Martha Karua’s Campaign for Presidency is Premature

Honourable Martha Karua has a democratic right to contest for Presidency, launch her website even if it reaches a fraction of potential voters, tell Kenyans about her ambitions and even defend herself against those who want to derail her politically.

 Unfortunately, it makes little sense for a leader elected barely nine Months ago to spend sleepless nights thinking about succession after her tribesman relinquishes the Presidency in four years time. In my humble opinion, I disapprove Karua’s quest for the Presidency and thinks her campaign is purely premature but as a believer of freedom, I will defend her right to fight on when the right time comes. 

As a politician in my own right and Parliamentary loser in last year’s elections, I urge the Minister to scale down her campaigns right now and concentrate more on aspects of nation building since four years from now is not next week. By and large, she has opened her closet too early and Kenyans will dig deeper and find the number of skeletons she is hiding.

 The best campaign she needs to nurture now is to ensure service delivery for her Gichugu constituents, and nationally, address the pertinent problems that bedevil the country like: poverty, unemployment, inflation, insecurity, resettlement of the Internally Displaced persons, provision of clean water and affordable healthcare. This is the surest way the Minister will capture the chord of Kenyan voters who will assess her competency and consider her for the Presidency in 2012. It’s prudent that Karua’s performance in her Ministerial docket and other aspects of nation building to reflect true Presidency in her if she has a passion and drive to lead Kenya.

 I have personally met the Minister, but to me, she appeared phoney and sarcastic. She rarely speaks from her heart, lacks empathy and uses her intellect to win in arguments. However, her sanguine disposition has endeared her well to be where she is today since Kibaki won the Presidency in 2002. Besides, she is clever, fast and bold. I admire her head-strong persistence and consistency especially when standing on her believes; a great ingredient for effective political leadership. In the national limelight, Martha Karua scores highly; she has never been embroiled in any scandal or corrupt malpractices. She is a calculator, a politic, crafty and a strategist. I personally support her for taking a stand on the PNU saga. She realizes that being in PNU with Uhuru and the likes of Saitoti and Kalonzo Musyoka, is like an egg trying to dance with stones.

 Unlike Uhuru Kenyatta, who relies on political mentors to spur his ambitions, Karua catapults herself with no dependence on the walking stick of political godfathers. She takes her torch, lights it up, carries it and points it to the direction of her motion. Karua’s political CV is centred on how she has conducted herself since Kibaki became president IN 2002, more than when she clamoured for the reintroduction of political pluralism in the Country. This is the yardstick many Kenyans will use to track her record as a Presidential material. It can be remembered that during the counting and tallying of Presidential votes last year, she took a position to influence the outcome of the polls which remains very unpopular to many Kenyans today.

 Majority of citizens think she stifled democracy through tribal hegemony and being part and parcel of a flawed election process that resulted in the worst ethnic violence in Kenya since independence. The honourable Minister’s quest for the Presidency will always be equated to egomania but not the ideals of patriotism, democracy, equity and equality. Majority of Kenyans cannot tell where the Minister stands on egalitarianism, justice, fairness and building firm democratic institutions in the country. Political leadership especially the presidency must be diversified.

Kenyans should be prepared to elect even an Ogiek tribesman or woman to run the affairs of this Country. In my own view, leaders from the Kikuyuland should take a break from Presidency if they expected other communities to trust and embrace them in future political alignments. This is why I concur with the deputy speaker in Mathira, where he urged Kikuyu leaders to forget the Presidency in 2012. It’s ironical that by virtue of the current President being a Kikuyu, strong ambitions for his succession comes from his community initiated by: Karua, Uhuru and Saitoti.

 Kenyans wants leaders who are compasional and empathizes with their aspirations and predicaments. They are tired of politicians who talk about patriotism and democracy but are nepotic and dictators. That is why it will be fair if the popularity ratings conducted by pollsters reflects the tangential roles the rated leaders have played to change the lives of Kenyans in the economic, social and political spheres. Leaders whose interest is power and self glory must be rejected.

That is why the Karuas, Uhurus, Saitotis, Railas, Kalonzos, Bifwolis and Jirongos or this country must convince voters that they have the recipe that will spur the lives of Kenyans if they expected to be supported in 2012 for the Presidency. A good politician must be prepared to bequeath to Kenyans a leadership legacy; an immortality the he or she will be remembered for even if its 100 years to come.

Style that will better the interest of this nation even if its 100 My final word to Martha Karua and others with presidential ambitions is that the desire to lead is not a quest for greatness. It’s a passion to be the people’s servant in good and bad times; providing with guidance and direction by sharing their aspirations and predicaments to achieve their destiny. Those whose motive is to be elected in order to get avenues for power and ethnic enrichment must be rejected by voter