COALITION AGREEMENTS: STOP EMBELLISHING THE HYDRA OF NEGATIVE ETHNICITY

Kenya Kwanza prides itself for crafting a Coalition Agreement that will see key positions in the National Government apportioned to ethnic regional king-pins. For instance ANC and Ford Kenya have been granted a thirty percent share of the National Government. Other regional king-pins equally have their "entitlement". The Regional King-pins will in turn share the positions bequeathed to them with their political supporters. Is this the way to go? In my opinion, this is the return of negative ethnicity. Kenya`s history indicates that successive governments perfected the aspect of ethnicity that dovetailed with patronage, rent-seeking and prebendalism to the detriment of the Nation State. Kenyans felt that without the political will to re-engineer Kenya’s polity both politically and constitutionally the nation-building project will remain convoluted, frustrating and stillborn. The prevailing gloom gave rise to Kenya`s second liberation that culminated in the enactment of the 2010 progressive constitution. Kenyans believed that this chapter will usher in an expanded democratic space to ensure that Kenyans from all walks of life (irrespective of their political and ideological differences) will not be discriminated against. It was hoped that employment opportunities will be available to all and sundry on merit and not premised on one`s proximity to those wielding political power. Fast forward, Kenya Kwanza`s coalition has now unveiled an agreement that threatens to scuttle the gains made. it takes us back to the dark days where accessing opportunities in the National/County Government was dependent upon your proximity to regional/local king-pins. What becomes of those many Kenyans who are unrepresented in such a coalition agreement? Kenyans are forewarned of the consequences of politics of deceit and odious horse trading. We must stop embellishing the hydra of negative ethnicity. This is an agenda whose authors have nothing to write home about. Theirs is a history replete with economic sabotage and plunder. Like birds of feather, they have united to further their selfish agenda. As we clamour for transformational leadership, we need to first transform our mind sets. Only then can we ensure that we do not bequeath Kenya a leadership that has no interest in our collective good.