OLD HABITS DIE HARD POLITICALLY

Monday, 26^th March. Two major events, which caught the attention of the Kenyan nation were officially made known to the public.

 The first was the discovery of oil in one the most marginalised areas of this country, by Tullow Oil Plc, a British oil mining firm in KodeKode Village, Turkana East District. This must be sweet news to the residents of Turkana, who have had to endure tough times. Long spells of droughts and famine, hard living conditions, banditry and cattle rustling are some of the impediments that have held- back the development of this region. Thus, the discovery of black gold is sure to jump- start the long road to social, economic and political redemption. However, this will only happen if this invaluable natural resource is managed prudently. Anything short of these will only perpetrate the curse of oil in Africa; where people continue to wallow in abject poverty, despite the presence of oil. In most cases, disputes over oil have sparked off deadly conflicts between North and South Sudan, clashes in the oil-rich Niger Delta of Nigeria, among other places. In most of these areas, bloodbath, tears and agony have replaced the joy that accompanies the discovery of oil. God forbid that this does not happen in Turkana.

The other event is what must have gripped the nation’s attention; the cabinet reshuffle that was done by President Kibaki and the Prime Minister, Raila Odinga. It came at the backdrop of a heated debate on the ICC prosecution of the four suspects; Deputy Prime Ministerand Mp for Gatundu South, Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North Mp, William Ruto, former Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, Ambassador Francis Muthaura and Kass Fm presenter, Joshua rap Sang. In the midst of polarised public discourse on the impending prosecution of two of the presidential hopefuls, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, former Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs minister, Mutula Kilonzo is one man who was a thorn in the flesh of the G7 Alliance. At one time, leaders of this alliance almost kicked out Vice- President Kalonzo Musyoka, over the minister’s uncompromising stand on this issue. Thus, it came as no surprise when Mutula moved to the Education docket. His place at the Justice ministry taken over by Saboti Mp, Eugene Wamalwa, who is a key ally of the Uhuru- Ruto- Kalonzo led alliance.

The fact that Mutula’s tenure at this ministry was one of the most successful is in no doubt. He fearlessly came out to give stands that rubbed shoulders the wrong way, especially with regard to the prosecution of the two presidential hopefuls at The Hague. His tough uncompromising stands never augured well with the G7 Alliance. His apparent demotion to the Education docket must get the entire nation thinking hard. Politics of the past era when ministerial positions were dished out as rewards for political sycophancy and loyalty must be playing their way back to the current political era, the new constitution notwithstanding. The other changes within the PNU camp include the fresh appointment of Kigumo MP, Jamleck Kamau to the Nairobi Metropolitan docket, and Prof Sam Ongeri’s promotion to the Foreign Affairs ministry. Both are key supporters of the G7 Alliance. The newly appointed minister for Nairobi Metropolitan is a key supporter of Uhuru Kenyatta’s ambitions to succeed President Kibaki, at State House, next year. Prof Ongeri’s promotion despite the Sh 4.6b Free Primary Education scam, must also raise eyebrows, as to what determined the demotions, appointments and promotions in the cabinet shake-up.

Mvita Mp and Minister for Tourism, Najib Balala, was sacked and his place taken over by Voi Mp, Danson Manzo, a vocal supporter of the Prime Minister. The fact that Balala’s removal comes in the wake of his open disagreements with the Premier, does not come as a surprise to many. The unwritten Kenyan rule that spells doom to anyone who ‘rebels’ against his or her party boss, his resurfacing again, akin to William Ruto’s words that some parties are idols that must be adored, failure to which the consequences are hard-hitting.

Whoever said that old habits die-hard must have had the Kenyan politicians in mind?  Political ways discovered and perfected by the Moi regime still rule the Kenyan political landscape. Positions are dished out or denied, based on the political motives and interests, rather than development oriented and competence. We might have ushered in a new constitutional dispensation, but our old political habits are still tightly clutched in our hands. In any case, the current politicians are products of the Moi regime.

Old habits wil always die-hard and the Kenyan politics is no different. You might have a different way of looking into these. These are just the views of a concerned patriot of this great nation.

ORDINARY KENYAN HAS NOWHERE TO RUN TO

The political and religious set-ups of any country are key to determining its success or failure, in its collective endeavor to match up to the best. Sadly, these two are what is driving innocent, ordinary and problem- laden Kenyans to their early grave. Kenyan politicians and men of the cloth have seemingly joined forces to wreck havoc on Kenyans.

The Kenyan political class has continued to disappoint, year after year. A rare graffiti on The City Market wall facing the Muindi Mbingu Street, in Nairobi’s Central Business District bares it all. The politician, depicted as a vulture, displays the reminiscences of a greedy politician, seated at Parliament Buildings, a man who hoodwinked Kenyans into voting him into the lavish position that he uses to impoverish the same electorate. The politician says that he is a tribal leader, for whom Kenyans loot, rape, burn and kill in his defense while he steals their taxes and grab their land. Bad politics has been the root cause of chronic poverty and unemployment as the epic struggles and conditions of a country’s marginalized and impoverished become all too common. Narrow- minded politicians, driven by their own selfish interests have continued to hoodwink a desperate electorate into voting them into plum posts which they manipulate to enrich themselves at the expense of an impoverished Kenyan.

Broken promises, unfulfilled pledges and a host of other disappointments characterize our political spectrum. Our shameless politicians have always had a way to get votes from poor Kenyans. A political elite that stays out of touch with the very people who elected them to office, comes back to the electorate as we gear towards the election period. They always find a way of mustering the votes to put them in office for the next five years, to loot public coffers and enrich themselves. Whenever they get caught in mucky waters, such as charges of instigating violence, corruption, abuse of office among other malpractices, they revert to tribal and ethnic cocoons to rally support from an ignorant people. The our people are being victimized syndrome comes into play. Politicians steal from the very people that they use to defend themselves against these accusations. Unresolved scandals, politically instigated violence, corruption, abuse of power and looting of public coffers among other heinous crimes, have sadly not taught the Kenyan electorate a lesson.  We vote in the same leaders who orchestrate the woes that push us into desperation. All these push us to seek solace in the only remaining refuge, the holy word of God.

The Holy word should give compassion and comfort us in the midst of our problems and daunting challenges that afflict us. This means that those who evangelize must always follow the example that the Son of God set: giving hope to the hopeless, comforting those in tears and helping the helpless, among many others. However, the opposite is what those entrusted with administering the word of God do. Men of the cloth are performing many miracles and at a faster rate, than how Jesus Christ himself him.  The sight of miracles has endeared them to unsuspecting Kenyans. Sadly, they have become the cause of tears that flow down the cheeks of innocent and poor Kenyans.

Unsuspecting women and young ladies have all fallen prey to men of the cloth, who hide behind the religious veil and end up in love affairs.  This has broken marriages and also battered the warm relationship between young ladies and their parents. Prayer gatherings in order to get husbands, heal financial and family problems are the in- thing today, all after parting with some money. Miracles to heal the sick and the physically challenged are an integral part of many evangelists. Tele-evangelism is now rife on our TV sets. It is sad to note that in our bedeviled religious set-up, faith no longer makes miracles happen, but money does the trick. The holy word of Gods has been turned into a lucrative career, where the consumer product is Jesus Christ. Gospel of prosperity has replaced the holy gospel of our heavenly father.   

Desperate times call for desperate measures and ordinary Kenyans are literally living this. The hard economic times, coupled with other family related problems have pushed them to the wall. Kenyans are becoming more and more desperate day by day, and this has made them a precariously gullible lot. The Holy word offers them the much needed respite. However, men of the cloth have turned them into a milking- cow. Prayer services are now at a fee. Prayer gatherings in order to get husbands, thrive economically, solve family troubles among others have led to masses flocking places of worship. Religious fanatism has sadly replaced genuine followership of God’s word. The results have been dire. Men of the cloth have continued to get rich as their poor and desperate clients slowly march to an early grave, families are breaking up, and young ladies are getting pregnant. All these have been orchestrated by men of the cloth who sadly exploit the desperacy by Kenyans.

Indeed, Kenyans are now losing on two fronts, the spiritual and the political fronts that have turned our country into a man- eat- man society, as Tanzania’s founding father, the late Julius Nyerere decried. As our selfish politicians economically steal from us, administrators of the word of God are robbing us both spiritually and economically.