Loved, hated in equal measure for shooting from the hip

By FAITH RONOH

KENYA: Cases of legislators going against the grain to air their opinion, even if it means clashing with the high and mighty, are not new in Kenya.

When Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, in a televised rally in Eldoret, captured national attention by looking at President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto in the eye and telling them to get rid of thieves in their midst, he was following into the footsteps of other outspoken MPs.

Keter seems to be enjoying a free political environment under the new Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech. But his courage compares with the likes of the late Butere MP Martin Shikuku who told the First President Jomo Kenyatta that the ruling party-Kenya African National Union (Kanu) was dead.

He was consequently imprisoned until former President Daniel Moi pardoned him.

Kenya has  had a full list of outspoken politicians that include the late Oginga Odinga, Waruru Kanja, Tom Mboya, and the famous ‘Bearded Sisters’ that included Martin Shikuku, Chelagat Mutai, James Orengo, Abuya Abuya, Koigi Wamwere, Mwachegu wa Mwachofi, Chibule wa Tsuma, Wasike Ndobi and Lawrence Sifuna.

Joseph Kamotho, the late Kariuki Chotara and Shariff Nassir, though outspoken, are, however, known for defending rulers rather than the ruled.

Former Nyandarua North MP JM Kariuki is another notable rabble-rouser, who did not fear the powers-that-be and once told the government that Kenya is a country of 10 millionaires and 40 million paupers.

Particularly, since the re-emergence of multiparty democracy, Kenyans have enjoyed an increased degree of freedom.

However, politicians in former President Mwai Kibaki’s and the current regimes have been seen to be more vocal than those in and Jomo Kenyatta’s and Moi’s regimes.

Political pundits argue that freedom of expression has been intense in the last 10 years. Political analyst Lukoye Atwoli says: “Political figures have been outspoken since time immemorial but even more vocal in the past ten years.”

Dr Lukoye says the fact that immediate former and even current regimes have all been pegged on coalition agreements has led to frequent disagreements among partners prompting them to “air and wash their dirty linen in public”.

“Since 2003 when Mwai Kibaki took over power, there was a coalition agreement just like the current Jubilee arrangment. There have been more vocal politicians who cannot be stopped by anything whatsoever.

“For some reason, coalition partners occasionally fail to agree on some issues forcing politicians to come out in public and speak,” Lukoye added.

Political punishment

Lukoye argues that compared to past regimes where critiquing government in public could attract political or physical punishment, the situation today is different.

“Freedom of expression has played a great role in this era because if politicians spoke out their minds in the past, then they could literally face political or physical punishment,” he says.

He adds: “Kibaki’s and Uhuru’s regimes have been pegged on coalition agreements prompting politicians to speak out when they feel they have been shortchanged. That has been the driving force.”

Former Subukia MP Koigi Wamwere concurs with Lukoye, saying the kind of frankness witnessed today can be attributed to dissatisfaction by a section of leaders over decisions made by Government.

Wamwere, a former detainee, argues that freedom had limits in past regimes and anyone who spoke out categorically on certain issues was usually deemed to be a daredevil.

“During past regimes, people enjoyed some degree of freedom but that had limits. Challenging leaders like former Attorney General Charles Njonjo, for instance, was not an easy task. In fact those who gave it a try were seen as daredevils,” Wamwere says. However, the former MP believes that the courage and confidence displayed by a section of politicians recently might have been catalyzed by support from government.

He says: “Keter for instance is a member of URP yet he has been on the frontline criticising the Government for various reasons. I have a strong feeling that such politicians have been cushioned and are speaking for their counterparts in Government.”

Koigi adds: “One thing that I am sure of is that Keter is not a free satellite roaming in free space. My feeling is that if the Deputy President wants to express something contrary to Government, he will use Keter or any other person,” he adds.

He says Keter’s move to challenge the President and his deputy in public could have been a plot. “He (Keter) was challenging the gods for the first time and for that reasons, people found it fascinating. There have also been expectations that the gods could hit back but that has not been the case,” he says.

Smear campaign

He compares the current scenario in Kenya’s politics to a time when former Limuru MP Kuria Kanyingi was philanthropic in smearing a campaign against former Vice-President Josephat Njuguna Karanja.

Kanyingi accused Karanja of acting “like a small god in heaven, demanding that politicians kneel before him and claiming he was both acting (when Moi was away) and President-in-waiting of Kenya.

The allegations captured the national psyche for their weighty nature, and were fomented when, on April 25, 1989, former Embakasi MP David Mwenje attacked Karanja on the floor of Parliament.

Mwenje rose on a Standing Order and told Speaker Moses Keino that he would move a no-confidence Motion against the VP.

The bell had tolled for Karanja, and four days later, the death knell sounded on his political career with the passing of the Motion.

Passed motion

“Even back then therefore, there was some degree of freedom but it was not as it has been for the past ten years. Mwenje was actually given an opportunity to challenge Karanja in the floor of the House,” he says.

He adds: “Karanja, who was Kenya’s first High Commissioner to the UK, was said to have been a convenient pick as the powers-that-be plotted how to divide the Kikuyu by pitting Nyeri against Kiambu. Such political intrigues continue in Kenya up-to-date.”

However, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen believes that politicians will be judged by their development prospects and not their ability to speak boldly.

Murkomen, who is also a law scholar says: “We are moving from politics of activism to development politics. The electorate will always judge leaders by the number of legislations they have made as well as development projects rolled out during their tenure.”

He went on: “People will clap for you for making noise here and there but the bottom line is that they will always want to see what you have delivered.”