Kenya: Opposition Not a Matter of Convenience or Opinion

AS the nascent grand Coaltion Governemnt (GCG) struggles to take its initial steps towards operation, it has suddenly hit a previosuly unknown (and perhaps unexpected) bunp in the road: immutable clamour for opposition in Parliament. Sounds like pre-1991 days? May be so more than many realize.

Soon after the announcement of the new cabinet under the deal brokered by Dr. Kofi Annan, life appeared to go back to normal in the country. Members of Parliament not named in the bloated cabinet begun calling for the foramtion of a Grand Opposition to counter the grand Coalition in the House. Led by Budalangí MP Ababu Namwamba, these calls have caught the Prime Minister and other cabinet members in an uncomfortable catch- 22: support the crusade and effectively undermine the Coalition or frustrate the efforts and appear to be rolling back the gains made since Kenya became a multiparty state in 1991.

As we have argued here before, Kenya is greater than the two competing viewpoints: PNU and ODM, now together in an uneasy union called a grand coaltion. Mr. Raila Odinga, the former opposition leader now Prime Minister in the Coalition government, opposes the calls for a grand opposition even as fellow cabinet members hold opposite views. The erstwhile reformist runs the risk of being perceived as greedy and aristocratic: that no opposition is necessary as long as he is in government. And that is precisely the problem.

Our argument here has two main prongs:

1. that when Kenyans overwhelmingly celebrated the end of KANU's one-party dictatorship in 1991, it was not a matter of political expediency or convenience: it was a fundamental right of the citizenry in a democratic state. Leading proponents for the repeal of section 2A of the Consitution such as Raila himself, his late father, the late Masinde Muliro, the late Kijana Wamalwa, the late George Anyona and others were merely agents of a population opposed to single-party oligarchy.

2. that the current debate on whether and/or the role of an official opposition is only the tip of an iceberg of the many problems associated with the implementation of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008. This was hurrriedly put in place partly to cool the tensions between ODM and PNU supporters and to stem the bloodshed. Major deficiencies lie beneath and these will be cropping up like incessant boils. Another example is the heated debate over amnesty for perpetrators of the violence and the subsequent return of IDPs to their homes.

Back to our main thesis: regardless of who is now in charge (and in the minds of many Kenyans Raila, Kibaki and the army of ministers are), ordinary citizens voices will be muzzled by the excesses of the Executive. Members of the executive arm need not be reminded that the effectiveness of the legislative arm depends in part on the concept of checks and balances. No, Hon. Raila, no government can check its own excesses.

Having moved to the Coalition government, ODM now leaves Kenyans with no choice but to count on the MPs not in government for help. By organizing themselves into a functioning official opposition (even if not so called), these gallant sons are doing a great service to common wananchi who are now worried that the huge cost of running the historically large bureacracy will leave nothing for public good.

If for no other reason, a grand opposition in now more necessary than ever before. For every minister or assistant minister, Kenyans need at least 2 MPs to keep watch.