Three things government should focus on to make 2016 memorable

President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses the media at State House on July 21, 2015. In 2015 President Kenyatta surprised many by how he began the fight against corruption. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• The international community had given the country a negative reception in 2013 after the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto owing to their criminal cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.
• But more important is that Kenyans came to recognise the importance of the law and procedures during this visit.
• What is required in 2016 is a new narrative to fight back those who wear the budge of corruption as a budge of honour.

By Prof. Kanyinga
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By all standards, year 2015 was not all gloom and doom for Kenya.

There were a number of important events that took place during the year.

Some of them will continue to shape the main political and economic issues throughout 2016.

Three things stand out as the things the government should focus on to make 2016 a memorable year.

Adhering to procedures, fighting corruption, and fighting negative ethnicity stand out as important things to build on.

Last year witnessed increased profile of the country at the global arena.

The world’s attention was drawn to Kenya when US President Barack Obama visited the country.

From the visit there were several lessons that stood out.

One of them was the importance of following procedures, regulations and the laid down rules.

This visit energised Kenya’s political leadership.

The international community had given the country a negative reception in 2013 after the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto owing to their criminal cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.

CONSTRUCTIVE VISITS

The visit by the US President served the important purpose of giving the country a new image and creating new sense of optimism.

The visit also served another important role.

President Obama brought back the debate on good governance and specifically the need to fight corruption, tribalism, and gender inequality.

How the government and President Kenyatta framed the visit by Obama also left no doubt that Kenya’s global image and rating had been refreshed.

But more important is that Kenyans came to recognise the importance of the law and procedures during this visit.

Everything was done in line with the agreed procedures and the law could not be bent to accommodate even the powerful state officers who wanted to jump queue for accreditation purposes.

One lesson from that visit was that actually the government can straighten up things when political leaders wish to.

The law can be adhered to by all irrespective of rank and status if leaders wish to.

We saw leaders all the way from President Kenyatta to county governors doing the “right things” which in the end served to give Kenya a good rating.

On account of this, it is good to argue that the government should commit itself to enforcing adherence to regulations and procedures.

We saw this happen. We saw the good standing it gave the country and we also saw the difference it makes when all are compelled to follow the laid down procedures and regulations.

Enforcing regulations and ensuring procedures are followed must be on the top agenda for the government in 2016.

PRIORITIES
The fight against corruption is the second issue worth placing an emphasis on.

In 2015 President Kenyatta surprised many by how he began the fight against corruption.

Although some people criticised him for presenting the “list of suspected thieves” to Parliament without completing investigations, the fact that he decided to pick the fight and to ask those in the list to step aside was itself an important and commendable undertaking.

From the list, it was evident that the Executive was not the only arm of government perpetrating corruption.

The Judiciary, Parliament and the county assemblies were equally involved.

It is surprising how the President did not get sufficient support in his resolve to fight corruption.

Even those around him did not seem to give him a hand.

Although Parliament gave him a standing ovation immediately he presented the list, this high spirit dissipated once senators and other MPs came to know who was in the list.

From then on, spinners began a campaign to demonstrate how the President erred presenting a list without giving the suspects a hearing.

They began a war in the media about how individuals had been defamed and how they had been judged guilty even before investigations had begun.

This is certainly how the script on the fight against corruption reads.

Corruption organises to fight back in an aggressive manner.

Those involved in corruption also reserve “war chest” funds to fight anyone attacking them.

They also organise into neat groups to reach out to anyone caring to listen to their stories.

GRAFT WAR

And because a huge reserve of funds to fight back, they hire the best lawyers and researchers in town to argue their case.

They turn courts into a revolving mill where nothing has an end. They occasion legal stoppages and tire out the witnesses quite fast.

They also make corruption look like an honourable thing to be involved in. They twist the stories and turn in new tales.

How to hit them back with passion is what fails us as a nation.

We have not evolved a strong narrative to fight the elites involved in corruption.

They are not ostracised in the local churches, social groupings and events.

They continue wearing budge of corruption as a budge of honour. And they are happy to do so.

What is required in 2016 is a new narrative to fight back those who wear the budge of corruption as a budge of honour.

The narrative must come from within civil society groups including religious organisations.

The private sector, with all its challenges, must be part of this new narrative.

The narrative must be woven in such a manner that the corrupt plus their families feels the real heat.

The narrative must come out clear in a manner that the corrupt become ostracised from the social groupings where they pull their weight around as if they have made it in life through hard work.

They will feel the heat.

REVEAL NAMES
It would be good in 2016 for President Kenyatta to give us another “list of thieves” with or without complete investigations.

The list should include those perpetrating corruption in all arms of government.

It should include the private companies and individual business people who front for state officials in the corruption deals.

We certainly need another list in 2016. It would be even better if the President sacrificed his own close associates who are known to be involved in corruption. Rapid prosecution should follow and in a painful manner. It should be a seamless process of listing, arresting, prosecuting, and recovering the assets bought with money from these deals.

One thing that is certain is that if President Kenyatta punished his own political allies for involvement in corruption, he will undoubtedly win the support of many.

And if he won the fight, he will win the 2017 election; it will not be a contest.

This is so because corruption is now affecting everyone everywhere and is toping the list of what everyone wants addressed.

To fight his own friends will win him his own enemies.

The friends will have no where to go if there is a good narrative around the ills of corruption. They will be turned into enemies of the society.

Last thing to pay attention to is the challenge of “tribalism” and specifically divisions along ethnic lines.

Our politics revolves around these divisions, feeds them and feeds on them.

How appointments are made to senior posts in government, parastatals and other organisations associated with the government is largely what shapes perceptions of ethnic based leadership. On this, we have not learned much.

One thing that is clear is that even if President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto failed to appoint anyone from their communities into government, their communities will still support them because electoral politics in Kenya is like any tournament.

You support a team simply because you feel good about it.

So is politics. In 2016, the President and his deputy should have a moratorium on appointment of Kikuyu and Kalenjin in government posts.

They should deliberately prohibit appointment of elites from their communities. This will begin sending signals of inclusion and by that begin eroding the basis of ethnic perceptions of the government