KENDO: Opportunists gather to plunder

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Aspirants for elective seats who were under pressure to account for their performance have reinvented themselves.

I wrote this column from Homa Bay County, where citizen groups — Bunge La Wananchi —  were demanding change and accountability.

But incumbents have grabbed a second helping through consensus. They hope to continue riding on public desperation, and are taking credit for shoddy oversight of public expenditure. They expect the electorate to thank automated money machines for giving out the cash banks keep, often without earning interest.

Low civic consciousness serves the political class. The incumbents, and those who seek to replace them, prefer the masses remain illiterate and hungry — a cheering mass of desperadoes. Bunge La Wanainchi have posters, saying, "Don't vote for people of questionable integrity — people who cannot account for Sh60 billion during the decade of devolved funds."

The posters target aspirants who have served in the county. This is a county where taxpayers are yet to enjoy proceeds of devolution. It's also a county where allegations of corruption trend.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has always ignored these allegations, and reported cases of corruption have not been investigated. The Auditor General's annual reports of abuse of public funds are gathering dust and citizen accountability efforts have been suppressed.

The silence or complicity of anti-corruption agencies feeds impunity, while the inaction emboldens the suspects. They believe impunity is the 'modus operandi' in public offices. Ghost projects are the signatures of the legacy of the first governor: The county stadium is stalled — a symbol of stunted dreams. The stadium was being marketed as 'international', 'Olympic size', and complete. This column raised the issue in December 2019.

The county executive response was denial as an advertisement in the local dailies. No such stadium, not even one fit for playing primary school matches exists in Homa Bay town, the county headquarters. 

Large county meetings are held at Homa Bay Secondary School or the one-acre Rose Muhando Garden. The governor will leave before the stadium is complete. He is also retiring without building the governor's residence, or completing the Gendia-Kadongo Road. His rural home is along this road.

About Sh1 billion was paid to truant contractors. Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital is a dust-colored, tiny structure built in 1957.  The former Masawa Hotel, tiny and crowed, with surfeit staff and rent-seekers, still houses the governor's office.

A key plunk of the county executive, Isaiah Ogwe, who was running for governor to succeed Cyprian Awiti, until last week, has dropped the callous bid. But he will still be an insider of the county regime through the consensus.

Ogwe was the county secretary for the decade Awiti has been governor.  Awiti's final term ends with the general election due in four months. The county has suffered low aspirations under Awiti's lackluster leadership. Other enablers of the Awiti regime such as MPs have regrouped to continue the sham.

County assembly members, who have abetted the mess, are seeking re-election. Others have taken queues behind aspirants with questionable records.

Another poster warns: "Beware of the one who cannot account for Sh640m in public money. Be warned of Akuba lackeys. No movement from 'Rabolo Idho Tek to Jokuo Mako Tek."

The consensus among gubernatorial aspirants nullifies this wisdom. After a decade of Awiti aka 'Rabolo Idho Tek' ( a banana is hard to climb), citizens should prepare for 'Jokuo Mako Tek'. Literally, thieves are hard to arrest — an obvious reference to Eacc's failure to prosecute corruption suspects.

Suffering citizens have two choices: Elect those who have mismanaged public funds or weaponize the vote to claim the promises of devolution.