Opinion: Government bungled and fell into Miguna’s playbook

I am no admirer of Dr Joshua Miguna Miguna. While he is generally sincere in his beliefs, has a good brain and is a formidable debater, he is also a brash insufferable who believes too much in his own infallibility.

I remember being impressed with him when he worked with government as an officer in the PM’s office. He was one of the few officers who could openly and without much regard for normal bureaucratic protocol, disagree with the PM and forcefully articulate his alternative views.

Over time however, my admiration waned when I realised that due to the exaggerated view of himself, he loved putting people down and dismissing their views and was a weak team player. Since accomplishing any significant task in government or indeed anywhere requires teamwork and accommodation of others’ ideas, he could hardly push any significant project.

This belief in his infallibility partly explains not just the debacle this week but the fact that most of his political allies have kept away from any serious agitation on his behalf. At some point or other he has called them despots, crooks, imbeciles or charlatans.

That said, you would have to be fairly inhumane not to sympathise with Miguna’s tribulations at JKIA. Nobody deserves the treatment that he has undergone, finally ending up in no man’s land in foreign airports.

But truth be told, had Miguna listened to his lawyers or the Canadian Embassy officials, most of what he went through would never have occurred. That’s not to say the government handled this one well.

SPONTANEOUS RIOTS

This was a week of monumental government bungling finally falling into Miguna’s playbook. Courtesy thereof, every newspaper headline, every social media outlet and most international news have headlined Miguna Miguna this week.

This former minnow in Kenya’s politics has spawned spontaneous riots. In his wildest dreams, Miguna would never have imagined how his stock value has risen in just one week. In hindsight, there are numerous things the government, as the ultimate custodian of the law and good order would have done differently.

Firstly, they should have known their adversary, since its clear that is how they consider Miguna.

He was looking for a fight especially in full view of the cameras. Immigration officers should have considered all possible scenarios including Miguna refusing to apply for a Visa or passport and planned accordingly. They could have issued a courtesy visa right from day one.

Most of this would have been effected away from cameras but supervised by the Human Rights Commission, as required by the Courts, so that Miguna’s rights would not be abused. By assuming that Miguna was so eager to get back to Kenya that he would just abide by the rules means no one had done any serious intelligence work on the man.

LEFT LOOKING ROGUE

The government actions, including the beating of journalists and lawyers is unacceptable and has not only left the government with lots of egg on its face, but has also resurrected whatever credits Miguna lost when he viciously attacked Baba post handshake.

By disobeying court orders, however illogical they were, and I must admit some orders appeared more as ego trips, the government has been left looking rogue. By keeping this story on the international press, Kenya, which had received such positive press after the handshake enhanced its negatives globally.

Ultimately, the government translated what was a simple administrative matter into a debacle.

The image of security forces dragging Miguna into a plane with his clothes torn, the images of him detained in an airport toilet, the image of a groggy Miguna arriving in Dubai involuntarily is not how Kenya wants to be portrayed. I have however been amazed by some of the positive perceptions that this story has produced in parts of Africa.

Courts can dare convict Ministers in Africa? Opposition chiefs are allowed, nay forced, to travel out of jurisdiction instead of being kept in the country and dealt with? So, while this has been an unfortunate week in Kenya, glass half full optimists can see a silver lining in what is otherwise a dark cloud.