The last month has seen monumental changes in Kenya’s political landscape. A movement informed by the citizens’ dissatisfaction with the regime’s service delivery and lack of accountability, has seen the political class band together to quell dissent. However, this has exposed the opposition as a failure in its mandate to keep the government in check. Further, the president’s decision to dismiss his entire cabinet has raised more questions from the populace.
Kicking back with my friend, Benjy, a few days ago at our favorite ‘local’, we couldn’t help steering the conversation toward the prevailing issues over pints. “Was it right for the president to dismiss the whole cabinet? Does it mean they were all incompetent and had dirt on them?” Benjy began, taking a swig.
“Well, isn’t it what the citizenry wanted? However, I think the president made a terrible blunder by appointing them in the first place. We can’t fault them without putting the blame squarely on the president. How in the world would he appoint an incompetent team, if he is not incompetent?” I mused, lighting a smoke.
When President Ruto selected his disgraced cabinet, which boasted a collective wealth of sh15 billion, few questioned the origins of this fortune. We neglected to ask what industries, and investments have yielded such significant returns. This alone should have been a red flag in the first place.
“To be elected or appointed to a public office in Kenya over the decades has always been based on how much a two-bit you are at spewing tribal sentiments, and divisive politics to work up the mob, not forgetting being a shameless thief,” I observed, watching the foam gradually settle in the beer glass.
Well allow me, if the populace were right about the cabinet’s incompetence and poor service delivery by the regime, isn’t it fair to say that their demand for the regime’s dissolution is right?
It is beyond doubt that the opposition has failed monumentally in keeping the government in check, the last nail in the coffin being Raila’s presser with the president in a bid to create a dialogue committee. Dialogue?
“It does not take a genius to see that this regime does not act in the interest of the nation,” Benjy said.
“How so?” I ventured.
“Okay, let’s see. Attempting to force more taxes down our throats despite a general outcry, scrapping off of Linda Mama, scrapping off of EduAfya, Criminalising seed exchange and sharing by farmers, crippling of NHIF not to mention the mutilated health system attested to by constant medical practitioners’ strikes, School fees is over the roof, and now the school feeding program is dead.
“The list is endless, but one constant thing is the fact that the ordinary Kenyan is held by the throat, we suffer the most at the expense of politicians in air-conditioned offices and chauffeured top-of-the-range rides. I won’t bother to mention the public debt, which has so far been established by both government and independent auditors to be a fraudulent scheme.” He finished, taking the last swig and signaling the waitress for another pint.
“The incident at Kware has bared the executive’s incompetence and is embarrassing me as a Kenya. Today is the third day of retrieving the bodies from the quarry and mind you, there has not been any help from either the county or national government. The citizens are on their own, fundraising for ropes to help in the retrieval process, without equipment or machinery, and yet we have a disaster management team and kitty. Thinking of this regime’s mess is enough to give you a headache.”
“So what now?” I wondered.
“Now, we clean house and drain the swamp,” he commented, chuckling.
