Sunday, January 27, 2013

Dynasty politics


The race for State House pits scions of famous names in the history of Kenya and none is showing signs of relenting in the battle royale as the March 4 poll date nears:

http://bit.ly/VpF72b
Dynasty politics: The race for State House pits scions of famous names in the history of Kenya and none is showing signs of relenting in the battle royale as the March 4 poll date nears: 

http://bit.ly/VpF72b

Fifty years after Independence, Kenyan political leadership is still largely in the grip of the same families who have dominated it for generations. Dynasty political leadership is bound to progress into the foreseeable future, going by the high number of aspirants seeking elective positions, who descend from political families.
Three of the presidential candidates seeking to succeed President Kibaki come well established political families from where they are seen to draw the impetus to state their bids. Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Cord, Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee and Musalia Mudavadi of Amani descend from strong political lineage that shaped Kenyans politics after independence.
Indeed, the contest between Raila and Uhuru, who are the clear front-runners, has echoes that reverberate back to the immediate post independence years, when their fathers, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Jomo Kenyatta were bitter political rivals, after having started off as buddied in the independence struggle.
The rivalry between their sons is not without undertones of the competition of yore between the two politicians who were credited with playing a large part in winning independence for Kenya. If Uhuru wins, it would likely be read by many as rekindling his father’s memorable legacy, while for Raila, it would something of a fulfillment of his father’s dream of leadership that never was.
However each tries to look like their own man, 50 years since their fathers mid-wifed the Kenyan state at birth, they cannot outlive the erstwhile larger-than-life clouts. But, at the bottom-line, the winner between the two will have become the scion who propagates the dynasty of the father. For Musalia Mudavadi, whose father Substone Budamba Mudavadi was more a regional kingpin than a national one, winning the presidency would carry the clout of his once powerful father to national inheritance.
Mudavadi, unlike Uhuru and Raila who are seen to descend directly from the former influence of their fathers, is seen to have derived his political clout more from former President Moi than from his father. However, even if he is not a chip off the old block, he carries the hope of Western Kenya at bringing back to high office one of the best known political names in the region.
The same cannot be said of the running mates the three lead presidential candidates have chosen. William Ruto of Jubilee, Kalonzo Musyoka of Cord and Jeremiah Kioni of Amani are all self-made politicians who have diverse stories to which their owe their ascendancy and bid for high political office.
Outside the presidential aspirants cadres, the political field is replete with names that are associated with and descend directly from political families. Former President Daniel arap Moi’s son Gideon is still in contest for the Baringo senate seat. President Kibaki son, Jimmy, did not stake out for his father’s Othaya seat, but the interest he has shown in influencing who takes it could be precursor his future bid for the same. From Mombasa to Kisumu, Loitoktok Lodwar and across the breadth of Kenya, sons, daughters and kin of present and former politicians are lined up to bid for various electoral seats.

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