It was late in the evening. He was at the Airport in Johannesburg boarding a plane to Nairobi to cover for CNN the arrival of US-Senator and Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama.
We spoke for more than an hour about people we both knew in and outside Kenya and African politics in general. We found out that we had many mutual friends - although I made for the first time the remark: "Do you realize that you know the sons and the daughters - whereas I know the parents?"
He also told me that we had another thing in common: He had read in the Media that I had been an Air Hostess before I got married - and he had also worked as Flight Attendant, first in Kenya and then for PanAm based in Miami before he then decided to study Journalism in New York.
He also confessed that 'one day soon' he will enter politics since this had been always a childhood dream of his. He insisted to send me the book he had written on his Grandfather.
Our conversation only finished after somebody approached him saying "Jeff, if you don't come right now, the plane will be leaving without you."
A couple of hours later he wrote:
Marianne,
Somehow you and I have connected in a way I find hard to describe .... so exciting and at the same time so exhilarating .... I could have chatted on the phone all night .....
I feel we have 'bonded' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've landed in Nairobi and thought of you .... just as we discussed .... I'm already looking at things differently ........
Thank you so much for your trust and kindness !!!!!!!!
Talk soon,
JK
I wrote to him the same day - and as I look at it now it is almost a kind of 'prophecy' of the outcome of the just concluded December 2007 General Election.
But keep in mind, I wrote it almost 1.1/2 years earlier.......
Dear Jeff,
I think you have gone to Kenya at the right time ending up in the ODM-Kibaki- Moi -Uhuru-Kalonzo-Raila Odinga struggles.
In 2002 former President Moi knew from the beginning that Uhuru had no chance. It was a power game which Moi directed from A to Z and Uhuru was the victim but with the knowledge of the Kikuyu-leaders. And also the splitting up of Kibaki and Raila a few years later was a move Moi had calculated or even directed.
I know that Mutula Kilonzo wants to become Attorney General in the next Government. But people should never forget that also here he is just Moi's proxy although he wrote to me once that he is not 'carrying anybody's bag, not even Moi's........ But in becoming A-G, Mutula will guarantee that neither Moi, nor his sons or anybody close to him can be made responsible for any scandal of the past.
From my point of view, this whole ODM is a very dirty game - and it will be very interesting to see how it develops. Especially Moi's reaction .... I expect him to keep quiet for a while .... and then take distances even from Uhuru. If this happens, it is another game by Moi: it gives Uhuru the possibility to demonstrate that he is separating from Moi and is on his own contrary to 2002.
Maybe that's even the whole reason for this exercise of ODM. But of course, Uhuru cannot do it from one minute to the next. That would look bad in the eyes of the Kikuyus and the Kalenjin where respecting the Elders (and especially Moi) is still a very strong tradition as I have learned in the past. So Uhuru can only move if and when Moi agrees.
Not to loose their faces, they will wait a little and then Moi will declare that he does not want to be in the way for Kibaki and Uhuru to move on - and of course, everything in the interest and for the welfare of the Kenyan People people ... and the real victim will be at the end Raila Odinga - once again.
But Raila cannot protest since he is in Moi's 'pockets' since 1997/98 when Moi passed him the Molasses Plant 'free of charge', i.e. paying all its debts with the Swiss Banks as Joshua Kulei told me in Raila's presence and even entered as a partner into the company with Kulei as his praxy - this Raila told me even himself.
At that time the Odingas had financial problems - so Raila accepted Moi's offer: He supports them financially and also politically in helping them to revive the Molasses Plant and with it gaining prestige in the eyes of the Luos and he offered Raila to become a Member of his Government (taking over the very 'lucrative' position as Minister for Energy). So Raila split with Orengo and Muite - joined KANU - and Moi won another term as President of Kenya ....
Raila knows that I have all this information and that was the reason why he was fearing my evidence in Nairobi. The one who pushed for it was Paul Muite who once was my lawyer at the time the Dr. Ouko investigations and with whom I was still in contact before coming to Nairobi.
But what about the General Elections in 2007 ? Will Moi 'allow' Uhuru to continue being in the ODM with Raila or will he not 'convince' him to join Kibaki to secure a second term for him?
As I said in my London Declaration in February this year in front of the Sunguh-Committee: Moi feels safe with Kibaki because they share some very dark secrets - and he feels safe with Uhuru ........ but he definitely will never feel safe with Raila being President ...... this in Moi's eyes should never happen, at least not as long as he is alive.......
We should talk again, don't you think so?
Regards,
Marianne
On August 25, Jeff replied:
Hey Marianne,
I can't wait to talk to you again .........
I'm in Kisumu waiting for BARRACK OBAMA to 'finally come home' Saturday ..... should be GOOD TV ......
Also, don't forget to watch Inside Africa tomorrow .... nice story of OPRAH WINFREY in Africa ......
You're an AMAZING WOMAN ........ when will we get to MEET ???????????
Stay well .....
JK
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-----to be continued----------
