We must demand accountability from all leaders

 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Prov 29:2).

Over the years, political leadership in Kenya moved its main focus from solving people’s problems to fighting ethnically based supremacy wars. That attitude has produced a class of people referred to as regional kingpins. The problem with these kingpins is they do not allow competitive politics of ideas in their regions and across the country. Hence rendering the country bankrupt in terms of new ideas and new political players.

We therefore need new thinking to generate new ideas that can empower communities to demand transparency and hold their elected members to account for the decisions they make and how they implement the same.  

The culture of silencing other leaders because one has run out of new ideas and cannot compete, must come to an end on August 9 this year. However, there is danger of Kenya drifting back to ethnic balkanisation due to lack of proper civic education and adherence to sound policies. There is need for Kenyans to embrace public participation and consensus building.

Public participation has been reduced to an event instead of it being a continuous process of engaging citizens in decision making, implementation, monitoring and reporting the results of those actions. This has affected the way we build consensus around development priority selection and application of public resources.

Kenya needs governance sensitive to the rule of law and respects judicial decisions. That respect must start right from the election of political leaders during the identification of party candidates at the primaries all the way to the General Election. Election manipulations, deceit and outright favouritism must die. The will of the people must reign supreme. Kenya has experienced political violence because of bad management of our political election processes at different levels.

Kenyans want a political party or parties that will do things transparently and in a responsive manner. We need a party that reminds us that we are interconnected in many ways and the behaviour of one person upstream affects people downstream.

Food production in Kitale affects food supply in Ukambani, water from the Mau Forest affects water supply in North Eastern. Cattle rustling and unrest in any part of the country is unrest everywhere.

Kenya needs appropriate education, skills and correct information. Lack of proper knowledge make people vulnerable in many ways. We are going towards elections without conducting massive civic education. None of the existing political parties agitate for it. Possibly they find it easier to manipulate ignorant citizens to their own advantage.

Dishonesty and dependency have created apathy among many Kenyans. We need a reversal of this trend by enhancing systems and mechanisms that can ensure transparency and empower the citizens to hold their elected leaders and government officers to account. We must mobilise community driven accountability pressure teams to engage politicians and government officers to account for their actions.

Finally, my appeal to all Kenyans is to reject any candidate using abusive language because such a person has run out of ideas and has no business going to Parliament, County Assembly or being our President.

Bishop Mutemi made these remarks during the GTAP party National Delegates Conference at Bomas of Kenya.