What happens when the falcon won’t listen to the falconer?

By Ibrahim Rashid

The parting shot of Chief Mediator Kofi Annan as he left last week resonates with Yeat’s poem, The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.

After his three-day stock taking about implementation of Agenda Four reforms, the architect of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act 2008 said the window of opportunity to restore the glory of Kenya and achieve substantial reforms before the next election is a bridge that may appear too far but is only too near if there was political will.

He described Kenyans as patient and peace loving but decried the lethargy of the political class as a recipe for chaos if it does not fast-track the Agenda Four before the next cycle of political campaigns next year.

He said the snail’s pace appeared to be by design but said the window of opportunity was shutting down fast, though he did not say who was shutting it. Maybe he left that International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to complete the jigsaw puzzle.

He compared the situation to the follower (falcon), which no longer hears or feels the presence or actions of the leader (falconer). He belaboured the gulf between wananchi and the leadership of the Grand Coalition and how this can lead to things falling apart as the centre (Kenya) can no longer hold until the 2012 polls.

Dr Annan, however, felt all is not lost and concurred with the majority of Kenyans that the resoluteness of Speaker Kenneth Marende, and professionalism of Interim Independent Electoral Commission Chair Ahmed Issack are the only ones that have so far shown impressive score cards about Agenda Four reforms.

Annan’s showering Marende with praise as a reformer and one who makes great judgments at the hour of need speaks volumes. First, he was acknowledging the ongoing supremacy battles between the Executive and Parliament. And following the saga of who should be Leader of Government Business and the re-appointment of Justice Aaron Ringera by the President, Marende is now known as "leader of last resort" whenever monumental errors of judgment are made in the Coalition Government.

The former UN Secretary General acknowledged the progress made by the Committee of Experts on constitutional review led by Nzamba Kitonga. He also warned Kenyans that the foundation for development, security and respect for the rule of law was dependent on the achievement of a new constitution before 2012.

He also assured the Bethwel Kiplagat-led Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission that their mandate will not be expanded but he was categorically about the three-tier approach to try the masterminds of last year’s post-election violence.

Annan also briefly commented about the other Agenda Four issues, including police reform that has started in earnest.

True, the international community has merely prescribed a painkiller for a nation that requires surgery. However, Kenya is a sovereign state and solutions to its problems should be homegrown despite the dictates of globalisation. But the falcon must of necessity start taking the falconer’s instructions.

The writer is a political and development analyst.