We need a moratorium on campaigning in 2020

Kenyans had barely finished counting down to the New Year before hearing political machinations and statements about succession battles.

Political partnerships are being devised and plans made with an eye on the 2022 General Election.

It is unfortunate that there is a cadre of politicians who only make noise when it comes to who will run with who in a race that is more than two and a half years away.

These intrigues and manoeuvrings do little good for the country. They shift focus from the work that needs to be undertaken.  

Every citizen knows the challenges that we face, but we have a president who is focused on the job at hand.

The year 2019 was a challenging one financially, but the green buds of economic rebound are beginning to be seen.

The foundations of progress and development were laid last year.

However, to ensure the advances being made stay on track, we need a political class that is devoted to its growth.

The Big Four Agenda is an ambitious initiative, but it is one that can revolutionise our nation.

If the government can attain food security, affordable housing, manufacturing, and affordable healthcare for all, then Kenya will reach its goals of Vision 2030, to become an industrialising, middle-income country.

It will provide a high quality life to all citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment.

These initiatives require focus and hard work. They need politicians pushing in the same direction.

President Kenyatta laid the foundations for this over the last couple of years by reaching out to opposition politicians. With a growing group of senior politicians on the same page, Kenya can achieve the improbable.

Unity is strength, and if all are pulling in the same direction, our people’s wildest dreams of a stable economy, an end to corruption, and a country we can all be proud of, will be within reach.

These things are attainable because of the achievements over the last couple of years due to the reforms and improvements the government has made.

Nevertheless, if the President spends most of his time deflecting attacks and justifying spurious assertions from political opponents, there will be less time for effective management of the country.

However, by bringing in the likes of opposition leader Raila Odinga to the decision-making process and constantly engaging with his former foes, President Kenyatta has been able to free up important time to achieve his development agenda.

Moreover, by bringing in voices from differing political backgrounds, President Kenyatta is developing a more holistic strategy to deal with  Kenya’s pressing issues. The positives outweigh the negatives that opponents are trying to raise.

Nonetheless, some critics have used this unprecedented engagement between the government and the opposition to see conspiracies and poke holes in it.

The country needs 2020 to be a year free of politicking.

There needs to be a moratorium on petty succession politics, a truce among our politicians and a ceasefire on personal attacks, at least until the end of the year.

There is a whole year in 2021 and a large part of 2022 that can be devoted to campaigns, we cannot afford to start campaigns now.

It should not be too much to ask our politicians to sheath their proverbial knives. They need to embrace the programme that gets Kenya back on the right track that President Kenyatta is implementing.

The people should demand that our elected officials and public servants use their time to serve the people, and not their own interests, at least for the next twelve months.

If this happens, 2020 will be a historic year.