After the much-talked about referendum was over, Kenyans in all corners of the republic of Kenya breathed a sigh of relief that after all the name calling and finger pointing, everything went peacefully. That’s what Kenyans have been yawning for. It’s therefore in order to congratulate those who spearheaded the YES campaigns and equally congratulate those who championed the NO crusade. Democracy requires that people hold divergent views even though they may come from the same party.
It’s against this background that a considerable number of Kenyans find it rather odd that the ODM party is calling for a disciplinary action on members of the party who had expressed contrary views to that of the party. I have said it many times that the referendum was not a party issue but rather, a national issue that required thorough reading, understanding and proper interpretation on how the new law will impact on your life and that of posterity before casting your vote. The call for disciplinary action by ODM is therefore naïve and borders on ignorance – it negates the very essence of a referendum; it’s a call that flies with its filth in the face of democracy yet it’s emanating from the very party which touts itself as the custodian of democracy in Kenya. I think ODM need to borrow a leaf from PNU which also had critics of the constitution but it’s now water under the bridge. There was no winner or loser in the referendum. We need to tolerate and accommodate all the views as a young democracy. We might think we are instilling discipline yet we are just destroying our party.
ODM as a party has been on a self-destruction-path just immediately after signing the national accord that paved way for power sharing. Most MPs in ODM lack proper judgment; they are intolerant and; are not ready for rational discourse. This attitude by mostly Nyanza MPs has alienated many supporters of the party from Coast to Kisii; and from Rift Valley to Eastern. Surely, how does ODM expect to get any national following after descending on all their support bases with such vehemence? Someone needs to advise the party that you cannot expect to run the party like “buch jodong aich” (baraza la miji kumi) and expect Kenyans to provide support again. That can only happen in Luo-Nyanza where people go with any euphoria and recollect themselves later after electing bad leaders. As a person from Nyanza, we need men and women who can transact business on our behalf with others from other communities – not characters who are hell-bent on alienating us from the rest of other Kenyans!
The hard-line positions being taken by some Nyanza MPs indicate that majority of these leaders badly need civic education. Some of these leaders are highly learned but lack education on how democracy works. They should understand that people will always have different opinions in a democracy and that is why Kenyans have been fighting for more democratic space in the country. It’s a pity that Nyanza leaders were at the forefront agitating for democracy in Kenya but a visit to my Nyanza backyard will tell you that Nyanza believes in a One-Party dictatorship – our people don’t believe in democracy! They called president Moi names and all sorts of epithets – but they are stuck in a one-party dictatorship. In short, our people have not understood the meaning of multi-partism! If they believe, you would have seen different results in the just concluded referendum. Anyone doubting my assertions only need to check the way Nyanza voted compared to the rest of the country (even the Rift Valley which was the strong hold of NO), and you will agree with me that a lot of civic education is needed in Nyanza. Nyanza has many good leaders but our political culture (the culture of patronage and intimidation) has not allowed these sons and daughters of Ramogi to provide acceptable leadership. It’s the same bad political culture that some leaders are trying to export to the national politics. ODM will soon become a Luo party if some Nyanza leaders are not tamed!
Dr. Otieno Mbare, Finland
Otieno Mbare, P.hD (Econ & Bus.Adm)
Research Fellow, Åbo Akademi University &
Lecturer, Turku University of Applied Sciences
Tel. +358 2 2154 095 (off1)+358 2 2154 976 (Off) +358 40 5341 996
Dr Otieno
Thank you for capturing the feelings of democrats like me. I wish ODM will listen and actually appreciate what democracy means. ODM is a party under siege and party leaders like Namwamba, Orengo and Nyongo are mere disaster with their arrogance. As one Ruto put it ‘they have returned the party to the dark ages of akina Okiki Amayo.
Kombo Elijah
Nairobi – Kenya
Mr. Kombo,
With all due respect you amaze me. Mr. Mbare has lost the gist of the current political undertones and you call what he has posted as excellent! Kenyans must refuse to be black mailed by Ruto and his team. These are tribalists pure and simple. They are no democrats and they can only confuse simple minds.
The rebellion in ODM from Ruto and his sidekicks did not start with the referendum. Students of history have these facts well documented and we must stay alive to these.
Do you remember that Hon Namwaba is the Parliamentary Group Secretary and that at some point he also played the Ruto game? When he read that statement, he was talking from inside authority.
Initially he thought that Ruto was right. He thought that Ruto was question the democratic space as is obtaining in ODM, and he joined in and played ball. But when he realized that Ruto’s gripe had nothing to do with democracy, he came back and joined the democratic forces within ODM.
When pretending to do a political analysis, the one that Dr Mbare has attempted, you must stay with the facts on the ground and in the board rooms. You cannot effectively comment on the happenings of ODM from the comfort of your sitting room and newspaper readings.
You must understand the ground.
ODM has all rights to enforce some semblance of discipline within their party. I would do the same in my family, and you will do the same to yours.
I want to invite all of you to keenly stay alive to the facts, and those facts did not happen in Mars. They happened right here and we all saw and followed.
Ruto is an elloquent speaker and he has a sharp tongue. Even in the Bible, such sharp tongues are condemned. They can be so slimy and confusing. Before you realize, you are in hell as Ruto sits pretty.
If Ruto and his team are democrats as they pretend, let them take a walk and form their own tribal party. They can leave ODM to the democratic people of Kenya.
Oto