Rebuilding at a crawl

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Kenyan politics

by Natalie Duval and Biodun Iginla, BBC News and the Economist

Oct 8th 2009 | NAIROBI
From The Economist print edition

East Africa’s most important country is failing to pick itself up after a traumatic and bloody election
eyevine

WHAT exactly has Kenya’s grand coalition government done to put the country right after last year’s post-election violence, which killed 1,500 people and displaced 300,000 more? By its own account, just about everything. A truth and justice commission meant to look urgently into the violence is “currently setting up its secretariat”; it even held a team-building retreat in August. A constitutional review is coming along nicely, paving the way for a new constitution which Kenyans have wasted huge amounts of time and money bickering over for the last decade. And a judicial review has decided on increasing the number of judges—which will cost 1% of the national budget and be implemented “over a period of time.”

Yet the visit of a former United Nations secretary-general, Kofi AnnanKofi Annan, was a harsh reminder that in the real world the situation is a lot less rosy. Having brokered the power-sharing deal between the president, Mwai KibakiMwai Kibaki, and the former opposition leader and now prime minister, Raila OdingaRaila Odinga, Mr Annan has become a confessor to the Kenyan political elite. He was in Kenya to shame the government into getting on with reforms that were promised as part of the deal, and which most think are now stalled.

document.write('<\/script>'); <a target="_blank" href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2FkLmRvdWJsZWNsaWNrLm5ldC9jbGljayUyNTNCaD12OC8zOGM1 LzMvMC8lMjUyYS9mJTI1M0IyMTg2NjY0MTclMjUzQjEtMCUyNTNCMCUyNTNC NDE0MjAwMTclMjUzQjQzMDctMzAwLzI1MCUyNTNCMzM2NzYyNjQvMzM2OTQx NDIvMSUyNTNCJTI1M0IlMjU3RWZkciUyNTNEMjE4NDM2MTg0JTI1M0IwLTAl MjUzQjE4JTI1M0IzMTY1ODczMSUyNTNCNDMwNy0zMDAvMjUwJTI1M0IzMzY5 ODUxOS8zMzcxNjM5Ny8xJTI1M0IlMjUzQiUyNTdFc3NjcyUyNTNEJTI1M2Zo dHRwOi8vd3d3LmlibS5jb20vc29mdHdhcmUvbG90dXMvbG90dXNrbm93cz9j bV9tbWM9YWd1c19pdGVwbG90a24tMjAwOTA5MTItdXNpdGIyMzAtXy1iLV8t Y29ubjMwMHgyNTAtXy1lY29ub21pc3Q= "><img src="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL20xLjJtZG4ubmV0LzIwODIyMDcvSUJNX0xvdHU= sKnows_Conn_30k_300x250.gif" width="300" height="250" border="0" alt="" galleryimg="no"></a> <a target="_blank" href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2FkLmRvdWJsZWNsaWNrLm5ldC9hY3Rpdml0eTtzcmMlMjUzRDE4 MzE3MzIlMjUzQm1ldCUyNTNEMSUyNTNCdiUyNTNEMSUyNTNCcGlkJTI1M0Q0 MDk2ODUwOCUyNTNCYWlkJTI1M0QyMTc3NjM2MTUlMjUzQmtvJTI1M0QwJTI1 M0JjaWQlMjUzRDMxNTQwNTk4JTI1M0JyaWQlMjUzRDMxNTU4NDc0JTI1M0Jy diUyNTNEMiUyNTNCY3MlMjUzRHklMjUzQmVpZDElMjUzRDEwMDAlMjUzQmVj bjElMjUzRDElMjUzQmV0bTElMjUzRDAlMjUzQl9kY19yZWRpciUyNTNEdXJs JTI1M2ZodHRwOi8vYWQuZG91YmxlY2xpY2submV0L2NsaWNrJTI1M0JoPXY4 LzM4YzUvMy8wLyUyNTJhL20lMjUzQjIxNzc2MzYxNSUyNTNCMC0wJTI1M0Iw JTI1M0I0MDk2ODUwOCUyNTNCNzk5LTM1MC8zMDAlMjUzQjMxNTQwNTk4LzMx NTU4NDc0LzIlMjUzQiUyNTNCJTI1N0VmZHIlMjUzRDIxNzUzOTM4MSUyNTNC MC0wJTI1M0IxMiUyNTNCMzE2NTg3MzElMjUzQjQzMDctMzAwLzI1MCUyNTNC MzMyODMzMTQvMzMzMDExOTIvMSUyNTNCJTI1M0IlMjU3RXNzY3MlMjUzRCUy NTNmaHR0cDovL3d3dy5sbG95ZHMuY29tL05ld3NfQ2VudHJlLzM2MF9yaXNr X2luc2lnaHQvMzYwX0Vjb25vbWlzdC5odG0/V1QubWNfaWQ9MmVjVVNB "> <img src="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL20xLjJtZG4ubmV0LzE4MzE3MzIvUElEXzExMTA= 318_mpu_350x300.gif" mce_src="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL20xLjJtZG4ubmV0LzE4MzE3MzIvUElEXw== 1110318_mpu_350x300.gif" width="350" height="300" border="0" alt="" /> </a> <img src="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2FkLmRvdWJsZWNsaWNrLm5ldC9hY3Rpdml0eTtzcmM9MTgzMTcz MjttZXQ9MTt2PTE7cGlkPTQwOTY4NTA4O2FpZD0yMTc3NjM2MTU7a289MDtj aWQ9MzE1NDA1OTg7cmlkPTMxNTU4NDc0O3J2PTI7JmFtcDt0aW1lc3RhbXA9 MTUxNzA2O2VpZDE9OTtlY24xPTE7ZXRtMT0wOw== " width="0px" height="0px" style="visibility:hidden" border="0" /> <img src="" width="0px" height="0px" style="visibility:hidden" border="0" /> <img src="" width="0px" height="0px" style="visibility:hidden" mce_style="visibility:hidden" border="0" /> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2FkLmRvdWJsZWNsaWNrLm5ldC9qdW1wL3dlYi5lY29ub21pc3Qu Y29tL2FsbF9hcnRpY2xlcztuYXY9d29ybGRfcG9saXRpY3Nfdl9taWRkbGVf ZWFzdF9hbmRfYWZyaWNhO25oPUM4OTM5NzBEO2F1ZGllbmNlX3RvcGljPWFm cmljYW5wb2xpdGljczthdWRpZW5jZV9jaGFubmVsPWdsb2JhbGlzYXRpb247 IWM9MTQ1ODc4OTk7cG9zPW1wdV9sZWZ0O3RpbGU9NDtzej0zNTB4MzAwLDMz NngyMzYsMzAweDI1MCwyNTB4MjUwO29yZD02MDA3NTI2ODk/ " target="_blank"><img src="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2FkLmRvdWJsZWNsaWNrLm5ldC9hZC93ZWIuZWNvbm9taXN0LmNv bS9hbGxfYXJ0aWNsZXM7bmF2PXdvcmxkX3BvbGl0aWNzX3ZfbWlkZGxlX2Vh c3RfYW5kX2FmcmljYTtuaD1DODkzOTcwRDthdWRpZW5jZV90b3BpYz1hZnJp Y2FucG9saXRpY3M7YXVkaWVuY2VfY2hhbm5lbD1nbG9iYWxpc2F0aW9uOyFj PTE0NTg3ODk5O3Bvcz1tcHVfbGVmdDt0aWxlPTQ7c3o9MzUweDMwMCwzMzZ4 MjM2LDMwMHgyNTAsMjUweDI1MDtvcmQ9NjAwNzUyNjg5Pw== " width="350" height="300" border="0" alt="" /></a> <p>Most egregiously, the pursuit of justice after the post-election killings has been too slow. Indeed, Mr Annan has chosen to hand over a list of those suspected of stoking the violence to the International Criminal Court (ICC), because Kenya’s politicians failed to agree on their own domestic judicial process to charge the perpetrators. Last week, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, indicated that he will bring charges sooner rather than later. Some of those likely to be indicted are in the government itself. </p> <p>It is the same story elsewhere. Legislation has been passed to reform land use, but not to address the grievances between the Kikuyu, the largest ethnic group, and the various Kalenjin peoples in the contested Rift Valley, where a lot of the post-election violence happened. Some say that the Kalenjin militias are now rearming. Reform of the electoral system was also promised but little has been done. The worry is that all this points to a rerun of the chaos and bloodletting of the December 2007 poll at the next election in 2012.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the country is suffering possibly its worst drought since 1991. Four million Kenyans depend on food aid. Hundreds of thousands of cattle have perished, leading to bloody battles in the wastes of northern Kenya. Money needed elsewhere has already been diverted to buying food and offsetting livestock losses. Growth is expected to be lower than the cautious 3% predicted by the government. Inflation is running at 18%. </p> <p>Frustration with the lack of progress has boiled over into unusually terse exchanges with the country’s main allies. The American ambassador was told to “shut up” by a government minister after strongly criticising anti-reform Kenyan officials. The only recent success anyone can point to is the removal of the head of the country’s anti-corruption commission, Aaron Ringera, who had been reappointed to a second stint in office by Mr Kibaki despite (or thanks to) his bringing no significant prosecutions in five years. Parliament opposed Mr Kibaki, however, and so Mr Ringera had to resign. Mr Kibaki seemed only slightly put out by the defeat; Mr Odinga looked only mildly pleased. Both men put on a show of unity. Perhaps they are allies now; perhaps not. The opacity maddens Kenyans. </p> <p>The mood in the slums is tinder-dry. Most alarming is the government’s failure to promote a new generation of politicians. The same old faces are jockeying for position before the 2012 election. Parties have split and split again, all to service the interests of the political elite. Yet half the population is under 20. A space may open up for a populist party with an armed wing. Parts of the Mungiki, a gang that mixes violent crime with Kikuyu revanchism and community action, are reaching out in the slums to youth from other tribes. </p> <p>Kenya functions best where the government does not intrude. The country has the most vibrant business sector in east Africa. The financial sector is getting leaner and smarter. Safaricom, the country’s largest mobile-phone operator, recently got permission to sell $159m of bonds to expand its internet business; KenGen, the country’s main electricity provider, announced its own $331m bond offering. Similar deals frequently come along and now pass virtually unnoticed. But private businessmen alone cannot save Kenya from a much worse outbreak of inter-ethnic violence while its politicians scheme for their own ends. </p> <br /> <p> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL21pZGRsZWVhc3QtYWZy aWNhL2Rpc3BsYXlTdG9yeS5jZm0/c3RvcnlfaWQ9MTQ1ODc4OTkmYW1wO3Nv dXJjZT1ocHRleHRmZWF0dXJlJTIzdG9w " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL21pZGRsZWVhc3QtYWZy aWNhL2Rpc3BsYXlTdG9yeS5jZm0/c3RvcnlfaWQ9MTQ1ODc4OTkmYW1wO3Nv dXJjZT1ocHRleHRmZWF0dXJlJTIzdG9w ">Back to top ^^</a> </p> Readers' comments <p><i>The Economist</i> welcomes your views.</p> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL21pZGRsZWVhc3QtYWZy aWNhL2Rpc3BsYXlTdG9yeS5jZm0/c3RvcnlfaWQ9MTQ1ODc4OTkmYW1wO3Nv dXJjZT1ocHRleHRmZWF0dXJlJmFtcDttb2RlPWNvbW1lbnQmYW1wO2ludGVu dD1yZWFkQm90dG9t " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL21pZGRsZWVhc3QtYWZy aWNhL2Rpc3BsYXlTdG9yeS5jZm0/c3RvcnlfaWQ9MTQ1ODc4OTkmYW1wO3Nv dXJjZT1ocHRleHRmZWF0dXJlJmFtcDttb2RlPWNvbW1lbnQmYW1wO2ludGVu dD1yZWFkQm90dG9t ">View all comments (14)</a><a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL21pZGRsZWVhc3QtYWZy aWNhL2Rpc3BsYXlTdG9yeS5jZm0/c3RvcnlfaWQ9MTQ1ODc4OTkmYW1wO3Nv dXJjZT1ocHRleHRmZWF0dXJlJmFtcDttb2RlPWNvbW1lbnQmYW1wO2ludGVu dD1wb3N0Qm90dG9t " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5lY29ub21pc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL21pZGRsZWVhc3QtYWZy aWNhL2Rpc3BsYXlTdG9yeS5jZm0/c3RvcnlfaWQ9MTQ1ODc4OTkmYW1wO3Nv dXJjZT1ocHRleHRmZWF0dXJlJmFtcDttb2RlPWNvbW1lbnQmYW1wO2ludGVu dD1wb3N0Qm90dG9t ">Add your comment</a> Posted by BiodunIginla at <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMDkvMTAvcmVi dWlsZGluZy1hdC1jcmF3bC5odG1s " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMDkvMTAvcmVi dWlsZGluZy1hdC1jcmF3bC5odG1s " rel="bookmark"><abbr>5:05 AM</abbr></a> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9nZ2VyLmNvbS9lbWFpbC1wb3N0Lmc/YmxvZ0lEPTQy MDQ1MTk1Njc1NzA2Mjg3MjYmYW1wO3Bvc3RJRD04ODUyODc0MTc1MzIzMTkw OTU3 " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9nZ2VyLmNvbS9lbWFpbC1wb3N0Lmc/YmxvZ0lEPTQy MDQ1MTk1Njc1NzA2Mjg3MjYmYW1wO3Bvc3RJRD04ODUyODc0MTc1MzIzMTkw OTU3 "> </a> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9nZ2VyLmNvbS9wb3N0LWVkaXQuZz9ibG9nSUQ9NDIw NDUxOTU2NzU3MDYyODcyNiZhbXA7cG9zdElEPTg4NTI4NzQxNzUzMjMxOTA5 NTc= " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5ibG9nZ2VyLmNvbS9wb3N0LWVkaXQuZz9ibG9nSUQ9NDIw NDUxOTU2NzU3MDYyODcyNiZhbXA7cG9zdElEPTg4NTI4NzQxNzUzMjMxOTA5 NTc= "> </a> Labels: <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC9iYmMlMjUyMG5ld3MlMjUyMG5hdGFsaWUlMjUyMGR1dmFs " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC9iYmMlMjUyMG5ld3MlMjUyMG5hdGFsaWUlMjUyMGR1dmFs " rel="tag">bbc news natalie duval</a>, <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC9iYmMlMjUyMG5ld3MuJTI1MjBiaW9kdW4lMjUyMGlnaW5sYQ== " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC9iYmMlMjUyMG5ld3MuJTI1MjBiaW9kdW4lMjUyMGlnaW5sYQ== " rel="tag">bbc news. biodun iginla</a>, <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC9LZW55YQ== " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC9LZW55YQ== " rel="tag">Kenya</a>, <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC90aGUlMjUyMGVjb25pb21pc3Q= " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJl bC90aGUlMjUyMGVjb25pb21pc3Q= " rel="tag">the econiomist</a> <a href="../../undefined/" mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/undefined"></a> 0 comments: <p> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmxvZ2dlci5jb20vY29tbWVudC5nP2Jsb2dJRD00MjA0 NTE5NTY3NTcwNjI4NzI2JmFtcDtwb3N0SUQ9ODg1Mjg3NDE3NTMyMzE5MDk1 Nw== " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmxvZ2dlci5jb20vY29tbWVudC5nP2Jsb2dJRD00MjA0 NTE5NTY3NTcwNjI4NzI2JmFtcDtwb3N0SUQ9ODg1Mjg3NDE3NTMyMzE5MDk1 Nw== ">Post a Comment</a> </p> <a href="../../undefined/" mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/undefined"></a> <p> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMDkvMTAvcmVi dWlsZGluZy1hdC1jcmF3bC5odG1s " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMDkvMTAvcmVi dWlsZGluZy1hdC1jcmF3bC5odG1s "> </a> </p> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMDkvMTAvcWEt dGhpbmtpbmctYmVoaW5kLW5vcnRoLWtvcmVhcy1taXNzaWxlLmh0bWw= " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLzIwMDkvMTAvcWEt dGhpbmtpbmctYmVoaW5kLW5vcnRoLWtvcmVhcy1taXNzaWxlLmh0bWw= ">Older Post</a> <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLw== " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLw== ">Home</a> Subscribe to: <a href="/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL2ZlZWRzLzg4NTI4 NzQxNzUzMjMxOTA5NTcvY29tbWVudHMvZGVmYXVsdA== " mce_href="http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4376747/aHR0cDovL2Jpb2R1bi1pZ2lubGEuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL2ZlZWRzLzg4NTI4 NzQxNzUzMjMxOTA5NTcvY29tbWVudHMvZGVmYXVsdA== ">Post Comments (Atom)</a>