Jubilee government has lost focus on serving Kenyans (Part One)

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
Atlanta, Georgia
We all understand Rome, was not built in a day but even with this ancient adage, the challenges facing the Jubilee government have proved to be so gigantic that it has left many Kenyans in a state of quandary.

Many are wondering whether it’s a deliberate move by the Jubilee government to create a crisis and find a quick fix in order to build public trust; which to me is a populist maneuver for leaders with a confidence crisis.

What we are seeing in President Uhuru’s government is not a sign of good things to come for the Country.

It is purely a normal phenomenon for citizens to have high expectations for any new government, especially when all
campaign promises are still fresh in their memories.

Kenyans expected a new approach in governance from the Uhuru and Ruto led government especially since we are under a new dispensation which has many safeguards to spur social, economic and political development in the Country.

Nobody has forgotten the fact that even great leaders in different spheres always start from rocky bottoms before they are able to effectively pursue the path which is appealing and is productive to the aspirations of the population they serve.

What we cannot dispute however is this: the foundational structures that a new government puts in place will always define its failure or success. The Jubilee government hasn’t been able to say or do anything tangible that will nurture patience and confidence from members of the public.

Many Kenyans are asking these queries: Will the Jubilee government rise to overcome the adverse circumstances it’s currently in and claw their way to the waned public confidence? Or will it blow off all the Policy promises they made on a wide variety of issues which, if pursued to completion will prosper the country?
My consolation to President Uhuru and his deputy is this: great personalities have dusted their ways from the ground to rise into giants in business and national leadership depending on the catastrophes they were in and how they managed to tackle it on their way up.

Notable examples are, Abraham Lincoln who overcame many odds to become one of the greatest US Presidents in the 19th Century. Even the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs faced challenges which almost crumbled his company at inception but by the time of his death, Jobs, left Apple a global ICT giant.
Is the Jubilee leadership ready to put aside all the sideshows which have dominated their 100 days in office and focus on the campaign promises they made to Kenyans?

Are they ready to understand and accommodate the fact that political opposition in any democracy is a solid reality and that if the President and his deputy hate criticism, then they have no business staying in political leadership.

Thinking they will wake up one morning to find jubilations all over the Country about their performance is a pipe dream. Come on Mr. President and deputy, you fought to get it, live with it or quit and be a regular citizen rather leaving Kenyans in Queer Street.

The condemnation mooted towards Cord leaders is cowardly, infantile and dictatorial. In fact, it has become so monotonous that many Kenyans think that the Jubilee leaders are incompetent to lead the nation.

You can’t talk negative consistently about the political opposition and expect to vanquish them. Remember, Wananchi knows that Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka are not on the steering wheel to take responsibility for Jubilee’s current quagmire.
The current circus on the security of the two Cord leaders has dented the image of the Jubilee government and if Kenyans were to go for an election, Uhuru and Ruto will suffer a humiliating defeat.

What is the role of political advisors like Prof. Sam Ongeri and Joshua Kutuny, when the leaders they serve continue to make myopic and nauseating decisions detrimental to the aspirations of the nation?

It’s not the first time that Uhuru and Ruto have faced challenges in their political careers. In 1992, Ruto, Cyrus Jirongo, Sam Nyamweya, and Isaac Ruto through the YK 92, sneaked Moi of Kanu back to power despite the harshest opposition from Kenneth Matiba of Ford Asili.

The deputy President did it again in 2007 while in ODM when he managed to galvanize the Kalenjin vote for Raila Odinga. The election results were disputed which culminated to the formation of a coalition government between Kibaki and Raila.

President Uhuru has equally faced challenges in his political career. He unsuccessfully vied for the Presidency in 2002 but lost. It was a tough balancing act to stand as leader of opposition in parliament against a government led by his tribesman; Mwai Kibaki. He finally dethroned himself as opposition leader and joined the Kibaki government.

All hope is not lost; Kenyans want service delivery. They want to feed, clothe and educate their children. Above all, they want security. The Youth, whose platform Jubilee rose to power want jobs.

It’s very clear that if Kenya was a multi-national company, President Uhuru, and his deputy would have been fired long ago as CEOs based on the way they are handling the current crisises in their government.

I think the worst is yet to come when our two leaders will start attending the court sessions in Europe, whose outcome may be an outright acquittal which many of us are praying for, payment of fines or life imprisonment.

While the future looks bleak, all hope is not lost. We want the government to succeed so that our nation will be at par with the developing world. The Millennium development goals and Vision 2030 are all staring at us as a nation.