Cabral Pinto
23 February 2008
opinion
Nairobi — Doublespeak is when one says what one does not mean and when one does not mean what one says. And silence can be doublespeak.
Good examples of doublespeak are when Justice minister Martha Karua and her Foreign Affairs colleague Moses Wetangula say Kenya is not a colony, but a sovereign state, the ODM Pentagon's failure to respond to the two ministers on this issue and when US secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say Kenya is a sovereign and independent nation.
Dr Rice says also that Kenya is a friend of the US. But have you heard anybody say that the US is a sovereign and independent nation, or, for that matter, Britain, Germany, Japan or France being described as such?
No, because these are facts that need not be repeated. Similarly, nobody wants to repeat the fact that Kenya is a neo-colony and not a sovereign state. Politicians the world over rarely say what they mean and mean what they say.
If you missed the Gado cartoon in the Daily Nation of Tuesday, then look for it and analyse it. It is a call to the local politicians in particular and Kenyans in general to wake up if they value their survival. The superpower has spoken.
The empire has spoken - on behalf of Kenyans. The cartoon does not allow for doublespeak. The Karuas, Orengos, Kilonzos, Mudavadis, Rutos, Kosgeis, Ongeris and Wetangulas of this world cannot protect Kenyans if the empire strikes. Similarly, they cannot protect themselves from the empire. Thus, Kenya needs to focus on the consequences of defying the empire.
It is not true that the international community, led by the US, is favouring ODM and is against PNU. We need to look at the West's military, economic, social and political interests in this matter.
Kenya is one of Africa's anchor states, and a collapsed anchor state jeopardises the interests of the international community in the entire region. This country is simply cursed with politicians who do not understand world politics.
Otherwise, how does one explain Mr Wetangula's utterances that show that he has forgotten the Leninist text he read at university. The US has taken action and dictated the political settlement's content and timing. The consequences of our politicians defying the US are devastating.
The visa bans have started, and they may be followed by the freezing of Kenyans' assets abroad and aid cutbacks, in particular military, which may annoy the Kenyan armed forces.
It is not an idle joke that President Kibaki, ODM leader Raila Odinga and their negotiators could find themselves at Fort Leavenworth Prison in Kansas wearing orange jumpsuits. And the tragedy is that Kenyans would not fight for their release. Of course, there may be no defiance if foreign interests are involved in doublespeak, double standards, hidden agendas, hypocrisy and perfidy.
Kenyans are wondering if what the international community is telling Kenyans publicly is different from what it is privately telling the contending political parties. Kenya's reconstruction is bound to take some time. Lobby groups and the private sector have to be proactive in all fields in the reconstruction process.
A new constitution that stipulates equitable distribution of power and resources among all the communities is the cornerstone of this rebuilding.
Peace, truth, justice, national healing and reconstruction have to be headed by people of integrity and courage, whose loyalty is to the nation and not to the ethnic barons.
Kenyans who have been involved in corruption, murder, ethnic cleansing, rape, drug trafficking and propagating ethnic hatred should never hold public office. And the people place such a premium on peaceful, free and fair elections that polls reforms must make sure Parliament is not the exclusive club of the rich. It is foolhardy to believe that PNU and ODM will spearhead the reconstruction as the struggle for political power will continue. Given their class interests, the parties will never carry out land and other reforms that challenge their interests.
It should be remembered that in both the parties are politicians who will violently oppose any changes that jeopardise their interests. I have in these columns reiterated that an alternative leadership in all fields of our society is necessary, as it is critical. We should not forget that it is needed also at the cultural, spiritual, social and private sector levels.
Kenyans cannot wait to see the launch of the United Democratic Front, the Forum for Reform and other initiatives that see Kenya's rebuilding beyond PNU, ODM and other political travellers.
It is also this other political leadership that knows the West's interests and how to use the available political space for Kenya's good.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
