Why does Kenyan media lionise those who insult our dignity?

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In Edward Clay's days as the British High Commissioner in Nairobi, he used to insult the country’s leadership and Kenyans at large. His insults were a reminder of what his forekin, the colonists, subjected Africans to. For all his insults and foul language, Clay used to be showered with praises and hand clapping by a good section of the local media. He was a hero of sorts who was sure to grab headlines whenver he opened his mouth. I was, perhaps, the only commentator who did not take pride when that Mzungu used to verbally assault us. I penned down several op-ed commentaries to that effect.

Then, suddenly other Nairobi-based diplomats took a cue from Clay (after he departed) such as the then German Ambassador and began insulting our leaders and people. Who would have thought that some seasoned journalists started to defend the country from the "diplomats" insults? Although, I made an inference to veteran scribe Philip Ochieng (and I wrote to him personally) one of the reasons he penned down a strong commentary in defence of Kenya was because his "home boy" Raphael Tuju had then since been appointed a Foreign Minister. Other scribes, like Columnist Kwamchesti Makhokha praise magazines like The Economist for castigating the Government.

It all started when the Finance Minister was forced to withdraw the Government from what was to be a high-level political and business forum dubbed “The First Business Roundtable with the Government of Kenya.” The two-day conference was to take place in Nairobi on July 17-18 and would have been graced by none other that the Head of State, President Mwai Kibaki amongst other distinguished guests and participants.

Personally, I was very proud that the Government took the position to cancel the conference. There is no point in agreeing to participate in a meeting organized by a group and or a company that has no confidence in or looks down on the Government. My point is not to say that The Economist article was right or wrong, whether it was based on fact or illusions. The point I want to stress here is the fact that Makhokha’s Memos castigate the Government for cancelling the event and believes that what the magazine was saying was the truth.

I kept wondering, if Kenya is in such a depitated state as the article seems to suggest, why then are there more foreign correspondents in Nairobi than in any other African country? Why do many foreigners who get posted in Kenya refuse to leave the country after their call of duty ends? Why haven’t all those foreign reporters particularly those of The Economist shifted their bases to say Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kampala or Lusaka?
My beef is with the Kenyan media people and other commentators who see nothing wrong when foreign media insults them and their people. Clay was feted by the local media; he became a celebrity in Kenya simply because he was good at insulting us.
I can boldly say that, we have formed a habit of heaping praise on the foreigners who we glorify for castigating us and belittle our own leaders. I say, Kudos Amos Kimunya for your quick intervention to stop” The First Business Roundtable with the Government of Kenya.” You stood up and defended our dignity.

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Moi appointment most deserved

Kwame Nkrumah was a very famous African son. A firm believer in African liberation, Nkrumah pursued a radical Pan-African policy, playing a key role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, the forerunner of the present day Africa Union.

However, as the head of government of his native Ghana, Nkrumah was less successful, and as time passed he was accused of forming a dictatorship. It is so sad that Ghana’s first Prime Minister and later President formed a one-party state, with himself as President for life, and was accused of actively promoting a cult of his own personality. He was later overthrown by the military and spent the rest of his life in exile, dying in Bucharest, Romania in 1972. Although, revered by many Africans where his legacy and dream of a “United States of African” still remains a goal among many African people to date.

There are some similarities between Kwame Nkrumah and our own second President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi. For almost a quarter of century as the country’s Head of State, Moi started very well in his initial years (like Nkrumah did) and then became a dictator. Both these two leaders at different times in history presided in a totalitarian rule in their respective countries. In the meantime these two leaders (again separately) cultivated excellent good rapport with fellow African Head of States. As for Moi he concentrated on regional heads of state particularly within the East and Central Africa sub-region.

President Mwai Kibaki out of respect for his predecessor, named Moi as Special Envoy for Peace and Goodwill to Sudan. While I am not elated with the appointment but I must hasten to add that the appointment makes political sense. Moi needed to be kept busy as his Moi Africa Institute was under-utilized. He has special interests in Southern Sudanese people probably because they are his fellow Christians in a majority Muslim country.

As a Head of State, Moi also participated in what was to later to be known as CPA and as such he will be very conversant in handling and discussion such matters and or affairs. As an envoy, Moi needed to be accepted and gain the confidence of the leaders of the twin Sudanese governments -- the Government of National Unity (GNU) headed by Sudanese military strongman General Omer El-Bashir and the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) led by Sliva Kiir, who is also doubles as the GNU's first Vice President. Boldly, speaking, President Moi was larger than life outside the country, but less successful when it comes to Kenyans. Nevertheless, I join hands with my fellow Kenyans and the Sudanese people to wish Moi all the best in his new diplomatic assignment.
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'Retail politics' is the way to go

The mushrooming of regional and or ethnic political parties is not a threat to the country’s unity and democracy. In fact, the opposite is true. These parties have the potential of making Kenya stronger, united and democratic. Those who fail to appreciate these fundamentals of retail politics, seems to me that, they don’t see beyond their noses. It is a fact of life that Kenyans are one people on earth who distinguish themselves first as members of their tribes, then as Kenyans.

When it comes to "tribalism and sectarianism" we’ve got to be honest with ourselves. Either we accept the existence and or presence of tribalism and sectarianism and try to operate around these two issues or we continue to refuse to recognize and accept them and we are doomed to fail as a state and people.

Strong regional and ethnic parties are the only solution for making this country stronger, united and democratic in the real senses of those words. This is why national parties tend to do regional balancing by hand picking individuals from the seven Kenyan provinces (minus the Nairobi area) whether they are the true people representatives or not. For instance, Taib Ali Taib and Marsden Madoka would be the Coast representatives of Kanu whether they are liked by Kanu Coast supporters (if any) or not. Another example is Mukhisa Kituyi who would automatically be the Narc Kenya representative from Western Province, and on and on it goes.

But Shirikisho Party or Ford Kenya or Ford People respectively for Coast, Western and Gusii-Nyanza as regional parties will produce popular leaders of their respective regions for these parties. No hand picking of individuals purportedly to be the leaders of the people.
When these regional and or sectarian parties join hands and form a coalition, like Narc, they bring true and popular leaders of their respective regions -- making the coalition based on a sound foundation and stronger like a brick or stone house. That is why a brand new coalition friendly to President Mwai Kibaki will be unveiled next week. A grand coalition whose ticket Kibaki will seek his Presidential re-election.

The strategy is to use regional political parties that are deemed popular in their respective regions where these regional leaders will all have a stake in the government whether they hail form small or populous tribes.

In fact the 2002 General Election forever changed the Kenyan political landscape as we knew it.
There is no more room for larger single national parties. Kanu is a prefect example. It has no national appeal anymore. It is now the party of Uhuru Kenyatta with no appeal anywhere other than in Rift Valley and this is simply because the region feels obliged to respect former President Daniel arap Moi and nothing more. Whether we would like to accept this reality or not is one thing, but truth be told, national parties without strong regional and ethnic sub-parties tend to have a free hand where they traditionally tend to favour the larger and or populous tribes because of their numerical strengths.

In doing so the then tends to marginalize the small tribes and for a country with more than forty tribes this is a recipe for a catastrophic political consequence.

omarahmedali@gmail.com

Spectre of tribalism Kenya’s undoing

DISPATCH FROM WASHINGTON

By Abdillah Alawy

Are you surprised that David Mwiraria is back in the Cabinet? Or why ODM-Kenya is imploding right in front of our eyes? Why is Joseph Kamotho, a well-regarded opposition figure, supporting President Mwai Kibaki? Why is Mr Kibaki extending seemingly-honest praises to the former president Mr Daniel arap Moi? What more surprises are in the offing?

Why is Raila Odinga blasted by politicians from Ukambani only? Why is Uhuru Kenyatta warming up to Mr Daniel arap Moi? For one, it is election time—times when appropriate ethnic re-alignment will put a politician in or out of her job come January 2008. Still, the political landscape is exploding in the most revealing manner since independence.

Relax, you are not going crazy. You are not losing your intellectual sophistication or analytical tools because what you are seeing is what is truly happening on the ground. You are seeing the undignified exposure of our tribal ego. You are seeing the true colours of Kenyan politicians in their worst elements of ethnic ideologues. Only this time, they have stooped so low in personal stature and are out peddling a mean-spirited vision to the whole world.
In the contemporary politics of Kenya, there is no party-ideology or indoctrination that can beat tribal loyalty and the assumed safety-net existing within our ethnic enclaves. It is evident that blood thickens as you move closer to your family-tree and dilutes thin as you face the other guy who speaks a different dialect. Such has been our past, the present and, God forbid, a scary foundation we are laying for the next generation. National pride is slowly eroding into tribal arrogance.
Many historians have advanced the notion that Africans made a wrong start after we untangled the chains of slavery, colonization and other demeaning Western cruelties. After fighting for our national independence, we embarked on self-rule and soon after, it was realised, the citizenry was ethnically divided and may lead to the destruction of our unity.
But we were eager to develop first and address ethnicity later. We thought the shortest route to advance our society was in copying what the Europeans were doing in their countries. We went full throttle in building our institutions modelled after the West. We forgot that we were a much divided people in terms of our tribes.

Our political leaders of the time decided that our divisions were going to be manipulated productively in the future. All this for their selfish ends—and of course, our politicians were prophetic at that prediction. So, one idea was for us to become as westernised in our outlook but loyally tribal for our political potential. By default rather than ingenuity, our politicians have succeeded in both these projects.

However, the underlying phenomenon during the last forty-four years history of our nation’s self-rule has been an embarrassing power struggle among individuals with serious egomaniac tendencies. Individual whose ethnic identity has become instrumental in partitioning Kenyan communities as means of “divide and rule.”
Almost by accident, the regime of Daniel Arap Moi took over power from the predominant Kikuyu and subsequently revenged through opening-up exclusive resources and opportunities for his Kalenjin community. For more than two decades Moi’s group of tribes unfairly benefited from educational scholarships, plush military, public and parastatal jobs and all the so-called fruits of independence.

So when the “spectator tribes”, the ethnic groups that were sidelined, joined forces through a
political coalition it was assumed very strategic to go for another Kikuyu in Mwai Kibaki. Either the Kikuyu had their turn of accumulating wealth or an adopted Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was going to prevent the new president from “tribal” misbehaviour. Both theories were proved wrong as Kibaki ruthlessly trashed the MoU and the Kikuyu embraced a second wave of harvest with impunity. This time around the Mount Kenya coalition was significantly strengthened.

With this exhibition from the two ODM-K leaders, I do not see a Kalonzo or Raila government that could have been structurally different from what we have today. Evidently, the spectators’ desperation is at its peak and Kalonzo and Raila may never agree again because they both think it is their turn to harvest for their respective tribes. The role of leading a spectator’s tribe is tiring and sickening.

aalawy@gmail.com

Sycophancy, misplaced heroism is out of place

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I abhor sycophancy in whatever form. It was reported that during a leaders’ meeting at Kyuso District Commissioner’s residence last week, in the presence of Prsident Mwai Kibaki, the acting District Commissioner David Jakaiti attempted to block Kalonzo Musyoka and his Mwingi South counterpart David Musila, from addressing the meeting.

One would infer that Jakaiti was trying to protect his battered bread in front of his overall boss and his immediate supervisor -John Michuki. But times have changed. What was Jakaiti thinking in blocking people’s elected representatives from addressing their own constituents?
Was he perhaps trying to ensure that his action would guarantee his job confirmation to a full DC from the acting capacity? For heavens sake, Musyoka and Musila were the host Members of Parliament. By denying local politicians a chance to address their constituents in front of the President was wrong.

We are in a democratic society and not a one party rule or in a totalitarian government. I am glad that President Kibaki, a true democrat and statesman to boot boldly came to the rescue of the situation, where he averted it by giving Musyoka a chance to speak.
The former Environment Minister was allowed to address the gathering and in turn invited Musila do the same. The acting DC's hostility to the local politicians will most likely undermine his effectiveness in the area, and perhaps, the best thing will be transfer him elsewhere . Unless of course Jakaiti’s immediate supervisor, Michuki, would love to have a hostile underlying in Musyoka backyard. Having castigated the over-zealous and equally over-obedient Jakaiti, I must say that it was inappropriate for the one time Foreign Affairs Minister to play politics at this the presidential event.

Kalonzo always likes to paint himself as an accomplished diplomat but playing cheap politics is not being diplomatic at all. The President was visiting Eastern province’s Ukambani sub-region and presiding over the commission several Government funded projects in the province.
These were events planed earlier and as such he was not trying to woo voters. For Kalonzo to raise political issues by telling Kibaki to his face that he should brace for a tough political battle in the forthcoming General Election was cheap and tactless politics.
It was the wrong time at a wrong place to play politics. President Kibaki has run three presidential campaigns, two unsuccessful and one successful, where he has was the candidate himself. It is without a doubt Kibaki is the most experienced and seasoned of all the presidential candidates in the country today.

He does not need to be informed that he will face an uphill battle come next Election. Furthermore, Kalonzo is not guaranteed to capture the ODM-K presidential nomination ticket, unless of course, he plans to be in the race no matter the out come.
Kalonzo might have impressed his loyal supporters and thinking he is being courageous, but there is nothing courageous in what he did but a lack of manners in disrespecting the President and the Presidency.

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Halt move on new constituencies

I think the whole idea and attempt to create new constituencies and "special parliamentary seats"-for women, youth and the disabled- is the right one but the timing is inappropriate.
Timing is every thing and in this case timing is completely off the mark. Without a doubt many Kenyans are wondering why all of a sudden the Government of National Unity, or the GNU, thinks it is prudent to come up with a Bill to create new constituencies at a time when the country is already in election fever – we are less than six months from the ‘mother of all general elections’
If the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua and her group think it make good sense to create more constituencies and "the special parliamentary seats" why wasn’t it done last year, or two or even three years ago?
The country’s population explosion did not occur in the last six months or so. You can’t blame those who are against the move from reading into this as sinister motives in Madam Karua’s (and in extension the GNU) proposal.

Why such a rush? In this aspect it is not a question of siding with the Opposition or not, but I think it is fair to say that some GNU hawks are overstepping their bounds in their zealous endeavour to protect their butter soaked bread and to make sure they remain in power after the next General Election by hook or crook.
Sad to say but the fact remains that it is politicians and the president's handlers such as Martha

Karua and some of the other GNU hawks who by their actions indirectly spoil the good name of the government of President Mwai Kibaki.
This reminds me of the former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumfeld’s hard headed decisions that sink the Bush Administration in the Iraq quagmire.

It is for legal scholars and other constitution experts to determine the right way of approaching what seems to be too delicate a matter. They are two schools of thoughts as to how we should go about handling the matter — if it is through an Act of Parliament or through constitutional amendment.Personally I do not support the views of the ODM-K leadership that the Government intends to rig the Election in its favour or that the whole idea of creating new constituencies is to increase the Government numerical strength as most of them will be in the populous and government friendly regions.

Kibaki is going to win re-election, rigging or no rigging. In addition, the National Assembly will have a majority Kibaki friendly MPs, new constituencies or not.
I can boldly say that the bottom line should be that the proposed new constituencies and the "special seats" should be implemented in the 2012 Election and not this year.
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How about trying to do it the American way?

The two major political parties in the United States, the Republican Party and Democratic Party have more than fifteen presidential aspirants combined. Each of the candidates is trying to become the nominee of his or her respective party without doing any joint rallies or campaign appearances.

The only time they are seen together in one room is when there are appearing for their respective parties’ presidential debates. They don’t meet for breakfasts or to lunches strategize how to beat their opposing party’s opponent. In Kenya, we see ODM-K candidates conducting joint rallies, and meetings for breakfasts and lunches.

In addition, when ODM-K presidential aspirants launched their respective "visions" it was done in the presence of some of their perceived “rivals”. For instance, we witnessed Raila Odinga praising Musalia Mudavadi for his vision and Balala praising Odinga Raila for his, et al. In one of the joint rallies, we read reports that, one of the leading ODM-K candidates Kalonzo Musyoka was booed, interrupted and disrupted by the ODM-K crowed when he stood to address them.
The rally in Mombasa was their party’s political rally, why boo one of their own beats me. Was that the work of one of the Mwingi North legislator’s rivals within their own party? Your guess is as good as mine. In the US, it is a different ball game.

For instance, in the Democratic Party, the two leading candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton are fighting it out until the bitter end. But whoever loses the nomination will automatically support and endorse the winner.
The same is the case in the Republican Party’s three leading candidates, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain. Simply put, whoever wins the nomination of their respective political party will automatically count the support and endorsement of his or her former rivals for the coveted ticket, but until then they are not together and their friendships is shelved. They don’t dine and wine together as is the case with what is happening in Kenya.

It is not fair to expect the American democratic tradition to become part and parcel of our political way of life in only forty years since we attained our independence and even shorter period since we became a truly multi-party democratic country.
Americans have come along way as they recently celebrated 231 years of independence. But there is nothing wrong to copy and emulate the United States, as most of politicians are found to visit this great nation.

omarahamedali@gmail.com
http://www.timesnews.co.ke/22jul07/edi

NARC K not President Kibaki's only party

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It has been an open secret that President Mwai Kibaki was not going to be the NARC Kenya’s presidential flag-barer in his re-election bid despite the fact that the party assembles a section of politicians allied to the president. The reason behind being pretty simple, Kibaki has yet to embrace the party and the fact that Kibaki, a seasoned politician, is very much aware that he needs more than NARC Kenya for his presidential campaign to succeed.

Although forecast after forecast was that Kibaki would not use NARC Kenya for the re-election bid, the fog was lifted when Dr. Christopher Murungaru, one of the president’s closest confidantes spoke clearly on the issue and confirmed the obvious. The former Transport minister recently hinted that Kibaki’s re-election party may not exist, at least not as yet. He went further to give an inkling that a new platform could and would be found. Some of the NARC Kenya politicians who were once more than sure that Kibaki was their party’s presidential flag-bearer must be sadden and demoralized by the hints.

They are demoralized because in an interview with one of the local dailies, the Kieni MP went on to note, "The writing is on the wall. Narc-Kenya with its amorphous national leadership cannot execute the business from which political parties are formed. It is a reality many have come to accept that we cannot run a national presidential, parliamentary and civic election on our own. We are looking at a grand coalition and joint nomination of candidates."

The former OP National Security and Provincial Administration Minister did not mince his words by calling a spade a spade and not an oversize spoon. The fact of the matter is that politicians like Murungaru appreciate the reality that no political party in the country can win the general election on its own. Coalition politics is the new phenomenon.

NARC Kenya politicians such as the party interim Secretary General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi and others in his mind set who are opposed to the coalition idea are politically naïve. On the face value they appear rhetoric in their statements of wanting to going alone but still naïve to genuinely believe that Kibaki could win a presidential election without a coalition of friendly parties. One would have thought experienced the well schooled and politically experienced Kituyi would appreciate such a phenomenon, its shocking that he leads the group that opposes any form of a coalition. Very sad indeed.

Come general elections here are the facts. Central province’s massive support is a lock for Kibaki. The president doesn’t need NARC Kenya when it comes to his native province votes. But to garner votes in Western province, Kibaki would need the support of Musikari Kombo’s Ford Kenya, in Nyanza Simon Nyachae’s Ford People and in the Coast, Chirau Mwakwere led and repackaged Shirikisho. The greater Eastern province, the president would need a partner in Ukambani apart from his longtime loyalist Livestock and Fisheries Minister John Munyao. Apart from the Mbooni MP, in Ukambani that political partner would probably come in the form of the National Party of Kenya led by the Health Minister Charity Ngilu. In the expansive and populous Rift Valley, there is George Saitoti and Kipruto arap Kirwa to spearhead Kibaki’s campaign.

NARC Kenya politicians opposed to the coalition idea can dismiss Murungaru’s view points at their own risk. They should be happy that they have courageous individuals such as the Kieni MP in their party; bold individuals’ who are seen to be down–to-earth and pragmatic in their understanding and approach to the prevailing political realities.


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It is a fact that with a population of fewer than 35 million people and with over one hundred registered political parties, Kenya is probably the country with the highest number of "registered" political parties in the entire democratic world. Although we must to keep in mind that ‘registered’ political parties and ‘active’ political parties (let alone parliamentary parties) are two different monkeys.

Briefcase parties are found every where in the democratic world, even in the United States for those who might not be aware of this fact. There are more than forty plus political parties in the US. These parties might not have been successful in sending representatives to the US Congress or to the fifty states’ legislatures but they exist in the books as political parties. So the notion that America has only two parties is wrong.

There should be no problem that we have more than 100 political parties in the country. The problem lies in the fact of the matter that there are no rigid conditions in place as prerequisite for individuals applying for registration of political parties.

We can talk of the need of a two-party system until cows come home but the country must evolve from the one hundred political parties to two or three or four parties without forcing the idea to people or the country. In the United States, although they are more than forty political parties, however the two, Democratic and the Republican parties, are the famous and the largest ones that have representatives in the US congress and the fifty states’ legislatures. The rest of the political parties exist but in names only.

The proposed Political Parties Act must impose stipulations such as:

• Set a specific number of registered voters (1000 at the very minimum) who must sign a charter supporting the registration of a political party.
  
• A registered political party (or parties) that fail to have fifteen parliamentary candidates (or at least 10 percent of the contested parliamentary seats) in a general election automatically becomes deregistered.
  A political party that fails to secure a parliamentary seat and or at least 20 Civic Council seats should also be deregistered.
  
• Parties must have written party constitutions and present to the Registrar and the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). Officials and members alike of the parties’ must abide by the rules they themselves put together.
  
• Parties must conduct elections regularly under the watchful eye of the ECK.
  Presidential candidates must be able to secure the support of 5,000 registered voters’ per province from five of the eight provinces.

This way we would not have presidential candidates’ who cannot win parliamentary and or civic seats. Remove the ‘riff ruff’ from the presidential contenders so to speak.

Of course there are other appropriate stipulations that the policy makers can come up with that can make registering and maintaining political parties not as easy as ABC or 123. Currently it is hard to set up an insurance agency than it is to set up a political party. Although the law allows people to register as many political parties as they want but there is a compelling need to create some sort order in this aspect.

We have less than ten parliamentary parties and with the ever changing political landscape we might end up with two or three major political parties prior and or after the general election. It is very likely that the two or three major political parties shall be the ODM Kenya (with or without KANU); President Kibaki's GNU supporters (coming out with some sort of an alliance) and KANU if it opts out of the ODM Kenya which all signs indicates it will.

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As a true statesman and a democrat to boot President Mwai Kibaki has ruled out the possibility of extending the life of the current parliament. The president noted, "If there was any need to interfere with the process, then the General Election should have been brought forward as Kenyans are normally engaged with many activities during the month of December."

Unlike his fellow African heads of states, Kibaki has remained true to his words and is still proving his local critics wrong in all spheres. Kibaki has used his term in office to develop the country and has spent less time politicking.

It was rumored that the election was to be postponed to next February.
But the head of state continued to note, "But since the General Election had been planned for December, we will allow the process to go on as scheduled and we will not change anything this time around."

While speaking at a consultative forum he held with Muslim leaders at State House Nairobi, Mr. Kibaki today stated that he would always defend the rights of Kenyans to vote in leaders of their choice, as a key pre-requisite for democracy. He reiterated that his Government would also remain at the forefront in defending the spirit of multi party democracy.

Tribalism or no tribalism; favoritism and nepotism or not, Kibaki is the best president the country since independence and he deserves to be re-elected. There is favoritism and nepotism everywhere in the democratic world, be it in the US, Canada, India or within the European countries. It doesn’t make it right but it is the nature of the business. There will be favoritism and nepotism when ODM Kenya comes to power to think otherwise is to fool oneself. I am not going to beat about the bush but would ask my fellow Kenyans to think twice before electing ODM Kenya to power as its leaders are more concerned as to how they will share powers as opposed as to how they will develop the country.

It is unheard of in Africa for an African head of state who has a chance but refuses to turn oneself to a dictator. Kibaki is one of them. Let us look around and we shall see evidence in plain sight where leaders such a Uganda's strongman Yoweri Museveni who has twisted his country’s constitution to enable him to continue to cling to power past his tenure. Others not so successful like the Nigerian former head of state Gen. Olesegun Obasanjo who failed in his bid to cling to power undemocratically. Obasanjo ended up disgracing himself in particular and the African continent in general.