Mwingi South MP Kalonzo Musyoka was in his element last Sunday gone, buoyed along
by the massive turnout to his campaign's official launch at Uhuru
Park.
The former long serving Kanu organizing secretary is arguably the best
political propagandist the country has ever produced. He was as eloquent as always,
even though little from the team he fronted, Bahari MP Joe Khamisi excepted, suggested
that they meant in any way what they were pontificating.
|
Kalonzo Musyoka
|
But what was most curious was something he considered a ‘miracle'. To deafening
cheers, he told the huge crowd that he was about to make a big announcement. Imagine
my surprise then, when this announcement was that Baringo South MP and political
heir to President Moi, Gideon Moi had called him to express his solidarity with
ODM-K. How so very tragic. If Gideon Moi is fit to be proclaimed a miracle,
then Kenyans ought to be very wary of the blessings ODM-K would like to present
to Kenyans.
What was particularly puzzling in juxtaposition to the announcement on
Gideon Moi was that in spite of his long experience in active politics, Musyoka
could not get any point man of prominence to represent Central
Province or Luo Nyanza at his rally.
In their stead the party displayed political neophytes of infinitesimal, a fact
that showed off the Mwingi MP's poor alliance building and networking
skills.
Significant however, was the courage and zeal of these political lightweights
in taking on the same tactic as was on its most toxic display at the PNU
launch. They took turns on the platform concentrating their speeches on hurling
epithets at the ODM presidential candidate Raila Odinga. Their message was then
confirmed and topped off by the ODM-K presidential candidate himself who
offered some advice to Raila Odinga on what he called ‘third and final
liberation'. What cheek! Musyoka offering up guidance on the steps to
liberation!
This is a man who defended the single party dictatorship with the tenacity
of a religious zealot, supervised the injustice of queue voting and took it
upon himself to unleash regular tirades on those social justice crusaders like the
great campaigner for a free Kenya,
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. In addition to this, Kalonzo facilitated in 1989 the
rigging out of Dr Gikonyo Kiano in the Kiharu election.
|
| Orange Democracy |
Even worse was his absence from the frontline at the Bomas Conference for
the creation of a new constitution. It is a historical fact that the only
ministers who voted and articulated proposals for consideration at the Bomas
Conference were Anyang' Nyong'o, Ochillo Ayako, Najib Balala and Raila Odinga.
And Kalonzo's passivity managed to come up even at his big rally. A
parliamentary aspirant representing Amagoro constituency indicted Musyoka, one
of the longest serving foreign affairs minister in post-independence Kenya,
asking him why it was that Teso had never had on its own in the position of an
ambassador.
Displaying just how unprepared they were for the business of government, one
of the speakers at the meeting, a Seroney representing the Central Rift Valley
chided Langata MP Raila Odinga's proposals that Kenya confront and deal with
the perpetrators of past corruption and injustice. In his speech, Kalonzo on
his part spoke in passing of the need for restitution, giving little away on
what exactly he means. The party's Secretary General Mutula Kilonzo is
similarly vague in his stance of devolution. The visit that he paid to Kabarak
recently also casts doubts on whether ODM-K really has any pretensions to
progressive politics of the kind that will turn this country around.
Kenyans need to guard against being duped by mendacious politicians. It is
surprising that the ODM-K team should try to cast aspersions on the public
records of the ODM leaders. One needn't be overly harsh to realise that in Kalonzo
Musyoka, Mutula Kilonzo, Francis Chahonyo, Gideon Ndambuki and Gideon Moi is
precious little to be excited about. It is also true that had their pivotal
role in advancing KANU's kleptocracy had been laid on the table; the grounds of
Uhuru Park
would have been empty that Sunday. This is not to say that ODM does not have
its despicable members, but it id difficult to perceive in Kalonzo Musyoka or
Mutula Kilonzo the mettle that is evident in Raila Odinga, Najib Balala, Omingo
Magara, James Orengo, Anyang' Nyong'o or even Charity Ngilu.
 |
Party Secretary General
|
One of the foremost of Kalonzo Musyoka's arguments, are his assertions that
his provenance in a poverty-ridden home have acquainted him first-hand with the
condition of most Kenyans. This is contrasted however by the public record, and
particularly by his outright denial in the 1990s of the drought and famine that
had hit the Ukambani region. The
Catholic Church which had sounded the whistle on the catastrophe was
vindicated, even as it became clear that Kalonzo was merely playing to the tune
of his masters.
Even as he boasts of innovation in proposing free secondary education under
his government, Kenyans can remember the highhanded manner in which he dealt
with striking teachers in 1998. So truculent was he, that the teaching
profession christened him the ‘arrogant baby-faced minister). It goes without
saying that those teachers are unlikely to be giving themselves over the support
of ODM-K
His credentials as a pacifier and a diplomat are also much in question. This
was captured most prominently in the handling of Kalembe Ndile in the full
presence of Kalonzo. Those skills were not evident either to those who worked
with Kalonzo prior to the split of the party. It is not insignificant either
that these talents were not put to use during the ethnic clashes that ravaged
the country through the 1990s. Molo, Likoni and Enoosupukia may not have been
as high profile as Sudan
or Somalia, but
the pacifying silence from the Cabinet and Kalonzo was a glaring pointer at how
insincere this self-appraisal is.
It is clear then that Kalonzo Musyoka's lowly birth has not conferred on
him, the talents and empathy that the Kenyan people are desirous of in their
quest for change. Humility of birth is not humility of spirit. President Moi, Zaire's
Mobutu Se Seko, Fredrick Chiluba and many other leaders with ugly careers had
the humblest backgrounds. On the other hand Fidel Castro, Colonel Gadaffi and
J.F Kennedy were from well-off homes but have legacies both positive and
enduring. Simply put you don't have to be sick to be a good doctor. It is
instructive that other lawyers of the same age group, the likes of James Orengo
and Kiraitu Murungi steadfastly refused the temptations of the gravy train.
Their roles and legacies in the second liberation could not be more different
from Musyoka's. Leadership, like most virtues is about conviction and not
family background.
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
Dangerous fugitives like Abduallah Ocalan and Felicien Kabuga found a home in Kenya during Kalonzo's reign in the foreign office. These two fugitives have made a mess of Kenya's diplomatic relations with Turkey and Rwanda.
The Al Qaida terrorist group blossomed in Kenya in the 1990s when Kalonzo was foreign affairs minister, and its growth led to the twin terrorist bombings at US Embassys in Kenya and Tanzania in 1997. It goes without saying a poor foreign affairs policy by Kenya led to the choice of the target. Since Dr. Ouko's brutal murder, Kenya has not had any foreign affairs policy worth talking about.
When one takes a look at present day Kenneth Matiba and shudder to remember that Matiba's problems started when Steven Kalonzo, as KANU Organising Secretary, was sent by President Moi to be the Returning Officer at Kiharu KANU sub-branch elections which were grossly rigged and approved by Kalonzo who later reported to KANU HQs which led to Matiba's falling out with the powers that be. Today Matiba is lucky to be alive after having experienced the wrath of KANU disciplinary committee and life as an untried detainee in Naivasha and Manyani prisons.
The proposed East African Community political federation and customs unions which is Kalonzo's baby have left Kenya as country the main looser whichever way one looks at it. There is no social nor enonomic benefit to Kenya involving itself with unfriendly neighbours.
These are enough reasons for Kalonzo to disqualify himself from the race for the country's top job.