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Post Election Kenya: No Need to
Re-Invent the Wheel
Kenya’s Crisis – A Synopsis
Dr. George B. N. Aytittey , Free Africa Foundation
15. Feb. 2008
1. Africa’s political elites never learn from their own foolish
mistakes (Kenya’s own 1992 political violence), nor those of other
African countries. The crisis in Kenya is an exact replica of what
happened in Cote d’Ivoire in 2000, following a disputed election.
The country is now divided between the Muslim north and the
Christian south. Remember that Cote d’Ivoire used to be the most
stable country in West Africa.
2. Last December, I urged Kenyans to vote out ossified politicians
like Odinga and Kibaki and bring in fresh new faces.
3. Much of the blame for these unnecessary deaths and destruction
should be reserved for Odinga and the opposition. I am not an
admirer of Kibaki, so forget about him. We all know that EVERY
incumbent African president will do everything possible to RIG an
election and MANIPULATE the results to return himself to power. We
know this; it is a FACT.
So you, an opposition leader, must do your homework and develop
effective counter-strategies accordingly. Raila and Kenya’s
opposition did not do their homework, had no plan, and no
counter-strategies. Even Raila found to his utter dismay that his
name was not in the voters’ register!
He had to produce identification before he was allowed to vote!
I am taking a strong stance in this because we have another
election coming up in Zimbabwe. Has the opposition there done its
homework? It is the height of naivete for any African opposition
leader to expect power to be handed over to him by incumbent on a
silver platter.
Do your homework, do your homework. We need an intelligent
opposition to make democracy work in Africa – not the rah-rah
noisy opposition that is only capable of waving placards and
chanting “Kibaki Must Go!” and “Mugabe Must Go!”
4. In the case of Kenya, blame at this point would serve no useful
purpose. Hundreds have died and thousands are displaced. We must
focus on resolving the crisis. The U.S. and other Western
countries have suggested direct face-to-face negotiations between
Odinga and Kibaki. This Western approach NEVER worked in Africa.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, and AU Chairman, John Kufuor
and others have all suggest Government of National Unity (GNU) but
that NEVER worked anywhere in Africa – not even South Africa after
apartheid was dismantled. It is time for a NEW APPROACH – an
African approach.
5. It starts by recognizing that the crisis is now beyond the
capabilities of Odinga and Kibaki to resolve. When two elephants,
it is the grass that gets hurt, says an African proverb. When two
people fight, the entire village is affected, says another. And
since it takes a village to raise a child, it must take a village
to resolve a crisis.
6. When a crisis erupts in a village, the chief would convene a
village meeting and put it before the people. The issue would be
discussed until a consensus is reached. Once reached, all,
including the chief must abide by it.
7. In recent years, this indigenous African institution was
revived by pro-democracy forces and used to defuse political
crises and chart a new political dispensation for several African
countries: Benin, Cape Verde Islands, Congo (Brazzaville), South
Africa and Zambia. It is called the “sovereign national conference.”
8. The crisis in Kenya now is for ALL Kenyans to resolve. A
sovereign national conference must be convened with
representatives drawn from all sections of Kenyan society:
political parties, religious bodies, tribal groups, professional
groups, student groups, etc.
Check the composition of South Africa’s Convention for a
Democratic South Africa (CODESA). This sovereign national
conference must wield “sovereign power,” meaning its decisions
must be binding on ALL, including Odinga and Kibaki. It must
establish an interim administration, write a new constitution and
set a date for fresh elections.
Kenya does not have to re-invent the wheel. The vehicle for
resolving its political crisis is already there in Africa.
George Ayittey,
Washington, DC
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