It is the season for well-crafted manifestos with no meaning or hope for Kenyans. Indeed, manifestos are essential blue prints for political parties. Unfortunately in Kenya manifestos are known to surface usually during elections to hoodwink the public.
But the same politicians do not tell voters what they intend to do with their manifestos when they fail to be elected or when they enter into coalition. Naturally a manifesto will not stand for anything if the sponsoring party has no ideology.
Politicians should be ashamed of themselves in the sense that they have always been releasing manifestos every five years promising to deliver but eventually implement nothing after elections.
I remember the Narc manifesto of 2002 where outgoing President Mwai Kibaki and his team of Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Wamalwa Kijana, and George Saitoti among others promised employment within 100 days. The jobs never came. Chaos, mistrust, infighting, acrimony, tribalism, and greed did.
Both Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka as presidential and deputy presidential candidates are promising the same things 10 years later and yet they are in the same government holding key positions of influence.
Messrs Uhuru Kenyatta, Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto and the rest of the team of Kanu then, also promised the same when Uhuru was a presidential candidate in 2002. They are repeating the promise 10 years later.
The current presidential candidates should account for their deeds while serving in government. They shouldsay what changes they instituted which they want to complete.
Voters should gather courage to thoroughly interrogate politicians, especially presidential candidates, on whether they mean what they say when they launch manifestos. Politicians should not be allowed to take Kenyans for a ride every election, promising things they neither believe in nor have an idea about.
Disunity has been created by the same politicians through divide and rule. Kenyans want genuine leadership change not recycled politicians always been promising the same things. Ordinary Kenyans are not tribal and live cohesively with their neighbours. People go to the same markets, live together and do business. Tribalism only comes about when politicians want to attain power.
The current presidential candidates are the same people from the same families with the same connections. Nearly all of them live in exclusive surburbs and campaign in helicopters. They enjoy massive state security and are serving the current government in key positions.
They are also rich owning big chunks of land, business and other property they cannot account for. It is also possible that their children, wives and other family members dine and play together. These similarities tell a lot about the so-called Kenyan leaders.
Kenyans should open their eyes wide. Kenyans should not allow themselves to be held at ransom by a select few self-centered politicians who are not interested in the welfare of any Kenyan, but just themselves and their families.
The Constitution is very clear on who should be nominated for parliamentary and senate seats. What Kenyans have witnessed are the same politicians nominating themselves and their relatives for positions actually reserved constitutionally to the under-privileged in the society such as the disabled. What a shame?
Integrity is not just stealing and corruption. Even immorality, cheating, drunkenness and indecency are integrity issues.
Denise Kodhe is executive director of the Institute for Democracy & Leadership in Africa (IDEA).
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