King Kaka may be right: Listen to what governors are saying

The song rapper King Kaka released late last week elicited a great deal of controversy among politicians and, as usual, instead of pausing to find out why the general public applauded the sentiments therein, they chose to resort to bellicosity, threats and intimidation. They should have known better; it was already too late.

Although one may not necessarily support the manner in which the rapper did it – the tirade was raw, irreverent, inartistic and maybe defamatory – he spoke truth to power. If I were in a position of authority, I would sit up and take notice for the things Kaka is saying in Wajinga Nyinyi are what many Kenyans have been thinking but never had a good venue in which to articulate them.

Lest I be misconstrued, I intend to be strictly neutral. This is because, although I may agree with some of the things Kaka pointed out, I disagree with the way he did it. As a journalist, I shudder at the idea of maligning other people’s names unless they have been found guilty in a court of law. I would also hesitate to characterise Wajinga as music; it comes out as a very angry rant and may, therefore, turn out to be a one-week wonder, which is a pity.

But the fact is, the rapper was expressing the deep-held feelings of Kenya youth who are acutely despondent about their lot. Too many of them are jobless, living in a world in which corruption has become a way of life, and they have little share in it. The people responsible for this state of affairs are members of my generation. We have thoughtlessly robbed young people of their future.

Our corrupt and often inept political leaders deserve everything they got from King Kaka, and then some. If they don’t take notice now, the young people will have no choice but to hearken to disgusted rappers and foul-mouthed keyboard warriors who keep preaching revolutionary cant. Unfortunately, their rulers are ensconced in their cocoons oblivious of the suffering of the majority. Eventually, there will be hell to pay.

Why do I say this? As the furore over King Kaka’s diatribe was still going strong, governors had the temerity to demonstrate exactly what the man was rapping about. It appears they have become so inured to their own misconduct they find it easy to cock a snook at public opinion. On Monday, Council of Governors chair Wycliffe Oparanya said the council would move to the Supreme Court to seek a review of the High Court ruling that bars governors from accessing their offices once charged with corruption.

The reasons for the disquiet are not hard to discern: Many governors fear their days in power are numbered considering three of their colleagues are out in the cold. The first to suffer that fate was Samburu governor Moses Kasaine Lenolkulal who has been charged with irregularly obtaining Sh84.7 million from the county coffers. In July, High Court judge Mumbi Ngugi, in a precedent-setting ruling, agreed with the Nairobi Chief Magistrate that the governor should stay away from his office because he had exhibited “moral ill-health”.

When Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu was charged with corruption, he was slapped with the same strict conditions – that he should not set foot in his county office until his trial is over. He had been accused of benefitting from irregular tenders worth Sh580 million. He has been fighting hard since July to return to office. However, the man whose dramatic arrest caught Kenyans’ fancy was Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko who has also been stopped from accessing his office. He faces a barrage of corruption charges involving the misappropriation of Sh357 million.

These protests by governors are highly curious. They are not above the law. In fact, they are subject to the provisions of Chapter 6 which declares that as State officers, once they are charged with criminal offences, they must step aside. They are not mad at their colleagues for raiding public coffers; they are annoyed with DCI George Kinoti for daring to arrest them on Fridays, forcing them to spend weekends in police cells, and livid with judges for keeping them away from office.

Kenyans have news for these folks: The only way to avoid 'kamata kamata Friday'; the only way to ensure they can access their offices is to stop stealing. Nobody wants to arrest governors for the sake of it. They are merely being kept away so they do not interfere with evidence or intimidate potential witnesses.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Instead of listening to the usual carols, try a Christmas album by the acapella group Pentatonix. You won’t be disappointed. I am particularly impressed by one chap, an American with Nigerian roots, Kevin Olusola, who is a complete orchestra on his own. I only discovered the beatboxing art form early this year, and I have not yet recovered.