Post by Onyango Oloo on Dec 13, 2005 0:27:21 GMT 3
Kombo faces a terrific political tsunami
Originally published in the Kenya Times by Prof Morgan Avedi, Baltimore, Maryland
As a Party founded by great nationalists, patriots and towering champions of democratic reforms, like the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the last Masinde Muliro and the late Kijana Wamalwa, contemporary Ford-Kenya has sadly fizzled into a personal entity of opportunism, currently gripped loosely by Musikari Kombo, a man perpetually pre-occupied with job-lobbying for his few friends as he dances around State House barons.
Once a trail-blazer in the national struggle to open up democratic space, Ford Kenya has retrogressed into a local Bungoma-based political caucus, that has detoured from the common agenda of the people, into a cheer leading and court jesting outfit, that colludes with hegemonists to promote ethnic interests of domination, upon the great and diverse nation of Kenya.
While the rest of the nation is busy struggling to empower Wanjiku, and entrench a constitution that will promote fair and equitable sharing of national resources and political power, for the common good of all regions of Kenya (Western Province included), an interesting spectacle is unfolding, whereby Ford-Kenya legislators led by Musikari Kombo, have slowly drifted away from the greater interests of mainstream Kenya.
Held captive by DP domination barons, Musikari Kombo's blind desire for the Vice-Presidency, based on promises that have so far been elusive, has turned him into a puppet of the Mt. Kenya power mongers, who have tossed him shamelessly to the left, right, centre, back and forth repeatedly, as they consolidate and entrench their interests upon the rest of Kenya.
Kombo's complicity to this retrogressive politics has literally robbed the Luhya community of principled, and objective leadership. Ford-Kenya's leadership has in turn abandoned the will of the people of the land of Omulembe, in this embarrassing spectre of "Ubarakala" (opportunism) and "Usaliti" (betrayal).
Premised on these unpopular and quite unfortunate developments, the leadership of the Ford-K party must be fore-warned of an impending political Tsunami, where there may be a resultant massive re-organization of the entire political landscape of the Province, come the next called elections.
A real home grown Tsunami motivated by the disappointment of Luhyas who have been subjected to unnecessary ridicule as they are taken for granted by their greedy, easy-for-hire MPs, will probably sweep out of power, the current lot of spineless, low calibre and sycophant legislators.
What does Ford Kenya stand for when it comes to the critical issue of devolution of power to respective regions of Kenya?
What about the party's stand on tribalism, now being openly perpetrated?
What steps has the party taken to unearth Anglo-Leasing and other forms of corruption that are milking Kenya dry?
Like most Kenyans, I realise that Musikari Kombo and his Ford-K MPs, cannot articulate any party position on any of the above concerns of wananchi, since they are too busy lobbying from one hotel to another, and at State House, over small pieces of bones, with which to pacify their loyalists.
Fair game, they are high up there for now, betraying the peoples cause, but one thing for sure, is that the people shall be back to sweep them out, with the voting cards, at the next polls which many hope, should come sooner than later.
Needless to say, the people of Western Province overwhelmingly stand in support of vertical devolution of powers closer to the people, in solidarity with a majority of Kenyans.
The story is quite different when it comes to Kombo and Ford-K's legislators as exemplified by two very critical events. First by their voting records in Parliament with regard to replacement of the Bomas Draft with the Kilifi changes, and secondly, their ultimate position taken during the referendum campaigns.
Starting with the MPs vote in Parliament; with the exception of Prof. Christine Mango (Butula), and Wycliffe Osundwa (Mumias), almost all the rest of Ford-K MPs led by Musikari Kombo, were complicitly involved in the government (read DP) sponsored mutilation of the Bomas crafted, four-tiered devolution system, strongly favoured by their electorate.
The people of Western Province must hold these Ford-K MPs purely accountable for refusing to endorse the vertical trickling down of devolved power and resources,( including jobs, infrastructure, schools, hospitals and all other benefits that come with equitable sharing of the national cake) into Western Province.
As Western residents enviously watch from the sidelines, fellow brave countrymen from other parts of Kenya, gallantly fight for the constitutionalisation of fair resource and power sharing across the whole country, our own leaders have opted to wine and dine with the oppressive power wielders, in essence rebounding the same oppression to their very people.
Whether these Ford-K MPs betrayed the people purely out of conviction, or whether bribed, they will have to pay for this let-down, come the next general elections, period! We shall pin-point them, one by one, and possibly replace them with more sensitive and principled leaders who stand with their people.
Having known without any doubts the common "NO" stand of the Luhya with regard to the pro-DP, Wako draft constitution, the same Ford-K MPs, betrayed the will of their people with the exception of Prof. Christine Mango (Butula), Wycliffe Osundwa (Mumias), and joined by late comers Wycliffe Arunga (Butere), and Julius Arunga (Khwisero), who campaigned for Orange.
Except for the above four MPs, all the rest of Ford-K MPs from Busia, Kakamega, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia districts trashed the desires of their bewildered people yet again, without batting eyelids, and campaigned for the losing Banana team.
The irony is that these traitor-MPs still imagine they will pull some magic and make it back to Parliament, despite having made it known that they are willing to comply in the oppression of their own people if given a good "deal" by the holder of executive power.
In summary, the only eleven (11) Luhya MPs who have stood with the will of their people (some consistently, others not), to champion for their wishes so far are, from Ford-K; Prof. Christine Mango (Butula), Wycliffe Osundwa (Mumias), Julius Arunga (Khwisero), Wycliffe Oparanya (Butere), Andrew Ligale (Vihiga), George Khaniri (Hamisi), Kenneth Marende (Emuhaya), Fred Gumo (Westlands) from LDP; and from Kanu Chris Okemo (Nambale) and Prof. Ruth Oniango (nominated), and from LPK; Dr. Julia Ojiambo (nominated).
Out of these eleven MPs above, the Western Province electorate including Luhyas in diaspora, strongly noted, however, that the trio of Fred Gumo (LDP), Wycliffe Oparanya (Ford-K), and Julius Arunga (Ford-K) voted with the government side in Parliament to mutilate the Bomas draft constitution in preference for the Kilifi crafted one.
We must continue to highlight to the trio, this important record when they will once again present themselves to us seeking re-election, because if faced with challengers wielding better credentials, they might as well just fail the test.
The voting record of Ford-K in the current Parliament has not been guided on issues directly affecting their constituents and the general Kenyan populace, but primarily on patronage leaning pacts, which have ended up driving Kenya to its current pathetic state.
For instance, when Musikari Kombo abetted open cronyism by rallying his Ford-K troops to vote for the endorsement of Kiraitu Murungi's law partner Justice Aaron Ringera, to head the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, did he surely believe that the fight against corruption in Kenya was going to be genuine?
Needless to conclude, Kombo and many Ford-K MPs with the exception yet again of Hons. Prof. Christine Mango and Wycliffe Osundwa, are squarely as guilty in the face of all Kenyans against corruption and tribalism, in the same way the DP perpetrators are.
Two wrongs have never made a right. If Kombo maintains his habit of "pulling deals" out of anything unjust being fronted by the cunning DP hegemonists, he will remain part and parcel of the problem.
In the eyes of Kenyans, Kombo and his unprincipled Ford-K MPs have participated in perpetrating corruption, cronyism, tribalism, and worse, abetted attempts at officially installing a tribal hegemony in Kenya through the Wako draft constitution.
It will be fair to describe Musikari Kombo as an ever ambiguous, spineless and passive wimp, prone to being used and dumped perennially by other leaders, as he remains captivated in imaginary illusions over impossible and misplaced ambitions.
His tenure at the helm of Ford-K has taken the Luhya community, ten steps backwards in national leadership. Luhyas are beginning to see how big indeed, the shoes of the late Masinde Muliro and the late Kijana Wamalwa were.
There is a perception that Ford-K MPs have made it business to get paid to endorse unpopular bills in Parliament courtesy of their weak leadership, but they will be made to account for their deeds at the opportune time, when faced with parliamentary challengers of impeccable record and integrity.
It is just a matter of time before an electoral tsunami finally washes away the current crop of greedy, tribalistic, shameless, and opportunistic flip-floppers adorning the Ford-K leadership uniform.
It is worth noting that many Luhyas are saddened by the fact that Ford-K leader Kombo, has burnt bridges with almost all noteworthy potential political allies, except for the unpopular DP currently in power, which is now well known for using others for their own gain.
As Kombo fantasises about his dreams for being propelled to the Presidency one day with President Kibaki's support, those of us choosing to live in reality must come to terms with the fact that we need to immediately alter the political landscape and leadership fraternity of Western Province.
He praised the President particularly for his commitment to jump-starting the constitution review after the Wako Draft's failure in the referendum.