President William Ruto (left) and opposition leader Raila Odinga in Kisozi, Uganda, on February 26, 2024.
I have been guffawing to myself since the second batch of Cabinet Secretaries was appointed on Wednesday. I think President Ruto took a skunk, which he and his former boss Uhuru Kenyatta domesticated and fed since 2013 – they inherited a good economy and spent 10 years mismanaging it – and put it on Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s shoulder. So it is no longer his problem, it is Mr Odinga’s problem.
A more hilarious image would be that of a solid man, a little past his prime, but with a good record of siring a healthy offspring and raising it responsibly who makes the unwise decision of marrying a previously married woman who, through no fault of her own, perhaps, comes with five grown sons, each with a serious criminal history. One is a carjacker, the other is a land-grabber, another is accused of sexual offences, yet another is given to drink, while the last one is on trial for violent robbery. So the good man spends the day moving from police station to courtroom, fighting for his adopted sons.
And at night, he can’t sleep well either. His used bride is a talkative woman who demands a keen ear. He has to fight to stay awake to listen to her stories and offer polite encouragement. And when his dear lady wife does finally drift off, still talking, because she is fond of red beans, Brussels sprouts and cheese, what remains of the night is devoted to the gentle release of that red tear gas Kenya Police fire at protesting students, methane and vaporised mercury. He spends the short remainder of the night chocking and gasping to stay alive.
Denied negotiations
While I’m not privy to the much denied negotiations, Mr Odinga must have firmly demanded the Treasury as part of his price for smothering the Gen Z revolution in the crib, and Mr Ruto, if he set this whole thing up, pretending to refuse and tabling a list of the Kalenjins he is considering for the job, just to make Mr Odinga want it even more. Maybe finally Mr Ruto even exacted a price for “giving up” Treasury to ODM.
Kenya has some of the most serious economic problems in Africa. Top among them is debt. TNA aka Jubilee spent 10 years borrowing, splashing around and stealing money like a demented creature. Some of them are funny loans. To service that debt, we have to be taxed nearly to death, and then our socks taken off and given to the Chinese, it is that bad. The children have no jobs because we have been on a consumption binge for 60 years and the economy is probably headed to a recession since we don’t have the money to consume anything any more. These, in the public mind, are no longer William Ruto’s problems, they are not John Mbadi’s problems, they are Mr Odinga’s problems. He was “given” the economy to manage – never mind that Mr Ruto will be meddling through sub-ministerial staff – he is to blame for all problems arising. I’m telling you.
I think at this point I should inform you that it is safe to ignore the press release from the ODM Secretariat in which Mr Odinga seems to disavow the appointments, claims not to be part an arrangement with UDA, but wishes the appointees well. ODM is a well run party. Members do not run around the city taking Treasury jobs without the direct orders of the party.
Struggle for democracy
I like Mr Odinga. I respect his role in the struggle for democracy in this country; I honour his sacrifice and I’m in awe of his political skills. I hope he has not cut one too many of these “pragmatic” value-free deals. As our consulting firm found out in a just concluded study with TIFA, Gen Zs have touched a raw nerve in the population which shares their fears about excessive taxation, unemployment and corruption in government. Three quarters, 73 per cent, say they are concerned with the President’s stewardship of the country. ODM’s support couldn’t have come at a better time for Mr Ruto.
Kenyans overwhelmingly (89 per cent) support the Gen Z goals and even methods (72 per cent). Even in Central Rift, where support is weakest, a full 76 per cent said they supported the goals of the young people’s movement, though they questioned their methods.
However, looking at the data, a large pool of those interviewed wanted to give the President a second chance. Almost half, 47 per cent, said he should serve his term which gives him a chance to redeem himself and do better. But there was the 35 per cent who said they would like him to resign now and pave way for an election, and the 13 per cent who wanted a caretaker government.
Tellingly, when asked to choose the leader they think will reform the country, respondents didn’t pick the most reformist politician we know, Mr Odinga, though they were interviewed before the disavowed marriage between UDA and ODM was announced. They chose – 67 per cent – former Interior Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i.
This restive population is telling us something. It pays to listen, and to choose the brides with extreme circumspection.
Mr Mathiu, a media consultant at Steward-Africa, is a former Editor-in-Chief of Nation Media Group. [email protected].
