Put service first before politicking

Former AFC Chairman and current Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker Alex Ole Magelo, during a press conference at Beoulevard Hotel. [Photo: Jonah Onyango/Standard]

Anyone coming to Kenya for the first time and reading the dailies this week would think the General Election is just a few days away. The bravado with which CORD and Jubilee coalitions went for each other’s jugular was not only unnecessarily emotive, but it demonstrated a clear departure from the desire to make 2016 a year of making amends on what might not have been achieved last year.

The Jubilee side, apparently in its ongoing “inspection of development projects” in Western and Coast regions seems to have pricked the Opposition by its politically loaded forays. The Opposition, in an apparent panicky mode, shot up and accused the Jubilee government of applying Kanu tactics to raid its territories. Midweek, the Jubilee brigade reconvened, and backed by State House, applied equal opposite force and shredded the Opposition’s accusations terming CORD leader “a doyen of graft” in Kenya.

These acrimonious exchanges must stop forthwith. They are detrimental to the economic and political well being of the country at this point in time. Political leaders must guard against plunging the country into an electoral mode, a whole 18 months before the polls.

This country is surviving on a weak thread of cohesion and Kenyans are likely to be carried away by any political temperatures meaning their focus on building their lives will dramatically shift to the emerging political formations. These brickbats trickle down to our county assemblies and local political formations and distract the legislative mandate of the MCAs. MCAs are key players in the political dispensation and when national politics are at fever pitch, they get sucked in. It is unhealthy to squander the little time left to the polls by engaging in political chest thumping.

The Jubilee government has its hands full trying to beat deadlines of key development projects. This year, the national and county governments should strengthen their cases for re-election by fixing key things yet to be fully operational. County Assemblies should fast track remaining legislative works as they monitor implementation of the laws so far passed.

The Opposition would better spend the remaining time selling their agenda without necessarily fueling an election atmosphere.

The national and county governments have an obligation to serve Kenyans for the full term. Let us prioritise service delivery by reserving politics for the opportune time. It is time to work and better our people’s lives.