The west can do it again for Kenya

Kenya: I vividly remember the late 1980's and early 90's when a dictatorial KANU regime would not heed the calls of the majority of Kenyans to embrace pluralism. It took none other than a retinue of foreign diplomats led by the then US Ambassador to Kenya Smith Hempstone to prevail on the West to put pressure on then President Daniel Arap Moi to embrace Multi- Party Democracy in the Country. The same West put pressure on Mwai Kibaki to embrace dialogue in the wake of the 2008 post-election violence after a hotly contested and stolen Presidential Poll. This again gave birth to the 2008-2013 Grand Coalition Government.

Today, as was the case then, the opposition has exposed Jubilee’s incompetence and failures and expressed its position on the issues of 1) insecurity, 2) electoral reforms, 3)corruption, 4) rule of law and 5)international relations, among other pertinent issues which require urgent attention. The opposition is calling for a Referendum to enable Kenyans take a position on these issues yet a complacent Jubilee regime appears unbothered and is instead putting in place a war-chest for the 2017 elections, judging from recent appointments in the Public Service.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is in town. This is an opportunity for him to learn and appreciate the fact that Kenya is fast sliding into a failed State. Once more, Washington needs to take leadership in pushing a reluctant Jubilee regime to accept fundamental pre-requisite changes ahead of the 2017 general Elections to avert a possible repeat of 2008,

1) On insecurity, John Kerry should inform Washington that the main issues are incompetence, corruption and ethnicity in the security organs leading to de-motivation, internal sabotage and self-inflicted systematic failures within the system. This is informed by the fact that in all the attacks that have happened before, the Jubilee government had intelligence reports, but chose to be re-active as opposed to being pro-active. The much-needed Police reforms have also been intentionally stalled by the state to enable the political ruling class to continue controlling the security system. The message to the US is that Jubilee does not have the political will and is conspicuously incompetent on security matters hence incapable of driving any serious security agenda in the region, and does not therefore deserve US support.

2) On electoral reforms, John Kerry should inform the US that Jubilee is setting stage for another round of post elections violence in 2017 by refusing to broker the requisite electoral reforms. All the electoral reforms that were recommended by Judge Krieggler Commission have all been trashed by Jubilee as they continue exploiting the gaps to their advantage. The message to the US here is that electoral reforms MUST convincingly be undertaken now in readiness for the 2017 elections; otherwise we are waiting for another full cycle of disputed elections and a possible subsequent violence.

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3) On Corruption, John Kerry should inform the US that corruption is deeply embedded within the highest echelons of Government. From the Billions of Shillings that was systematically and fraudulently withdrawn during 2013 elections from the exchequer; tendering for SGR where we are building 1 km of Rail at Sh761 million; the misappropriation of security budgetary provisions through opaque tendering process eg the safaricom security cameras that proved in-operational when Hon.George Muchai was killed; the IEBC officers who were bribed by Smith and Ouzman who have already been jailed in the UK yet the same IEBC officers are still running the electoral system; Kenya security officers that were bribed by GOODYEAR Tyre manufacturers in the US who have already been convinced but ours are still running our security system, among others. John Kerry's message to the US here should be that the Jubilee government is the architect of corruption which has permeated the whole public system and MUST therefore be coerced to deal with rampant corruption within it ranks.  

4) On the Rule of Law, John Kerry's message to the US should be that the level of impunity and disregard to the rule of law is part and parcel of the Jubilee Modus-Operandi. Examples include overrun and systematic destruction of independent institutions such as EACC and the JSC, the passing of draconian laws which was overturned by the courts, the Public Benefits Organisation Act which was rejected in parliament that was intended to stifle and sabotage the Civil society and ruling through roadside declarations such as the DP's order on Kakuma refugee camp, among many. John Kerry's message should be that the US government must insist that Jubilee upholds the rule of law. 

5) On International relations/Foreign affairs policy, John Kerry's message to the US should be clear that Jubilee government is using the fight against terrorism as a means of hiding their failed foreign affairs policy in which government contracts are corruptly facilitated with the East yet budgetary support is sought from the west. The message should be that Jubilee must be forced to run a transparent and appropriate foreign policy that is in line with internationally acceptable trends and standards.

The West can do it again for Kenya. I rest my case.