Can the government prove Governor Ruto wrong?

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By KWENDO OPANGA
Posted  Saturday, July 27   2013 at  20:00

Some 40 Members of Parliament from the Rift Valley region want Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto expelled from the United Republican Party (URP). The lawmakers want the governor expelled because he is increasingly critical of the way the Jubilee Coalition government is handling devolution.

Alternatively, the MPs would want Mr Ruto to resign from his position and seek a fresh mandate from the people of Bomet on an opposition party ticket. And, for good measure, I saw and heard one of them make the startling allegation that Mr Ruto was part of a foreign-funded campaign to fight the Jubilee Government.

These MPs are profoundly wrong and here is why. One, when Kenyans rose against Kanu’s constitutional monopoly of power 23 years ago, their main grouse was that the party brooked no criticism however genuine and, through coercion, attempted to impose uniformity of political thought on the populace. Expulsion was the weapon of choice.

Two, in 1990, Kanu was 30 years old. It had forced through Parliament a constitutional amendment that turned Kenya into a one-party state by law in 1982 in the wake of a failed military coup. URP, as a party, is still in its diapers and a nascent Jubilee Government has not come under any serious threat.

Three, Kenyans want devolution to work. They look to devolution as their route to participation in decision-making and political inclusion. They look to governors and senators to champion the cause of devolution. Governors and senators, for their part, have been vocal in criticising government when they have felt its actions appear to go against the spirit of devolution.

Governments the world over make commitments, but they have been known to renege on crucial commitments. Kanu, in negotiations for the independence Constitution in London, supported majimbo (regionalism), the main demand of opposition and federalist Kenya African Democratic Union (Kadu). In government, Kanu killed majimbo.

History and the nature of politicians tell us that we the people must be vigilant and cautious at all times when dealing with government. Mr Ruto alleges that instead of government rolling out its devolution commitments, it is rolling them back. The Rift Valley MPs need to ask the government to prove Mr Ruto wrong by rolling out and not rolling back its commitments.

Why? Apart from representing their constituents and legislating, oversight of government is the other key responsibility of Parliament. If 40 MPs must come out to attack Mr Ruto, then they should also ensure that they are keeping government on the straight and narrow. It is highly unlikely the MPs, despite their numerical strength, will do this, if they want to silence Mr Ruto.

Four, the MPs have chosen to ignore one important fact: Mr Ruto speaks for the governors as chairman of their council. The MPs may, by attacking Mr Ruto, have escalated what the media have come to call supremacy wars between the governors and senators on the one hand, and the National Assembly and the Executive on the other.

This reinforces the perception that the National Assembly attacks on the Senate and county governments is confirmation that the government is fighting devolution. What the 40 MPs should have done is to ask for dialogue with governors. That is what the Deputy President, Mr William Ruto, quoting the book of Isaiah, asked of striking teachers.

Mr Ruto, the Deputy President, cannot be tolerant when MPs from his URP party and Rift Valley backyard – his MPs, that is – are intolerant of the operating style of Mr Ruto the Governor for Bomet. In other words, are these MPs saying it is wrong for Mr Ruto the Governor to be critical of the government in which Mr Ruto is the Deputy President?

Five, in the Rift Valley, URP is rather like the political dad and mum, the same way Kanu was the country’s political baba na mama. Now what happens when baba na mama expels a politician? In the days of Kanu, opposition went underground as those suspended and expelled and their supporters sought inclusion. Is this not more destabilising than the Governor criticising government?

My take is that because both President Kenyatta and his Deputy Ruto have committed to implementing devolution, Mr Ruto, as chairman of the governors’ lobby, governors, senators, MPs and the people of Kenya, must hold them to account. Governor Ruto is doing his bit and MPs should do their oversight bit.

Kwendo Opanga is a media consultant opanga@diplomateastafrica.com