This government is a fraud. Kenyans should feel really angry with themselves for having trusted a bunch of conmen and women masquerading as democrats and constitutionalists while in reality they were a group of vicious anti-democratic hangmen.
The directive by President Kenyatta that some 10,000 police recruits, whose, enrollment into our police academies were stopped by a court decision must have confounded right-thinking Kenyans. I say right-thinking Kenyans because some Kenyans are singing praises and clapping profusely in support of President Kenyatta’s directive.
For a start, coming in the wake of his controversial state of the Nation address and the circus of 'stepping aside' episodes, one wonders whether the President saw any contradiction in his so-called fight against corruption and order that youngsters who had attempted to get into our police service by corrupting recruiting team be admitted into training colleges. Corruption in our police units has become an identification mark.
How can the President be so casual over this matter? But more painful is the fact that President Kenyatta was making this order in reaction to the butchering in cold blood of about 150 of the cream of our sons and daughters at Garissa University College. The responsibility for his beastly act has been claimed by the al Shabaab militants. Now suppose it was al Shabaab that was using money to bribe officials so that its adherents can infiltrate our police. Where would the President’s directive take this country? These questions are discomforting to some Kenyans but they must be asked.
We really need a child to tell President Kenyatta that he is naked. When tempted to be overly sychophanctic, we must at all times be reminded of this story of the naked king. Once upon a time, a vain emperor who fancied himself as stylish dresser sent forth word that he would give a great prize to the tailor who sewed him a cloak woven of the finest cloth. A smart rascal came forward with an offer to make him a cloak from a cloth so fine that it could neither be seen nor felt against the skin.
The emperor was overjoyed and could not wait for his distinctive cloak to arrive. When the rogue arrived with the cloak and told the emperor to remove the swathe he had on and put on the new one, his terrified aides could not help but express their admiration for the emperor’s fine taste. As the emperor ventured forth on his great horse to display his new finery to his subjects, they, too, dared only applaud – until the voice of a small and innocent child was heard, “Why doesn’t the emperor have any clothes on?”
Our President is most shameless displaying his nudity, and we are busy cheering. How dare we cheer when the very person we put in position of authority to defend the constitution and safeguard the rule of law can come out so arrogantly to rubbish a ruling made by a court of law?
It becomes even more paradoxical when the President himself finds himself in this position, courtesy of a pronouncement of the very courts whose rulings he is trashing. All Kenyans know that the Uhuru Kenyatta’s election as President of this country was contested. However, the petitioners – Raila Odinga and Africog – deferred to the decision of Supreme Court even though they did not agree with it. Now the foremost beneficiary of the respect for institutions and rule of law is the one rubbishing our courts of law. Wonders will never cease.
Why do we clap and celebrate when the same Uhuru Kenyatta is exposing our nakedness so shamelessly to the whole world? Is it moral or just to allow the President and a handful of his court jesters to overturn the wishes and aspirations of 30 million Kenyans expressed so eloquently? I have nothing personal against President Kenyatta, his Cabinet, or any of the members of regime. As a matter of fact, I have profound respect and admiration for them. To paraphrase Patrick Henry, no one thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism as well as abilities of those worthy gentlemen and ladies. However, where they err, I will always stand with Kenya and its democratic institutions.
Unless Kenyans rise as one to say a collective no to this creeping return of naked dictatorship, we don’t know how far these turncoat reformers will go. In President Kenyatta’s penchant for dictatorial actions, we are witnessing gradual but steady re-enactment of the tyrannical rule of his father. As Kenyans gave the old man the benefit of doubt, all democratic safeguards that were put in place at independence were being dismantled. This is what Kenyatta II seems to be doing. We better be on guard. You heard that they were bringing the Chief’s Act back? Watch this space.
By Oduor Ong'wen
(Originally published in The Star)
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