engagement on the reform process

Kenyans,

We have watched helplessly as the MPs have passed poisonous legislation: the Communication Amendment Act 2008, the Constitution of Kenya Review Act 2008, among others. This is a dangerous precedent, but it is being done with impunity, and at the core of the belief by MPs is that they are doing the necessary. They believe that the Civil Society for instance have no genuine desire to have a new constitution, and that they (MPs) should be the ones to save this country from the fruitless two decade campaign while ensuring the media is quiet and not too nosy on the goings on. It is a disease called "self-righteous ignominy", and when it catches a group which has power to harm, it is lethal. Parliament is sick.

The key strategy for MPS is: lock the rest out, and go on and on and on. It does not matter that they are fomenting rebellion, no, because whether they do this or not, they are unsure whether they would be re-elected. They will, I prophesy, do all they can to ensure that the people elected…ooops…selected to work in the various commissions are their cronies, their puppets, their mbois and ngaos.

The civil society must adopt a multi-faceted approach to engagement in the reform process. A key strategy would be to interest leaders in the civil society sector to apply for positions advertised as a consequence of the legal provisions passed recently and those that will be advertised later. These include:

1. The Committee of Experts for the Constitutional Review (deadline of applications 26th Jan 09)
2. The Interim Independent Electoral Commission (deadline of application 30th Jan 09)
3. The Interim Independent Boundaries commission (deadline of application 30th Jan 09)
4. The Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court (deadline of application 30th Jan 09)
5. The National Integration Commission
6. The Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission

It is true that some of the provisions in the documents constituting these commissions are horrendous and indeed unacceptable. It is also true that the civil society needs to engage meaningfully at all steps of the way to ensure that the insolence of our MPs does not become the national curse.

In this view therefore, I suggest that qualified people apply for these positions so that the Civil Society (religious, secular as well as the academia) can do the best inside the parliamentary platform as other players on the other hand file petitions, seek court actions and campaign against the offending provisions.

Names that come to mind of people who qualify for these positions are legion, since the civil society sector has many intelligentsia working for or associated with it.

I am sure the civil society can support its people by giving them the necessary backing, support and lobbying effective for them to work in a people friendly way in the various commissions and committees. This way, the gains we have made as a struggling democracy will be concretized, safeguarded and progress made in the consolidation of the ethos of

A TRUE AFRICAN DEMOCRACY.

I urge them to apply for the various appointments if they have not yet done so. This will help us define and manage the reform agenda since otherwise the Civil Society would, in our opinion, have little if at all any influence in the working of the various organs.


WE MUST ENGAGE THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE KNOWING THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH A CARTEL OF INSATIABLE BUSINESS MINDED OGRES WHO ARE POSTURING AS OUR LEADERS.

Lord Hear Us.