The People, Special Projects Editor, Kamau Ngotho, spoke to the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga on Friday. Excerpts herewith.
Q. This week, the Jubilee Alliance is marking 100 days since they came to power. How would you write their scorecard, one, on the promises they made to Kenyans, and two, as a competitor who, presumably, would have done things better than them?
A. I must start by saying this: For a government anywhere to invite assessment in the first 100 days is just too ambitious. I have been in government and know what it means when you talk of a 100 days yet you can’t be in position to control so many other factors to enable you deliver on whatever you may have promised. Coming to specifics, Jubilee said they are digital. Digital is speed. So you’d have expected them to speedily put up an administration in place. On that, we had to wait for over two months before we saw the structure of Government.
Q. But there was the vetting process which is a new thing…
A. Vetting is just an excuse. Remember when they decided to finally name Cabinet Secretaries, they only released four names. It is only when parliament said they couldn’t deal with just four names when they hurriedly released the other names. I mean, if you’re decided on 18, what was so difficult in releasing all the names at the same time?
Q. But that is how we do politics in this part of the world, you’re not ready until you have been declared winner?
A. Far from it, we in CORD were ready with structure of government and likely names. To take you a little back, even with the NARC administration in 2002, we’d a structure and the names. That is why Mwai Kibaki named his Cabinet within a week of our assuming of power. Another one is the Coalition Government of 2008. After the conflict and signing of the coalition deal, I and Mwai Kibaki went to Sagana (State Lodge) and in a matter of days we had a Cabinet.
Q. So Jubilee should have done it even faster given that there was no conflict after Supreme Court decision?
A. Precisely. One would think that anybody talking of a100 days had some structure and names in mind.
Q. Free maternity service in a 100 days time?
A. Very well meaning. But then, was there a feasibility study? I was in Laikipia North last weekend, there clinics are a 100 kms apart. So do you talk about free delivery where there isn’t even a place to deliver in the first place? Come to Nairobi, the facilities are there but are they equipped? re they staffed? Go to Pumwani or Kenyatta Hospital and tell me what capacity we have in terms of equipment and staff for free maternity services to take effect. It is simply a question of putting the cart before the donkey!
Q. That is as far as their 100 day promises goes. What about other areas?
A. I am sure you want to ask me about laptops. That’s another great idea, but not well thought out. When Bill Clinton wanted it done in the US, he first established a council to research and come up with a road-map for implementation. We have never heard of any here!
Q. Neither did we hear of any roadmap when NARC talked of free primary education and went ahead to implement it?
A. Perhaps you don’t know: free primary education was in the Manifesto of LDP party which joined with NAC to come up with NARC in 2002. For you information, we in LDP had researched and drawn up an implementation manual for free-primary education which was unanimously endorsed by NARC. That is why we were able to roll it out as soon as we came to power.
Q. Are you saying the LAPTOP project is unworkable as envisioned by the Jubilee Government?
A. Perhaps that is a question for them to answer. But if it was a Cord government, we would have been talking about computer laboratories for Kenyan schools. Why give a laptop to a Standard One kid when the Standard 8 kid in the same school has never seen one?
Q. So you are talking about preparedness for implementation?
A. Precisely. Technology is the way forward. But it has to be in an orderly and practicable manner. Just ask yourself, if laptops for every Standard One child project will be implemented come January; have the (laptops) been procured; are they to be yet to be procured? Will government procurement rules be adhered to?
Q. Smelling a scandal?
A. You’re the investigative journalist…
Q. We’re done with Jubilee scorecard. Recent opinion polls, if we are to believe them, says Kenyans are still divided down the middle as it were on March 4. You being the gentleman holding one half of the country, what are you doing to bring on board the other half?
A. Those who closely know Raila Odinga can tell you I am always first for Kenya, second for Raila. There have been trying moments but I have always stood for Kenya.
Q. Indeed, many people think you’re a patriot who’d not want to see Kenya burn just because Raila has to be president.
A. You have read of a character called Shylock in the Merchant of Venice. He always demanded his pound of fresh no matter what…. Certainly that’s not Raila Odinga.
Q. Please elaborate on that ……
A. I have contested 3 presidential elections: Everybody knows this: Except in 1997, I never lost in 2007 and in 2013.
Q. But Kriegler Report said there was no clear winner or loser in 2007 election. In 2013 election, the IEBC and the Supreme Court categorically declared your opponent the clear winner. How is that?
A. Let’s talk about 2013. We noted glaring anomalies at the Bomas long before the so called results were announced. A decision was made that we reject the whole process at that point. A press conference was even scheduled. But I said, lets sleep on it and discuss it tomorrow…
Q. So what became of the tomorrow?
A. As a leader I weighed all the options. We could have said no, and the other side would have said whatever they would have said. But, then, where would that have left the country?
Q. Then as the leader you have to make a decision?
A. I said. Fine, whatever they have done, let’s meet in the court.
Q. So you did, and still believe, in the courts?
A. I wouldn’t condense it that way. You know what role we played to have the courts in this country work as they should. We had Kangaroo courts in this country in those days. But we said no to that kind of thing.
Q. But you’re on record stating that you the Supreme Court treated you unfairly?
A. Yes. And I can repeat that again. We gave them 800 pages of evidence which they dismissed…
Q. Because you were time-barred?
A. Can justice and fairness be time-barred? We did so much homework to come up with the 800 page document…
Q. What is the way forward now?
A. There is a concept called loyal opposition. Governments in this part of the world don’t believe in it. The moment they get in power their first mission is to destroy the opposition.
Q. So you intended to make the principle of Loyal Opposition work in Kenya and beyond our borders?
A. Yes.
Q. Plans to contest in 2017?
A. Political parties are constituted primarily to contest and to win elections. So we will be there in 2017.
Q. Despite all the political battles of the Odingas and the Kenyattas, you still remain close family friends. Can you talk about it?
A. In our family Kisumu Home, there is still a place called Kenyatta Room. My father had instructed that it be constructed to the tastes of his friend Jomo. That should be enough to tell you they were buddies.
Q. Is the friendship today as it was in the days of Jomo and Jaramogi?
A. Let me put it this way: Uhuru Kenyatta is my family friend: But he is now the President of Kenya. He is very much welcome to Bondo. But it is his handlers to say when he’ll come to Bondo and have fish.
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