Thursday, February 09, 2006
FIRE OF CORRUPTION
You do not leave your burning house to go and sift through the ashes of your burnt granary. Common sense dictates that you put out the infernal and then find out what caused the fires in the granary and main house. The government is going about the business of corruption in Kenya in reverse order. The house is burning, firemen are the arsonists and yet you are calling them to sit down and discuss not only how to put out the fire but also the causes of the fire. They cannot be trusted to put the fire out neither would they be objective in the investigation. Let’s look at the firemen:
Kiraitu Murungi, the minister for Energy seems to have expended much energy in covering up and condoning corruption. The Githongo dossier is damning enough for any innocent person to lie low and not come out fighting. It merits response and rebuttal otherwise the court of public opinion will convict on available evidence. As a lawyer, the minister knows that courts convict on the basis of the presented evidence, not the withheld evidence however convincing it would have been. That the garrulous minister has been evasive and silent in the face of the accusations is indicative of the veracity and magnitude of the indictment. Continued silence and inaction is tantamount to contempt of the people’s court. The fire cannot be put out with him in the firefighting crew. Step aside and let the fire trucks through.
The VP Moody Awori seems to have been sucked into a quagmire way beyond his mantle. But he has gone about putting out the fire the wrong way. We all can see the house is on fire yet, uncle Moody is asking us what fire, who says I lit it? He may not have lit the match but he had the match box. He may not have fanned the fire but neither did he call in the fire brigade when the fire started. The fire can only be put out if he lets the firefighters in. Step aside and them in, they’ll establish your innocence or otherwise.
There is no doubt that Professor Saitoti has been one of the most prolific and active ministers in the Kibaki government. He has undertaken his education portfolio with the vigor and energy of a man on the run. He has been trying to run away from his past but it is fast catching up. Of all the Moi era Goldenberg perpetrators he is the only one still in the cabinet. When he therefore talks of ‘they’ chasing him for political expediency, we are lost as to who he refers to. The time for accountability is here and the shifting of blame to unnamed people is long gone. Either stand up and carry your cross or get your Cyrene to help you carry it. Unlike Anglo Leasing which is a flaring flame, Goldenberg is a smoldering heap refusing to die out. We may never recover the billions but our souls will be mollified when there will be token restitution and punishment of the guilty. The professor should step aside for us to rake through the embers, he cannot sit in the same cabinet that is trying him or even discussing him.
As argued above, we must put out the burning fire of Anglo Leasing before attempting to fight the fires of Goldenberg and allied. We cannot wait another ten years for Anglo Leasing and allied to be addressed. The evils of this government must be sorted by this government. This government is under obligation, least by its own electro promises, to cleanse itself of those scandals perpetrated and those perpetuated during its watch. Yes we need to know about all the past fires, we need to convict the past arsonists but the house is on fire now and the arsonists are right here. First let us stop and then chase those who lit yester fires.
Charles Wairia
Kiraitu Murungi, the minister for Energy seems to have expended much energy in covering up and condoning corruption. The Githongo dossier is damning enough for any innocent person to lie low and not come out fighting. It merits response and rebuttal otherwise the court of public opinion will convict on available evidence. As a lawyer, the minister knows that courts convict on the basis of the presented evidence, not the withheld evidence however convincing it would have been. That the garrulous minister has been evasive and silent in the face of the accusations is indicative of the veracity and magnitude of the indictment. Continued silence and inaction is tantamount to contempt of the people’s court. The fire cannot be put out with him in the firefighting crew. Step aside and let the fire trucks through.
The VP Moody Awori seems to have been sucked into a quagmire way beyond his mantle. But he has gone about putting out the fire the wrong way. We all can see the house is on fire yet, uncle Moody is asking us what fire, who says I lit it? He may not have lit the match but he had the match box. He may not have fanned the fire but neither did he call in the fire brigade when the fire started. The fire can only be put out if he lets the firefighters in. Step aside and them in, they’ll establish your innocence or otherwise.
There is no doubt that Professor Saitoti has been one of the most prolific and active ministers in the Kibaki government. He has undertaken his education portfolio with the vigor and energy of a man on the run. He has been trying to run away from his past but it is fast catching up. Of all the Moi era Goldenberg perpetrators he is the only one still in the cabinet. When he therefore talks of ‘they’ chasing him for political expediency, we are lost as to who he refers to. The time for accountability is here and the shifting of blame to unnamed people is long gone. Either stand up and carry your cross or get your Cyrene to help you carry it. Unlike Anglo Leasing which is a flaring flame, Goldenberg is a smoldering heap refusing to die out. We may never recover the billions but our souls will be mollified when there will be token restitution and punishment of the guilty. The professor should step aside for us to rake through the embers, he cannot sit in the same cabinet that is trying him or even discussing him.
As argued above, we must put out the burning fire of Anglo Leasing before attempting to fight the fires of Goldenberg and allied. We cannot wait another ten years for Anglo Leasing and allied to be addressed. The evils of this government must be sorted by this government. This government is under obligation, least by its own electro promises, to cleanse itself of those scandals perpetrated and those perpetuated during its watch. Yes we need to know about all the past fires, we need to convict the past arsonists but the house is on fire now and the arsonists are right here. First let us stop and then chase those who lit yester fires.
Charles Wairia
