Last night, I was at a certain watering hole in town where people use the traffic as an excuse to have drinks before going home. This watering hole is very popular with MCAs and political brokers. I have seen money change hands in this joint many times but yesterday was different. Money was not changing hands. It was being spent in abundance. The MCAs were very liquid and loud.
One of them, who has become a friend of sorts because of the many times we have met in this joint came over to our table to say hi. He casually stated they were drinking money from Thirdway Alliance. He alleged that they had earlier been given money to pass the punguza mizigo bill but they took the cash, walked out of the room and when they came back, they voted against it.
His admission took me back several years ago when I was a fresh University student straight from the US. I came back home with lots of hope that I can contribute to creating a difference in Kenya. I had always been an activist and student leader. All I needed was an outfit that I could join.
Every week, Thirdway Alliance held online conversations to discuss issues that affected us as Kenyans. From Health, to education and even corruption. The tweetchats were so successful, many people, including me were drawn to seek out this new outfit that was promising change.
I reached out by inboxing their tweeter handle. I was invited to a meeting at Chester House where I met very many like minded individuals who were passionate about changing Kenya.
At first all was well. We even started contributing for an office and a few people to help run the every day needs of Thirdway. This continued until 2017. When the drama began!
For many of us, Thirdway was a movement. It was meant to educate people about electing the right leaders and demanding for what was our rights as citizens. It was never meant to be a political party. At least not at that time.
We woke up one day to find threats and ultimatums in our wassup group. The ‘leadership’ used some members to demand that we collectively and without question support the idea of Thirdway becoming a political party with Ekuru as the demi-god and presidential candidate or we be removed from the movement.
Many of us fought this as we knew we did not have the numbers on the ground to form a political party and our online following was not proof we were ready to convince people offline to vote for Thirdway.
Within no time, we had people we knew to be Jubilee agents attending some of our meetings. These were people we were seeing on TV with Uhuru as he was campaigning coming to support us!
The drama escalated. One of the young men tasked with taking care of our office stole from us, there were allegations of sexual harassment by young female members and the original founders of Thirdway were removed for not supporting the political party idea or chose to leave the movement. It became an Ekuru outfit where no one was allowed to question the ‘supreme leader’ and if you did so you were removed.
So here we are, watering our throats surrounded by MCAs who were drinking bribe money and it brought back painful memories of how much money and time I spent on Thirdway.
This is what I gathered.
Just before the vote, a guy called Anthony Ombok also known as Jamal, with the help of MCAs Mark Ndungu, MCA Kennedy Oyugi and some nominated MCAs were calling their Nairobi collegues aside and giving them various amounts of money ranging from between 20k to 40k to vote for the punguza mizigo bill.
The MCAs took the money, but refused to vote for the bill.
As for Ombok “Jamal” we all remember him with the recent scandal 20M scandal being investigated by EACC after winning the Nairobi County’s Garbage tenders, Same Person who organized and beat up the former NCBDA Chairman Mr. Muriuki live on TV, Same Person Producing Fake Alcohol and distributing in Nairobi with Impunity. County hall streets say he is the Nairobi Governor’s Proxy and the only man assured of Multimillion tenders in County.
Then, should we ask, who Financed Jamal to Corrupt the Nairobi MCAs and Pass the Punguza Mizigo bill? Or the Answer is clear.
Or is someone Pissed off after being investigated by EACC and wanted to show his Might in Nairobi by supporting Punguza Mzigo?
Where is Thirdway, a zero popularity party that is alleged to have been funded by Jubilee in 2017 to join the presidential race in order to create the illusion of a democracy and political freedom, getting the funds and support to fake a million signatures and bribe county assemblies all around the country to vote for Punguza Mizigo?
Who is really behind this initiative? Are the political rumours that claim Ruto is their financier true?
Other than Ekuru, non of the original founders who gave us hope we can change Kenya are involved in Thirdway. They all left. Some have written publicly about the dictatorship and selfishly driven agenda of Thirdway as an outfit.
It breaks my heart that individuals continue to use our pain as Kenyans to enrich themselves. One day the true Wanjiku will know the real faces behind the captured Thirdway. It is not a genuine outfit for the people. Other than buying media and attacking anyone who questions them online, they have zero support on the ground.
Perhaps one day, many more members will speak out and Wanjiku will have the courage to rise up against our oppressors. Including Thirdway who came dressed like sheep but are worse wolves than those who don’t hide they are in politics for the money.
Sorry for the long post and thank you for this platform!
Here is a link from a tweeter thread from one of the founders who was forced to leave.
