Lessons from Wetang’ula and Sicily ouster bids

A Zulu proverb goes: “If you are peeling groundnuts for a blind man, you must keep whistling so he knows you are not eating them.”

NASA co-principal Moses Wetang’ula and Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki were the blind man and woman this week. Kenyan lawmakers were peeling groundnuts for them. The politician and Cabinet Secretary must have kept their ears very close to the ground but all they could hear was huge silence from those they thought were looking out for their interests.

Indeed, the silence was too loud that one of them is said to have been making frantic phone calls to anyone who could help. There was no whimper of support, leave alone whistling, which many Kenyans would have heard. Not even one MCA from Wetang’ula’s Sirisia backyard of Bungoma County or Kariuki’s Ol-Kalou home in Nyandarua County raised their voice as the two faced career-ending onslaughts from the Senate and the National Assembly.

While Moses Masika Wetang’ula was battling ouster as the Senate Minority Leader hatched by ODM senators, Sicily Kanini Kariuki was fighting off an impeachment petition mounted by Members of Parliament, ironically from the ruling Jubilee Party. 

The Ford Kenya leader was under siege from ODM senators who reasoned that he should not be their leader in the House, ostensibly because he was the only senator from the Lion Party. They disregarded the fact that he was a NASA co-principal and being the Minority Leader was a negotiated deal between him, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Wiper chief Kalonzo Musyoka and ANC kingpin Musalia Mudavadi.

Ignoring their phone calls

Wetang’ula has held that position since 2013, but after the magical handshake between the President and NASA honcho Raila, the Orange Party suddenly realised they could have more trappings of power by handing Siaya Senator James Orengo the Minority Leader’s post. Apparently, the position comes with an official government vehicle, bodyguards and a few chase cars. Wetang’ula must be fast coming to terms with that NASA rallying call: “Vindu Vichenjanga” (Things change). Just the other day, he was the darling of Opposition crowds as he charmed them with his mastery of language while throwing jabs at Jubilee’s Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto.

Sicily attracted the wrath of MPs by suspending Kenyatta National Hospital CEO Lily Koros after the surgery mix-up. Three MPs from the Rift Valley lit the fire by accusing her of singling out Ms Koros because she is, well, from the region. How convenient!

Suddenly, more Jubilee MPs came up and accused her of ignoring their phone calls, being arrogant and the extravagant refurbishment of her Afya House office. They rallied over 150 MPs to sign a petition to have her removed from the docket. DP Ruto and Majority Leader Aden Duale were, however, able to convince the MPs to change their minds and the petition has been withdrawn. The matter, we have been told, will be solved internally as a Jubilee Party issue.

Now, the two incidents should prick our conscience in a big way. Welcome to politics of betrayal, blackmail and deceit. It is not new, but let’s fasten our seat belts now that the real Opposition has been dealt a body blow. It will be hard to get voices of conscience from the two honourable Houses. The fact that over 100 MPs could append their signatures to a move to kick out the CS only to disown it a few days later exposes their weakness to temptations of ‘high sin’ or weakness of hearts. And the fact that ODM senators no longer recognise one of the NASA co-principal as their leader in the Senate, only betrays their inward approach to politics. What’s in for them!

For you and me, let’s listen keenly to those peeling our groundnuts. For surely, those who are not whistling, they must be eating!

- The writer is Revise Editor at The Standard, Weekend Editions. gnjaramba@standardmedia.co.ke