Eugene Risks Being Irrelevant

Tuesday, 12 July 2011 00:11 BY TOME FRANCIS

H.L Mencken once opined that “a good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.” The truth of this assertion can be seen in honorable Eugene Ludovich Wamalwa. I choose to address him among his ilk for the reason that even though he has declared his intentions for vying for the country`s highest political office in the land he has spent thousands of man hours digging through the new constitution in search of any “faithless and slippery” word that he can hang on not to pay taxes. His search has come to naught.
Unaccustomed to taking defeat graciously Eugene Wamalwa has held numerous press briefings to criticise the new constitution for obliterating his tactical advantage over the national interest. He and others like him are misdirecting their flak at the Prime Minister who has been reminding them the obvious—the pre-referendum pact that saw them overwhelmingly vote for the new constitution was merely a “gentleman`s agreement” which has no place in the new constitution. In this regard they want to censure the PM.
Of major concern to the electorate is that even as honorable Eugene Wamalwa alongside a horde of others went around the country to campaign for the new constitution last year it seems they had not thoroughly read its provisions. Yet they claim to be among the crème de la crème in the society.
Having offered himself for the Presidency on the planks of transformative leadership his unquestionable faith in the country`s constitution is expected. But that is not what is happening. Instead each passing day we have seen Eugene Wamalwa dine and wine with the saboteurs of the new constitution. 
My question to him is this: How can he seek to lead a nation whose constitution he does not value nor understand? Isn't he, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, “the kind of a politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation.”
I wish to remind him that before he makes a sordid mess of himself he must appreciate the fact that although moving a vote of no confidence against a leader of the PM's stature is the standard practice in many democracies around the world, responsible legislators use this weapon only with a view to checking on executive misconduct, or its effect, especially if the officia's unbecoming behavior subverts the structure of government or undermines the integrity of the office or the Constitution itself.
Being reminded of the constitutional requirement to pay taxes does not in any way go against the letter and spirit of the new constitution which the PM swore to uphold. In this regard the attempt at censoring the PM is not only ill advised but is also indicative of the new heights of absurdities that Wamalwa and others of his ilk are engrossed in. He comes out as a politician who will readily invoke this power on account of not liking the PMs nose!
Eugene Wamalwa must understand that the PM is simply supervising the implementation of the new constitution as per its letter and spirit. I thought that it would have been the failure on the PM's part not to jealously guard the new constitution against desecration that would have engendered a vote of no confidence against him and not the other way round. Moving a vote of no confidence against the PM based on pure lies will most certainly prove counter-productive.
My unsolicited advice to honorable Eugene Wamalwa is that he must earnestly guard himself against fading to irrelevance. Eugene Wamalwa must begin to redeem his image by paying his taxes now. He may rant and rave but I can assure him one thing-the debt clock continues to tick each passing day.
TOME FRANCIS comments on topical issues.