A friend of mine from Uganda I haven't seen for many years has been observing Kenyan politics for the last several years. A politician of low noise (I call him) met me recently and had this to say:
Jubilee is drunk with power. They came to power and sought absolute power. They emasculated every independent voice and razed institutions. Kibaki did the same between 2003 - 2007 but through bribery, cooption and mild intimidation.
Like Kibaki, Uhuru forgot or simply cared not that these bodies and voices are put in place to protect citizens but above all to grant him the all important protection a politician needs: Deniability. If people are complaining about zero action about corruption, you join them and hit the EACC with rhetoric; If a girl is murdered in Kilifi by the APs and people are screaming, you ask the Commission on Human Rights for a report on what they have done and throw the Police Oversight (IPOA) under the bus. They are helpful heads even if only to step on as long as you don't overdo it.
Stupid is the man who upon assuming office at a huge conglomerate fires the Finance Manager who refuses to allow questionable payments pass through the system and a few months later gets rid of the Auditor for raising critical questions. The moment he feels he is on top of the world, is the moment he falls. He falls because he removed the only people who could protect him from himself.
Kenya will barely escape violence. Uhuru Kenyatta is tuned to lead for ten years or more. He has his eyes on Oil. He does not feel he should allow another person to "enjoy" the oil he has discovered. He has seen Museveni hang on to power and nothing happened. Nkurunziza is a personal friend and Kabila an age mate. Uhuru lives in an echo chamber full of sycophants who feed him on a daily dose of Railaphobia. How can the man he hates take over from him?
The temptation to steal the vote has never been higher. Only a massive rejection of Uhuru - Jonathan style - will avert disaster in Kenya. The key lies in other Kenyans managing to bring in the Kalenjin. Kibaki was able to steal because he managed to separate the Kamba from the rest of the Kenyans. That he reneged on every promise he made to them afterwards taught the Kamba a lesson but that lesson has not reached the Kalenjin.
Topic: Uhuru's blatant abuse of power (Read 1516 times)