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Kenya's First Lady -- Lucy Muthoni Kibaki is a disgrace to the Presidency

By: Oluoch Japheth Ogollah

[ Posted On: 2007-06-18 ]

The office of the First Lady world over is associated with decorum, dignity, respect, tolerance and forgiveness. Occupants of the coveted office restrain themselves form any conduct which may bring disrepute to the office and in extension the presidency under their husbands' stewardship.

At a time when former American First Lady Hillary Clinton would have overreacted over an allegation that her husband Bill Clinton was involved in what Clinton himself conceded as 'an inappropriate relationship' with a White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Hillary maintained her calm. She did not file any divorce proceedings. She neither called her husband names nor involved Lewinsky in any verbal exchanges. She stood by Clinton throughout the Senate Impeachment proceedings. Her action surprised both her critics and supporters. She was not only saving the face of her husband but that of the American presidency. Her ratings rose rapidly and she easily won New York governorship in subsequent elections. She is currently leading in opinion polls for Democratic Party presidential nomination campaigns. . She may be the first American woman president if she manages to clinch her party's nomination.

Kenya's Lucy Muthoni Kibaki is not Hillary Rodham Clinton. The First Lady is a great disgrace to the Presidency and State House. Her pubic appearances are horrible. Her public relations officers have definitely failed the performance contract tests. Lucy Kibaki is the only high ranking Kenyan who has been in the news three times in four years for refusing to shake hands with people she imagines has problems with her or her husband. Matere Keriri, president Kibaki's long time associate was the first casualty.

Like Nancy Reagan during the Reagan presidency in the United States, Lucy Kibaki is never afraid to launch exit maneuvers against those she hates irrespective of their relationships with the head of state. Matere Keriri is one of the president's oldest confidantes but when her time came, Lucy ensured he was dismissed as State House controller, a few weeks into his new job. The war between the president's wife and his best friend came to the public when she refused to shake hands with Matere at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The media repeatedly replayed the embarrassment.

The next victim of Lucy Kibaki's unbecoming misbehavior was non other than the ever smiling Vice President Moody Awori. The vice president has mistakingly referred to her as 'The Second Lady' a mistake he greatly regretted as a slip of the tongue. He could however not get forgiveness from Lucy Kibaki. She refused to shake hands with him leave alone boycotting the New Year party at State House Mombassa. President Kibaki absorbed the shame of those in attendance to plead with Lucy to rejoin him at the New Year Party but Muthoni had decided and she was not ready to save the phase of the president.

The next victim was The Nation Media Group. In a raid reminiscent to a rehearsal for the Armenian Brothers raid of The Standard Group, The First Lady interrupted business at the busy Nation Centre, shouting at the top of her voice, inviting ridicule from a local comedy group. Her claims were that the Nation Media Group had been misrepresenting the First Family. Instead of going to court to address her grievances, she took the law into her own hands. It was a day of shame for the country as the international press broadcasted widely the proceedings from Nation Centre.

She recently refused to shake hands with Gem Member of Parliament Jakoyo Midiwo during the president's Nyanza visit. It is not clear what Midiwo had done to invite the w the First Lady's wrath. This behaviour is a contradiction to the moral standards she professes. Her addresses to school girls are always coated with pieces of advice to the young girls to abstain from sex and not to use condoms. Yet her public behaviour sends a wrong message to the youth to be unforgiving and bitter with those they don't agree with. Her overindulgence with the routine and partisan politics has also besmirched her image as a national figure of tolerance and nationalism.

President Kibaki on his part is opposite of the First Lady. His public meetings with people who do not always agree with him are cordial. The president and Orange Democratic Party of Kenya presidential aspirant, Raila Odinga are perhaps the greatest critics of each other yet all their public appearances are very cordial.

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

About The Author: Oluoch Japheth is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He can be reached at: +254 724 261 751 or japhol2002[at]yahoo.co.uk -- [replace [at] with @

| View Profile & All Articles By: Oluoch Japheth Ogollah |

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