From: otieno sungu

From both the body and spoken language of our Rift Valley MPs lately, all their energies and focus is aimed at one thing, fixing their mortal enemy, the Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.

Granted, they have axes(and even tractors!!!) to grind with the PM and this is politics so they are actually within their rights both by law and conscience to exercise association/dissociation.

However, in their rush to punish their perceived enemy, the Rift Valley MPs seem to be hurting Kenyans in every move and strategy they make. They have thrown patriotism and nationalism out of the window to achieve a solitary unworthy goal. Raila Amolo Odinga is a mortal who can be fixed, and yes, this is achievable, but must it be at the expense of the nation? Fixing Raila should not make Kenyans collateral damage in their schemes.There cannot be any greater good in making illegalities “legal” to achieve narrow selfish interest. Suppose Raila died tomorrow after they validate illegalities to fix Raila, would their eyes then open to their actions? Are these leaders too blinded as to risk our nation-state to fix a solitary individual even as they burn our country? The Rift Valley MPs are like the proverbial fool,busy cutting the very branch of the tree he is sitting on despite calls from below to shift his position on the safer side.

When the Rift Valley MPs go to the extent of trying to legalize illegalities using numbers in Parliament despite the ruling on the illegality of the President’s actions regarding the recent appointments, Kenyans must be very afraid of the kind of alternative leadership they are offering. These forms of impunity and disregard of the rule of law is what we recently tried to correct by giving ourselves a constitution that ensures checks and balances. True to their act, after opposing the constitution to almost a man last year, they are now at it trying their level best to defeat the implementation of the constitution which requires that institutions are respected and that we do not have an Executive that runs roughshod over Kenyans.

It is a sad state of affairs when some begin even rubbishing the symbols of our statehood as pieces of cloth, apparently in contempt of Raila. The Kenyan flag is not for Raila Odinga, it is for all Kenyans.

Parliament and the Judiciary are not for Raila Odinga, they are institutions for Kenya that should work for Kenya. Trying to fight these institutions because of exercising their mandates is a very myopic and simple minded approach from any leader worth his salt.

Kenya is definitely bigger than Raila Odinga, but moreso, it is bigger than the Rift Valley MPs quest to finish the Prime Minister.

The Rift Valley MPs need to first and foremost find the safer side for Kenya before resuming their wars with the PM. This fight is not worth burning Kenya.

Otieno Sungu is the Chairman of Vugu Vugu Mashinani.