Coalition scores low in leadership

By Gakuu Mathenge The Grand Coalition Government marks its third year on Monday. However, even after three years of National Accord, political crisis in leadership is still evident and looks no better than when it started three years ago. The coalition partners continue to sneer, backbite, snort and elbow each other at every turn.
Nevertheless, the fear of what some refer to as ‘assured mutual destruction’ has ensured the Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement, (ODM), have stuck together despite their obviously strained union.
Although they have constantly given the impression of a union on the edge, none has been willing to call it quits.
The promulgation of the new Constitution on August 27 provided an opportunity to close shop, but President Kibaki and co-principal, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, chose to cling to power-and to each other- despite the National Accord and Reconciliation Act (2008) providing an option to end the union "upon enactment of a new Constitution or new elections held whichever comes earlier".
Political power But political power is sweet, as former long serving British civil servant and author of 2006 book, Good and Bad Power, Mr Geoff Mulgan, wrote. Mulgan says politicians fight to capture State power because it offers a short-cut to wealth and prestige than hard work.
However, the Grand Coalition had a specific mandate of delivering Agenda 4 reforms, and experts think much still remains to be done, less than two years to the next General Election.
Political scientist and scholar, Karuti Kanyinga, says though Kenya has made tremendous strides in reforms, the coalition partners require a lot of work to deliver on Agenda Four reforms.
"I appreciate the reform programme we committed to was ambitious. Indeed, we have made drastic strides in the last three years than in the last 47 years of independence. These include passing a radical new Constitution, a radical National Land Policy, a new dawn where the rich and the powerful, Cabinet ministers included, are sacked and taken to court to stand criminal trial, among others. This is great progress considering where we have come from. For instance, would anyone have expected a senior politician like William ole Ntimama being taken to court in 1993? He posed.
However, the Grand Coalition still has much to do to deliver on the full Agenda Four reforms and evidence is all over the Government has reneged on its promise to Kenyans, Dr Kanyinga said:
Agenda One: Ending violence Although the Government had stabilised the country and ended violence, the calm was artificial. Kanyinga says the principals needed to do more to ensure the amity they display at the top cascades and percolates through the rank and file to the ground.
"Although the violence ended, it is not enduring until there is deliberate reconciliation efforts among communities rocked by tension. It is evident healing and reconciliation is yet to take place because every time there is tension between President Kibaki and Raila Odinga in Nairobi, it reflects on the ground, in threatening leaflets. Deep divisions still abound," Kanyinga said.
"This state of affairs reflects absence of successful resolution of causes of conflicts," he said.
Agenda Two: Settlement of IDPs
Kanyinga says continued existence of IDPs three years after signing of the National Accord is evidence the Grand Coalition had failed in its pledge to deliver on Agenda Four.
"Continued existence of IDPs is a grim pointer to absence of political and social reconciliation, failed democratic governance. The evidence of this shocking failure or lack of reconciliation is the fact that IDPs are still viewed as Kikuyu being settled by a Kikuyu government, rather than distressed human beings and citizens deserving assistance and support to end their misery. This explains the hullabaloo around IDP resettlement in Narok, Taveta and Lamu," Kanyinga said.
Agenda Three: Power sharing Political reconciliation is yet to take place and truce between President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga is yet to trickle down to their lieutenants, who seem to be in a permanent state of war.
"This has created the impression of two states in one, and two governments in one, in which there are two opinions and positions on all national matters," Kanyinga said.
Agenda 4: Constitutional, legal and institutional reforms "This was most critical item as it sought to address legal and institutional rot underlying all our historical problems of impunity, accountability and regional imbalances. However, its unfortunate that less than two years to the next General Election, institutional reforms are yet to happen. And some in Government are yet to appreciate reforms means policy, administrative and value changes, not merely removing one person and replacing them with another to operate under the same physical and value structures," Kanyinga said.