David Pilling’s column on Kenya (Opinion, July 18) accurately captures the “on the ground” mood of the country.
His observation that Kenya’s president William Ruto “tapped into a modern idea: that of social contract between voters and government promising to deliver services and opportunity” is spot on. For once in this country we have had a government being interrogated based on its campaign pledges, which it is now turning into government policy.
The corruption that has always wafted through — and was tolerated courtesy of ethnic alignments (“we know he is a thief, but he is our thief”) — can no longer hold. The level of civic engagement on matters of budgeting, taxation and government spending plans has been impressive.
It feels like Kenya’s version of the Boston Tea Party, “no taxation without accountability”. It is known that the country is deep in debt, but what citizens are calling out for is better use of public funds and a clampdown on corruption. Investor shakedowns seem to be back in vogue, reminiscent of malfeasance of the Daniel arap Moi era. Public services, woeful from the word go, have also declined.
As the title of Pilling’s column says, it is without question true that Ruto misread the popular mood.
But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whether it is the American Revolution, the French Revolution, or South Africa’s apartheid era, there comes a time when the public will say “so far, but no further”.
Ruto had been pushing that button, running a corrupt government all the while lumping tax upon tax on the citizens in the apparent belief that his international image and slick rhetoric would buy him approval. Not any more.
As he made his bed, he must lie in it. The enforcement of the social contract that he promised is not up for negotiation.
Moronge L Obonyo
Partner, Obonyo and Osiemo Advocates, Nairobi, Kenya
