MEDIA SHOULD STOP THE BIAS

The role of the print and electronic media in educating and informing Kenyans cannot be underestimated. However, there is a growing trend by these very media which is biased to specific groups in the Kenyan society. To consistently continue to focus on what politicians say and not what they do or have failed to do for the electorates who gave them a mandate to Parliament is not fair. I challenge the media to come out of the trend of splashing television screens and newspaper headlines with personalities even when what they’re talking is irrelevant. Being an election year, we expect the media to prepare score cards based on the performance of the members of parliament Kenyans elected in 2002. This is the surest way to put to light the failures and achievements of our leaders in order to give the Kenyan voters a chance to weigh options for change of leadership and vice versa. The media should focus on what elected MPs have done on funds earmarked for developing the constituency like: constituency development fund (CDF), the roads levy, local government trust fund (LATF) and education bursaries for needy high school students. They should also highlight the plight of the farmers. I beg the media to make a visit to Gucha district, Where I come from especially Bobasi constituency and see for themselves the current state of the roads and other areas in the constituency. As a contender for MP on a Narc Kenya ticket, we were ashamed two months ago when a convoy of vehicles with honourable Danson Mungatana, from Nyamira enroute to Sameta stadium for a rally found that the road linking Kilgoris to Kisii town was totally impassable. I expected the journalists to put this to light so that the MPs from the area can take responsibility. The other key area the media should focus on is giving coverage to new entrants into politics especially before the general elections. One doesn’t need to be famous in order to be given coverage if the ideas he/she want to ventilate is relevant for the general good of this country. There are those with diverse & fruitful ideas who would like their voices to be heard but the media continues to give them a black out due to name recognition. It’s true those who are rarely heard can have wonderful ideas and the only way to do so is to have the media give such people a chance. I recently walked into one of the famous FM stations in Kenya to request for participation in one of their programs but I was shocked with the response I got from the ladies on the front desk. After an intense argument, they gave me the e-mail addresses of two moderators of the program of which I emailed immediately. It’s surprising that I have never gotten any response from the two moderators just because of name recognition. I urge the media to conduct an intensive investigation on the working conditions of many Kenyans especially in the mushrooming supermarket chains in the country, domestic workers and the export processing zones (EPZ) outlets. It’s shocking that a famous supermarket chain in Eldoret pays workers per week with no benefits and lunch breaks even when the chain is expanding rapidly to the major towns in the Country including Nairobi and Kisumu cities. Joseph Lister Nyaringo Bobasi, Gucha District

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

Gusii Politics, after Nyachae

When one quits or retires from any position of authority, they leave behind landmarks that others will live to admire or hate. That is why honourable Nyachae’s hint to quit politics has left his friends in a state of quandary while his enemies a shy of relief. For a man who has sacrificed his energies, knowledge and expertise to serve this country, we need to reflect back on what legacy he will leave behind within administrative circles and in politics. For those who disagreed with honourable Nyachae and those who liked his leadership styles in Gusiiland and the entire country, the best yardstick to measure the old man’s legacy should be based on what the current and future generations can bequeath from him. In other words, did Nyachae play his part to transform his villages, community, province and the entire nation? Did he augur positive qualities that he shall be remembered for even for a century to come? Did Nyachae play his role to rekindle hopes, raise people from apathy, unify and focus on good change for Abagusii and the entire our country, since he held positions that empowered him to effect that change? I personally admire Nyachae’s no nonsense stand on issues that he feels strongly about. Once he takes a position, he does not backtrack. This is a good quality especially when you are convinced that you are 100% right. However, it can backfire when you are proved wrong. Since politics does not have permanent enmity or friendship, the outgoing MP for Nyaribari Chache played it from a different perspective. If he disagrees with you, there is no looking back. This is manifested on the way Nyachae has dealt with senior politicians from Gusiiland like: Chris Obure, Professor Sam Ongeri and the late doctor Zachary Onyonka to mention but a few. Ironically, it’s hard to tell between whom between Nyachae and the said was right or wrong and if they did initiate or augur any reconciliatory tone towards Nyachae. In fact, in the national political realm, we have seen leaders differ and at the end, they reconcile. The best example of how enmity does not play in politics is honourable Njenga Karume and President Kibaki, taking different paths in the 2002 general elections and now honourable Karume serves in President Kibaki’s cabinet. In Gusiiland, Nyachae’s exit from politics will mark a watershed. He will leave the community more polarized and disunited. We have politicians already wounded as a result of Nyachae’s is eventual exit from politics and being an electioneering year, they will be disoriented on which strategies to devise in order to recapture their parliamentary seats. The members of Parliament who are currently in tenterhooks over Nyachae’s latest move include honourables: Stephen Manoti, Masanya, Joel Onyancha, Jimmy Angwenyi, Hezron Manduku and Stephen Opore to mention but a few. These leaders have continued to ride a high horse as a result of Nyachae’s influence in their political lives and the way he paved way for their election in 2002 general elections. The current Minister for planning and national development Henry Obwocha has an edge as he can use his presence in the cabinet to galvanize his people for possible re-election. The current mood of the Abagusii people is a quest for transformative leadership; a leadership that will empower them and lift them from the current social, political and economic degradation. They want leaders who will bring people together not a part as well as building democratic structures where divergent opinions will suffice besides nurturing a political culture devoid of dictatorship and big man syndrome. Joseph Lister Nyaringo, Bobasi, Gucha District