Kenyans are a fantastic lot; spare them the bad politics

Four years later, there is still a lot of doubt about the wisdom of having passed a new Constitution.

Those who said No to the proposed law keep laughing when they see governors fighting over increased resources for allowances and foreign travel, senators fighting against parliamentarians for space, MCAs holding governors to ransom and all the other shenanigans we continue to be treated to from the political arena.

What those naysayers do not tell us is what the alternative would be had we been operating under the old constitution which gave all power to the executive.

The media are awash every day with all manner of negative activities and utterances from the political class.

I saw an interesting statement by the President on Thursday which made me laugh. In effect he was admitting that the political class is made up of liars. It went something like this: “We are experts in cheating people but, after doing that, we sit back and enjoy while you suffer.”

The President was, of course, saying what many of us know and have talked about over time but it is very refreshing that it came from an insider.

OTHER GOOD THINGS

If all we were to think about is our politics, then one would definitely despair. Luckily, Kenya is made up of much more than the cacophony of politics and there are plenty of other good things happening around.

The other day, a friend of mine, Mwangi Muthee, the chairman of Kenya Rugby Union, called me and invited me to an evening forum at the Michael Joseph Centre on Waiyaki Way.

He did not quite explain what it was but I went along. It turned out to be an excellent interactive discussion between young business executives and entrepreneurs organised by Bob Collymore, the CEO of Safaricom.

The things I listened to and the people I interacted with that evening were most inspiring and I walked out of that event feeling good about being Kenyan.

The people who spoke that night addressed a wide range of issues regarding the business environment and how individuals need to form and prepare themselves for the Kenya of the future.

The things that were said gave hope and were an assurance that there are many other good things happening in this country other than the noise of politics. I thought about the many women and youth who have come together and formed chamas through which they empower themselves.

All those who are doing those positive things that are for the good of this nation and whose activities are not reported in the media need a good environment within which to operate. That is what politicians must provide.

Father Wamugunda is Dean of Students at the University of Nairobi: [email protected]