BY JOSHUA KUTUNY , MP Cheranganyi constituency
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny
In four months time, founders of the reform movement in Kenya will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the first registration of the pioneer multi party in the country. Like any other political event, December 31st is a forgotten date.
It was on that date in 1991 and after 26 years of one party rule that the prayers of plural politics campaigners were at last answered. The Registrar General handed over the registration certificate to leaders of a pressure group, Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) that transformed itself into a political party after the repeal of a law that made Kenya a dejure one party state. .
Ten years later, a joint opposition strategy ended KANU’s forty year reign in a one sided contest with Mwai Kibaki as the opposition flag bearer in the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). Like other political organization before, NARC promised Kenyans heaven on earth amongst them, a new constitution, and wider democratic space, zero tolerance to corruption, transparency and accountability.
Delivery of a new constitution was as controversial as it was elusive save for the international intervention on the post election conflict and subsequent negotiations by the warring parties on the country’s political future in 2008. Kibaki failed to deliver a constitution in his first term due to numerous challenges in the fragile coalition. It later emerged that it was not in the interest of the political class to have a new constitution because it was going to disturb the status quo.
Today, leaders across the political divide handpick aspirants for elective seats, free speech curtailed and member expulsions common place. Never to be was the promised democratic space in the opposition parties now forming the government. Instead, the space shrunk beyond expectations.
Corruption has not been tamed by the Coalition government and its predecessors, NARC and KANU. Public appointments and recruitment in the public sector are tribalised by the very people who accused KANU of tribalism. The population live in denial in a sea of conspicuous consumption by a privileged few.
Looking at the current leadership that is largely composed of reform minded individuals, one would hardly discern the difference between them and the then conformists of the oppressive past regimes.
While I aver that there has been little change with the formation of a reformist stuffed government led by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, allot needs to be done.
The two principals did well in appointing their cabinet full of reformists among them James Orengo (Lands), Prof Anyang Nyong’o (Medical Services), Kiraitu Murungi (Energy), Charity Ngilu (Water) among others. Another notable reformer is Martha Karua among others who were incorporated in the grand coalition government.
Interestingly, the loud voices of yester years have suddenly gone mute. I was surprised last week to see those who have always advocated for zero tolerance to corruption voted to deny the new Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission teeth to prosecute corrupt individuals. The loud silence of reformers in Parliament when the House made amendments that sent anti graft buster Prof PLO Lumumba and his four directors packing speaks volumes.
If you take a closer look at the performance of the then opposition reform minded individuals now holding key positions in government, you will be surprised to find out that they are no different from those they ardently fought against.
Mega corruption scandals have been linked to numerous ministries led by then firebrand reformists. The reform led ministries have also been fingered for poor service delivery, nepotism, tribalism, impunity and maladministration.
There seems to be no change yet in the institutions currently led by second liberation heroes and heroines. Instead, it is unfortunate that some of the key leaders of the second liberation have gone ahead and brazenly perpetuated graft, impunity and anti democratic tendencies synonymous with Kanu era operatives.
The reformers who pushed for the celebrated multiparty democracy have today turned out to be, to say the least, despots. These dictatorial tendencies can be attested by the fact that some of us are facing expulsions from parties we vehemently supported in the last general elections. Our crime is that we have consistently spoken our minds against anti democratic ideals and refused to toe retrogressive party lines that tend to water the tree of dictatorship.
Nearly fifty years after independence, famine ravages some parts of the country as reformers of yesterday appeal for relief supplies and cash donations towards mitigating the disaster. Poverty is endemic, education is the preserve of a class as its quality is compromised and people die of preventable diseases partly due to misplaced priorities and shortage of drugs in public facilities.
For instance, the nation’s founding fathers were no better than their present day successors. They declared war on three national enemies, poverty, ignorance and disease. Alas, these enemies are uneasy bedfellows of the majority in a country led by “reformists.”
Leaders at the time had to part ways when there was a demand for fulfilling the pledges in the Kanu manifesto. The late Odinga authored a book titled Not Yet Uhuru in which he explains betrayals, intrigues and manipulations in the newly independent Kenya.
Second liberators have failed the electorate and constituents. For how long shall we be making promises that we cannot fulfill. Should we now agitate for a third liberation? Is it not time for a Tunisia or Egypt style “revolution” by the third liberators against the second and first liberators who have done nothing but perpetuated status quo?
The writer is the Member of Parliament for Cherangany Constituency: Email: joshkutuny@yahoo.com
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