NAKHURENYA: Time to heal a divided nation, rebuild economy

The polls period ended after the Supreme Court upheld the election of William Ruto as President.

After months of protracted campaigns, Kenyans can now report to work and continue with their daily activities to fend for themselves and their families.

While it is very easy to say Kenyans are the winners in the just-concluded election, which has largely been peaceful, we should all appreciate the words of Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu. She frankly said in a legal contest, just like a political battle, there will always be a winner and a loser.

The big question is what next for the new government, if we are to build a cohesive and united country that offers a genuine promise of prosperity to all Kenyans?

The president is under an obligation to fuel national unity by embracing diversity in the appointment of office holders in all the government ministries and diplomats.

A president keen to build true nationalism will not find it hard to carry out the delicate balancing of government appointments that reflect our diversity, which is our strength.

The immediate task that awaits President-elect Ruto is to assemble his Cabinet and other public officers, who will wield state power by assisting the government to deliver on its numerous pledges.

The president, as the appointing authority of the Executive wing of government, holds the key to establishing a united country or running a divided nation for the next five years or more, if reelected.

It is a public secret that Kenyans in the past have registered their disapproval over skewed government appointments, some marred with ethnic inclinations and nepotism. It will be interesting to watch how Ruto will score on this parameter.

It falls upon every generation to chart a new path and that time came for Kenyans to choose between a peaceful election that guarantees national prosperity and violence that waters down the gains made over the years.

The new government takes over a relatively peaceful country but a divided along political lines. This calls for genuine efforts towards the national healing process and building an all-inclusive government.

Amidst the prevailing peace across the country, we should be alive to the fact that the outcome of the August 9 election had nearly 50 per cent of Kenyans who hoped that their candidate will be the tenant at the House on the Hill.

Additionally, there is a need to forge a closer working relationship between the devolved governments and the national government. The national government holds a huge budget that requires fair and equitable distribution through the implementation of key state projects.

Regions that have in the past been confined to underdevelopment should be given attention, if we hope to open up the full potential and opportunities that will help Kenya address some of her most pressing needs such as unemployment and raising standards of living.

Kenyans hope that how we voted will not be the yardstick of service delivery under the new government.

The aspirations of Kenyans and the promise of 2010 Constitution envisions equitable and equal distribution of the national cake. Any attempt to pursue the script of divisive and unfair distribution of national resources offend the constitutional imperatives and serve to negate the gains made under our maturing democracy. It is time for a clean break from government services that appear to be unfair to any part of Kenya, if we hope to unlock hidden potential and opportunities across the country.

Watching the President-elect make his speech immediately after the Supreme Court’s pronouncement that upheld his election as president, there was a general feeling he was gracious and is keen to fuel the hope of uniting the nation.

Respect for the rule of law should be a salient feature of the William Ruto-led government. Kenyans will be happy to note that court directives served on the government of the day will be respected and duly executed unlike what judicial orders have been treated to under the exiting government where Ruto was the Deputy President.

Government officers and servants must know the Judiciary has a cardinal duty of checking excesses of exercising public power. 

The second and major concern among Kenyans is how the new government will revive the ailing economy, which is reeling under heavy international and domestic debts.

It is on record that Kenyans are paying a huge price for the ever-spiralling public debt estimated to be at Sh10 trillion.

The is a need to renegotiate the facilities, cut down future borrowing and find ways of improving the business environment through the so-called hustler fund, come up with business-friendly business policies that will spur economic growth.

There is a need to reform the taxman policies by reducing some of the existing punitive taxes and broadening the tax base. It is beneficial to the economy to ensure businesses that might have escaped the taxman, despite enjoying big business deals from the state operatives, pay tax.

Finally, all citizens are struggling to make the ends meet and those below the pyramid are almost collapsing under the heavy burden of the high cost of living.

The new government ran and won elections on the promise of cutting down the cost of living. With urgency, the government should begin by dishing out low-laying fruits, which include lowering the cost of fuel and farm inputs.

The only big challenge is ensuring Parliament puts in place a policy and legal framework that will guarantee proper checks and balances in the access to government funding for the business.

Nakhurenya Eric is a lawyer and public policy consultant