You can take a man out of KANU… but you can’t take KANU out of them

This is an open letter to Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka.

I sympathise with the discomfiture you had to go through on Saturday at Uhuru Park but want to point out that you have brought it upon yourself. Do not blame others for your woes.

This is what one reader on our website said after seeing your reaction to the jeers: “Hired youths? I doubt it, I'm a youth… I wasn't at Uhuru Park but I still want to heckle you.” Quite frankly, I couldn’t have said it better.

This is the mood of the public after your double-faced public statements regarding the proposed Constitution.

I understand your predicament and want to share it with Kenyans. You see, Kalonzo is a Church man. So he is caught between a rock and a hard place. He wants to be seen to agree with the ‘No’ Christians but still knows too well he owes loyalty to his ‘Yes’ boss.

Quite frankly I don’t see why the Vice President has not chosen to stick with the ‘No’ proponents. He should have gone to the Machakos rally instead of sending his greetings and appearing to sit on the fence.

If someone went ahead and hired youths to heckle you, what prevented you from hiring a similar (if not larger) group of youths to shout slogans in your support?

The reaction you got was predictable. You cannot take the double-faced position that you have adopted and expect Kenyans to cheer you on when you take to the podium in a forum like the one at Uhuru Park.

I appreciate that you are entitled to an opinion but do not whine when that opinion elicits jeers and heckling. You are after all a politician and you know politics is a dirty game.

Don’t you find it odd that the people backing the ‘No’ stand of the Churches are those who do not know whether the book of Ecclesiastes is in the New or Old Testament?

But you know what Kalonzo? We will soon forget this muddle you have found yourself in.

You see, Kenyans are a very forgetful lot. About a month ago, they were baying for the blood of one Bethuel Kiplagat but now, they have entirely forgotten that he is still in office. When did you last hear him mentioned?

A foreigner would be excused for imagining that those at Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission are duly earning their salaries.

So worry not, Kalonzo. It will all be forgotten before bus No. 2012 hits the road.

Mr Moi was shouted down at that same venue but he has picked himself up and is busy campaigning against the proposed Constitution.

Kenyans have forgotten whatever ills were committed under his 24-year watch and I suppose if laws allowed him, he would give the presidency a shot. And trust me there would be those who would vote for him.

On a lighter note, I came across this status update on a friend’s Facebook profile: “You can take a man out of KANU… but you can’t take KANU out of them.”

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You have yourself to blame Mr VP

Michael Mumo | May 18, 2010 | Facebook