Young legislatures lack reform agenda for Kenya

The young legislatures have become ardent protectors of the status quo when Kenyans expected them to be the pivot for transformative leadership. They have failed to catalyse the much needed reforms in the Country beginning from the constitutional review, fighting vices like corruption and negative ethnicity. What we are seeing from the youthful MPs who were mostly elected on a reform agenda is narrow selfishness instead of patriotism. It’s quite clear that in the upcoming USA Presidential elections, Obama is likely to win because of his reform credentials while his opponent will loose because he represents the old school of thought which is not in tandem with the current American political trends. Recently one of the youthful legislatures honourable Danson Mungatana was agitating that the Managing director of the Kenya Ports Authority must come from the Coast simply the headquarters of the corporation is in Coast Province and Mungatana also comes from Coast. This is a narrow reasoning coming from a young lawyer who is supposed to advocate for professionalism not tribal or selfish leanings in the management of public institutions. What Kenyans yearns for more than tribal leanings is efficiency, dedication, transparency and accountability in managing state affairs. Another respected legislature who was once perceived to be an epitome of change before he was voted into Parliament for the first time is the MP for Mukurweini, honourable Kabando Wa kabando. The legislature has undergone a complete metamorphosis and now rides on an ethnic crest. If it’s true that he is one of the purported perpetrators of the post election violence as per Waki’s sealed envelope, it will be too sad for the youthful MP whose stand on matters of justice is well remembered even during his years in University. Almost all youthful ODM legislatures agitating for official opposition in Parliament is not based on genuine convictions but narrow and selfish ends that cannot benefit this nation. Even their strong criticism to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga is simply because he failed to appoint them to the Cabinet. They have failed to remember that elderly legislatures in ODM with experience in the Cabinet like Christanthus Okemo has not rocked horns with Raila over Cabinet issue but is silent and focused to serve the Nambale constituents. Its tragic that recent joint communiqué from ODM to reject the Waki report on the post election violence was read by honourable Ababu Namwamba, the eloquent and charismatic lawyer who should carry the reform agenda in Kenya’s politics. Young as he is, he should not follow the “group think” mentality. Namwamba and group should tell us how the victims of post election violence can get justice if they are against the full implementation of the Waki report. How shall we realize political transformation in Kenya when young legislatures have refused to carry the torch for reforms but instead wants to retain the status quo which has stagnated this country for decades? Any leadership requires a firm stand. That is why many Kenyans respect the former Kabete legislature, Paul Muite and James Orengo amongst others once dubbed the young Turks in the late 80 and early 90s. They fought for the freedom many of us enjoy today. It’s encouraging that Orengo and Muite have not faltered. The latter always takes a firm stand on issues that can bring positive change to Kenya while the former, as a cabinet member, his performance in the Lands Ministry is exemplary. In the wisdom of the late Martin Luther King Junior, the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Honourables Momoima Onyonka of Kitutu Chache and George Nyamweya, a nominated, have taken a firm stand against their Parties to support the implementation of the Waki report. This is a perfect shift from the political theatrics that we have been treated to in this Country for a long time. Its also reflects that the two young legislatures truly stands for justice and transformative leadership in Kenya …taking a stand independently even when it’s unpopular to one’s party establishments. Over the rejection to implement the Waki report. It has been observed that Prime Minister Raila Odinga was coerced to accept the rejection of the report. It was clear that some legislature from Rift valley and Western Province had earlier on expressed displeasure over his stand on the report where they threatened to pull out of the party if he kept pressing for its full implementation. Leadership is about Values pegged on standing on what is right at all times. The future of this Country lies on mechanisms youthful leaders will put in place if they augur true patriotism for Kenya . Joseph Lister Nyaringo

Gospel of Material prosperity is un Biblical

We do acknowledge the immense responsibilities that come with religious callings especially the way it detaches Church leaders from their family responsibilities. Giving tithes is a moral responsibility to every Christian as it portrays obedience to God. It is also a cardinal duty for followers to give in order to provide for the daily up-keep of Church leaders as a sign of love and service to the Church. On the other hand, its true, the Church needs funds in order to carry out its functions and all this must come from followers. However, Christians should not be coerced by their Church leaders to give in return for prayers, anointing, prophecy, material prosperity or healing. In fact, even in our hospitals, one is asked to clear the hospital bill during discharge but not on admission or in the treatment process. Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons and gave sight to the blind but not a single time did we see him ask for money before or after performing miracles. This must be the decorum for the Church that he established before he went to heaven. He did it for free expecting nothing in return and all the glory went to God. The appalling thing is that many religious leaders in Kenya have perfected the message of giving or planting a seed to their congregants and deviated from the divine calling of preaching the gospel according to the tenets of the Christian faith. Many Kenyan Christians and some Church leaders, they see this approach as materialistic, greed and a negation of the true Christian teaching on tithing or giving. That is why, the latest condemnations against money minded Pastors coming from Dr. David Awor’s National Repentance Ministry should be lauded. Church leaders with get-rich tendencies should know that material opulence is not an avenue to eternity. True Christians need spiritual, physical, emotional, psychological and social forms of richness in order to be complete as God’s people. The Bible reminds us that if we first seek the Kingdom of God and let it blossom in our lives, we shall get everything we require because God understands our needs. That is why I think it’s blasphemous, immoral and ungodly when the quest for material things is the pivot through which current church leaders are basing their sermons in the pulpit; a negation of the true teachings of the Christian faith. In the book of Mathew 5:43-46 Love, is the sum total of the Christian faith not Prosperity. Christians should strive to lead the life that Jesus Christ led based on humility, humbleness and human love. Anything outside this is spiritual hypocrisy. The best example of how many religious leaders mislead their followers is when they advised them to invest in financial pyramid schemes, which eventually was a scum that ripped-off hundreds of thousands of Kenyans their hard-earned cash. Ironically, the Pastors who used the pulpits to advise their followers didn’t use the same pulpit to apologize to them after being conned. In the Bible, when Jesus drove money lenders and changers from the Temple , he did so to get rid of unfair, ungodly and corrupt financial manoeuvres from the Church. We expected our religious leaders to borrow Jesus’ example instead of succumbing to deceit in a form of financial pyramid schemes. I was once a victim of money for prayers when I tip-toed into one of the Christian Ministries in Nairobi to attend lunchtime service. I queued with other congregants to be prayed for little did I know that all of them were holding envelopes stuffed with Kenyan shillings notes. During my turn to be prayed for, the renowned preacher who is also the head of that Ministry asked for my seed before he will pray for me. Since I didn’t have money, he turned down my prayer request! I was so ashamed before the whole Church which was filled to capacity. In a related visit to a different Ministry in Nairobi , I was surprised to see the congregation pledge money in order to be prayed for by a Prophet purportedly from Ghana . The Kenyan preacher who is also the head of the Ministry kept urging the congregants that they will only be ushered to the purported prophet if they planted a seed! Another surprising aspect in this Church was the way people gave their offerings by dropping money on the floor of the pulpit instead of passing out a basket. The motives behind these … those with coins are always put in jeopardy. This is purely a materialistic gospel masquerading as preaching. This is the reason why I personally concur with Dr. Awor’s preaching which is not only bold but also a protector to the Kenyan Christians who have fallen victim to the gospel of materialism perpetuated by unscrupulous clergy men and women whose motive is to achieve financially and not preaching the word of God. It must be understood that Material prosperity is not the only aspect that enhances the life of a Christian or a non Christian. That is why preachers whose message is centred on prosperity must remember that when Jesus was tempted, he boldly told the devil off on how man cannot live by bread alone and also by refusing the treasures of the world that the devil offered. Christians need to be nourished on aspects of repentance and forgiveness, righteousness, temperament, purity of soul, self control, kindness, love, humility, modesty and humbleness. These are virtues that reflect a Christ-like life. Saint Paul places love as the uppermost theological virtue besides hope and faith while Saint Thomas Aquinas, the 12th Century catholic scholar, defined prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude as cardinal virtues. He had abhorrence in gluttony and greed. This is the best approach to preaching the Word of God and MUST be emulated by those with divine calling. If we give or tithe to the Church, let us do it wisely and according to the Biblical tenets instead of listening to the voice of our Pastors whose motive is encouraging more giving in order to enrich their own lives even when many givers or tithers in their congregations are living in squalor. It not bad for Christians to be rich but according to God, they have to use the riches to bless others. In the New Testament, Paul asks fellow Christians to give for the sake of other believers who were materially poor. This didn’t imply that he wanted them to claim wealth for themselves. He wanted them to give to the need as an act of love and compassion. Giving is an issue of faith and partnership with God whether it’s for the Church or to an individual. Christians need to give to God out of a heart of gratitude and a spirit that recognizes that all we have is His. Let us not give expecting more in return; in God, there is no quid pro quo. The sum total of true Christian faith is love and humility and therefore, following carnal materials spoils the flavour of our relationship with God. Joseph Lister Nyaringo, Kisii Kenya diplomat1499@yahoo.com

The government and Unions must act on the plight of workers

The sum total of better working conditions for employees is improved productivity, efficiency, a boost on craftsmanship, and love for duty. Well remunerated workers are less prone to theft, carelessness, deception, tardiness, negligence and mishandling of working tools. The aspect of employees’ rights requires a multipartite approach that encompasses: the government, Trade Unions, Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Human rights bodies and even the civil Society. Employees in the Civil Service, Sole Proprietorship, Private Institutions, Multinational Companies, and Public Corporations continue to face many challenges at the workplace. These includes: dismissals and terminations from employment on flimsy grounds, long working hours with low pay, poor safety gear especially in Steel and Chemical manufacturing firms, poor remuneration, and serving as casual for too long without being confirmed on permanent and pensionable terms. Women who form the bulky of employees in factories and EPZs are not given maternity leave; for them, getting a pregnancy is a self discharge from work. They suffer the worst harassment, intimidation and sexual overtures from male employers at the workplace. One expanding Supermarket chain in the Country pays their employees Kshs.1000 weekly instead of monthly; making it hard for them to save. It shows that this employer cares less about financial improvement for these workers. All workers are required to sign new contracts after every three months including those who have worked even for five years. The labour laws require an employee to be confirmed on permanent terms after serving between 3 to 6 months. In this Supermarket, employees are not allowed to join any Union or Cooperative Society. Those who express interest are sacked without notice. A friend of mine working in this establishment gave a narration that left me shuddered. It’s a cry from the Wilderness that requires urgent attention. He says that to prevent theft, employees are not allowed to go for lunch. Instead, they are provided with boiled maize popularly known as Githeri within the working premises. Before leaving for home in the evening, employees are subjected to the most a shaming physical search by security guards to ensure that they are not carrying any item from the shop. We call upon human rights groups and the Civil Society not shy away but to take the lead by exposing unscrupulous employers in our Country. Labour being one of the factors of production that affects any economy, the plight of Kenyan workers must be addressed urgently. That is why the government and the trade Union fraternity should urgently intervene and alleviate the deplorable conditions employees are going through in horticultural firms in Naivasha, Export Processing Zones (EPZ) especially in Mombasa and Nairobi , supermarket chains in our major urban centres and environmentally unfriendly working conditions at the Webuye Paper Mill in Western Province . The effluent emitted from the Paper Factory is a pollutant to water, soil and air that affects not only employees but also residents a round the firm. You can smell the stench when driving through the factory. Therefore, the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) should tour the factory and observe if it meets environmental standards and if not, shut it down the way they did to the abattoirs in Dogoretti and Kisii recently. As the government encourages foreign investment, it must also encourage the investors to reward Kenyan workers fairly. Most of the firms that violate the rights of workers are foreign owned; bringing to the fore the concern that foreign investment that we always cry for does not necessarily translate to an increase in the standard of living for our people. In the Civil Service, the government should boost the morale of workers by providing them with better pay, performance awards, inside growth and fringe benefits in order to achieve efficiency. In the private sector, the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development must act tough on errant employers who violate labour laws by revoking their trading licences. On work safety as per the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers must liaise with The Ministry of Labour and Human Resources Development to train their employees on First Aid Skills, Cardio-Pulmonary –Resuscitation (CPR) and fire fighting. We have lost many lives at the workplace due to lack of these life saving skills amongst the employees. The Union fraternity in Kenya as failed to provide a sustainable and viable remedy to the plight of workers. Except the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) which is more vibrant and focussed in championing the rights of teachers, the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), an Umbrella of 42 registered Unions as failed to protect the interests of its members. The COTU Secretary General Mr. Atwoli is a talker not a doer. The government, COTU members and employers don’t take him serious. His predecessor; the late Joseph Mugalla was bold and candid in defending the workers. He should also borrow the example of KNUT secretary general the late Ambrose Adongo, who defended teachers with zeal and determination; leaving an indelible mark in the Union fraternity in our Country. The recent imbroglio about Rachael Lumbasyo’s sacking from NSSF and Atwoli’s reaction didn’t impress anybody. Kenyans expected him to exhibit the same passion when fighting for workers. To safeguard his legacy in COTU, Atwoli must detach himself from politics by fully immersing himself on fighting for the rights of workers especially the implementation of the new employment laws that are likely to alleviate the suffering of Kenyan workers. As a former Secretary of Kenya Plantation workers Union; an amalgam of COTU, he would have toured Nandi Hills, Sotik and Kericho tea plantations to preach harmony and reconciliation amongst the different communities who went for each other during the skirmishes of early this year. This is what leadership is all about. Workers problems are human rights issues that require equal attention like any vice in our society. We need to see equal attention and footage given on the plight of workers just like fighting HIV Aids, poverty and injustice. There is no way Kenya will become a working nation as per President Kibaki’s development slogan, if those currently in the job market work under dehumanising conditions with poor remuneration which makes them live from hand to mouth. Joseph lister Nyaringo Former Deputy Chief Shop steward Uchumi Supermarkets-Kenya

Government should Regulate Prices or Abolish VAT

To alleviate the suffering for Kenyans struggling as a result of the current hard economic times, the government should abolish Value added Tax on essential commodities or introduce price regulation for all foodstuffs. Food is a “human rights issue.” It must be taken seriously by any government. You can do without “shelter” and “clothing” but you can’t do without food. It’s the fuel of life in a human body; without it, you cease to live. If the currently VAT that stands at 16% is scrapped from all foodstuffs, shies of relief will be heaved by many Kenyans. Food will not only be affordable to the country’s poor, it will also spur turnover in the business market. What happens in many parts of the country especially in semi arid regions like Turkana and parts of Eastern province is appalling. People are eating herbs like antelopes. All this is characterized by high poverty index, lack of purchasing power as a result of skyrocketing of prices; brought about by the current inflation. We call upon our political leaders beginning from the President and the Prime Minister to treat the issue of food prices as a national emergency if they have a flair of empathy to the suffering citizens. Conceptualizing Kenya into a free market economy has brought a lot of suffering to our people. I am not an economist but this system doesn’t ease the burdens of the poor. Price control abolished in 1994 must be revived as a matter of urgency. When the government used to control the prices of essential goods like sugar, cooking oil and flour, there was no rampant increase of prices like it is today. As laws are meant to protect the citizens, they can also be changed, altered, augmented, or abolished when they prove to be detrimental to the wellbeing of society. These laws are not “carved” on “stones.” What has proved to be a burden to the citizens must be abolished or changed to suit their needs. It has been proved for instance, that the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Act is a diservice to the farmers, through mismanagement of the tea sector. Therefore, the most honourable thing to do is to overhaul the Tea Act; put it on government management so that the interests of the farmers can be taken care of in order to avert further uprooting of tea bushes in some tea growing regions in the Country. It’s encouraging that the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. William Ruto who expressed his displeasure on the running KTDA will be part of the change that will save the tea sector. We don’t want to become anglomanias of social and economic policies that ends up bringing suffering instead of joy to us. Just because it’s working in America or Britain , it doesn’t mean it can work in Kenya as well. The economic liberalization that was thought to boost the country’s economy has hit a toll on many lives. That is why we need price control mechanisms to ensure that majority of those in low income brackets are protected from unscrupulous traders who have taken advantage of the current market to exploit the poor by hiking prices abnormally. Bureaucrats in our Country will dismiss the essence of price control due to the liberalization and deregulation but this policy as failed because it has a negative bearing to the lives of the poor. Any bureaucracy that hurts the lives of citizens must be abolished. The two leaders have the power the legitimacy to ensure that the prices of essential goods are affordable. Parliament as the principal custodian of public interest must be seen to protect the citizens’ interest by amending laws which are archaic to the general good of the country. This is the surest way of protecting public interest. It’s disgusting that our politicians are good talkers and not doers. Mere rhetoric, politicking and strategizing for succession alliances is the order of the day. No serious sign to help struggling Kenyans to enable them acquire decent and affordable life. Even the Prime Minister who has a broad grasp on the problems that bedevil this nation talks good but we don’t see any implementation mechanism from the Grand Coalition government. Kenyans are yet to see the implementation of President Kibaki’s recent directive of scaling down VAT to bring down the cost of electricity, as well as urging Oil Companies to reduce the prices of Petroleum and its products. The price of Oil and electricity defines the market price of most products in the market. What is hard for a government in a sovereign state like Kenya ? If I were Kibaki or Raila, I will advocate, and defending what’s popular and better for the Kenyans masses rather than sticking to policies that do not have a positive impact for the people of this Country. Joseph Lister Nyaringo-Bobasi, Kisii