Kenya Politics in Turmoil

By: Jerry Okungu

[ Posted On: 2006-12-02 ]

What is going on in Kenya? Why are we doing these terrible things to our society?

Haven't we done enough damage as it is to our national reputation? Why do we have to tear each other apart and relish in it?

The year 2006 will go down in Kenya's political history as the year that Kenya killed democracy. It will also be remembered as the year of shame when political thuggery, treachery, deceit and con-manship held sway! For how else can anybody explain the shameful act that embarrassed the whole nation at the East African Community?

This was our year at the Arusha Community headquarters because we held two chairmanships simultaneously yet it was the same year we stalled the operations of the East African Legislative Assembly due to our endless political squabbles and brinkmanship back home. It was the year we exported negative politics to the region.

The story of Nicholas Biwott and Daniel arap Moi is the story of shame, sadness and terror. These two people were the face of torture, death and plunder of Kenyan people and their resources, for twenty-four years. They plundered the treasury and other public institutions at will. Whereas Moi exhibited raw power as he played god with our lives, the name of Biwott sent a chilling pain of death down the spines of those who dared to cross his path.

As Moi's confidante, Biwott made and destroyed many political and professional careers at will. If he wanted to pluck you from a dingy university classroom into a plum job either as a top executive in a top public bank, he would do it over night. If he decided that a particular politician was fit to be Moi's deputy, he would do it. He was a behind the scenes operator per excellence.

Whereas Moi exhibited some semblance of populist leadership, Biwott was aloof, withdrawn and secretive. He never socialized with anybody except his security detail.

Nobody remembers seeing Biwott in a public restaurant eating, drinking and laughing like most cabinet ministers did.

As much as Biwott terrorized Kenyans, he also seemed to live in perpetual fear for his life, hence the endless retinue of bodyguards, informers and cars that he would swap as many times as possible in a single journey. This lifestyle has made it impossible for Kenyans to know the real Biwott.

The reason Moi lost popularity with Kenyans was partly his association with Nicholas Biwott. The perception Kenyans have had of Biwott since his arrest in the early '90s after the murder of his fellow minister, Robert Ouko, has refused to go away. Never mind that he was never charged in court. Never mind that the killers of Ouko, like JM Kariuki before him have never been found.

The trouble with Biwott is the image problem. Because Moi could not get rid of Biwott, Kenyans stopped trusting him. Finally they threw him out of State House after conniving to have Uhuru Kenyatta succeed him.

The anger that Kenyans had against Moi and his cronies was evident at Kibaki's inauguration at Uhuru Park in December 2002. They jeered and threw mud at him.

Nobody wanted to see him there. The celebrations that rocked Kenya when Moi's Kanu lost the elections were without parallel. The yoke that had choked the nation for a quarter century was finally off. That was how terrible Moi's rule was. It was a nightmare that Kenyans wanted o forget. That nightmare still lingers on in the archives of his torture chambers at Nyayo House.

What is disturbing and equally baffling to friend and foe is the fact that some of the people who used every trick in the book to remove Moi from power, the people who suffered humiliation for years under Moi and Biwott are the same people now using him to destroy multi-party politics and democracy. To make it worse they are even ready to forgive Biwott despite his image problem; a man banned from traveling abroad in Western countries. This is the man now teaming up with the present regime to destroy democracy.

Four years is too short to forgive and forget a quarter century of plunder of our forests and banks. It is too soon to forget that billions of dollars we borrowed from the World Bank are still stashed away in foreign capitals.

When these people were in power, they used public funds to buy banks, buildings and tracks of land. Never mind that millions of Kenyans are still landless nearly a half a century since independence. Never mind that more millions of Kenyans died due to lack of food, medicine and transport to save their lives. What else didn't these people do to us during the Kanu regime? They plundered and destroyed every institution and infrastructure under the sun. They lived for the moment and cared less about the future of this country. They lived like there would be no tomorrow.

Now Nicholas Biwott who fought Uhuru during the Kanu elections two years ago and lost is the new Kanu chairman; thanks to one Daniel arap Moi. The Biwott who broke away from Kanu and formed New Kanu has gone back to the party he deserted just two years ago. When he fought Uhuru, Moi was against him; now that Moi has fallen out with Uhuru, Biwott has gone back to his arm-pit!

Assuming that Biwott settles for real as the Kanu chairman, there is a very real possibility that he will run for president on a Kanu ticket. This then is the big story. Can you imagine having as your president, President Nicholas Biwott of Kenya?

As you continue to imagine this scenario, just remember Nyayo House torture chambers.

Just remember weekend kangaroo courts that tried and jailed torture chamber inmates overnight. When Total Man comes back to power the jackal will consume all and everything in its path including those who helped him comeback to power.

And good old Daniel arap Moi will be there to offer him the much needed advice on how to rule Kenyans.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

Jerry Okungu is a freelance political analyst based in Nairobi, Kenya. Jerry also serves as a Board Director at The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Jerry has written extensively on issues affecting Kenya and the rest of Africa over the years. Other articles written by Jerry Okungu are available at this location

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