Cord, Jubilee myopia will lead us nowhere

Looking at the political theatrics of the recent past, it is hard to tell what agenda Kenyan leaders have for the people.

It is saddening that almost 500 days after the general elections; Kenyans are still treated to the charged political atmosphere normally witnessed hours before an election.

Hunger looms large with a poor harvest expected, Al-Shabaab is dancing in jubilation following attacks that successfully divide leaders rather than attract retaliation, the prices of commodities soar as the life of ordinary Kenyans becomes tougher; tourist have left our hotel rooms empty, yet politics still dominates.

Politics is not bad; in fact we get our leaders through political processes. However, the route that the Cord and Jubilee coalitions have adopted can only be summarised by one word – myopia.

The shortsightedness is so acute that at some point, they have totally become blind to the realities we are facing. The two sides of the political divide are pulling apart, leaving a good number of Kenyans in the middle wondering what madness has engulfed our nation.

While Cord’s myopia makes them fail to see and respect the government, their mandate and the fact that they are not willing to cede even an inch and that the messengers they parade to preach change have been there before without making any significant difference, Jubilee’s is thriving in the “tyranny of numbers”.

The arrogance with which Jubilee MPs keep saying that matters should be handled through Parliament, knowing very well they will dictate what the outcome of any such engagement, is one symptom of this dangerous illness. (READ: Uhuru tells Raila to respect presidency)

ON OUR OWN

The sarcasm that makes Jubilee grin at the cloud which Cord kept announcing and the rain that never was, will not yield much. I keep wondering who these leaders really represent. The feeling we get is that we are on our own. Neither side of the political divide has any clue how to rescue Kenya.

Human nature dictates that light is not appreciated until there is darkness. This is probably why we leave things to reach a critical stage and then react. The present and past regimes have perfected the art.

We cannot think about CCTVs and security installations or recruit more policemen until crime levels reach where we are; matatus don’t need to be regulated until road accidents soar to bad levels. Now dialogue is not necessary until… your guess is as good as mine.

There is a need to re-focus the leaders’ attention to their ultimate bosses — the people. Let us recognise where there are real issues that require collaborative approaches and postpone political campaigns to the right time.

This grandstanding is unhealthy and retrogressive. It is a united effort by both the government and opposition to take back the gains Kenya has made in the economic, social and political spheres.

Mr Okoth works with a local bank as a communications officer ([email protected])