President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the signing of the Coalition deal on February 28, 2008. Monday marks the third anniversary of the Grand Coalition Government. Photo/FILE
By HARRY MISIKO hmisiko@ke.nationmedia.com and DAVE OPIYO dopiyo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Sunday, February 27 2011 at 22:41
The civil society has trashed the government’s reforms scorecard, as the nation marks three years since the signing of the National Accord.
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Apart from reform agenda number one — stopping bloodletting following the disputed elections — and the delivery of a new Constitution, the activists under Jukwaa la Katiba platform said “there is nothing to celebrate about”.
They said key reforms under agenda number two, three and four, are still pending courtesy of the ensuing brinkmanship between coalition partners, President Kibaki’s PNU and Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM.
“The grand coalition government has failed in its promise to deliver reforms because very many issues are still pending. Internally displaced persons (IDPs), for instance, are still in camps because their money was stolen,” Mr Morris Odhiambo, the president, National Civil Society Congress, said in Nairobi.
He said reforms anchored on the formation of a national land commission have stalled courtesy of prominent leaders afraid of losing land they grabbed.
The Kenya Commission on Human Rights deputy executive director, Mr Tom Kagwe, said the two principals have not honoured the National Accord and Reconciliation Act 2008 that granted them authority to lead this country.
“They signed the accord to deliver on reforms under agenda one to four. Massive corruption and youth unemployment is still rife, land reforms have not started, transparency is still lacking and regional balance in key appointments has not been achieved,” he said.
Apart from restoring stability, the National Accord mandated the coalition government with the task of addressing the humanitarian crisis that arose from the violence, especially the issue of IDPs and promoting reconciliation under agenda two.
A large number of IDPs are still languishing in squalid camps and the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation has not accomplished its purpose to date.
Retired PCEA Rev Timothy Njoya blamed the leaders for focusing on political rivalry and 2012 elections instead of delivering on the envisaged reforms.
“We are not celebrating, we are mourning. We are just marking this day because it is important in our nation’s history and we need to reflect on our misfortunes,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga have expressed optimism they will overcome the challenges that have rocked the coalition government.
In separate messages to mark three years since the signing of the peace accord, the two leaders struck a reconciliatory tone even as they asked Kenyans to “reflect on the road the country has travelled over the last three years with a view to drawing lessons on the road ahead”.
“I want to assure all Kenyans that the challenges we have experienced in the last few weeks should not be cause for worry,” sad the President.
“I commit to explore all avenues to sustain the spirit of compromise that gave birth to this government. That spirit is critical to the implementation of the Constitution,” he said.
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