It may be wiser to pay Raila, Kalonzo their perks

If I were the one, I would pay CORD leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka their terminal dues. This would be driven by several factors, but especially by two critical ones – human resource (HR) and political perspectives.

Jesus told the parable of a man who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a fixed amount for the day. At nine o’clock he brought in other workers with whom he agreed to pay the same wage. He did the same at noon, at 3pm, and finally at 5pm. It was not until pay time that the workers discovered they had all received the same amount. Some complained about why those who had worked for only one hour had been paid the same amount with them. But the master answered one of them, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for one denarius? Take your pay and go.”

Jesus brings out two key but interrelated HR compensation principles by which the master quashed the potential industrial unrest. The first is the principle of negotiated pay. When an organisation adopts a negotiated pay system, there can legitimately be major pay differentials among its members. The second is the principle of procedural justice. This is the fairness of the process through which decisions affecting workers are made. Jesus’ argument is that the decisions of the vineyard owner remained true to the agreed terms of employment for each of the workers.

In our current scenario, the HR challenge facing us is that we are drafting the terms of employment after the workers have expended their energy. This not only violates the principle of procedural justice, but it especially makes objectivity in policy making difficult. It is never a good organisational practice to make policies with specific individuals in mind. Since the former premier and the former vice-president served their terms as employees of the state, they are procedurally entitled to their dues – no matter how unfair this may appear. They may be eleventh hour workers, but it is we who engaged them that late into the vineyard. Furthermore, no employer can bond a worker and dictate his or her activities after leaving employment.

From a political perspective, it is first important to note that, in broad terms, politics is simply the art of managing people. Thus politics is to be found in the smallest family unit as well as in global relations. Good organisational politics is therefore about ensuring harmonious relationships that enhance achievement of organisational vision and mission. Studies have shown that leaders with good political skills tend to be more successful in their leadership than the rest.

In a well-known story, a mother of three boys had special love for one. While at the market one day, she decided to buy them some bananas. Unfortunately, she could only afford two. She gave her two boys a banana each, leaving out the beloved. She then pleaded with each of them to give his brother a half of his banana.

Overjoyed and pleasantly surprised by her preferential treatment of them, they gladly did. Thus, using good political skill, this woman not only achieved her objective but, more so, maintained filial harmony in her home. Contrast this with Biblical Jacob who, having similar special love for his son Joseph, proceeded to buy him a special coat of many colours. Joseph narrowly escaped death at the hands of his jealous brothers.

The biggest challenge in our current political landscape is how to build national integration and cohesion among the peoples of Kenya. In particular, Luo Nyanza has been a thorn in the flesh of successive Presidents. Bringing these people into the mainstream of the life of the nation has been elusive. Likewise, the Kamba have often felt used and dumped by various regimes. Whether these perceptions are true or not is not the issue. The leadership challenge is how to mitigate them.

In this regard, the President has recently made some excellent political moves that were beginning to warm hearts in Nyanza – especially his recent attendance at the Devolution Conference in Kisumu. Considering the place of Hon Raila in this region, it would have been another feather in the cap to appear to treat him well. Likewise, the two key figures in Kamba politics have been Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu and Kalonzo. With Ngilu having been forced to step aside over graft allegations – which may not have gone down well with her community – it would have been wisdom to show some respect to Kalonzo. The truth is that it takes more energy to play hardball than to engage soft politics. In any case, I believe we stand to gain more than we may lose by paying these gentlemen their rightful dues.