‘Uhuru lost golden chance to play politics’

President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga walk out of the KICC hand in hand after attending interdenominational prayers last October.  [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

NAIROBI, KENYA: In reversing his decision to engage Opposition chiefs in national dialogue, politicians and analysts opine President Uhuru Kenyatta has lost major clear political opportunities.

The President appeared to have embraced the dialogue opportunity last Sunday when he addressed the nation from Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi, during the Madaraka Day celebrations.

By listing the thorny issue of reduction of the wage bill and downsizing of the civil service as top on discussion, Uhuru appeared to be cleverly wooing CORD into sharing blame. The wage bill question is a sensitive undertaking that is likely to boomerang on its executor come the 2017 election year.

But having backtracked on the move, the Jubilee Administration must carefully execute the downsizing of the civil service alongside the reduction of the wage bill, among other measures, and be ready to solely deal with the repercussions in 2017.

BEGGING CHANCE

“He (President) has lost a golden chance of playing politics to his advantage by passing on some of his government’s burdens to the Opposition and dragging them in equal mud,” reacts Joseph Magutt, who teaches political science at Kenyatta University.

Yatta MP Francis Mwangangi equally regrets that the President let go a begging chance of rallying the entire country behind him. Noting that not everybody voted for Uhuru, Mwangangi observes that this was the moment for him to exhibit statesmanship by addressing the plight of all, irrespective of their political leaning.

“In fact, national dialogue should be an important continuous process in our country, currently plagued with a myriad of problems and challenges. We need a permanent framework of engaging in continuous dialogue, as opposed to a periodic appeal to the powers-that-be on whether or nor not to listen to us,” says the MP.

However, National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale maintains that the President has neither lost political opportunity or ground over his stand on the national dialogue question. In fact, Duale argues that the President never and has not changed his position on the dialogue issue.

“During his Madaraka Day speech, he simply welcomed the gesture by the Opposition. Otherwise, as Jubilee, we have been on this path since getting into office and have had dialogue on the wage bill question and the nyumba kumi initiative. And don’t forget, when terrorists struck at the Westgate, the President quickly reached out to the former PM (Raila Odinga) and other opposition leaders,” Duale told The Standard On Sunday.

Looking back at history, Magutt points out that Uhuru should have seized the opportunity by agreeing to dialogue, “in the same way his political teacher and mentor (retired President Daniel arap Moi) did ahead of the 1997 General Election.

KIND GESTURE

Then, Moi, who was under pressure locally and from the international community, agreed to dialogue with the Opposition, led by the late Michael Kijana Wamalwa (then Ford-Kenya party leader) and Mwai Kibaki (Democratic Party).

“By allowing the talks under the aegis of IPPG (Inter Parliamentary Parties Group) caucus, Moi was lauded for his kind gesture and that single move relieved him of a lot of political pressure, yet practically he gave away no substantial powers,” recalls Magutt.

Among the issues hammered out in the IPPG deal was the requirement by politicians to only alert officers of the provincial administration on the dates of holding their rallies, instead of seeking written permission as was the practice. Under the “gentleman’s agreement”, political parties were also accorded the opportunity of nominating commissioners to the then Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), as well as getting an assurance of equal airtime on the national broadcaster, KBC.

While the first two factors were implemented, KBC only obliged during the first few weeks, then resumed according airtime to the sitting President and his Kanu party. Moi equally did not yield to the 50-plus-one per cent demand as the mark for the electoral victor, and went ahead to beat the divided opposition in the 1997 poll.

BALLOT FACE-OFF

Claiming that politics has beclouded the current debate on the national dialogue, Tigania East MP Aburi Mpuri sarcastically remarks that there is no need for the talks.

“Kila mtu afanye kazi yake ama apige siasa yake, halafu baada ya miaka miwili hivi, tutarudi kwa debe. Lakini ninakwambia kuna watu watalilia kwa choo (Let everyone do their business, including politicking and face off at the ballot after about two years later. But I can assure you somebody will shockingly lose and even cry in a toilet).