Miguna Miguna; may the true reformer please stand up

Miguna Miguna was having his time in the sun then suddenly we hear he was last seen at JKIA on his way to Canada. The law of natural justice demands that I take his allegations with a pinch of salt until such a time when all parties have been heard. My take on Miguna is a man with immense intellectual prowess without a corresponding depth of character to go with it.

I will take time to go through the book to separate the sheep from the goat. Meanwhile Raila and his team have PR work to do. Miguna comes out as a brag, a bully who can’t keep his mouth shut.

The main jab of his allegations is meant to blow off Raila’s reform credentials. The ODM’s leader reform credentials speak for itself, but where did the rains start beating him or his team? There is one thing important in politics, numbers- in terms of people and cash.

Where am I going with all these? Politics being a big money business tends to lock out the common man. The true reformer is always a broke man who may never make it big in politics. To balance the act of being true to ones ideals and still navigate the messy waters of politics is something that few have succeeded in.

To quote Miguna; Otieno Kajwang’ quipped that he behaves like the Mau Mau who when they were told Kenya had got independence did not believe and walked back into the forest. This analogy summarizes what a Mr. Kinyanjui told me many years back (I am growing old) that where my interests are served the interest of the people I serve are also served. It is a thin line indeed between a true reformer and an anti-reformer.

In Long Walk to Freedom one gets a picture of a Mandela who was always broke, representing people in court pro bono. Looking at Mandela behind the picture of Julius Malema; the embattled ANC Youth League President who is a millionaire at the age of 33. You get the drift between the Oliver Tambo generation of politicians and the current generation. The younger leaders who served terms with Mandela in Roben Island Prison, the likes of Tokyo Sexwale, President Jacom Zuma among others have since amassed wealth and turned ANC into a den of corruption.

When the struggle for freedom or reforms takes long as it did for Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt since 1928, many things happen. The brave soldiers die because they take the battle to the opponents. Their families may live to hate the liberation struggle just like the family of Dedan Kimathi when they are meant to sacrifice more after the death of the liberation hero. 

The remaining soldiers come in many sheds, the committed few, who have inscribed the struggle in their hearts, will remain standing when victory is finally won. The majority joyride waiting for a kill, but they can’t be thrown out because it is still a game of numbers. These are the people who bridge the difference between the two ideologues leaving a thin line between modern day reformers and non-reformers.

Raila has had to change in his quest for the Kenyan presidency. He even worked with Moi, that is not the Raila of the eighties, in working with Moi, it did not mean he approved of his misrule, but he used it as a means to an end. He has had to work with people he may not have been comfortable working with. They may have watered down his reform credentials, but as someone told me, sometimes you have to lose battles to win the war.

Reform minded or transformational leaders in most cases never care about wealth. When they die of ‘enemy’s fire,’ their families are left in destitution. It is the conditions of the Adungosi, Anyona (George), Kaggia (Bildad) and Chelagat (Mutai) families’ that make the current day reformer to waver between the ideals of the struggle and selfish ambitions.

The Kenyan group of ‘young turks’ who spearheaded 2^nd liberation in the nineties turned into hungry hyenas upon getting into power in 2002. The very people who used to ‘hustle’ became instant millionaires. In a country where people with means- regardless of how you get it are revered- every nose is always sniffing for a quick buck.

Kenyans make matters worse by asking for ‘facilitation fees’ from political aspirants. Our politics has become too expensive that politicians must work extra hard to remain relevant. The rest who have political ambitions but still cling to principles may never get the chance to go to parliament. A principle is not a principle until it costs you money.

Some of our politicians may have the best of intentions to diligently serve and give Kenya their best. As they do this, their social status changes to fit into their new found titles. When five years elapse, they stare defeat at the hands of selfish anti-reformers who are always wealthier with old-money connections. To beat this network needs money and you can never make such money in a day.

Have you asked yourself how George Aladwa has succeeded in making City Hall quite without the evidence of improved service to Nairobi residents? Under his watch, the councilors from both sides of the political divide are 'feasting' unlike in the days of Majiwa.

The reformer-turned-vulture may be worse off than the real anti-reformers. May be we should start electing people on their character and social strengths rather than deep pockets. This is a culture that must be fought from the top and finished off at the bottom. May be our reformers will keep to the straight and narrow, meanwhile- very few can pass the acid test. One man said just because you don’t care about corruption, does not mean corruption does not care about you.

Gone are the days when Martin Shikuku, JM Kariuki, George Anyona and James Orengo were elected to parliament without bribing voters. Today they would be left standing with their eloquence as a ‘Mr. Money Bags’ gets into parliament.

 It is Kenyans who will decide to lower the cost of doing political business in Kenya. I have never known a politician (may be a rookie) who used his hard earned money in political campaigns. This explains why our politicians –even sons of peasants are billionaires in their fourties something that takes businessmen two generations to achieve.

I am not trying to defend Raila or pour water on Miguna Miguna’s book. I hope more people will have the guts to give us a candid glimpse into their times in the corridors of power. 

Until we reduce the price of doing politics, the Miguna Migunas of this world will never miss fodder for their next book.