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Kisiis Chart a New Common Course
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- Published on Wednesday, 18 July 2007 01:46
That was the plain message for Mr Simeon Nyachae at the Kisii leaders' meeting he convened on Monday, as enunciated by former Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairman Mrs Wilkister Onsando.
And when he took the platform, the Ford People leader and undisputed spokesman for the ethnic group made it clear he has all intentions of working closely with the Narc Government.
He told the people that never should they regret having voted so overwhelmingly for him and Ford People.
"These are the results of democracy. We are working closely with the government and be assured we are well catered for in terms of the distribution of development matters from the central government ... I will support the government of the day for I too would have expected the same if I won.
The Kisii leaders meeting came against a backdrop of puny resistance from Kanu leaders led by former cabinet minister Prof Sam Ongeri, who were complaining in the run-up to the date that they had not been invited. They were also resentful that it might be used to cement Mr Nyachae's political supremacy within the community.
Prof Ongeri and other Kanu leaders, notably another former minister Mr Chris Obure, former assistant minister Mr Joseph Kiangoi and Mr Timothy Bosire of Narc snubbed the meeting despite word that they were free to attend if they so wished.
Ms Carren Magara, who lost her bid for the Makadara parliamentary seat in Nairobi, dismissed the meeting as a "Nyachae affair".
Even after the meeting, she disagreed with his assertion that the government was treating from Gusii fairly. She claims that several prominent Kisii public servants have been dismissed by the new Government.
Mr James Momanyi, who attended the meeting at the Gusii Institute of Technology, faults Mr Nyachae's critics for keeping away.
Even though they were not formally invited, he argued, they could have made a potent point by appearing and demanding an opportunity to speak. If ignored "they could have stormed out emerging as real Kisii leaders who were being frustrated by Mr Nyachae, he says.
Otherwise, Mr Nyachae's unequivocal show of support for the Narc Government is still providing a talking point. Especially as he has in the past stated that Ford People will be an aggressive opposition.
There have also been signals that Mr Nyachae's party was working an informal arrangement with the Official Opposition, Kanu, so as to provide a more solid Parliamentary opposition.
Indeed, Mr Nyachae conceded only a few weeks ago that he had held a number of meetings with former President Moi, then still the Kanu chairman.
He explained at the time that both Kanu and Ford People were on the same side in Parliament and therefore would have to work together even if not go into formal alliance.
At that time there was widespread speculation that Ford People and Kanu were negotiating a union which would be led by Mr Nyachae, with the present Official Opposition leader Mr Uhuru Kenyatta as his deputy.
By now going public very clearly that he is cooperating with President Kibaki's Government, Mr Nyachae has set a course which will not be easy to reverse.
What is not clear is whether he is deliberately charting a new course, or responding to feelings that it is better to be inside rather than outside Government.
Since introduction of multi-party politics, the Kisii have elected a majority of Kanu parliamentarians, but split their presidential vote evenly among the main candidates.
In both 1992 and 1997, then President Moi actually got a minority of the Kisii vote.
But with the rest of Nyanza voting overwhelmingly for the Opposition, the Kisii came to carry in influence that belied their actual numbers, particularly in the number of ministers and assistant ministers they got.
Come 2002, and Mr Nyachae entered the presidential fray. After what seemed like a promising start, he faded badly and was never a serious contender, only the best of the minnows.
But his party at least got 100 per cent of the Parliamentary seats in the Kisii districts in addition to the few picked up elsewhere.
So with his leadership undisputed in Kisii, Mr Nyachae's challenge is how to market himself effectively as a national leader if he wants another stab at the presidency in 1997.
But he must also take care of home turf, and thus the import of the Monday meeting.
The agendas which he spelt out personally with a little assistance from MP Mr Henry Obwocha, who was the master of ceremonies touched on pertinent issues affecting the community.
All in all the meeting, also attended also three DCs Abdilahi Leloon (Kisii), Jamleck Baruga (Nyamira) and Samuel Kilele (Gucha), was a success going by the numbers and the unity displayed.
But there are still voices of discontent. Former MP George Anyona broke his long silence to rubbish it.
The former firebrand, who lost the Kitutu Masaba seat to Mr Mwancha Okioma of Ford People, feels Mr Nyachae was misusing the Kisii community for his own interests.
Mr Bosire shares the same view. He poses: "Mr Nyachae has been in the government longer than any other Kisii leader. Besides, he is one of the richest Kenyans. But can he identify himself with any meaningful project he has put up for the interest of the community he is now busy claiming to be speaking for?
But one of Mr Nyachae's key supporters, Kitutu Chache MP Jimmy Angwenyi, has a ready answer. "What Mr Nyachae is saying is that he would want to leave antagonistic politics behind and work amicably with the government of the day in serving Kenyans and the Omogusii interests.
Mr Angwenyi denied that Ford People was pushing for closer ties with the government but wanted mutual understanding in dealing with one another.
He described as cowardly the decision by Mr Nyachae's critics to snub the meeting. The meeting was open and those who skipped it are enemies of our long cherished unity.
Adds Mr Obwocha, the MP for West Mugirango: "For the first time we were able to meet under Mr Nyachae as the community's leaders and jointly look for ways of assisting our electorate.
Mr Okioma said it was time to bury past political factions that divided the community and join hands under Mr Nyachae's leadership to seek common economic concern affecting the community.
Nyaribari Masaba's Dr Hezron Manduku said it was through respect for the elected leaders that the government will listen to their development agenda.
Another issue that attracted attention was the community's stand on the constitutional review.
Constitutional review Commissioner Charles Maranga said it is necessary that Kisii make their position known on crucial issues such as devolution of power. Constitutional conference delegate Mr Richard Kibagendi said the community had kept off taking sides in crucial debates at Bomas.
"We have taken a low profile because we wanted your blessing on what position to take the Nyamira KNUT branch executive secretary told Mr Nyachae at the meeting. .
Another delegate Mr Benson Kegoro Ogero said he was opposed to the zoning of the three Kisii districts to one administrative zone.
"We better demand a review such that we are linked in the new arrangement with our neighbours the Kalenjin or Maasai for the sake of future political and social interests, he proposed.
Several resolutions were passed with the focus being uniting the Kisii for development purposes.
Resolutions reached by the leaders and read by the Ford People parliamentary whip Mr Obwocha:
A joint district Education board, consisting three members from Gucha, Nyamira and Kisii be formed to work out modalities on how to improve deteriorating education standards in the three districts;
Problems afflicting the coffee, tea, dairy industry will be addressed by supporting a commission of inquiry instituted by the government.
One person be allowed to attend all District Security Committee meetings in the three districts to assist the administration in identifying impending unrest.
Three people will be nominated to consultative roads committees to assist in identifying areas of putting up roads and physical structures.
A team of scholars will team up with respective District Education Boards to seek for solutions to poor academic standards in the three districts.
The leaders agreed to meet after six months to evaluate the progress of the resolutions they passed.
Mr Nyachae arrived at the meeting at 8.55 am but had to wait for other delegates before he brought the meeting into order.
Scores of the Ford People activists who had no invitation cards were barred from attending the meeting as party youths teamed up with police offices screened those accredited at the main gate to the venue.
Mr Leloon blamed politicians of interfering with the administration operations while fighting crimes like the elimination of illicit brews.
Mr Kilele said cross-border committees had been formed between Gucha and Transmara districts to check cattle rustling that had caused unrest in the past that pitted the Kisii against the Maasai.
Mr Baruga asked the MPs to request the government to send more police vehicles to assist in fighting crime.
