For far too long we have assumed that the numerous decisions made by elected leaders will be made in the interest of the nation. That assumption has led the citizens of this, once a promising country in the heart of East Africa to leave important decisions in hands of masqueraders who don’t really care about the plight of the people they lead.

There are a wide range of decisions being made and continue to be made which have made most Kenyans quite uncomfortable. Some of these decisions need to be challenged in an open debate. At a time of economic turmoil and skyrocketing unemployment, how can some leaders unashamedly allocate 2 billion each for the building of their offices? Which one should come first, job creation for the unemployed and good healthcare or making the leaders comfortable? This nation has a full menu of problems seeking attention and solutions yet no one seems to be ready to face up to that challenge; no one seems to understand the gravity and the explosive nature of the challenges facing Kenya today. There is a silent albeit visible revolution that is building and, which unfortunately, will take the shape of Tsunami.

This government has never made any attempt to protect the interests of her citizens even in the face of high consumer prices, which has come, as a result of unfettered market. It is a sad story for Kenyan people because while other countries are trying to redefine their positions in the global economy, there is no indication that the Kenyan government is taking steps to insulate her citizens from the pending economic Tsunami. We need leaders who are not simply fighting for their own interests, but those who are fighting for the “common good”.

According to Allen et al. (1998) such leaders are able to create a supportive environment where people can thrive, grow, and live in peace with one another; leaders who will promote harmony with nature and there by provide sustainability for future generations; and thus, create communities of reciprocal care and shared responsibility – one where every person matters and each person’s welfare and dignity is respected and supported.

It’s the welfare of the nation that made some of us to support the grand-coalition as long as it was just a temporary arrangement as prescribed by the Kofi Annan committee for a period of two years. Within this set period, the world has been waiting for Kenya to restore its bartered image occasioned by the disputed presidential elections that resulted to many killings of innocent Kenyans. What we are realizing is that the “grand-coalition” might turn out to be “grand-eating-coalition” – a coalition which is cobbled together and supported until a year to the elections without any meaningful reforms to the institutions that allowed abuse of power and impunity to thrive.

After the disputed elections and its ugly aftermath, every sane Kenyan expects clear signals from the government that the organizers of the killings must be brought to answer. For the president who ordered the various commissions to investigate this cruel and primitive act to come around again asking Kenyans to “forgive” is a total insult to Kenyan families who lost their family members to the mini genocide. Some people lost their entire family. Mr. President! It is an insult to the entire country that has entrusted the president with the responsibility to create a peaceful environment for all and a waste of public funds. If the president continues on that path of forgiving anyone without facing a tribunal, it will be a further slap on the face of the panel of eminent African and global leaders who rushed to Kenya’s rescue at the hour of need. Now that the commissions have finished their work, the president must show leadership otherwise we are within our right senses to question his role in the violence that engulfed the country.

There will be no forgiveness if people are not brought to account for their mistakes. Infact, it will even be more worse in the next elections should the country decide to let these people off the hook – that will be encouraging impunity! Let whoever has been mentioned clear their names. We know that there are also prominent personalities who played prominent roles whose names are not in the list. However, through the tribunal, we might just be lucky to see them turned in. [Unedited]

Otieno Mbare, PhD, Research Fellow,

Åbo Akademi University, Finland

By API’s special correspondent.

Elders of Kochogo ward in the vast Nyando constituency in Kenya have scheduled a meeting to severely reprimand the area civic leader for having allegedly snatched the wife of a man who was his chief campaigner in the last year’s elections.

In a no nonsense letter sneaked to the press, the angered elders accused councilor Joel Oron Onyango for having grabbed the wife of Samuel Owino Odegu,Mrs Modesta Adhiambo Odegu.An allegation that was equally confirmed by Samuel when reached for comments.

With tears flowing freely down his chicks,Samuel,26,narrated that it all started when the councilor one chilly morning approached him that there is a vacant position at the Great Lake University of Kenya(GLUK).And that the job description befits, squarely, his wife’ qualification, a move that they both welcomed as couples and the wife landed the job.

It later dawned on him that the wife is embroiled in a blossomed love affair, which has culminated to a full scale marriage when he stumbled on some documents in his house-the National ID slip and papers from marital tribune- showing the change of names and formalization of her marriage with the newfound amorous councilor, to his utter disbelief.

Majority of the area electorates, leaders interviewed disclosed that the councilor, 45, has started some Community Based Organization (CBO) project of which he has successfully managed to mobilize and convinced donors who are soon pumping money into its coffers.

 And this is what he is using as bait to cajole poor women in the locality to give in to his sexual overtures. They vowed to stop the project at all cost, since their leader has out lived his usefulness: “he is an abuse to society and morality expected of a leader and he risk being ostracized” they thundered.

The stunned Samuel, who has now been rendered wifeless, said that what came knocking as a reward for his active role during electioneering period to deliver victory, has turned out to be a bitter pill for him to swallow and contend with for the rest of his life. The woman has acquired a new third name: “She is now Mrs. Onyango instead of Mrs. Odegu, the way we married in church” added the bitter Samuel.

Interestingly, lined up for testimony in the impending meeting are women whom he has aggressively made sexual advancements, fruitlessly. The councilor’s sexual innuendo appears to be of no mean feat and is a legend of its own kind since he has been baptized forthwith rwath kochogo the bull of Kochogo.

Further,what baffles many in his area of juridiction,is his mysterious magnetic appeal to skirt wearers.  

It’s worth noting that the libidinous councilor’ sexual escapades which has taken Nyando and it’s environ by storm, recently reared its ugly head at the lakeside city’ four star hotel, Kisumu hotel, when one of his chain of prostitutes was tipped off that the councilor was enjoying finger-licking gala dinner with another woman.

The enraged lady turned tables on them leaving them awash with drinks and soups with the civic leader escaping in an alarming speed, thanks to his athletic skills, thus treating the onlookers to a free drama. More drama unfolded when the watchmen followed him in an alarming speed in a bid for him to come back and foot the hotel bill.

Ahead of the slated landmark meeting in the contemporary history, Oron who is serving second term as a councilor and has been declared a persona-non-grata (read undesired element) in Ahero, Nyando with the boda boda taxi men warming up, baying for his blood appears composed and decided man: “l don’t care, the woman loves me and she is going to be in charge of the project” charged Oron.

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Published by African Press International – API