Will the PSC compromise jump-start national healing?

• In reaching a deal, team has exposed the two principals as the main problem

The political architectures in West Africa have cracked this. In most of their systems, the vice-presidency is an institution that checks the presidency.

General Obasanjo could not fire his defiant vice-president for years. In fact, the election stolen by the generals in Nigeria was against this man. As VP, he was the constitutional, and formal opposition to Obasanjo.

The case of Ghana is similar. Jerry Rawlings could not fire his vice-president because the constitution protects him. And, being the rough man he is, he decided to fix his VP physically.

In one Cabinet meeting, Rawlings was irritated beyond. He got up, pounced on his VP and bit him senseless. When the VP recovered, he staggered his way to the nearest police station. He reported the president to the police and checked in at the closest hospital. The rest is history.

I want a situation where President Kibaki is irritated by Mr Kalonzo Musyoka. And because he cannot threaten or bully Mr Musyoka, he has to beat him up.

Similarly, I am unhappy with the removal of the prime minister’s position. If the president is executive, there is no harm having a non-executive prime minister. This is good for ethnic bargaining. In fact, if you limit the seats of “power,” you will only intensify ethnic competition. And since we are an ethnic society, we should create many positions to tame the “ethnic evil spirit”.

Given the spirit of Naivasha, I am persuaded that the PSC will give us an acceptable political settlement. Unlike the “kichwa ngumu” Committee of Experts, they are about to crack the jinx.

But to succeed, they must listen to our voices. However, we must treat them with caution. They are just political people: unpredictable, selfish and irreligious.

mutahi@myself.com