Storm over EALA nominees says a lot about our politics

East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) NASA nominee Norman Magaya at County Hall, Nairobi on Thursday 30/11/17. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

No sooner had the names been read than cries of nepotism and favouritism emerged over the nominees to the regional East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA). It read like a roll call of who knows and who is related to whom in the political class.

It is right for the public to feel cheated because these same politicians characterise the biblical preaching water and drinking wine. So whereas some parties chose to reward party loyalists who lost in the August elections, some chose blood line over anything else.

While we don’t begrudge the nominees their chance to represent their country at EALA, we find fault in the way the parties have failed to come out openly to explain the criteria they used to pick these men and women. And which, consequently, gave rise to claims of favouritism and nepotism.

Left on their own, politicians will often engage in acts of self-preservation by handing down favours to friends and family.

That is why the framers of the 2010 Constitution defined the parameters under which to nominate MPs to Parliament.By the time the new Constitution was promulgated, the political class had made a mockery of efforts to include as many interest groups in decision making as possible. Deserving persons were passed over for old chums, the old-boy network and even the girlfriends of the who-is-who in the country.

It was intended those nominated to EALA represent interest groups like gender, youth, business community and those living with disability. That, sadly, is not the case.

Clearly, it seems those progressive reforms are yet to get to the EALA where Tanzania and Uganda are also represented. Although the public expects better from political parties, they have largely remained closed outfits that advance the interests of their owners and a small coterie of loyalists, influence peddlers and interests that oftentimes are not for the common good.

The outrage over EALA is another indictment of the political class and political parties and calls out for thorough reforms if only to entrench democracy in the country.