MPS BEHAVIOUR AT AIRPORT VERY PATHETIC

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
New Jersey, USA

The level of disrespect and open contempt Kenyan Members of Parliament honourables Mbuvi, Waititu, and Kabogo showed to our law enforcement at the airport was unprecedented.

How dare you slap a police inspector when on leaving and entering your compound as honourable MP, it’s the same officer who salutes you, opens and closes the gate for you? Even when you are sleeping with your family, it’s the same officer who ensures your safety and security while protecting your property.

Even if Waititu, Mbuvi or Kabogo belittle our law enforcement; they should respect the crown that comes with it. I laud officers manning the airport for doing an exemplary job without bias. That is what Kenyans having been craving for- service without special treatment or bias! They treated the rogue MPs who wanted to jump the red tape like any ordinary citizen.

Who will respect honourables Kabogo, Mbuvi or Waititu, if they are not ready to respect the law and themselves in the society? A lot of what the legislators exhibited was not because of their love for Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, but a sycophantic move to score political points geared to the 2012 general elections. They know that the next elections will be titanic and therefore want to use every weapon at their disposal to build a support base.

The Airport is not a place where you go to create a fracas to show political loyalty to your presidential candidate. If Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta was the President of Kenya, would Mbuvi, Waititu and Kabogo would likely have set the airport a blaze!

What they showed at the airport didn’t earn them any marks at all but robbed them of respect and honour. All Kenyans must ensure that those they want to give elective posts must uphold ethical standards and values in the society. They need to undergo a thorough scrutiny, vetting and analysis.

On several occasions, honourable Mbuvi and Waititu have tried to create havoc and breach of peace while at the same time tried to endear themselves as vocal advocates against the inexcusable rise in the cost of living for their poor constituents. We can comfortably conclude that Mbuvi and Waititu are not being genuine with their politicization of the Sinai fire tragedy especially on the government’s plans to relocate the victims. It is sad for leaders to capitalize on national calamities to score political points. Inwardly, they don’t care but outwardly, they shed crocodile tears. What a high level of phoniness and hypocrisy?

We need leaders who are level headed; with clear judgment to analyse situations and do what is right. They must not only respect the laws of the land but also reflect decorum, courtesy and respect to existing governance institutions. Kabogo, Mbuvi and Waititu should be given a red card come the next elections for they do not qualify to be members of parliament representing law abiding citizens.

It’s true, Uhuru Kenyatta, is the deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya and since he is not ordinary citizen, will always attract crowds from admirers wherever he goes but when elected MPs who should show good example goes to our International Airport and want to break security protocols is totally unacceptable and impolite.

The trio’s presence at the airport was sycophantic and did not help anything to soften the criminal charges against their Presidential candidate- Mr. Kenyatta at The Hague. It’s therefore clear that their violent behavior at the airport may end up reinforcing the charges Mr. Kenyatta is facing at The Hague, following the 2007 disputed election.

We all know Uhuru augurs Presidential ambitions but the behavior of the three legislators will reduce his votes. Creating public disturbance, inconvenience and violence is punishable by law and therefore, we are keenly watching to see if the three legislators will be charged in a court of law for what they did in our international airport.

WE WANT TO CATCH A GOOD FISH FOR KENYA

Debating issues without getting angry is a clear demonstration that are all objective in our thinking desire to see a good country with a top- down leadership that is people driven. The joy of a new constitution, the joy of having democratic space where wananchi exercise both freedom of movement and expression is not enough if our people are dying hungry. If our children are not going to school, if ethnic disharmony reigns supreme, if corruption is the order of the day in every segment of our society. If our elected legislators don’t want to pay taxes that make the country move.

According to me and I have said this in several forums; having a new constitution was merely changing the bureaucracy- but this change requires men and women of values as elected representatives. From top down, the new Katiba requires a value driven CEO, Senators, Governors, MPs, County representatives and Mayors. Without a value driven leadership, change in Kenya will be elusive.

When we talk about change, we talk about leaders who understand the plight of the masses. Those stricken by poverty and are living from hand to mouth. The landless suffering as a result of historical injustices or were displaced from their homes in the PEV of 2007/2008 and can’t afford even a graveyard. Those in Turkana and Mandela currently eating herbs like antelopes.

Quite often, in rural Kenya, a young girl is raped; a poor farmer his hit with a machete and robbed at night yet the culprits perambulates lackadaisically in the villages while the victims suffer the agony with no justice pursued. I hope the current Chief Justice who has started on a good footing will check this.
The challenges are many- innocent farmers in Nyamache,-my hometown or Nyacheki who deliver their tea leaves at a buying centre are robbed off their kilos by a corrupt tea clerk who puts the kilos to the next farmer willing to offer a small bribe of Kshs 50 or less.

Imagine corruption in the villages! What must be happening at the top would be gigantic! Remember this is where we have entrusted men and women to manage billions of our taxes.magine, our exchequer has been looted since independence and the culprits walks freely among us when majority of Kenyans are living under a dollar a day. These are the same people who come with the loot during the electioneering period to entice Kenyans with gifts in order to win their votes.

The President, Governor, MP or senator who will take over the Country during the next elections under the new constitution will determine whether we shall float and swim as a nation or sink and drown. That is why we need to be extremely privy with the many theatrics and lies being said out there.
The hurrah and jubilation that accompanied the passage of the new constitution will carry more meaning when Kenyans shall elect leaders who are selfless and ready to do the job for the Country and do it right.

We must be careful not to repeat past mistakes and betrayals from the current leaders. Those who will come the way Kibaki did in 2003, where he vowed to defend and protect the constitution and promised the country a new one after 100 days MUST be ignored. Those whose intention is to perpetuate political cronyism, corruption, betrayal and tribalism the way Kenyatta did and handed it to Moi, which was purely perfected by Kibaki MUST be put in the back banner.

WORD OF CAUTION: If we recycle the current MPs back to parliament whom you have seen the pain they are capable of inflicting to Kenyans, we will be sending our country to the dogs. If we elect a Kibaki, Moi or Kenyatta replica to Statehouse, it will be the most tragic thing for the nation of Kenya. Let us analyse all of them as they come and make informed choices before Election Day.