Springing back from the break
by Wangari Kebuchi on March 30, 2008 in Blog, Kenya Crisis
Before I get to responding to Peter, a few things: I went to Kenya over spring break and it is business as usual. I felt safe and I felt like things were as back to normal - as much as can be felt in a one week sojourn in Nairobi. The hotels in Mombasa were packed to the brim with tourists – mostly local – who were ‘celebrating the new year’ because they were robbed of the opportunity in January. So many stories were told about why things went down the way they did with a lot of finger-pointing and conspiracy theories and since my stories were very one-sided I will not be able to comfortably voice them without hearing the other side of the story. I did get my hands on the newspaper article that was published by ODM and another by the Electoral Commission of Kenya I hope to share those with everyone soon.
Mr. John “I get things done” Michuki has been appointed Minister for Roads and Public Works! I think this means that finally we will see some roads fixed in Kenya! After the walloping he gave the matatus and the (sadly) media, I expect some action with roads. The Chinese will work under any conditions - when I got home there was significant progress on the expansion of the high-traffic Mombasa Road and some fly over highways near Globe cinema, and the bypass in Langata and Gigiri (all in Nairobi) that promises to alleviate the horrendous traffic in Nairobi that made my usual 30 minute ride from my house to the airport, a finger-nail biting 3 hour ride. the Chinese worked through the violent times and are still now continuing to make deals.
There is a lot of goodwill towards the Chinese in Kenya because they do get down and dirty with the average Kenyan. My dad even saw a Chinese man roasting and selling maize on the streets of Mlolongo (just outside Nairobi). The Chinese do not feel above anyone in Kenya and have pretty much blended despite their obvious physical differences. This is starkly different from Kenya’s relationship with the 5-star staying, finger-wagging western powers. The Chinese are on to something. We are not deluded by their objectives - but they are not being too secretive about their objectives either. Some say it is the new scramble for Africa, but as much as the economic strength of China is clear in the literature, on the ground in Kenya is feels really congenial. I know its not an equal relationship, but like I have said before, its about how things come across to the average Kenyan.
A fellow Kenyan mused the other day “the IMF/World Bank/US/UK/EU were on Kenya’s back to make clear transparent tenders for procurement and projects. But when we did and the Chinese scooped them all up, now they are singing a different tune”.
Ok now to respond to Peter’s long response. I will try keep mine brief to avoid being repetitive.
1) The context of Kenya politics has changed so it is not simply a look back at the past that will provide us with a pattern for the way forward. As it were, politically, Kenya is in unchartered territory. ODM-K’s main problem with Kalonzo is that he did not bring them any good ministerships or cabinet positions except his – the now pretty much useless VP post. Those who fought hard for him are out in the cold and they don’t like it.
2) Kalonzo has no right to decide that the IDPs can be relocated to Ukambani. He has to consult with those in Ukambani about this matter BEFORE granting space. Kenya has a tribalism problem – let us not pretend that the Wakamba are not going to make anything of forced influx of other tribes in Ukambani. This deal was made under the table. If he meant it to be an appeal, or a score it would have been more publicized.
3) If Kalonzo meant form a coalition, he should have joined forces with the party that best reflected their party ideals. If ODM had won, ODM-K would be out in the cold – with the size and heft of the ODM Pentagon and posse, Kalonzo would have had no place. If PNU won, ODM-K still hade a chance as was demonstrated by giving Kalonzo the VPship. So he was being a little more than dishonest by saying he would form a coalition with whoever carried the day. ODM-K as you said, does have deep ties with PNU and not so much with ODM-K. Kalonzo should have latched onto PNU from the start and benefited further from a joint campaign instead lurking around like a hyena to take a share in the kill after the fact.
4) ODM-K, ODM and PNU hated each other during the campaign – the insults being thrown around during the campign is pure evidence of that. They may not hate each other now (such is politics) but they most certainly did then.
5) Kalonzo could influence appointments, but didn’t. ODM-K was not looking for diplomatic positions, assistant ministerships (didn’t they complain they other day that they had nothing to do???), or civil service jobs. They wanted Minister action. They didn’t get it.
6) KANU for all intents and purposes should have been decimated after 2002. It wasn’t. In 2002, it was KANU against NARC (the coalition). In 2007 it was KANU that was part of a coalition – their win was part of a joint win with PNU. So we cannot judge the lone KANU of 2002 with the coalition KANU of 2007. KANU had a very very bad name by 2002 and they are working hard to fix it. Uhuru has not manned up, but will BY taking the official opposition seat in this new deal. It’s time to come out from the shadows, move on from PNU and take KANU to the next level. The mungiki reaction was a retalitation towards the violence on their kikuyu kinfolk. Reports on the ground have said that Mungiki had actually issued warnings in their strongholds in Kawangware, Mathare and Ruaka that no violence was to happen in those areas. Mungiki a gang known for its gruesome violence, did not react immediately (as they are known to do) when their kinfolk were being thrown out of Nyanza/Rift valley – only later when the violence came to Naivasha were Mungiki activated. One has to wonder. If Uhuru was steering Mungiki, what would you make of this? Even after Uhuru – “the man with Kenyatta’s blood in him” was teargassed – Mungiki was still silent? How???? If your theory was correct, I see strategy, restraint, and shrewdness in those actions. But it would be presumptuous to say Uhuru had any part in this. Uhuru (as minister for Local Government) recently banned all matatus – mungiki’s daily bread – from coming into the cbd. If he was a Mungiki affiliate, why would he do that????? So many inconsistencies……..
7) Uhuru may well be stuck in the coalition because (unlike ODM-K and Kalonzo) KANU is not Uhuru alone. But the 4 ministers could just change their parties to PNU if they didn’t want to give up their ‘official cars, residences, privileges and power’. This is far from a problem.
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