The chameleon face of Members of Parliament in Kenya

‘To be a successful politician in Kenya you need to be a skilful liar, dishonest person and a corrupt individual’ this was a summary that I got from an argument that ensued between some friends of mine. I have no better words to sum up, I only rest my case. A Member of Parliament will tactfully paint an image of a mortal or a saint but on the inside a chameleon is being given birth to.

I have keen eyes on politics. I have tried to seek answers and look for divine intervention, on why our honorable Members of Parliament have cultivate a culture of impunity of self serving interests and self righteousness. However, I am also not able to get a clear cut answer on what transforms a near saint, initially seen as honorable member into a chameleon.

The constitution has made it possible for youthful prospects to take up politics as a dream career choice. The number of political vacancies has increased with the coming of county governments. There is a tremendous likelihood that the current seating politicians will face stiff competition based on how their performances are rated. Who will blame the ambitious youth if they didn’t know why and how, some of these crop of politicians are swimming in glory?  

Pseudo (false) promises

 ‘I will do this and I will do that’ …Do you remember the promise of a constitution in 100 days before and after the 2002 election, and did it come to pass? What was the lie all about?

‘I will ensure that all youth in my constituency are employed. I will build roads and hospitals immediately you make me your Member of Parliament,’ these and many others are the typical examples of promises made by aspiring politicians.

The new constitution cushions Kenyans against unscrupulous and self seeking politicians. Members of Parliament recently, went against the spirit and letter of the Constitution by literally and negatively exchanging with Kenya Revenue Authority with the aim of trying to assert some force of rejecting to pay tax.

The argument presented by Members of Parliament was infect a pre-agreement between themselves, the Executive and KRA that promised MPs they will be exempted from taxation until the end of their current term. This is an agreement that doesn’t augur well with the people of Kenya. First it is because it was done behind the scenes and secondly it is against what Kenyans wanted.

What about when Political leaders promised that Provincial Administration under PCs will not be abolished? It is now very clear that the stage is set for appointments of 47 new administrators to be posted to devolved governments as county co-coordinators to replace Provincial Commissioners.

Party hooping

The political party’s bill in its initial composition was noble. Its intent was to ensure that politicians and members of a political party don’t wake up one early morning and decide they are joining another party the next day and seek to be elected in that party.

It is sadistic that MPs decided to amend the political party’s bill, without putting into consideration that this is a bill that’s supposedly carter for future generations. If effected, then we will see opportunistic politicians jumping from one party to another without any fundamental and political argument that is deviant to his thinking.

Wife bartering a primitive affair

‘The night was filled with unbelievable screams of medieval memories of bloody lashings of human body. Apparently Jane had lost her memory of that particular night, and what had happened after they’d settled at home after the dinner party. Her lifeless body was lying on a bed at the Intensive Care Unit of the Nairobi Women Hospital in Nairobi.’

Silent on Famine! Mr. Government Spokesman

The government, the government, the government!!!  What the hell don’t we know about the government of Kenya? If it isn’t Corruption its tribalism and nepotism, if it isn’t coalition standoffs it is Executive verses legislature wrangles. It’s a replica with honesty verses dishonesty, inaction versus action, anti-reformers verse reformers etc.

You really annoy me my brother, you should have kept mum if you didn’t have words to say. People are dying and it is extremely disappointing that you have said that food and resources are available to avert this crisis yet the pictorials that we see each day and night are alarming and unforgivable. Are we talking of citizens of this country or are we in different zones?

The Life and times of retired president Daniel Arap Moi

After serving Kenyans as a legislator for more than 24 years, retired President Daniel Arap Moi would arguably go down in the annals of history as one of the longest serving African leaders.

The self-styled professor of politics’ tenure as the second president of the Independent Kenya began in August 1978 following the demise of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta; the founding father of our nation.

It ended rather sourly in January 2003 when opposition leader Emilio Mwai Kibaki took oath of office receiving the reigns of power from the incumbent.

Mwai Kibaki of NARC (National Rainbow Coalition) had earlier labouredly trounced a host of other presidential candidates in a hotly contested election, including Daniel Arap Moi’s heir apparent Uhuru Kenyatta (KANU) to become Kenya’s new Chief Executive Officer.

It was indeed a sorry, unprecedented sight to see the euphoric mammoth crowd at Uhuru park bid the outgoing president farewell with Jeers while the incoming wheelchair bound after a frisky rood accident received wild cheers.

Today as he basks in retirement enjoy his favorite glass of musk and perhaps some boiled maize, Daniel arap Moi, Celebrity in Kenya must be keenly watching the current political scenario with a lot of interest in comparison of his 24 reign as president.

DANIEL ARAP MOI’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Daniel Arap Moi was born on the 2^nd September 1924 in Sacho, Baringo district in the expansive Rift Valley province. Having lost his father Kemoi Chebii at a very tender age, Daniel Arap Moi was brought up single handedly by his mother and it was not until he attained the age of 10 that he was able to join African Inland Mission School for his primary school education.

After secondary school, Daniel Arap Moi enrolled at Tambach Teachers College to train as a teacher. However, his career as teacher was short-lived. In the 1955 whilst teaching at the government African School in Kabarnet, Daniel Arap Moi decided to quit teaching to venture into politics. It is believed that Moi felt persuaded to swap the classroom for the political stage after he had an encounter with a group of freedom fighters hiding from colonial forces. He fed them for close to a fortnight before they left with his unreserved blessings and sympathy.

Being a staunch Christian, Moi was reportedly deeply saddened and touched by the plight of the freedom fighters in their relentless quest to see Kenya at last free from the shackles of colonialism. It was with this in mind that he chose to put the chalk and embraced politics.

Daniel Arap Mol’s Personal Life

Sometime in 1950 Moi married a young woman called Helena Bomet or simply Lena Moi as she later came to be known after their marriage. Over the years the couple was blessed with 8 children namely Jonathan, Davis, Gideon, Jennifer, Philip among others. However, 24 years later Moi and Lena separated. Mama Lena Moi sadly passé away in July 2004 thirty years after her marriage to Daniel broke down.

Daniel Arap Moi’s life in Politics

Upon throwing hat in the political arena Daniel Arap Moi was soon elected member of the Legislative Council representing his rift valley province. Two years later, he was re-elected again. In 1960, he joined forces with the coastal politician, Ronald Ngala to form a political party called KADU (Kenyan African Democratic Union) to challenge and counter KANU’s popularity and dominance under Jomo Kenyatta was enjoying prior to independence. When Kenya finally wriggled free and become a republic Mzee Jomo Kenyatta prevailed upon Moi and Ngala to let their two rival parties and forge a head as a united Kenya. Daniel Arap Moi reportedly saw no reason to object and Kenya therefore become a single party state with KANU as the ruling party.

In the 1967, President Jomo Kenyatta appointed Daniel Arap Moi as the Third Vice president of Kenya following the resignation of Mr. Joseph Murumbi due to ill health. Moi ably served in that capacity until the death of Kenyatta in 1978. Its worth noting that Daniel Arap Moi never lost an election from 1963 when he started representing the people of Baringo central and also as president until he took a bow from politics in 2002.

His youngest son Gideon Moi consequently received his father’s blessings to carry on the KANU legacy. Gideon served the people of Baringo central for only one term before the 2007 ODM wave under Raila Odinga swept away KANU in bringing the current Mr Sammy Mwaita.

Daniel Moi as well won the first malt-party election in 1992 after a clamor and agitation to do away with the single party rule became deafening and unbearable. Amid protests of vote rigging from the opposition, he floored a galaxy of the fragmented opposition candidate like Kenneth Matiba (Ford Asili), Mwai Kibaki (DP) Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (Ford Kenya) and Harun Mwau (PICK).

Daniel Arap Moi’s Challenges as President

His major acid test visited barely five years after he assumed office as president. Led by Brigadier Hezekiah Ochuka, a section of air force officers attempted to overthrow Moi’s regime in what is known as the 1982 coup attempt. Luckily, for Moi rivalry loyalty and panic among the officers involved ensured that the coup flopped. Its suspected authors and orchestrators were rounded up tried and others sentenced or acquitted. Key personalities including Raila Amolo Odinga were arrested.

Pundits claim that after the coup attempt Daniel Arap Moi would never be the same again. Having been beaten once he decided to deal ruthlessly with any trouble makers and dissidents. Daniel Arap Moi wanted to see a peaceful and prosperous Kenya.

It therefore became the norm for dissenting voices to flee the country into exile abroad lest they were arrested to languish in the infamous Nyayo House underground cells. Daniel Arap Moi’s dream and wish was always to see a united, prosperous and functional Kenya for posterity.