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| Outgoing President Kibaki hands over the Constitution to Mr Uhuru Kenyatta after he was sworn-in as Kenya’s fourth President at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi on April 9th 2013 (PHOTO CREDIT: NATION MEDIA) |
“Now therefore hearken to their voice; however yet protest solemnly to them, and show them the manner of the King that shall reign over them.”
1 Samuel 8:9
Your Excellency Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, congratulations on being confirmed by the Supreme Court as our fourth President. My advice is offered without solicitations and with no bias as I am not canvassing for any public position and don’t want one.
In 2002, with my then best friend, now Senator Gideon Moi, I offered my all to make you our third President and we paid for it in 2003. Last week, Gideon brought Kanu back to you. From a safe distance, I watched Mwai Kibaki’s 10 years presidency and I want you to avoid his pitfalls.
On April 9, you will be sworn-in as our fourth President. Being the son of our first President, you have indeed established the Kenyatta family as our version of a royal family in a democracy.
America has the Bush Family; we have you. As our elected President, as well as a ‘King’, your responsibilities are higher. You have to be the anti-thesis to the outgoing President Kibaki. When Kibaki hands you our Constitution and the sword on Tuesday, and later State House, let them be the only things he hands over. As to whether Kibaki will be regarded as a successful or failed President is still out in the jury. The true ranking of a leader is done by historians many years when he has ceased being in office. True assessment is done when emotions have disappeared.
However, there are some leaders who are universally recognised as having made positive transformations whilst still in office, and currently, only two stand out, as I mentioned last week; Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Others are recognised for having destroyed their countries while in office and they include Isaias Aferwerki of Eritrea and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Kibaki is yet to be categorised in either.
In victory, don’t suffer from hubris, instead be magnanimous. In 2003, Kibaki’s supporters threw mud at President Moi. As a Kalenjin, that humiliation was etched in our memory. And immediately, all those perceived as Moi’s acolytes and orphans were edged out of public service. Many were hauled to courts on the most flimsy of excuses while others fled the country. Acknowledging the wrongs meted on them can heal the nation. 2003 was annus horribilis for my Kalenjin nation and our involvement in 2007/2008 post-election violence was a catharsis moment.
Kibaki lost an opportunity to heal the nation. Don’t repeat it. Reconcile the whole nation. Let Luos, Kambas and Coastals who didn’t vote for you need not be made losers. Make Raila Odinga Ambassador-at-Large. Democracy doesn’t have winners or losers.
The Kenyan people have bestowed executive authority on you. As your appoint your Cabinet, also take the opportunity to dissolve all State Corporations and recall all our Ambassadors for reconstitution. It was in Kibaki’s presidency that tribalism reached its apogee.
Whenever I blame Kibaki for institutionalising tribalism I’m always reminded that Moi did the same. Kenyans rejected Moism and you in 2002 because of amongst other reasons perception that Moi favoured Kalenjins over other tribes. Kibaki, therefore ought to have de-tribalised Kenya.
He didn’t do. Instead, he allowed, Francis Muthaura and his successor Francis Kimemia to fill every slot in senior echelons of public service with people from Mount Kenya region. If you want poster child of tribalism, look at Mr Amos Kimunya and all State Corporations that fall under ministries he has presided.
Kimunya is a person that should never serve in public service in any capacity. Thank God for little mercies for the people of Kipipiri who rejected him. Your electoral victory allows you and Mr William Ruto to fill the Cabinet positions and other public appointments with your people, but let it not be such that it will scandalise the country.
As you roll out your development agenda and activities, let every part of the country be covered. I maybe the only mad person in town, but Thika Highway at mere 51km and costing us over Sh35 billion is a signature project of Kibaki’s bad economics. I am still waiting to be explained to the economic benefits of this highway. A country the size of Kenya needs at the minimum, over 100,000km of tarmac road, and highways connecting Mombasa and Kisumu, Namanga and Lokichogio, and Busia and Mandera, and all passing through Nairobi.
Every part of Kenya has to have piped drinking water, power supply and medical services. As long as many parts of Kenya are left out, Vision 2030 will be Vision 3020. Develop the country without discrimination. Above all, obey and respect the Constitution.
Our Constitution isn’t the best example of how to write one. It has many inherent contradictions like whether we are a parliamentary or presidential system; whether we are centralised or devolved government. The Chapters on land, environment, leadership and representation of the people are high sounding but just that as there are no coercive powers to implement them. Be that as it may, the new laws gives a faulty but good road map of where we want to go.
Finally, respect promises you made in public and private. Am told but am not sure that Raila was asked to forego his bid in 2002 so that Kibaki will return the favour in 2007. We may never know the truth. You rode to victory on the Jubilee Coalition and that it will form the Government. Keep the promises you made to Kenyans. And honour the private promises you made to Ruto. And don’t destroy CORD. Kenya is a multi-party democracy and the Constitution recognises the integral role of a strong opposition.
In 2002, we gave Kibaki a chance to write his pages of history. We are reviewing it now. Full verdict will come in the fullness of time. From Tuesday, you are beginning your pages. In ancient History, Alexander the Great inherited a small Macedonian Kingdom and made it the greatest Greek Empire, while Romulus Augustulus took over a great Roman Empire and though having the name of the legendary founder of Rome, he brought it to the end. It is in your hand, how you want to be remembered.
The writer is an Advocate of the High Court.
