The opposition Cord’s
quest for dialogue with the Jubilee government is double-speak and a show that all
may not be well in the OKOA Kenya Movement. Why WASTE time for dialogue with Jubilee
instead of trying to show Kenyans why your coalition is a better option in
terms of governance and better leadership practices?
After the demise of
Fidel Odinga, Cord has rekindled the dialogue debate. For me, I don’t see how the
coalition can push for dialogue with the government and a referendum at the
same time. Cord should not burn the candle at both ends- pursue the OKOA
referendum and dialogue with the government at the same time.
The ruling Jubilee coalition of Uhuru Kenyatta
has thawed its hard-line stand on dialogue and Cord needs to be careful. This
is because, positive overtures from ruling coalitions can be like dangling a bait
and needs to be handled with a pinch of salt.
In order to remain afloat
and relevant towards 2017, Cord must make decisions which are in tandem with
the aspirations of winning the 2017 elections and for me, dialogue with the
ruling coalition is not one of them. Between dialogue and the OKOA Kenya
Movement, the latter is likely to provide the opposition with more clout as
opposed to the former.
We are tired of
inconsistency and double-speak from our political leaders. Kenyans want to see a
robust official opposition which checks the Jubilee government’s excesses day
and night. This should be Cord’s cardinal goal for now. Pestering the
government for dialogue is not only causing confusion amongst Kenyans but also myopic
and a waste of time.
When the government
turned down Cord’s clamour for dialogue last year, they reverted to pursue a
referendum through the OKOA Kenya movement and we therefore expected them to
stick to it consistently up to the finish line. It’s my hope that the latest
pursuit for dialogue after the dead of former Prime Minister Raila Odingas son,
Fidel, is not a reflection of a crumbling movement.
This time for the
three Cord Principals- Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga and Moses Wetangula, to choose
what is to the BEST interest of the coalition and the nation as a whole. As the
official opposition, what they choose MUST reflect their passion to capture
power in 2017 so that they can get the opportunity to showcase their yearnings
for the nation. A viable political
opposition should capitalize on the failures of the government in power to
build confidence within the populace for victory when elections are held.
Cord also needs to remember that even with the
many challenges bedeviling Jubilee-insecurity, nepotism, corruption etc, the
ruling coalition still enjoys incumbency and defeating it requires concrete and
water-tight strategies.
I don’t see how trying to
help a government in power with your BEST ideas while in the opposition, can
help sell your agenda and propel you to victory by defeating the same
government in an election.
Therefore, Cord’s
insistence for dialogue with the ruling Jubilee is similar to sharing vital
secrets with an adversary at the battle front. The dialogue quest should be
disbanded completely so that Cord can embark on building a strong base for the
2017 polls.
In business, when your competitor makes
inferior products, you don’t need to advise them but rather to watch as they
crumble and eventually dominate the market base. This is what Cord should do. Secondly, the coalition needs to press for the disbandment and reconstitution of
the IEBC to ensure that there is a level playing field for the 2017 elections. Already, there is clear evidence that top officials of the body were involved in corrupt malpractices.
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