Ruto assertions about being in Opposition misleading

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While campaigning in Kericho, Deputy President William Ruto (right) is reported to have indicated that Kanu is hellbent on taking Kericho residents back to the Opposition.

For many years, to be in Opposition was seen to be synonymous with underdevelopment. This perception could have been true in the past during the centralised system of government, but in the current constitutional dispensation, such a perception is a farce in the true sense of the word.

First, Kenya is a multiparty democracy and therefore it is neither illegal nor sinful to be in Opposition. No one ceases to be a Kenyan because he or she is in Opposition. Again, no section of this country will be denied development because they did not vote for the Jubilee government.

Secondly, all Kenyans do acknowledge that Opposition rightfully exists and the political landscape has changed considerably since the promulgation of the Constitution in 2010.

The current Opposition is quite different from what we had during the centralised system of governance, when the national government controlled all the resources and would occasionally dangle the carrot to the Opposition as a bait to lure them into Government.

Days are long gone when to be in Opposition was synonymous with wretchedness and marginalisation. It is therefore misleading for anyone to castigate Kenyans for being in Opposition or to mislead Kenyans that you will be damned if you join the Opposition. The talk about 'losers' being in opposition is stale, distasteful and uninspiring.

The truth is that with the devolved system of governance all counties are assured of specific allocations from the national government, and it does not matter whether those counties voted for the Government or not.

All the 47 counties are referred to us "devolved governments" and are expected to deliver to all residents in those counties.

Even the mega government projects such as the standard gauge railway will not 'skip' opposition regions but will serve everyone along the railway line regardless of political affiliation.

Again whoever will be elected whether from Kanu or Jubilee to serve as the Kericho Senator will be part and parcel of the Government since Opposition does not have a Senate of its own.

Kenya has one Senate. The truth is that the Government consists of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary and they serve all Kenyans regardless of their political affiliation.

With the right civic education, Kenyans will learn that devolution has ensured that critical services will be brought down to the counties and such services are not pegged on whether you voted for the Government of for the Opposition.

It was the famous American author and humourist who once wrote that "a lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes".