Spare Kenyans politcal sycophancy

While addressing this years Labour Day celebrations President Mwai Kibaki personally cleared the air when he stated that the Grand Coalition Government is united and that there is no feud between him and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The president noted: “We agreed with Raila to form one Government, and we are working together in one Government. Those saying we have two Governments are spreading fitina.” That was great news for Kenyans. Grand Coalition Government critics and pessimists should now shut up and give the GCG a chance to deliver to the people.

Sadly though at the same venue, the COTU Secretary General Mr. Francis Atwoli having nothing of importance to talk about regarding labour and industrial relations for the Kenyan workers chose instead to lash out a campaign for someone to be given the Transport portfolio amongst other absurd utterances. . At a time when Kenyans need solutions for a better future for themselves and their children, the question is was Atwoli sent by someone to say such a ridiculous proposition? His statement of asking President Kibaki to return John Michuki to the Transport docket amplifies a preposterous proposition.

Coming out of the political upheaval where there are hundreds of thousands of displaced citizens, workers want some help in stabilizing their lives and securing a better future for themselves and their children and not politicking. And that’s what Atwoli as the head of the country’s premier trade organization should be addressing and stop talking politics. Historically Atwoli is known for his outrageous and ludicrous utterances but this time around he has reached yet another peak on his idiocy.

As a secretary general of umbrella trade union organization Atwoli one would assume that the man is at the very minimum expected to understand the workings of a government. Any reasonable thinking Kenyan understands that it’s the Traffic Police Unit that is bestowed with the responsibilities of maintaining traffic order on the roads and not the minister for Transport. Nairobi has myriad problems and as such the rationale of establishing the new Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development is meant to address those problems facing this East African largest metropolitan.

According to minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development Mutula Kilonzo his docket is faced with a daunting task of transforming the city into a metropolis’. One of the tasks is to find ways of fixing the city’s transport system, water supply, waste disposal, public utilities, slum upgrading and enforcement of zoning regulations among other functions. No doubt the new ministry will have to liaise with many ministries such as that of Local Government, Transport, and Public Health & Sanitation, Water & irrigation to name but three in addressing the problems facing Nairobians. Blaming the minister for Transport for the transport woes in Nairobi make many people suspect as to the motive behind such unwarranted remarks.

One can infer that Atwoli is still bitter that Transport Chirau Mwakwere did not re-appoint his (Atwoli) tribesman, Mr. Brown Ondego, to the Kenya Ports Authority managing director’s position when his term ended fours years ago. Or is it that the Transport docket is so important that a Coastal person should not head it.

Kenyans know very well that when the Environment and Mineral Resources minister Michuki headed the key OP Provincial Administration and National Security docket (where he was in charge of the Traffic Police Unit) failed to enforce the very traffic laws he was praised to have initiated while at Transport. Although never credited, it was Chris Murungaru (then OP Provincial Administration and National Security) who accorded then Transport Minister Michuki the crucial traffic police enforcement support to vigorously implement transport laws.

But when the time came, Michuki refused not reciprocate to Murungaru or to the incumbent Transport minister. Why, many suspect because Michuki wanted to remain to have been the one who was the most effective one and tried to make his predecessors be seen I the eyes of the public to be ineffective. If Michuki was so great in managing the Transport portfolio then I am sure President Kibaki would have appreciated this and re-appointed him to the docket when he named his seventeen-member cabinet; which saw the Kangema MP removed from the OP Provincial Administration and National Security to the then Roads and Public Works ministry. When the second round of appointments came when the president formed the grand coalition cabinet, the head of state appointed Michuki the minister for Environment and Mineral Resources.

Boldly speaking Mr. Atwoli should spare Kenyans his nonsensical theatrics and concentrate with the job at hand of handling the plight of Kenyans workers and stop being an errand boy for someone.

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VP can do better

It was wise for the former Vice President Moody Awori to turn down the appointment to chair a committee set up by his successor to look into the grievances of the striking prison warders. I must add that it is good news to the country that the warders have since resumed their duties and look forward to have their grievances addressed.

Truth be told when Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka named the eight–member committee to look into the grievances of the striking prison warders I wondered if Mr. Musyoka was really serious in tackling this matter or if he was he just playing politics.

I say this because the vice president seemed lost when he appointed his predecessor to chair the committee. In addition the vice president named the immediate former Commissioner of Prisons Abraham Kimakil in the same committee. I ask again, is Kalonzo serious in tackling the issue.

It did not make sense to have the two gentlemen in the committee because Awori and Kimakil were right in the middle of the correctional system as the two top officials and they failed those prison warders when they had the powers and authority to assist them. One wonders what would have changed for the warders to all of a sudden start to trust the two gentlemen when they accused them for presiding over the current rot in prisons during their tenure at the helm. It has since emerged that, “Mr Kamakil’s tenure was the worst for us and it was marred with corruption allegations and promotions that were based on nepotism.”
One wonders was the VP truly sincere when he pleaded with the Thika Prison warders saying: “I want the officers to call off their intended strike and give me a little more time to address their problems." Mr. Kalonzo needs to go to work and address the problems facing the prison warders.

If as claimed by Moody Awori is true, that the Prison Department already has a strategic plan, a programme on housing, and a scheme of service and all that was left was the implementation of the same, why then didn’t Kalonzo Musyoka check this out before going public in naming a committee. Apart from being the president’s principal assistant Kalonzo has in addition a ministerial responsibility that he needs to attend to.

With a new permanent secretary in the Home Affairs ministry who would approach the issue with a fresh mind, the problems facing the warders need to be addressed sooner rather than later. There is no need for committees and commissions if a strategic plan is in place and all that remaining is its implementation.
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