Ann Waiguru is a breath of fresh air, she brings dignity to leadership

Ann Waiguru and Moses Kuria make for curious contrast among the people perceived to be close to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Government.

Ms Waiguru is the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning. Mr Kuria is the Member of Parliament for Gatundu South Constituency. Waiguru is reputed to be one of the ministers whom the President listens to keenly, to the extent that she is supposed to be envied even by Jubilee insiders.

Her docket is quite wide. It includes things like women and youth affairs, public service management, arid and semi-arid lands, special programmes, as well as devolution and planning. Some have mockingly christened her the Prime Minister.

Apart from finding a ready Presidential ear, Waiguru is also reputed to be an efficient workaholic, with a keen eye for detail and results. She is a brilliant individual who attended the competitive Precious Blood Girls School Riruta and the University of Nairobi, where she excelled. For her ‘A’ Levels, she took the dreaded Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry (MPC) combination. Some people used to ridiculously call it ‘Man Power Combination,’ to suggest that it was not meant for women. Like most highly intelligent people, she does not suffer idiocy and mediocrity lightly. This has led some to call her arrogant. She is not alone. Many bright people will understand this.

But Waiguru can also be a portrait of patience. In a country whose leadership is informed of anarchic slanging matches for dialogue, Waiguru is a breath of fresh air.

When she appeared before a disorderly Parliamentary committee this week, she carried herself with dignified decorum and aplomb. She spoke with measured and respectful eloquence and clarity of thought.

Even when her patience was tested with gratuitous personalised attacks, she refused to rise to the bait. In the end, whether you believe her narrative on the attempted theft of Sh. 826 million or not, Waiguru brings dignity to leadership. You want to see more of this kind of freshness in leadership, everywhere.

In contrast to Waiguru’s composure and dignity was a rowdy Parliamentary committee, taking decidedly embarrassing ethnic positions. There was the CORD side that condemned Waiguru without even needing to listen to her. And they tried very hard not to listen. On the opposite side was an equally ugly Jubilee side that was not interested in listening to Waiguru or her accusers. Their role was simply to protect her to the hilt. They did not even think that she should be given the chance to be heard. This attitude on both sides puts off even the most open-minded doubters in the court of public opinion. The Speaker needs to plan for some form of induction on Parliamentary decorum and etiquette, especially for new MPs. You cannot help wondering why these people yearn to be called “honourable.” A person who bears this tag must learn to merit it in the totality of his or her deportment.

In this respect, Gatundu South Member of Parliament, is perhaps in a class of his own. It is shocking to see this gentleman in TV footage, urging his constituents to pick up machetes and cut down all those questioning perceived irregularities in the NYS. A few days later, he apologises. He then goes on to superciliously say that he nonetheless does not regret what he did, or said. Now if this country had five legislators like the Gatundu South MP each on the CORD and Jubilee sides, the country would burn beyond repair. The kind of violent ethnic arrogance this gentleman exudes has no place in civilised society. There is no place for leadership for this kind of person. It is an indictment against the people of Gatundu South that this is their contribution to the National Assembly of leadership.

Worse still, Kuria is not just another MP. He is President Kenyatta’s Member of Parliament. He wastes no time to remind all and sundry that he is the Head of State’s bosom friend and a self-styled protector of the throne. When you are the President and this is the kind of person who claims to act and speak for you, you certainly have no need for enemies.

Is it possible, however, that Kuria is an authorised political gadfly? Does he do and say the things he does with the knowledge and authority of State House? Why does State House say nothing when this gentleman behaves like he could shove the country into fire? Remember that machetes are not restricted to Gatundu South. Nor is the ability to put them to use. Other people could also find both the ability and proclivity to be enjoined in machete activity. But where would that take us? Those for whom Kuria purports to speak should never forget this reality. Our people say that if you show me your friends, I will show you your character.

State House and NYS owe themselves the debt of distance from sundry vindictive and gusty individuals. It is not lost upon observers that CORD leaders are saying that the NYS is being prepared to be used for violent political activities in the 2017 elections.

When Kuria asks his constituents to accost with atavistic objects those unhappy with goings on at the NYS, does he seem to lend credence to these fears? If only for the sake of saving NYS programmes, the Jubilee Government must unequivocally distance itself from loose cannon ball pronouncements of the Kuria type. If it does not, then citizens must be left to interpret Kuria’s pronouncements howsoever they understand them. So far State response has been characterised with the usual equivocation and prevarication.

One question intrigues our minds, however. With suave, eloquent and convincing officials like Waiguru to work with, why does the Jubilee Government still find it necessary to have the Moses Kurias of this world speaking for it? Traditionally, people of this kind were of import only while the bayonet reigned. The age of the bayonet is long gone, however. Why does anybody need this loose cannon ball, therefore? What does this Government see that some of us unable to see?