By Alex Kamau
The
greatest disappointments are borne out of the greatest expectations- Vladimir Putin-
Russian President.
When
Uhuru was confirmed president, a fatigued and bitterly divided country agreed
in the name of peace and country to carry on. In speeches full of hope he promised
to make Kenya better for all.
Over
100 days later, there’s little to show and unless President Uhuru provides decisive
leadership, the future may be bleak. Shrewd leaders understand that any new
government has limited time to make its mark. Once the honeymoon dissipates; a disillusioned
electorate begin to view speeches as rhetoric and promises as falsehoods. President
Uhuru must avoid this eventuality.
His
privileged background means the expectations on him are enormous. He is likely
to succeed if he identifies issues of greatest concern to Kenyans and devote
his energy to these; conscious that Kenya’s myriad challenges can’t be solved
in one or even two terms.
History
is replete with examples of leaders who focused on few areas and succeeded.
Within
days of being elected British Prime minister in 1997, Tony Blair took three bold
decisions he is remembered for to date. First his government mandated the Bank
of England (the country’s central bank) to set interest rates free of political
interference. Secondly they passed a law guaranteeing a minimum wage for all
employees. These two acts met the needs of two competing constituencies -the capitalists
on the one hand; and employees on the other.
His
later attempts to pass landmark laws were harder and of course the Iraq debacle
eternally tainted his reputation. Ronald Reagan in 1980s America championed market
deregulation and the crusade against communism; culminating in the fall of the
Berlin Wall. Obama’s
healthcare plans ring true here as is Kibaki and free primary education.
For
president Uhuru, the following six may be a start:
First,
although he had a difficult task choosing cabinet secretaries, Uhuru and Ruto’s
communities disproportionately took the juiciest ministries thereby missing an opportunity
for national healing and renewal. Safe for Jubilee supporters, other Kenyans
feel marginalised. He should have boldly given two powerful ministries to
Odinga’s acolytes thereby neutering his bitter nemesis and validating himself
as a nationalist. All is not lost and the president could in addition to
ensuring devolution succeeds; make future appointments represent the face of
Kenya and accommodate his opponents. Obama did this with Hilary Clinton and also
offered Mitt Romney a position though he declined.
Secondly,
imposing VAT on essentials including food is unfortunate. From Antoinette’s 17th Century
France to 2013 Egypt, history teaches that when citizens are unable to feed
themselves their avoidable actions have dethroned monarchs and presidents. Mr
President has the opportunity to put food security at the heart of his
government and achieve for the hungry Kenyans what his father and two
successors failed in 50 years in office. VAT on food will not help.
Thirdly
spiralling insecurity remains a nightmare for Kenyans. With a resurgent police
force, a reforming judiciary, the president needs to position his security team
to ensure criminals receive punitive deterrents to dissuade them from their
trade-including annihilation. Criminal cases must be expedited through the courts.
Importantly, the root cause of crime-youth unemployment is core to the Jubilee
manifesto and what’s needed is leadership to bring coherence to existing
policy.
Fourth
the profligacy of elected leaders has left the public nauseatingly disgusted.
With a majority in both houses, President Kenyatta should have cracked the whip;
requiring the greedy legislators to drop their demands. However with his close
ally the Speaker of the National Assembly acting like a Union steward in
defence of the legislators, the opportunity to tame the gluttony of the already
well paid lawmakers was lost. It was a matter of time before public servants took
to the streets to demand higher pay. Teachers have and others shall follow. Why
blame teachers for asking a rise of Kshs. 20,000 while MPs demand Kshs. 400,000
on top of Kshs. 600,000?
Fifth,
Uhuru’s munificent upbringing allows him; from the vantage of high morality to relentlessly
fight rampant corruption. Having the dubious distinction as the 4th
most corrupt country on earth isn’t a badge of honour. As long as police receive
bribes in full glare of cameras, corruption shall be more spoken about with
little action. This requires leadership, courage and boldness.
Finally,
the deaths on our roads remain a national tragedy. Every accident victim is
someone’s mother, father, child, etc. President Uhuru should take action and
establish an independent and well-staffed quasi-Judicial body-The Driving
Standards & Safety Authority to delineate and judiciously enforce driving
and safety standards across Kenya; with severe punishment including punitive fines,
bans and jail terms for offenders. Any death is one too many.
The driving skills
of many Kenyans are appallingly reckless and more deaths sadly await us all. Ours
may be the only country where it takes a few months from getting a licence to
becoming a matatu driver. In Britain a similar body ensures that all drivers
receive rigorous driving instructions with severe punishment for offenders. About
52% of those who sit the driving test in the UK fail. It may explain why
despite having comparably more vehicles, the UK has a minuscule fraction of the
carnage available on Kenyan roads.
Additionally,
circumstances may dictate that cherished manifesto promises are abandoned. Many
Kenyans are rightly sceptical about the need to provide laptops to pupils- half
of whom may be malnourished.
That
said, the president can wait for 2017, to be confronted by a savagely divided, hungry,
insecure, broke, corrupt and mourning country; all ingredients for electoral obliteration.
The choice is his.
Mr Kamau is a lecturer in the UK; and a Director and Strategy advisor to
Rock Ventures, a Diaspora Investment Company.
akkamotho@yahoo.co.uk
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