After a 10-
year stint in office that will be best remembered for the new constitution,
primary education made available to every Kenyan child and improvements in
infrastructure, particularly the Nairobi -Thika Superhighway, President Kibaki
is finally seeing over his 10-year stay at the house on the hill; he is
retiring. As usual the political scene is abuzz with activity as politicians
jostle over will take over the reins, at State House. If the date set by the
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is anything to go by, we will
have the general elections in March 2012. However, we may still have them late
this year, if efforts by a section of politicians to have the elections in
December, succeed. Either way, we are sure to have a new tenant occupying the
house on the hill, by mid next year.
All parties
are in a rush to put their houses in order, and conform to the Political
Parties Act, or risk being thrown out; a first in the politics of the land.
Aspiring presidential candidates are also keen on securing the right vehicle
that will successfully take them to State House. Political parties are
rebranding and changing party names and logos, among others. New alliances are
coming up as politicians jump ship from one party to the other. Long time
political friends are breaking up and going separate ways and politically sworn
rivals are joining hands, akin to the saying that there are neither permanent
friends nor enemies in politics, but only permanent interests. The Kenyan
politics are truly living every word of this adage. New promises and pledges are
being made to the Kenyan voter, all in the name of winning votes. But can these men and women, the current waheshimiwas bring the much needed
change and reforms that they so easily promise? Most likely, they cannot.
These
politicians have literally thrown into the bin, scandals that have almost
brought- down the public coffers of this land. Governments come and go, but none
has really solved this, in any case, new scandals have emerged. What happened
to the Goldenberg and the Anglo-leasing scandals? Nothing was done. To rub salt
onto the wound, we have only managed to get more scandals, as though it is
something to be proud of. The Kazi Kwa Vijana saga, the Grand- Regency, the
maize scandal, the Free Primary Education funds are some of the most recent
scandals, to have rocked the country, and most important, stolen from the
tax-payer, once again. The very politicians, who shifted blame over these,
denied responsibility and continued sitting pretty in their offices, as though
nothing happened. On the other end, it was agony and anguish as ordinary
Kenyans, saw their money literally drink water. Is this the same crop of politicians
who we will vote into office, deceiving ourselves that they will bring this
much needed change? They cannot do it.
Corruption
has become a national sport, which almost everyone is willing to play. How
funny! Corruption in government offices, coupled with negative ethnicity and
tribalism are the order of the day. All these are happening right under the
watch of these politicians, and yet nothing is being done about it. As a
country, we are used to politicians playing to the public gallery, whenever a scandal
is unearthed. They trade accusations at public rallies, even reverting to
tribal and ethnic cocoons, and create the impression that their communities are
being witch- hunted. Sadly, Kenyans buy this and the whole issue just becomes
one endless circus. Our politicians and Kenyans alike, in their multitudes must
stop following this cheap talk by the politicians.
For Kenya to
change and become that Canaan that we all dream of, the political class must
reinvent itself and walk the talk. Otherwise, we will keep on voting the same
old politicians into office, retain the same old mentality and political
styles, and deliver nothing. At the end of the five years, the same politicians
will camouflage and rename their parties, change party logos and make new pledges
and worse still, deliver nothing. Talk of the Kenyan voter being a frustrated
man and woman, heartbreaks and anguish being the order of the day.
The snake
might have shed its skin, but it remains the very dangerous snake………
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