In the relatively calm political waters that is Kenya these days, Prime Minister Raila Odinga kicked off the storm by saying in a thinly veiled barb aimed at his political rival Kalonzo Musyoka that politicians should concentrate on service delivery to the electorate rather than in campaigns for 2012.
Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka replied quickly trying to deflect the barb by saying that he too thought it was a bad idea to campaign now for 2012 when the electorate were waiting for service delivery. The VP licked his lips as he usually does and said nothing but repeat what the Prime Minister said (some strategy). But this was the comedy of the absurd because the truth is that the Vice President has been campaigning hard for 2012.
But the most interesting and brave comment on the issue came from Justice Minister Martha Karua (that woman has balls I tell you). She declared that she was well able to work for the people and at the same time continue with her presidential campaign for 2012. She emphasized that those complaining were running scared concerning her presidential bid but that would not stop her (and her so-called unstoppable march)..
Gacoka MP Mutava Musyimi jumped into the fray and said that it was very wrong for politicians to start campaigning for 2012 when they were yet to fulfill the current mandate given to them by the electorate. The reverend implied that it was bordering on the immoral to do such a detestable thing.
In the midst of all this, too many of the usual loud mouths were silent. And their silence is deafening. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let us first examine this issue of campaigns for 2012.
The truth of the matter is that as much as I admire Martha Karua, I am a little surprised that she has not stopped to ask herself why she is dancing herself lame on an almost empty dance floor. Why is it that the dance floor seems to be so empty? Apart from the man at the corner there licking his lips as he talks unconvincing sweet nothings, as usual (the honorable VP who is the least popular presidential candidate to have ever contested the presidency from Ukambani ever since the late Paul Ngei made his attempt in the 1960s with his Akamba People’s Party) the floor is empty.
For somebody contesting the highest office in the land, Martha whom I greatly admire for her courage and achievements as a woman however seems to have very little “feel” for the true mood in the country. Kenyans are not only not interested in these presidential campaigns that are said to have started, but they are disgusted and fed up with the political class as a whole.
The reason why the dance floor is empty is because most in the 10th parliament have correctly read the mood of the people and have opted for silence because they haven’t the slightest clue what they are supposed to do.
Kenya has changed forever and mark my words, the leading faces in the next general elections will barely be recognizable.
It really is very simple and my apologies for repeating this illustration in dozens of posts in this blog but I am afraid I can hardly find a better analogy to illustrate exactly what is going on here.
Think of the dog in the village that is so cowardly that when you cough it jumps. Then after years of abuse one day some not-so-clever guy corners it in some wall where it has nowhere to run. Suddenly the poor dog sees red and all the years of abuse and stones that have pelted it from every little boy in the village who has learnt to throw stones flashes across its’ mind. Suddenly that dog becomes very dangerous and the man who has cornered it cannot believe his eyes and is torn to pieces.
That cowardly dog that has reached its’ end is the Kenyan voter. Prepare to see the political class being torn into pieces, including all the big names some Kenyans like to worship.
So whoever wants to campaign for 2012 is very welcome to do so, at least some of them will be able to tell their grandchildren one day that they actually campaigned for the presidency in 2012. But I bet you that they will not want to discuss the number of votes they ended up getting.
Affordable packaging machines (hand sealers and foot sealers) to help you launch your small business.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
IDPs Revisited: Paved Road to Self-Destruction
That the absence of war does not necessarily mean peace has never been truer for Kenya. After staring apocalypse in the face following the bungled elections, all we have to our credit is making false impressions of motion without any trace of commensurate movements.
At our element best we settled for political expediency in superficial and cosmetic political theatrics cobbled as selfish power sharing while conveniently glossing over the fundamentals under agenda four.
Look around you and what do you see? The IDPs continue to transform themselves into permanent refugee status within their own country. Meanwhile the very leaders who are the cause and source of their Kenya horrid predicament have their eyes singularly trained on the next political trophy which is another 2000 days away. Unwittingly cheering these scoundrels on are the Kenyan Diaspora with the MOVE ON mantra as our kin and kiths continue to starve in IDP camps. But again, who cares venturing in stale non-industrious ventures anyway?
Not only have we exported our village stereotypes abroad but we even continue to give it an abstract sheen albeit packaged as objective road map. Meanwhile the tribal chiefs continue to milk dry our motherland auctioning any prized jewel within her borders.
The gimmick of power sharing is not worth the paper it is written on. A closer look will disabuse any pretence of break from fraudulent schemes to feather the ruling elite’s nests at our collective peril. The facade of Kenyan being at peace is surely the lull before the ultimate storm. In our penchant to bandage festering national wounds we prefer to gloat over smokescreens of progress in our shameless antic to continue digging while stuck in the deep hole. Soon and very soon, we have nobody but ourselves to blame when the balloon of deception is finally pierced by reality.
Peddling tribal hemlock
Just like Moi used to believe that a country prospered on mere strength of PEACE, LOVE and UNITY empty slogans, we continue to be led by people whose collective strengths are premised on vices. The GCG is nothing but a product of international pressure and no Kenyan politician can take any credit for it as evident in no efforts to own it towards it. We are back to old and dirty political games of scheming and nobody is taking lessons from the near-Armageddon to build sustainable structures for that contribute to national peace.
Almost 10 months down the road, the IDPs have been relegated to footnotes of our national conscience as the political plots thicken with alliances and pseudo alliances. Every corner of Kenya is teaming with non-reversing 2012 presidential convoys emitting fake miracles in their wake.
How I wish these scoundrels would devote half the energy and the same passion fighting our national basics of poverty and harmony. But that is a wish with wheels to ride on in Kenya. Instead the reality remains serial and shameless peddling of tribal hemlock. Surely, we must be condemned to the curse of living a collective national lie.
At our element best we settled for political expediency in superficial and cosmetic political theatrics cobbled as selfish power sharing while conveniently glossing over the fundamentals under agenda four.
Look around you and what do you see? The IDPs continue to transform themselves into permanent refugee status within their own country. Meanwhile the very leaders who are the cause and source of their Kenya horrid predicament have their eyes singularly trained on the next political trophy which is another 2000 days away. Unwittingly cheering these scoundrels on are the Kenyan Diaspora with the MOVE ON mantra as our kin and kiths continue to starve in IDP camps. But again, who cares venturing in stale non-industrious ventures anyway?
Not only have we exported our village stereotypes abroad but we even continue to give it an abstract sheen albeit packaged as objective road map. Meanwhile the tribal chiefs continue to milk dry our motherland auctioning any prized jewel within her borders.
The gimmick of power sharing is not worth the paper it is written on. A closer look will disabuse any pretence of break from fraudulent schemes to feather the ruling elite’s nests at our collective peril. The facade of Kenyan being at peace is surely the lull before the ultimate storm. In our penchant to bandage festering national wounds we prefer to gloat over smokescreens of progress in our shameless antic to continue digging while stuck in the deep hole. Soon and very soon, we have nobody but ourselves to blame when the balloon of deception is finally pierced by reality.
Peddling tribal hemlock
Just like Moi used to believe that a country prospered on mere strength of PEACE, LOVE and UNITY empty slogans, we continue to be led by people whose collective strengths are premised on vices. The GCG is nothing but a product of international pressure and no Kenyan politician can take any credit for it as evident in no efforts to own it towards it. We are back to old and dirty political games of scheming and nobody is taking lessons from the near-Armageddon to build sustainable structures for that contribute to national peace.
Almost 10 months down the road, the IDPs have been relegated to footnotes of our national conscience as the political plots thicken with alliances and pseudo alliances. Every corner of Kenya is teaming with non-reversing 2012 presidential convoys emitting fake miracles in their wake.
How I wish these scoundrels would devote half the energy and the same passion fighting our national basics of poverty and harmony. But that is a wish with wheels to ride on in Kenya. Instead the reality remains serial and shameless peddling of tribal hemlock. Surely, we must be condemned to the curse of living a collective national lie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)