Kenya's political future still gloomy
March 8th, 2009
By Harrison Mwirigi Ikunda, Nairobi
Recent audits and expressions by various sector leaders have cast doubt on the political stability of Kenya. Though as expected a cross-section of political leadership has been dismissive, these are matters not to be taken lightly or least ignored. Our politicians common behavior is bereft of vision.
Our country Kenya seems to be ever revolving in circles and circus. And I must strongly state that the problem in Kenya has nothing to do with Kenyans as a people but the kind of politics and leadership that Kenya has have held since time immemorial – pre-colonialism. The point is as much as so much has changed over time since independence and again since the 90’s the dynamics in place are not pushing the country progressively. The simple reason – leadership to the promised land is lacking.
Agenda 4 in the National accord signed in 2007 is quite clear that unless salient weaknesses inherent in our governance are addressed our 2007 December cum January 2008 political risks are still staring at us. But you can bet on Kenya. These issues will drag on and on until the eleventh hour. At that moment everyone will be rushing to attain power or preserve his or her position in the political spectrum. In essence at the rate we are operating 2012 if that is the year precisely for our next general election, does not look promising for our political future and the good of posterity.
Five things underlie this . It looks uncertain that we will have a broadly accepted constitution by then. It is very likely the current one which need revamp will still be in place. Secondly, it is very lucrative for aspiring presidential material and their cronies to sustain the current constitution dispensation – changing it is just but a nuisance that should be avoided. Thirdly it ;looks unlikely that by then we would have addressed the risky national strata of land and settlement and in other words the grudges on land will be in place and the issue of IDPS not sufficiently addressed. Fourthly poverty levels as they are now will still be very high. That the economic prospects will remains curtailed by un-focused political drivers so to say that our economy will remain confused! Fifth the leading political and economic class have so much they want to preserve and gain that the competition is likely to grow uglier as already is being seen.
That the public is in foul mood and apathetic as the prospects of the country should not come as a surprise. Nobody expects magic from the country as was in 2003.Hope has quickly dissipated and the current spate of corruption, financial indiscipline and lawlessness among segment of the society is just a symptom of the prevailing ailing national psyche. Without being pretentious nobody expects the grand coalition to deliver any more. Yet at the same time we are all keen that this coalition needs to survive at least for some reasonable period – hopefully full term. That this coalition prevented a grand catastrophe is in no doubt. What is doubtful is whether it will deliver anything tangible. On another note without the coalition after the fiasco that was 2007 presidential election, Kenya would have been another failed familiar African story.
So what is quite salient. First governance and government institutions need urgent revamp. That tribalism has heightened contrary to pretence, is creating a lot of uncertainties on the survival of the nation. Secondly that we expect the youth and young people to deliver the country to Canaan is the greatest fallacy of all times. One just need to look at how the youthful parliamentarians some of whom looked promising have fared. Thirdly that the growing youth pool of Kenyan who are increasingly getting afflicted to unemployment and not so rewarding jobs is a ticking time bomb. If this is not given serious thought and redress then this nation can easily go asunder. Fourthly that there exist a mistrust in the running and performance of crucial institutions like the judiciary, the electoral commission and the police portends danger. Fifth, unless the current state of affairs are given a n immediate rejig then we are in the wrong train.
To conclude something needs to be done today and not tomorrow or in future. This country is too important to be let to slid to the familiar territory of African and third world state of failures. And a strong warning is that this circus of corruption, ineptness and servitude cannot be left to carry on. If let to continue we can just forget about 2012, otherwise the circumstances will be too risky, as the possibility of flawed or un-accepted electoral results are very high and consequences just too hard to fathom.
Could we please start immdediately by revamping our constitution and governing institutions in as much as it is clear that the leading politicians and their cronies are not interested?. The various government institutions, departments and agencies need an urgent revamp. I also strongly believe we have the ability to revive and grow a prosperous economy. And we need to put an halt to corruption and tribalism quiet urgently! Unemployment is a time bomb ready to deliver more criminals and foot soldiers ready to disseminate our dear country. It is simply un-acceptable!
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