By and large, the speech that President Uhuru Kenyatta will read on Saturday on Jamhuri Day is predictable. He will capture the country’s successes and shortcomings. He will talk tough on corruption that has been dogging the country.
He will reiterate that there are no sacred cows when it comes to fighting corruption. He now knows how to keep a safe distance from those who may be painting a clean picture of themselves but are now actually suspects.
But the President should use the opportunity to address leaders who want the Constitution to be changed. There are the Okoa Kenya, Pesa Mashinani, Boresha Kenya and Punguza Mzigo initiatives. The President should address the calls for changing a number of things in the Constitution and I cannot see a better time of doing this than on Saturday.
Those of us who voted for the Constitution obviously did not know we were creating a group of politicians who would be highly remunerated as wananchi continue to suffer.
I believe the President is a bright man and I am hopeful he will step in and upturn the apple-carts of politicians that we do not need. To me, that is the true measure of leadership and ranks ahead of any other message that the President will read. There should be a more equitable way of dealing with our common national cake.
It is the truth that politicians, right from MCAs to the very top, are enjoying salaries and perks that are shocking, given the economic situation of the country. It has been argued by some politicians that Kenya is over-represented. Other politicians, probably in knowing where their personal interests lie, are not talking about this matter though they are saying that there are a number of things which are not right.
CONSULT ECONOMISTS
Kenyans ought to be given an opportunity to debate this matter and the politicians should also come out in the open and support or challenge what their fellow politicians are saying. That way, we will clearly start seeing the direction that the country ought to take.
The politicians should consult their economist friends before floating ideas so that they do not come up with suggestions that are outwardly unworkable. This should not be seen as a battle of wits among the politicians but should be an honest attempt at correcting obvious economic anomalies that we are facing.
I am cognizant of the fact that there is suspicion between the two sides of the political divide and that the elections are not very far away. Probably, it is hard for the politicians to see this matter my way, given that I am just a mwananchi who will not run for any political seat. It must be asked: Does President Kenyatta still want us to have the 900 nominated MCAs that we currently have after the 2017 polls?
If he agrees with me that it is illogical to have such a high number that has been pushed down our throats by the Constitution, we must resolve that the Constitution is lacking in some areas and since we are wise people, we need to go back to the drawing board and amend it so that it does not continue oppressing the common mwananchi.
If we must continue with the provisions of the Constitution the way they are, then the perks of all MCAs must be whittled down drastically so that they do not continue being a drain on the national
coffers. In short, I am calling on the President to address the issues being raised as urgently as possible and see if there are valid. If he so believes they are, he should join the calls for change.
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