The corrupt found a bed of roses in ODM and PNU

By: Abdulahi Ahmednassir
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[ Posted On: 2007-11-29 ]

The shame and charade that were the party primaries have ended on the note we all feared. The exercises were characterised by petty rigging, blatant corruption, violence on a grand scale and inept management.

The money and favours believed to have changed hands between members of the "politburo" of some parties and budding parliamentary candidates boggles the mind. The big losers were the Orange Democratic Movement and the Party of National Unity. In due course, all the shortcomings of the parties will be forgiven, excused by a docile electorate blinded by unflinching ethnic loyalty.

How can parties that stand for all things ugly in their primaries make so much pretence, and promise a better tomorrow if they come to power?

Two worrying trends highlighted by the parties’ primaries should create unsettling disquiet among Kenyans. First, is the unacceptable level of violence and the impunity that is now becoming a reality.

The second and more worrying trend is the distressing number of individuals linked to grand corruption nominated by the two major parties to contest the elections. It seems both parties are hell-bent on inaugurating a Parliament in which two-thirds will be resident experts on grand corruption with hands-on experience.

The primaries were chaotic and violent. Not many deaths were reported but a lot of destruction and unnecessary violence were unleashed on voters. Apart from sporadic arrests by the police, many perpetrators have not been brought to book. It is almost an accepted culture in Kenya that politicians, no the matter vileness of their behaviour, avoid prosecution for breaking the law. During the last 20 years, the office of the Attorney-General, despite the violence unleashed by politicians and their hirelings, has not successfully prosecuted one politician.

The offences range from grand corruption, election offences and misdemeanor. Unless the Attorney-General addresses the violence scourge urgently, the scale will increase during the election period. Thus, the culture of impunity will solidify, much to the detriment of ordinary Kenyans.

In the last 20 years, Kenyans have witnessed grand corruption conceived, planned and executed by politicians. These include the Goldenberg scam, Anglo Leasing, the Ndung’u Land Commission report and various aspects aptly summarised in the annual reports by the Controller and Auditor-General.

We just need to correlate the four grand corruption scams that happened in the country over the last two decades, and juxtapose them against the candidates who were nominated in their party primaries. We will be shocked that some of the candidates had been implicated in one or more of the scandals.

To see the same individuals assume powerful offices frightens Kenyans to the bone, and puts the country in a perilous trajectory.

Throughout the world, there is a symbiotic correlation between power and grand corruption. White collar criminals have a way of mingling with those who wield state power. The perpetrators of grand corruption have now moved to the next logical stage. Having looted the country in their previous positions, they want to cement the seemingly State immunity they enjoy by taking power and occupying the legislative seat of government.

This brings to sharp focus the manifestos of the two parties in the graft war, and what they allege to stand for in light of their parliamentary nominees. Their documents are "boutique manifestos" — beautiful from the outside but empty and ugly from the inside.

The ODM and PNU manifestos are a good pointer not for their content, but for their omissions. The parties adopt diametrically opposed approaches that are revealing in more than one way. Their respective positions tell a lot about the ideals and integrity of the two parties. PNU is simply mum on the fight against corruption. ODM’s stance is a zero tolerance approach to corruption.

That PNU is unable to make any promise on such an important issue speaks volumes about the probity of the party and the promises it has about the future. PNU’s silence is entirely shaped by the lesson it learnt from the five years in power when it almost became a sunder over Anglo Leasing.

The dishonour that came with the scandal deflated the party and left a telling scale in its reform credentials.

ODM’s robust chest-thumping, on the other hand, is due to the allure of power it believes is within its grasp. At face value, Kenyans should welcome ODM's approach since it makes a solemn and strong commitment to fight the scourge that has ravaged the country for decades. Or should they?

We must give credit to ODM presidential candidate, Mr Raila Odinga, at a personal level. He remains one of the few politicians not personally linked to grand corruption. But the same cannot be said of his lieutenants and the rank and file of ODM parliamentary aspirants. Its nominees list is a rich pool of distinguished luminaries of who-is-who in past grand corruption deals. PNU does not fare any better.

It has an equally renowned number of luminaries and real veterans. In some instances, cross-generational corruption patriarchies are well represented, with even one or two distinguished emeritus on its side.

The difference between the two parties is that one is brutally honest that it will do nothing about corruption; the other is equally firm in its pledge to fight corruption, only that its pledge is dishonestly brutal.

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About The Author: Abdulahi Ahmednassir --

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