REAL CHANGE: RAILA'S 'MIRACLE' FOR KIBAKI

The works, on Friday 18th in The Standard newspaper , of writer Kap-Kirwok R. Jason proves brilliance of thought for change no matter the complexities that come with political reforms. In his piece he argues that ‘significant change cannot be constant’ and that ‘real change in politics is not an everyday phenomenon, it takes decades.

Just like many others it should be noted that Kenyans do not expect ‘miracles’ as was put forward by President Kibaki on Kenyatta Day. He publicly challenged the opposition to make their promises. What we yearn to have is reforms and changes on our politics, governance and leadership.

For some they are the ruin of honest politics and it is better to stand back from the current political commotion. Surprisingly political consultants like the writer et al add little new to the arts of Kenyan political changes. I presume that he gets intellectually richer by selling timeless political half-truths. It is thus time to start to remove the socio-political stigma attached to Raila’s genre of politics.

Indeed Kenyans can give chapter and verse on how Raila has helped bring real changes for the nation. His brilliance as a colossal national leader with humorous and spontaneous fireside chats as catalyst for change beats them all. This has helped him to not only campaign but communicate to the electorate who facilitate change. Or has Raila succeeded in forming ragbag coalitions as he politically moves leftwards away from his people? I beg to differ.

The writer chooses to grasp the elementary of our independence and multipartyism as the only changes by overlooks reality by refusing to recognise change that ended Moi’s ‘dictatorship-under-multipartyism’ in 2002. May be Raila is still fighting for change that was to be achieved under the NARC dream team but the spirit went against the wishes of Kenyans by a few elite.

Why does government refuse to focus on issues long since abandoned by NARC-constitution within 100 days, 500,000 job opportunities per year and the MOU bargain for future leadership?

Isn’t this a counter-change effect meant to put pressure on government to listen to the wishes of the majority?

In ‘The Old Man and the Medal’, by Cameroonian writer Ferdinand Oyono , part of the book reads as follows; ‘with pride Meka first hears he is to receive a medal. While waiting for the ceremony, however, his pride gives way to scepticism, so that the dominant thought is how long he must wait before he can relieve himself…’

In Kenyan politics the dominant truth is how long President Kibaki would wait to accept that he may no longer be suitable for re-election as president for going against the MOU, keeping in mind that he was brought to power through Raila’s 2002 reformation. Thus is real change or any other change more generational than ideological? Is it time-bound?

I wonder why the writer defines real change in a dualistic manner. As in ‘to change, you have to be changed; order requires disorder and disorder needs order’. Can’t the writer be multi-plistic, relativistic and ethical in thought beyond dualism?

Should change only be seen to be paradoxical like the life of an organism? What about being ethical where the best among many are amalgamated to become united but ideologically different - as in a coalition?

Is it ethical to be reduced to a slave in order to make a great king?

Is it a matter of life against death at the expense of ‘living a just life’? I mean, literally having ‘death in our lives’ ass in having injustices prescribed amongst stooges and voters.

Again, in ‘The Old Man and the Medal’ , Engamba asks, ‘what have we got in this country’? Nothing! Nothing! Not even the liberty to refuse their (colonialists) gifts. Remember the electoral freebies for votes that real constitutional changes. More so can politics as an avenue for change ‘self-organize’ and ‘self-disorganize’ itself, like an organism, without the involvement of ‘life’ and reform minded politicians?

Or is Raila being seen only as a ‘catalyst’ for reforms, change and good leadership that are still lacking?

Back to party and national politics. Kenyans are marvelling at the ineptitude of Kibaki’s PNU’s ‘confusion’, aggression from ODM and the anaesthetised politics of ODM-Kenya.

Certainly PNU policies are worthless as long as voters harbour doubt about the party’s structures, values and motives. Tough voters may admire the government’s economic commitment to relatively self-funded public governance, they are not certain that PNU would deliver on its values as compared to NARC’s in 2002. Unfortunately Kenya does not have parameters to reflect on unemployment, insecurity, poverty and that GDP alone cannot be used to measure such.

More recently the resonance of Raila’s and ODM’s federalism value of democratic freedom and economic self-reliance has been muffled by the perception that it is an excuse for selfishness and tribalism. What would writer Kap-Kirwok Jason as a political consultant demand from PNU leadership so as to help dispense Raila’s political wisdom? Or would he rather be royal and stagnant? Running against Raila’s dispensation would be certain defeat. The writer should certainly muse as to how Raila can accept to campaign against himself.

I refuse to accept that the writer is part of those supporting the centralisation of power and resources as they paint Raila as power hungry, selfish and a tribalist, uninterested in the fate and fortunes of ordinary Kenyan citizens.

For example instead of opposing federalism government and PNU ought to produce a 2008-2012 blueprint on governance defining a set of finely honed ideologies that can be scrutinised detail by detail against what is available now an that of ODM as promises.

Previously the banana team fought and lost the referendum much as how PNU is fighting ODM,-running against policies that are essentially popular for the majority. Kibaki intends to fight Raila at the polls come December as he did with the reformer t the plebiscite. Results are yours to worry about.

I wonder what makes voters believe in having a rather ‘free-state-funded’ education for all by allowing ourselves to be impoverished economically through over-taxation.

The best we can have is to empower taxpayers to afford education using a reformist system that guarantees efficiency and diversity for all. We should refuse to be like political organisms for biological purposes.

Regards,
Mundia Mundia Jnr