2013 IS KENYA’S YEAR OF IMAGE REDEMPTION

By Fwamba NC Fwamba


Despite her unique challenges, Kenya like any other country in the world has gone through different stages of growth under dynamic circumstances that are espoused through different political leaderships at respective times.

In 1963, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who later became Kenya’s founding Vice President shelved his ambitions of becoming President in favour of President Jommo Kenyatta who was then still imprisoned by the colonial government. Jaramogi argued that it was not in the best interest of the country for him to take the reigns of power while Kenyatta still languished in colonial shackles. For that reason, the then Kanu leadership pushed for the release of Kenyatta whom by mutual consensus was made the first Head of State.

After a few years of independence Kenyatta and Jaramogi had a strained political relationship that led them to part ways due to what experts have since concluded were ideological differences. That caused Jaramogi to be replaced as Vice President. The centre of political power remained under the absolute grip of Jommo Kenyatta with Kanu party as the sole and dominant political institution in the country.

Kenyatta remained the only political powerhouse running the government until his demise in august 1978.His death paved way for his then Vice President Daniel arap Moi to take reigns of power, holding the position of Kenya’s President until 2002 when he retired as was required by the constitution after having served two full terms of five years each since the first multiparty election that was held in 1992 after the repeal of section 2a of the then constitution of Kenya.
The first multiparty election in Kenya was held in 1992 as a result of continuous agitation by the civil society to expand democratic space and end what they called Moi and Kanu dictatorship. The election saw the country go through a political transition that allowed radical constitutional amendments.

At the time of President Moi’s retirement, the country’s presidency had been occupied by only two individuals; Kenyatta’s 15 year period and Moi’s 24 years all under Kanu political establishment .During most of that time, the country had one opposition figure in Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who passed on in January 1994 after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. As a result of continued rivalry between the Kenyatta political establishment and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the country became highly polarised along ethnic lines. The rivalry between Jaramogi and Kenyatta was interpreted by majority of Kenyans as a silent ethnic political battle between the Luo and the Kikuyu community.

In 2002, Kenyans opened a new chapter in the country’s history by electing President Mwai Kibaki who won with a big margin against his kinsman Uhuru Kenyatta; the son of the founding President. Significantly ,Raila Odinga; the son of the founding Vice President and Kenya’s most significant opposition figure Jaramogi Oginga Odinga played a major role in Mwai Kibaki’s Presidential campaign. After Kibaki’s 2002 victory, Raila became the most prominent political figure in Kenya. Having played a considerable role in the Kibaki campaigns, Raila expected a bigger reward than just a Cabinet minister. He appeared dissatisfied with serving as Minister for Roads and his supporters kept on making reference to an alleged memorandum of understanding that was meant to have Raila appointed Prime Minister. Raila made his supporters to believe that he had been short-changed under the ‘MOU’ which has never been made public to date. Kibaki denied existence of such a memorandum.

Due to that kind of rivalry and continued disagreement between Kibaki and Raila, the two had to part ways during the November 2005 referendum campaigns. In spite of being a minister in Kibaki government, Raila galvanized a group of cabinet ministers most of whom were allied to his Liberal Democratic party (LDP) wing of the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) government to campaign against the draft constitution with their symbol being the Orange while Kibaki’s government agitated for the passing of the constitution which was famously referred to as the Wako draft (named after the then Attorney General of Kenya) whose symbol was a banana. Among those who opposed the draft constitution was the then opposition leader; Uhuru Kenyatta.

The government lost in the referendum and as a result Kibaki dissolved his cabinet, to only reconstitute it after a few days to the exclusion of Raila and other ministers who had opposed the Wako draft. This led to the formation of the Orange movement .Having been fired, Raila and his team saw that as an opportunity to start early campaigns against Kibaki’s re-election in 2007.The Orange group radicalised there anger against Kibaki and they set the country in a campaign mood two years to election. The main rhetoric of the Orange group was no longer about the constitution but pursuit for political power.

In their nationwide campaigns, the Orange group was adamant that it was time for a person from another community to lead the country. They kept on the arithmetic that by 2007, the Kikuyu community would have ruled the country for 20 years while the Kalenjin community had had 24 years under Moi. The group also hyped the rhetoric that the Kikuyu community has never supported any other person in pursuit for leadership except their own. This rhetoric was left unabated and by the time of going to election, the Orange group’s winning formula was 41 against one. The 41 against one rhetoric meant that all communities were to gang up against the Kikuyu to elect another person to state house. This kind of rhetoric became too much in the Orange group and this made Uhuru Kenyatta who is himself a Kikuyu to feel uncomfortable within the Orange group. Despite of him being an opposition leader, Uhuru opted out of the Presidential race and endorsed Mwai Kibaki for the second term to appease his tribesmen and also safeguard his Gatundu South parliamentary seat.

The anti Kikuyu rhetoric had far reaching results. The rhetoric did not only end with politics but it created a lot of hatred against the Kikuyu community. For that reason, when allegations of election rigging came up during the tallying of the 2007 Presidential results, the country gripped with anger and fear of continued Kikuyu presidency went up in flames. Most of the supporters of the Orange Movement could not come to terms with another five years of a Kibaki presidency.
The 2007 post election violence was the darkest moment in the country and a turning point to Kenya’s political history. It was a lesson every Kenyan learnt and all Kenyans were the ultimate losers as the result of the violence. The violence exposed Kenya to the international limelight for all wrong reasons leading to some of the country’s leaders being tried in a foreign land at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. This kind of negative exposure has tainted the image of our country and the citizenry are now faced with the challenge of restoring the dignity of our country.

March 2013 presents an opportunity to avoid the pattern of history set in 2007.So far we have groups coming up that are threatening national security. Some groups allege to have legitimate claims that need to be addressed. Other elements are using excuses of what they call historical injustices to commit atrocities; case in point being the brutal attack meted on Fisheries Minister Hon. Amason Kingi that left the minister’s bodyguard and four others dead.
It’s important for Kenyans to scrutinize the candidates who have so far presented themselves and elect a person who will put our country on the track of peace, unity and tranquillity. The country needs a President who is neutral and ready to unify all communities in Kenya. The country has an opportunity to elect a level headed President who will not attract ethnic passions that are a danger to our own security and survival. Kenyans should avoid voting along ethnic lines and support a candidate who will give the country a leeway for healing and reconciliation; a President who is not a party to Kenya’s current woos.


Fwamba NC Fwamba is the leader of Kenya Young Voters Alliance