Ruto’s call on opposition leader to shun ‘mass action’ was commendable

By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga

Worth Noting:

• President Moi was therefore taking advantage of it to cling on power and shield him from being called to account for myriad of ills associated with him and his government. Moi had overstayed in power and it was time for him to hang his boot.
• Those who held different opinions should rethink their stand. You cannot teach the old dog new tricks. It is hard to rebuild what you have already destroyed.
• Therefore, it was not a coincidence that the launch of civil society-led National Convention Executive Committee [NCEC] and National Convention Assembly [NCA] was done around the same time that the Briton Wood Institutions [IMF and World Bank] had imposed tough economic conditions.

I’m one of those who actively participated in the ‘mass actions’ held during the era of President Daniel Arap Moi. Being a member of the civil society groupings, I worked closely with the leading lights among them Professor Kivutha Kibwana, Dr Willy Mutunga, Maina Kiai,  Gibson Kamau Kuria, Davinder Lamba and cleric Timothy Njoya.

Before, we had tried to engage the president in a structured and constructive dialogue. However, Moi and his emissaries would not give us any audience. They believed that we were just busybodies and idlers and so, our decision to start holding ‘mass actions’ came as a last resort.

The push for a new constitutional dispensation was at the core of our agitation. This is because we believed that the constitution had created a strong-willed imperial presidency and as a result entrenched a constitutional dictatorship.

President Moi was therefore taking advantage of it to cling on power and shield him from being called to account for myriad of ills associated with him and his government. Moi had overstayed in power and it was time for him to hang his boot.

Those who held different opinions should rethink their stand. You cannot teach the old dog new tricks. It is hard to rebuild what you have already destroyed.

Therefore, it was not a coincidence that the launch of civil society-led National Convention Executive Committee [NCEC] and National Convention Assembly [NCA] was done around the same time that the Briton Wood Institutions [IMF and World Bank] had imposed tough economic conditions.

President Moi’s efforts to tackle them would bore no fruits worth to talk about. As a result, our economy would get into a deeper hole because his government had been shunned by many development partners and international lenders. This would thrust many Kenyans into abject poverty.

So, the launch of NCEC/NCA was a game changer. This is because it provided Kenyans with a platform to express their views freely and for the first time participate in the constitution making process.

I once served as the chairman of the NCEC Political Affairs Committee for two years. The opposition leaders and religious leaders were our key stakeholders because to a large extent we shared the same vision.

First forward to the latest political developments and my attention would be drawn to Raila Odinga’s remarks that the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance was planning to hold mass action and street demonstrations in all its strongholds.

As Azimio, we have realized President William Ruto does not mean for this country. He is busy taking us back to dark days of President Moi’s dictatorship. How? Where is evidence?

Once again, many would interpret Raila’s threats as being borne out of desperation. This is after he appeared to have concluded his efforts to save the four IEBC commissioners would not bore fruits.

This matter was being handled by National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs [JLAC] Committee in line with the provisions of the Constitution and House Standing Orders. The sessions to hear the four petitions seeking their removal from office had already kicked off.

The petitioners’ main complaint stood as. The four wanted to subvert the democratic and constitutional will of Kenyan people by rejecting the final presidential results that saw the chairman of IEBC declaring Dr William Ruto as the president-elect. They claim that if they had way, the country could have exploded. The buildup of tension had almost reached the boiling point.

Well, the task of proving these claims squarely lies with them. According to schedule released by JLAC, both sides were to be treated with decorum and accorded a fair hearing. The defense team was free to subject the petitioners to cross-examinations.

Raila attended the first sessions and many interpreted this to mean he recognized the work of JLAC. Two days later, he changed the tack. He dismissed the proceedings as those of a Kangaroo court and called for mass action.

It should be noted that Raila played a leading role in the entire process that culminated with enactment of the current constitution. During the referendum campaign of 2010, he termed draft as the most progressive and likened it to the American and South Africa constitutions. So, why train your guns on the same constitution?

I urge him to stop politicizing the President Ruto’s remarks. In his reaction, Dr Ruto stated. He believed in rule of law but not the rule of big men. Stop threatening us with mass action. Let JLAC do their work.

 Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political commentator based in Nairobi