Kivuitu concedes, BBC misses the point

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 21:16:31 -0800 (PST)

The Chairman of the disgraced Electoral Commission of Kenya yesterday conceded that he announced the results under pressure from PNU and ODM-K.

He said the results that he read were given to him, and now that he has seen the reaction from across Kenya, he is not sure whether he did the right thing.

He says, he thought that by pronouncing Kibaki the winner, he was being of good service to Kenya. He regrets the move and even wishes that some of those PNU and ODM-K people were not born. That they are evil.

Mr Kivuitu was captured on Television saying all this. He even said that Migosi Maina Kiai called him 4 times pleading with him not to read that PNU/ODM-K list. And that even the EU called him not to do so.

Hon Raila Odinga is hence vindicated. He must be given his victory, and we are going to no courts other than the court of the public.

Secondly, BBC World Service seems to have gotten it wrong. The escalation of fights across the country is not pitting the Luos verses the Kikuyus.

This is a spontanious reaction from all Kenyans who feel that Kibaki, Michuki, Mutula and Karua put pressure on Kivuitu to disenfranchise their wish. The Luo cannot revolt in Mombasa, Malindi, Rift Valley, Western Nairobi and Nyanza all at the same time.

To bring the issue of the Luo into this is far fetched.

Finally, Kibaki has succeeded in putting the name of Kenya in the infamous list of shame in Africa. The world press are falling over themselves including Kenya as being no different from other African countries that cannot manage their electoral processes.

Yet, Kenyans came out peacefully, voted for Raila almost to a man, and Kibaki and his team went ahead and organized a palace coup.

The blame must lie squarely with Kibaki and his team who failed to live up to the expectations of Kenyans.

Odhiambo T Oketch
Komarock Nairobi