Dear Sir,
Proper Devolution as outlined in the Bomas and even the Wako draft constitutions envisages devolved units with proper absorption capacities of the devolved resources. It is expected that as soon as consensus is arrived at, a draft constitution will be subjected to a referendum to pave way for the implementation of proper devolution. Any white wash move at devolution is therefore unwarranted and unconstitutional. It is a travesty of popular sovereignty to purport to implement parts of the draft constitution that is yet to be subjected to a referendum.
Uhuru`s stimulus plan as crafted in the 2009/2010 “Big- Bang Budget is a lie that tells the truth principle”. This is by all indications machinations of a rogue Parliament and a dictatorial Executive who have empowered themselves to make a unilateral policy decision that violates popular sovereignty. The political class has every intention to auction this country just like a farmer can grind his seed corn, to perpetuate their selfish interests in an attempt to buttress their re-election chances. It is therefore not surprising to hear Members of Parliament defending this “lie” with all the rhetorical bullets in their arsenals.
With hundreds of millions of tax-payers money to be released to constituencies without proper absorption and accountability structures, it would be a disaster for the tax- payer to be subjected to such a scheme of development. Money wasted through such porous structures will not translate in to prosperity. It is a scandalous and flagrant misuse of tax-payers money that might have long term consequences. Increased instances of graft in CDF across constituencies should have sounded alarm bells and acted as a deterrent measure to an increase of such a magnitude, but obviously that mattered less to the Minister and the Members of Parliament.
This culture of impunity has foreclosed any possibility of the much needed congruence between public opinion and Government policy. The onus is with the religious leaders and the civil society, who must now, than ever before, create public awareness and petition the President and the Prime minister to halt this overly ambitious scheme.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA.
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Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:01:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: Francis Tome
Subject: UHURU`S BUDGET IS A SUBJUGATION OF POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.
UHURU 2009/2010 DEVOLUTION BUDGET-THE DEVIL IS IN IMPLEMENTATION
Some leaders have hailed the budget read by Uhuru Kenyatta as the one that is definitely going to pass on development to the districts if not up to the constituency level. I cautiously want to disagree with them in this.
My disagreement with this budget is substantiated by the fact that non-reformers cannot deliver reforms, otherwise there could not have been any need for them to rig the 30th December 2007 presidential elections. My memory is quite clear on how Uhuru bragged prior to the said elections: ”I will be in the next government under all circumstances”. He then knew very well what others did not know, in advance that they were going to rig the said elections. He could not have confidently said this with the intension to develop the country, let alone non-GEMA communities.
Further, I would like to point out that the implementers will be mainly provincial administrators: PCs, DCs, DOs,PPOs, OCPDs and the like who are more than 80% GEMA, PNU, notwithstanding the fact that treasury (the releaser and keeper of money) is already almost 99 percent GEMA!. Will they really implement what goes against the grain of the oath of the House of Mumbi and in so doing benefit ”outsiders”?
What will stop them from only supporting and developing projects that are GEMA friendly and/or carried out by members of their community in the different provinces if Kenyan history since Independence is anything to go by?
Is not true that this development bias or deliberately and officially skewed development has been the case with parastatal, government and the banks funded projects since Independence?
If Uhuru Kenyatta and GEMA have no hidden agenda why should he rush with devolution budget whereas at the same time go slow, even to the speed less than that of a snail with agenda 4? Rember that there is now a special ”Airports Budget” which Uhuru Kenyatta kept secret from the public and deliberately did not openly include in the budget.
His uncle, Muhoho, well past the retirement age, is the chairman of Airports Authority despite all resistance.
Be ware the ides of March!
DR. ODIDA OKUTHE.