Writing in the Nairobi Law Monthly edition of February 1995, celebrated lawyer Pheroze Nowrojee argued that even though the country had moved from the single party status to the multi party status, at that time, there were still no changes in the general way of running the country. In 1995, Mr. Nowrojee observed that tribalism thrived, the Government blocked opposition meetings, there was keen interest by the Government in the Judiciary, corruption scandals were rife, there was systematic assault on the press, private armies were existent… It is now twelve years later, and regimes have changed; the former ruling party KANU was voted out overwhelmingly in late 2002 and a new party NARC elected to take over Government. Now, it is time to assess the changes that have really taken place to the way things are run. I will borrow some of the criteria that Nowrojee used twelve years ago as a barometer for checking whether change has taken place.
TRIBALISM THRIVES
BLOCKING OPPOSITION MEETINGS
INSECURITY IS RIFE
CORRUPTION IS A WAY OF LIFE
ARROGANT MINISTERS
HOSTAGE PRESIDENT
COVER UPS
PRIVATE ARMIES
SYSTEMATIC ATTACK ON THE PRESS
POOR HEALTH FACILITIES
ALLEGED RIGGING OF ELECTIONS
BLACKMAIL TO GET VOTES
IMPUNITY IN THE FACE OF POVERTY
DECREASE IN FREEDOMS
WASTED RESOURCES
CROSS BORDER GAFFES
GOVERNMENT'S WAY OR NO WAY
DEVELOPMENT CONSCIOUS?
MUSICAL CHAIRS?
LEADER OF OPPOSITION SPEAKS OUT
REWARD OF THE ALLEGED CORRUPT
USE OF THE LAW
As the Hon. Mutahi Kagwe said after the release of the Steadman Poll results, Kenyans need someone they can trust…
“It was hard to select the party's flagbearer. We all staked our claims with reasons. The reason that won the day was made by Kibaki after he made it clear he would be president for only one five-year term....Kibaki volunteered that proposal.”
The late Michael Kijana Wamalwa explaining on Nation TV’s StateCraft how the National Party of Kenya (NAK) agreed on a single presidential candidate.
Asked whether she was present when the President promised to serve for only one term, Mrs Charity Ngilu said: "I was there and I heard." (Daily Nation February 3, 2007) A MATTER OF TRUST
FINALLY, DEAR KENYANS...