By Martin Mutua and Susan Anyangu
Hardly five days after top religious leaders roundly dismissed the Grand Coalition leaders as having totally failed Kenyans, a new opinion poll has given an even damning verdict — from Kenyans themselves. In what can only be described as a vote-of-no confidence in the Government, a whopping 70 per cent of those polled said it had achieved nothing in its one-year of existence, to be marked this Saturday.
And the survey, conducted last week, reeled out the same issues amplified by religious leaders last Thursday — the failure by the Government of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to uphold the rule of law, rein in runaway corruption and punish errant friends in Government.
But even as the damning verdict came in, the leaders were engaged in a blame game that was last night described as evidence of their losing touch with reality.
In an elaborate statement bearing the Government of Kenya’s coat of arms, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka — the man sitting a heartbeat away from the presidency — took the war to one of the principals, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, over the dismal Government performance.
The punchline
After chronicling the workings of the Grand Coalition — and adding, to boot, that the "key ministries responsible for coordination, prioritisation and consistency in implementation of programmes" as the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 in the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance, Kalonzo unleashed the punch line thus:
"It is misleading to tell Kenyans that the Government’s development agenda currently being implemented is only a PNU affair. Leaders must remain truthful and at all times endeavour to make correct representation of reality before the public".
The background to Kalonzo’s statement to the Press was Raila’s public pronouncement in Isinya on Sunday, in which he said: "Our manifesto has been diluted; what the Government is implementing is not what we (read ODM) promised Kenyans".
But even as the top leaders traded brickbats, Kenyans’ verdict left no room for ambiguity.
Indeed, only 31 per cent of Kenyans interviewed by the Steadman Group were optimistic that the Grand Coalition Government would survive until 2012.
But thanks to Kenyans’ resilient spirit, a further 54 per cent still want the wrangling coalition to see through its five-year term.
Between 77 and 80 per cent had no confidence in the Government’s commitment to deal with the post-election violence, the maize and oil scandals, extra-judicial killings and fire safety and disaster preparedness.
In the survey, the Government polled measly in its performance in education (8 per cent), addressing post-election violence (6), delivery of services (5), national reconciliation (3) and food security and relief services (3).
Crime and punishment
Others were fight against corruption (2 per cent), poverty alleviation (2), and 1 per cent each for security, the economy, distribution of resources and health.
On the issue of punishment of post-election suspects, only 39 per cent were optimistic that business and political leaders responsible for organising or supporting the post-election violence would ever be convicted.
In another evidence of rising disillusionment with politicians and political parties, 37 per cent said they did not feel any closeness to any political party, as compared to only 38 per cent who felt close to ODM and affiliate parties, 23 per cent to PNU and affiliates, and Kanu’s 2 per cent.
In the poll of 1,012 respondents, 71 per cent of Kenyans spread across the political divide believe there are ministers in Government who should resign to allow for investigations over possible corruption.
Agriculture minister William Ruto led the pack with 56 per cent, followed by Cabinet colleagues Kiraitu Murungi (21), Amos Kimunya (7) and George Saitoti (5). A significant 34 per cent either said they did not know or none should resign.
At the weekend, the coalition principals appeared to be going back to the people following the harsh indictment of the clergy.
The two, as well as Kalonzo and other senior ministers, appeared to mollify the public by undertaking extensive tours of the country to reassure Kenyans that they were very much in charge.
Coming barely a week after Parliament resoundingly rejected a move to entrench a local tribunal to try perpetrators of election violence, the survey validates Kenyans’ concerns that the crimes against humanity could go unpunished.
Yesterday, Kalonzo responded to Raila’s concerns over the implementation of Government programmes: "The correct position is that the Grand Coalition Government is presently implementing a collective development programme drawn from the manifestos of ODM, ODM-Kenya and PNU as well as vision 2030," Kalonzo said in his statement.
Kalonzo said the development plan was prepared by a high-level taskforce represented by the three parties, and subsequently adopted by the grand coalition Government.
"Indeed all major policy decisions and directions in the development agenda today are made by a balanced grand coalition Cabinet that is based on a 50:50 formula in its composition and which the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister are leading participants," he added.
Completely let down
That reassurance might offer little reprieve for Kenyans who feel completely let down by the Government in the past year.
"Seventy per cent of those polled said, aside from bringing the post-election violence to an end the Grand Coalition government has achieved nothing," said Tom Wolf a researcher with Steadman.
Last week, during a national prayer day and fundraising for the Nakumatt and Sachang’wan fire victims, the clergy castigated the two principals for failing to end corruption in the coalition government.
The opinion poll was for the first time done through mobile telephony using a newly acquired technology dubbed, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing.
Source: The Standard, Tuesday 24.02.2009
