BBI Is Over the First Hurdle, But Does Ruto Have Something Up His Sleeve to Defeat it Come June?

I have been watching and reading about the ease with which BBI has cleared in 24 counties to meet the constitutional threshold to go next to a referendum and how only Baringo appears to be the only county that may end up voting not to approve the initiative and how Central abandoned Ruto en masse—at least by county, including Murang’a where everyone expected BBI to be smothered to death with vengeance.

A thought came to mind as I was watching and reading about this so I have decided to put it here: Suppose Ruto somehow became the most brilliant master strategist ever in Kenya to find a way to have his minions mount a quiet strategic campaign to simply have BBI fly the counties only to come back in referendum time and crush it come June referendum?

The idea here would be to lead people to believe and say what is being said, namely, all this poisoning people’s minds about BBI, especially in Central was hot-air or mass hysteria as I have had some describe it but, come June when the tire hits the road, Ruto and his minions rouse up their so-called “hustlers” to defeat the initiative.

Were Ruto to pull that one off, he will be unstoppable in 2022 much like Raila was following 2005 triumph, except he would be would be more formidable.

On the flip side, the ease with which BBI has cleared the county hurdle, momentum is now behind it and, with the only master strategist we have in Kenya being at the steering wheel, backed with state machinery (read IEBC), BBI is all but guaranteed.

That is not the same thing as saying it is guaranteed.

Methinks operatives at State House are not sleeping easy just because only Baringo has voted down BBI and may be the only one though irrelevant at this point as to how many more counties though as of my penning this, 30 counties have already passed BBI, which is impressive by any measure.

Again, of all those counties, the surprise is Murang’a where Ruto had pitched tent and positioned his cannons to obilitrate BBI throughout Central and other therefore not only defeat BBI at the county level or set it for defeat in June, but to also humiliate President Uhuru Kenyatta in doing so.

That did not come to pass but the fact not even one MCA voted for it gives me pause and the reason I am raising this possibility.

However, even if it were the case this was strategic, it would only be a brilliant one if Ruto marshals enough of his troops to defeat BBI in June, otherwise, the manner in which BBI has cleared the counties spells nothing but doom for Ruto, even if he opts out of his chameleon position and backs BBI in June.

More on this in my column this weekend.

 

Acquittal of Trump By 43 Republican Cowards and Sycophants Is A Blessing in Disguise for Democrats

Tomes will be written about the second impeachment, trial and acquittal of the one term failed psychotic and now former accidental president of the United States, donald trump, his overall dangerous and failed presidency and the Republican party of which plenty has already been written. All you need to know, at least from my perspective and that of others objectively looking at what a tragedy this narcissist was, and in some ways continues to be is as follows:

Trump Presidency

Notwithstanding his second acquittal, trump remains a despised character who despite his threat to vie again in 2024, will NEVER be elected again. Yes, it is said never say never but there are exceptions and this is one of them. Outside the Republican base the flawed character continues to hold hostage, fact is the man is damaged goods and his acquittal does and will do nothing to change that; in fact, the surgical prosecution of his second impeachment trial not only lays bare for posterity what an undesirable human being and danger to democracy he is, were Republicans or other party to nominate him again, even a mannequin Democratic Party flag bearer will floor him in an even bigger landslide than was the case in 2020.

On the other hand, there will never be another trumpian president elected in this country, much as there was never one elected before him. You can take that to the bank and cash it.

Trump Second Impeachment

A friend, James Opiko, posted the following on his Facebook and given his views are representative of what I have seen others say, I reproduce the post here–and hope he does not mind, as opportunity not only to rebut his mistaken reading of what happened, but also as a record here on my thoughts on it:

THE COUNTRY WAS READY TO SEE HIM FINALLY HELD TO ACCOUNT. DEMOCRATS FAILED TO DO THAT.
Democrats made a huge mistake Saturday in cutting a last-minute deal not to call witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump after a handful of Republicans voted to allow them to do so. The country will pay a steep price for that political miscalculation.

The failure to conduct a full impeachment trial was an insult to the majority of Americans who wanted to see Donald finally held to account for the damage he has done to the United States. Instead, a second acquittal sets the stage for the resurgence of Donald Trump and his nexus of domestic terrorism and disinformation as his reenergized cult is poised to wreak further damage to law and order in America.

Witness testimony and corroboration could have brought to life the emotional documentary evidence that the House managers presented and provided more irrefutable public education about Trump’s violation of our democracy. Moreover, Trump’s team was utterly unprepared for a rigorous trial, and extending that by getting Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler to testify about the incriminating evidence she’d volunteered could have led more dominoes to fall, perhaps even including more Republican votes to convict.

My Response

James you are dead wrong on this one; first, 43 Republican cowards and opportunists, NOT Democrats voted to acquit the one term failed and accidental former president.

Second, the decision to admit into evidence Rep. Jaime Herrera statement by stipulation accomplished what was intended without deposing her, namely, to tie the only loose item in the overwhelming circumstantial and direct evidence establishing the moron’s guilt as charged.

Third, had the matter gone to calling and deposing witnesses, rest assured Republicans would have tied up the senate for weeks effectively derailing Biden’s agenda to (a) Democrats’ detriment an, more importantly, (b) to the detriment of those counting on COVID relief not to say anything about getting Biden’s government up and running.

Finally, but not least, it didn’t matter whether there were 0 or 100 witnesses, trump still has 34 Republican cowards and sycophants who would have nonetheless voted to acquit and therefore the outcome would have been the same.

Bottom line, trump was acquitted and that, needless to say, was not good for the country, democracy and rule of law.

However, the damage done to him, his sycophants and to the Republican party as a whole is such that Democrats will take advantage of it to:

1. Ensure Biden’s success in his agenda
2. Increase their majority in both the House and Senate come 2022
3. Make the Democratic Party the dominant party for decades to come

Moreover, the acquittal of trump by the cowards and sycophants now means prosecutors–both federal and state will have free reign and even encouragement to criminally pursue the man who has no doubt committed numerous crimes, including most recently incitement of insurrection, not to say anything about a slew of private civil lawsuits that lie in wait. 

That, everything considered, is a good thing for the man won’t be the untouchable he and others mistakenly believe he is.

A very good thing for country, democracy and rule of law.