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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Famous 6 AKA Kenya 6

I realised after drinking over the Christmas period that some of my drinking mates spoke from an ignorant point of view. They only knew the famous Kenya 6 from what they hear from their friends, papers and media. Thus an argument ensued and thus my lazy self has decided to post a quick bio on our famous 6. Mind you it is not original but good reading. it's 9.30p.m on a Thursday the second last day of the year of our lord 2010 and I'm a few shots of J & B under.

Francis Muthaura

As the head of the civil service, Muthaura has been the nerve center of Kenya’s public service. He has held several senior positions in government before finally rising to the pinnacle of the public service.

He has worked as District Officer (DO) in Mombasa district, Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya’s diplomatic missions in New York and Brussels, Under Secretary and Head of Economic division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He has also been the Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxemburg and European Community, Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), New York, Secretary General and East African Cooperation.

He has served as the PS in the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Environment and Natural Resources, Provincial Administration and National Security in the Office of the President (OP).

He is one of those who received regular intelligence briefs on the possible violence that would break out. He is also accused of having attended a meeting at State House that planned retaliation in Naivasha.

William Ruto

His political history can be described as meteoric, having risen from relative obscurity in the 1990s to a position of significance within a short period.

Enjoying a near fanatic following among supporters from his ethnic Kalenjin community, Ruto, 44, considers himself fit to be president.

The deputy ODM leader is remembered for his vehement opposition to the plan by the chairman of the disbanded Electoral Commission of Kenya Samuel Kivuitu to announce the results for the presidential election in 2007 because ODM believed they were not true.


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At one point during Kivuitu’s attempt to announce the final result at a media briefing at KICC’s Aberdare room, Ruto, who had got hold of a microphone, told Kivuitu: "We have a different tally of the results from Molo other than the one you have read. You cannot continue reading results which are not real!"


Ruto’s name was linked to the post election violence by a report that was prepared by the Kenya National Human Rights Commission.

The suspended Higher Education Minister has been fighting to exonerate himself from the accusations in the report.

Uhuru Kenyatta

Before 1997, Uhuru only claim to fame rested on the fact that he is the son of Kenya’s founding President, Jomo Kenyatta.

Uhuru’s entry into national politics began in 1997 as the chairman of the Gatundu branch of Kanu, with the tacit approval of former president Moi,

In the General Election held in December of the same year, Uhuru contested the Gatundu parliamentary seat, which he lost to little known Nairobi architect, Moses Mwihia. Uhuru then quit politics and retreated to obscurity.

In 1999, Moi appointed Uhuru as the chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board, and in 2001 he was nominated to Parliament. He was subsequently made a Cabinet Minister, and later elected vice chairman of Kanu.

In the 2002 elections, Moi saw to it that Uhuru became the presidential candidate for Kanu. However, Kanu lost the elections. In the 2007 elections, he chose to support President Kibaki.

Central Kenya politicians have been fronting the Finance Minister as a successor to President Kibaki when his term comes to an end in 2012.

Maj-Gen (Rtd) Hussein Ali

He is a former military commander who was moved to head the police force in 2004 while at the rank of brigadier.

Born in Eldoret in 1956, Ali joined the Kenya Army in 1977 finally rising to the rank of Brigadier in 2003, a year before he was appointed to head the Kenya Police force.

During his military career he served as a military attachÈ in Zimbabwe and Uganda, and was commanding officer of the Western Brigade. He also at various times headed the Kenya Army Paratrooper Battalion, and the Air Cavalry regiment in Embakasi. He is also a former chairman of the Ulinzi Stars football club.

He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2005 and finally Major General in 2005.

It was during his tenure that the post election violence occurred resulting in the death of more than 1000 people. The police force is accused of killing at least 400 people out of the total number of those who died during the chaos.

He has never spoken publicly about the ICC investigations but those close to him reveal that he has been closely monitoring the process.

Henry Kosgey

Kosgey is like the dinosaur of Kenyan politics. He has spent most of his adult life serving as a Cabinet Minister. From1979 when he was appointed as a minister, it was only for less than ten years that Kosgey has stayed out of Cabinet-between 1988-1992 and between 2002 and 2007.

He is one of the longest serving political leaders in the country having won six successive parliamentary elections.

The Tinderet MP has only spent one term out of Parliament after he was tossed out in the infamous 1988 mlolongo election.

He succeeded powerful and fiery Nandi politicians Jean Marie Seroney and former Senator Gerald Nathaniel Kalya after he rode on the whims of the then power brokers let by former nominated MP Ezekiel Barngetuny to become MP for Tinderet.

Despite the smooth ride he has enjoyed as an influential leader in local politics, Kosgey’s influence in Rift Valley has been waning since suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto came on to the scene. And as if by chance, both Kosgey and Ruto have now been named as suspects by Ocampo.

Joshua arap Sang

Kass FM presenter Joshua arap Sang honed his journalistic skills in Eldoret. He first joined and worked for Christian Radio and Television network Sauti Ya Rehema (Sayare RTV) based in Eldoret for five years.

After Sayare, Sang then moved to Bibilia Husema Broadcasting from 2003 to 2005 before joining the newly established Kass FM media station in Nairobi. Apart from being presenter, Sang was appointed head of studio.

Sang, who hails from Cherangany constituency, attended Kitale Academy Secondary School and later joined the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC).

In the 2007 General Elections, Sang had expressed interest to vie for the Cherangany constituency’s parliamentary seat currently held by Joshua Kutuny.

Sang, who made inroads into the constituency prior to the polls is said to have been prevailed upon to drop his bid for a later date.

It is his morning show dubbed lene met (what is the world saying) that has earned him the wrath of people and institutions who accuse him of rubbing them the wrong way.


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