Let Kenya Kwanza stop yelling and listen to voices of suffering citizens

President William Ruto during the commissioning of Kericho water supply project, Ainamoi, Kericho County. [PCS]

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A herculean task but an almost impossible one in the current circumstances. Helpless and devoid of inspiration, we just express our outrage by proclaiming from the rooftops that we should not be here, we deserve better and can do better as a nation.

Stop the madness, the insults, the threats, the violence and the intransigence. That message goes to both parties but the burden of responsibility fundamentally lies with those in power who possess the means and resources to address the crisis facing the country.

A first step in that direction would be to halt the inflammatory language and start listening to the cry of the poor. Stop the whining and blaming; You won the election and the public have no stomach for opening servers nor do they want another useless handshake.

Your enemy may well be Raila Odinga, but the public's enemy is poverty, excessive taxation and a leadership that is in the words of Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria, "rough, insulting, arrogant and imposing".

While essential foodstuffs like sugar and flour have gone beyond Sh200, a litre of petrol is heading in same direction because you refused to listen to manufacturers and consumers and insisted on adding 8 per cent VAT to its price.

You bought support of both your own MPs and a handful of opposition legislators with the promise of increased salaries and perks, while removing tax on their mileage claims. No one is so blind as those who will not see, as you tax the poor to death to fuel your squandering and junkets.

The public are angry and pointing fingers at Kenya Kwanza. The campaign around the excessive cost of living preceded any demonstrations and was headed by the civil society Okoa Uchumi coalition and the 'Njaa Revolution' of Social Justice Centres. Their agenda was captured by Azimio when they eventually discovered there was no appetite for opening servers or handshakes. But KK intransigence can only be propped up by a brutal police force for so long. Interior CS Kithure Kindiki announced that 300 protesters were arrested during Wednesday protests but said nothing on figures relating to those shot and killed by uniformed and plain clothes police.

We depend on civil society and media to report on that and they claim 20 have been shot dead and dozens wounded from gunshots in the past week. The protests however are not sole property of Azimio but will find a life of their own if the government continues to treat the demos with contempt, disdain, lies and violence.

Religious leaders jointly and separately have courageously and frankly spoken out while offering a way out of the chaos. The Catholic Bishops stated that "The Finance Act places an unsustainable burden on already distressed citizens especially those within the low-income bracket ... and must be repealed". They condemned police brutality and said they were "appalled by unbecoming, insulting and inciting remarks from leaders".

The prelates also appealed to Azimio leadership to find alternative strategies to express their grievances. The relentless mandamanos that are poorly planned and not stewarded, antagonise the working and business classes and reveal a shocking lack of imagination, creativity and organisation in their machinery. Is that the best? Are they really a government in waiting or should the public look elsewhere for alternative leadership?

There is no quick panacea to the challenges the country faces. David Ndii has said the government will not yield on its programme. Put another way, Kenya Kwanza is saying they will pay more attention to the IMF demands than the sufferings of their own citizens.

The government would be best advised to remember the same letters are in the word listen as in 'silent'. God gave us two ears and one mouth and expects us to use them proportionally. Never has the country needed leadership like now. It is a make-or-break moment for President Ruto and his response could well indicate a turning or tipping point in the nation's destiny.