The 9th parliament is no more. And for the first time in the history of the nation the president addressed the entire nation on live TV to dissolved parliament, officially paving way for the general election later this year. The live broadcast started at 4 pm (local Kenyan time).
To justify going on air, president Kibaki took time to summarize the achievements of the controversial own-perks-and-remuneration-hiking 9th parliament noting the important bills it had passed into law during its’ life.
This was a smart move and one of the few things that the embattled president’s handlers have gotten right in a very long time. The psychological effect of the power behind the throne personally dissolving the 9th parliament is not without impact and paints a picture of a president fully in control of the country and one who surely deserves a second look by voters for possible re-election. That live broadcast alone must have captured at the very least tens of thousands of votes countrywide for president Kibaki. As to whether those “captured” hearts will remain with the president until polling day, only time can tell.
