a heavy metal fan breakdancing

When Kibaki swears in his new old new cabinet today he will look around and wonder where it all went wrong. Three ministers, 16 assistant ministers (and counting) turned down the jobs they were offered including the previously fiercely loyal Charity Ngilu. Things done changed, or have they? It would be brilliant if our political leaders had suddenly got a sense of national duty and were taking a stand for the country but they shatter that myth almost immediately. Ford-Kenya under Kombo did not take their cabinet seats because of any sense of patriotism, but because the seats they wanted were not the seats they were given. In his statement Kombo accused Kibaki of, “shortchanging the party” (note party, not country).

Kenyan politics reminds me of high school/university romance. You know how it is; there is always one guy/girl who is a heart breaker and serial cheater. Yet they never lack for a partner despite everyone being aware of the facts because the next victim always says, “S/he cheated all those other people, but s/he won’t cheat me. I will make him/her change. S/he will not do that to me. I am different.” Since Kibaki ignored and tore up the MoU agreed before the last election the minute he got into statehouse, why did Kombo and Ford-Kenya feel that he would honour his agreement with them over the constitution? At least now we know why Ford-Kenya went bananas, nothing to do with the Wako draft, all to do with the flags on their cars.

One thing we can credit many of our political leaders with is a sixth sense as far as a sinking ship is concerned. Those who retain their wit tend to jump before they drown. (Remember the mass defection away from Moi during the last election.) What do you really get from serving in this lacklustre cabinet anyway when you know the real political power does not sit in it? Who wants to sit in a cabinet of losers? What do you gain by being an assistant minister, ummm a name tag? What do you gain by being offered a position as assistant minister and then rejecting it publicly, kudos.

It has to be said the craziest person in Kenya today is whoever is advising Kibaki at the moment. Wrong move after wrong move after wrong move. Watching Kibaki is like watching a heavy metal fan trying to break dance.

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