruled out playing second fiddle to anyone in the next year’s polls despite ODM unveiling the cash. 

At a press conference Monday, Kalonzo revealed that Raila had written a letter informing them of the decision to share the party’s millions.

Raila and Kalonzo have had an on-and-off relationship over the years since 2002.

They teamed up when the late President Daniel Moi endorsed Uhuru Kenyatta for the top seat and left Kanu to support retired President Mwai Kibaki under the Liberal Democratic Party, then an affiliate of Narc—the coalition that decisively defeated Kanu.

As the 2007 general election approached, the two went separate ways, with Raila seeking the presidency on the ODM ticket as Kalonzo flew the ODM Kenya’s flag. ODM Kenya rebranded into Wiper Democratic Party.

Election results were disputed leading to the formation of the Grand Coalition government, with Raila serving as Prime Minister and Kalonzo as Vice President.

The two did not see eye to eye for the better part of the coalition government.

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Norman Magaya and Kalonzo

ODM leader Raila Odinga’s key strategist in the 2017 general election Norman Magaya has joined Wiper movement as Kalonzo Musyoka’s 2022 strategist.

The move comes just days after the wiper leader announced that his party had officially exited the National Super Alliance (NASA), in which Magaya acted as the CEO during the last elections.

According to reports from reliable sources, the Nasa CEO will be Kalonzo’s political adviser and will be tasked with writing press releases as well as being in charge of the party leader’s political strategies.

He will also be crucial in advising Kalonzo on coalition building and management ahead of the 2022 general election.

The Nasa CEO was unveiled on the day Wiper unanimously resolved to leave the opposition coalition for One Kenya Alliance.

Kalonzo who has maintained that he will not act as anyone’s number 2 in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta also named Justine Kyambi as the new Wiper executive director.

Kyambi takes over from university don Dr Jared Maaka Siso.

Siso is venturing into politics and will be contesting the Borabu parliamentary seat on a Wiper ticket during next year’s polls.

The current Borabu MP Ben Momanyi who was also elected on Wiper ticket has announced he will be contesting the Nyamira governor seat.

The Nasa CEO was unveiled on the day Wiper unanimously resolved to leave the opposition coalition for One Kenya Alliance.

Magaya, an advocate of the High Court, served as the national returning officer for Nasa in the August 2017 election at the Bomas of Kenya.

He collapsed at the Bomas of Kenya in August 2017 during the tabulation of presidential votes in the 2017 general election and was admitted to Nairobi Hospital before being flown to India for specialised medical treatment after a heart attack.

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Wiper Democratic Movement deputy party leader Farah Maalim has claimed that Deputy President William Ruto will clinch the 2022 presidential polls.

Speaking on Monday July 26, 2021 during a morning talk show on TV 47, the former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly expressed his dislike against DP Ruto, but maintained that he will win the race should he run against ODM leader Raila Odinga.

According to Farah Maalim, an exposition that has supposedly been the saving grace for former Prime Minister would not be at play in the 2022 General Election.

“If it’s going to be a race between Ruto and Raila, I don’t like Ruto and I will never vote for him but he will win at 10am in the morning,” he said.

He further argued that the support currently enjoyed by Raila stemmed from the disillusionment of other tribes that have had to endure a seemingly unending leadership by pundits from Central Kenya.

He justified this claim by adding that in the event that Raila faced a presidential candidate from a region besides Mt. Kenya, his messianic aura would deplete in a flash.

Maalim also emphasized that Ruto ignited a class war, banking on support by impoverished and disenfranchised groups in his tours across Central Kenya.

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National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has been handed a major boost in his bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.

This is after a section of the Maa community political leaders endorsed his 2022 presidential bid.

The leaders said Mt Kenya elders who crowned the speaker as the region’s spokesman did not do so in vain and may have been guided by the heavens.

They are MPs Kanchori Memusi (Kajiado Central), David Sankok (Nominated), Peris Tobiko (Kajiado East), and former Senator Peter Mositet.

They insisted that the country would be in safe hands under Muturi. Deputy President William Ruto, Amani National Congress (ANC) leadr Musalia Mudavadi and ODM leader Raila Odinga are some of the leaders seeking to succeed President Kenyatta in the next year’s general election.

However, the team which hosted Speaker Muturi for the official launch of Ildamat Boys’ High School in Kajiado Central built by the area NG-CDF committee under the patronage of Memusi maintained that the speaker was best placed to advance the agenda of the pastoralists since he stems from a minority community – the Mbeere.

According to Sankok, Muturi’s candidacy would help propel marginalized communities that have not seen the presidency.

For his part, Mositet asked Kenyans not to look at Muturi as a Kikuyu but a Mbeere “which is a minority community like Maasais, Elmolos, and those straddling the Coast.”

He said it was time Kenyans elected a president from among the minorities adding that the country’s problems arise from being led by big communities.

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Bosire

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) national treasurer Timothy Bosire’s wife Jane Bosire is dead.

The Orange party on Wednesday July 21, 2021 announced that the former Kitutu Masaba lawmaker’s wife passed on while undergoing treatment at the Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday night.

“We are saddened by the news of the death of Ma’am Jane Bosire, wife to our National Treasurer Hon. @TimothyMEBosire last night at a Nairobi Hospital. As a party, we join in the pain that out National Treasurer & family are going through now & pray to God to grant them fortitude,” ODM tweeted.

Leaders among them Kisii Governor James Ongwae have mourned the late Jane.

“On behalf of the people of Kisii county, my family & myself, I convey sincere condolences to ODM treasurer Hon Timothy Bosire ‘Riroba’ for the loss of your dear wife Jane. May God comforts you, your entire family and Kitutu Masaba people as you mourn your beloved Jane,” Ongwae wrote.

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