Exactly what does it mean to have a united and prosperous nation when you have a country turning against itself each time an election is held? Are elections not a symbol of democracy and the right to take part in the elections guaranteed in the constitution?
I aver that there is no such thing as a united nation when every presidential election, one big tribe turns against another leading to loss of life, economic instability and untold suffering. True, the right to take part in an election is protected by the law, but the outcome of such elections has invariably left many people very bitter.
Now there is a debate on whether to expand the executive or not, but it is largely rhetorical. We have seen too much of winner-takes-all presidential elections that it is now a question of when not if to expand.
Time has come to make changes to the executive, not because of mortal politicians who will not always be here, but for an inclusive, cohesive and united nation going forward. It is true that we have a good constitution but just as it is with all good things, it can be made better. Ten years and two disputed elections later is sufficient to have audited the constitution, and the verdict is out: Change is necessary.
Good as it is, it has failed to inspire a sense of ethnic inclusivity and nationhood as far as the presidency is concerned. Let us now change it to stop the cut-throat competition for power that accompanies presidential elections.
We need a country where every community feels part and parcel of the government. Then our aspirations can connect and help us move in one direction of national prosperity. Simply put, it is high time we changed the executive to include a President, Deputy President and a Prime Minister with two deputies.
For the opponents of an expanded executive, the worry is probably about the wage bill more than anything else, but the worry is misplaced. The cost of such an executive in a year is negligible compared to what the country loses to corruption.
After all, are we not stealing nearly 30 per cent of the budget annually, according to conservative estimates? You see, peace is at a premium in this country and suing for it is a priority.
We cannot possibly condone perennial strife and pass up an opportunity to build a nation just because we are afraid of paying for a larger executive. If that is the price we pay to have a peaceful, united and more cohesive nation, then so be it.
The country needs to expand the executive and from the talk on the street, the public is ready for it, and why not? After the sheer mayhem that most recently engulfed the country following two hotly disputed presidential elections in just 79 days, who would not wish for it?
Such change cannot just happen, though. It must be structured. For that reason, a referendum is in the offing, which will ensure that the constitution is changed through an initiative that is fully endorsed by all Kenyans. This is the logic of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which has been collecting and collating views from all Kenya’s 47 counties.
Thus, as we wait for the 14-member team to write and present its report, which we expect would have captured our aspirations, we have hope to actualizing the dream of restoring and uniting the country as symbolized by the truce between President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
The BBI spearheaded by Kenyatta and Odinga could not have been a knee-jerk reaction to the unfortunate events. That cannot be when the aftermath of the 2007/2008 and 2017 elections pushed the country to the brink of all-out ethnic war and geographical fragmentation (read secession). The country remained in a state of limbo.
The BBI is based on an eight-point agenda. It includes ethnic antagonism and competition; lack of a national ethos; inclusivity; devolution; divisive elections; safety and security; corruption; shared prosperity; and responsibilities and rights. All are extremely important. Thus, the team is purposefully at work.
Ethnic antagonism and competition are perhaps more critical though, for it drives our cut-throat presidential elections. Then, when everything is said and done, it makes the system a fertile ground for corruption to ensure there is continued dominance by the ethnic community or communities in power. The economy and everything then suffers as a result.
An expanded executive, therefore, fits into the overall scheme of bettering Kenya. Let us get it done for lasting unity and prosperous nation.