Ruto’s big day was a mixed bag

I followed the inauguration of President William Ruto on Tuesday with pride, amusement and a small measure of alarm.

Pride because peaceful transfers of power, following a methodical election with legal recourse, are becoming routine in Kenya, this being the third in a row. 

The 2007 meltdown was a bad moment for the nation and from which lessons must forever be drawn.

But even as I say this, I am not blind to the resentment and dissatisfaction that persists in some quarters over that election, including the belief that it was not fairly adjudicated.

Yes, ODM has a parliamentary majority as a political party and more governors, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga lost by 233,211, according to Mr Wafula Chebukati, the election boss.

But it takes only one vote, I suppose. There must be a winner in an election and the process must conclude.

It is quite an achievement to enforce electoral defeat in a competitive environment such as ours.

And between the system and the namby-pamby one proposed by BBI, where there would be no loser, I still prefer this one with one modification: The office of the leader of opposition should be formalised and properly resourced so that the government is kept in check.

Alarmed by parts of the speeches which were quite aggressive.

I could never understand the Kenyan appetite for aggressive confrontation and public conflict.

I was trying to remember what former President Mwai Kibaki said during the handover from former President Daniel arap Moi.

I think he didn’t compliment him. But he didn’t tick him off either, though the tough old guy richly deserved it. 

We need to evolve a new tradition, where a swearing-in becomes like a funeral: No negative vibes, there was enough of that during the campaign.

In any case, a meeting attended by foreign leaders is really not the ideal forum for telling off the retiring guy.

It is akin to a man who takes advantage of an audience with friends and relatives to walk his wife through her many faults: “Lakini wewe Mama Njeri unakuwaga mtu wa makosa. Kwanza unaweka mukimo chumvi miiingi....”

The swearing-in should become a happy occasion for the transfer of power, with all rivalries and grudges having been settled well in advance during the election.

Ministry for Kenyan affairs

Amused by the narrative of the “new” and the so-called hustler.

There have been five Presidents and Dr Ruto is the first one to succeed his living boss.

The ‘hustler’ narrative was a great piece of political branding but the truth is that Dr Ruto, far from being a hustler, is an experienced politician, schooled in the ways of power, and who has spent most of his adult life within the corridors of power.

He probably wouldn’t have been elected if he wasn’t.

The highlight for me in this whole business was the proposal to create a ministry to deal with citizen’s issues—a ministry for Kenyan affairs, as it were.

I think we should all sacrifice for our countries; the “ask not what your country has done for you, ask what you have done for your country” JFK kind of thing.

But I also think governments have a responsibility to tend to the needs of the citizens and demonstrate to them, at every turn, the value of citizenship.

If you pay the heavy taxes that we do, probably fight in Kenya’s wars or make sacrifices in other ways, how does the country demonstrate that it values you?

The only people who truly enjoy the fruits of citizenship are the big guys: They don’t queue with us at the airport, they don’t wait with us in the traffic, they don’t pay their bills as we do, and they don’t struggle for their passports like us, they don’t go without protection abroad as we do.

It is right and fair that every citizen feels the gratitude of his or her country for the contribution they make and each one feels valued just because they are citizens of a great and caring nation.

The reluctance to evacuate Kenyans trapped in China at the height of Covid-19 with the explanation that they probably were better off where they were was a terrible moment.

Lastly, I couldn’t help noticing the keen interest our neighbours were taking in our election—particularly, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni.

It is no secret that Mr Museveni is not fond of Mr Odinga and I won’t speculate as to whether the former interfered in our internal affairs.

I hope he did not. But one must wonder whether such an eventuality bodes well for all of us.

Countries exist in a state of permanent competition. They cooperate only for the achievement of certain, definite interests and no more.

We may help each other, even like each other, but we do not bear allegiance to one another.

Cross-border political influence-peddling is a bad idea.

And, Kenya is in many ways a giant that punches below its diplomatic weight.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s overtures across the region, in Africa and Western capitals, redressed that to some extent.

One hopes the new government prioritises diplomatic engagement, not just as a way of nourishing our interests but also of giving aid to those of our brothers who need it.

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