Young leaders should remain 'leaders of tomorrow'

Sometimes, listening to Bony Khalwale can bring on a migraine. Not too long ago, he waxed lyrical about working to merge ANC and FORD-K, but before anybody knew it, he was dancing himself lame to the hustler's tune. Now, Khalwale is talking about a political party called All Kenya Alliance and spreading the gospel, according to Khalwale, that Raila wants to scrap MCA and Women Rep seats so that the money saved creates an office for him. Khalwale, that is bending too low; it makes some people look at you twice and wonder if you are actually alright.

But Khalwale is not alone. The Member of Parliament for South Mugirango Sylvanus Osoro appeared on a televised debate regarding the Thirdway Alliance's push for changing the constitution through a referendum and, in the duration of the interview, actually managed to embarrass his constituents. While Thirdway Alliance has collected 700,000 signatures from disillusioned Kenyans, Osoro not only said Kenyans were happy with the present political structure, he wondered how an MP would manage expanded areas if constituencies were merged. Very petty argument. How does the president manage the whole of Kenya?

Still with Mr Osoro, his argument seems to vindicate the view that most MPs believe they are God’s gift to Kenyans and without them, Kenyans would be lost. Somebody tell Osoro that leadership is a chain, that there is something called delegation. As big as America is, it has only 13 states yet Kenya, smaller than Alaska in the United States, has the equivalent of 47 states; amazing, don't you think? Every time one listens to young leaders speak on sensitive issues, it becomes crystal clear why they should remain leaders of tomorrow.

In 2015, there was this legislator saying, very emphatically, that the law should be amended to allow corruption suspects stay longer in jail while investigations go on. At the time, it never occurred to him he would be a victim. Today, he is an unwilling state guest and should respect his own wish. Yes, those living in glass houses should learn never to throw stones. As it is, he should not be frantic to get a lawyer to take him off the hook, After all, the DPP is still looking for accomplices and investigations are not complete.

Mombasa County government has called a meeting with matatu owners to find a way round a nagging problem: bedbugs menacing public service vehicle users. PSV owners will be forced to fumigate their vehicles at a cost. Surely, shouldn't this be spread to Nairobi? You board some the PSVs in town and you get shocked. Before you settle comfortably in your seat, roaches will be crawling all over you. Where there are no roaches, there are bedbugs.