1. KENYA’S REFERENDUM PHOBIA AND MANIA
Kenya’s proposed referendum, Okoa Kenya or Save Kenya, is an idea whose time has come. It is
unstoppable, irreversible and irresistible.
We have become anation of referendums. Inaspanof tenyears we are going to have three referenda,
a signthat we are still metamorphosingasa nation.Atleastitshowsthe country is dynamic in terms of
seeking new answers to its emergent challenges. Taxing to the economy of course it is, but it is well
worththe costand effort.Withoutitwe wouldbe havingnodevolvedgovernance,avibrant judiciary or
working monetary system.
Unfortunately and predictably our government has not internalized the dynamics that accompany
democratic change, and is yet to believe that a referendum is likely or even mandatory in Kenya that
soon.Diehard anti-change agents, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto betray their
youthand educationbeing virulently opposed to anything threatening to bring change in governance.
Theyare oldinattitudesandbeliefs. They used to pride themselves as being digital but their digitality
apparently consisted only in owning enabled mobile phone gadgets and flashy lifestyle.
So they are not ready for the Save Kenya referendum which Kenyans crave. They and their MPs
mesmerized with being close to power. The sycophantic behavior of Kenya MPs is what escalated the
headlongplunge intothe referendumcraze. They forgot their duty to the people, and concentrated all
their effort in self-enrichment by way of legislating more perks for themselves. When the Salaries
RemunerationCommissionobjectedtheyslappeditwithareduced budget allocation. The judiciary has
also fought and defied them on occasions as they repeatedly warned it about slashing judiciary
allocation. Now they have done just that.
Thentheyrememberedthe supremacybattlestheyhave fiercelyfoughtwith the senate; who between
the two houses is Bigger? They declared themselves bigger because they can make and unmake laws.
But and they have beentoobusythinking of their pockets to make any meaningful law in 2 ½ years. So
petty and naïve, this lot who were voted in by an average of 30,000 people think they are better than

2. senators elected by half a million people. Most of them are first timers in parliament with hardly the
ABC knowledge of politics and public affairs. So we can forgive their pettiness and sense of
megalomania.Onlythe presidentandhisdeputyhave seemedtofindthemintriguing and handy, ready
to unleash themagainstthe senate,the judiciary and officials they would like to teach a lesson or two.
They have been the executive’s lapdogs. Yet we did not elect them to do that. Recently they turned
down the appointmentof Dr.Monica Juma as CabinetSecretarysimply because she discouraged them,
politely, from going to her office for tenders, jobs and pecuniary assistance.
The biggestchallenge the MPsface iswhentheywill be leftface to face with the household names like
RailaOdinga, KalonzoMusyoka,AmosWako,PeterAnyang’Nyongo’,BonnyKhalwale,IsaacRuto,Billow
KerrowandJamesOrengo,all whoseekchange through referendum.Faceless, nameless, shameless as
they come, they have no following at the grassroots. In Kenya voters elect party nominees and not
individuals.Sotheyenjoyno personal chemistry with the masses except through the parties. They say
because the senators threaten them with a referendum they will also demand that the senate be
disbanded. But it is crazy wishful thinking. The senators instead can vote to turn them into ward
councilors.
But why such criticism of the MPs, someone may ask. It is incompetence. Somebody with opportunity
squandersiton meaningless squabbles and supremacy battles of infantile nature, vindictiveness. The
opposition MPs in parliament, quite a sizeable force there, has been completely bought out and
subdued by the government majority. Their parliamentary leader, Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, so
ideologically challenged and given to violent antics, has led the opposition MPs by the nose into this
parliamentaryignominy,beingheardonlywhentheircollective interest in the house is at stake. You do
not expect sophisticated people to take this lot seriously.
The senators, the governors, the opposition and the people are all for the referendum. But Uhuru
Kenyatta still buries his head in the sand. With the MPs they are busy preparing ground for the 2017
electionorrigging.Theyassure DeputyPresidentWilliamRutothat come 2022 they will all back him for
the presidency. But one day in politics is a life-time, so people wonder at Ruto’s naivety.

3. Uhuru’s fears can be understood. A defeat in referendum is a vote of no confidence. With elections
comingso soonafterit,most voterwould simplyrepeatthe votingpatternatthe referendum.The more
they tardy the more people get attracted to Okoa calls. The country is in a change mode and the
business as usual attitude by the president and his allies is infuriating.
It isobviousthatthe grassroots will panel-beatthe MPsintosupportingthe referendumin line with the
party positions and suffering on the ground. In the northern parts of Central region for instance the
Kikuyuslivingthere are notat ease,feeling thattheirKiambucounterpartsmade them sacrificial lambs.
Especially inMeru North they depended entirely on Miraa production whose ban in the global market
has ruined them, and for which he government has offered them no remedy. Former President Mwai
Kibaki hadwarnedUhuruto stop seeking the presidencysothe cropscould be rescuedbutUhuru would
have none of it. Now chickens are coming home to roost.
DuringJomo Kenyatta’s time the Kiambu southerners had declared that the leadership flag would not
cross River Chania and land in the north. The northerners feel that what they are witnessing now is a
replayof the oldKiambumafia that had vowed to deny them leadership and economic empowerment
opportunities.With people from their area like former minister Michael Kamau being hounded out of
office,Prof. Kagwanja’swifeMonicaJumabeingdenied ministerial appointment all are pointers to old
Kiambu relegation tactics.
It pains them that the mafia seem less concerned that Miraa death has made destitutes of swathes of
populous areasasformerfull-to-capacitybarsand hotelsclose,matatuvans grind to a halt and children
who were taking parallel degree programmes at universities have to stay at home. Uhuru has almost
fallenoutwithhisformerICClawyersenatorKithure Kindiki, Kiraitu Murungi keeps him at arms length
as formerCabinetSecretaryJuliusKimemiahasbeen shownthe door,alsogone isthe formerarmychief
Julius Karangi who expected a token extra service time on reaching retirement.
It is instructive that the 3K stalwarts, Kibaki, Kimemia and Karangi are the ones who brought Kiambu
back to powerthroughillegal means,afterhaving been given the coveted mantle on a silver platter by
the indefatigable oppositionistRailaAmoloOdinga.Immediately they settled into power, they made it

4. their urgent priority to silence Raila, thus refusing to offer him a chance talk during Kibaki’s home-
coming event soon after taking power. But the ordinary people were infuriated by this abnormal
ingratitude andyelledtheminto allowingRailatospeak.Theyadoringlypraised him as Njamba or Hero.
That was the greatestmisfortune forRaila;theirpeopleshouting at them to allow a “foreigner” to talk!
That supportacross all communities,overtheirdead bodies,theyvowed, and buckled down to work. It
ispreciselybecause of afew Kikuyuleadersthatwe still have tribalisminKenya.OrdinaryKenyansknow
no tribalism.Nowonderinthe lastelection historywasmade whenRaila’s party ODMwon two seats in
Meru.
The referendum may turn out a shocker for Uhuru Kenyatta because Kenyans are tired of artificial
tribalism,where people continue to suffer as leaders enjoy lavish living. To use tribalism as a leash on
people’s freedom and right to seek opportunity is likely to backfire this time round, especially in the
greater Kikuyu homeland.
BY:
FREDERICK OWINO OYARO
Email: frederickoyaro@gmail.com