Test for our "selfless" leaders
My dear fellow Kenyans, we need to understand that getting the reforms we need will not be easy. This is hardly the time to hero-worship any of our leaders, no matter how good their past record may be. This is the time to come up with ideas that will bring the wolves to account.
In the United States they go to the polls every four years and yet that is a place where there should be a strong case for giving leaders a longer mandate to see through their programs.
Why is it then that we have our so-called leaders in office for 5 long years? My former idiot of an MP served two terms meaning that we have had no leader in our constituency for 10 LONG YEARS!!!
I propose that we push the legislators in the grand coalition to cut down the life of parliament from 5 years to 4 years ONLY. Whatever they cannot do in 4 years, they will hardly be expected to do in 5 years.
Let us have elections once every 4 years (if it was up to me I would even go for 3 years until some people get it into their minds that elections are not there to be stolen or to use cash to manipulate). Besides Mayors are elected every 2 and half years, are they not?
It is my conviction that this simple change will have a huge impact on the affairs of our country and the way things are managed.
Secondly it is the view of many Kenyans that the cabinet should not have more than 20 ministers. That is 10 from ODM and 10 from PNU. And since we have insisted on having two deputy prime ministers, they should be included within that figure of 20.
My fellow Kenyans it is time to get down to work, let's see how selfless these political heroes of ours really are. This is the first test. If they pass these two suggestions quickly, and without debate, I will be the first to apologize here for misjudging them.
P.S. A 4 year term should take effect immediately so that assuming that President Kibaki serves a full term, it will expire in 2011 and therefore there should be a general election that year.
The main thrust of your short term argument I would assume is that Kenyans will appraise their MP's more regularly, but there is nothing to say they just won't be doing the same shoddy appraissal job that has been done under the 5 year term.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's so much to do with the length of the term, but more to do with the quality delivered within the term regardless of its length. If an MP delivers 3 crap 4 year terms (12years) or 2 crap 5 year terms (10 years) that is little consolation.
I think the electorate has woken up (up to a degree obviously) and this is of more importance than the regularity of the election cycle. (full awakening of the electorate is critical)
In fact I favour the five year term because:
-I don't want the country coming to a standstill every four years, five years is bad enough.
-The cost of elections is huge and a 4 year term just means more expenditure. Worth it??
-I'm inclined to think a reasonable time should be given to a representative to deliver or commit political suicide. Five years seems reasonable.
Bottom line - I think 4/5 years is neither here nor there. The electorate must fully awaken and critically approaise their representatives.
I agree with you on the Ministries, but it sounds like we will get an increase to 36.
And ODM are very much playing ball on this.
Well I believe soon enough we will be able to judge the objectivity or lack thereof of the KUMEKUCHA Brigade.
With the fat checks that they take home every month, they are not about to cut short the life term of parliament. You can propose that motion once you get into parliament but I bet the rest of the MPS will shoot it down easily. If you try to tell them to "trim" their monthly checks, then u know that will not work either. Infact I have a strong feeling that they will somehow increase their allowances b4 their term ends and then they will ask for a good "retirement benefit package". Chris please tell me that u were just dreaming ?
ReplyDeleteHaving so many ministries is so last century and against the change we've been dreaming about. There were some disturbing reports that ODM was pushing for formation of more ministries, some of them rather strange. The ODM has since denied these reports. But if that is the case I'd be terribly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteProperly legislated, we can have as few as 18 ministries or less. That would mean that ministry official work as hard as other Kenyans.