THE POLITICS OF REFERENDUM!

We love politics! And if we do not, then most of our politicians do! The political air is frenzy with calls for a referendum, and being the nation that has a thing for politics, we are all talking referendum! The Opposition coalition, Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) has already hit the road to collect the 5 million signatures that will bring the referendum push closer to fruition. CORD has branded its push as the Okoa Kenya! Two other factions have already mooted their referendum calls; Members of County Assemblies have their Huduma Mashinani while the governors have fronted the Pesa Mashinani call! Now, these are three faction have all fronted very emotive calls for referendum! Let us not rubbish away this referendum talk, but let us also rationally examine it with clear minds not clouded by the love for cheap politics.

CORD have tabled insecurity, disbandment and a fresh composition of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), tribalism and nepotism in the civil service and an increase of the money to the counties among others as the reasons for their referendum push. The governors under the Governor’s Council have stood their ground that they need to push for more funds to their county governments’ kit while the MCA’s have dubbed theirs the Huduma Mashinani initiative, revolving around the money issue; that without financial backing, devolution is a doomed initiative. But do they really mean it, already knowing that the JUBILEE government has supported devolution? Do they need increased funding in order to plunder it more and fill their tummies and purses? Are they honest and want to use these funds to improve the services to the ordinary Kenyans, who so much need these resources? Am not a pessimist who doubts devolution, No. Devolution is possible and Machakos County is already showing the way, but calls for increased funding must be rationally examined and interrogated, with clear minds free from the political emotions!

On the other side, yes as nation we are faced with the insecurity nightmare, both from within and without our borders, government appointments have always been inclined on the tribal and ethnic agenda throughout successive regimes, our counties need more money in order to deliver the much needed services to all Kenyans and devolution needs to be vigorously supported by the central government, headed by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.

But are we too examining those who are pushing for the referendum? Are we just ignorantly giving in to their talk without being rational and reflective in our minds? Let us not forget that during the Grand Coalition government of which all the three CORD luminaries were in top offices; Prime Minister, a vice president and the minister for Foreign Affairs, tribalism, corruption and other ills dominated the air. They are not unique problems that have come with the JUBILEE government, but have been perpetuated throughout the successive regimes, except for insecurity that has plummeted to levels not witnessed before. Again, my crystal ball tells me that had CORD been the ruling coalition now instead of JUBILEE, much of these issues could not be as pronounced as they are now! 

In the ensuing political heat for a referendum by CORD, governors then came together to push for an increment of funds to their government kitties.  But have they been accountable to the last coin as they should have been? No, they have not. We all know how much money was wasted as the governors went on a spending spree, to acquire fuel-guzzlers, build state of the art offices and luxuriant residential mansions and put their MCA’s on overseas trips, under the guise of learning expeditions on how to move the wheels of devolution! Yet, when the Bonny Khalwale-led County Public Accounts and Investment in The Senate invited them to account for their spending by their County governments and iron out some matters to do with the expenditure, several refused to come.  Days later, they coalesced and in a way of hitting back at the Senate, our governors hid behind a veil for more money to their governments and are all singing a referendum tune! But how moral is it, how fair is it that you ask for more money to your purse, yet when you are summoned to account, you plainly refuse and as a typical politician, you go gaga that some people are after devolution, with their swords ready to kill it? Our MCA’s joined the mix and we all know that they have been fighting for car grants and the hilarious compensation to their spouses due to the damages of loneliness among other personal and selfish demands. We have devolved the big man syndrome, corruption, nepotism, ethnicity, misappropriation of funds and other ills to our counties!

Truth be told, we have issues that are facing our nation and our devolution agenda. However, it is unfortunate to see the reality that CORD, Governors and Members of County Assemblies have all hijacked these issues and are fronting their personal and selfish interests and sadly rallying the long suffering Kenyans to the battle-front. Some are fighting political oblivion and staying relevant as the 2017 General elections edge closer, while others are fronting personal and selfish interests. Remember that as much as we cannot say, some people have seen the new opportunities to plunder and enrich themselves courtesy of the funds in the counties. In this referendum talk, CORD, Governors and MCA’s stand to reap big, but Kenyans will gain little if any. Cheap politics have always slowed the development agenda for this nation, and sadly we are poor students of history!

In the meanwhile, let us all come together, forget political and ethnic afflictions for a minute and rationally reason and debate on how to sole the nightmares facing our nation and devolution too. Let us make good use of the constitution that we voted in and promulgated on August 27^th 2010.