The Raila Factor
If Raila is the danger to Kenya as some of us have been indoctrinated to believe he is, why then haven't the times he has either been out of action (as was the case when he was in jail) or politically "cornered" (as some now think he is) resulted in a Nirvana for Kenya and Kenyans?
The solution to this lies precisely in what every sober thinker here and in other fora has suggested: all-inclusive power-sharing.
Raila ain't asking for what other Kenyans wouldn't have asked for were they to be in his shoes.
I have acres of comment on this on my own blog (www.kenyananalyst.blospot.com) and the Orange site as well.
Whatever Kibaki does with his new cabinet:
1. No amount of spin is ever going to succesfully pour cold water on the significance of the Nov. 21 vote on the manifest destinity of this great country.
2. No one is going to wish away the Raila factor, at least for as long as he is alive and active in our politics.
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posted by Kenyananalyst @ 12/06/2005 04:01:00 pm
54 Comments:
all patriotic kenyans know what the likes of kalonzo and Raila are doing to save this country from endless dictatorship! and the Raila factor should thus be mentioned in the light of the good and not the bad
Raila is a schemer. He is a brilliant political operative with serious grass root support. He cannot be ignored. However, he should not be entertained either, he will not settle until he has power - one must quickly ask what he intends to do with that power as he is obsessed with it. ODM will go into 2007 elections with the upper hand, they will almost without a doubt settle for Kalonzo as the flag bearer. So Kalonzo will be elected and installed into state house, he will then refuse to make Raila the all-powerful-PM that he want's (because only a fool would do that - Even Raila wouldn't make Kalonzo a powerful PM!).
Raila true to form (you can follow his journey at www.fordKndpkanunarcodm.whatnext) will begin undermining H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka and creat friction in his cabinet. He will then start campaigning for 2012 under whatever other movement he will come up with - that unfortunately is the Raila factor!
Raila is a schemer. He is a brilliant political operative with serious grass root support. He cannot be ignored. However, he should not be entertained either, he will not settle until he has power - one must quickly ask what he intends to do with that power as he is obsessed with it. ODM will go into 2007 elections with the upper hand, they will almost without a doubt settle for Kalonzo as the flag bearer. So Kalonzo will be elected and installed into state house, he will then refuse to make Raila the all-powerful-PM that he want's (because only a fool would do that - Even Raila wouldn't make Kalonzo a powerful PM!).
Raila true to form (you can follow his journey at www.fordKndpkanunarcodm.whatnext) will begin undermining H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka and creat friction in his cabinet. He will then start campaigning for 2012 under whatever other movement he will come up with - that unfortunately is the Raila factor!
What is wrong with Raila being ambitious. Show me a politian who does not dream of one day being a minister and finally president and and I will call you a liar! Raila has for most parts of his life struggled for the good of the common man, against the dictatorial and tribal administrations of the past govts. Otherwise he would have insisted that he goes for the presidency in 2002 and not pronounce somebody else in the name of Kibaki to be the captain. He would have suggested that because the captain was on a wheelchair, they should nominate a nother captain and take advantage of it. Raila does not just betray but he is not pretentious and not a psycophant. He does not pretend and keep quiet to dictators and poor governors and if that is his undoing,then he will nominate Kalonzo and if Kalonzo condones corruption and tribalism like the Kibaki admin, then he will cause friction in the Kalonzo administration obviously and patriotic/democtraic Kenyans will always stand with him in this course. The fact that Raila moved from Ford Kenya has not made ford k better, he moved from kanu and kanu is not better without him either. It is not his journey, nor is it his party position, but what he stands for, whichever the party is, that is why he has so much grassroot support.
I honestly wish Kenyans can vote for Raila to be president in 2007 - if he has the balls to declare that it's his ambition. Very little of what Raila does has to do with his love for the common man (as will be revealed once he has his hands on his prize). But since the proof of the pudding is in the eating - by all means let's have him as our leader.
Then there will be no corruption, no tribalism, appointments will be on merit...........etc (we've dreamt it all before!).
Kibaki has made Moi look good, Raila will make Moi our Hero!
jamc,
The point is not giving Raila the presidency or the powerful PM as you think and as many anti Raila believe. The point is getting a tribalist-free Kenya and transparent and accountable government without corruption. That is what Raila has fought for the whole of his life. Whatever position he plays in the field to achieve this is immaterial. If chance has it that he achieves this when he is the captain, that would still be good enough, if he achieves this from the goalkeeper's place, it does not matter. Whether he is the president or a mandazi seller in Kibera as he said, we can only believe that he will champion our course as Kenyans since he has always done this in the past. If it were not for him, Kanu would still be ruling, without him we would be having a very bad constitution with Kibaki starting his second term now.
To me I think Raila is not the problem neither are wananchi the problem. The problem is egocentrism among the Kenyan ruling class who would want to entrench themselves in power by whatever means at the expense of the ordinary people. Appointing old and tribal cronies to senior govt positions. The costs of corruption and poor governance are songs that I dont want to repeat here. You just dont know how much of your money in the form of taxes has been used in the last three years to make some former Ministers who were bankrupt in 2002 to own palatial homes in Riverside and elsewhere, own big cars, palatial rural homes and establish formidable companies including phamacitical companies within three years. This is not just loans and hardwork. What has the President done about all these allegations?? What is the progress with Angloleasing?? It does not matter who is the president, but the institutions of corruption and tribalism must come down for us to say we have a good president.
Raila is a go getter and also a crowd puller. We all need to accept the role that he plays a politician of the people. be it bad or good, he will be on the limelight. I believe that raila has a very big role in the current politics, but also it should not look like he is indespensable, coz, i believe that every 'political time' has its own charismatic leader or the person to carry the day.
What has Raila done to the country or even to his Luo people all that time that he has had power? What does he want to do with the power that he wants so badly and which he is entitled to, being a Kenyan? Isnt it time that we required that all those that want to lead us tell us what they want to do with that power?
And incidentally, why dont Raila vie for the Presidency and make Kalonzo the all powerful Prime Minister?
"Raila" either knows how to fix it or he doesn't.If he does then he needs to be in an influential policy making position - not a mandazi seller. I use "Raila" in the same way you would use "Wanjiku" to represent anyone advocating for change of status quo. I am not opposed to Raila but it's a very hard sell to convince me that he is the country's Panacea (even as a mandazi peddler). We need a logical approach to dealing with the problems facing us as a nation - there is currently too much emotions in the atmosphere for anyone to make a clear-headed decision on the way forward. Egocentricity & tribalism are a cancer in our country. We need a central figure who can unify us and keep our "collective eye" on the ball - which is to develope the country and realise our potential which is to be the premier African Power House. We have the requisite raw material (an inspired people)!I doubt that this character is currently resident in ODM!
jamc,
In most of your mails in this site, you have concentrated on demonizing the ODM and Raila in person. You agree elsewhere that Kibaki and the group are not the alternative since in your opinion elsewhere even moi was better. Who is the political saviour of this country then if not the ODM? Remember in the last referendum at least all the 220 MPs were either in the banana or Orange camps, effectively Raila and Kibaki camps eexcept afew like Biwott. This analogy should disqualify all MPs as non-starters as far as making the lifes of Kenyans better is concerned. If it is not the ODM and it is not Kibaki, who will fix our political problems. Remember tribalism, corruption, constitution making and economic growth are all political problems in Kenya unless we divorce politics from the economy in a new constitutional order which is not in itself easy again because of politics.
Your answer???
I do not demonize ODM, I merely offer an opinion that is not common currency on the forum.I certainly do not have the benefit of blinders that some tend to don whenever ODM is mentioned. You ask a very curious question, if not ODM, then who?
My position is I need not choose them merely because there "seems" to be no other alternative. Have we exhausted all our options (if the truth be told we have not entertained the possibility of another option existing).
On the other hand,maybe ODM is the natural metamorphosis of NARC. Maybe we have really learnt from our mistakes in rushing-in with Narc.Maybe ODM is the answer to our prayer.
What I advocate is that we as the wananchi become clinical and brutal in our self analysis - ask ourselves what really ails us.After we are through with ourselves we need to subject our leaders to the same (sitting or aspiring). I sense that we are handling ODM with velvet gloves. We are cutting them slack because there is no other alternative. We are not scrutinizing them because they must be right. And in the process we are cloning NARC!
jamc, you are very right. A number of guys in ODM are suspects from the Kanu regime. Remember the way they hepled disband the Bomas conference and used to talk so arrogantly! The Banana team is no better. It has all the Kanu suspects who some of whom were listed as Goldenberg beneficiaries. But among them we know there are some who are not that tainted, though we cannot conclude that they are honest. I think among the politicians, there are others who were in KANU and crossed over and have maintained some level of consistency in championing the people's course (I have not seen inconsistency on Raila). Others are now in ODM and benefited immensly from the Kanu rip-offs. A good bunch in the Banana are just the old post-independence Kanu DCs and PCs and PSs and the like, except for a few who came in lately and got the opportunity of a rip-off since the president was not looking their side.
However much emotions are high, Kenyans still really love each other.
Kimanimungai,
just because I hold an opinion that is not common currency in the forum does not mean I am demonizing ODM. I am analyzing ODM, I am stripping ODM, I am scrutinizing ODM, I am questioning their beliefs. There is nothing wrong with that and I invite every citizen to do the same. We have been misled before, the once -beaten-twice-shy mode has taken over in me, so you will have to excuse me if I am abit sceptical about promises of a new order when all I see is a cluster of individuals driven by desire to turn tables and revenge on their colleagues for not being given ring-side tickets in the arena of power.
When, for instance, did one William Ruto get his "Saul moment" and change his ways from his previous convictions in Kanu? ODM is letting anybody in who is anti-establishment to build numbers without vetting them for genuineness (same mistake NARC made). But that is how we operate, provided you can say the government has failed to deliver, then by default you become the new messiah.
I am not saying that we have a perfect president or government - far from it. But I think it's also very cheecky not to recognise that we have made stride forward as a countryin the political & economic fields. There still remains mountains to climb in the quest of regaining our economic health, tribal health, national health and political health.The position that the current government has been a total failure is absurd and laughable. Promises were made as a means of getting us to vote for them, but some of the promises were clearly inflated and unrealisable. If by 2007 we feel that we have been taken for a ride we will analyze whatever other options exist and having satistfied ourselves with our choice we will proceed to vote them in. We need to encourage people to think outside the ODM euphoria and create an atmosphere where proponents of other options can show-case them in the run up to the 2007 election. We are behaving like ODM have all the answers when in truth we have not really looked anywhere else - we would be fools not to!
jamc, thanks for the debate. We remain friends online and countrymen.
Lots of love
Stay well kimanimungai.
@jamc
I'll say it again. Good talk, but when are we going to get actionable suggestions from you? At least Raila is not sitting around to "analyze" the ills of Kenya, he's acting. Shouldn't you emulate him, if you haven't already? The day Kenyans will stop talking and criticizing and take the initiative to chart the path we want for our country, Kenya will be the better for it. Presently, we're content with looking for scapegoats for our problems when we're part of the problem.
Wake up Kenya!!
NEEDED: A CITIZEN ONLY CABINET
Our president is going through some tough times. Problems of his own creation. The masses are mad that he betrayed their trust and plunged into Kanu's old thieving and draconian rule.
However the president has a chance to redeem himself. The recent referendum was a major setback for him. He dissolved his cabinet, and he has achance to reconnect with kenyans
He needs to come with a cabinet that is not just balancing our ethnic diversity, but one that will champion our collective aspirations
My suggestion is for him to choose his cabinet entirely from the citizenry, not parliament. They are competent kenyans who will perform and not mortgage our lives to politics.
I appeal to the President to show sensitivity and consider ethnic, socio-economic and age diversity of Kenyans, appoint men and women of integrity, not involved in scandals and corrupt practices and who support him in nation building
choose your cabinet from ordinary wanainchi....normal kenyans...we dont need politicians in these positions...depoliticise your cabinet..there are so many kenyans in civil society, the media, corporations etc who will do a very good job....and let them drive normal cars too...save money, so that you dont have to sell our wildlife to the Thais just to make an extra buck
Remember you have two more years...let your focus be economy, jobs and health care...we have so may AIDS Orphans and i dont know how we can entertain politics ever again. We cantt afford drama in a country that loses 700 people to AIDS everyday.
You dont need a kitchen cabinet anymore...read newspapers, listen to our FM stations ...that way you wouldnt have to rely on faulty intelligence from self seeking leaders and 'paper tigers'
GOOD LUCK MR PRESIDENT
http://mzalendowakenya.blogspot.com/
Mzalendo, A good idea, but does our constitution allow thepresident to appoint members of his cabinet from outside the sitting Mps? NO. Thats why Moi used to nominate people when he wanted to appoint them to the cabinet. Remember when Uhuru was given the local govt position from the Kenya Tourism Board?
These are the changes that we need in the constitution so as not to tie the cabinet with alot of politics.
Everybody and anybody who aspires for any leadership position, be it political or otherwise, is seeking power. Raila is no exception, Kibaki is no exception and any other politician, for that matter, is no exception either.
For over 40 years the current constitution placed the political leadership beyond our control. The greedy ones took the opportunity to enrich themselves corruptly. Kibaki and his immediate former kitchen cabinet is a recent example.
Our immediate problem is not the occupier of the top office, but how to check and control that person. The irony is that, we have to go through the same corrupt politicians to put together a just and fair constitution. Graduates of KANU’s forty-year miss-rule, few are wealthy but most are poor: greedy and without any firm principled stand, all of them. And truth be, told we will keep recycling and weeding them for almost a generation to come, depending on what song they sing at each election year. But those forty years of hardship have also produced a democratically maturing electorate. Kenyans have identified their top of the list priority- an all-inclusive CONSTITUTION.
Kibaki and Raila were on the side of the majority before 2002, but once he got into the office he embarked on a narrow political pathway towards a new constitution. In the process he walked right into the minority camp. The referendum evidenced it. Who knows what Raila might do should he get the power that he is seeking! But one this is for sure - he is still in the popular camp; a camp that thinks that a fair, just and inclusive constitution has not been found yet.
The popular camp does not have to be in the office for the new constitution to be realized, but with the mandate of the electorate, it can force the hands of a minority government into a negotiation for a better constitution. In my opinion, between now and 2007 election year is the best time for the negotiations. We missed the opportunity before 2002 election, we should not miss it this time around. Come 2007 let us elect the side that pushed for and gave us a better constitution. It is time we start electing, political parties and their leaders into office based not only on their promise of what they will do for us in future but also on their performances and achievements in the past.
Ralia is no factor, I once respected him as a visionary and tactiful politician, but his actions in the last couple of years have proven to me he is just a confused man with no game plan or goals. Since 2002 he has changed his party affliation several times, when ever he joins any group it splits, he is either a very diffcult man to work with or so hungary for power and will stop for nothing until he gets his prize.
We had the Oginga factor, now we have Raila factor, next we will have Kahindi factor (or whoever else steps to the plate). I think Raila should approach Kibaki and save this country (since Raila is supposed to be this all encompassing visionary). He needs to use his influence in a sober manner, humility will get him very very far. You do not hold a chap by his nether areas and tell him you are willing to negotiate - that is commonly reffered to as blackmail. The government has a mandate till 2007, after that they have NO MANDATE! Is it so hard to people to comprehend their power.
Why must we remain in a state of perpetual campaigns. Cant we settle and let the government do whatever job it has set out to do (good or bad we will judge when their term is over).
We have lost a very good opportunity to have developed the country because of siasa za kumalizana! If we made a mistake in 2002, tough! We should wait for 2007, but make sure we do not make the same mistake.
The country could initialy not move forward because of disgrantled LDP members, who even when they were in the cabinet spent their every waking hour trying to undermine the same goverment they served (and we cheered them on!). Then they were contained and had to look for another opportunity, this quickly presented it's self in the form of the referedum. So now we have a mouth-piece called ODM to vent frustrations and I can assure you no work will get done, they will see to it. But all this strikes me as very childish, opposition all over the world at least let the government of the day get on with the buisness of running the country.
Opposition all over the world at least let the government of the day get on with the buisness of running the country only if the govt is doing the right thing according to the mandate given to them by the electorate. If the govt is doing the opposite, the opposition must be in constant check. Thats why there will be snap elections in Canada early next year, in Israel also next year and as it was in Germany with Schroder going home before his term ended.
Jamc
I fully agree with you. Even us - the intelligent observers of the political situation in the country - are wasting our time writing this and writing that.... writing this ... and writing that... What a waste of time!!
Wilofwest,
And why do you continue writting yourself. Be honest with yourself. THis is what is ailing Kenya.
Kimanimungai,
If you read my comments carefully, you will realize my motivation is to diffuse the unnecessary tension that the recent political event - the referendum - seems to have generated. It is my duty as a Kenyan to ensure that my motherland is secure: I therefore refuse to engage in any unnecessary propaganda about war, so and so beating the other one, etc. That is my only HONEST motivation.
Politics is not an exact science. There needs to be constant give and take and the "ideal situation" is an oxymoron in politics. Therefore, when LDP got some cabinets seats in the government, they should sincerely have worked with that and tried to improve their position through negotiations - at that point nothing was really lost. But then Ego's came into play and suddenly it was all or nothing. This brought temparatures that were already elevated to a head! So there was talk of vote of no confidence, the government is a political animal with well developed sense of self preservation - thus a cabinet (read government) of national unity was put in place. This clearly wrong footed the LDP brigade who had to quickly regroup all the while fearing they would be fired. Then the referedum game them a new lease of life that they will now milk until it's dead under the banner of ODM.
If one looks road towards this stalemate we find ourselves, it is clear that there is nothing in it for the common man - rather the common man is used to fuel this monster. To what end? A better Kenya?(I doubt). Equitable distribution of resources? (dream on) Better governance (no there lies the biggest joke!).
Raila should be accomodated next to the President in order for him to be kept busy. Incase he is left out he will criscross the country selling his schemes and he will surely get a following. The president should look for a way to bring him aboad and if Raila fits in the campaign for 2007 will be walk over to anybody to challenge him.
Jesee it persons like you who hold Raila as a dim-god being that will always be over shadowed by his image and he is only relevant in particular luo Nyanza. Raila main opposition to the constitution is all about his support of premiership and not just any kind of such but either a parliamentary elected or presidential appointee.(ps.the latter the presidents choice is limited to the party leader with majority number).He has come to the fact that he cant gain majority votes to be a presidential elect of this country but since our MPs are easily manipulated then he can get his way in parliament.
His threat to fellow Mps on taking over cabinet post its a clear indication that he feels threatened that once ODM is broken he has no where to retreat to.
Its saddening for and his ODM juniors to think referendum was a vote of sanitify them. It waas not a public court verdict on their character and popularity but on a draft constitution.
Oh my God here we come again.. Raila. What a funny way of making one popular.. the other day I heard some kids arguing about Raila and Kibaki and because of what we say, the ones who were associating themselves with Raila had vision and support while the ones for Kibaki acted like they were sick and could not talk... Where does this leave us, how many times does the name Raila appear on the headlines as compared to the President? If I ask one to give me ten reasons why the dont like Raila they'll start.... 'he's power hungry', tell me, WHO ISNT? We would not have heard some people wailing in publick "wanataka kutunyang'any power thro backdoor" kwani power ni ya nani?
Last time the country had a reality check (Nov. 21), President Kibaki was trailing his then-Roads Minister by approx. 1 million vote in terms of popularity. The former's own men had told us this would be a contest btwn the duo. Those who are keen to demonize Raila at all costs would rather we dwelt on semantics. One need not have done POL 111 to realize the country has out-grown that, - and quite fast too!
I think the best thing that should happen to this country is for Raila to drop dead and we will see what the hell they talk about!!!!! Never any issues, always Raila Raila.
Has anyone else noticed how sensitive people get when you criticize Raila. He is potrayed as this perfect politician who can seem to do no wrong. If any wrong is done, most likely it's against him. It's perfectly alright to criticize other mere mortals, but do not dare say any negative thing about Raila. The man walks on water, he has been elevated to demi-god. So if there is to be any peace in our country we must all say nice things about Raila, Respect him, appreciate what he has done and generally give him whatever he asks for. In a phrase, worship him!
Has anyone else noticed how sensitive people get when you criticize Raila. He is potrayed as this perfect politician who can seem to do no wrong. If any wrong is done, most likely it's against him. It's perfectly alright to criticize other mere mortals, but do not dare say any negative thing about Raila. The man walks on water, he has been elevated to demi-god. So if there is to be any peace in our country we must all say nice things about Raila, Respect him, appreciate what he has done and generally give him whatever he asks for. In a phrase, worship him!
jamc, I dont think that is the issue. What I personaly insist on is that we discuss issues that have lead to the problems are facing in Kenya. Lets give credit where it is due. Critism is constructive but personal vendenda will just help to alienate a people from the rest of the country. We criticise the goverment and KIbaki by extension because he is the President and should have taken charge from day one in recognisance of the fact that he is in charge of a coalition govt and not a regional govt. You cannot heap all the mess that KIbaki has helped create on Raila. Granted, Raila has his misgivings, but the attention he is given by his critics only help to make him more popupar! Because who will believe when someone tries to use this colunm to insinuate that Raila was a mastermind of the 82 failed coup if the courts were not able to get any connection to this. Lets concentrate on issue!! This is worshipping Raila but avoiding passing the back. Let us know where the back stops. Period!
jamc, I dont think that is the issue. What I personaly insist on is that we discuss issues that have lead to the problems are facing in Kenya. Lets give credit where it is due. Critism is constructive but personal vendenda will just help to alienate a people from the rest of the country. We criticise the goverment and KIbaki by extension because he is the President and should have taken charge from day one in recognisance of the fact that he is in charge of a coalition govt and not a regional govt. You cannot heap all the mess that KIbaki has helped create on Raila. Granted, Raila has his misgivings, but the attention he is given by his critics only help to make him more popupar! Because who will believe when someone tries to use this colunm to insinuate that Raila was a mastermind of the 82 failed coup if the courts were not able to get any connection to this. Lets concentrate on issue!! This is worshipping Raila but avoiding passing the back. Let us know where the back stops. Period!
Kimanimungai,
As you may have noticed I will not join the bandwagon of people blaming Raila for 82 coup etc, those were tramped up charges that were common currency with that regime, and unfortunately kenyan's suffered including Raila. We have since made commendable strides that way to a point where the government can take a proper beating from it's employer and not result to any under-hand tactics - bravo kenya! The buck stops at Kibaki on all matters about this government - that is why we expect him to be firm and get us a coherent cabinet that reads from the same page and has unity of purpose. If there are those with an alternative way of running things they must be accommodate , but with a condition that at the end of the day the public want a united front. If there is rebelion within, then the honourable thing is for one to resign , they can tell us that they could not reconsile themselves with the governments position and had to leave etc. It is immoral to want to stick in the cabinet and continue to wash "dirty linen" in the public eye - it's not the done thing, ANYWHERE! If LDP feel shot changed, they should pull out of the coalition - what is so difficult about that. If they pull out then Kibaki can invite anyone else to join the coalition - if there is none (which is a possibility) then he dissolves parliament and calls fresh elections. That is they way things are done. But you can insist you are in the coalition and are going no where just to be a nuisance - if you have the public goodwill you should remove yourself from government and force their hand (not insist on being included when you know you have been there before and it did not work). It's very cowardly.
For the record, these are issues that I have never agreed with LDP on. To stay on when they felt shortchanged. For a principled guy, when yoiu can no longer work together, you quit. But my concern was why the president was not couragious enough to dispense of all of them. I have also indicated elsewhere here that I dont believe any of the LDP MPs should be included in the new cabinet leave alone being incorporated in the cabinet. KIbaki should not do the same mistake again if he thinks the LDP was the problem in the last cabinet. Then we will judge him without passing the back. I still dont believe there is anybody else to blame for the govt's woes but the president.
In my opinion Raila is NOT a Leader but just one who rides in popularity and enjoys all the attention he gets from causing mayhem!! Harsh but true. He is the biggest political nomad, has gone through all political parties, disbanded his own party to join another, did not have the ambition to run for president in 2002 after ditching the party that was sinking and now has created another movement that as of now does not have a clearly defined Leader!!!!
I think he should form his own Party, form a team and start campaining for the presidency if he has the balls to be one then he can form his own cabinet. As the referendum has taught us one tribe is not enough, he should learn from that as well.
As for him being genuine! PLEASE!!!! He ehoyed the perks of being a minister without complaints and only empty threats of quiting. If he was man enough, and no politician is, he should have quit a long time ago and sought his own mandate.
Moral of the story - Raila aint all that he is tramped up to be and in my opionion Kibaki is the lesser of two evils and Raila should come right out and say the words "I want to be voted in as President" and he might get a hint of respect from me!!!
@jizaz
Let's stop demeaning ourselves with this Raila this, Raila that rumbling.
@jamc
To you, Kibaki cannot do no evil; he hasn't wronged his coalition (or is it party) partners and Kenyans. 2002 is not too distant, could you recast your memories and try "analyzing" the Kibaki side too? You accuse the so-called Raila fanatics of blind loyalty, but aren't you a bit blinded by the Kibaki side? For instance, as per your prescription to LDP, why can't Kibaki and his henchmen resign from NARC, like wa Mutharika did in Malawi, and reconstitute?
To me, TRUST is everything in leadership. Kibaki has lost that trust, not only among his party partners but also among majority of Kenyans, and that's what he needs to deal with. I voted for Kibaki thinking he held promise for our country, especially in cultivating harmony among our fractious tribes. I was fed-up with the Moi divide-and-rule politics. I didn't expect too much economic progress, given our decay, but I expected him to steady the ship by rallying the nation to a coherent common program and consolidate our gains to usher us into the next cycle. Look what he's done with that mandate.
I've come to one conclusion, Kibaki is a weak and indecisive leader!! A president who needs two weeks to name a Cabinet mid-stream has no clue about his job.
Jikz - Kibaki is weak and indecisive, that we agree 100%. He could have done much better, I cannot deny. I have note painted him to be the saint, but he certainly isn't the devil (neither is Raila - for the record). We can do better, we should do better - but ODM does not look that attractive to me - it's a minature Narc re-packaged (old story,lets be more imaginative than that). Taking two weeks to name the cabinet at least gave him time to consult, the country is not your local kiosk that you can restock in 5 minutes!
We obviously need stronger, focused and visionary leadership - lets begin scrutinizing from the stock we have and start putting them through SWOT analysis before it's too late. 2007 is round the corner and we need proper leadership.
In my opinion, Raila is not the problem. The problem is deception and dishonesty. Unfortunately politics is full of it. Kibaki and Raila read from the same page prior to 2002, at least they signed MoU on the same page. But did Kibaki live up to the MoU. NO. Instead, he chose the path of deceit to achieve his political objectives. Which is fine, at least that deceit got him the presidency. But it could not give him a constitution that left out the majority of Kenyans. Suppose he stayed true, honest, and lived up to both the MoU and the views he gave to Ghai Commission prior to 2002? Those views represented what Kenyans want.
In deceit Kibaki played politics, unfortunately it flopped. Raila’s moves have been reactionary, a counter response to deceit. He is plainly playing politics as well. Fortunately for him, his reactionary politics has been in tune with what the majority of Kenyans want. He made a pact with Moi, got cheated and chose to move on. He signed the MoU with Kibaki, got the short end of the stick after Kibaki got the presidency. But he is making sure the long end of the stick is not useful to Kibaki without the short end. Apparently, majority of Kenyans are also holding to the short end of the stick with him. Love him or hate him, but his value to Kenyan’s lies in those reactionary moves. It is plain old politics and power is the ultimate trophy – get it from front door or back door – it does not matter.
And 2007 will be for ODM.
Meanwhile back at the farm kenya's are watching this soap unfold! Why should we allow the two men to play around with us! Kick them both in the back side!
jamc,
I agree with you, I'm uncomfortable about ODM too. We need to start the SWOT analysis right away, now that we know the Cabinet. I'm returning home by mid '06 and intend on getting my hands dirty organizing for '07. This time is for the youth, we got to set the agenda for Kenya. I hope you got a plan too.
jamc wrote:
Jikz - Kibaki is weak and indecisive, that we agree 100%. He could have done much better, I cannot deny. I have note painted him to be the saint, but he certainly isn't the devil (neither is Raila - for the record). We can do better, we should do better - but ODM does not look that attractive to me - it's a minature Narc re-packaged (old story,lets be more imaginative than that). Taking two weeks to name the cabinet at least gave him time to consult, the country is not your local kiosk that you can restock in 5 minutes!
We obviously need stronger, focused and visionary leadership - lets begin scrutinizing from the stock we have and start putting them through SWOT analysis before it's too late. 2007 is round the corner and we need proper leadership.
I agree with you. Kenyans need to think outside the usual political players. Perhaps more youth could be involved in this process.
If we are serious about searching for a new order - no OVER 40's should be invited to the party, the pruning starts there!
If we are serious about searching for a new order - no OVER 40's should be invited to the party, the pruning starts there!
And I propose myself to be the presidential candidate. I am only 32 yrs old. And development conscious.
And I propose myself to be the presidential candidate. I am only 32 yrs old. And development conscious.
Kim, it is a good thing you have declared your interest in the presidency. I should be interested in getting to know and understand your policy position(s) some time. By the look of things, 2007 might come even sooner. Stump the vote when the time comes. Hopefully you'll have picked up a few good lessons from the current German political situation. Good luck.
Sure Masai,
My first policy concern will be corruption to release more resources to the public, second is aleviation of tribalism through the establishment of sound systems and institutions of governance (Not just awarding loyalty) and third empowerement of the economy through job creation (Not on non/productive services like creating many positions for assistant ministers and the like) but on enhancing production of goods and services, to create aggregate demand, a slight monetary policy expension while maintaining inflationary pressures (To reduce dependence on domestic debt, in other words avoiding fiscal policy/moonetary policy paradoxes) and a slight depreciations on the exchange rate to make Kenyan exports cheaper internationally and imports coming in just a bit more expensive (A bit of intelligent protectionist), creating a social health system to reduce disease prevalence and expanding affordability and accessibility to quality education (Not just free primary education). Giving priority to secondary education and University education.
Ofcourse these will filter on to reduce insecurity and poverty when guys have jobs. Give me only two terms and the results will be on the table.
Uhhmn, good food for thought. I want to hope u won't fall captive to the political Delilahs along your way to and while at State House / Parliament. If you do, trust me, u'll have a taste of what Kibaki now is having.
As much as I dont agree with the way he is running the govt I am starting to pity him now that Ngilu and Kivutha have dumped him. My question, what next for him? I think he just wants to go to sleep and hope that a new day will not come. Or if it comes, wake up to find it was just a bad dream!
Lakini atamlaumu nani?
No one but the next available scapegoat that will have wrecked havoc to "cohesion", "development" and "economic recovery."
This forum should not cool off. It needs to be revived. There are a lot of businesses which are yet to be addressed. Kenyan has become a country of many faces. Kenya is a country with vibrant economy as well as astute politicians. It is evolving as a cradle of democracy thanks to the strong opposition and the political emancipation in the country. Mr Kibaki has certainly gone around his business as usual. He has given the country a lot of democratic space unlike his predecessors.
Finally the debate rolls on now that we are facing another election. We all need to exercise this sweet democratic space which is currently being threatened with the new media law.
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