The Freedom To Remain Speechless
What these MP’s are doing is now becoming comical.
Did I not tell you people almost a year ago, that Africa was not ready for democracy?
Did I not tell you people that the coalition government was an illusion that would do nothing else, but bankrupt the national treasury?
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but please bear with me and if you wish, repeat after me: Africa is not ready for democracy. Africa is not, 123….(repeat, repeat, repeat).
What Africa needs is a dictatorship that will also impose the rule of law (and this statement is not an oxymoron). In fact, dictatorships governed by the rule of law has worked fantastically in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and more recently the UAE (or the “emirates”, which is essentially a dictatorial monarchy).
Kibaki is failing because he is neither a dictator nor a rule follower. At this point, I don’t know what he is — maybe a zombie?
Raila Odinga, if he becomes president, will also fail because he believes in a concept of governance which cannot work in Africa and that concept is western style democracy. Do you see how chaotic ODM has become? he can’t even control the errant MP’s in his own party because he’s constantly trying to look for consensus.
What has coalition politics and democracy brought the country? Let’s see:
I’ve said before that Kibaki should rule like a dictator, but that does not mean curtailing the freedoms of the press, which the public has come to rely on. I meant, that he should force through the fundamental changes that the country needs (without trying to look for consensus from parliament)–but changes that will have a POSITIVE effect on the country in the long-term. Things like, forcing the KRA to withdraw taxes from Mp’s salaries & daring the MP’s to go againt you or arresting people who pee on the streets or litter or spit, etc, etc…..So, it would be dictatorial yes, but in the long run, it would be good for the country. That’s the Lee Kuan Yew model: forced, positive, change.
I’m worried that lucy, who isn’t known for her love of the media, is going to force kibaki to sign this bill.
I don’t understand why it’s so hard for Africans to figure this out! The only one’s who get it are Museveni and his protege Kagame in Rwanda (Kagame reaaallly gets it). Kagame is essentially following the Lee Kuan Yew model and in 30 years, you are going to see the real results of that.
Hear, hear. This cohort of MP’s is digging the country into a hole, with the taxation issue and the flawed media bill, that will be difficult to climb out of. Very unfortunate, but it’s not without precedent.
Didn’t we just have the election hardly a year ago? So four more years of a not-so-grand coalition? Tough.
Thing is, we don’t have freedom AFTER speech!
I think we are in transition. Democracy, when mature, is wonderful. But it’d be naive to think we would introduce it yesterday and it’d work like magic today. Like you, I admire Museveni and Kagame, albeit secretly-its politically incorrect to do so openly. Western-style democracy would recommend, nay demand, that they should have ‘gone home’ like in 96 and 04 respectively, 10 years after each got into power-well for Kagame, it might be argued that he democratically got into power in 98. Anyway, though not democratically elected, both of these guys have been relatively good for their countries and the East Africa region in general esp with their open border view of things. However, I don’t like that the govt in RW has almost total control over almost kila kitu, at least according to some colleagues-from land allocation to when to demonstrate on the streets about who and what. Election rigging is also rife in UG. I guess I’m torn between democracy and un-democracy- I don’t like dictatorships but I’m also of the view that democracy is not the cure to all our ills. I’d prefer an undemocratic leader with a heart to a democratically elected guy who doesn’t have the people’s interest at heart. Ain’t that what we filled parliament with in Kenya? Now the people can’t afford ugali (let them eat chapati?) and the leaders have refused to pay taxes on their exorbitant salaries and seem to have allowances on allowances.
The Singapore model needs a Lee Kuan Yew (or Kagame)… but can it work in Africa where dictators are interested not in benevolence but their aggrandizement e.g. crooked wa ngengi, dan ‘name all the girls schools after me’ moi, robert ‘call me president for life’ mugabe….
Kuan Lee Yew did ‘resign’ (well… he changed titles) as PM eventaully whereas most African dictators have to be killed or deposed or forced out of office if they don’t die in office!
sani abacha – died in bed (literally)
jomo ‘land-grabber’ kenyatta – died in office
mobutu sese seko – deposed
idi amin – deposed
and so forth…
M7? What are you guys smoking? Ug is now the 3rd most corrupt nation in the world.
Press freedom comes with responsibility.
The press was partly responsible for the post-election violence. They were indirectly inciting people by giving alot of coverage to war-mongers.
I don’t feel sorry for them.
National security comes first.
I dont have have love for the media, they are corrupt and went to bed with this sleezy politicians, so let them eat the pie. Moreover, the ethnic ones incited people to fight and evict others. They say they can self regulate, but i have never seen one media house pointing the faults of another media house. But anyway from a bigger picture government control of the media is just wrong.
@KE I disagree with you, dictatorship is not the way to go. Do you know as much as we hate Mugabe today, he presided on a very prosperous Zimbabwe in the 80s when Zim was a pearl of africa. But something happened when his power was threatened and he changed. The same thing happened to Kenya, in the 70s and early and mid eighties, life was very bearable economically in Kenya until those in power where threatened and they went on a looting spree.
What Kenya needs now is a revolution, to teach this politicians a lesson, that we you are not sensitive to the needs of the people you go! After all democracy is government for the people and by the people. Look at what the Greeks and Thais did. They don’t just take any shit. But I have feeling Kenya are being pushed to this corner.
Major issues you mentioned like spitting and by extension sanitation are a consequence of poverty and corruption. End poverty and corruption and you will see a clean environment and people will start appreciating their environment more. That’s why Lavignton does not look like Umoja.
KE, I’m for the gagging of the media. They have been careless with their freedom, and like errant teenagers, need to be grounded until they grow up! Same with Kenyans. I don’t understand why we complain about our “leaders” when we know only too well the kind of people we elected into office (and it is informed by the kind of people we as individuals are). If you or I were elected tomorrow, we’d follow the same trajectory these guys have, so let’s not kid ourselves. Ours is a crisis of morality, direction; our vision of what makes a nation is flawed, because it all starts with our own stomachs. That’s why we can’t see that saving a water catchment area is more important than eating tribal pie (and that goes for all the forests that have been cut down in Kenya). To hell in a hand basket…. is where we’re going.
All
Its true a benevolent dictatoship can achieve a lot.(singapore etc). Western style democrazy works too…..BUT NONE OF THE ABOVE WILL Work in Kenya or Most of Africa ?
WHY?
For a benevalent disctatoship to work there as to be a huge majority that tacitly supports the dictator…For a western democratic govenance to work their as to be ONE Homogeneous Nation or a Near homegeneous population (Regiously or Ethnic) . Even then for democrazy to work well a DEVOLVED power structure ought to be in place to distribute governance over a wide area and in cultural variation that are inevitable over any large populace
NONE of this is available in KENYA & UGANDA and most of west African Countries
KENYA…Fatally flawed since its composed of competing internal nationalities that are each strong and politicised
UGANDA…Same as Kenya
Tanzania….Quite lucky (Nyerere) but only because the TZ population is 99% Bantu ..literalary mono cultural…..So TZ is much more Homogeneous…than Kenya….(see its easy to fuse a Kalenjin and a Turkana than fuse A Kalenjin and a Kyuk…). Where by in TZ its is like fusing a Kyuk and A Kamba ….or Kisii and Kuria
ZIM
Zim is a country that will work…Just remove Mugabe and PRESTO…The Country is homegenoues (85% Shona & 15% Ndebele)…Ndebele & Shona are also very related to begin with. This explains why MUGABE as been able to ride over ZIM…IF it was Kenya he canot last a WEEK!!
SOMALIA
(So that the critics do not point out). Somalia ACTUALY WILL WORK…Ethiopia is the ONE that WILL disintegrate (ERITREA already left)……OVER this 20 yrs Somalia has had no Government fewer PEOPELE have died than say in 3 months in RWANDA (800K.) or DRC OVER 5M. The Hatred between Principal Nationalities of Kenya is Higher than that BETWEEN SOMALI clans (See KE Blogs Kalenjins & Kyuks)…You will here of masacres between each CLANS of somalia. If is NOT beacuse of USA & Ethiopia Somalia can UNITE in UNDER one month and be SO STRONG that IT TAKE ON KENYA and take NEP……The ONLY reoson ETHIOPIA wants Somalia Fragmented is because IT KNOWS IT WILL TAKE OGADEN PROVINCE in Ethiopia if it organises itself for SIX years ONLY
RWANDA
Is Fataly flawed..Its amazing 10%(Nilotic Tutsis) of population can lord over 90% pop (bantu hutus). This is not aceptable nor is IT Sustainable!!!
SINGAPORE
Dominated by chinese (evictees from Malaysia)..Homogeneoeus..Can sustain a dictator…Not a Model for Kenya.
MALAYSIA
Dominated by malays ..very homogeneous….can sustain a dictator. Not a Model for Kenya
YUGOSLAVIA
You can have a dictatorship like that of (Yosef Toto) but its NOT sustainable or cannot deliver MUCH if its DOMAIN is NOT very homogeneous
USSR
Failed beacuse it lorded over NON homegeneous(religously,ethnicaly ) teritory
CONCLUSION
You need a homogenoeos or NEAR homogeneous nation to have a SUSTAINABLE dictatorship OR a WORKING WESTERN STYLE DEMOCRAZY……
DICTATORSHIP can NEVER arise in Kenya beacuse A Section of Kenya Will take up arms… The Fruits of STEALING an Election are already evident in Kenya(Jamhuri Fiasco)
…Kenyans have already known (subconciously or conciously) that FORCE works……..HISTORY WILL view PEV as a Turning POINT in KENYA
Psyd off:
If the media writes something that a politician believes is erroneous, then that politician, has the right of reply! Meaning, they can go back to that same media and dispute the allegation and offer a counter-point. This is what you do in a democracy — you discuss things, you argue and you challenge and both sides have a right to do that!!
These MP’s do not want the public to know what they are doing with the public’s money. You can’t do that when the public are the one’s who are paying your salaries. If they want privacy, they should not have entered public life.
I will also add here that kenya has defamation laws. If the MP’s believe they have been defamed, they have a right to seek recourse in the courts.
Lord:
I just don’t buy your arguments on the sustainability of democracy based on a countries ethnic make-up.
Don’t forget that mugabe killed 20,000 shona’s in the 80′s.
In Singapore, they were ethnic riots in the 60′s BEFORE the country had achieved economic prosperity, but they all but disappeared after Singapore became a rich country.
I think you need to focus on “wealth”. If people have money, no matter how diverse the country is, they will tend to get along. The problem with african dictators is that they failed to see the link between economic prosperity and political stability.
Basically, everything comes down to money. If you want stability, you have build an economically prosperous country.
KE
Mugabe is a Shona…..He killed Ndebele…Zim is 85% Shona . So he can kill with impunity
Singapore is 90% Chinese ..They were no ethnic riots unles you mean when they were being evicted from Malaysia
BELGIUM
Is not working well in Europe because of basicaly ethnicity…..Belgium is Richer than EA Plus DRC combined and got a small population……
ECONOMY
Its true a strong economy can BIND diverse ethnicities temporarily…but economies colapse even the BEST ones….Its like We marry TILL Money parts us apart…..
The ONLY stable countries (POOR OR RICH) are those that have at least 75% ethnic homogeunity
check out
KE, it’s absurd that this Communication Amendment bill was passed in parliament last week. Without freedom of the press, have we not gone back to the era of Moi’s single party regime? Ok, so the media is often times a tool for the disemmination of propaganda (good or bad) and we should be concerned when the media is used or is responsible for inciting violence (Rwanda, Kenya etc) – at that time, it is appropriate to censure the media for national security. With the current situation, it is ridiculous that we now have MPs who are decrying this bill, yet were possibly part of the group that came up and allowed this bill to pass. Talk about adding insult to injury – such BS! I don’t really advocate for annhilation of any groups of people, but I think we’ve all had enough of this crap from this bunch of losers. Someone should just drop a bomb during one of their sessions debating whether they should/shouldn’t pay taxes (this is when most of the MPs are actually in Parliament) and “take care” of this problem once and for all (collateral damage and all)…
Lord:
Yes – you are right. It was the ndebele he killed (I mixed them up). However, I think you and I will just have to agree to disagree on this issue of how to achieve stability. I think you need wealth creation, while you think a country needs homogeneity, but once diverse people are already present in a country, what else can you do? Not every country can be like Japan, which I believe is the best example of what we are both advocating: a country that is both very wealthy and almost completely homogeneous.
KE
Once diverse people are present what do you do ? Yes to manage diversity…DEVOLUTION….Yes its the only natural way…This will remove supicions within them since each will have responsibilities…example England Wales Scotland and Ireland…Britain manages diversity very well
WG
I can understand your sense of frustration…..Please EXPLAIN to me I thought we ELECTED these legislators ourselves…….!!!
Lord
Yes, for those that voted these folks in with full knowledge of their abysmal track records, they have no right to complain and deserve all that they are getting. However, there are the some who didn’t vote for these folks and would have preferred other candidates. And it’s for those that I express my outrage and frustration.
I do think devolution is an interesting concept, but how would you propose that devolution be instituted in Kenya? Wouldn’t we run into the same problems that have been cited against federalism, since I imagine, power would be granted at some provincial/regional level? And where most of the regions are currently divided along ethnic lines, wouldn’t we adding to the actual or perceived ethnic and regionally economic differences? I know there are a few countries in the world that have this type of government – UK, Spain and Italy to name a few, the question is, has this worked and if so, how?
WG
Devolution is natural way of Government…People exist in divisions…You have a family…you have a clan you have a tribe..you have nation…..you have continent..then the world in that order..even if you are mixed there are simple rules of placement so NONE is disenfrancised!!!
ALL the the TOP 50 countries economical are 99 % devolved…Infact i do not know any advanced diverse country that does NOT devolution. THE BOTTOM fifty are composed of unitary states(centralised) like Kenya..
Centralised governace assumes the country is a village…it assumes people have same views or asperations…hence CDF is is cut out equaly etc etc……Its assumes zero ethnicity exist…this is rubish..
IN Kenya DEVOLUTION is demonised by those who have power in CENTRAL goverment..chiefly thta it will cause clashes…..yet clashes Exist alraedy….Infact if devolution ius introduced clashes will be a thing of the past…..
Consider ETHIOPIA (diverse like Kenya)…People percieved all resources were concentrated in ADDIS.(tribe called amhara) ERITRIEA rebeled,OROMO,OGADEN and miriads of small ones….ETHIPOA gained stability ONLY when ZENAWI introduced FEDERALISM immidiately ERITRIA seceeded…This devoultion cooled the OROMOS and OGADENIS as they had control of their destiny….
TRIBAL OR ETHNIC REGIONS
Yes it creates regions out of diversity of people…The very purof devolotion is NOT about REGIONS its ABOUT PEOPLE…Peoiple of particualre ethnic comunities have peculiarities that NEED to be managed for the OVERALL Good….
KENYA
Kenay is natuarly devolved unlike RWANDA. By that i mean PEOPLE leave in their ENCLAVES ALREADY statisticaly (YOU cannot dispute this)….Hence it just of matter of accepting reality …….
CORRUPTION
Corruption is fuelled in great part by that lack of OWNERSHIP sense (Mali ya uma)
If that MALI belonged to a devolved state one would have that sense of Patriotism
…Clashes would end instantly as regions would compete in good values creating a REAL DEVOLVED NATION….atracting hospitality…to atract FDI….For instance Kikuyus would elimante Mungiki overnite as they would be serious about their state
Lord
Ethiopia is not peaceful.
Many older Ethiopians long for the days of Emperor Haile Sellassie.
Right now, there are rebellions in Ogaden, Oromo, Western Ethiopia and a border war with Eritrea.
It is a total police state. More like Kenya used to be in the 80s.
Hi Josh
Did not say Ethiopia is peacefull I said the federalism implemented after Eritria cooled off the rebelions a bit….and i had said earlier (up this blog) that Ethiopia is Headed for DISENTEGRATION……something they could have avoided had they FEDERATED in the sixties….
Lord:
Your argument on devolution is wrong on so many counts. The advocates of devolution incorrectly believe, that if the resources of a particular community are kept within that community, they will actually be used for the benefit of that community, without the central government, first getting to and stealing the money.
However, in a country like Kenya, where the rule of law is so weak, devolution would simply mean that the stealing would now be done by far more people than is presently happening. In fact, I think it would be much worse because who would be able to keep track of all the “resources”? Devolution does not resolve an inherently weak rule of law system.
And do not compare the federal system in a country like America to one that may exist in Kenya. America is a much larger and far richer country. In fact, if the state of california was it’s own country, it would be the 5th largest economy in the world. The stability of the federal system in America has come through it’s wealth creation. However, remember that there is still a federal government, whose power and laws, trump those of any state government.
Anyway, I think it’s important for African countries to create a sense of nationhood: one country, one people; And if the rule of law existed, you wouldn’t have these disparities in wealth that we now see in Kenya. Those disparities exist because politicians are stealing and getting away with it. If there was a semblance of law, the central government would be able to use it’s resources for the benefit of the whole country and for all it’s citizens, but without the rule of law, this will never happen.
You need to create a national economy. We can’t keep having these “tribal economic zones”. That’s crazy.
And Josh is right. Ethiopia is a total police state. Do you know you can’t even own land in Ethiopia? Zenawi controls that economy, so that, if you go against him, he can simply take your land and anything else away from you. No wonder, in the 15 years his been in power, that economy has pretty much failed to take off. He likes to blame dissidents, but it’s his wrong headed economic policies. Then of course, add on to this, an ill advised invasion of Somalia where Ethiopian troops are now in trouble.
KE
You seem to think Countries DEVOLVE after they are already rich…..AMERICA was devolved from DAY ZERO…..and thats what created the Wealth……
Why do think Kenyan politicians are stealing? ..ONLY beacuse they are far off in NRB where the people canNNOT audit them….Devolution would bring them closer to the subjects and stealing would be much harder
SECOND
If you steal in NRB and you are caught (Kimunya) you appeal to your tribe……If you stole in a devolved system you have NO WHERE to appael to!!!
ANY WAY
You cannot even explan why TOP 50 countries are predominatly devolved or Homogeneous WHILE BOTTOM 50 countries are CENTRALISED and DIVERSE
and top 50 were always devolved before they made their wealth……
[...] Entrepreneur labels the current problem as a symptom of poor leadership from the coalition government that came to [...]
Lord:
America did not devolve from day zero. They had a civil war. Remember that? the south tried to secede because they wanted to maintain slavery and the northerners said nope — We are going to remain ONE country and they fought that war and the northerners won and that is how we now have the UNITED “states” of America (emphasis on the word “united”).
I think you are confusing what devolultion means in America. It is one country with a central government based in Washington D.C. and with federal laws that govern the WHOLE country and with a supreme court whose laws apply to the WHOLE country.
And everyone has to pay taxes to the federal government and the IRS, the tax collection agency is a federal entity with federal subpoena power.
Kenya is the size of Texas. It shouldn’t be that difficult to manage.
Hey KE
This is SAD! You can NOT fudge facts… You seem to have NO IDEA of TIMELINES of US History…The information is Free
Start with George Washington…Fisrt US president..He was running a Federal Country (UNION OF STATES)….Other states Kept Joining……over hundreds of Years…..
It was ALWAYS DEVOLVED from time ZERO
The war between confederates and the unionist was NOT ABOUT devolution …It was about SLAVERY…ALL AGREED ON THE NEED TO DEVOLVE
USA is NOT A CENTRALISED REPUBLIC LIKE KENYA
BUT A FEDERAL REPUBLIC STATES
The DEVOLUTION is in the STATE governtments…..
SIZE
Second you should KNOW that DEVOLUTION is NOT about size BUT about PEOPLE….IF PEOPLE ARE Homogeneous there is NO NEED TO DEVOLVE….
Switzerland is smaller than CENTRAL PROVINCE but devolved int FIVE states for
Germans,French,Italians…other ethnicities….
I TAKE THIS TIME to wish you a happy X MASS and GREAT NEW YERA !!!!
Lord
Tutsis and Hutus speak the same language. It is a Bantu language. In Rwanda it is known as Kinyarwanda and in Burundi it is known as Kirundi. The only differences are in physical attributes.
Infact, Rwanda and Burundi are more homogeneous than Kenya.
Pls do your research properly.
How about India a very homogeneous country. I believe it’s 80% Hindu and it is a devolved country, but look at it’s continuous years of violence.
Even after Pakistan became it’s own country, India is still battling with violent riots between Hindus and muslims, sikhs and muslims, christians and muslims, etc, etc. etc.
Good point on Rwanda and Burundi and may I add somalia here (same language, same religion.. and look at that mess of a country)
And I will maintain my argument on America. George washington was not running a union of states. The civil war, while initially about slavery, did in fact bring the country together (in the end) — before that war, the country was pretty fractured.
And you failed to address the point I raised about the supremacy of federal law in america. The states have no power against the federal government. Why? because if there is ever a conflict between state law and federal law, the federal law will automatically predominate.
merry x-mass to you too.
Josh
Language does NOT give homogenuity…Hutus and Tustsis are diferent people (ethnically)
Tustsis Lost their Nilotic Language Long ago to Bantu Kinyarwanda……But they did NOT loose their difference
Its just like KENYA…Even if you succedded in wiping ethnic languages and use Kiswahili …Kalenjins will still be ethnically diferent from Kikuyu or Luo or Somali or Indians
Have a great new year
KE
Yes you are right ..The violence is ONLY between different groups….NOT between same groups…..
Merry Xmas and Prosperous New Year to you All.
At least there are no elections this year – and hence no pre or post election violence.