Only a fool does the same thing twice expecting different results by Billow Kerrow

It is campaign season, when our famed political leaders engage in the usual ‘politics without principle’. Even those in Government now say when they form the next government, they will do things differently. Yet, they consciously forget they have been, and are still, in Government and should practice what they preach now.
But it’s perhaps only in campaigns that you can double-speak, which is why the former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev said ‘politicians are the same all over; they promise to build bridges even where there is no river’.

Even under the new political dispensation, this industry has not reformed. Despite pledges to the contrary when leaders launch new parties, it is partisan interests, empty rhetoric and blatant impunity as usual.
The political pillar of our development blueprint Vision 2030 envisages that after the 2007 political violence, our politics will be ‘issue-based, people-centred, results-oriented and accountable’ to move this nation forward.
In its social pillar, we pledged to create a ‘cohesive society, enjoying just and equitable social development’.

To our leaders, the people are the servants, not their masters, and hence matter not. And after continuous bombardment with incessant political rhetoric, Kenyans have become a gullible society. We are flattered by their confessed love for us, and their pledge to take us to the Promised Land.
Their constant reminder that ‘our community’ must unite to take leadership invigorates us to sharpen our kitchen knives for the impending feast.
And as their parties mutate quite so often, they unashamedly remind us that it is a new dawn and their new outfits will transform our battered lives.
Our priorities are misplaced as often, and trivialised, even when our future is dependent on it. The IEBC budget is a clear case. We nearly collapsed into anarchy in 2007 because of the bungled elections.
After a transformative legal clean up, we want to hold the next elections on a completely new platform, without precedence.
The constituencies are up nearly 50 per cent; a large county leadership has to be elected, and the voters are expected to be more by 50 per cent to an unprecedented figure of 18 million; the registration of voters, the voting process, and tallying of the results must all be electronic and tech-savvy; and above all, there should be no slip up in the process and we must use all our security forces to maintain peace.
There are numerous cases in court on the electoral boundaries delineation to be disposed off.
Understandably, the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission had sought a Sh31 billion budget to undertake this milestone election. And our MPs and the Treasury think a half will do, citing lack of funds.
In the same week, the Government announces it will spend Sh8.3 billion to install CCTV cameras on our streets to fight terrorism. Are we not at a greater risk of politically instigated violence if elections are bungled? In the same week, MPs voted Sh19 billion for our military adventure in Somalia. Courtesy of Standard Digital


Americans for Hon. Billow Kerrow