Musyoka the anti-reform smoking gun

By SYLVESTER OLUOCH
Published May 25, 2010

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is besieged. Not by his enemies or friends, but by his own conscience; if he has ever had any.

The referendum tussle has split Musyoka right through the middle. Besides owing allegiance to both former President Daniel Arap Moi, and current leader Mwai Kibaki, who are on different sides in the current debate, Musyoka’s future in politics cannot be guaranteed by either “Yes” or “No” camps. This is like sawing the man from the head through the spine, right down the torso. That sure leaves the man dead. Politically speaking, this is the position of Musyoka. Yet, there is no telling whether it is political suicide, or homicide. What still baffles, is that Musyoka the man does not seem to realize what is happening to him, and revels in political self denial

Musyoka’s history binds him to both camps, whereas his future leans towards “No” (think of KKK). He is an ardent soldier of Moi, both overtly and covertly. In the run-up to much hoped for Kenya’s second liberation in the 1990s, Musyoka was and still is a dead beat supporter of Moi, and he never pays political debts – like Julia Ojiambo will agree. He is chief among the people who locked the door to dialogue, with a dead bolt; no key would open it, only those inside could. But were they willing? Musyoka defended Moi’s actions without remorse. He did it unconscientiously. With his prime motif being, perpetually egging close to the powers that be, for the proverbial buttered side of the bread.

As things stand now, Musyoka is the principal deputy to Kibaki. In this case, where the cabinet has taken a position to support the draft constitution, he should be seen as a general, and not a foot soldier in the proponents’ army. Going by his conduct, Musyoka passes for a lieutenant, who passes information and sends alms to the enemy camp. Thus he is seen as a backstabber per excellence.

Regrettably, while swinging a tirade at the Uhuru Park crowd whom he strongly declares was hired, Kwendo Opanga conveniently forgot that, a wavering Vice President is himself a dishonour to the vice presidency. The African knew the import of the relationship between the sword, and the sheath, and they lubricated the sheath, in order to enhance assault. Musyoka is a sword rusted in the scabbard.

Hot on the heels of the humiliating heckling he suffered at Uhuru Park, Musyoka hinted that such embarrassments, that appear organized by his detractors, could lead some members of the “Yes” team to join the “No” bandwagon. That is telling. As a matter of principle, people should oppose or support the draft, for their faith or lack of it in the content, not due to peripheral or auxiliary occurrences. The conditionality prescribed by Musyoka, is hereby tantamount to whistling in the dark, a very ominous practice in Africa.

On the broad side, it could still be opined that, the booing was arranged by the “No” group, in which Musyoka’s spirit studiously reclines, and with his mischievous approval. It would be a sure justification in the event that Musyoka moved from his flip-flopping on the draft, to a complete mute mode, or even open “No”. At the expense of being seen as Moiphobic, it is hard to avoid seeing Moi’s hand in this. Moi loves power and control. His limitation is that, he cannot control his power; he lets it flow. And it will not pain Moi to pay gazillions to get Musyoka out of the “Yes” squad, if anything, the underhand of Kenya’s conservative block worked in 2007, and they would gleefully repeat the feat.

Both camps have made Musyoka the lightning rod in this referendum; for they know it is the 2012 lynchpin.
Irrespective of Musyoka’s pretense, that his political nemeses are behind his misfortunes of the time, his own actions are self evident, that he is a mere grain of sand, in the deep sea of Kenya’s anti-reform squadron of deceit and exploitation. Musyoka is a representation of the very small clique of old school conservatives, strangling the masses in Kenya by their insatiable greed and insecurity, in the wake of the wave of change.

The period 2010 to 2012, will be markedly similar to 1990 to 1992. That was the time when reformists coalesced together. Moi was intolerant and so were his “foot soldiers”- Musyoka being one of them. Today, as Musyoka caucuses with the proponents of the new constitution, his heart is firmly on the other side, as he remembers the days of absolute power with nostalgia- when he spoke eloquently in defense of Kenya’s status quo. Today, he speaks for change, while demonstrating- by his demeanor- his deep affection for the old order.

Musyoka is the true face of resistance to change. How else does one explain indecisiveness in a situation where the second, or third in command, cannot fully defend his government’s position. Beware of those who smile from the corner of their mouths, they dine with the devil by the night, and stand askance in the day.

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