Kenyan Politics 2011

(Some Perspective). Kenyan Politics is no doubt very intriguing. It is akin to a comedy movie, in which the scripts change all the time. Even a second is quite long and your political fortunes can be raised or shattered in an instant. Granted, the world over, politics is a high stakes game in which there are no permanent friends and enemies, just strategic alliances. The Kenyan media and people in general must be relishing with fascination given the kind of talk that goes in bars and social places. The major players in the Kenyan politics such as Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Uhuru Kenyatta, Kalonzo Musyoka, Najib Balala, Chirau Ali Makware, Musalia Mudavadi, Martha Karua, Peter Kenneth are routine newsmakers. In fact, Kenyan news seems to be so boring if there isn’t any news from any of the big shot politicians.

Currently, the major national debate is on the acquittal of William Ruto from the graft charges, the clearance of Charity Ngilu by the house committee. This has got people talking and since everything in Kenya is looked with a tribal lens, everyone is bound to defend their kith and kin. Even though the Kenyan media routinely swears that they will give the politicians a blackout, they know that they simply can’t. Just look at the rallies at the Uhuru Park that were meant to be a homecoming ceremony for the Ocampo six. The major political parties, PNU and ODM are going for the final kill in a bid to get a head start in the Kibaki succession. Commentators in the country’s daily newspapers have been analyzing the situation on who will get to succeed President Kibaki. Such commentators as Makau Mutua, Philip Ochieng, Ahmed Nassir Abdullahi, Kwendo Opanga are having a field day as the stories to comment on are just too many. Kenyan Political blogs such as kumekucha.blogspot.com, mashada.com, egoimagekenya.com are also having a field day in reporting on the Kenyan politics 2011 scenario. And there would be Sunny Bindra and Gabriel Dolan, Maina Kiai trying to bring some soberness into the Kenyan political analysis. Don’t we just love how the Kenyan political system operates, Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, Maize scandal, oil scandal, Triton scandal, let the circus continue.