The Cutting Edge

HISTORY REPEATING: Could history be repeating itself? poses Nickson Orwa, in response to the growing competition for the ODM presidential nomination between party leader Raila Odinga and his deputy Musalia Mudavadi.

In the 1990s, Orwa recalls, Raila’s father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and Kenneth Matiba badly fell out over the mode of nomination, with the former preferring the collegiate system, while the latter was for direct nomination, hence his mantra: “Let the people decide.”

The result was the disastrous split of FORD and Kanu won the poll, he concludes.

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FUN BEING SPOILT: The superb new Globe Cinema overpass built by a Chinese company has finally been opened to motorists and it’s really a joy to drive on, remarks a delighted JM.

However, he moans, the fun is being spoilt by the proliferation of the notorious 14-seater matatus at the old Nation House roundabout on Tom Mboya Street.

“These unruly drivers cause a traffic jam tailback covering the entire section and which causes more confusion in an area where vehicles should be moving through smoothly.”

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ENDEMIC POVERTY: The sight of President Kibaki shedding tears at an Equity Bank Student sponsorship launch ceremony at Kasarani Sports Complex, Nairobi, was quite telling, as it clearly confirmed one thing: The government’s failure to fight poverty, notes Maina Gathu.

He adds: “If he could watch wananchi in their daily struggles to make ends meet, his eyes would be perpetually full of tears.”

According to Maina, the best examples of how endemic poverty is ravaging Kenyans include the deadly siphoning of fuel following oil tanker accidents.

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PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: The President of Kenya, Rufus Eshuchi notes, earns Sh2 million a month.

The total for his entire five-year term is a cool Sh120 million.

But Rufus has been alarmed lately to hear that one needs between Sh5 billion and Sh10 billion to mount a successful presidential campaign.