It is no wonder that over 60 percent of the sitting legislators would face the wrath of their electorates if an election was to be held.This is a timely research for Infotrak Kenya.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela once said that:"All great things are simple and many can be expressed in a simple word:freedom,justice,honour,
Our legislators have completely failed this country,by just avoiding to do fulfil these simple obligations.No one can deny that.
When the coalition government was formed under the 2008's National Accord and Reconciliation Act,many were optimistic that even though Kenya had just come from the abyss of ethnic genocide,this would be a lesson to our new breed of leaders,most of whom are young learned elites.
But they had little to learn.Currently,the grand conflict is whether to pay taxes or not.Are our leaders neophytes to the provisions of the same law they endorsed?They seem not to be dawned by the realities of the stipulations of the new constitution.Payment of taxes is not excusable in any way.It is obligatory to any state officer.Article 210(3)(a) and (b) clearly states that no law may exclude or authorise the exclusion of a state officer from payment of taxes by the reason of office held by that state officer,or the nature of the work of the state officer.
While the other constitution put the institution of presidency above the law,the current constitution puts enough checks and balances to control the excesses of the executive.
Our legislature has demonstrated untold reluctance in the implementation process of the new law.While the transition period is almost over,the parliament has only managed to pass seven out 50 crucial bills for the full implementation of the new law.This puts to question the relevance of the recently concluded Conference on Constitutional Implementation.
According to CIC(Constitutional Implementation Commission) chairman,Simeon Nyachae,the outgoing Attorney General Amos Wako is deliberately delaying the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission bill.Under the Fifth Schedule in the constitution,this crucial commission is given a time-frame of one year for it to be in place.August is just weeks away and our legislators seem to be unmoved by this.Indeed,no elections can take place without this commission in place and this puts a lot of uncertainties on the political direction we are moving to.
Mismanagement of the CDF funds remains yet another hurdle and massive failure of the sitting MPs.Many of them have been accused of gross misappropriation of these funds to their own advantage and their cronies.For instance,how can a constituency misuse a whooping Sh.34.7 million meant for upholding the lives of the electorates at the grassroots?This is what the National Taxpayers' Association (NTA)recently revealed.
And the 'innocent' drug lords mystery.While a Kenyan-based investigation shows that MPs linked to drug-trafficking are 'innocent' and were 'maliciously implicated to indignation' by an ill-willed Michael Ranneberger,a high-profile United States intelligence has all the facts that lead to our 'innocent sons' guilt in drug trafficking.What a twist of events and an ironed scenario?
At the moment,Kilome MP, Harun Mwau is having a do-or-die battle with the mighty American superpower who brand him as who operate a 'grand drug network' in the East African region.If the whole twist of drugs saga comes out to be true,is this the picture our parliamentarians have portrayed of Kenya to the rest of the world for their inordinate avarice?
While the country is sailing through difficult economic times,with skyrocketing prices for basic commodities,inflation rate already hitting 14.5 percent,succession politics,land woes,blame-games on constitutional implementation process...and an inconsiderate legislature,who would approve them?
Wanderi wa Kamau,
Egerton University,Nakuru.
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