Let there be no more of last year’s double-speak from Jubilee this year

Kenya Deputy President William Ruto (left) greets delegates after a meeting with political and opinion leaders from Kakamega and Bungoma Counties at his Sugoi home in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on December 23, 2015. Mr Ruto was also recently found complicit in the grabbing of a farm in Eldoret, and his name features prominently in the Ndung’u Land Report for excising parts of Ngong Forest later sold at a massive profit. PHOTO | DPPS

What you need to know:

  • Most Kenyans want the anti-corruption crusade to succeed, and many of us take Mr Kenyatta’s rhetoric on corruption with a lot of hope.
  • Since independence, and for some reason that is not so easy to discern, the office of the Auditor General has been in the frontline in exposing waste, misuse of public resources and corruption.
  • But in a self-described “digital” age, could this double speak on corruption — but also on devolution and independent institutions — be a clear sign that we are headed the Moi era path?

It is still early enough in the New Year to look back at 2015, and contemplate our wishes for 2016.

It has been interesting to read the extremely kind self-assessments of the regime, but the “outsider” sycophants have also been at it, tripping over themselves in praising this Kenyatta regime, as they seek to be included in the “eating.”

But this is not about assessing the Kenyatta regime.

Rather it is a simple wish for this year: Let there be no more of last year’s double speak.

This regime has almost been as adept at double speak as the Moi regime, which preached water and drank wine; spoke peace while unleashing violence in the Rift Valley from 1992; extolled Christianity while robbing the country blind; and which condemned tribalism while actively promoting half-baked tribal “home-boys” to positions of power and authority across the Kenyan state.

Those of us old enough to have been cognisant in the 1980s, have stories to tell of people appointed to state positions primarily because they were homeboys and despite their lack of education or experience.

One of my classmates was appointed a Company Secretary in a parastatal before qualifying as an Advocate of the High Court!

While not at that level — yet — this Kenyatta regime is getting there.

Take corruption for instance. Most Kenyans want the anti-corruption crusade to succeed, and many of us take Mr Kenyatta’s rhetoric on corruption with a lot of hope.

But some nagging doubts can’t be wished away so easily.

WHAT A JOKE!

First, if the regime is serious about doing away with corruption, why does it so readily work to reduce the independence of the Auditor General by taking away the powers of the office to hire and fire staff?

Since independence, and for some reason that is not so easy to discern, the office of the Auditor General has been in the frontline in exposing waste, misuse of public resources and corruption.

It is one of the few public institutions that has — more or less — lived up to expectations.

So why weaken it now by reducing its autonomy?

Is it to control the staff, if not the Auditor General himself, and use them to protect or persecute as the case may be?

Second, why was there a double standard with regard to dealing with Ann Waiguru compared to Michael Kamau, Charity Ngilu or Davis Chirchir?

Of the first lot of Cabinet Secretaries, Ms Waiguru had exalted status, taken from the unknown and handed the biggest, most endowed ministry in the land.

The reticence to have her step aside — like her colleagues in similar circumstances — spoke volumes.

Third, it is difficult to fathom how Mr William Ruto can be one of the faces in the fight against corruption given his particular history.

He came into money with the infamous and scandalous Youth for Kanu ’92 that almost destroyed the economy as currency notes were printed willy-nilly, inflation went through the roof, and buying of voters became an epidemic.

BACKTRACKING MOI ERA

Mr Ruto was also recently found complicit in the grabbing of a farm in Eldoret, and his name features prominently in the Ndung’u Land Report for excising parts of Ngong Forest later sold at a massive profit.

And of course there is the notorious Weston Hotel linked to the attempted land grab of a primary school playing ground.

At first Mr Ruto denied ownership; but a few weeks later, he “discovered” that he had “interests” in the hotel.

Incidentally, deliberately misleading the public is an offence under the Public Officer Ethics Act, but we don’t see DPP Tobiko ordering the CID to investigate!

And no, the Deputy Presidency does not enjoy immunity.

The Moi regime’s double speak was in a different era and time, when there was no internet, Twitter or Facebook, and when Kenya was a dictatorship.

But in a self-described “digital” age, could this double speak on corruption — but also on devolution and independent institutions — be a clear sign that we are headed the Moi era path?