In any functioning democracy, the presidency is the most visible symbol of national unity and stability. And so from the onset we must strongly state that every Kenyan, irrespective of status in society, has a duty to hold the office of the president in awe. Needless to state, the office is much bigger than the occupant and the people and interests around him/her. In fairly advanced democracies, the highest office in the land commands undiluted respect from every citizen, even those who may fiercely oppose the holder. That is as it should be.
Kenya should be no different even as we nurture democracy and competitive politics. The office should promote the spirit of nationhood and pull Kenyans together to confront whatever challenges they face. Indeed, soon after the presidential elections winner has been declared, the presidency should move with speed to rally the electorate together; in word and in deed, the office has the responsibility of reminding all Kenyans that each one of them would be a beneficiary of decisions and actions emanating from that office.
It is therefore a matter of serious concern that Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko has made it his business to act in ways that ridicule the presidency. Even more worrying is the reaction from the Office of the President whenever the senator acts out of step with decent expectations. The latest incident was in Machakos County this last Friday where he disrupted a burial and attempted to read what he claimed to be the President’s speech. He went ahead to claim he was the acting president since the office holder was outside the country and that the deputy was also away. At the time of the incident, President Uhuru Kenyatta was in Togo but Deputy President William Ruto was in the country.
This is a serious breach of protocol. The senator has in the past called the President on his mobile phone and switched the gadget’s speakers on for protesting residents of Nairobi County to listen in on the conversation. The President ended up giving an order through a mobile phone and set off a huge debate on the way Government is supposed to communicate policy decisions. What is more perplexing is that State House has not come out in the open to condemn the senator’s antics; leaders around the President have also been very measured in their reactions. The presidency belongs to every Kenyan and nobody should be allowed to boast to others that he or she is more entitled to it than other Kenyans.
The senator’s behaviour should be condemned more so because he is an elected leader who should know better. For a leader who has declared interest in the governorship of the nation’s capital in next year’s General Election, he should know better. Being unruly, abusive and disruptive should disqualify any individual seeking public office. Kenyans will be watching keenly to see what steps authorities will take to deal with this unbecoming behavior. The senator, and indeed all Kenyans, must accord the presidency the respect it deserves.
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