From the look of things, the next President of Kenya is likely to inherit more problems than any other leader in the world. In fact, the situation will become more complicated when the newly appointed President begins to fiddle with reforms.
Unless the incumbent, President Uhuru Kenyatta, prepares the ground for his successor in the remaining 90 days, the fifth president is not likely to be popular, at least in his first five years.
This is the time, therefore, for Uhuru to show statesmanship. Will he seize the moment? Or does he want the incoming president to fail so Kenyans say Uhuru was better?
If the economy collapses on President Ruto or Raila’s watch, people will blame the current administration. Our economy is already on the brink and primed to crash soon owing to the high prices of fuel and commodities.
Poverty and high rate of unemployment rule the roost in over 85 per cent of Kenyan households today. The cost of electricity is abnormally high. There is no clean water and the little that is available is costly. Our roads are in deplorable condition and our education is not useful for the majority. Our politics is dirty and unsustainable.
Clearly, nothing short of a revolution is required to reverse the current state of affairs.
If you are a fan of this administration, you must be man or woman enough to admit that things have not turned out well. However, to say Uhuru has achieved nothing is to go overboard. No single president can transform Kenya overnight, no matter the grandiose promises in their manifestos.
I always theorise that developmental governance is like a relay. Uhuru has done his part and deserves recognition and commendation. The incoming president will build on many of Uhuru’s achievements, especially infrastructure.
Since he is not going to re-contest, Uhuru would turn into a hero if he elects to lead a revolution aimed at rescuing this sinking ship called Kenya before he hands over after August 9. It will do well for governors, both outgoing and those who will be re-elected, to toe the same line for the sake of the nation.
As things stand today, our Parliament is not helpful to the common mwananchi. It is being tolerated instead of being respected by the Executive as a necessary evil. In Kenya today, Parliament only has its say while the Executive has its way. It has sidestepped its mandate and succumbed to pressure from the Executive.
What happened to the checks and balances envisaged in the constitutional principle of separation of powers? When Parliament becomes a sellout in any democracy, it is bye-bye to wananchi's freedoms because parliamentarians are supposed to represent the grassroots.
Members of Parliament are supposed to hold Parliament accountable to the plebs. Otherwise, who will checkmate the Executive when the institution mandated to do so has gone to bed with it? Our Parliament, like the biblical Esau, has sold its democratic rights to the Executive. Had I the powers, none of the current members of Parliament would find their way back into the hallowed chambers after the August 9 polls.
These children of corruption are ripping off the poor people they represent by abdicating their sacred duty of holding the government accountable. Instead, they are after aggrandising their filthy lucre without an iota of shame. If I had the powers, I would say ‘their place, let another take’.
The national leaky bucket where these opportunistic individuals are feeding from has a million holes but do they care?
As we approach August 9, my strong admonition to Kenyans is to identify good leaders with impeccable credentials. No questionable certificates. I strongly refuse to believe that our nation lacks good men and women capable of reordering our value system.
The unsung men and women among us must be unearthed to bring back our lost glorious days. We must stop sitting on the fence as mindless people mortgage the future of our children.
The writer sells bananas in the streets of Kisii town. [email protected]
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