Opinion: Uhuru and Raila handshake a superficial act

Its true intention has been left open to wild speculation, its expected outcome is constantly debated, and the two participants, Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta find themselves permanently defending it.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the premise upon which the March 9 ‘handshake’ unity deal happened is as wobbly as legs of a newborn calf. This ‘unity pact’ is struggling to walk and find rational ground.

Its true intention has been left open to wild speculation, its expected outcome is constantly debated, and the two participants, Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta find themselves permanently defending it.  

And with good reason. No one is fooled by this ‘on-the-surface’ solution to a deep-seated national problem. A longstanding national problem cannot go away simply because two leaders touched palms and clasped fingers.

A handshake is a superficial act; it is like sticking a measly little ‘Elastoplast’ on a big gaping wound.

The latest is a proposal to add a third level of government. This to me sounds like the creation of a vacancy; soon we will hear that this third level of government will come with positions to be filled. Anyway, who can blame Raila for attempting to create employment for himself?

Although Raila claims his reasons for mending fences with Uhuru are altruistic, or in his words “securing development for opposition spaces”, we must see his efforts as a continuation of a decades long aspiration.

During the Bomas talks in 2003, Kiraitu Murungi accused Raila of wanting to ‘capture power through the back-door’.

In the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission process, Raila had given up attempting to pursue power through the ballot. And this is what led him to push for the position of an executive Prime Minister as was proposed in the Bomas Draft.

He knew he was disadvantaged on account of numbers and voter turnout. In 2009, being half incumbent, he was convinced that he would become President. And so he abandoned his push for the position of a powerful Prime Minister. Now fast forward to 2018, he is still pursuing his lengthy quest. For now, the starting point is a vague cease-fire agreement with Uhuru.

On this column, I have been a longtime proponent of amending the constitution to expand the Executive and include a Prime Minister. However, I maintain that the reason must be to make governance more ‘ethnically inclusive’. If a whole constitutional change is reduced to a venture in ‘employment creation’, or an exercise in salvaging Raila’s political career, the results will be disastrously counter-productive.

TEMPORARY TRUCE

When all is said and done, the handshake brought a temporary truce. There is a lull in the toxic hatred, bigotry and vile negative ethnicity that was rampant during electioneering. Even if the suspension of hostilities is temporary, it at least gives us a short but necessary political vacation.

For now, the President should not be engrossed in the politics of handshakes and ‘emerging issues’ such as the re-imagination of the devolution structure. He should focus on what’s important; like executing the Big Four project. He should entrust the ‘politicking’ to someone else.

 This brings to mind a fable by the French poet and fabulist, Jean de la Fontaine.. There was once a wise man walking alone. An idle man who was throwing stones at his head was bothering him.

Turning to face him, he said: “my dear chap, well thrown! Please accept these few shillings. You have worked hard to get more than mere thanks. After all, every effort deserves its reward. But see that man over there? He can afford more than I can. Present him with some of your stones, they will earn you a good wage.”

Lured by the bait, the idle man ran off to repeat the pelting exercise on the other citizen. This time he wasn’t paid for his stones.

He was seized and given a thorough beating. Long story short, the President must make the most of his remaining term and delegate the ‘extracurricular politics’ to others with the will and aptitude to tackle them. One person comes to mind: William Ruto.