Kenya activists plot shadow government

Civil society groups are in the process of setting up a ‘shadow people’s government’ to act as Kenya’s official opposition.

The move, they say, arises from the fact that many Kenyans are frustrated by the way the coalition government is being run.

The Kenyans, they add, were therefore seeking an alternative ‘platform from which they could articulate issues affecting them’ with the absence of an official opposition in Parliament.

Led by officials from the Kenya for Justice and Development, the groups on Wednesday said citizens had hoped that transparency and accountability would thrive in government, but this was not the case.

“The failures of the grand coalition government have paralysed this country... these failures are currently playing out as famine, darkness, fuel shortages, and many other evils caused by grand corruption and general incompetence,” said Mr Patrick Ochieng’ a member of the lobby group.

“With all this, we are not sure the Kibaki-Raila administration deserves to be called a government.”

Mr Ochieng’ said it was time Kenyans owned the struggle for good governance by joining the war against impunity that has led to their impoverishment.

The lobbies intend to set up a 12-member shadow cabinet, complete with a President and Parliament to keep the grand coalition government ‘on its toes.’

Proposed ministries include: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Commerce, Defence, Education, Health, Housing and Urban Development, The Interior, Justice (to be headed by the AG), Labour, Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure and Treasury.

Their rallying cry will be Jamhuri sasa and its symbol a map of Kenya in green superimposed on a shield resting on two cross-spears.

This, according to them, will symbolise the march to the second republic of Kenya.

Activist Okiyah Omtatah said their latest move will give ‘agonising’ Kenyans a voice from where they can articulate issues affecting them.

He revealed that they intended to roll out their plan of action by the end of this month.

The groups are expected to organise 10 regional conventions in various parts of the country to discuss public policy issues.

The regional conventions will then translate to a national one in October in Nairobi, where a website- a people’s charter- will be launched and the shadow cabinet sworn in.

“These conventions will be used to collate the views of Kenyans with a view to developing clear alternative pro-people policies and programmes,” said the activist.

“The shadow people’s government will then use the developed pro-people policies to challenge those of the Kibaki-Raila administration.”