Will Kenyans wake up one morning and say they miss life under Kibaki?

Rasna Warah 

By RASNA WARAH rasna.warah@gmail.com
Posted  Sunday, April 14  2013 

IN SUMMARY

• Now that Mr Kibaki has made his exit from Kenyan politics, I wonder if we might wish that he was still at the helm
• What I would like to give retired president Kibaki most credit for is his non-interfering attitude (some might even call it indifference) towards the media
• As a columnist during Kibaki’s administration not once have I felt that I needed to censor my thoughts or opinions. This freedom to have an opinion, even if it rubs the ruling class the wrong way, is one I cherish and guard

At the height of the national euphoria that followed the election of Mwai Kibaki in 2002, a friend wondered whether Kenyans would one day miss the then outgoing president Daniel arap Moi, the man who had ruled the country like a colossus for 24 years.

Like an amputee who misses a diseased leg, would we start yearning for that which might have killed us? Would the image of the man with a gravelly voice and sharp suits linger on in our consciousness?

Now that Mr Kibaki has made his exit from Kenyan politics, I wonder if we might wish that he was still at the helm. There are many things that Mr Kibaki did wrong (for instance, he failed to slay the dragon of corruption) but there are many things that he did right and, I think, when Kenyans look back on his administration they will recognise him for the transformational role he played in building institutions that worked.

Mr Kibaki introduced order and efficiency in the public service. Performance-based contracts and a more competitive and technology-friendly public service environment ensured that key functions of government were carried out more effectively. Remember the days when it took months to get a passport? Well, I am happy to report that it takes two weeks now.

Ministries that were once seen as the last refuge of idlers were suddenly innovating and outperforming each other. Who would have thought that government data, which repressive regimes often hide from citizens, would one day be available on the Internet in an interactive format?

What I would like to give retired president Kibaki most credit for is his non-interfering attitude (some might even call it indifference) towards the media. Apart from the unfortunate and deeply embarrassing Standard Newspaper raid (aka the Artur brothers saga) there is little evidence to show that he was either threatened by the media or wanted its freedom curtailed. (Some might say that he didn’t have to, as media corporations in Kenya were generally friendly to his administration.)

It is worth noting that under his watch, the media, the arts and cultural activities flourished like never before. Satirical TV shows such as XYZ and Churchill Live blossomed. Kenya’s dying film industry was revived. A new generation of writers found space in literary journals such as Kwani?

Those of you who came of age in the Kibaki era may not see the value of these achievements, but those of my generation who have lived through four presidents can tell you that things were not always this way. I came of age in the 1980s, not a very nice time to be a journalist. Apart from the political repression and widespread media censorship, there was an omnipresent fear that pervaded newsrooms. Those were the days when media houses were raided routinely and journalists jailed. That stopped under President Kibaki.

As a columnist during Kibaki’s administration not once have I felt that I needed to censor my thoughts or opinions. This freedom to have an opinion, even if it rubs the ruling class the wrong way, is one I cherish and guard.

However, in the last few weeks, I have noticed a trend within the mainstream as well as social media that indicates that we may be entering an era of intolerance, self-censorship and cyber-bullying. Editors are not publishing news that they consider to be a threat to “peace and security”. Government statements are being trusted more than eye witness accounts.

Instead of using rational arguments to present their cases, some columnists and bloggers are resorting to smearing the reputations of individuals they don’t agree with. The viciousness of their attacks and the gloating that is apparent in their words suggest that perhaps the era of open-mindedness is over before it had time to mature.

It would be extremely unfortunate if the digital 21st century Kenya that my agemate, President Uhuru Kenyatta, promised is accompanied by increasing media repression, self-censorship and bullying. The digital revolution has democratised the space we now have to air our views.

We must use this space responsibly. I hope that Mr Kenyatta will not be remembered as the president who made Kenyans miss his predecessor, Mr Kibaki.