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Written by Open Thread
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Saturday, 09 February 2008 |
What are our betters negotiating about this weekend? Probably the colour of their ministerial Mercedes. What, though, do you think are the priorities? What would you like to see done in the immediate/medium/long term?
I'll start with a random selection of my own (not, of course, to be mistaken for KI editorial recommendations):
In the immediate future: an impartial investigation into the election irregularities; reconstitution of the ECK; resettlement of all Internally Displaced Persons, so far as is possible, in their previous places of residence (or suitable compensation for trauma and loss of property or livelihood); an impartial investigation into the planning, funding and direction of the violence; a national reconciliation committee (or perhaps, as someone has suggested, a dedicated ministry); a capital gains tax of, say, 5%.
In the medium term: constitutional reform (and no, 'adopting the Bomas draft' and 'constitutional reform' are not synonyms); parliamentary reform (strengthening parliamentary oversight of the executive, redrawing constitutional boundaries); the reintroduction of a compulsory year of NYS; abolishing the provincial administration altogether for elected regional governments ; splitting the provinces into regions, none of which ought to have a large ethnic majority; a 10-year term-limit on all public servants; the phased introduction of a ceiling on land ownership...
In the long term: abolition of all barriers to movement of capital and labour in East Africa. What say you?
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1. Fundamental changes in the way we do our politics. As long as politics will remain a game of which tribal chiefs brings the largest number of voters to the table, we will never have issue based politics and tribal tensions will be raised every five years, with the same or even graver consequences in the future. For heaven's sake, even an El Molo has a right to be president of Kenya, but under current conditions, only the big tribes will ever make it to the presidency. We need to move from tribal coalitions that are a necessity of tribal based politics.
2. A framework for creating a nation and not a collection of tribes. As events of the last one month have clearly shown us, we are not a nation. Strategies, programs need to be put in motion to detribalize the minds of Kenyans, especially the young. Tanzania has effectively done it. We need to learn from them.
3.Legislation to criminalize hate speech and campaigning on ethnic platforms. If it so necessitates, the law should stipulate that all public meetings be conducted in English or Kiswahili. While at it, regulation or outright banning of FM stations that broadcast in other languages other than English and Kiswahili.
4. Legislation banning the training of youth in military craft under the guise of rites of passage. I know this will be a hard one, but we cannot continue to have parallel forces, on one hand the army and the police and the other one tribal armies.
5. Measures to speed up economic growth, that will open windows of opportunities for our unemployment young men and women. Measures to ensure that every Kenyan attains secondary school education and after that, has access to subsidized vocational training or university, depending on one's capabilities. Access to credit for the establishment of businesses or other economic ventures for young people
6. Creation of social safety net programs that will take care of the very poor, tied to them getting engaged in activities that will earn them income and eventually remove them from these social safety net programs.
7. Investigations and unmasking of those behind the mass killings and destruction of propery and their speedy arraignment before courts of law, even the Hague if necessary.
8. A review of our land policies. At this point in time it is impossible to rectify the errors of Kenyatta but some compensation to communities that were dispossessed by the chauvinistic land policies of Kenyatta may be in order. The repossessing and redistribution of land given by Moi should adress the Moi era generosity.
9. A redrawing of districts and provinces with the aim of ensuring that they are multi-ethnic. Banning of tribal associations at Universities. Moi effectively banned those operating out of Universities. I fail to understand why those in Universities still exist.
10. A reduction in the number of terms an MP can serve. Also, a review of whether the 5 year presidential term is realistic. Shouldn't we go to 7? A reduction in the powers of the presidency, election of provincial governnors with clear mandates and performance targets and contracts.
11. Banning from public office any leader convicted of corruption and incitement.
12. And finally, for them to prove to us that they are different from the lot that was largely voted out: taxes on the earnings of MPs.
And immediate resettlement of those displaced, on their land, with adequate security and grants to enable the reconstruct their destroyed properties