US and EAC

[Kenyan-Tanzanian]

East Africa set to benefit from a Raila win in December and an Obama win in the US next year.

With the two Kenyans ruling two of the most powerful country in the world and in the region, it is possible that East African states, esp Obama's homeland Kenya will become unofficial states of America.

Instead of painfully bending backwards to sterile arguments against neocolonialism, East Africans should look at the bright side of this possible situation.

With a regional population of 140 million, just imagine if all of us contributed only 5 dollars a head to Obama's kitty?

700 Million dollars can go along way to help the already favored candidate not to forget siphoning some of the US wealth huku.

What do you think wakubwas?

 

[Son of the Soil]

I am not sure if I would prefer to be another US 'jimbo'. Is it not enough for them to have their military base near our home? now you want another presence, this time of owning us? No.

But I have nothing wrong with Raila, I believe is testing different ideas in development. So why not change and give Raila a chance?

 

[Mkenya]

East Africa set to benefit from a Raila win in December and an Obama win in the US next year.

With the two Kenyans ruling two of the most powerful country in the world and in the region, it is possible that East African states, esp Obama's homeland Kenya will become unofficial states of America.

Instead of painfully bending backwards to sterile arguments against neocolonialism, East Africans should look at the bright side of this possible situation.

With a regional population of 140 million, just imagine if all of us contributed only 5 dollars a head to Obama's kitty?

700 Million dollars can go along way to help the already favored candidate not to forget siphoning some of the US wealth huku.

What do you think wakubwas?

These are some of the reasons we cannot vote for or trust Raila, the gentleman above shares exactly what Raila has for Kenya.
Who wants to be a state of US???.

 

[Dua]

East Africa set to benefit from a Raila win in December and an Obama win in the US next year.

With the two Kenyans ruling two of the most powerful country in the world and in the region, it is possible that East African states, esp Obama's homeland Kenya will become unofficial states of America.

Instead of painfully bending backwards to sterile arguments against neocolonialism, East Africans should look at the bright side of this possible situation.

With a regional population of 140 million, just imagine if all of us contributed only 5 dollars a head to Obama's kitty?

700 Million dollars can go along way to help the already favored candidate not to forget siphoning some of the US wealth huku.

What do you think wakubwas?

You've failed to say Kenya will benefit; Why are you stammering to mention Kenya? Just say it, the most powerful country in EA there isn't any harm as we know what you think. A powerful country would like a donation of $5.00 from EA to support BO election campaign in USA, why not collect from Kenyans alone? They can actually afford more than $5.00 each.

 

[Idimi]

East Africa set to benefit from a Raila win in December and an Obama win in the US next year.

With the two Kenyans ruling two of the most powerful country in the world and in the region, it is possible that East African states, esp Obama's homeland Kenya will become unofficial states of America.
Instead of painfully bending backwards to sterile arguments against neocolonialism, East Africans should look at the bright side of this possible situation.

With a regional population of 140 million, just imagine if all of us contributed only 5 dollars a head to Obama's kitty?

700 Million dollars can go along way to help the already favored candidate not to forget siphoning some of the US wealth huku.

What do you think wakubwas?

You asked about what we think, this is what some of us think!

1. You allege that Kenya is the most powerful country in the region, right, but in which context? Politically, socially, culturally, criminally, in segregation, economically?................which one?

2. Now you propose that each head contributes a sum of $5 for Obama's campaings in the US, right. Dou you know that the average person in sub Saharan Africa lives at the expense of less than a buck a day? Given that situation, how many man days has one to work to get that sum? Let's be serious!

3. You suggest that Kenya should become one of the unofficial US states, right! Aren't we satisfied with the 1998 bombings that killed hundreds of our beloved innocent brothers and sisters in Tanzania and Kenya?. So now, as you suggest, we add more bombings on that unhealed wound? What is the destiny of the widows, the orphans who have got no compensation from the US govt up to this moment? May be in Kenya they have been paid, but in Tanzania, this remains an awful and nasty history. I see more losses in EA affiliation with the US than gains. Let us not be fooled that US wealth can be syphoned for nothing, there is no free lunch in the world. Get US money and sell your sovereignty, you are with him or against him, no neutrality.
But this is my take.

3. I admit that I do not have enough detailed info about Laila, but what I know is that he's not that trustworthy. He's too mobile, why can't he settle in just one party? What if he becomes a president of the coming federation? This is what makes some of us very suspicious about him.
I am not a Kenyan voter, so I leave this burden to themselves.


Long live EAC.

 

[Kenyan-Tanzanian]

These are some of the reasons we cannot vote for or trust Raila, the gentleman above shares exactly what Raila has for Kenya.
Who wants to be a state of US???.

"There are two groups of people in Kenya: Raila Maniacs and Raila Phobics" modified from the Late Vice President Michael Wamalwa's tacit observation of post-KANU Kenyan politics. I belong to neither but lean towards the Left. Its obvious from most of your submissions that you are in my situation though leaning to the Right.

This is ok. While one Kenyan thinks of how he doesnt want to be a part of the Global Village via intermarrying with its Leader...another Kenyan thinks the contrary, that, closer links with the Leader of Capitalism can augur well for the country's strategic partnerships in a competitive region. Lest we forget Ethiopia is reaping certain enviable benefits and may sooon outpace us in the race to marry the White House people. The Operation Somali cooperation and the ongoing flight of one-time Kenyan dominated flower business to Ethiopia attests to this subtle dynamic. Never to forget that the Tanzanian president had the guts to speak "for" Kenya casually while visiting President Bush mid this year.Maybe in a bid to position TZ as the new strategic partner for US in EAC. UG now has the Commonwealth seat and trust me, Museveni and Zenawi are doing well forging an alternative regional politically strategic axis and so is TZ with its Southward economic inclination. Kenyans must reassert their traditional leverage even if this means sacrificing some lambs as they say. Its not enough to just build an economic castle without checking out your neighbours closely...Kahawa Sukari must always remember that Githurai is there and the Githuraians have needs and dreams.

A Raila presidence is a good strategy for Kenya. Many think he will fast track the EAC towards the EAF. Far from it. He is a schemer and the only man M7 of UG has insinuated as his competitor in EAC. Raila targets cooperation with Southern Sudan to check Uganda and cooperation with SA directly to check Tanzania from below. With an Obama win in the US then we are on the road from third world to secondworld status. Let us look not at the Raila presidency only in a national context. What does it mean in the regional context? The resurrection of an economically vibrant Kenya under Raila, a great for Kenya in the context of regional politics. He will build on the vibrant economy made by our other great president, Kibaki who is best only when we look at Kenyan presidency within the nation. Raila's ties with Kiir, Mbeki, Obasanjo and Kufuor of Ghana may actually help EAC get their first term as head of AU.

Kila mwamba ngoma....

I am not playing the role of a national jingoist here. I am only saying that we are in COMPETITION in the so-called competitive world of today. Let Ethiopoia forge forth in its missions. Let UG also prosper. Let TZ jumpstart its dozing yet potent self and let Kenya be aware of all these in a way that its interests are at the centre.


Far from EAC, important African governments know the necessary evil of wooing the US. Nigeria, SA and Ghana can attest to this and lets thus not just focus on whining and polemics. Differential thinking can bring tears both of sadness as well as happiness.

Elected as president, I willnot hesitate giving a portion of the Kenyan islands on Lake Victoria to Bush. Let him build a serious military base there to fight his real and percieved enemies in the war against terror. At the same time he will be checking the Great Lakes "badboys" fom a closer position and can help check some of their excesses...you know if an Amin comes up in any EA country then a rapid deployed US-supported unit ala Zenawi with the Mahakamas of Somalia late last year can deal with him satisfactorily. Ok the Muslims and others may now be uncomfortable with what I am proposing but in a world where presidents campaign for 2nd terms on basis of economic growth and GDP growths its the dollarism that is our new philosophy. American military prescence attracts the American investor. The American investor attracts his multinational partners from all over and voila...a Phillipine or South Korean simulation is made...East Africa, esp Kenya becomes a hub it never ever believed it could be. Ask a learned economist to inform you what role the prescence of military zones/barracks of the US in South Korea and Phillipines have in securing ( as in security 4 investment) and fertiziling the business environment of these two nations. Dont forget to include a chat on the economic benefits of ornamental yet heavy French military base in Djibouti. The Franc holds that country's economics together, Islam holds it socio-culturally together. Let the dollar come and uplift us economically and let our schools and religious institutions buffer us against the cultural side-effects of the dollar in a way that the Korean culture has buttressed them against the socio/ethico-culturals of America.

Clever isnt the underdog who sits on his sorry butt and laments his situation and his helplessness without doing much. Clever is the underdog who studies his master well, seduces him and manages to change the master's ways to favor him and hopefully to enable him in the future to liberate himself from the master.

Returning back from my digression to Mkuu Mkenya's judgment of the imminent Raila presidency in Kenya. What is beautiful is that there is a nugget of wisdom in both your position and mine. Not all that glitters is gold but also not all that is dull is coal. Lets see what Philipines, and India are reaping from their collaboration, esp. economically and politically with the US and guard against extremist anti-Americanism.

Hail Raila, Hail Kenya, Hail the competitive Global Village