Raila's demand for apology self-seeking

The Government has finally declared the biting drought a national disaster, a move that was long overdue.

This decision by the Jubilee administration has brought to life the trademark reactionary nature of the Raila Odinga-led Opposition.

The ODM leader has stolen the moment and demanded an apology from the President for the Government's inability to respond adequately to the crisis in question. But his rejoinder is nothing but pretentious and self-seeking.

If anything, the unflinching drought and the accompanying hunger and starvation have been with us since last year. Where have our politicians been? They were busy taking care of their interests.

The Government, for instance, has been shaky in implementing drought mitigation programmes in the affected areas, let alone acting on the early signs of a looming disaster. And even though President Uhuru has issued a stern warning against any misappropriation of the resources allocated for the mitigation measures, one wonders if the resources are being utilised as intended.

Also, the Government's main focus these past few weeks has been on voter registration, a misgiving from which the Opposition is not exempt. The Opposition seemed to have temporarily relieved itself of the oversight duty it owes to Kenyans, instead plotting on how to win the presidential vote in August.

Their preoccupation with this endeavour has once again lent credence to the idea that while a statesman worries about the next generation, a politician's key concern is on how to win the next general election.