President Kenyatta should be mindful of his legacy before it’s too late

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo  President Uhuru Kenyatta scores highly as an affable leader who mingles freely with the lowly in society. He has demystified the Presidency by making himself accessible to Kenyans.  The Jubilee Party leader took office in 2013 with fervent optimism. Kenyans saw freshness in the presidency. Coupled with youthfulness in Kenyatta and William Samoei Ruto, many Kenyans thought that the two leaders will lay a firm foundation that will propel the country into a hub of prosperity.  The current President promised to rekindle Kenyans’ shuttered hopes, respect the constitution, fight impunity, and tackle graft.  A critical question many Kenyans are asking today is this: What will the President bequeath to the next generation after he leaves office in 2022? Further to this, Kenyans are wondering whether the country is better off than the way Kenyatta found it after he first took office in 2013!  The Kenyan President should not stretch his legacy to match those of legends like Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein or Martin Luther King Jr. instead; he should try to do what he can for the Kenyan people before the end of his Presidency in 2022.  The late President of Botswana Ketumile Masire is remembered for focusing on one thing which enabled him to leave a rich legacy. He nurtured fiscal discipline through prudent social and macroeconomic policies for his country. Masire, also managed to do well in health and education.  A leadership legacy is when one evaluates the foundation he wants to leave in the position he or she holds to help the incoming leader.   Unfulfilled promises and impaired economy  Kenyans have experienced numerous scandals in the Kenyatta presidency which has impaired economic growth.  From the laptops for schools scandal, Eurobond, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Galana Kulalu food security project. All these have contributed to the dwindling economic and social development of the country.  Currently, Kenyans are writhing under abject poverty. They look upon their government to address this catastrophe through the person who holds the highest office in the land.  The flagship development plan for the Jubilee government dubbed the big 4 Agenda-Universal Healthcare, Affordable Housing, industrial growth, and Food security are in a shambles.  Apart from maternal health through the “Linda Mama” initiative which has helped expectant mothers to deliver without incurring costs in public and government recognized private hospitals, millions of Kenyans still struggle to meet the cost of healthcare.  It’s in the public domain that the Galana Kulalu maize project collapsed where Kshs. 15 billion went to waste. This killed the hopes of Kenyans to realize Food Security.  Despite reassurances from the President, the government has made zero effort in the fight against graft.  It remains to be seen how the radical anti-graft proposal announced recently of suspending State officers involved in graft for 90 days will yield fruits.  The President has failed to address growing concerns from Kenyans about over-borrowing from China which has bloated the Country’s foreign debt making Kenya the third indebted nation in Africa only behind Angola and Ethiopia.  The Pursuit to recover funds stashed in offshore accounts remains a mirage despite the Kenyan government signing a memorandum of understanding to effect the same with the Swiss President Alain Berse two years ago in Nairobi.  In the same year, the British government through Prime Minister Theresa May, signed a deal with the Kenyan President to recover proceeds of corruption from the United Kingdom.  Despite the aforementioned, President Kenyatta has never divulged to Kenyans if the funds and assets associated with corruption have been recovered from the above two European countries.  Philanthropy for a legacy  The quest to advance the welfare of others can be noble and indelible. President Kenyatta doesn’t have to be like Bill Gates who has spent personal fortunes to fight poverty, illiteracy and promote health in the globe. He doesn’t have to do what George Soros is doing to fund the Civil Society globally. He can use his family fortunes to help the less fortunate members of the Kenyan society.  The Kenyatta family is one of the richest in Kenya. The President should spare a fraction of the family wealth to help the poor.  According to Martin Luther King Jr., “every man must decide whether he will walk in the creative light of altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. The most urgent life’s question is: what are you doing for others?”  The President of Kenya has the ability to use his family largesse to change lives.  If indeed it’s true that Kenyatta’s family owns land the size of Nyanza, which comprises Luoland, Gusii and Kurialand, then it’s high time they considered giving away even a paltry 10,000 acres to settle the landless.  Activist Boniface Mwangi once said these words directed at President Kenyatta: “Long after you’re gone, we shall remember you not by your net worth but by your deeds.” You father, whom Kenyans fundraised for to put up a house after his release from prison in 1962, turned around and acquired thousands of acres of land unjustifiably.”  Pursuing the philanthropic path will enable President Kenyatta touch Kenyan lives. It will capture his humanistic nature beyond politics if he wants to be remembered positively.  Utilize the handshake for a legacy  The mere fact that President Kenyatta had a handshake with Raila Odinga after his 2017 controversial victory doesn’t add a feather on his lapel.  Unless Kenyans see the fruits of the historic pact with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, they will always see it as any past MOU’s whose recommendations never materialized.  In fact, it’s Odinga, who received more credit for the handshake since he was the aggrieved party after the controversial polls.  Kenyans are still in a quandary on what the handshake which happened before Kenyatta begun his second term portends for, since the status quo is still intact.  For instance, no efforts have been made in the fight against graft. No inclusivity in government to reflect the face of Kenya. It’s also absurd that, in a country with 43 ethnic groups, 80% of government officials are from the ethnic communities of the President and his deputy.  The steering committee led by Garissa Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji has been sitting in perpetuity. Kenyans thought that the handshake which birthed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) will in a timely version push for equity, equality and fairness to heal the wounds of the post-election violence. It’s also discouraging that President Kenyatta’s government has failed to reach out to the families who lost their loved ones during the post election violence and offer some apology.  In fact, the families deserved reparations. This is one of the clearest ways to heal a nation after the tumultuous 2017 polls.  Consolations for Kenyatta even with shuttered expectations The future of Kenya may look bleak but not hopeless. The President should offer Kenyans something to look forward to after his retirement in 2022.   It is a normal phenomenon for citizens to have high expectations for their government especially when campaign promises are still fresh in their memories.  President Kenyatta has faced challenges in his political journey. In 2002 he vied for the Presidency but lost. This made it hard for him to lead a parliamentary opposition when President Mwai Kibaki, a fellow tribesman was in power. He had to dethrone himself as opposition leader to join government.  My consolation to Kenyatta is this; great personalities have dusted their ways from the ground to rise into giants whereby, they ended up leaving indelible legacies in their nations.  In the US, Abraham Lincoln overcame many odds to become one of the greatest Presidents. 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 mobile giant.   Kenyans are not looking for quick fixes or miracles from President Kenyatta. They want to see him lay down solid structures that will outlive him for the good of Kenya.  Nyaringo is the President of Kenya Patriotic Movement, a Diaspora lobby based in the US

Ruto should strike a political deal with Raila Odinga to stay afloat

Ruto should strike a political deal with Raila Odinga to stay afloat
By Joseph Lister Nyaringo
There is no absolute enmity in politics except permanent interests based on individual ambitions. This is the reason why many political leaders could loathe each but are still able to mend fences to safeguard self-interests or the collective good.

Despite the turbulence Deputy President William Samoei Ruto is going through in the Jubilee government, there is still room for him to navigate new frontiers to remain relevant in Kenya’s political landscape.

The DP should not waste time agonizing about the imbroglio in the Jubilee government. He should instead start courting new and old political partners given the unpredictable nature of the country’s political terrain. 

The undemocratic notion that a Presidential election in Kenya can only be determined by cartels is archaic and should be ignored. Whilst the notion has benefitted some leaders to rise to the top, events leading to the Kibaki presidency in 2002 speak the opposite.

The unprecedented move by opposition leaders to defeat the current President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was being backed by the late President Daniel Moi under KANU in 2002, is something Ruto should pursue. This will neutralize his humiliation in a government he serves as second in command.  

Desperate times often require radical moves. For DP Ruto to resuscitate his dwindling political fortunes, he must make a strong and calculated move that will surprise both friend and foe.

Ruto, must try and whitewash (dismantle) the political covenant between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, since it’s perceived to be the genesis of his political misfortunes in the Jubilee government.

Like Odinga, Ruto should forgive political detractors
Many of Mr. Odinga’s supporters contend with the fact that, the ODM leader is extremely forgiving.  Irrespective of the gravity of differences, he is always ready to build bridges with his political enemies. 

Nothing deterred Odinga from working with retired President Mwai Kibaki despite going through a tumultuous political experience in the 2007 Presidential election.

If Odinga forgave the late President Daniel Moi, who detained him without trial for almost a decade, no major difference could prevent him from working with Ruto! 

The ODM leader did a handshake with his former political nemesis- President Kenyatta despite fighting it out in two elections which Kenyatta controversially won. The Handshake birthed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which is alleged to be the genesis of Ruto’s political predicaments.

Despite not sharing similar political ideologies, Ruto and Odinga, share similar political experiences that can be harnessed for their political good. Both leaders are tenacious and highly ambitious. 

As the adage goes, adversity loves company. Odinga is Ruto’s former ally. Both are victims of political betrayal emanating from the leaders they once trusted.

The politically betrayed can only succeed through a rebranding
Dusting off and scaling down his ambitions may work wonders for Ruto’s political future. Such a move has worked in the past if events that created the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) in 2002 is something to go by. 

In fact, Ruto should consider reconstituting another Pentagon similar to that of 2007. This will be more viable for Ruto and Raila than trying to gain from Kenyatta’s amorphous succession maneuvers. Encouragingly, all former Pentagon members except Najib Balala who is a Cabinet Secretary are in active politics.  

Having Odinga, as a presidential candidate with Ruto’s backing, this will be the real deal. It’s what they call in Swahili “Moto wa kuotea mbali” (the fire that will keep you in a distance).
Due to constitutional restrictions, Ruto may not be Raila’s running mate but can serve in another capacity if a referendum paves the way for an expanded executive.  

An expanded Executive will be ideal to bring on board the 2007 Pentagon members-Joe Nyagah, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, and Najib Balala for purposes of diversity and political accommodation.

Political betrayal in whichever form should serve as a strengthener to the betrayed. Many leaders in Kenya have gone through some form of betrayal. In fact, the majority of Odinga’s 2007 Pentagon team except for Najib Balala and Joe Nyagah have gone through betrayal. 

A coalition of Odinga and Ruto will be a sure win in 2022
If Ruto reconciles with Odinga, it will be a killer blow that will vanquish any coalition in the country including the one President Kenyatta will cobble in his succession plans. 

This is perhaps the reason why some power brokers like David Murathe, are working tooth and nail to ensure that the DP and ODM leader is at loggerheads in perpetuity.

It must be remembered that Ruto is not a pushover. His tenacity to defend Odinga’s stolen victory in 2007 is the surest indication that he has what it takes to protect a Presidential victory. After all, the two controversial victories of President Kenyatta in 2013 and 2017 are courtesy of Mr. Ruto’s political acumen.

In Swahili, they say, “Dawa ya moto ni moto,” meaning you fight fire with fire. Ruto needs to court Mr. Odinga to build an alliance before 2022 in order to survive the current Jubilee imbroglio and stay afloat politically. Otherwise, power brokers in the Uhuru succession will send him to the political dustbin.

Uncertainty about Kenyatta’s support for Odinga in 2022
In the post-handshake period, a section of Odinga’s adherents have a soft spot on President Kenyatta. They tend to associate Ruto with most of the corrupt practices which have derailed Kenya’s economic growth. 

Those who are ambivalent about Kenyatta’s support for Odinga’s 2022 bid do empathize with Ruto over the humiliation he is going through in the Jubilee government. They remember the series of humiliations that the ODM leader endured the grand coalition government when he served as Prime Minister.  

If William Ruto and Raila Odinga broker a political deal in readiness for 2022, it will be one of the biggest political shifts in Kenya’s political history.

As the country grapples under the Covid-19 pandemic, time will tell how the current deputy President will play his cards as he aims at the ultimate prize in 2022.

Nyaringo is the President of Kenya Patriotic Movement, a diaspora lobby based in the US