Shoe is on the other foot

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"When Parliament is dealing with something unconstitutional, we should say so. We should not let it pass. I urge you that this bill is only for rejection. In my conclusion I want to talk to my sister, Nyar Ugenya, Beth Mugo. We have gone through the trenches with you. You know when governments are in power how they behave. You can give people on the other side a little education that sometimes revolutions eat their own children. Governments eat their own people. This government is going to punish you more than it will punish me. In another one year you will be crying in my office to come and represent you. I have appeared for President Kibaki when he was in the opposition about laws which were made here. I have appeared for President Uhuru and his Deputy Ruto when KANU was going away. But now that they are in power they are forgetting and when power gets into your head I can tell you, you will never remember that there is a bigger power Almighty that will deal with you."

This is an internet gem of wisdom from Siaya Senator and constitutional lawyer James Orengo during a Senators special sitting that had been called to debate the amendment of election laws in 2017. Orengo seemed to speak to the Jubilee Senators who really never looked through the dangers of passing the amendments except that they had the numerical strength. Eventually, Jubilee carried the day with 24 senators voting for it against 19 from the opposition.

3 years down the line, Orengo's words have come back to bite. Thanks to the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his political nemesis turned brother ODM party leader Raila Odinga. Roles have reversed. Those that were the government are now in the opposition.The political advantage has shifted to a party that was previously disadvantaged.

Prior to the handshake, the government through the police brutalised,killed and maimed many National Super Alliance(NASA) supporters protesting against the IEBC and the reelection of Uhuru Kenyatta as President in 2017. 

Jubilee MPs Moses Kuria, Ndindi Nyoro and Alice Wahome ridiculed NASA protestors claiming that the economy was on it's knees because of the protests. Ndindi Nyoro at one time urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare a state of emergency for 6 Months and suspend the constitution. "Within this period, he should rule by the fist, make Judiciary a department of the executive and redeem our country from dark forces by scrapping some useless entities like the Supreme Court. These characters must behave tomorrow! There's no two way about it." This was in response to a petition filled to postpone the October 2017 repeat poll. 

The legislator in 2017 declared he would resign if President Kenyatta failed to garner more than 55 percent of the votes.

The MP stressed that he could not serve in a government led by National Super Alliance (NASA) flag bearer Raila Odinga.

"I am very ready to resign if you will not reelect President Uhuru Kenyatta because I can only realise my development goals in the Jubilee regime,” Nyoro announced.

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Moses Kuria commended the police for cracking down on NASA protestors. 

"As a member of the parliamentary budget committee, I can confirm we will be reviewing the budget of the police upwards to cater for emerging issues like need for more and extra lethal teargas."

The other day Kandara MP Alice Wahome who went to court to stop NASA protests blasted President Uhuru for being "The biggest existential threat to Kenya’s declining economy, democracy and freedom of expression, political affiliation and growth."

When you make your bed...

On Friday evening Jubilee allied MPs led by Ndindi Nyoro, Alice Wahome and Kimani Ichung'wa had a taste of their own medicine when they were teargassed and chased away from Kilimani Police station where they had gone to seek the release of Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who was arrested for assaulting a woman. 

"They have teargassed us ruthlessly and smashed some of our vehicles inside Kilimani Police Station as we tried to have them obey a court order on Hon Moses Kuria's release. Members of the press were not spared either."

Dennis Itumbi, Digital Director at State House, who once mocked journalists who had been barred from covering Miguna Miguna's forceful deportation at JKIA was not spared either. He posted that he had been injured in the melee though he had sought treatment and was discharged."No problem. But a Police Station Operates 24 hours. 18 policemen literally beat me up. But I survived. Aluta Continua."

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Such scenarios make it hard for Kenyans to distinguish who the real government is and who the opposition is. But we live for such moments!

ODM party secretary general Edwin Sifuna commented on the current predicament facing the Jubilee legislators and said "This stuff writes itself. Don't die. Don't blink."

All these reminds me of Jackson Mandago, Uasin Gishu county governor who said,

"Usiweke maneno ya siasa kwa roho tafadhali."

I must say that President Kenyatta created the mess and it is upon him to clean it off even if it means cracking down, arresting and eating his own errant Jubilee children.