Key people to watch in 2009

President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Cabinet minister Martha Karua top a list of key politicians and public officials whose decisions, conduct and performance will shape the country’s destiny this year.

As the country moves to implement Agenda Four of the peace deal agreed between President Kibaki and Mr Odinga last year, the three will have a major impact on whether the country carries out crucial legal, land and other reforms, among other things.

Other leaders whose performance will be closely watched this year include Cabinet ministers William Ruto and Kiraitu Murungi, Attorney General Amos Wako, National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende, and Mandera Central MP Mohamed Abdikadir.

They will be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that Kenya finally gets a new constitution, the tribunal to try post election violence suspects is set up, a truth, justice and reconciliation commission starts work, citizens get affordable energy and food.

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) Director General Latiff Shabaan said it was gratifying that President Kibaki and Mr Odinga had taken leadership on the country’s reform agenda.

Therefore, he said, Kenyans must help them by ensuring that those given various responsibilities do deliver on their mandates.

Mr Shabaan added that the country’s leadership must realise that Kenyans are demanding their human rights in terms of an affordable livelihood. He noted that the country was in need of policies that will keep issues such as housing, energy and food prices under check.

He also said that the country cannot “keep running around whenever these issues arise searching for solutions”.

Deplorable

“The issue of IDPs is also another issue that we as a country must solve once and for all. It was very sad that as Kenyans celebrated the New Year there were some of us still in camps living in deplorable conditions,” Mr Shabaan said.

National Civil Society Congress member Harun Ndumbi said that the issue of a new constitution was key but should not be dealt with in isolation.

He noted that reconstruction of the country through the truth, justice and reconciliation commission and making sure that those responsible for what was unearthed by the Kriegler and Waki commissions are held responsible were also key in 2009.

“In terms who should lead in these matters, I believe it is must be corporate where the government, Parliament, the civil society and the public work together to ensure that all these objectives are met,” Mr Ndumbi told the Nation.

Mr Ndumbi noted that issues relating to the cost of living must be addressed, noting that the government had the responsibility to protect consumers against exploitation. It was possible to make the market profitable but also fair to the consumers, he noted.

“Treating unequal people equally is an injustice,” Mr Ndumbi added. President Kibaki, Mr Odinga and Ms Karua will be particularly watched because of the roles they are expected to play in the reforms that the Grand Coalition Government is expected to implement in its second year and place the country firmly on the path of political stability and economic revival.