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| The Big 4 Presidential Candidates |
Kenyan leadership and democracy may be
becoming of age with the entrenchment of the Leadership and Integrity Clause in
Chapter Six of the Constitution. The clause read together with Article 10 on
National Values and Principles of Governance is a slippery ground for all
seeking public office in the country’s leadership. It is quite difficult to see
which of the current politicians, presidential candidates and other aspiring
candidates for public office will remain standing when the clause is strictly
applied. For now application of the clause may be urgent in determining whether
the two presidential candidates facing trial in the International Criminal
Court (ICC) at The Hague, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto should be in the
presidential ballot papers in the next election or not. Nonetheless, the determination will have wide
ramifications for political ambitions of many aspiring candidates. Most will be
left lying down seriously scathed politically.
Chief Justice Willy Mutunga’s reference to
the decisions on integrity and leadership in cases of the Deputy Chief Justice
Nancy Barasa and the appointment of Mumo Matemu as the Ethics and Anti Corruption
Commission chairman is a subtle pointer of the judiciary thinking. In the
circumstances, it may be a matter of time before the Supreme Court slams the
doors shut on the ambitions of the two politicians and many other political
aspirants. When the decision falls, jubilations among politicians will be
short-lived as one politician falls after the other on the slippery ground.
Kenyatta
and Ruto should seriously be preparing for the eventuality that they are
blocked from contesting for presidency. Who will take the helm of leadership in
their respective political parties if the clause is interpreted adversely against
their ambitions? To a keen political observer of the Kenyan politics it may
seem that Kenyatta is doing precisely that. The entry of a former self-declared
presidential aspirant, Mutava Musymi into The National Alliance Party (TNA), at
first as a presidential nominee contestant against Kenyatta, and later the
withdrawal of his nomination candidacy in favor of Kenyatta, is telling. He
could be the “Prince” in waiting under the wings of Kenyatta for the leadership
of TNA in case the latter is incapacitated as a result of the ICC trial. In
contrast, in Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) such leadership positioning
is not clearly visible.
The other self-declared presidential candidates cannot rest comfortably in their political loins. For Musalia Mudavadi of United Democratic Front (UDF), the Goldenberg scandal may haunt his integrity. Raila Odinga may have skeletons hidden in his yet to be widely opened closet. The maize scandal, molasses deal, and nepotism and corruption allegations by Miguna Miguna may blemish his integrity. After all Miguna Miguna might not be a mad man running away with Odinga’s clothes. Could Odinga be really naked? Stephen Kalozo Musyoka could also not be the clean man he projects himself to be. If his political career is closely examined unpleasant things may be unearthed. There is already allegation of land scandal involving the current Vice President.
When
the Supreme Court gives its opinion on the leadership and integrity clause as
requested by the Attorney General, not only Kenyatta and Ruto will be casualties,
all political aspirants will be put on notice and they will have to fight for
their political lives. The field will be set wide open for candidates who pass
the integrity test while the old recycled politicians’ political careers may be
prematurely terminated.
To
the surprise of all, the next President of the Republic of Kenya may be a man or woman that
Kenyans have not given much attention to until now.
