Just How Broke Is The Kenyan Government?

When this crisis was just beginning and long before Kenyans and the international community knew who Mwai Kibaki really was, we tried to predict the outcome of this mess with a friend and we both agreed that the deadlock would not be broken by war or anything else.

It would all hinge on money.




If the Kibaki administration managed to keep the money flowing in and the bills paid, then it was going to be a long, long fight.

What we did not agree on with my friend (who is a financial expert and understands Kenya well) was just how vulnerable the Kenyan economy was. In his view it was going to take a lot to bring the folks at the Treasury down to their knees. He emphasized to me that the Kenyan economy was NOT the Zimbabwean economy. If truth be told, he has mostly been right. However a number of extraordinary factors have quickly combined to completely change the scenario.

Despite Finance Minister Amos Kimunya’s brave face and cocky statements to the effect that the economy would hardly be scathed even after the devastating post-election violence that has swept across the country, the reality is different.

We are not all financial experts so let’s keep this simple.

Imagine that Kenya is an individual who receives money but has numerous bills to pay. Survival hinges on receiving enough money to be able to pay their bills on time. Before we start looking at where the money is coming from it is important to note that this chap called Kenya hardly saves any money and in recent times has been a huge spender. That combination can be deadly.

Read more

Reaping Fruits of Political Dishonesty

The genesis of all head and no light at the PNU-ODM mediation talks can be squared traced to our past that is replete with political dishonesty. No deal will be binding unless it is felt watertight, structured and documented in front of the whole world.

Our Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai saw it coming long time ago. Politicians all over the world make deals to survive. But trashing all your agreements once in power is the height of costly expediency. Now we are all roped in this ugly journey to political abyss.

Proclaiming sanctity to Kenya’s tattered constitution is to continue the destructive bumpy ride along the deceptive path. You cannot partially acknowledge a crisis and premise your pledge to resolve it on the same empty edifice you abused to cause the crisis in the first place. There are no half measures here and time is of essence too. Human patience is no elastic and Kenyans are threatening to snap soon.

You can't rule unwilling people
You cannot fool a country and the world all the time. Kibaki’s buying of time will be very costly to all Kenyans in the long run. In the minds of his handlers he has succeeded in weathering the global pressure and can now revert to old and time tested Kenyan gimmicks of grandstanding and brinkmanship.

Tomorrow AU boss Jean Ping is coming to town. You see, the world is not giving up on Kenya. Not just yet. Collaterally we must not abuse nor betray their efforts by trivializing their concern as patronage. Our immediate neighbours have left us to stew in our own oil thanks to our cheap brand of capitalism doled in primitive material accumulation.

You CANNOT rule an unwilling population. Not not in the 21st Century, never. Kibaki must move in haste to politically resolve the present crisis. Failing which even him he will not be spared the resulting devastation. Time is running out and Kenyans’ patience is no rubber band. We cannot lose our beautiful country to a bunch of old tribalists. The inhent class war is only secondary.

The embers are menacing glancing at the Kenyan fabric. The inferno is eminent and it is not a matter of IF but WHEN to implode. We want our country back NOW. And that is no just a wish. It is a right for which more than 1000 Kenyans have already lost their lives for. Enough is enough. No more red herrings and splitting of hairs please.