You won’t resign? Go tell that to the birds

The trouble with leaders in Kenya is that they never learn.

This country has changed beyond measure and truth such that if Jomo Kenyatta resurrected and sat back on the throne, he wouldn’t last a week.

Unlike in the old days when citizens trembled at the sight of big men, leaders have so dented their image through a combination of greed, crass incompetence and asinine arrogance that the small man feels nothing but contempt for them.

And as opposed to the old days when they suffered in silence, the small people have no qualms baying for a leader’s blood.

In the initial stages, leaders, in all their arrogance, calmly called press conferences to arrogantly announce that they saw no reason to resign. If they didn’t do that, they crept back to their villages, hastily arranged public rallies and told their barefoot clansmen, who played no role whatsoever in the mischief that the leaders were being accused of, that their woes were a community curse.

But eventually resign they did. Funny thing is that these leaders were probably innocent, that they were actually performing their duties to the best of their ability, that they breached no laws. Unfortunately, when you are a public servant and the pubic loses confidence in you for whatever reason, you are dead meat.

You can stubbornly hang on — it’s a personal choice. But is the public ridicule and resentment worth it? It’s like the wife who clings onto her marriage even when it’s evident that the husband prefers cohabiting with the housegirl than with her, PhD and bling-bling notwithstanding. Or the moneyed golfer who pretends he is still the man of the house when all the evidence shows the security guard has taken his place.

Incompetent crowd

Former Chief Justice Bernard Chunga quit. Samuel Kivuitu and his gang left. Kioko Mang’eli is gone. Ringera and his two musketeers have retired into the sunset. Maj-General (Rtd) Hussein Ali is no longer at Vigilance House. So who’s next?

The Swahili say, "Ukiona mwenzako akinyolewa, chako kitie maji."

Now, if the Attorney General, the Chief Justice and one Chirau Ali Mwakwere were honest with themselves, if they held a candid discussion with themselves alone on a toilet seat, they might come to the conclusion that Kenyans, the people they work for, are thinking otherwise.

Of course they won’t resign. But eventually, the din baying for their blood will balloon into a tsunami that will sweep them away, kicking and screaming. In the not so distant future, it will not even be unthinkable for citizens to camp at their homes and offices yelling, "Out you go!"

But having said that, Kenyans shouldn’t hold their collective breath wondering who will replace Ringera at KACC. It won’t be an overzealous anti-corruption crusader like John Githongo or Maina Kiai. It won’t be a cold-blooded prosecutor with a sterling record. It most certainly will be a mousy, little lawyer with friends in high places. Watch this space…