Which way for Abagusii Politics

Politics in Gusiiland is littered with disunity, greedy, geocentricism, nepotism, hate, & clanning. Each constituency operates like a tribal entity. Elected leaders do not speak with one mind & one accord to address the problems facing the Community. Even the senior politicians who are supposed to nurture the politics of tolerance, development, unity, vision, & issues have failed to show leadership. They are instead driven by wrath, arrogance, rancour and personal enrichment. Perhaps the current DISUNITY would be averted if we had a council of elders to give guidance & direction in the community because politicians have failed. Such council of elder should be a non politician, with no political leanings or ambition. He must also be a person of social, political & economic integrity. His work shall be to foster cohesiveness & unity in the entire community. This community based leadership has worked well in the Coast, Western & Luo Nyanza. It’s irrelevant to call one self a national leader if you cannot sort out differences with an individual leave alone querying clan feuds which dominate Gusii politics. Honourable Simeon Nyachae who has hinted to quit politics before the end of this year has quality political and administrative experience while Chris Obure, former Minister for Foreign affairs played diplomatic roles for Kenya but what bothers many in Gusiiland and the entire Country is how men of these great administrative & diplomatic calibre, cannot iron out their differences for the sake of their community. What we see is not a disagreement based on principles, but real hatred between the two leaders. We acknowledge differences of opinion in a democracy to perpetuate dissent, but what we see in Gusiiland is a reverse of the said tenets. Leaders have stretched their political differences up to their bedroom which is a recipe for hate, disunity and jealousy. Tolerance, temperament and gentleness do not feature in the minds of our leaders. Take for instance Nyachae who is over 70 years while Chris Obure, in his late 60s; what type of legacy will these two leaders leave behind in Gusiiland? Will I be wrong to conclude that Nyachae’s dismal performance in 2002 Presidential election was because he decided to put the cart before the horse? You can’t unite a Country of 33 Million people if you cannot unite a tribe leave alone a clan. Even though Nyachae was heavily voted by the community as President, the cracks of disunity from Gusiiland might have spilled to other parts of the Country culminating to his lacklustre performance. Nyachae’s helm in Gusii politics has perpetuated politics of cronyism by planting politicians to run for MP, with no regard to democracy using his immense resources. This has given a black-out to potential contenders who augur strong political principles which are people driven. This is a barbaric form of dictatorship which denies people dependable & focused leaders. The Imposed political rejects ends up in parliament without popular will where they remain dormant without advocating for the people who gave them the mandate; a travesty to democracy and freedom to choose. The best remedy to curb the social, political and economic underdevelopment in Gusiiland is to elect new leaders with vibrancy to usher in a different political direction with modern ideas devoid of disunity & clannism in the 2007 general elections. History will charge the leaders we have had harshly for failing to initiate any tangible project to spur the lives of our people– they did and have done nothing on: unemployment, infrastructure, the poor state of our hospitals, suffering of our farmers, rampant insecurity and nothing to lift the standard of our Primary & secondary schools. The best dagger to measure true leaders is to analyse if those who are quitting and running for office do augur positive qualities that others can copy, emulate, bequeath and inherit to better their own lives even if its a century to come. The contents of a leader’s character determine the immortality they intend to leave behind besides defining the quality & not the quantity that they shall be remembered for. That is why the people of Gusii yearn for leaders who will strengthen the forces that will work for the community’s common good. Joseph Lister Nyaringo, Bobasi, Gucha District