Immediate former Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade doesn’t deserve credit for accepting, albeit grudgingly, to hand over power to Mr Macky Sally. He simply saved his skin and embarrassment. Well, the writings were on the wall, literally. Across in Libya, he knew what happened to King of Kings, Muammar Gaddafi. He would not have liked to be smoked from a hole the Laurent Gbagbo way in Ivory Coast or even arraigned in the courtroom in a cage the Hosni Mubarak style. The likes of Robert Mugabe and Yoweri Museveni should read the signs of times too.
Those clamouring for the overhaul of the 8-4-4 system of education — mostly civil society and some grey-haired individuals whose encounter with the system are probably their grandchildren — are a perfect example of the outsiders who wept louder than the bereaved. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) is against the move and so are the head teachers associations for primary and secondary schools. The universities are virtually silent. Reforms anthem could be the fad but becomes a folly if it is reform for its own sake.
The new Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Eugene Wamalawa must have sighed with relief when he stumbled upon a clause that gives the Ministry of Internal Security the mandate of dealing with ICC cases. As a member of the G7 Alliance, whose key leaders are wanted in The Hague, the ICC issue is a hot potato for him to handle. However, try as he may and whether legal or not, the issue of ICC and his Justice docket are inseparable. Not unless he becomes Fisheries or Sports minister.
Is it only in Kenya where leaders gain heroism after falling from power or getting in trouble? Former Tourism Minister Najib Balala was received heroically in Mombasa following his sacking. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto are heroes in their strongholds after ICC indictment. The list is endless!
And finally….
The re-emergence of tribal associations ahead of the General Election doesn’t portend well for the nation. Gema and Kamatusa have been revived and their leaders crowned. Which community is next?
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