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PM more of micro-manager than co-ordinator
BOLD SCRIPTS
Sunday Times
August 24, 2008
In the current Grand Coalition Government structure, the Presidency remained the head of state and government. The established Office of the Prime Minister’s main duties and responsibilities deal with coordinating and supervision of cabinet ministries but it is essentially ceremonial. Of late the country’s second Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Raila Odinga, has started to behave as if he is the head of Government, conducting himself in a manner as if his office is at par with his counterparts in United Kingdom, India and Australia to name but three. The prime ministers in the name three countries are the head of government and not ceremonial like we have in Kenya.
Not long ago there were reports that a UK based management consultancy firm was hired to make recommendations for the staffing in the PM’s office. Interestingly, some of the firm’s recommendations were to have more “senior staff members” deployed to the office of the Prime Minister; more than those in the office of the vice president, an office that is technically senior to that of the premier. President Mwai Kibaki’s governing approach christened “hands-off and laid back management style” has worked well for Kenya and continues to do so. This approach is not a weakness as some analysts would like Kenyans to believe.
With Kibaki, the economy has improved taking the country out of the tank where economists are talking of perhaps double digits economic growth as opposed to economic decline which has been the case under the previous regime. President Kibaki’s predecessor former President Daniel arap Moi’s signature “micro-management style” bankrupted the country. The country’s second president left Kenyans poorer than he found them as a result of mismanaging the country for almost a quarter of a century. As a trait of a good leader, President Kibaki, is not seen taking credit for the work of his cabinet ministers.
The reason behind this is that the ministers are Kibaki’s appointees and they are serving at his pleasure and the buck stops at his desk. Now here comes Raila who because of his “coordinating and supervisory duties” of his ceremonial office is starting to behave like former president Moi to say the very least. It seems to me that the ODM leader wants to take credit for the work done by the Coalition government ministers so that he can justify his quest for power (not leadership) come 2012. Plenty of examples: for instance, with the help of the media and using his office’s press service, (Prime Minister Press Service), Raila is doing all he can to steal Ministers’ thunder in making their respective dockets’ important policy announcements.
Of late it has been Raila who has made almost all major policy announcements on issues affecting the ministries of Nairobi Metropolitan Development, Trade, Transport, Local Government and very recently Lands. It seems to me that the Langata MP has taken over the functions of being the “unofficial” official spokesperson of the Cabinet if not the Grand Coalition Government. For obvious reasons some news analysts and columnists refer to this “spokesperson functions” as the prime minister’s technique of taking a position in the center-stage of public affairs. Others even go to the extent to analyze that, because of the president’s “hands-off and laid back management style” there is a void that Raila is filling.
I don’t think by becoming “a spokesperson” should be equated to be taking center-stage in public affairs or as a sign of a good manager on the part of Orange Democratic Movement strongman. My take is that Raila and his handlers believe that by doing so (the spokesperson’s functions and attending as many public functions as he could make possible) it gives Kenyans the impression that he in fully in charge of the running of the Cabinet and is a hard worker.
He hopes by doing things in this way erases the notion that the premier’s office is ceremonial. I have a different take. I suspect that Raila has personal vendettas to settle. These vendettas range from the Moi’s scores he wants to settle to the major political humiliations he endured during the previous three regimes. Raila has a lot of work to do to settle his scores and the implementation of some of these vendettas have to begin just about now. President Mwai Kibaki has governed this country for more than five years now and has never operated through the media. In fact, he operates less with the media. The President gets the work done where his moto remains, more work and less talk. The former Roads and Public Works Minister wants to micromanage the Coalition government where he is not even in-charge. But the sad part of it all is that Raila doesn’t know very well how the Government operates because of his limited experience in public administration. Now imagine Raila, the President of the republic of Kenya. We will be in trouble. The country will surely revert back to the Moi totalitarian days – it is going to be either Raila’s way or the highway. Boldly speaking, Kenyans, particularly ODM sympathizers, be forewarned that when or if Raila becomes the president, he will most likely micromanage the Government more than Moi did.
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New Constitution must address seperation of power matrix in Govt
BOLD SCRIPTS
SUNDAY TIMES
August, 10, 2008
In our Constitution, save for the very recent amendments that accommodated the National Peace Accord, we adapted the United States executive presidency and the British parliamentary system. It seems that this hybrid system has not worked well for our country. The biggest single issue that ought to be considered by those who are going to be involved in the drafting and or making of the new constitution is the separation of power of the three arms of the Government- Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. The three branches of the Government must be made independent of each other and allocated appropriate functional constitutional authority.
The whole idea is to create check and balances – must check power with power. In current system even including the recent amendments that established the offices of the Prime Minister and two deputy premiers, our Executive and Legislative branches are at times one and the same branch.The President and the Cabinet are part and parcel of both the Executive and the Legislative branches. For instance, although Raila Odinga is elected as the Prime Minister by majority of MPs, he is also a member of the Executive branch of the Government. The President, his Cabinet and PM are all legislators (making them members of the legislative branch) and are also members of the Executive.
Where does one draw the line or who do you think they’ll serve best? This is a conflict of interest and that’s is why individuals like former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya and others have not been taking seriously – and at times even ignoring – parliamentary committee summons to appear before the committees. Right now, no Minister is worried when called upon to appear before a parliamentary committee, because they know it is lost of talk and no substance or action. In the new constitution, there is a compelling need to separate these two branches of the Government once and for all.
Here is my suggestion. If we are to maintain the executive president, being the head of state and the head of government (which is what is likely going to be the case), then the president should cease to be a legislator. We also need to make the vice presidency an elective office as opposed to being an appointee. Like our southern neighbour, the Tanzanians, the V-P is the president’s running mate and they are both not lawmakers. This way the president cannot fire his or her deputy and that the vice president is in office with the people’s mandate.
The ministers and assistant minister should continue to remain as legislators as is the case now. In Africa there is no country with a ceremonial president serving with an executive premier. Let us be honest with ourselves and not fool ourselves by wanting to believe that such an arrangement could begin in Kenya. It is against this backdrop that since the president is the head of the executive branch, the Prime Minister should be the head of the legislative branch. The leader of the majority party in Parliament should be elected the country’s Prime Minister and takes over the running of the Business of the House.
By virtue of the position the PM should be made an ex-officio member of the Cabinet. The PM shall control all the parliamentary committees with the powers to decide who seats and who chairs which committee et al. We should do away with the office of deputy prime ministers. To make Parliament powerful, all presidential and other executive appointments should be subjected to appropriate parliamentary committee confirmation hearings.
This way, the President and the ministers will continue to maintain the traditional power and freehand to appoint whoever they want for the jobs (positions) but the individuals must undergo a rigorous (and at times it might be controversial and dirty) confirmation hearing before being confirmed or rejected. On the Judiciary, my suggestions to the Prof Yash Pal Ghai-led Constitution of Kenya Review Commission was that, there is a need for our country to establish a supreme court as the highest court of the land. The Supreme Court should be a nine member bench where they all the nine justice seat to hear cases/appeals not a three member Court of Appeal bench which is susceptible to corruption.
All the High Court Judges and the appellate justices being lifetime appointments should be made with the recommendations of the Law Society of Kenya and be subject to the parliamentary confirmation hearing just like any other presidential appointment. Once appointed and confirmed the judges/justices either individually or as a group should dispense justice to the best of their knowledge and abilities and not based on the popular opinion or the wishes of the government.
Boldly Speaking, the Grand Coalition Government can waste all the taxpayers money as they deem fit and talk about the new constitution until the cows come home, but if those responsible to draft the new constitution do not address the question of separation of powers we could as well remain with what we have right now. To quote one of the frames of the United States constitution, James Madison, notes: “The great security against gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists of giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and persons motives to resist encroachment of others…Ambition must be counteract ambition.”
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'Project Uhuru II’ will flop again
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
August, 10, 2008
It is funny sometimes how things work out. For instance, those Central province politicians who are opposed to Ms Martha Karua’s presidential candidacy are the very ones who are (in default) building her candidacy’s viability. Right now what Karua is doing is making noise in respect of her presidential candidacy and is getting the best media coverage she could ever have asked for, free of charge. Just count how many commentaries have been written as regards to Karua’s presidential candidacy both for and against.
But as I have told the Central Kenya MPs in one of my earlier commentaries that they should forget “Project Uhuru Two,” instead they should start to look into forming a strong political alliance with people outside their native province. They need to back a formidable “presidential candidate” who is able to stand a chance to compete and beat Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his ODM base. The Deputy Prime minister and Trade minister Uhuru Kenyatta is not that candidate.
Any secondary school student knows that any Kenyan who meets certain criteria, has a right to run for the presidency, Karua included. The Gichugu MP is not doing any ground-breaking by seeking to vie for the office of the presidency. Water & Irrigation minister Charity Ngilu broke ground for the women when she contested for the high office in 1997. Karua might be a tough talking politician but that does not translate into national votes and I am sure Karua is shrewd enough to appreciate this fact.
It is like in the United State where Arizona Senator John McCain thinks that the fact that he served in the armed forces, the US Navy, and became a PoW (Prisoner of War); he is more qualified to be the president of the United States than his opponent Democratic Party’s presidential torchbearer Illinois Senator Barack Obama. The Gichugu MP is not cut as a national leader; she does not seem to have the pre-requisite finesse and the pizzazz needed for the presidency.
When push comes to shove, majority of Narc Kenya MPs will decamp and she will be left with a handful of them. Now that President Mwai Kibaki has agreed to take over the chairmanship of Party of National Unity and is at the forefront in popularizing the party, Karua’s flower party has no chance in Central Kenya. The Medical Services Assistant Minister Dunson Mungatana is supporting her knowing that she has no chance.
But personally Mungatana is of the illusion that in any alliance that Karua and their flower party enters with the “ruling” party, he will stands a better chance to be appointed to the Cabinet.
Asman Kamama is vocal only because he was demoted to assistant ministerial position after testing the powers that come along while serving as a Cabinet Minister. It is the Central Kenya MPs who seem to be scared of Karua’s presidential candidacy and not politicians or people from other regions. My take is that Karua is positioning herself for a future coalition with a winning horse whoever that might be and to her money is in ODM and not PNU.
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Why are Kenyans so obssesed by foreign degrees?
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
August 03, 2008
A few days ago the leading story of one of the local dailies was titled “14 Kenyans probed over fake US degrees” and I found that story misleading. How could those ‘alleged Kenyans’ be probed when it is not an offence nor is it a crime to sell or purchase fake diplomas/degrees? While one can (and ought to) be fired for lying on their education/academic qualifications to their employers, but no one would go to jail for cheating on their academic qualification in their job applications unless it is stipulated in their job contract.
The job contract must be very specific and stipulate that it is an offence to lie about one’s background, experience and qualifications et al. The one million dollar question is ‘why do Kenyans buy fake diplomas/degrees? It seems to me that Kenyans just like their developing nations’ counterparts crave for ‘developed world’ education, particularly the diploma/degree certificates. There is some sort of inferiority complex and majority of Kenyans are on the view that foreign diplomas/degrees are superior, better and worthy to have them than those obtained from our local institutions.
The sad part of it all is that some of these foreign institutions are not accredited schools/colleges in their own home countries hence their degrees do not hold any weight as such in their home countries. For instance in the US if a college is not an accredited college, by a respective regional accreditation body, their diplomas/degrees are not what one would refer as fake, but worthless to say the very least. And remember, in this colleges/universities students do course work and what have you, but all in vain.
Since most of them do not intend to stay in those countries, they know that when they land in Kenya with those foreign diplomas/degrees, they tend not only to be honoured by Kenyan employers but are highly respected more than our own public universities diplomas/degrees which are far much superior. Kenya’s premier public universities, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology are at par with any other highly respected foreign universities the world over. We need to be proud of our public institutions.
The only thing is that Kenya’s education system, particularly in the university level, needs to be completely overhauled. The system limits many Kenyans from pursuing and obtaining university education if they fail to do so when they were young and fresh from secondary school. Although some of the public universities have introduced the parallel programmes with much success, a lot needs to be done. Everything is perception; Kenyans and Kenyan employers perceive foreign degrees to be better than local degrees. This perception is hard to erase even if our local degrees are academically better than many unknown universities abroad.
That is why because of this ‘inferiority complex’ that has made some Kenyans to take extreme measures of purchasing degrees from the so-called ‘diploma mills.’ Diploma mills seem to be a lucrative business venture, a goldmine, in satisfying a market niche for clients all over the world seeking foreign diplomas/degrees. Back to those Kenyans being probed in the United States, I don’t buy that story at all.
A United States employer’s human resources personnel when in doubt he or she has so many venues available to check on one’s academic qualifications. With a click of a mouse he or she can google a school in minutes during their checking of records and are able to ascertain if one’s academic diploma/degree is a fake one, or from an unaccredited institution or not et al. I am in no way encouraging people to do that and while it is ethically wrong, disgraceful and dishonorable thing to do but boldly speaking purchasing fake diplomas/degrees is not an offence and neither is it a crime
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ODM-K rebellion a storm in a tea cup
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
August 3, 2008
The so-called Orange Democratic Movement—Kenya rebellion of the two MPs plus Dr. Julia Ojiambo against the Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is of no political consequence whatsoever. This so-called rebellion against the ODM Kenya party suprmo spear headed by Charles Kilonzo and Kiema Kilonzo and now joined Labour Party of Kenya leader, is a minor internal party affair that is being hyped by the media.
These two legislators’ bone of contention is that their party was short changed by President Mwai Kibaki when it came to cabinet appointments and separately by Musyoka who they claimed has sidelined ODM Kenya diehard supporters. This cannot be further from the truth. The reality is that, ODM Kenya benefited immensely in their alliance with the Kibaki-led Party of National Unity. First, the party scooped the country’s number two slot, two Cabinet Ministers and three assistant Ministers.
In the Grand Coalition Government, ODM Kenya leader is the President’s principal assistant, technically a notch higher than that occupied by ODM leader, Prime Minister Raila Odinga. How better could the party have hoped for, if I may ask the two Kilonzos? The fact of the matter is that, the so-called two rebel party MPs are bitter because they missed in the cabinet appointments and not because their party was short-changed as they want Kenyans to believe. They need to be honest and say that they personally feel short changed in missing out in the cabinet appointments having returned to Parliament for the second time.
These are two selfish and self centered politicians who are masquerading as the party’s voice of reason to their constituents. While the media are hyping their ‘rebellion’ Kenyans in general and ODM Kenya supporters in particular are not buying their semantics and political theatrics. These two politicians are planning to decamp from ODM Kenya to either Charity Ngilu’s NARC or Raila-led ODM and are creating all these problems to be able to justify to their constituents their political move but find themselves in a bind with the new Political Parties law that in now in effect.
They cannot defect to NARC or ODM because they will be forced to forfeit their Parliamentary and seek re-election. The two politicians could dishonour Musyoka all they want but the fact remains that without the ODM Kenya wave that spread in Ukambani region like California wildfire, the two Kilonzos would not have recaptured their respective Parliamentary seats. The evidence, look at one time Ukambani political heavy weights, former Cabinet Ministers Joseph K. Munyao, and Kivutha Kibwana did not survive the ODM Kenya onslaught and were unable to recapture their Parliament seats.
These two legislators need to respect the Vice President as the senior most Ukambani politician other than the fact that the Mwingi North MP is their party leader. If the two lawmakers were leaders worth their salt they should have realized by now that the VP is the most likely Ukambani politician who stands a chance to ascend to the Presidency in the foreseeable future. The Mtito and Yatta constituents need to send a clear message to their legislators to keep their theatrics to themselves and concentrate in their service delivery and to honour their election promises.
Fighting their party leader was not one of their elections pledges to Yatta and Mtito voters when they were seeking their votes. With cheap and often free media publicity the two ODM Kenya lawmakers have joined Martha Karua’s sidekick Dunson Mungatana in always receiving media coverage while disrespecting their respective parties’ leaders. The Garsen MP is even day-dreaming of becoming the country’s Prime Minister, not in the future but after the next General Election. What a joke!
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Those toying with ‘Project Uhuru II’ idea are simply daydreaming
Sunday Times
BOLD SCRIPTS
July 27, 2008
Let us get this straight. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta did not shelve his presidential plans in 2007 to support the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki. The Gatundu South MP did not stand a chance whatsoever to even come a close second in the 2007 presidential race. He did not to even have a chance to spoil for the incumbent.
Let us be honest and face political reality, the votes Uhuru gained in the 2002 presidential race where he came second to Kibaki were votes meant for former President Daniel arap Moi and Kanu and not for Uhuru per se. The only voters that truly voted for the son of Founding Father of the Nation, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, were the paltry number he received from his native Central province and the Kikuyu Diaspora. Moi’s personal pet project, christened “Project Uhuru” was the one where the country’s second president intended for Uhuru not only to succeed him as the Chairman of Kanu but also at the State House residence and at the Harambee House office.
While Moi succeeded in arm-twisting Kanu delegates to select Uhuru as the party chairman and its presidential candidate, he failed miserably when Kenyan voters rejected his choice with an overwhelming majority. The “professor of politics” was reduced to a level of an “untrained teacher in politics” when it came to democracy and succession politics. The country’s second president is still in shock and he cannot comprehend why he failed to read the mood of the country prior to the 2002 election.
It is against this backdrop that the rumours spreading around that, there are some wealthy elderly politicians and business people closely linked with President Kibaki are fronting the Trade Minister and are preparing for the DPM to contest the presidency upon expiry of the President Kibaki’s second and final term, remain just that, rumours.
From the lesson Kenyan voters taught the once upon a time “professor of politics” when it came to succession politics, many would assume that others could have taken a leaf from the same lesson.
Get this, not only will the so-called elderly and wealthy Kibaki close friends will fail in their bid, but they will in addition forever close the slim chance that Uhuru might have of becoming a president someday in his lifetime.
It seems to me that people refuse to learn from other people past mistakes. Because if there were a time when grooming one for the presidency in Kenya would succeed then that time would have been 2002, not 2012.
I say 2002 because majority of rural Kenyans were in the assumption that by voting for Kanu candidates they were indeed voting for the Government.
It is the same period where majority of Kenyans in the rural constituencies could not even differentiate between Kanu as a party and the country’s Government. Majority of Kenyan voters in 2012 will be more literate even more than those who voted in the last election. As the political landscape stands right now, Party of National Unity (PNU) is the party to beat come 2012 or the next election.
Having said that, the party will remain so if the “party fathers” will learn to practice free, fair and open democracy in picking its presidential flag bearer. But if it will be Kanu dejavu, then it will be a cake walk to the presidency for the Orange Democratic Movement presidential torchbearer.
Personally, I have no reason to suspect that the President Kibaki’s effort to unite the party is meant to clear or prepare the way for Uhuru to take over its leadership and the presidency. We all know that Kibaki is a seasoned politician and understands the lesson of what happened to his predecessor when he (Moi) took for granted Kenyan voters in the succession politics.
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Flex political muscle, silence these rebels, Mr President!
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
July 27, 2008
The four political parties that are opposed to President Kibaki’s bold proposition of uniting Party of National Unity and forming a strong united single party are to say the very least tribal parties that have no future in the Kenya of tomorrow. Take Narc Kenya, for instance.
This party through its yet another interim Chairperson, Ms Martha Karua, thinks it can flex its muscles when it comes to refusing to uniting and forming a single entity.
The reality is that Narc-K’s supposedly grassroots stronghold is in Central province and not beyond. Other than the two officials, Secretary General and Organizing Secretary, who are politicians from outside the Mt Kenya orbit, the party is generally a Central province affair.
Although President Kibaki will not in be in the ballot in the next election, he commands a lot of respect and admiration in his native Central province. The Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs Minister’s political tough talking can be put in its place should Kibaki decide to flex his political muscle in their native province.
The Gichugu MP won’t even know what really hit her. It is funny that Dunson Mungatana is day dreaming of becoming the country’s Prime Minister in the imaginary Karua presidency. What a big joke! I respect Karua and she has every right to seek the high office of the land, but truth be told, she has chance of being elected to the presidency.
By being a hawk and a tough as a Cabinet Minister or at the negotiating table does not translate into votes. The we have the three top leaders’ one from each of these parties, Ford Kenya, Democratic Party and Safina, all failed to retain their parliamentary seats in the last election.
These are the same leaders who are becoming a hindrance of the party unity. What kind of national political leaders are these individuals who fail to retain their parliamentary seats. Ford Kenya is no longer the party that it once was when it was under Mzee Jaramogi Odinga Oginga or Michael Kijana Wamwalwa.
It is now “a shell party” where its chairman-cum-leader Musikari Kombo was unable to retain his own Webuye parliamentary seat. Yet, the party is talking of seeking the presidency through the same Kombo.
Give me a break. If the former Local Authorities Minister couldn’t retain a parliamentary seat and it took PNU to nominate him to the National Assembly, how could he or his party think of positioning themselves for a national office? Democratic Party is another one.
Once the President’s own party, its top official, Secretary-General Joseph Munyao, failed to retain a parliamentary seat he has held for three terms. The former Livestock and Fisheries Development Minister fell victim to the ODM-Kenya wave in Ukambani region. This party’s stronghold is also in the Mt Kenya region, Kibaki’s turf. It is the same story with Safina. The party leader (owner) and former Kikuyu MP Paul Muite was defeated by a little known Lewis Nguyai Nganga.
Do I need to say more here? Boldly speaking, if President Kibaki is serious in his plans to form a strong united PNU party then he needs to flex his political muscle now rather than later. To compete with ODM in the next election PNU need to be a strong united party and not a party of parties as is the case right now.
Those who want to board the PNU train would do so and those who don’t will opt out and they will part ways.
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Why are these Central MPs jittery?
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
JULY 20, 2008
Central Province legislators should stop whinning and acting as primadonas. They are trying to paint an impression of a witch-hunt. That Cabinet Ministers from their native province are being singled out by their National Assembly colleagues to be driven out of office in disgrace. This cannot be further from the truth. Take the former Finance Minister, for instance.
Amos Kimunya was not singled out because he was from Central Province, or simply because he is supposedly close to President Mwai Kibaki. The reality is that the Kipriri Member of Parliament is alleged to have acted inappropriately, against the laid down procedure in the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel. It has since emerged that the former Finance Minister contravened the Public Procurement and Disposal Act and the Privitisation Act. And if you ask any Kenyan (other than those from Kipiriri) about the two-term Kipiriri MP they will say he is as arrogant as they come. Many people suspect that the one time Lands and Settlement Minister’s condescending attitude towards his Cabinet colleagues and fellow lawmakers might have been the catalyst that pushed him over the cliff.
Just rewind what happened during the no-confidence vote against him, not a single MP stood up to defend him. This says a lot about Kimunya’s relationship with his colleagues and it has nothing to do with being from Central Province. Enter Uhuru Kenyatta. The mistakes the Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister committed while serving as the Local Government minister have nothing to do with being from Central.
The threat of a censure motion against Uhuru or a probe by the appropriate parliamentary committee is not an effort to embarrass President Kibaki. The Gatundu South MP’s error when he ignored the Electoral Commission of Kenya’s list when nominating councillors. It appears that Uhuru broke the law; it is as simple as that.
The former Local Authorities Minister went to the extent of even ignoring the ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu’s letter of February 28. Like the Grand Regency Hotel saga on Kimunya, this one on Uhuru is not made up allegations or charges. If these legislators painting an impression that Cabinet Ministers from their native province are being singled out by their National Assembly colleagues are politicians worth their salt, why didn’t any one of them stand up in the august House to defend their brethren Kimunya during the no confidence vote? Where were they during Kimunya’s hour of need? The way they are acting now is as if they will defend one of their own even if suspected of corruption or abuse of office.
Now their chorus in defending the ministers is that the ministers are perceived to be close to the President hence the onslaught. All of a sudden Uhuru is being considered to be close to the President.
Isn’t Uhuru the same person who agreed to be used by former President Daniel arap Moi to spoil for Kibaki in 2002 General Election? Had it not been for Raila Odinga, Prof George Saitoti, Kalonzo Musyoka and other courageous politicians who defied Moi to joined hands with Kibaki, Kijana Wamwalwa, Charity Ngilu and other like minded Opposition leaders to defeat the ‘Project Uhuru’, Kibaki would never had become the third president of Kenya.
Let us face it, the only reason why Uhuru is a Deputy Prime Minister is because President Kibaki is returning a favour to the country’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta who happens to be Uhuru’s father. It is as simple as that.
Boldly speaking, lest the Central Kenya MPs forget, Kenyans outside the Mt Kenya region took it in stride when Kibaki picked Uhuru as the Deputy Prime Minister when the President and the Chief Justice both hail from the province. That is apart from the Finance and Justice Ministers dockets’ all being under the hands of Central Kenya politicians.
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Pecking order in Govt needs to be redefined
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
July 20, 2008
The question of protocol and the hierarchy when it comes to the two offices, that of the Vice President (OVP) and that of the Prime Minister (OPM) ought to be solved in the new constitution.
That is if we are going to retain both the offices, but dealing with this issue of “protocol and the hierarchical order” today, bar the legal language, it is as simple as it is complex.
It is simple, because by going with the existing Constitution, even when you take into consideration the very recent amendments that created the three offices of the Prime Minister and that of the two Deputy Prime Ministers, the Vice President remains the principal assistant to the President and continues to remain the second in command.
By virtue of these duties and responsibilities the office of the V-P remains senior to that of the Prime Minister. Really, it is as simple as that. The complex part of this question is the current Grand Coalition Government.
The Grand Coalition Government was established as result of negotiations and agreement, the national peace accord, that came about between the two principals; President Mwai Kibaki (PNU/ODM Kenya alliance) on one side and Raila Odinga, the Orange Democratic Movement on the other.
It was the best power-sharing arrangement that came out of the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan-led mediation talks. Without this agreement, and the formation of the Grand Coalition Government, the country was already becoming unmanageable and was on its way to disintegrate into a failed state. In the Grand Coalition arrangement Raila became the Prime Minister.
It is against this backdrop that Raila is one of the two “principals” of the GCG (power-sharing arrangement government) and is supposed to be equal to the President or at least second it terms of pecking order, but definitely not below any other person or office for that matter. Raila proposed all the names of his fifty-percent share to be appointed to the Cabinet.
No Cabinet on Raila’s side can be fired without the PM being consulted and agreeing to the firing. That is the reason why in the eyes of the public and in reality Raila is senior to Kalonzo Musyoka in the GCG. Hence Dr Bonny Khalwale, Ikolomani MP (New Ford-K) pointing out that the public impression was that Raila was senior to Kalonzo.
But when it comes to their respective offices it is vice versa. It is also the reason we see the US and the UK governments are treating Raila as very senior leader in the country and government, equally or at least second only to the President. The invitation of both the President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila by the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is a case in point.
Take it another step further. If Raila were to resign today, the GCG collapse and the country will have to return to the polls again. But if Kalonzo were to do the same, another individual from the PNU side will be appointed the new V-P, the Government will not collapse.
That is why the issue of protocol and hierarchy is as simple as it as complex. After the GCG, it does not mean in the future (even using the current Constitution as it is today) the OPM shall be senior to that of the V-P, it will still be inferior so to speak, but it will be understandable.
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Why all this anti-Mwakwere agenda by the media?
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
June 29, 2008
Since the era of the John Michuki when he headed the Ministry of Transport, Kenyans were erroneously made to associate the Ministry’s core duty and responsibility to be that of supervising the Matutu industry. First and foremost, there is a need for everyone to understand and appreciate the fact that the supervision of the matatu menace is not the core duty of the Ministry of Transport alone.
In addition, for the most efficient management of the Matatu industry requires the work of at least three ministries — a tripartite factor. The Ministry of Transport is responsible for the formulation of transport rules and regulations.Next comes in the Provincial Administration and National Security docket for effective traffic police law enforcement of those rules and regulations. The then Roads and Public Works portfolio is crucial because it is this Ministry’s responsibility to building and maintaining the roads.
Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere’s achievements are underestimated because the Matuga MP does not go out of his way to publicize them. The excellent work being done by the Ministry under his watch is not being highlighted by the local media because it will paint the Minister positively. When admirable work is done by this docket under its various departments, agencies and parastatals, the media always go at every length to give credit to the individuals heading those departments, agencies and parastatals and totally ignoring the Minister. But when censure is to be made on the Ministry, then that blame is heaped on the Minister in a form of banner headlines.
Take the case of the multi-billion shillings airports expansions at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Moi International, and Kisumu Airport.We hardly see the Minister given credit.Even bigger strides have been achieved at the Mombasa port. Kenya Ports Authority recently announced the completion of the automation of waterfront cargo operations at the Mombasa port. This waterfront project, according the KPA, kicked off in 2006 and was developed at a cost of Sh200 million and is now complete. But we don’t read this accomplishment being credited to the Minister for Transport.
But when other Ministers speak only on their intensions, when they just think of something they intend to do in their respective ministries, the public is showered with the news of these Ministers “intentions” as if they have already achieved what they intend to do.In fact in some extreme instances, the media even ignore real breaking news that positively reflects the Mwakwere, steal his thunder and in a biased move give it to one of their darlings.
An excellent example of stealing the thunder was a story in one of the local dailies titled; “Raila reaps more goodies for Kenya.” The story read in part: “Prime Minister Raila Odinga reaped more goodies for Kenya during his American trip when he signed an agreement that opens the route for Kenya Airways direct flights to the US.Raila and American Secretary of Transport Mary Peters signed the US-Kenya Open Skies Agreement for direct flights for airlines from both countries…Raila signed the agreement with Peters just a day after the approval by congressmen, agencies and key US financiers to endorse Sh5.8 billion funding for rehabilitation following post-election violence.”
The fact of the matter is that if you remove Raila’s name, the rest is true. Sadly, with a hidden agenda, the particular daily gave the unsuspecting public a total fabrication of facts; Prime Minister Raila did not sign the agreement with the US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Our Transport Minister Mwakwere did, because by law only the Transport Minister can sign such an agreement. But another daily had a photo that clearly showed Ms Peters and Mwakwere signing the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (Basa), also known as US-Kenya Open Skies Agreement that will provide for direct flights for airlines from both countries.
This Open Skies Agreement was not just an agreement secured and signed during Raila’s three day visit to the US as the newspaper would like us to believe. It was a project that the Narc government’s Ministry of Transport (yes, under Mwakwere) has been working on for sometime. As attested by Mwakwere who noted: “It’s been a long process of negotiations.” Earlier in the year then newly appointed Transport Permanent Secretary Abdulrazaq Adan was in the US to tie up the final touches and set the ground for the official signing by the two countries’ ministers.With every European country demanding Kenyans in transit (through their respective airports) obtain transit visas, this Open Skies Agreement which will start direct flights between the two countries will come along way in alleviating this hassle of obtaining visas and of course the cost of getting it. But the story made it appear that, it was only PM Raila who brought goodies to Kenya during his three day visit to the US; as opposed to have been the work of Mwakwere who was responsible for the Open Skies agreement. It is one thing to love to hate a politician or politicians, but it is completely another when media people change facts to suit their hidden agenda.
Coast MPs need to get down to work
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
June 08, 2008
This column congratulates the Bahari MP Ben Fondo Gunda for his election as the new chairman of the Coast Parliamentary Group, a bipartisan regional parliamentary caucus. It was very encouraging and it gave the caucus’ election some sort of legitimacy when it saw 16 out of the 21 lawmakers from the region participating in the election.One would hope that this time around the region’s legislators, both veterans and first timers, will resolve to seriously and genuinely work together for the interest of their constituents in particular and the region in general.
In his acceptance speech the first term Bahari MP aptly noted, “My biggest challenge now is to ensure that all the MPs stick together.If we push things as a group, the Government will have to act because we have a big bloc that can make a lot of difference in 2012.”I must add that it doesn’t do the region any good when the area MPs are affiliated with different political parties, and they are usually seen to be fighting ‘other peoples’ wars’ the same way African presidents used to fight the two superpowers wars in their regions. Our lawmakers are scattered everywhere, in PNU, ODM, KANU, ODM- Kenya, Narc-Kenya and KADU-Asili, the only home grown party.It is against this backdrop that I would remind the Coast MPs to read and ponder seriously the comments penned by columnist Njuguna Mutonya in one of the local dailies titled “Coast MPs had better be serious”.
I thought the columnist was hit the mark on the nail and was right on the money when noted: “Every beginning of a parliamentary term since the advent of political pluralism in the early 1990s, Coast politicians declare their independence from the rest of the country to make some nice-sounding declarations about how they wish to change the region’s politics and boost its economy.“ There was no need for Mutonya to apologize by saying ‘Forgive my scepticism, but we have heard all this drivel before.’ Many Coast people agree with the columnist that they have heard that drivel before.
I say no apologies needed because the columnist who is not even a Coastal native did the lawmakers a favour by telling them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.Talking about ‘the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’, for instance, ‘why would the Magongo-Jomvu road, which is lined by some of the largest industrial parks in Mombasa, is impassable almost 20 years since Ramadhan Kajembe first became an MP’ as noted by the columnist.Other issues the columnist raised, is ‘why the fishermen of Faza, Kiwayuu, Pate and Lamu Kisiwani cannot have cold storage facilities’ while the area MP Abu Chiaba was and still remains Fisheries assistant minister. With four full Cabinet ministers and seven assistant ministers the region has never had such political achievement in terms of Cabinet appointments.The region’s backbenchers need to work with their colleagues who are in the cabinet to deliver for the region. I would boldly remind them that ‘while successive MPs keep complaining about what the rest of the country owes Coast province, their colleagues from other areas tackle local issues.’
http://www.kenyatimesonline.com/content.aspcatid=5&articleId=933catid=5&articleId=933
This Jacorrosi garbage deal really stinks
SUNDAY TIMES
BOLD SCRIPTS
April 27, 2008
The way in which the waste management deal that was supposedly given to an Italian firm Jacorrosi Impresse smells corruption all over.Any reasonably thinking individual could raise several questions. Why would the Kisauni MP Hassan Joho involve himself in municipal affairs in a business deal worth several billion shillings if he is not set to gain financially?
Coast could be 'the biggest loser'
BOLD SCRIPTS
April, 13, 2008
In the United States there is a reality television show called ‘The Biggest Loser.’ In this show participants, men and women all of them fat (overweight individuals), compete in reducing (losing) their body weight in the presence of all kinds of enticing eatable niceties such as cakes, sandwiches, chocolates et al. The whole idea of this show is that every participant endeavors to become the winner by being the biggest loser in losing their weight. Hence the winner of this TV reality show is the “the biggest loser”.
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BOLD SCRIPTS
SUNDAY TIMES
March, 23, 2008
Much has been commented pertaining to the selections and appointments of the two Deputy Prime Ministers’ positions that were created by the latest constitutional amendment.Before William Ruto courageously endorsed his party’s presidential running mate, Musalia Mudavadi, to one of the two posts, every tribe was pushing for one of their own to be named to the two coveted spots from amongst their respective political parties.
By OMAR AHMED ALI
MARCH, 2008
THE 62 million dollar question is this; is Ambassador Chirau Ali Mwakwere the emerging Coast political leader? Should his recent elevation to be the region’s populous Mijikenda community spokesperson be read as a sign of more things to come for this humble Matuga MP?Does this elevation of Mwakwere mean he can not be ignored by NARC Kenya in the race for the vice presidential candidacy within the president’s party?
Has he changed the equation of who is going to be the next Kibaki VP should he opt not to pick Moody Awori?
To answer these questions and many more, one has to dig deeper, analyse, and appreciate the intricate politics of Coast province. It is a fact that the seaside province lacks a political leader with a charisma and influence to rally the people by cutting across religious and tribal and party lines. The Transport minister is perhaps the contemporary politician from the region who fits the profile to be the region’s next political leader.
The challenges and hurdles facing the Coastal people when it comes to a unified political leader is the fact that the province is not a tight knit homogeneous society like Central and North Eastern provinces. There are three main tribal and two religious groupings that in one way or another make matters very complex for the province. The tribal groupings include the populous Mijikenda, the Waswahili/Arabs and the upper-Coast based Taitas/Tavetas communities.
The two religious groupings are of course the majority Muslims and the strong Christianity presence led by Rev. Kalu, a Mijikenda himself.Within the Mijikenda (sub-tribes) community there are complex divisions in itself. One major division is the fact that you find the populous Digos who 99 per cent plus adhere to Islamic faith, culturally attached to their Mijikenda kinsmen but connected religiously with their Waswahili/Arabs Muslim brethren and other Kenyan Muslims. The Giriama together with the rest of the smaller sub-tribes majority being Christians —there is a good percentage of Muslims too in this group —whereas they are culturally connected to the Digos, they also identify themselves with the rest of the Christians in the country.
The Taitas/Tavetas on their part regard themselves more as ‘up-country Kenyans’ than being Coastal people. This is perhaps because of the proximity of their location to the ‘up-country Kenya’ and the fact that majority of them are Christian adherents, the majority religion in ‘up-country’ Kenya.The Waswahili and Arab communities although separate communities, are erroneously counted or bundled as one community in many spheres simply because they both happen to be hundred percent Muslims hence share common Islamic culture.
The Waswahili and Arab communities also have their own complex issues although this is not the right forum to discuss them.Having given this background there is one fundamental common mistake committed frequently by non-native Coastal political commentators, news analysts and journalists when penning political analyses about the region’s politics and Waswahili and Arabs communities. For instance, in their various analyses they only focus on the politics of Mombasa. To them Waswahili, Arabs and Mombasa is ‘what matters’ at the Coast. In addition, these people have a tendency to always consider Mombasa politics to be the politics of the province, as if Mombasa is Coast and Coast is Mombasa. The Mombasa politics that have been personified for many years by the then long serving Mvita MP and former cabinet member the late Sharrif Nassir and later in years by the former Kisauni MP and cabinet minister, Karisa Maitha.The reality is that majority of Waswhaili and Arabs are not restricted to residing in Mombasa only.
And Coast politics transcend outside the province’s largest metropolitan to as far-flung as Kiunga, Faza and Wasini.Here is one political reality that commentators either deliberately ignore or perhaps lack clear understanding of the political realities of the region. The late Ronald Ngala being the exception to the rule, no Coast politician can become the province’s political leader’, kingmaker, or Mugogo, if he or she does not meet two main pre-requites amongst others qualifications. The kicker is that the person must hail from the Mijikenda community and in tandem must be a Muslim. The reason behind is pretty simple — Mijikenda is the most populous group in the province hence you must earn its respect and support.Islam is the predominant religion in the province; Muslims in the region will not accept any one who does not believe in Allah as the region’s leader. All other qualifications, including being aMombasa politician, a cabinet minister, assistant minister, are mere secondary.
The region has witnessed ‘claimers to the throne’ in the name of late Nassir and Maitha. With due respect to the two deceased individuals, these two former Mombasa politicians were claimers to the throne both of them separately came short of one of the two prerequisite for the coveted throne. Nassir was a Mombasa KANU strongman and former President Daniel arap Moi’s Coast’s point man and nothing more. Maitha on his part was Mombasa’s Kibaki-led Democratic Party strongman and the president’s point man in the province. Although the one time Local Government Minister liked to consider himself (and wanted other people to consider him) a Mugogo, he died never attaining such title.
The reason why the former Mvita and Kisauni lawmakers could not become the province’s political leaders is because although a Muslim, Nassir was not a Mijikenda.As for Maitha although he was a Mijikenda from the populous Giriama sub-tribe he was not a Muslim. I guess that is the reason why it was rumoured that Maitha secretly converted to Islam in an effort to get the legitimacy of becoming the political leader of the region.One can be their respective political parties’ regional coordinators, or strongmen/women for the lack of a better word, but they are not necessarily the regional political leaders. With due respect to the Garsen MP Dunson Mungatana, he is too young, both in his age and politically to appreciate these realities. He came across as making too much noise and was being confused to be ascending to the regional political leadership.This brings me to see the political importance of the elevation of the Transport minister as the Mijikenda community’s spokesperson. This is perhaps the beginning of the ascending of diplomat-turned politician to the vacuum position of the Coastal political leader. Mwakwere can not be the province’s political leader if he does not want to take the mantle.
It is high time for Mwakwere to assume the mantle of the unelected Coast political leadership position that has remained vacant for a long time. The province needs someone who can work for them, can look after their interests et al.The opportunity has presented itself and he meets the two pre-requisites needed for the position. Mwakwere can be the needed bridge between the differences the Coastal people have. In addition he fits the profile of ‘that missing leader’. He is a Mijikenda from the populous Digo community and is also a Muslim. He is the most educated and with the most government experience of any individual sent to parliament in the history of Coast province.Although he is not the darling of the press, in fact the media love to hate him. But for those who know him, the Matuga MP is a very humble politician.
Despite his closeness to President Mwai Kibaki, the man is still humble and never cocky or arrogant. Listen to what he said upon his elevation to be his community’s spokesperson: “I am not a king of the community but just their spokesman, each one of us is a leader in our own right.” Unlike some politicians one hardly sees the Matuga MP chest-thumping. He works very well with President Kibaki, his cabinet colleagues and fellow lawmakers.Looking at his background, this is an individual who started his career from the scratch as a school teacher in Kilifi district who was ambitious and eventually attained two degrees from two highly respected United Kingdom’s universities. In his earlier life the Matuga MP spent many years in Mombasa while teaching at the then MIOME, now Mombasa Polytechnic. He was also the pioneer Principal of Kenya Ports Authority’s Bandari College. Before venturing into politics, he had served our country diligently as our diplomat in Zimbabwe and in the United Arab Emirates.It is high time that a Coastal politician is considered for the number two slot and there is no better individual from the province who fits such a profile and who is close to the president than the Matuga lawmaker. When would the smaller Kenyan communities be able to at least have a vice president of the country?
If the time will ever come for some one from a smaller community be named to the number two slot, then that time is in this year’s general election and no other. It is under Kibaki that the Coast people have been treated as equal citizens of Kenya in terms of appointments and spearheading developments. By picking Mwakwere as his running mate Kibaki will satisfy two major constituencies in tandem, — the Coast province and the entire Kenya Muslim community.
http://www.timesnews.co.ke/09jan07/editorials/comm1.html
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