Our leaders must desist from taking each opportunity that crops up to politicise the constitutional implementation process and instead engage in constructive discourse and consultations.
The recent uproar over the appointment of 47 county commissioners by President Kibaki will only act to slow the process of implementing the Constitution in the given timelines.
Instead of engaging the public in cheap rhetoric that seeks to discredit the President’s move, leaders should instead ask themselves key questions that would shed more light into what led to the appointments. Key among these questions should be: What are the professional qualifications and requirements for such an appointment? What would happen should the country enter the new political dispensation with uncertainties over the provincial administration? Would the interests of the national government be well represented at the counties without these commissioners?
Answers to these questions would shed more light and have our leaders make more informed political statements on this issue and others that touch on the implementation of the Constitution.
Kenyans have yearned for the switch to the devolved system of government since the adoption of the Constitution in 2010. The last thing they want to witness are attempts to slow down its implementation.
{Peter Mshefa, Kilifi}
The uproar over recent appointment of 47 county commissioners by the President is undue and unnecessary.
The appointment of these commissioners comes at a crucial time that the country is grappling with the uncertainty of the future of the provincial administration and the possibilities of there being a vacuum in this regard.
The appointments are, therefore, a welcome move by the President in a bid to ensure a smooth transition to the devolved system of government.
Some of the arguments being put across from various political quarters cannot get more impotent. That the Prime Minister was not consulted on the appointments and therefore he disowns the list, that the appointments were made to favour certain tribes, or that the appointments do not represent gender equity are all unfounded arguments that are well orchestrated to discredit President Kibaki’s decision.
The real issues should be whether the Constitution was contravened, or whether or not the President acted in the best interest of the country. The uproar is invalid and a recipe for political chaos.
{Rashid Ahmed, Mombasa}
The appointment of 47 county commissioners has elicited mixed reactions. There are claims and counter-claims on whether the law was followed or whether it is the right step forward under the new dispensation.
Experts have interpreted the law to support their arguments and discredit their opponents.
However, rather than turn this into a shouting match between the coalition partners, let the matter be discussed soberly.
Transition to devolution is a delicate matter and the authorities should avoid anything that faintly suggests that they want to roll back the process.
{Zippy Mueni, Maseno}
There has been dissatisfaction among Kenyans following the appointment of county commissioners.
Central Organisation of Trade Unions and sections of Kenyans have already nodded to the appointments saying it was overtly balanced. On the other hand Premier Raila Odinga claims not to have been consulted while some law experts say the law was not followed.
However, as Kenyans, we need to support these commissioners in their work. At the same time, we ought to be conscious that such appoints need to be done with sobriety to avoid clash with the law.
{Zakayo Amayi, Nairobi}
Survey indicts efforts to empower taxpayer
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has launched the Economic Survey 2012. The report also gave real economic performance for last year.
On employment, which I believe should be the key indicator of the quality of governance anywhere, 520,000 new jobs were created most of them (about 80 per cent) in the jua kali sector. Very few of these jobs can support mortgage repayments and interest rates meaning very few of these job owners can hope to own homes. This is disaster coming our way because it means the economy is just not creating enough quality jobs. It could also mean our domestic loans are grossly overpriced. According to the survey, the interest rate spreads are immoral, (at 13.05 per cent compared to 2 per cent internationally, confirming that Kenya’s banking sector is a cartel).
On housing intervention so as to free the working urban population from high rent expenses, the outlook for 2012 is grim for majority of Kenyans. The report says “the increase (to Sh2.8 billion) was as a result of improved provision of financial resources for housing development through civil servant housing scheme development fund and introduction of civil servant housing mortgage scheme.”
This should confirm to Kenyans the Government, while setting aside taxpayers money to provide cheaper housing for civil servants, will not extend the same favour to anybody else. This is not only unconstitutional and discriminative but amounts to bribing civil servants generally. All Kenyans should be treated equally.
On manufacturing, there was contraction in food processing, leather and footwear, paper and paper products, rubber products and electrical machineries. This is hardly surprising. The Government adopted import substitution in the 1960s and early 1970s that benefited Asians mainly. Africans are strangers in the manufacturing sector and this imbalance can cause social unrest in future.
A drop in food processing? Unbelievable when we continue exporting our tea and coffee in raw form. Why then is the Government reluctant to convert all tea manufacturing factories under KTDA into export economic zones to boost exports and stabilise the shilling? Manufacturing is therefore another cartel.
These are the issues we expect all presidential aspirants to take up.
{Kariuki Muiri, Karatina}
Museveni, please spare us the pranks
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is one man who really never ceases to amaze.
Appearing on one of the media houses in Uganda last week, he categorically stated he won’t be vying for the presidency anymore once he turns 75, as it has been proven scientifically at that age one cannot make sound decisions.
The president is 68 and it doesn’t need a genius to tell he will be contesting again given the next election is in 2016. Then he will be 73. Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for close to two-and-a-half decades now, seized power in 1986 in a military coup and has since changed the Constitution to remove term limits making him to continue ruling.
It is this kind of thinking among African leaders that really taints our image leading to uprisings that forcefully oust dictators. Museveni is not really keen on giving up power and he is just out to play tricks with Ugandans.
In his government, he has heavily deployed his family. This is an abuse of democracy where one runs a nation as personal property. African leaders should just condemn such, but I doubt it given that most of them are just victims too. We are all tired of these pranks Museveni!
{Motari David, Nairobi}
Can’t these greedy MPs have enough?
It is a pity that despite the tough times Kenyans are going through, our MPs still want their send off package increased.
It beats logic that the package would go from Sh3.75 million to Sh15 million. The interest of Kenyans should come first before anything, and that huge package increase does not amuse.
Haven’t they had enough already, not to mention the extended term that will see them get additional millions of shillings in pay, and the many privileges they have enjoyed for the past five years?
Or is it because some of these parliamentarians are assured of no return to the august House? That money is so much and can be put into better use for the good of Kenyans.
{Zaida Atieno, Nairobi}
Be of good cheer
The recent murder of two church leaders in Mombasa who were falsely accused of being ‘robbers’ ought to be condemned. This comes after a church in Nairobi was recently bombed. It seems some people are hell-bent on stifling freedom of worship and spread of Christianity, but Christians need not be cowed by these murderous rogues.
{Karanja Wa Kinyanjui, Kikuyu}
