RE: Future of democracy bleak, don warns

Odhiambo,
I concur with Adams Oloo on this absolutely and it is a sad state of affairs

Ja'kamburi



> From: Dickens.Odhiambo@gmsi.com
> To: kenyaonline@yahoogroups.com; Youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com; mlalahoi@googlegroups.com; kca_main@yahoogroups.com; africa-oped@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Future of democracy bleak, don warns
> Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:45:21 -0400
>
>
>
>
>
> > NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 22 - A political scientist has warned that Kenya's
> > democracy faces a bleak future due to weak party politics, which has seen
> > voters elect leaders on personal merit, as opposed to relying on party
> > manifestos to inform their decisions.
> >
> > Adams Oloo has cautioned that personalising parties had stifled the
> > importance of policies in the formulation and implementation of national
> > development plans, which should ideally be the pillar of manifestos.
> >
> > Dr Oloo, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, told Capital News in an
> > interview on Wednesday that the country lacks a system of accountability
> > to ensure that winning parties fully implement their manifestos.
> >
> > "Most of the time you find that once a party gets into power they leave
> > behind the manifestos they had, and they turn to government bureaucracy to
> > come up with new economic or political policies that they want to pursue,"
> > asserted Dr Oloo.
> >
> > "What is missing in Kenya is a clear link between the manifestos that were
> > sold to the public and the policies that are finally implemented."
> >
> > He added: "If you were to go to countries like Tanzania and South Africa
> > you will find that the party is so strong such that the party policies and
> > vision, issues and functionaries end up in government and are
> > implemented."
> >
> > Since the advent of multiparty politics in 1992, parties in Kenya have
> > been associated with individuals as opposed to strong party democracy.
> > Loyalty has shifted over the years from one party to another depending on
> > where one's preferred tribal and regional leaders stand.
> >
> > Prior to multipartysm, the Kenya African National Union was the sole party
> > and its decisions and policies were upheld by all.
> >
> > Dr Oloo said the hope of the country lies on the full implementation of
> > the new Constitution which bars Members of Parliament from the Cabinet and
> > state officers from party posts. He also advocated for two strong
> > political parties with established internal democracy and party
> > structures.
> >
> > "On that basis we will start thinking along policy lines and look at the
> > policy divide between the parties," he said.
> >
> > "This way we will eliminate the individualism, ethnicity, regionalism,
> > religiosity and therefore... I join a party based on its policies."
> >
> > He said the strength of individual candidates as opposed to parties came
> > to the fore in Monday's by-election where a political novice Gidion Mbuvi
> > alias Sonko and flamboyant politician William Kabogo won parliamentary
> > seats in Makadara and Juja respectively.
> >
> > They both vied on Narc Kenya tickets.
> >
> > Dr Oloo opined that the wins were not necessary to the credit of their
> > sponsoring party, but rather on the basis of their personal strengths.
> >
> > The political scientist said the upset was due to the recent political
> > trend in the country where focus had slowly moved away from the party
> > politics to that of an individual's ability.
> >
> > He argued that owing to patronage and a breakdown of democracy in most
> > parties, the electorate had now shifted their support to candidates who
> > show genuine concern with their plight.
> >
> > "Had Mbuvi for example contested on the Kenya Social Congress party, he
> > still would have won since it is 'Sonko' the man and not the party," he
> > said.
> >
> > He was making apparent reference to the fact that Narc Kenya has bragged
> > it is the party to watch, after bagging the Makadara and Juja
> > parliamentary seats.
> >
> > sonko (September 23rd, 2010, 10:10 AM)
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > in 2012 people will truly chose an individual who poster development
> > character not party politics and politicians need to know that the system
> > has change old politics of party is long gone cos parties changes but
> > individual cannot change until we change the individual
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> >
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > Godfrey (September 23rd, 2010, 8:30 AM)
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > Political parties have been killed by politicians who think that they own
> > the parties. Remember ex-President Moi's remarks that "KANU has its
> > owners." Look at what is happening in FORD-K where the Chairman has
> > refused to hold elections likely to lead to his ouster. In the last
> > General Election of 2007, candidates who had lost party nominations were
> > still allowed to run for parliament because of their connections to the
> > party bosses. The President and Vice President have changed parties at
> > least 3 times in the past 20 years. The Prime Minister himself is a record
> > holder in how to shift party loyalties. That's why Kenyans are now voting
> > for candidates on the basis of their individual development records
> > because political parties are a disgrace to democracy.
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> >
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > Lenchaman Saruni (September 22nd, 2010, 6:09 PM)
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > Dr Oloo, you are very right! Kenya does not have strong party policies
> > which drive politics elsewhere in the world. We need to re-examine our
> > political relevance. Governments are driven by party manifestos not
> > hap-hazard ideals of individuals who switch parties when they lose
> > nominations.
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> >
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > Muigwithania.com (September 22nd, 2010, 4:17 PM)
> > <<...OLE_Obj...>>
> > The Era of party manifestos is over..Kanu had the most beautiful
> > manifestos but what did we get ...Odm has a manifesto but all we get are
> > vitendawili politics day in day out ......Democracy in Kenya is now about
> > personal CV and what you can do!The older generation of kenyans including
> > older political scientist and analyst should face reality.Change is coming
> > and it will not come packaged the way you want! Democracy will not die
> > because we have done away with pretty manifestos which have been used to
> > hoodwink us for so long! Welcome to the new Kenya
> >
> >
> > Read more:
> > http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Future-of-democracy-bleak,-don-w
> > arns.html#ixzz10S43xH4s
> > <http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Future-of-democracy-bleak,-don-
> > warns.html>
> > Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
> > <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0>
> >
>
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