Raila to fight job cuts as Ruto promises goodies in 2014

It will not be business as usual. That was the message to Kenyans by Jubilee and Cord leaders on Saturday. Setting the agenda for 2014 in powerful commentaries published elsewhere in this paper (pages 15 and 16), Cord leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto emphasised the need for reform, security and economic growth but disagreed on the process.

Mr Odinga said he will fight the planned retrenchment of civil servants and deployment of military in the war against terrorists and drug barons in Nairobi. Mr Odinga likened the creation of a Nairobi Metropolitan Command to a backdoor means of establishing a “demigod” force.

He said instead, the police service should be reformed in line with the Constitution.

He noted that the state of insecurity in the country had worsened and Cord would play its role in keeping the government on its toes by opposing higher taxation and pressing for preservation of media and civil liberties.

“We are less secure today than we were at this time in 2012. The Westgate attack, the most vicious on our country in over a decade, is yet to be fully investigated.  We will be demanding a complete withdrawal of the military from our streets,” Mr Odinga said.

But Mr Ruto said the government will employ every available option to ensure the economic activities in the country are protected.

“We are reaching out, and are reluctant to engage in the sort of drama solely aimed at demonstrating superiority for its own sake. We want bipartisan, constructive engagement, which does not infringe on the mandates of official opposition,” Mr Ruto wrote.

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK

The DP painted an optimistic 2014 outlook in a commentary published in this paper and expressed optimism that the nine-month-old Jubilee administration was on the right track and will deliver their election promise to Kenyans.

On national security front he said; “Terrorists have not hidden their desire to inflict destruction and suffering on our land. We are doing all we can as a Government, and as a member of active multilateral coalitions to contain the threats regionally and domestically. This effort will be duly escalated to guarantee national security, which we need to develop.”

Although neither the President nor the top military command has issued a statement on what Kenyans should expect from the new military command, it appears in part to have been informed by the Westgate attack.

After the attack, the President vowed to name a commission of inquiry into the attack.

But later through his spokesman Manoah Esipisu, he said the priority was on the forensic audit which is yet to be completed almost three months after the September 21 attack.

However, it is not exactly clear how the new command will work with various units of the National Police Service.

KDF has two other commands — Eastern and Western — headed by major-generals but Gen Karangi has not made public who will head the Nairobi Metropolitan Command.