from Dickens Odhiambo

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 22 – A political scientist has warned that Kenya’s
democracy faces a bleak future due to weak party politics, which has seen
voters elect leaders on personal merit, as opposed to relying on party
manifestos to inform their decisions.

Adams Oloo has cautioned that personalising parties had stifled the
importance of policies in the formulation and implementation of national
development plans, which should ideally be the pillar of manifestos.

Dr Oloo, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, told Capital News in an
interview on Wednesday that the country lacks a system of accountability
to ensure that winning parties fully implement their manifestos.

“Most of the time you find that once a party gets into power they leave
behind the manifestos they had, and they turn to government bureaucracy to
come up with new economic or political policies that they want to pursue,”
asserted Dr Oloo.

“What is missing in Kenya is a clear link between the manifestos that were
sold to the public and the policies that are finally implemented.”

He added: “If you were to go to countries like Tanzania and South Africa
you will find that the party is so strong such that the party policies and
vision, issues and functionaries end up in government and are
implemented.”

Since the advent of multiparty politics in 1992, parties in Kenya have
been associated with individuals as opposed to strong party democracy.
Loyalty has shifted over the years from one party to another depending on
where one’s preferred tribal and regional leaders stand.

Prior to multipartysm, the Kenya African National Union was the sole party
and its decisions and policies were upheld by all.

Dr Oloo said the hope of the country lies on the full implementation of
the new Constitution which bars Members of Parliament from the Cabinet and
state officers from party posts. He also advocated for two strong
political parties with established internal democracy and party
structures.

“On that basis we will start thinking along policy lines and look at the
policy divide between the parties,” he said.

“This way we will eliminate the individualism, ethnicity, regionalism,
religiosity and therefore… I join a party based on its policies.”

He said the strength of individual candidates as opposed to parties came
to the fore in Monday’s by-election where a political novice Gidion Mbuvi
alias Sonko and flamboyant politician William Kabogo won parliamentary
seats in Makadara and Juja respectively.

They both vied on Narc Kenya tickets.

Dr Oloo opined that the wins were not necessary to the credit of their
sponsoring party, but rather on the basis of their personal strengths.

The political scientist said the upset was due to the recent political
trend in the country where focus had slowly moved away from the party
politics to that of an individual’s ability.

He argued that owing to patronage and a breakdown of democracy in most
parties, the electorate had now shifted their support to candidates who
show genuine concern with their plight.

“Had Mbuvi for example contested on the Kenya Social Congress party, he
still would have won since it is ‘Sonko’ the man and not the party,” he
said.

He was making apparent reference to the fact that Narc Kenya has bragged
it is the party to watch, after bagging the Makadara and Juja
parliamentary seats.

– – – – – – – – – – –

sonko (September 23rd, 2010, 10:10 AM)

in 2012 people will truly chose an individual who poster development
character not party politics and politicians need to know that the system
has change old politics of party is long gone cos parties changes but
individual cannot change until we change the individual

Godfrey (September 23rd, 2010, 8:30 AM)

Political parties have been killed by politicians who think that they own
the parties. Remember ex-President Moi’s remarks that “KANU has its
owners.” Look at what is happening in FORD-K where the Chairman has
refused to hold elections likely to lead to his ouster. In the last
General Election of 2007, candidates who had lost party nominations were
still allowed to run for parliament because of their connections to the
party bosses. The President and Vice President have changed parties at
least 3 times in the past 20 years. The Prime Minister himself is a record
holder in how to shift party loyalties. That’s why Kenyans are now voting
for candidates on the basis of their individual development records
because political parties are a disgrace to democracy.

Lenchaman Saruni (September 22nd, 2010, 6:09 PM)

Dr Oloo, you are very right! Kenya does not have strong party policies
which drive politics elsewhere in the world. We need to re-examine our
political relevance. Governments are driven by party manifestos not
hap-hazard ideals of individuals who switch parties when they lose
nominations.

Muigwithania.com (September 22nd, 2010, 4:17 PM)

The Era of party manifestos is over..Kanu had the most beautiful
manifestos but what did we get …Odm has a manifesto but all we get are
vitendawili politics day in day out ……Democracy in Kenya is now about
personal CV and what you can do!The older generation of Kenyans including
older political scientist and analyst should face reality.Change is coming
and it will not come packaged the way you want! Democracy will not die
because we have done away with pretty manifestos which have been used to
hoodwink us for so long! Welcome to the new Kenya

Read more:
http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Future-of-democracy-bleak,-don-w
arns.html#ixzz10S43xH4s

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