Alas, the dynamic duo’s first 100 days will be hirlwind of joyride!

By PETER KIMANI

Uhuruto, the curious coinage that Prezzo UK and his deputy Will Ruto used in the recent election campaigns is evocative of the Kikuyu word for whirlwind. The two seem to be living up to the true meaning of that slogan as they have been spinning out of control, quite literally, barely remaining in one spot for more than two days.

Prezzo UK is somewhere in Addis as you read this, hob-knobbing with other African leaders as they mark African Union’s 50th anniversary. This calls into question, why his Veep was cruising around the continent when Prezzo knew he would be meeting all African leaders this week.

But that’s not my problem. What the “dynamic duo,” to use the term that former Prezzo Kibaki bequeathed his successors, should have told Kenyans is that they like joyriding, and things would have ended there.

Instead, we have been greeted by Ruto’s righteous fury, as though it would make any difference whether his African excursions cost the taxpayers Sh18 or Sh18b. That’s not the point.

The point is, there are pressing social, political and developmental concerns at home that the “dynamic duo” should address first, especially when we have a Foreign Affairs secretary who only took her maiden assignment this week. Moreover, we have fully fledged missions in those countries, so Ruto & Co should let them earn their keep.

Still, Ruto’s trips have not been in vain; there are useful lessons to be picked, top among them being the escapist streak in our dynamic duo.

Ruto’s faint mitigation, which came by way of comparative sums gobbled up by former PM Tinga while using the same plane, confirms there are no fundamental differences between the two in their relation to public spending.

Again, that’s not a problem; it’s only a reaffirmation that a switch from analogue to digital modes – to use the political parlance that Ruto popularised to imply generational change between his camp and Tinga’s – does not necessary mean a break with the past.

But it is Ruto’s indignation that’s most revealing: it confirms his reluctance to submit to public scrutiny, which fortunately steels scribes’ resolve to step up their vigilance.

That’s not to say there is anything wrong with his trips abroad for more extended periods. There is merit in travelling abroad as it offers lessons on how things are done elsewhere.

I’m not sure if Uganda is or was on Ruto’s itinerary, for its leader, M7, could provide useful lessons on how to crush irritant scribes. M7 demonstrated it this week by shutting the largest independent media group in that country, and posting gun-toting soldiers to harass any scribes reporting for work. Such antics are certainly more effective than firing demand letters from lawyers, as Ruto did this week.

If Ruto is not aware, he should know some media owners don’t allow demand letters to pass beyond their secretaries’ desks so that the bosses can enjoy a goodnight sleep. The common counsel is that those keen to sue will proceed to court, rather than issuing threats.

Still, I doubt it very much that the events of this week shall trigger any self-remonstration or reflection, the sort that Veep Ruto occasionally indulges in, unleashing a torrent of tears or gnashing of the teeth.

If his “hustler” streak has been replaced by a sophisticate who appreciates the fines things of life, then we need to know and we shall not interrupt his joyride, or remind Uhuruto of their earlier pledges to Kenyans.

Kenya Power’s waning light puts Vision 2030 well in sight

My editor has observed this column arrives on his desk far earlier when I am in Houston than when I am in Nairobi. Well, it’s partly because of the time difference between the two cities, which confers an eight-hour advantage to Houston. The city of Houston also enjoys another core advantage: reliable power supply.

Power disruption is so common in Nairobi, I have had to organise with a friend who has a generator backup to keep his office open all Thursdays, just in case I need to dash there at short notice.

I have learnt to accept Kenya Power’s inefficiency and move on. If you must know, the erratic power supply is to a property that sits next to the State House, Nairobi.

Still, I’m grateful for small mercies. My efforts to light up a small property on the fringes of the city have come to nought, three years on, and still counting.

When I first applied for power supply, my neighbours and I were told to wait for a transformer to be installed to step up power supply in the locality. The transformer was finally installed last year, but all efforts to trace my application came a cropper.

I applied afresh early this year. Now that application sits in the labyrinth of bureaucracy between Kenya Power and some outfit called Energy Regulatory Commission.

Kenya Power, like our MPs, wants to make more money from the citizens, but the Government won’t budge. A contact at Kenya Power assured me this week no applications have been processed since January. That’s Kenya Power at work!

Happy Jubilee Africa Union!

Now let us sing our own song

This is a proud week for Africans as the African Union marks its 50th anniversary.

Founded to push for political freedom across the continent, end racial discrimination and restore the dignity of Africans, the African Union, and its precursor, the Organisation of African Unity has survived many efforts to scuttle it.

But ours has largely been uhuru wa bendera, for political independence has not translated into emancipation of the people. More importantly, colonialism is reproducing itself in most parts of the continent in most subtle ways.

And the colonialists are using the route preferred by their forebears: culture. Dismissed as the vanguard of our alleged backwardness, hence the need to “civilise” Africans, culture is still used to denigrate our achievements, especially when describing us to the outside world.

Kenya and many parts of the continent are populated by foreign “cultural connoisseurs” who decide who among our artists is the “best” representation of our evolving art.

This can only happen in Africa. No African can be allowed to go to Europe or America and become commentators of those cultures, dismissing off-hand those that do not fit their prejudiced lens.

We have seen the consequences of those efforts over the past 50 years.