Nitarm

Honesty is the best policy.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@BravinYuri You must be worried bro. The way things are moving, it's headlong to a very strict, authoritative and no nonsense government; where opposition will be crashed and frozen out. To add to that, the constitution could be amended to suit the president. Imagine that!!

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

The way things have been unfolding around LM, I cannot help but have some questions about the PPDT ruling and the circumstances surrounding the party’s registration.

Some people appear to have been determined to frustrate or delay LM’s registration on rather flimsy grounds. For instance, there are several political parties in this country with the word “Democratic” in their names. Parties like UDA, UDP, ODM, UDM, DAP-K, DP, and many others.

LM was reportedly denied registration on the basis of another party bearing the name Linda. What makes the situation even more puzzling is the argument that the other party was reserving the initials LINDA, rather than necessarily reserving the actual word Linda as a party name.

Now, with H.E. Edwin W. Sifuna expected to announce a political party under which he intends to pursue the presidency in early October, one cannot help but critically examine the timing and the possible implications. Could this be yet another delay tactic aimed at slowing down the momentum that LM has been building? I am not saying that this is necessarily the case, but I believe it is a question worth asking.

On the other hand, assuming the LM team proceeds to register the party using the full name and branding that was initially envisioned, what happens to the other affiliated parties, including TMP under Babu Owino?

I would imagine that many people within LM had hoped to belong to and build the movement under the original party structure. If the original plan is eventually restored, do these affiliated parties simply fold and transition back into LM? Or do they continue operating in the direction they have already taken?

And could that transition itself create further confusion, disagreements or organizational delays within the broader movement?

These are some of the concerns I have regarding the direction of LM.

At the same time, I believe the people leading LM possess the political experience and wisdom to carefully assess what is happening and make decisions in the best interests of the movement. I trust that they will provide clear direction to their supporters and ensure that the movement remains focused despite these challenges.

To you @paulinenjoroge , what is your reading of the situation, particularly regarding the registration issue and the future of the affiliated parties?

[Pauline Njoroge @paulinenjoroge]

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has found that the ORPP’s decision to decline the registration of the name Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM) lacked legal justification and breached provisions of the Political Parties Act.

The Tribunal has therefore set aside that decision.

[Okong' Okuna @XivTroy]

Deep conversation with buddies yesterday:

Mans said we are getting to the age where its becoming clearer who put in the work and who didn't. That it's not just a money thing, but even our in networks. The conversations we are having: what have you done with life? Are we referring to the things we have done, or the things we could have?

He knotted his fist, said, in fact, not achieving the dream is not the biggest issue. It's never having tried. Said he is no longer even concerned with being the biggest artist in Africa anymore, but when his son asks: "what did you do?", he wants to be able to point him to the evidence of his attempts:

That I did one, two, three, and there they are. That's more important than the dream. The things you actually do, not the aspirations.

I said, brother, you know there are disadvantages in life, like not having enough resources? Poor people work hard. They are just unlucky.

Dude, almost lost it. Said, first, I don't know who peddled this notion that privileged folks don't work hard but that aside, "Okuna, how many people do you have in your contact?"

I said hundreds.

He said, "if you were dying right now, would you call them to rescue you?"

I said, yes.

He said, have you reached out to any of them for your dreams? And not just to talk about dreams but to actually be a part of it?

I said, well, you know, everyone has something they are dealing with. I wouldn't want to impose.

He said, exactly! You don't want it bad enough, my brother. You are not dying to get your dreams. You still care about perceptions. And that's the problem, we build networks based on perceived and anticipated values we will never have if we don't ask now.

I said, Brother, it's not that people don't ask They ask and alll they get is a no.

Man banged his fist on the table, said, "Good! Delete number! Next!"

I said, Brother, you can't just discard folks because they refused to give you the value you wanted. They have other values.

He asked, what value?

I said, "Conversations. Sex. Future opportunities."

He said, "Okuna, you are dying. Having a dream, potential... is dying. A little everyday. The lights are going off, my man, and you still want to have sex, Okuna? What good are evening conversations when you're drowning, man?"

He said, "In fact, I hate to hear the word potential in adults because its definitive proof you didn't try hard enough. You didn't want it bad enough. It's better if we didn't know you had potential!"

He went on: Okuna, do you know how sad it is to see a guy who you know to be excellent, failing at life? Because of the sanctity they assign potential?

He said, In fact, I want you to lose people, man. I wish more men lost people. So you can lose the illusion of safety that keeps you floating. Every man should get to a place where he knows it's just him, his dreams, and his God!

That's when his journey really takes off!

He concluded, and said: "You know, Okuna, it may not be your fault that you don't get to your dreams. But poor, cursed, unlucky; what evidence exists that you actually put your life on the line for the things you say you wanted? The things you say you deserved?"

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@XivTroy Thank you for this

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@XivTroy Talk to your buddy again for us. Need more if his wisdom

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@ntvkenya NTV mnapiga Omwami sana. Must your reporting about Sifuna always be negative?

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

Let's see how they will counter this.

[Eric Ruhi @Ruhi_the_3rd]

We’ve all heard it before: online polls are not accurate and don’t reflect what's happening “kwa ground.”

Fair enough.

I went back and looked at X polls conducted in the months leading up to Kenya’s 2022 General Election: August 2021 to June 2022.

Here’s what they showed. 🧵

[Silas Nyanchwani @nyanchwani]

"Silas, you hate Ruto so much. Is there not one thing you can give him credit for?"

A Kalenjin friend, the best wingman in the game and a good sport, finally had it with me and decided to confront me. He rarely cares about my rants. He is not Ruto's biggest fan, though he voted for him.

Hate is a strong word, man. Mine is closer to dislike.
"Objectively, there must be one thing he has done that you can give him some credit for…" he went on before dropping the usual government bloggers' talking points: that critics are driven by tribe, and that the same people looked the other way under his predecessors.

Neither holds. Every Kenyan president has had critics. Jomo had a relatively smooth ride, but only because his loudest critics were detained or silenced. Moi faced critics. Kibaki, often touted as the best president we ever had, faced critics; he rigged the 2007 election shamelessly and swore himself in at dusk. Uhuru faced so much criticism that he logged off social media. Since 1982, Kenyans have refused to keep quiet, and they will keep making noise until good governance, or a semblance of it, is guaranteed. Citizens expect a fair, just, and equitable government. That is not tribe. That is patriotism.

So, is there one thing Ruto got right?

Well, I accept that in 2022 he inherited a broke government. But I have never absolved him of his role in the Jubilee government from 2013 to 2022, which got the country into this mess. So I don't look at Ruto's term in isolation from Uhuru's. I read it through Uhuru's own declaration: "Yangu kumi, na yake kumi."

First, credit where it is due. Some of us honestly thought the economy would collapse, with inflation hitting highs never before witnessed. Stabilizing the shilling the way he has is no mean feat. Whatever magic he has used, and whether it is sustainable, remains to be seen. And no, I don't pray for the country to collapse so I can be proven right. We only have one life to live, and I have been miserable enough. I am an old and very patriotic man.

Secondly, on international forums, he talks a good game, like a Kwame Nkrumah reincarnate inspired by Thomas Sankara and the rare wisdom of Nelson Mandela. I don't know whether he believes what he says, man. But the circulated videos have made him famous, the way PLO Lumumba is famous in parts of Nigeria and Southern Africa. By the way, I was recently listening to a South African entrepreneur I admire a lot, and she quoted PLO. I was confused kidogo.

Still, it is always good to have a president who speaks like that on the world stage. The test is whether the speeches match what happens at home.

Thirdly, I appreciate Ruto bringing Luos into the "government". By 2028, when the usual post-election disappointment sets in, nobody will be able to accuse the other of kumira kumira, and one hopes the country will have begun healing from the complexities of Kikuyu-Kalenjin-Luo dynamics in our politics. The historical hang-ups will not be resolved by one handshake, but at least nobody will be able to accuse another community of giving us bad leaders.

For the avoidance of doubt, my beef with Ruto and his philosophy is simple:

I want a president who can lift millions of people out of poverty.

The most direct example I can give is Kibaki. Mind you, I don't even rank Kibaki that high, but I remember how his experts turned the economy around from 2003 under the Economic Recovery Strategy, and the results by 2010. Free primary education opened classrooms to millions. Banking, media, higher education, real estate, and ICT grew fast, absorbing many people and enabling Nairobi to expand outward the way it did. That was not magic. It was a plan, drawn up by people who knew what they were doing.

Both Uhuru and Ruto undid the very industries Kibaki built. Banks found it easier and safer to lend to a borrowing government at high returns than to Kenyan businesses, leaving ordinary Kenyans at the mercy of loan sharks; Kenya is now a Fuliza economy. Public universities are drowning in debt and funding chaos. The media, starved of advertising and squeezed by the state, has been gutted. Real estate has stalled, with the high-end real estate sector sustained largely by proceeds of corruption and foreign gentrifiers who build without expanding the infrastructure around them.

Economies change. What works this decade may not work the next. Fair enough. That is why we need a president who can sit with actual experts and, guided by knowledge and research, identify which parts of the economy the government can incentivize for growth. When Ruto had the chance to reset his cabinet, he reached for Joho, Kabogo, and a few other political allies. That move was to secure his flank, not to fix the economy. Kabogo now holds the ICT docket, at a time when AI is rewriting how the world works. No hating, but when I look at the discussions around AI, the future of warfare, and what is coming, no one in the current cabinet inspires confidence.

Ask anyone who graduated from 2014 onwards to account for their classmates. By my own count, more than half are unemployed, underemployed, or simply lost. Add those coming out of tertiary colleges and the millions turning 18 every year, and the wheelbarrow philosophy cannot grow the economy fast enough to absorb the many who must eat and feed their families. A wheelbarrow keeps a man busy but can only feed three or four people. It does not build an economy.

Is there anyone in the opposition who can offer something better? Honestly, we have yet to hear anything concrete from them, even as they get organized. But the absence of a better alternative is not an endorsement of the incumbent. It only means the bar remains on the floor.

My beef with Uhuru and Ruto is that their personal ambitions far outweigh our collective aspirations as Kenyans.

The real problems, the ones whose solutions would create opportunity, such as fixing Nairobi's traffic, planning our urban centers, restoring affordable, quality education for all, industrializing the country, and securing our food supply, need actual brains willing to sacrifice a few years to set the country on the right course.

But our politicians are trapped in the next-election loop that makes long-term planning impossible. Everyone wants to get in, identify a few quick projects, amass all the wealth in the world, and move along.

So, to my friend: yes, I can give Ruto credit, and I have. My dislike is not about the man. It is about what Kenya could be and is not. I want a president whose ambition matches the country's. Until then, I will keep making noise

[jacob juma @kabetes]

William Ruto is Kenya's greatest risk as a country. Not Al-Shabaab and tribalism. Ruto has trained Duale, Murkomen to be thieves and abusive

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@XivTroy People are judged by respective positions held. It's like those who ask compare Sifuna's record to Ruto. That's absurd.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@khamwin @LabanMbunya @CREAWKenya @WanguKanjaF @HRF @thekhrc Just let the young man step up if he's willing to. Him rotting in jail is not a solution. Help your daughter by offering emotional support and guidance through it all.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

In normal circumstances where there's goodwill, where accountability is valued, IEBC don't simply refute such serious claims with a wordy statement. You are already on the defensive without addressing the matter. So the problem doesn't simply go away because you have issued a statement. You need to investigate, tell us what you know, clarify what is happening over there.

But since you're not accountable, you choose to defend yourself while hiding behind a constitutional mandate. You assume Kenyans should simply take your word for it. There's already a trust deficit and you're not doing anything to address it. Be warned that Kenyans are keenly watching you. You cannot bungle this one. Do the right thing and give Kenyans their democratic right. @IEBCKenya

[IEBC @IEBCKenya]

Press Release
Response to Allegations and Claims Aired on KTN Teaser on Ongoing Continuous Voter Registration

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) wishes to clarify the following matters concerning the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). This forms part of the Commission’s commitment to keeping Kenyans informed of its activities, processes and procedures, as well as the applicable legal framework governing election processes in the Eectoral Cycle in preparation for the 2027 General Election.
IEBC seeks to promote public awareness, facilitate informed participation in the electoral process and address misinformation, disinformation and misleading narratives that may undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The Commission notes with grave concern the continuous dissemination of misleading and unverified information by sections of the media, groups and individuals, through mainstream and social media platforms, concerning its constitutional mandate and ongoing preparations for the upcoming General Election. In particular, the Commission has witnessed sensationalized reports and unsubstantiated stories regarding the Commission's Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise which is being conducted across all the 290 constituencies throughout the entire Republic. Such reporting risks misleading the public and undermining confidence in the electoral process.

The Commission reiterates that the stories on electoral malpractice or illegality relating to the registration of voters, illegal transfers of voters and alleged registration of foreigners as voters in Kenya and abroad remain unsubstantiated and untrue. To date no entity, organization, group or individual has submitted to the Commission any credible evidence supporting any such allegations of illegality and malpractice. Where credible evidence is presented, the Commission shall take appropriate action including disciplinary action, investigation into criminal conduct and where culpability is established, criminal prosecution and punishment shall be undertaken in accordance with the laws of Kenya.

The IEBC wishes to clarify to the public that its constitutional mandate under Article 88 of the Constitution is limited to the registration of eligible Kenyan citizens who possess National Identity Cards (IDs) and valid passports and maintenance of the Register of Voters. In addition, IEBC does not issue National IDs or Kenyan passports. These functions fall within the mandate of the relevant State Agencies responsible for identification, citizenship and immigration. Any association or references to IEBC in relation to issuance of IDs or passports is factually incorrect, malicious, intended to misinform and risks misleading the public regarding the respective mandates of the relevant State institutions.

Download: https://t.co/LibplgZtUa
#2027GE #17thNovemberByelection #YourVoteYourVoice

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

Well put.

[Monk_Mateta @imanibrian12]

Funny part @WilliamsRuto has been in the government as an MP, Minister for lands , Higher education , 10 years Deputy President, 4 years President- we can conclude that he's part of the problem.

Countrywide development started in 2002 when Mwai was election, the 24 years in Moi's era nothing was functioning. The blame should start with Moi -Mwai -Uhuru -Ruto.

You asked why right now when Ruto is the president? The fact that the other generation didn't fight for a KANU orphan overhaul doesn't mean the present will follow the suit. It's called evolution.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@abralan @LahmLauren I hope huyo Some1 has heard you.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@Makiadi_ Kiburi Ni kitu mbaya sana. Wakati mwingine jitoe tu kwa unyenyekevu. Sasa anajikaza kuwaonyesha tu hatishiki lakini wapi.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@georgediano Diano alishaenda zamani. Just be bold and make your Tutam stand buana. Acha maswali ya kifedhuli.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

I see a very serious attempt to dissuade Kenyans from asking serious questions of accountability, rule of law, responsible governance, respect for human rights and basic human empathy in leadership. That's what is missing from his leadership. You may argue that maybe we're so hard on him when you look at previous regimes (which he was part of for more than a decade anyway), but that ship has sailed.

Politics of devt has been with us for a long time now. It is the most convenient narrative politicians use to get votes. Ruto is good at that and wants us to remain where he thrives. Yet you cannot wish away genuine concerns however much you dangle that carrot.

The thing is we have been here for along time and seen how it always ends. UhuRuto 1, we can argue did so much more compared to Ruto now. But, see what it brought us. Ballooning debt, big projects whose economic output does not positively affect lives when compared to the project input.

Yes, the macros are good but the micro is where the real impact should be. More money for Kenyans, enough cheaper food options, affordable quality healthcare, affordable education with more classrooms, books, science labs, enough teachers etc. These are the real issues to be fixed.

What you Bwana Troy are trying to do borrows from the same script govt apologists keep pushing. Mention a few real and many imaginary projects, overestimate their economic impact, quote serious sums of money to go with it to show how big the president is on devt. Yet the reality is different.

We have been here and deeply understand that the same script of dangling big planned projects does not do anything to change lives. That's why we are shifting the conversation closer home. To THINGS THAT MATTER TO US. OUR PRIORITIES. LIFE is more important. VALUES, not give, are more important. We prioritize differently this time.

[Linda Mwananchi @LindaMwananchi_]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐀 𝐌𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐈

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞

𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢, 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚.

Today, we met as the leadership of Linda Mwananchi and resolved to move forward together, united by a common purpose of answering the call of Kenyans seeking better governance and rescuing our country from the grave failures of the current administration.

We further resolved that:

1. H.E Edwin Watenya Sifuna is our leader and Presidential Candidate.
2. In early October, H.E. Edwin Watenya Sifuna will lead the unveiling of the party on whose ticket he will run.
3. We will seek to build a coalition with like-minded parties that share our commitment to the people of Kenya.

We remain united and focused on the work ahead.

𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝
𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@DavisDavis25415 @JacklineMulwa1 Now what do you do to fix income generation as you out it? Build houses?

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@MasaiLaikipia @kiberenge79 Teach me then.

[Nitarm @NitarmO]

@MasaiLaikipia @kiberenge79 Sifuna is not a tribal kingpin. You don't see that because your mind is stuck in the arithmetics of tribe. That Kuku boy is gaining national popularity and cannot be limited to tribes.