Presidential Campaign 2007
My dear fellow Kenyans, today I launch in this blog this regular feature that will be a platform to campaign for the presidency of Kenya. This is a unique campaign because unlike other campaigns it does not start with a personality or (God forbid) a tribe and its' interests. In fact we do not have a candidate yet although I am persuaded that we will ultimately find a young Kenyan, born in 1963 or thereabouts to carry forward this very important agenda and issues in a campaign for the presidency.
The time has come when we must look at presidential campaigns differently. Instead of focusing on one's chances of winning (hence the tribal arithmetic quickly coming into play) we now need candidates whose urgent priority will be to be identified with certain issues. Candidates who will have a clear agenda. That is what should get them a following and not the tribe they happen to belong to. We need men and women who are prepared to stand with a certain cause and are willing to stick with it for the long haul if that is what it will take to finally get the support they need to win. We need Kenyan men and women of integrity who when they finally win will use the opportunity entrusted on them by fellow Kenyans, not to enrich themselves but to bring about genuine change and genuine benefits to our beloved nation.
In 2002 we were all delighted that KANU had finally gone – or so we thought. There was such euphoria in the air. Today Kenyans are wiser. One lesson that has clearly come out is that those who took over the reigns of power on that memorable December day, 2002, did not do so with the right motives in mind. Let alone any clear ideas or policies other than to remove Kanu and ascend to power mainly for themselves and for the people second.
Former cabinet minister Kiraitu Muriungi's famous message to former President Moi, still stands out and hangs there shamefully fluttering in the wind as a stark reminder that the politicians Kenyans have known thus far have mainly spoken far too quickly and acted far too slowly or not at all. Hon Muriungi told Moi to retire quietly to his farm in Kabarak and sit back and take some lessons on how a government should be run. Alas, today it is that same Moi who has come back to give some lessons to that same government on how to run a government. Mostly how they can survive in power against the will of the majority of Kenyans yearning for genuine change and feeling very much cheated after 2002. The tactics they intend to use are similar to those that Moi used to stay in power against the will of the majority of Kenyans for many years. Those tactics were used by colonialists very effectively. They are the tactics of divide and rule that thrive on generating tribal animosity.
Since the launch of this blog on a whim, almost two years ago, I have tried very hard to stick to our simple vision and mission. And that is to push for a change of leadership in Kenya where the baton would be passed on to a new, younger generation of Kenyans.
Since that time, some progress has been made, younger people's interest in politics has gathered momentum tremendously and many lobby groups and organizations have been formed. This blog does not claim any credit for what has happened, what we see is proof that here is an idea whose time has come.
Sadly at the same time, the generation of our fathers and grandfathers, desperately fighting to cling onto power has continued in their bad old habits. Only that this time with more political freedom, these politics of appealing to tribal sentiments and fighting for the interests or share in the national cake specifically on behalf and for certain tribes or communities is just too dangerous.
We just need to take a quick look at what happened in neighbouring Somalia and a number of Eastern countries where we have witnessed so called ethnic cleansing, to see this.
The numerous problems facing Kenya today can be turned into opportunities but this is not going to happen if we insist on using yesterday's tired methods being promoted by yesterday's crop of old tired leaders.
A wise man once said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. The nation that man came from is now a super power. Please join me as I take this single step, this humble beginning to make a difference in our beloved nation.
