Kenya's real enemies are now coming out of their hiding holes

Nobody beats the Kenyan politician for being insensate. These are individuals who use funerals to articulate their insecurities and drum up support for their selfish causes, and so it was at the burial of the late Member of Parliament for Baringo South a week ago. You would have thought that the children and close family members of Grace Kapchoin needed solace, particularly at that last moment when they knew with certainty they were never going to see her again.

At that most profound moment of sadness, they did not need to be bombarded with the inanities that flew with reckless abandon. It was shameful, painful, embarrassing and sad to watch feckless masqueraders to the leadership mantle parade their pedestrian philosophies and deceit packaged as unwavering support, and even volunteer a guarantee of millions of votes for Deputy President William Ruto's 2022 presidential bid.

I will give it to Ruto that he kept clear of the succession politics, either because he considered the debate beneath him, distasteful or, his lapdogs having put the message across so emphatically, indulging in the same would have amounted to overkill. Gideon Moi, the focal point of the uncalled for vitriol maintained his composure; the ultimate snub for the jejune rantings around him. 

Procrastination

One wonders; where has Ruto been since 2013 when he became Deputy President to have visited and sought retired President Moi’s blessings, yet he is just next door? Did Ruto wish to use the visit to Moi as a springboard to perpetrate the dubious contention he has the entire Rift Valley's votes tucked somewhere under his belt? To have appeared like he had Moi's tacit backing would have given him some useful mileage. As it is now, the bile that has followed his failure to meet Moi shows the bitterness of perceived rejection at the hour of need.

Those, mainly within Jubilee waxing lyrical about Ruto's 2022 bid and the politics of inheritance are the real enemies of Kenya. They have come out in their dozens to publicly challenge President Uhuru to make a public statement affirming his support of Ruto in 2022, even warning the president of dire consequences should he not  endorse Ruto. For all intents and purposes, this attitude is designed to arm-twist and humiliate the head of state. It runs counter to an earlier public confession by William Ruto that...... 'Mimi najipanga pole pole nyuma ya huyu jamaa. Munafikiri nikileta fujo kwake.... ala'. They have deliberately chosen, through word and deed, not to be part of the bridge building initiative. They are inadvertently telling us that the big four agenda will be sabotaged and have declared a war against Uhuru. How the president reacts to the brazen challenge remains to be seen.

As we try to figure out what drives these colourful individuals, we must ask; was Ruto’s apology sincere? Why are his confidants rubbishing the handshake, combative and tactless with their pronouncements? Why has Ruto not reined in his soldiers? When you listen to the overzealous Nandi Senator Samson Cheralgei speak, you know Ruto does not need enemies to stymie his projections. I have watched and listened to Cheralgei’s arguments on television. At best, they are depressing.

President's commitment

President Uhuru has time and again stated his mission is to unify Kenyans. He stands to lose in a big way if the country remains divided because history will record that it was on his watch that the country disintegrated. To actualise his big four agenda, the biggest incentive the president needs is political tranquility and support, yet there are people out there scheming to make him fail.

But even as we support, cheer and take sides with politicians, let us not lose sight of the obvious; that everything is about them, not us. They are seeking our support to secure a seat at the eating table, a vantage position from which they can thumb their noses at us. Where is our place at that table? What can guarantee us that a place will be reserved for Wanjiku? Our only chance is legislation that gives us guarantees us some rights. It boils down to a constitutional review(s) to plug the loopholes that sneaky politicians exploit to their advantage.

Let us demand strong institutions and move away from dependence on the largesse of leaders for things to move. We need laws that guarantee, for instance, that Kenya meets the doctor patient ratio as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (1: 1000) to address health challenges in the country.

Ruto could win our support by telling us how he is going to bridge the gap between the rich and poor, address developmental disparity, government neglect of farmers, theft of public resources and what measures he prescribes to mitigate the ravages of drought and floods. What permanent solutions does he have for land injustices at the Coast and elsewhere?

Mr. Chagema is a correspondent at The [email protected]