It seems the Jubilee Government is determined to take us back to where we were in 1990s. Over borrowing, over stealing and over spending is becoming the order of the day. To add salt to injury, the freedom of the media and speech is now under threat!
The recent attempts to pass draconian legislation in Parliament, casts serious doubts on the government’s pledge and commitment to protect the freedoms of the media and speech, as enshrined in the Constitution. If given a chance, as exemplified by Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery’s order of arrest to Nation Media Group parliamentary journalist John Ngirachu and Information CS Fred Matiang’is, threat to advise the Treasury to stop funding the Media Council of Kenya; then we are indeed heading back to the dark days of 1990s.
The role of the media in nurturing and promoting democracy should not be underrated. Politicians and public figures are a creation of the media. The media was fully involved in the second liberation struggle, whose fruits the current crop of politicians and government officials now enjoy.
Democracy thrives best in an environment where rights and freedoms are freely exercised. Kenya has made gains towards achieving this. We have had to fight for it, have been jailed for it, have been maimed for it, and have even died for it. Yet we are still soldiering on and will not relent until these rights and freedoms are part of our daily living. Kenyans are informed and intelligent enough to separate fact from fiction, right from wrong and they will resist any attempts to deprive them of their right to speak freely.
Instead of gagging Kenyans, the government should address the cancer of corruption that is eating Kenyans badly.
Yesterday’s threat by the envoys of 11 Western countries to impose a visa ban on public officials involved in corruption is a good step towards taming insolent government officials who are in a looting spree.
Development projects have no doubt been affected as funds are looted. The prevailing investment environment is not encouraging to investors. This is likely to be worsened by the difficulties the economy is going through and the mounting foreign debt.
I won’t be shocked if the Duale’s of this regime come out blazing to vilify the diplomats over the threatened visa sanctions, but that would be myopic.
Kenya is not an island and those plundering its resources must not be allowed to enjoy their ill-gotten wealth. I remember sometimes back when HE Uhuru Kenyatta, while as an opposition figure famously said that HE Mwai Kibaki was a hands off, ears off President.
I am afraid that President Uhuru Kenyatta could be worse. He must show leadership and make radical surgeries within his administration that weed out corrupt officials in his government.
It is a shame that we have to endure another round of lectures by the West because we seem unable to manage our affairs.
Dr. Aggrey Willis Otieno 