Loose tongues that
threaten to wreck NarcBy PHILIP OCHIENG'
Though I will continue the campaign, I don't hope I will one day see the government of my ideal. For even the most "democratic" of our world's ruling parties remains agonisingly specious and shallow-minded about freedom.
That's why I have no illusion about Narc - a pallid imitation of liberal insidiousness. Why, then, did I support it in the polls? No, I didn't. I only campaigned against Kanu. If that amounted to support for Narc, my attitude was that nothing could be worse than Nyayo. Kanu had already choked our social pores and left us moribund.
A Narc government thus could only, and I knew not what way, breathe some life into the body politic. And few will deny that the Kibaki Government has done that so. We are breathing a lot more easily. At least what critics say provokes responses from Government officials, something we never expected from the Nyayo pachyderms. The responses are more reactive than active, to be sure, but that, too, is typical of liberalism.
What is peculiar to the upstarts among such parties is only their discordance, members of the same Cabinet speaking completely at cross purposes. Indeed, that is the miracle. Narc remains intact nearly a year after it achieved the only goal that had created it. For it was hastily wangled before the elections with no other common denominator than to defeat Kanu.
The signatories were all tribal bosses with personal ambitions for State House that were more "vaulting" than Macbeth's. That's why cynics expected that, after Narc routed Kanu, a much bigger fire would flare than the sparks raised by the anarchic utterances of Karisa Maitha, Mukhisa Kituyi, John Michuki, Raila Odinga, Joseph Kamotho, George Saitoti, Kalonzo Musyoka, Otieno Kajwang, Kipruto arap Kirwa, Koigi wa Wamwere and a tomboy called Charity Ngilu.
The tornado would rip many more homes than the ripples occasioned by the wild tongues of Johnny-come-latelies like Danson Mungatana, Robinson Githae, Jakoyo Midiwo, Chris Murungaru, Beth Mugo, Raphael Tuju, Mirugi Kariuki, Joe Khamisi and Amos Kimunya. Yet I quite understand their attitude. They entered Narc with the support of definite constituencies whose purpose was to take from the coalition much more than they planned to give it.
Narc and Mr Kibaki were only a bridge through which they hoped to push their respective tribal chiefs to State House. I have never seen the memorandum of understanding which one of these Narc constituents claims guaranteed their leader such a position near the sanctum sanctorum.
But it is difficult to believe such an MOU existed. For it would be singularly myopic for anybody with his own ambition to promise a deadly rival a powerful position like the premier's in a coalition so fragile. And it would be singularly naive for the latter to take such a promise seriously. That's the reason I would also fully understand why, having tasted power, whoever made such a promise should now want to deny it.
The victim will, of course, immediately accuse him of dishonesty and self-interest. But he won't impress me. For I know that he himself is in the game for purely dishonest self-interests. I do not expect much from our politicians. But, being a Kenyan, I cannot just sit by to watch them threaten this country with anarchy. I am interested, too, that they should play these games in a manner that does not add insult to the injuries they have already inflicted on us over the years.
When Kiraitu Murungi, a member of the central power clique, threatens his rivals with expulsion - where he is no Francis of Assisi - he invokes Kariuki Chotara, Moses Mudavadi, Okiki Amayo, Shariff Nassir, James Njiru and the intellectual fog that illumined the Ministry of National Guidance.
An insider with Narc's real interests at heart will studiously avoid such divisive chest-thumping heroics. He will know that his own self-interest can be achieved only through a united Narc. Moody Awori, Njeru Ndwiga, Peter Anyang'-Nyongo, Linah Kilimo, Ochilo Ayacko, Martha Karua and Michael Wamalwa seem to know that such a Narc is possible only when leaders weigh their words.
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