The Government is overwhelmed by the large number of job seekers, President Kibaki has said.
The President admits there are no jobs to be created! Where does that leave the youth????
The Head of State said a fresh approach to address the plight of jobless youth was necessary to cope with the high demand for jobs.
He said the high number of young people who were unemployed undermined their wellbeing.
"It results in dependency and a vicious cycle of poverty, social ills and lack of dignity and self esteem among the youth’ said Kibaki.
He added: "In addition to this, lack of employment among the youth is a significant opportunity cost which impacts negatively on the socio-economic development of our country."
The President lamented amid concerns by the youth that they were not being absorbed in the job market. Their hopelessness was further compounded by the Government’s decision to extend the retirement age of civil servants from 55 to 60, a move that has been criticized by the youth.
Main challenge
Kibaki said the Government’s main challenge is how to ensure the large number of jobseekers was engaged productively.
"We need to improve their personal well-being as well as enable our youth to contribute to national development," he said.
The President spoke yesterday at Safari park Hotel at the launch of the Youth Employment and Employment Initiative summit.
Others who addressed the summit were Youth Minister Hellen Sambili, Africa Nazarene University Vice Chancellor Leah Marangu, US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Rannerberger and Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi.
The US envoy said Kenya would only achieve Vision 2030 if it invested heavily in the education of the youth.
President Kibaki challenged the participants to identify barriers to youth employment and seek ways to empower the youth. "Think creatively about solutions to the barriers our youth face in getting employed," he said.
The President disclosed the youth aged between 15 and 30 were about 14m and accounted for more than 36 per cent of the Kenyan population.
Kibaki said 500,000 youth graduate from institutions of learning annually and of the number, 92 per cent have informal education but no vocational skills training.
He said 750,000 youth are added to the job market annually.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
MPs upbeat over draft law debate
Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution chair Abdikadir Mohamed address media at a past function. Kenyans moved closer to getting a new constitution on Tuesday when the revised draft constitution was tabled in Parliament.
Kenyans moved closer to getting a new constitution on Tuesday when the revised draft constitution was tabled in Parliament.
The enthusiasm with which MPs greeted the document when it was presented by the chairman of the Select Committee on Constitution Review, Mr Mohammed Abdikadir , pointed to a House united in the resolve to break the 30-year stalemate over the enactment of a new constitution.
There was excitement in the Old Chambers where the MPs are now sitting to give way to renovations of the main chamber as they awaited the brief presentation by Mr Mohammed. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were also in parliament and left after the presentation.
Debate, which will take 30 days, is expected to kick off next week. The House started debating the President’s speech on Tuesday and this will take four sitting days.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende set the tone when he challenged legislators to seize the moment and approach debate with sobriety and patriotism to ensure that the House output reflected the aspirations of Kenyans.
”The 10th Parliament has been bestowed with a rare opportunity that is the preserve of a select few mortals to go to the annals of history as the Parliament which finally delivered a new Constitution for our country,” said Mr Marende.
He asked MPs to read the document and understand it so that they can debate from an informed position.
Consequently, Parliament has organised a three-day retreat where MPs will be taken through the entire document, ahead of the debate. The meeting, whose venue will be announced later, will be held between March 12 and 14.
Should the House approve the draft constitution without amendments, it will be submitted to the Attorney General for publication.
If they propose amendments, the AG will present the recommendations to the Committee of Experts within seven days for consultation and redrafting.
Kenyans moved closer to getting a new constitution on Tuesday when the revised draft constitution was tabled in Parliament.
The enthusiasm with which MPs greeted the document when it was presented by the chairman of the Select Committee on Constitution Review, Mr Mohammed Abdikadir , pointed to a House united in the resolve to break the 30-year stalemate over the enactment of a new constitution.
There was excitement in the Old Chambers where the MPs are now sitting to give way to renovations of the main chamber as they awaited the brief presentation by Mr Mohammed. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were also in parliament and left after the presentation.
Debate, which will take 30 days, is expected to kick off next week. The House started debating the President’s speech on Tuesday and this will take four sitting days.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende set the tone when he challenged legislators to seize the moment and approach debate with sobriety and patriotism to ensure that the House output reflected the aspirations of Kenyans.
”The 10th Parliament has been bestowed with a rare opportunity that is the preserve of a select few mortals to go to the annals of history as the Parliament which finally delivered a new Constitution for our country,” said Mr Marende.
He asked MPs to read the document and understand it so that they can debate from an informed position.
Consequently, Parliament has organised a three-day retreat where MPs will be taken through the entire document, ahead of the debate. The meeting, whose venue will be announced later, will be held between March 12 and 14.
Should the House approve the draft constitution without amendments, it will be submitted to the Attorney General for publication.
If they propose amendments, the AG will present the recommendations to the Committee of Experts within seven days for consultation and redrafting.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Parliament Opening: Will Critical Issues be Thrown Aside?
Standard Media 23rd Feb. 2010.
The Tenth Parliament reconvenes today for its fourth session that is expected to be a test for the coalition government whose leadership has been squabbling right from the top.
Rifts between the coalition partners are expected to spill into the House where President Kibaki’s party, PNU, which feels rejuvenated by the internal wrangling in ODM, wants to take the battle to its coalition partner.
ODM has a majority of members but will this afternoon be entering the House facing a serious unity crisis.
Sour relations that have been simmering behind the scenes between Prime minister Raila Odinga and his deputy William Ruto burst into the open when the PM said he had suspended the Agriculture minister over the maize scandal. President Kibaki overruled the suspension and also termed the PM’s action illegal.
Allies of Mr Ruto have given indication that they may align themselves with PNU inside the House, portending a weaker hand for ODM.
The numerical strength of each side is also expected to play a crucial role in the fate of the coalition Government since the voting patterns in Parliament could determine whether the it remains intact until 2012.
The shifting of allegiances of MPs aligned to both parties in recent times have given rise to fears that it might end up undermining the power-sharing deal and ultimately render the coalition Government ineffective.
A decision by a section of ODM MP to back a PNU motion that seeks to have the President appoint Leader of Government Business could be a litmus test for the coalition.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende has been acting Leader of Governemtn Business after a dispute arose over who, between the PM and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, should assume the position.
The PM had said he had appointed himself to the position, clashing with PNU since Kibaki had written to Parliament saying the Vice-President would play the role.
ODM MPs are 111 against PNU’s 108. Both parties lost an MP through the nullification of election of Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere (PNU) and South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara (ODM).
The only officially recognised opposition MP Cyrus Jirongo (Kaddu-Asili) usually aligns himself with PNU during voting sessions.
However, these party numbers only hold true on paper.
Alignments have taken place in recent times, with many MPs switching allegiances without defecting.
In the expected tussle over who should lead Government business, ODM could fair poorly if measures are not taken to stem the rebellion by Ruto and his allies.
Ceased to exist
Out of the 28 MPs from Ruto’s backyard, at least 20 are believed to be his close allies. The most vocal of them, Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny, has vowed to back PNU Motions.
Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara warns that if the new alliances would last, then the coalition Government "would have effectively ceased to exist and it would be important to go for fresh elections".
But ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo is optimistic the party would ride out the storm safely. He added: "Don’t be fooled, ODM still has the numbers to beat them hands down."
Mr Midiwo’s confidence is borne out of PNU’s own internal squabbles.
A section of the party’s MPs are said to be leaning towards Raila’s side, including some Narc-Kenya MPs.
"At the end of the day, we shall command an overwhelming majority against them. But I hope an opportunity presents itself for us to demonstrate our superiority," Midiwo said.
He says part of ODM’s confidence stems from the fact they have the numbers within the Standing Orders Committee, which is charged with making periodic reviews of Standing Orders, to quash the motion on chairman of House Business Committee.
PNU Chief Whip George Thuo played down the impact of the shifting alliances on the Government as well as his party’s motion. "We shall have to vote on the issue (motion) soon, but it is too early to talk of numbers now," he said.
But Kuttuny is confident the motion would sail through, saying they would even marshal a two-third majority if needed. On the impact of it on his party and the coalition, he said: "Raila brought it upon himself."
Imanyara says he would oppose the motion because it is targeted at individuals. "The point of it is to embarrass Raila. And laws made to spite others are always bad laws," he said.
However Prof Macharia Munene, a lecturer of Political Science at the United States International University reckons that the shifts are about the political survival of individuals and would not breed in to a major crisis.
"These are simply politicians trying to salvage political careers. I don’t think they even have the support of their constituents. I don’t see these alliances lasting for long," he said.
In absence of official opposition, the squabbles have provided a self-check mechanism that has been effective until now.
Kacc directors
But if the pro-Ruto MPs permanently switch their allegiances, then the power balance will shift in PNU’s favour.
However, it is important to note that MPs in the Tenth Parliament have not always voted on party lines at certain times and, therefore, it cannot be said with certainty what direction they would vote.
The House is today expected to discuss plans to approve officials for the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC). The names of Dr Patrick Lumumba as KACC director and his two assistants Pravin Bowry and Jane Onsongo will be tabled for approval this afternoon.
The Tenth Parliament reconvenes today for its fourth session that is expected to be a test for the coalition government whose leadership has been squabbling right from the top.
Rifts between the coalition partners are expected to spill into the House where President Kibaki’s party, PNU, which feels rejuvenated by the internal wrangling in ODM, wants to take the battle to its coalition partner.
ODM has a majority of members but will this afternoon be entering the House facing a serious unity crisis.
Sour relations that have been simmering behind the scenes between Prime minister Raila Odinga and his deputy William Ruto burst into the open when the PM said he had suspended the Agriculture minister over the maize scandal. President Kibaki overruled the suspension and also termed the PM’s action illegal.
Allies of Mr Ruto have given indication that they may align themselves with PNU inside the House, portending a weaker hand for ODM.
The numerical strength of each side is also expected to play a crucial role in the fate of the coalition Government since the voting patterns in Parliament could determine whether the it remains intact until 2012.
The shifting of allegiances of MPs aligned to both parties in recent times have given rise to fears that it might end up undermining the power-sharing deal and ultimately render the coalition Government ineffective.
A decision by a section of ODM MP to back a PNU motion that seeks to have the President appoint Leader of Government Business could be a litmus test for the coalition.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende has been acting Leader of Governemtn Business after a dispute arose over who, between the PM and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, should assume the position.
The PM had said he had appointed himself to the position, clashing with PNU since Kibaki had written to Parliament saying the Vice-President would play the role.
ODM MPs are 111 against PNU’s 108. Both parties lost an MP through the nullification of election of Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere (PNU) and South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara (ODM).
The only officially recognised opposition MP Cyrus Jirongo (Kaddu-Asili) usually aligns himself with PNU during voting sessions.
However, these party numbers only hold true on paper.
Alignments have taken place in recent times, with many MPs switching allegiances without defecting.
In the expected tussle over who should lead Government business, ODM could fair poorly if measures are not taken to stem the rebellion by Ruto and his allies.
Ceased to exist
Out of the 28 MPs from Ruto’s backyard, at least 20 are believed to be his close allies. The most vocal of them, Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny, has vowed to back PNU Motions.
Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara warns that if the new alliances would last, then the coalition Government "would have effectively ceased to exist and it would be important to go for fresh elections".
But ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo is optimistic the party would ride out the storm safely. He added: "Don’t be fooled, ODM still has the numbers to beat them hands down."
Mr Midiwo’s confidence is borne out of PNU’s own internal squabbles.
A section of the party’s MPs are said to be leaning towards Raila’s side, including some Narc-Kenya MPs.
"At the end of the day, we shall command an overwhelming majority against them. But I hope an opportunity presents itself for us to demonstrate our superiority," Midiwo said.
He says part of ODM’s confidence stems from the fact they have the numbers within the Standing Orders Committee, which is charged with making periodic reviews of Standing Orders, to quash the motion on chairman of House Business Committee.
PNU Chief Whip George Thuo played down the impact of the shifting alliances on the Government as well as his party’s motion. "We shall have to vote on the issue (motion) soon, but it is too early to talk of numbers now," he said.
But Kuttuny is confident the motion would sail through, saying they would even marshal a two-third majority if needed. On the impact of it on his party and the coalition, he said: "Raila brought it upon himself."
Imanyara says he would oppose the motion because it is targeted at individuals. "The point of it is to embarrass Raila. And laws made to spite others are always bad laws," he said.
However Prof Macharia Munene, a lecturer of Political Science at the United States International University reckons that the shifts are about the political survival of individuals and would not breed in to a major crisis.
"These are simply politicians trying to salvage political careers. I don’t think they even have the support of their constituents. I don’t see these alliances lasting for long," he said.
In absence of official opposition, the squabbles have provided a self-check mechanism that has been effective until now.
Kacc directors
But if the pro-Ruto MPs permanently switch their allegiances, then the power balance will shift in PNU’s favour.
However, it is important to note that MPs in the Tenth Parliament have not always voted on party lines at certain times and, therefore, it cannot be said with certainty what direction they would vote.
The House is today expected to discuss plans to approve officials for the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC). The names of Dr Patrick Lumumba as KACC director and his two assistants Pravin Bowry and Jane Onsongo will be tabled for approval this afternoon.
Our MPs are Back, Rifts Loom Large.
Nation Media 23rd Feb.2010
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga meet in public on Tuesday for the first time since their spat over the suspension of two Cabinet ministers two Sundays ago.
The two will come face to face as the President presides over the State opening of the Fourth Session of the 10th Parliament in the afternoon.
Mr Odinga, who is also the MP for Lang’ata, is expected to attend.
Swiftly overturned
Mr Odinga announced the suspension of Education minister Sam Ongeri and Agriculture minister William Ruto over corruption allegations, but the move was swiftly overturned by the President, sparking the standoff.
The Prime Minister reacted by declaring a dispute in the Grand Coalition Government and invited the chief mediator in the Kenya post-election crisis, Mr Kofi Annan, to intervene.
His ODM party also announced that it would boycott Cabinet meetings until the matter was resolved.
Mr Ruto is a deputy party leader in ODM and Prof Ongeri is allied to PNU.
On Monday, Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto met for the first time since the suspension was reversed by President Kibaki.
It was at a meeting of ODM Cabinet ministers that was held at the Treasury to review the agenda of the year.
Although the details of the meeting were unclear, sources said it was meant to cement relations ahead of Tuesday’s opening of Parliament and address various issues that have threatened to tear apart the party, which opinion polls rate as most popular in the country.
Last Wednesday the President and the Prime minister talked by telephone and agreed to meet once the latter returned from an official visit to Japan, but there have been disagreements since, on when the meeting should be convened.
On Tuesday in Parliament the President will deliver a regular policy statement which MPs will debate for four days.
The 220 MPs reconvene to a busy agenda, with the most onerous task being the constitutional review.
The House will be minus two MPs — Mr Omingo Magara (South Mugirango) and Mr Chirau Mwakwere (Matuga) — whose elections were nullified by the courts.
The experts who have been refining the revised draft are scheduled to return it to the Parliamentary Select Committee for tabling before the House for seven days of debate.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga meet in public on Tuesday for the first time since their spat over the suspension of two Cabinet ministers two Sundays ago.
The two will come face to face as the President presides over the State opening of the Fourth Session of the 10th Parliament in the afternoon.
Mr Odinga, who is also the MP for Lang’ata, is expected to attend.
Swiftly overturned
Mr Odinga announced the suspension of Education minister Sam Ongeri and Agriculture minister William Ruto over corruption allegations, but the move was swiftly overturned by the President, sparking the standoff.
The Prime Minister reacted by declaring a dispute in the Grand Coalition Government and invited the chief mediator in the Kenya post-election crisis, Mr Kofi Annan, to intervene.
His ODM party also announced that it would boycott Cabinet meetings until the matter was resolved.
Mr Ruto is a deputy party leader in ODM and Prof Ongeri is allied to PNU.
On Monday, Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto met for the first time since the suspension was reversed by President Kibaki.
It was at a meeting of ODM Cabinet ministers that was held at the Treasury to review the agenda of the year.
Although the details of the meeting were unclear, sources said it was meant to cement relations ahead of Tuesday’s opening of Parliament and address various issues that have threatened to tear apart the party, which opinion polls rate as most popular in the country.
Last Wednesday the President and the Prime minister talked by telephone and agreed to meet once the latter returned from an official visit to Japan, but there have been disagreements since, on when the meeting should be convened.
On Tuesday in Parliament the President will deliver a regular policy statement which MPs will debate for four days.
The 220 MPs reconvene to a busy agenda, with the most onerous task being the constitutional review.
The House will be minus two MPs — Mr Omingo Magara (South Mugirango) and Mr Chirau Mwakwere (Matuga) — whose elections were nullified by the courts.
The experts who have been refining the revised draft are scheduled to return it to the Parliamentary Select Committee for tabling before the House for seven days of debate.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Raila: Tactful or reckless populist?
Standard Media 17th 02, 2010.
If anyone ever thought that Prime Minister Raila Odinga was tactless, then he proved them wrong on Saturday morning. If anyone ever thought that the Prime Minister was a reckless populist then he proved them right on Sunday.
By asking his close aides implicated in an audit report to step aside, Raila seems to have kicked the legs of the chair and left President Kibaki reeling. He beat him 10 nil.
Self-doubt has never stalked Raila and his hesitancy, when a journalist asked him whether the President was in the loop over the suspension of Agriculture Minister William Ruto and Education minister Sam Ongeri, looked like he had bitten off more than he could chew.
The reversal of the suspension on Sunday night ended a rollercoaster weekend and brought back memories of the farce that preceded the planting of trees at the Mau Forest.
In the Mau reclamation drive, Raila went ahead and planted trees despite State House giving him the cold shoulder. And the public opinion favoured him.
Conjecture
As for who between President Kibaki and Raila, is on the right side of history this time is a matter of conjecture, but there no doubt, there was a crack in the mould.
But what prompted Raila to engage in what has clearly boomeranged on his face confounds everyone. What was the Prime Minister up to?
In less than 48 hours, the PM had gone from being the supposed shrewd and tactful politician to a fumbling and clumsy agent provocateur. The release of the PricewaterHouseCoopers Report about the maize scandal cannot be delinked from the PM’s pressure for the Education minister to step aside or to the squabbles bedevilling ODM.
Obviously, the Prime Minister pulled the moves to fight corruption and most importantly to self-preserve and perhaps get back at his adversaries.
In the face of mounting public disquiet over widespread corruption among the political class, the PM claiming the high moral ground looked enticing.
How could he therefore, reconcile his forceful demand for Ongeri to step aside with the maize scandal report that lay the blame squarely at his door step?
On the face of it, there was a case to call for the heads of the two ministers over the scandals in their ministries. Actually the two seem willing to leave office.
Yet Ruto and his ilk have an axe to grind with the PM less because of the usual party strife than because they feel that Raila’s office too is tarred with the same brush of graft.
They think that by suspending them, the Prime Minister was throwing up chaff to disguise the deeper rot in his office. Circumstantial evidence indict him.
As the chairman of the food security committee that oversaw the importation, sale and distribution of maize, Raila bears responsibility for the misdemeanour that arose out of the maize tendering.
So was the PM muddying the waters after the PricewaterHouseCooper report was leaked? This cannot be proven. But the damage was done.
It was foolhardy for Raila to do the same thing twice (send away public servants) in slightly over 48 hours and expect the same results given what was at stake politically.
Raila to many has been the clean man who went into the slimy, corrupt and slow world of Government to smoke out the bad guys.
His critics now claim that the man is deeply submerged in the mire. In less than two weeks, the hunter turned the hunted and his adversaries gleefully smiled as he pressed the self-destruct button on Sunday.
Therefore like the captain of a sinking ship, it could be Raila hoped that slinging out a few fellows could have steadied the vessel. Quite the reverse. He ended up with unintended results and his move has drilled another hole in the sinking ship.
I have said on this column before that the Prime Minister looks like a man in a hurry to fix things, but lacks organisation and strategy. And that his sometimes rash and naive handlers make matters worse.
Today he has to face a pincer attack from his foes and friends. He has to cool the wrangles in his party and wrestle in the supremacy wars in the Coalition. His drive to save the Mau and the anti-graft crusade has inexorably driven a wedge between him and his party stalwarts.
Shortcoming
It is easy to sympathise with Raila, yet the suspicions and rumours about his shortcomings keep swirling.
Make no mistake, the Public will be less kinder to the Prime Minister should it turn out that his nose too has been in the trough.
It is ironical that Raila who had turned into the defender-in-chief of the Coalition is the first one to raise the red flag especially about a situation some consider of his own making.
The people may be fired up by all the talk about leaving no stone unturned in the fight against corruption.
But in truth, it was going to be difficult running an unwieldy Coalition riven with acute internal strife where one has to maneuver numerous landmines laid by the other partner.
If anyone ever thought that Prime Minister Raila Odinga was tactless, then he proved them wrong on Saturday morning. If anyone ever thought that the Prime Minister was a reckless populist then he proved them right on Sunday.
By asking his close aides implicated in an audit report to step aside, Raila seems to have kicked the legs of the chair and left President Kibaki reeling. He beat him 10 nil.
Self-doubt has never stalked Raila and his hesitancy, when a journalist asked him whether the President was in the loop over the suspension of Agriculture Minister William Ruto and Education minister Sam Ongeri, looked like he had bitten off more than he could chew.
The reversal of the suspension on Sunday night ended a rollercoaster weekend and brought back memories of the farce that preceded the planting of trees at the Mau Forest.
In the Mau reclamation drive, Raila went ahead and planted trees despite State House giving him the cold shoulder. And the public opinion favoured him.
Conjecture
As for who between President Kibaki and Raila, is on the right side of history this time is a matter of conjecture, but there no doubt, there was a crack in the mould.
But what prompted Raila to engage in what has clearly boomeranged on his face confounds everyone. What was the Prime Minister up to?
In less than 48 hours, the PM had gone from being the supposed shrewd and tactful politician to a fumbling and clumsy agent provocateur. The release of the PricewaterHouseCoopers Report about the maize scandal cannot be delinked from the PM’s pressure for the Education minister to step aside or to the squabbles bedevilling ODM.
Obviously, the Prime Minister pulled the moves to fight corruption and most importantly to self-preserve and perhaps get back at his adversaries.
In the face of mounting public disquiet over widespread corruption among the political class, the PM claiming the high moral ground looked enticing.
How could he therefore, reconcile his forceful demand for Ongeri to step aside with the maize scandal report that lay the blame squarely at his door step?
On the face of it, there was a case to call for the heads of the two ministers over the scandals in their ministries. Actually the two seem willing to leave office.
Yet Ruto and his ilk have an axe to grind with the PM less because of the usual party strife than because they feel that Raila’s office too is tarred with the same brush of graft.
They think that by suspending them, the Prime Minister was throwing up chaff to disguise the deeper rot in his office. Circumstantial evidence indict him.
As the chairman of the food security committee that oversaw the importation, sale and distribution of maize, Raila bears responsibility for the misdemeanour that arose out of the maize tendering.
So was the PM muddying the waters after the PricewaterHouseCooper report was leaked? This cannot be proven. But the damage was done.
It was foolhardy for Raila to do the same thing twice (send away public servants) in slightly over 48 hours and expect the same results given what was at stake politically.
Raila to many has been the clean man who went into the slimy, corrupt and slow world of Government to smoke out the bad guys.
His critics now claim that the man is deeply submerged in the mire. In less than two weeks, the hunter turned the hunted and his adversaries gleefully smiled as he pressed the self-destruct button on Sunday.
Therefore like the captain of a sinking ship, it could be Raila hoped that slinging out a few fellows could have steadied the vessel. Quite the reverse. He ended up with unintended results and his move has drilled another hole in the sinking ship.
I have said on this column before that the Prime Minister looks like a man in a hurry to fix things, but lacks organisation and strategy. And that his sometimes rash and naive handlers make matters worse.
Today he has to face a pincer attack from his foes and friends. He has to cool the wrangles in his party and wrestle in the supremacy wars in the Coalition. His drive to save the Mau and the anti-graft crusade has inexorably driven a wedge between him and his party stalwarts.
Shortcoming
It is easy to sympathise with Raila, yet the suspicions and rumours about his shortcomings keep swirling.
Make no mistake, the Public will be less kinder to the Prime Minister should it turn out that his nose too has been in the trough.
It is ironical that Raila who had turned into the defender-in-chief of the Coalition is the first one to raise the red flag especially about a situation some consider of his own making.
The people may be fired up by all the talk about leaving no stone unturned in the fight against corruption.
But in truth, it was going to be difficult running an unwieldy Coalition riven with acute internal strife where one has to maneuver numerous landmines laid by the other partner.
A comparative MEDIA ANALYSIS
The fourth Estate is almost the most influencial in any issue. Thus how it serves judgement on issues and how the public views such issues is critical. Today, let us take an analysis of local print media: Their take on events in the country:
The Nation,18 feb 2010. Raila vs Kibaki vs Coalition
Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday said he was confident that the main partners of the ruling coalition would find a way to end a rift over corruption allegations.
Speaking in Tokyo, Japan, where he is on a five-day visit, Mr Odinga said there was no danger of the coalition collapsing. “Sometimes disagreements and misunderstandings will arise between coalition partners. That does not mean that the coalition then collapses,’’ he said.
Find solutions
“There are ways ... to negotiate and to find solutions,” he continued. “This is one such case and I am confident that we will find a solution.”
A statement e-mailed to newsrooms by his communications chief Salim Lone, and attributed to ODM, emphasised that despite the dispute, the party remained committed to its role in the coalition, including conclusion of the constitution review and other phases of the reform programme.
It warned that “crucial Agenda 4 items could “not be addressed while there is such corruption”. The party asked that President Kibaki join Mr Odinga in the crusade against corruption by backing the suspension of Cabinet ministers William Ruto and Sam Ongeri.
But Mr Odinga’s confidence was not reflected at home as a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday was cancelled and his PNU coalition partners vowed to take the feud against him to Parliament when it resumes next week. MPs allied to PNU on Wedneday resolved to trim Mr Odinga’s influence in Parliament by pushing for the appointment of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka as leader of Government Business.
The coalition’s Parliamentary Group meeting at KICC resolved to support Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau’s motion seeking to amend the Standing Orders to provide that the President appoints the leader of Government Business and chairman of the House Business Committee.
The positions have been vacant following a stand-off between the coalition partners. Sources said the weekly Cabinet meetings during which important national matters are discussed and approved before being taken to Parliament may not be convened until the rift is resolved.
Senior government officials said the Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Kibaki, was cancelled on Monday, a day after Mr Odinga suspended Mr Ruto and Prof Ongeri.
President Kibaki reversed the suspensions hours later, throwing the country into political jitters that have battered the Kenyan shilling. The currency hit an eight-month low on Tuesday exchanging at nearly Sh78 to the dollar.
Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, who is also the secretary to the Cabinet, wrote to ministers on Monday informing them of the cancellation of the meeting. It was feared that the heat between PNU and ODM could spill over to the meeting, whose agenda is crafted in advance.
ODM is furious that by the President reversed the suspensions of the ministers, indicating that Mr Odinga had no powers to take disciplinary action against the ministers he supervises.
In a letter to the chairman of the African Union Commission and copied to chief mediator Kofi Annan and President Kibaki, Mr Odinga said it was urgent to convene a meeting to resolve the dispute between the two parties before a “complete paralysis” hits the government.
The party has declared a crisis in the grand coalition and announced a boycott of Cabinet meetings until the differences are resolved. On Wednesday, sources said the President was waiting for Mr Odinga to return from Japan and explain whether he was the one who directed Lands minister James Orengo to announce the boycott.
The Nation,18 feb 2010. Raila vs Kibaki vs Coalition
Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday said he was confident that the main partners of the ruling coalition would find a way to end a rift over corruption allegations.
Speaking in Tokyo, Japan, where he is on a five-day visit, Mr Odinga said there was no danger of the coalition collapsing. “Sometimes disagreements and misunderstandings will arise between coalition partners. That does not mean that the coalition then collapses,’’ he said.
Find solutions
“There are ways ... to negotiate and to find solutions,” he continued. “This is one such case and I am confident that we will find a solution.”
A statement e-mailed to newsrooms by his communications chief Salim Lone, and attributed to ODM, emphasised that despite the dispute, the party remained committed to its role in the coalition, including conclusion of the constitution review and other phases of the reform programme.
It warned that “crucial Agenda 4 items could “not be addressed while there is such corruption”. The party asked that President Kibaki join Mr Odinga in the crusade against corruption by backing the suspension of Cabinet ministers William Ruto and Sam Ongeri.
But Mr Odinga’s confidence was not reflected at home as a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday was cancelled and his PNU coalition partners vowed to take the feud against him to Parliament when it resumes next week. MPs allied to PNU on Wedneday resolved to trim Mr Odinga’s influence in Parliament by pushing for the appointment of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka as leader of Government Business.
The coalition’s Parliamentary Group meeting at KICC resolved to support Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau’s motion seeking to amend the Standing Orders to provide that the President appoints the leader of Government Business and chairman of the House Business Committee.
The positions have been vacant following a stand-off between the coalition partners. Sources said the weekly Cabinet meetings during which important national matters are discussed and approved before being taken to Parliament may not be convened until the rift is resolved.
Senior government officials said the Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Kibaki, was cancelled on Monday, a day after Mr Odinga suspended Mr Ruto and Prof Ongeri.
President Kibaki reversed the suspensions hours later, throwing the country into political jitters that have battered the Kenyan shilling. The currency hit an eight-month low on Tuesday exchanging at nearly Sh78 to the dollar.
Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, who is also the secretary to the Cabinet, wrote to ministers on Monday informing them of the cancellation of the meeting. It was feared that the heat between PNU and ODM could spill over to the meeting, whose agenda is crafted in advance.
ODM is furious that by the President reversed the suspensions of the ministers, indicating that Mr Odinga had no powers to take disciplinary action against the ministers he supervises.
In a letter to the chairman of the African Union Commission and copied to chief mediator Kofi Annan and President Kibaki, Mr Odinga said it was urgent to convene a meeting to resolve the dispute between the two parties before a “complete paralysis” hits the government.
The party has declared a crisis in the grand coalition and announced a boycott of Cabinet meetings until the differences are resolved. On Wednesday, sources said the President was waiting for Mr Odinga to return from Japan and explain whether he was the one who directed Lands minister James Orengo to announce the boycott.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Opinion and Analysis: My take On Things.
If recent events are anything to go by, Kenyans should be bracing themselves for Political alignments like never before. The persistent and apparently inherently stubborn of our Leaders will be breathing fire preaching ethnicity and trivializing every other national issue they can lay their mouths on(sic). What began as an act of courage in the fight against Impunity has been gradually washed down to mere politicking. I do not claim to be learned like my learned friends, but allow me to infer that this learned friends are getting us all lost. Each has his own interpretation of the accord and it does not help that they too, have their own vested interests in this matter. But that aside, at least for the moment, who do we blame for the persistent scandals and wrangles in this coalition government?
To answer this question, let me engage your mind a little bit:
When Kenyans went to the polls to elect a president, we never chose a coalition government. It was imposed on us for obvious reasons. Three more weeks of the anarchy we witnessed in 2007 and the Americans would have taken over. Our options were either we sort out problems or they do it for us. And we did. We went to Serena Hotel, called each other names, swore on national TV against foreigners trying to interfere with us...and did a lot more other unmentionable things. BUT, we got a document and aptly called it The National Accord. What we did not know was the fact that we had created our biggest problem yet.
Back to Raila and the unfolding drama: Can we trust our learned brothers to give us an interpretation of the accord that we can at least follow? If anything I do not suppose out learned brothers have the interests of Kenyans in mind. But I may be wrong. What does the Accord say on power sharing? We have made it seem like one of the most vexing questions that no Philosopher nor lay man alike has been able to answer. So Annan and his friends will continue to nanny us, as long as we cannot decide whether what we have is candy or its wrapper.
Therefore,the question of whether Raila was right or not is best answered by the accord. But how do you answer this question when very lawyer friend in town has his own interpretation, including the AG. A constitutional crisis is not at the least a choice for us.But even so, Raila's action can best be looked at from their moral and ethical inclination. I am not a learned friend and I certainly do not want to invite their wrath, so I will stay off interpretations before somebody says I am foreign. In the war against impunity, our president has been very reluctant to take action against his ministers or high ranking officers. Public opinion has never mattered to our president. When Raila takes throws the first stone against this vice, Kenyans are but glad to support him. Whether it is a machination of the government or anybody to bring him down, being on the right always triumphs and Raila is playing at that.
Political analysts may suggest a ploy to kill him politically, but the fox knows when to lie down and when to pounce. Taking his fight to the house was such a courageous act. But at what cost. For those who think ODM is going to break, think again. Here are my reasons:
To begin, Ruto is not going anywhere. At least not now. The Kalenjin have cleared said they will go into an alliance with the other two K's as he wanted. The question is; Where is Ruto taking the Kalenjin after quitting ODM? KANU, I don't think so. Thus his options are fairly limited. Even Franklin Bett had to backtrack from going against the grain. My point is, it does not matter what happens to ODM, at least Raila has shown us. National interest must always come first.
To answer this question, let me engage your mind a little bit:
When Kenyans went to the polls to elect a president, we never chose a coalition government. It was imposed on us for obvious reasons. Three more weeks of the anarchy we witnessed in 2007 and the Americans would have taken over. Our options were either we sort out problems or they do it for us. And we did. We went to Serena Hotel, called each other names, swore on national TV against foreigners trying to interfere with us...and did a lot more other unmentionable things. BUT, we got a document and aptly called it The National Accord. What we did not know was the fact that we had created our biggest problem yet.
Back to Raila and the unfolding drama: Can we trust our learned brothers to give us an interpretation of the accord that we can at least follow? If anything I do not suppose out learned brothers have the interests of Kenyans in mind. But I may be wrong. What does the Accord say on power sharing? We have made it seem like one of the most vexing questions that no Philosopher nor lay man alike has been able to answer. So Annan and his friends will continue to nanny us, as long as we cannot decide whether what we have is candy or its wrapper.
Therefore,the question of whether Raila was right or not is best answered by the accord. But how do you answer this question when very lawyer friend in town has his own interpretation, including the AG. A constitutional crisis is not at the least a choice for us.But even so, Raila's action can best be looked at from their moral and ethical inclination. I am not a learned friend and I certainly do not want to invite their wrath, so I will stay off interpretations before somebody says I am foreign. In the war against impunity, our president has been very reluctant to take action against his ministers or high ranking officers. Public opinion has never mattered to our president. When Raila takes throws the first stone against this vice, Kenyans are but glad to support him. Whether it is a machination of the government or anybody to bring him down, being on the right always triumphs and Raila is playing at that.
Political analysts may suggest a ploy to kill him politically, but the fox knows when to lie down and when to pounce. Taking his fight to the house was such a courageous act. But at what cost. For those who think ODM is going to break, think again. Here are my reasons:
To begin, Ruto is not going anywhere. At least not now. The Kalenjin have cleared said they will go into an alliance with the other two K's as he wanted. The question is; Where is Ruto taking the Kalenjin after quitting ODM? KANU, I don't think so. Thus his options are fairly limited. Even Franklin Bett had to backtrack from going against the grain. My point is, it does not matter what happens to ODM, at least Raila has shown us. National interest must always come first.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)