Thursday, June 10, 2010

YOU ARE YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY

US Vice-President Joe Biden concluded his three-day trip to the country yesterday with a parting shot to Kenyans: you are your own worst enemies.

Even as he stated that the destiny of the country was entirely in the hands of Kenyans, Mr Biden did still express his disappointment at the failure by our leaders to drive the country to exploit its full potential, 47 years after independence.

He said billions of shillings had been lost in corruption and no high profile person has been held accountable.

“Kenyans are now divided... torn apart by ethnic tensions perpetuated by leaders who place their own interests ahead of the country... the 2007 General Election crisis revealed exactly how dangerous these forces can be,” he said during a public forum held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi.

His sentiments echo those of President Barack Obama, of their desire to see a prosperous Kenya, free of corruption.

“Our message today is that we will stand with you in your journey to securing a free, democratic, and prosperous Kenya,” he said. Mr Biden added that even though the US would not dictate to Kenyans how to govern their country, he promised that they would always be available for support.

After the 2007 election dispute, some 1,300 people lost their lives and another 350,000 were rendered homeless.

Mr Biden said change can only be realised when Kenyans demand a transparent and accountable government that is devoid of corrupt tendencies.

“It will also be realised when power changes hands peacefully and when courts become solely committed to the pursuit of justice. All this will be achieved when a new constitution is put in place,” he said.

Seize the moment

“A new constitution will accelerate reforms... Reforms will bring more foreign investments into the country. The power to bring about change in Kenya rests with its people,” he said.

Mr Biden said it was not “his business how Kenyans vote” at the August 4 referendum, but urged them to “seize the moment to bring change”.
He told his audience that the US Government could not dictate about the Kenya constitutional review process.

“It is one of the drawbacks of democracy,” he said in reference to reports that American right wing evangelical groups were supporting Kenya’s church leaders’ efforts to shoot down the proposed law.

Kenyan churches are against the clause on abortion in the proposed constitution and reports indicate that they are getting funds from US anti-abortionists to defeat the new law.

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