What the President can do to quell public anger

President Mwai Kibaki and his prime minister, Mr Raila Odinga, are possibly wondering why the country is so angry and what they should do about it.

The country is angry because they are sitting and watching the maize sector being messed by blatant and open corruption and doing nothing about it.

They have also allowed Parliament and some ministers to run amok, rolling back civil liberties in the name of morality and state security.

While we appreciate the announcement by the Orange that they now oppose the communications Bill, we also know that its leaders approved it in Cabinet and its MPs supported it on the floor of the House and voted for it.

Populist dishonesty must have no place in Kenya.

Let all parties and politicians who claim to oppose the Bill now build consensus among MPs to request the President to return it to the House for amendment, following consultations with the media and other interested parties.

BECAUSE THE KENYA COMMUNICATIONS (amendment) Bill, 2008, is it now stands is an unreasoned law which proposes the withdrawal of civil liberties as a solution to endemic state weakness and political instability.

The President, in his honours list this year, recognizes top editors and on behalf of the nation honours them for their work.

But at the same time, he is being asked to sign into law a Bill which seeks to limit the freedom of the same journalists to operate. It is a sign of a country in a state of confusion.

The Sunday Nation prides itself in being a law and order newspaper, conscious of national security and supportive of the institutions charged with the responsibility of protecting Kenyans.

But no intelligent Kenyan can support the political foolishness which threatens the survival of the nation.

Many Kenyans may have bought the excuses of politicians that the media are to blame for political insecurity in the country.

The media are certainly not perfect, but they are not the cause of Kenyan’s problems. The problem is the extreme hunger for power and wild corruption in the political class.

And can the President and his prime minister do something about it? Yes, they can:

LAW AND ORDER: THE GOVERNMENT must enforce the law to everyone, every time. If the media are guilty of incitement, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

If politicians are inciting tribal chaos, infiltrating the security services and so on, prosecute them.

The Attorney-General, Mr Amos Wako, who has failed to enforce the law and protect the civil liberties of Kenyans must be requested to leave.

In his place should be appointed a fastidious person who will enforce the law, as is now written, to the letter.