Kibaki Drafts Legacy in Historic Interview

Breaking News: Headed to the Hague, the names that will NOT miss Ocampo's list

He faced the scribes with alloyed intellect oozing from both lips. Outlining his singular determination to lead the war on terror to keep Kenya safe, Kibaki has just inked his legacy with golden letters. Kenyans couldn't have asked for more after HE Kibaki promised to do all in his EXECUTIVE powers to secure a new constitution after a 20-years' struggle.

President Kibaki won’t have chosen an opportune time to emphatically answer his critics who have pilloried his presidency as lacking in both charisma and leadership. First he disabused his interviewer with his unequivocal support for the draft constitution. And having stolen the wind from his detractors’ sails Kibaki took centre stage with his best wits ever this millennium.

Never try to belittle an LSE graduate must be the message his interview took home. Straight to the point, Kibaki debunked the street rumour about his EMOTIONAL PLURALITY. And Lucy couldn’t have been happier with his darling hubby. Woe unto Mary Wambui with all her deceptive gimmicks to associate with the first family.

Forget about the fraudulent Synovate poll paid by those who always lead it. You must be numerically illiterate to believe the lie that HE Kibaki trails the loudmouthed PM. What is more, true Kenyans know who exclusively wields power in Kenyan.

The eight-year wait for an exhaustive interview was all worth it. Kibaki was at it best articulating the vision and legacy he wants to bequeath Kenya. He not only talked big, he acted large too. By choosing to talk to foreign press, HE must have borrowed a leaf from Tanzania’s ex-president Mkapa in shunning local parochial journalists. And the difference in focus and depth was all there for all to see.

Kibaki has smartly ushered his twilight presidency by leading by example and from in front. The CEO has shown he is an effective manager of Kenya plc. His candid interview has set the bar so hire so much so that the other pretenders to opinion poll premiership are left scratching the surface. All kudos must go to the intellectually astute president.

The Kibakis Lead by Example and from Infront

Speak of austerity and being sensitive to the prevailing tough economic times and President Kibaki together with the First Lady are miles ahead of the pack. They have JOINTLY rejected the 8 vehicles driven into State House lawns by government officials without consulting them.

Kibaki is walking the talk and disabusing all the doubting Thomases who have been deriding him that he as lost his hitherto cutting edge. By delivering the Sh 50 million-worth limos, the officials must have been reading from the old sycophantic script of wanting to please the king while milking kickbacks from the dealers with inflated quotations. But alas, shrewd economists Kibaki know when to call their bluff.

And whoever thought that Lucy only makes headlines for all the wrong reasons must be boiling in shame. The First family is united in showing Kenyans good manners and living responsibly. State House is in no need of luxuries beyond the present superlative class.

What is more, Mr J.K. Mutua, State House's chief financial officer has been fired. After him the other big schemers who purchased the vehicles must be smarting from eggs plastering their faces. They better shop elsewhere to meet their fanciful financial obligations which they had budged for using kickbacks from the deal.

It is insulting to the institution of the presidency to be bought such average class of vehicles. A country's CEO and his dear wife deserves better. Mutua and company must have been prepared to pay the ultimate painful price and surely they did.



But wait a minute. The President may not be done with these scoundrels yet. He may as well just fire them or worse still call in the tried and tested dragon slayer Aaron Ringera. Otherwise the superlative PR from the PPS would amount to naught.

And while at it our selfish ministers must either follow the boss of pack their bags. But I guess they have been fantastic students so far after seeing the tiff with their PSs on parastatal appointments. After the President overruled KAA in re-appointing Muhoho, Ministers Sambili, Balala, Nyong’o and Ntimama have all done the boss proud.

Less foul mood
It is such token gestures from the President in leading from the top and by example that separates him from the other pretenders populating our borders. Don’t be surprised to see the DPM relinquishing thousands of acres of land in the footsteps of the President. In no time IDPs will be missing in our political appendix.

Cheap minds may reduce Kibaki’s resolve to playing to the gallery but why not if the auditorium if full? Thank God for LESS FOUL moods.

Uhuru’s Star Performer with Majimbo Budget

Uhuru’s delivery of his debut budget speech was marvelous. Short on jargon and long on freebies to everybody from alcohol to mitumba dealers. And his fellow MPs aptly rewarded him with thunderous applause. Jomo Junior’s delivery was superb and betrayed the hitherto so-called professions before him.

But there ends the party. Those old enough to have had their ears assaulted before with tough empty talk by Kenyan politicians know better. With all eyes on 2012, UK knew even better. With his populist constituency conditional stimulus plan, he hoped to bag allies in advance, delivery notwithstanding.

The majimbo budget was cleverly crafted to soothe national egos. Nyachae played to a full gallery before with his austerity measures that never took flight from his lips.

All the talk about localized package to pay for construction of roads, building fresh produce markets and fishponds and also enable a number of Kenyans living in far-flung areas access quality education is sweet music. Experience will drain you on any trace of optimism in walking the talk. Not being an alarmist nor a doomsayer but reality is never pleasant.

Colourful mirage
With no institutional reforms, all the good promises will only be selfishly implemented to serve partisan interests. Ask any government insider and s/he tell you that the so-called freeze on civil service recruitment only exists on paper. Finance and Education ministries are constantly hiring the RIGHT people. No prizes for guessing the fate of Sh1.3 billion set aside for teacher recruitment albeit with some token exceptions to create a false impression of objectivity.

All the buzz about devolved budget is great. But don’t be fooled. With no firm institutions to monitor implementation, the smart looters are simply creating disguised avenues to milk us dry. The fine print will lead you to modernized faceless Anglo Leasing-like schemes.

So UK scored highly on delivery. But only the mentally timid can start ululating hoping for commensurate action. Well, mirages keep caravans hopeful amidst sand dunes and scorching heat.

For those in search of evangelist missions, it never hurts to occasionally have your ego boosted oblivious of the painful disappointment thereafter. Welcome to Kenyan political theatre of scoundrels.