MAU COMPLEX: LEADERS MUST STOP FOSTERING SECTIONAL POLITICS BY PLAYING ON THE EMOTIONS OF THEIR POLITICAL SUPPORTERS.

Dear Sir/Madam, According to Thomas Jefferson (1745-1826) “ignorance is preferable to error and that he is less remote from the truth he who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong.” The validity of the above assertion finds a haven in the on- going politics of compensation of the illegal settlers evicted from the Mau complex. Sadly, a section of leaders from the political divide are increasingly ranting based on reasoned errors. They have not only taken leave of the rule of law but they also want to force down the throats of Kenyan taxpayers a version of their truth based on their reasoned untruths. I say so because deliberations of the cabinet must be brought before parliament which can either adopt, amend, or reject them in Toto. The cabinet adopted the Mau Task Force Report which was then tabled in parliament which then made specific amendments before adopting the report. Specifically and without any shred of tenderness to the poor and title-less settlers legislators mainly from Rift valley compelled the Government to only compensate the executive squatters of the Mau complex. Upon adoption of the amended report by the Mau Task Force, it is expected that the line ministries must implement such parliamentary directives to the letter. However, if a cabinet minister in the process of executing this directive thinks it prudent to alter certain provisions in the directive, then he or she must seek approval of the cabinet and parliament respectively lest he or she is accused of undermining the constitutional authority of parliament but more seriously departing radically from the principle of collective cabinet responsibility. In civilized democracies, such a minister must be compelled by the cabinet and parliament to resign in the interest of the nation. It is even worse when such a departure is informed by sectional politics. “In The Africa Experience” by Professor Vincent B Khapoya, we can only “become a functional democracy if and only if we do not allow our political leaders to use tribes or more accurately, regional linguistic groups as vehicles of symbolic expression of political competition.” He succinctly states that ‘tribalism, which is an unsatisfactory a concept in political science as in social anthropology is an idiom within which sectional competition takes place. It is this sectional competition that leads to violence. The panacea therefore lies in the electorate not allowing such sectional leaders from fostering sectional identification by playing on the emotions of their political followers to win political support. Yet in spite of the 2007-2008 PEV in Kenya, sectional politics seems to be taking a better toll of our conscience. A look at the on going politics of compensation of the Mau evictees is a testament to this sad reality. You see, millions of Kenyans are landless, yet in spite of their landlessness, they have forever remained law abiding citizens. They have never invaded gazetted forests. The fact that they have not been as lucky to have the mainstream media bring to light their plight does not in any way make them less deserving for land. Rather than risk being seen as selectively and emotionally philanthropic, it would have been prudent were the legislators behind the call for compensation of the title-less Mau evictees to urgently pass legislation that would see to it that the Government (read the taxpayers) provides land for all the landless but law abiding citizens in the country. They characteristic of themselves, failed to rise to the occasion. Yes, selfishness is their second nature. The amendment on the floor of the House is a testament to this. Not even their crocodile tears can now save their faces before the Mau evictees or their political supporters across the country. Their lies have finally been nailed to the counter. TOME FRANCIS, BUMULA CONSTITUENCY. http://twitter.com/tomefrancis