How not to treat our national heroes; the case of Raila, Kalonzo pension

NAIROBI: It is heart-breaking that a noble move by Parliament to reward former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka what is rightfully theirs has turned into a murky political affair.

Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka steered the leadership of this country alongside former President Mwai Kibaki at a most delicate moment in Kenya's history; just when Kenya was on the brink of collapse following the highly discredited 2007 presidential elections and subsequent bloody violence that left over 1,000 people dead.

The three played a monumental role in healing the nation and spearheading the country's transition to the new constitutional dispensation. Mr Kibaki was rewarded with his pension and other perks, while Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka were not. The latest hopes for the same were thwarted – yet again – last week on Thursday.

Sample the facts. Mr Odinga served as Prime Minister and co-principal in the Grand Coalition Government between 2008 and 2013. And he is only Kenya's second Premier after founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, and in fact, the longest serving PM in Kenya's history.

Just how does one justify the blatant act of openly discriminating against such a senior political leader in our history? How do you deny such a leader, who is part of our history, his rightful share of pension and related perks? Don't we cherish our history any more?

Although President Uhuru Kenyatta is yet to dispatch an official memo to the National Assembly explaining why he declined to assent into law the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Bill, his lieutenants have loudly claimed the reasons are political.

Reason? That signing the Bill into law is tantamount to the President committing political suicide. That he should instead starve Raila and Kalonzo, his chief opponents, of cash to finance a presidential campaign against him (Uhuru) in 2017.

Our President must rise above politics and demonstrate statesmanship. He must demonstrate the ability to differentiate between Mr Odinga, the former Prime Minister and whom he dutifully deputised, and Mr Odinga his political opponent.

Mr Odinga is undoubtedly the most progressive active politician of his time. Over the decades, he has fought tooth and nail from the trenches to enable us enjoy several liberties, including freedom of speech and association.

Mr Kenyatta is a beneficiary of Mr Odinga's tireless fights that had him jailed severally. It is immoral to maltreat such a national hero with impeccable reform credentials.

Luckily, not all Jubilee politicians have retrogressive thoughts. Mr Kenyatta needs to listen to sober minds within his corner as that of Mutava Musyimi. The Mbeere South MP, who also chairs the Budget and Appropriations Committee in the National Assembly, has repeatedly defended paying the perks to Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka, saying the duo served in high offices at a most delicate time.

Ideally, Mr Musyimi is not pushing for personal rewards for individuals in the name of Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka, but rather pension and perks for the (previous holders of) the high offices of PM and VP. And this is the way we should all view this matter – by de-touching personalities from the offices.

On the flip side, there are those in Mr Odinga's corner who are guilty of politicising the pension issue. Judging from its wording and push of the relevant Bill sponsored by John Mbadi, who is chairman of Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), it seems as if it was tailored to benefit Mr Odinga.

This is wrong – Bills should be crafted for eternity. Even as we debate over his pension, Mr Odinga is already playing another crucial role in government, for which we – the taxpayers – are not paying him a single cent. As leader of the largest parliamentary party, ODM, the former PM is the de facto leader of Official Opposition.

He has played this role diligently in the true spirit envisaged by retired President Daniel arap Moi, who as deputy leader of KADU in 1962, famously proclaimed the relevance of Opposition in parliamentary politics, "to effectively keep the government of the day on its toes".

Those who have previously served in this capacity, including President Uhuru (2002-2007), Mwai Kibaki (1997-2002), Michael Kijana Wamalwa (1994-1997), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (1993-1994) and Kenneth Matiba (1992-1993), were paid hefty allowances and perks by the taxpayers, including being provided with offices at Parliament Buildings.

But for a warped winner-takes-it-all arrangement of a mixed system of government, Mr Odinga is serving Opposition chief without perks and official office. And as if this is not enough, we still want to deny him what is his rightful pension.

Just how vicious and hostile can citizens get against their own heroes, and history?