Jubilee has done a pretty good job!

A little optimist goes a long way!

Have you ever heard a person who speaks only in the superlative? At any one time, they are either burning or freezing, wildly ecstatic or deeply depressed, having the best day of their lives, or the absolute worst. We would find such people ridiculous. And unbelievable. Why? Because it’s impossible to travel so quickly between two poles, without passing through a diverse topography of experiences and, therefore, emotions in between. People of superlatives speak as though human experiences are binary; as though they can be counted on two sides of a coin—and such volatile individuals are always a coin toss away from the best and the worst of things.

Well, public assessments of the present administration can often sound like this.

Between official opposition propaganda incumbency supporting sycophants, there is little room for critical, thoughtful, reflective discourse on the state of the nation, and the performance of our Executive.

One has to appreciate that the Executive itself has demonstrated a considerable level of maturity and self-reflection. They trumpet their triumphs but they also admit to the challenges that they face. They are willing to say: “We have made progress” but “we are not there, yet”; “we have done well in this regard” and “we have made mistakes on this issue, which we are learning from”. I mean, they are even willing to apologize, sack people, and review their stance on issues—an unprecedented and welcome addition to Kenyan politics.

And the President himself is willing to admit “I am only human” and ask his country to “pray for me”. That is the kind of sincere, self-assessment that leads to genuine progress. It is the kind of honest self-assessment that suggests that the Executive is not merely concerned with engaging in public relations “spin” that makes it look good, but is actually concerned with the altogether bigger business of actually becoming good. It’s the kind of thing that is worth celebrating, not dismissing as resignation, or criticizing as reluctance.

In fact, the ardent critics, and, to be fair, many supporters of the regime, would do well to take a leaf from this book of balance.

Unfortunately, many critics and supporters can only conceive of Government as one thing: the Executive is either primary perpetrator or chief victim of corruption, the Government has either done nothing at all, or it has done everything it possibly can; the President is either a leader unto darkness and death and the worst thing to happen to Kenya, or he is an irreproachable island of innocence sadly surrounded by seas of sleaze and incompetence; he is either almighty and able to fix all of Kenya’s problems or he is powerless — held hostage by powers beyond his control.

Surely these extremes are silly? Surely these narratives are simplistic? Surely there is still an attendant danger that comes with these kinds of political single stories?

The negligence of nuance in public assessments of our Government, our President and our State will, in the end, serve to hinder rather than help us. And the danger is that many ill-intentioned or blithely ignorant people can exploit the naivety that this negligence betrays, to carry out their own self-interested agendas.

So for our own sake, let us wake up. Let’s stop parroting and start thinking. If we are going to have a court of public opinion, let us at least make sure that we, the judges and jurists are concerned with justice—with being fair, objective, reasonable and honest, not one-sided, bitterly biased, and bone-headed in our denial of the facts.

And if we were to be a more just court, we might talk something more like this:

Is our country perfect? No. Is it making progress? Undeniably, yes. Is our President perfect? No. Has he moved our country forward—well, if it is making progress then presumably he has. Is our Government perfect? No. But is it becoming better? I certainly think so. Will our politics and governance be transformed overnight? Not a chance. Will they be transformed in the very near future? Hardly likely. But are we seeing a progressive transformation of the political space? Bet on it. Truth be told.

And with an election coming up, the question on Kenyans’ minds should be whether those who are presenting themselves as alternatives to this regime, offer rational assessments of the regime’s strengths and failures, realistic solutions to the existing challenges, and concrete plans of action to move Kenya forward, or whether they are merely opportunists offering the kind of mindless, superficial opposition that’s decadent in its dissent, high on simple superlatives, and low on real substance.

Kenya should not negotiate for her sovereignity!

You cannot negotiate anything if you allow to be cornered!

Whoever proclaimed that ‘Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad’, had sage wisdom and enough surplus to spare and even share.

In this same vein, another sage person should remind Kenyans that knowledge of justice, though unarguably noble, must not blur the wisdom of the pursuit of the greatest good of the destiny of any society.

This is precisely why our sovereignty, as expressed in our Constitution, must not cede its supremacy to anything else, no matter what. Not even a World War or other catastrophe, be it by an act of God or man-made.

On April 9, 2013, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta was officially inaugurated as the Fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, amidst much fanfare and a clockwork-precision military ceremonial watched and witnessed by the entire world. Simultaneously, William Samoei arap Ruto became the Deputy President of Kenya. Signally, this was the first Kenyan Presidency to be inaugurated under the new Constitution that came into force upon its promulgation in August 2010.

In the preamble of this Constitution, sovereignty is vested in the people of Kenya, in perpetuity, under all circumstances. Specifically and unforgettably, the opening line in the Constitution maintains that:
“All sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and shall be exercised only in accordance with this Constitution”. The second line cuts to the chase and asserts, for all time: “The people may exercise their sovereign power either directly or through their democratically elected representatives”.

That Presidential Inauguration was the culmination of a democratic process that bequeathed Kenyatta the instruments of power and authority transmitted to him by the then President Mwai Kibaki.

These instruments were symbolized by a golden sword and a leather-bound copy of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The President also received a Standard. In effect, Kenya’s sovereignty, dignity and national pride were entrusted to Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta on that day and occasion.

It is supremely important that Kenyans constantly remind themselves that Kenya’s sovereignty resides in them, always. Nothing can alter this indivisible and indissoluble power over our own country as invested in our own people.

If the International Criminal Court (ICC) insists on carting away Kenyans, this will be a direct and an audacious affront to Kenyans’ sovereignty and supremacy over their own affairs and destiny.

And should Kenyatta persist in subjecting himself to the grafted jurisdiction of the ICC—even as he remains Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)—this will be nothing less than an abomination committed against Kenyan sovereignty.

The supreme mandate given to Kenyatta and Ruto by the people of Kenya is valid, on a renewable basis, until the next General Election. But besides being a mandate, it is a trusteeship and indeed the most solemn of them all. If President Kenyatta should, therefore, choose to send some Kenyans to the ICC, Kenyans must not forget their sovereignty, which vests in them, will be squarely placed on the diminishing path.

And if the cooperation between the Kenyan Presidency and the ICC persists all subsequent presidencies must be prepared to struggle with notions of authority, integrity, and respect and honour. As a matter of fact the hauling of any legitimate presidency before an alien jurisdiction should remain in the realm of the unthinkable. Such precedence should be out of the question, beyond the pale.

The President of the Republic of Kenya, in line with the Kenya Constitution 2010 is vested with ruling and sovereign authority over this country, nation and people, including our guests from other nationalities and sovereignties. In Kenya’s case the President’s right to rule the nation is a right transmitted to him through the ballot box. On their part, the people of Kenya, the collective repository and guarantor of this country’s sovereignty, never rule. They vest the power to rule in the President on an elective, contractual and limited-renewal basis.

However, sovereignty is invested in the people of Kenya, all the people, always. The President of Kenya is the single and singular personage who symbolizes that sovereignty in action. Therefore, the continuation of the ICC cases is a horrendous infringement on Kenyan sovereignty, the will of the people and the electoral choice and preference of the Kenyan electorate.

The indisputable canopy over the President, the Presidency and the people of Kenya is sovereignty. Without it, the President, the institution of the Presidency and the people themselves are naked.

Give Credit where its due!

Proudly Kenyan!

During the run-up to the last election some of our international partners decided to ‘help’ Kenyans vote albeit through proxies. ‘Choices have consequences’ became a loud rallying call for the opposition. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, the duo from the Jubilee coalition were swimming upstream. 

When President Kenyatta got into office as the 4th President of the Republic of Kenya, our nation was headed for a major disaster; literally. The nation had not recovered from the 2007 Post Election Violence and the social fabric was in tatters.

More importantly, the international community had issued travel advisories crippling our tourism industry and our dirty linen had been washed before the public (read world.)

The bickering that had characterised the Grand Coalition government had painted an image of a nation that was being held together by cello tape.

Like ‘The Titanic’ Kenya was sailing in turbulent waters. The sharks had prepared a dining table waiting for our nation to crumble. Our ‘neighbours’ had already strategically positioned themselves to take over our leadership role in the region. A nation that was a darling of the West for a long time, an island of peace in a sea of chaos, was now being seen as yet another failed state.

Terrorist attacks escalated. Westgate Mall happened. Mpeketoni was attacked. Garissa University was terrorized. Travel advisories were issued in droves. Our goose was all, but cooked. Yet the president never bowed; despite the challenges that would have broken a weaker man. Together with his Foreign Affairs Cabinet secretary, President Uhuru Kenyatta embarked on an aggressive charm offensive across the world. In no time at all, Uhuru and Kenya were darlings of the world; sought for all international forums and investors prospecting mega projects!

We had not sunk. We had managed to restore the dignity of our nation in the global arena. Kenya was now seen as a nation that once again was the center of global attention. One ministry that has worked hard to restore the dignity of Kenya abroad and open it up for international trade is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

In 2015, Kenya witnessed a number of high-profile visits by leaders including Prime Minister of China, Prime Minister of Italy, the President of the US, the UN Secretary General and Pope Francis. Kenya hosted the United Nations Environmental Assembly in June 25, 2014, the Governing Council of the UN-Habitat in April 2015 and the 10th Ministerial Conference of World Trade Organisation in December 2015; becoming the first African country to host the high-level WTO meeting. A total of 6,000 delegates attended the conference generating close to 2 Billion Shillings.

Last July, Kenya hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit attended by world leaders including President Barack Obama of the United States and President Ellen Johnson Sir leaf of Liberia.

Plans are underway to see Kenya also host the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD VI) Summit in August 2016 and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIV) in July.

Foreign Direct Investment inflows grew from $597 million in 2012/2013 to $868.44 million in 2013/2014, a growth of 45.47 per cent. Similarly, Kenya witnessed 100 percent increase in Kenya’s world trade share, growing from 0.04 per cent to 0.016 per cent over the same period.

The ministry facilitated the establishment of AIR hosted at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies whose core objective is to lower the cost of remittances and also established Diaspora Portal; a new tool developed to reach, connect and engage Kenyans in the Diaspora.

The foreign affairs ministry also secured opportunities for Kenyans in international organizations enhancing Kenya’s image globally. We came back from a brink many countries do not come back from, and we should all be proud of it. I personally celebrate our Ministry of Foreign Affairs amd the Jubilee government

We turned the curve; we are on the right track. Kenya is like the movie "Titanic":

The movie was enacted out of real events that occurred in 1912 when a giant luxury steamship (RMS Titanic), making its maiden voyage from the UK to the USA met its catastrophic end in the North Atlantic, plunging two miles to the ocean floor after sideswiping an iceberg.

The story was turned from a tragedy to an act of heroism between Jack (Leonardo De Caprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) who were lovers on the ship. Young Leonardo De Caprio through his acting skills inspired a whole generation of men who became brave enough to take a bullet for the people they love.
Gob bless Kenya!