Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga: Enemies of the Kenyan People?

The Grand Coalition Government in Kenya is a grand shame. It is also a grand scam. A grand sham, too. Kenyans who voted in the general elections on December 27, 2007 had to content themselves with a hastily negotiated and wholly undemocratic union of the three major presidential candidates.

The widespread violence that engulfed Kenya in early 2008 shocked Kenyans as much as it shook the world. Over 1,300 people were killed, children and women raped, property looted, homes and businesses burnt. Hundreds of thousands were displaced from their homes. The situation was quickly getting out of control. Gangs were taking over entire neighbourhoods. The security forces were taking sides. There was an unexpected leadership vacuum. Against this backdrop, a team of eminent African persons was brought in to negotiate an end to the violence. It decided that the best solution would be the National Accord that created a Grand Coalition Government in which power would be shared by the contestants.

Thus, the Grand Coalition Government was born. Each of the three main presidential candidates found a valuable piece of political real estate for himself. Mwai Kibaki became the President, Raila Odinga the Prime Minister and Kalonzo Musyoka the Vice President. All but one of the 222 Members of Parliament were, under the negotiated agreement, to be part of the Grand Coalition Government. It would be a government without opposition! In many ways, this new arrangement marked the return, albeit with sugar coated explanations, to the one-party state against which Kenyans had fought under Moi's dictatorship. The Kenyan people were, in one fell swoop, dragged back to the days of a government without opposition.

Those that understood the impact of the National Accord as a loss of the people's right to an elected government justified this departure with the fact that the post election violence was threatening the very existence of the country. Clinging on to democratic principles and the right of the people to a government of their choice would be suicidal. In any case, the National Accord made several arrangements to eventually provide for a return to democracy. There was established the Independent Review Commitee headed by a South African jugde that would review the 2007 General Elections. There would be a Commission on Post Election Violence headed by a local judge. There would be a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission to investigate historical injustices in Kenya since 1963, and also a National Race and Ethinic Relations Commission to help Kenyans get along.

Where is the maize?
Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga are taking very hungry Kenyans directly to hell! By the end of 2008, with the Grand Coalition Government in place, Kenyans are worse off than they have ever been. Politically, we are living with a ticking bomb. It is clear that neither Mwai Kibaki nor Raila Odinga were genuinely interested in sharing power. Kibaki continues to hold on to power even when it is clear that the best interests of the country require that he relinquish some. Raila Odinga, on the other hand, constantly demonstrates that his interest is only in amassing power for himself, not in good governance.

These two principals have demonstrated this foolish affinity for personal power at great expense to the masses in Kenya. Presently, the country is faced with an acute food shortage brought on by the effect of the post election violence, shortage of rain, and GRAND CORRUPTION at the Ministry of Agriculture. There are irregularities at the National Cereals and Produce Board. Cartels run by politicians including Members of Parliament have a stranglehold on the poor masses, reportedly hoarding maize to hike prices and or exporting it to neighbouring countries while Kenyans face a shortage. At the same time, the government demands that farmers only sell their maize to the NCPB which pays them a price below their production cost. The grand coalition government plays politics with fertizers, with farmers' payments and with the poeple's food. All for money and under the supervision and possible approval of the President and Prime Minister.

Possible approval because, despite most of the information on irregular deals over maize being in the public domain, neither Kibaki nor Raila has said or done anything about it. One would expect that William Samoei Ruto, the Minister for Agriculture would be asked to resign from office paving way for proper management at the key ministry. Members of Parliament cannot be relied on to pass a vote of no confidence against the minister. It must, however, be possible for the President and the Prime Minister to sack Mr Ruto?! And if the two cannot sack a minister that has supervised the worst food crisis in decades, then what use are they for Kenyans? One would expect heads at the NCPB to roll. Nothing of the kind is in the offing. One theory is that the powers that be at the NCPB know a little too much and are being kept in place to keep them quiet as the political establishment sucks the life out of poor Kenyans. 825 million shillings is the reported value of fraud involving maize millers and a cartel which includes top government officials.

President Kibaki and Raila Odinga cannot escape blame. On their watch, the policy of 1st and 2nd class citizens has finally been made official. The government of Kenya is now selling maize flour to "poor" and "rich" Kenyans are different prices. There is doubt on whether the quality, especially of the flour destined to the "poor" Kenyans will guaranteed, or that the subsidized flour will not end up in the hands of the politician-run cartels that have taken over the maize business. The people are too hungry to argue with this assault on their dignity, especially because it has been tied to the access to food for their families, but the people will not forget it hurriedly. Some day when things get easier for Kenyans, the two principals with have to answer to the people.

Do Kibaki and Raila know what is going on with the our fuel?
Yes,they do. They just do not care. Raila is reportedly involved in the fuel business. He is a beneficiary of the rising prices. Kibaki's allies are directly in charge of the energy docket. Mr. Kiraitu Muriungi, the Minister for Energy has a place reserved for him by the fireplace in the president's kitchen cabinet. Of course Kibaki knows what is going on. Triton Petroleum Company which is in the middle of the fuel saga, was only formed in 2006 and given the biggest control of our fuel, without stringent control. Guess who supervised that? Kiraitu Muriungi and Permanent Secretary Nyoike. The company, despite being known to be nearly insolvent, was also allowed to have access to oil stocks from the Kenya Pipeline Company, costing a whooping 7.6 billion risk or loss! Yet, neither Kibaki nor Raila sees any need to sack the minister and the PS!

It comes as no surprise that while the rest of the world has seen fuel prices drop by a significant 65%, in Kenya we have only had a 20% drop in fuel prices. In December 2008, at a time when there was no shortage of fuel in the world, Kenyans found themselves queuing for fuel. No word from the two principals!

What is going on with the Waki report?
A report on the Post Election Violence was submitted to the two principals. They have been quiet about it, yet Kenyans overwhelmingly demanded that action be taken. Is it possible that Kibaki and Raila want to sentence Kenyans to future violence and insecurity by allowing those responsible for the violence last year to go scot-free simply because they are their friends?! Do these two old men really care that little about the lives of Kenyans? Major General Hussein Ali, the Commissioner of Police, is heavily indicted by the Waki report. Under his command, the Police have shot more than 1,000 Kenyans in cold blood, including 405 youth shot during the post election violence. Why is the man still in office?! Why has he not been sacked? Or suspended? Who is so happy with Ali's work that he is shielded from sanctions? Whose interest is he serving by ordering extra-judicial killings of Kenyans?

The Muthaura and reported rifts in the coalition government are side shows that do not matter to Kenyans! But neither Kibaki and Raila can understand that. Kenyans are more interested in feeding their children. They are more interested in having teachers in school. They are more interested in lower fuel and energy costs. They are more interested in ending the culture of political violence. They are interested in ending corruption and curbing the sales of public assets. Kenyans want more food security for Kenyans, they do not want the president of Kenya to facilitate Qatari food security at their expense. Kenyans want a government that works, they are not interested in finding out who is encroaching on the Prime Minister's tuff.

Kibaki can and should fire Kiaraitu Muriungi and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy. Kiaraitu is in PNU, which the president is part of, and the party can seek his removal and substitute him with another person. That is the right thing to do. Raila can and should ask that ODM to which William Ruto, the Minister for Agriculture belongs, to substitute him with a more competent person. Mr. Ruto should then be sacked. That is the right thing to do.

While at it, the Kibaki and Raila can and should order the sacking of the entire management of the Kenya Pipeline Company, the National Cereals and Produce Board and the Kenya Tourist Board. They should also fire Major General Hussein Ali, replace him with a reasonable person not drawn from the military, and then order the arrest of any and all people implicated in the maize and fuel cartels. These people should be tried for capital offences- after all, their pillaging is costing Kenyans lives.

Kibaki and Raila have the power to do that, but are they likely to use it? Only enemies of the people would refuse to take action that would rescue the people when it is within their power!