• Uhuru must stop telling us about not sparing ‘his relatives, friends and allies’, and work behind the scenes with those he has charged with fighting the vice to do their job effectively.
Some have called for the resignation of Cabinet secretaries ostensibly for incompetence. I call on President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the Jubilee government not only for incompetence but for gross betrayal of the citizenry and widespread confusion of the Kenyan populace through its propaganda machinery.
Where initially the renewed fight against corruption appeared well-intentioned and focused, it now looks like a public relations blitz meant to sidetrack Kenyans from other hardships dogging them and assist some politicians enlarge their political space.
In fact, the Jubilee government appears to have given up on its ‘unattainable’ Big Four agenda and made the fight against corruption Uhuru’s only legacy programme. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this. But the problem is, busybodies are making political capital out of the ostensible fight while the effort just marks time.
From Jomo to Moi and their infamous one-party rule to Kibaki, corruption has been a big deal. It has however grown bigger and bolder during Uhuru’s reign and the government cannot escape the blame of creating a conducive environment for it to thrive.
True, successive governments have not acknowledged their role in giving corruption the space within which to flourish, but this government has made an agenda out of politicizing the issue as opposed to fighting it rationally and firmly. Ruffling feathers, use of propaganda and PR blitz campaigns to ostensibly fight corruption while nothing much is really happening, will not stop graft.
Yes, the President has expressed his firm intention to fight corruption, but he now must stop telling us about not sparing ‘his relatives, friends and close political allies’, and work behind the scenes with those he has charged with fighting the vice to do their job effectively.
Politicians from all sides of the political divide must check their rhetoric on the fight against graft and let those charged with fighting it show Kenyans what they are made of. These sleuths must also stop acting to the gallery and do what they were appointed to do.
Politicians should tell us why small businesses have suffered so immensely under this regime. They should tell us why Kenyan businesses are dying at the hands of the Chinese. They must assure Kenyans that we are not headed back to economic slavery 60 years after Independence
It’s all good to have a re-energised director of criminal investigations, a new director of EACC, the suave head of DPP, but these must work ethically; they should not use the media to spread propaganda on ongoing investigations, intended arrests or arrests.
They must be sure about their suspects and crimes before they rush to the media to condemn individuals and cause the splashing on TV screens of ‘stolen billions’ or ‘concrete’ evidence about who has murdered who, but when the matters get to courts of law, these facts are nowhere in the charge sheet. In fact, times are when those depicted as hardcore criminals are later turned to state witnesses.
Of course there is nothing wrong with suspects turning witnesses, but the investigating agencies must take care not to muddy names of Kenyans and then try to cleanse them as state witnesses. Investigating agencies and the DPP should do their work ‘chini ya maji’ to avoid waking the sleeping dogs and minimise chances of taking the wrong persons and/or evidence to court.
But much like in days long gone when the Voice of Kenya was the only TV station and the politician could not open his mouth until the “big camera” was in sight, we now see a DCI and DPP keen on doing everything under the watchful eye of the television camera.
I thought criminal investigations were done on the quiet so as not to alert criminals, who could interfere with evidence, witnesses or simply flee. Where we should be hearing of the stolen billions in court, today the DCI ‘leaks’ information about intended arrests and ensures the media is in position way before he arrives to effect arrests and everything is recorded for the consumption of the gullible public.
Let the DCI and DPP leave the glory of making names to politicians but as they make their names, the politicians from the president down to the MCA, must, for example, ensure those who elected them do not die of hunger. And instead of creating political gain by blaming those who might have made wrong comments on hunger, let’s get together and seek solutions.
The politicians should tell us why small businesses have suffered so immensely under this regime. They should tell us why Kenyan businesses are dying at the hands of the Chinese. They must assure Kenyans that we are not headed back to economic slavery 60 years after Independence.
Politicians should not just tell us about 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary; they must tell us how they are going to staff and decongest our learning institutions. Today our national secondary schools are as crowded as our jails. Instead of living large as its subjects succumb to the ravages of drought and other indignities, this government should just go home.
Independent journalist