Politicking not helpful during coronavirus crisis

They say that how you handle yourself during a crisis is a true test of character.

Kenya, like most of the world, is in the middle of those once-in-a-century crises that will test our national mettle, our health system, economy and solidarity.

We need the whole country to be to face the coronavirus pandemic with one 100 per cent focus with as few distractions as possible.

Unfortunately, there are still some politicians who don’t seem to be able to avert their gaze from elections in 2022 and the so-called succession battle.

It should be unbelievable, but it is true, even at the highest levels.

Rather than help the nine-member National Security Council with the awesome task of steering our nation through the crisis, some of our highest ranking officials appear to be bogging us down in small-minded party politics.

Recently, the Jubilee Party had to replace certain members of their National Management Committee since former secretary-general Veronica Maina, Fatuma Shukri and Pamela Mutua resigned after they secured positions in the government.

They have been replaced by Lucy Nyawira Macharia, Prof Marete Marangu, former Kitutu Masaba MP Walter Nyambati, Jane Nampaso and James Waweru, who will be in charge of the daily management of the Jubilee Party.

This relatively bureaucratic move might attract some minimal attention in normal times but in the middle of the Coronavirus outbreak, it should be nothing more than a minor footnote. A distraction at best.

Nevertheless, there has been a clearly coordinated riotous protest about this move, with senior Jubilee members all sending incomprehensible letters of protest.

I know I speak for almost all Kenyans when I say that I had hoped that we would not see this type of petty politics for a while, at least until we have rid our nation of the threat of the Coronavirus. Factionalism is the last thing we need at this worrying time.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has an unenviable and enormous task dealing with every aspect of this modern-day plague. The last thing he needs is to have his attention turned by petty internal party fighting.

We need all politicians to act responsibly and act in unity. 

There is only one way we will get through the next few months and that is to put our labels and party titles aside. There should be no Jubilee, ODM or Wiper, or any other party, no Kieleweke or Tangatanga. 

President Kenyatta has shown how this can be possible when he put political labels on a hiatus to battle the scourges of corruption and form the Building Bridges Initiative.

If President Kenyatta can reach out to Raila Odinga for such issues, then for matters of life and death like the Coronavirus should be obvious.

That is why we need a complete and total moratorium on petty politics. We need our politicians to set aside minor differences for the greater good.

Elections are to be held in 2022 so we will have plenty of time after the Coronavirus leaves us to return to politics and electioneering. 

There is no rush at this moment.

It might be understandable if elections were around the corner, but they are far away.

That is why this politicking is beneath contempt. 

It is unreasonable, unhelpful and even damaging to our national effort.

Let us hope that this is just an aberration and all of our politicians and leaders will return to the united front. We need everyone in the trenches together because this will be a long-drawn out battle and as we have seen elsewhere around the globe, one wrong decision or hesitation can result in the loss of countless lives and even greater harm to our economy.

Kenyans demand that Kenyatta, Odinga, Ruto, and all other leaders to join this united effort. There should be no government and no opposition. No infighting and no political disagreements.

They dare not drop their gaze from this fight because the stakes are too high. Those who break ranks will be held responsible and we will not forget.

Please, leaders of Kenya, put any and all differences aside and place a moratorium on politics for the duration of the Coronavirus crisis.