[goigoi]

This might sound obvious but have you critically analysed the Kenyan politicians?
The last Parliamnet was made up of interesting people. More than 50% were people who has been tear-gassed or participated in a demonstration. Many were human rights activists.But once they were made mawaziri, they became hardliners. If it were that they are poor and uneducated, you would understand, but most of them are rich and even academicians.

So what normally happens to Kenyan politicians? Dont get me wrong, if I was given that position (not that I want)-I will not say no, but I will not be stupidly cheering on. I will try to remember my past and fight for the poor.Are there genuine development conscious people who can go to state house and tell the Boss that " Yenyewe Mzee this thing is hard but we c an do it this way"?

[Ndaba]

What makes it difficult for a previously 'clean man' to remain so once he steps into bunge is the process of induction into being a Kenyan potitician. It starts with the vigorous campaigns in which if you don't align yourself to certain centres of power, you risk being humiliated at election time. Money flows about and you develop dependency before you even know it, and then you will at one time have to toe a certain line depending on which big man you count your political survival. Sa uko ndani, and your issues evaporate!

[Kabunja wa Gathuita]

Politicians are born politicians, nothing changes. But they use different avenues to become MPs and maziri. Same everywhere in the world. The people who really fight for change and would not want to be corrupted by it decline such positions as MPs or ministers or even leadership. Do we have any examples of Mandela or Gadhi in our country? No! For them, it is politics of survival - and we have many political survivors.

[goigoi]

May be Kenya will be a better place if we identified and promoted (through civil activities) some of these selfless leaders? Any list of people who have had opportunity to grab but ducked? Forget the Kibwanas, Kituyis, and Kombos and the Kiprutos. They were activists and even won awards but once they were ndani they became Mutisya reincarnate.

Any list of clean and straight Kenyans?

[Kabunja wa Gathuita]

Originally Posted by goigoi

May be Kenya will be a better place if we identified and promoted (through civil activities) some of these selfless leaders? Any list of people who have had opportunity to grab but ducked? Forget the Kibwanas, Kituyis, and Kombos and the Kiprutos. They were activists and even won awards but once they were ndani they became Mutisya reincarnate.

Any list of clean and straight Kenyans?

It is hard to compile a clean list - that shows how poor our politicians have performed. Some names can be checked like - Mwachoffi (old politician now and used to be considered as among the 7 bearded sisters with Koigi and Anyona), Njeru Kathangu, Shikuku ..... well not sure if they missed the chance or if it is due to their cleanliness that they never got so rich! Any clean list??

[Type R]

It is easy to be an opposition activist, it is easy to say what you don't want.

But articulating a progressive national policy is very boring tedious work.

Politics is rough and shady, all the people I know who participated in elections on Dec 27 did not get past party nomination. Once you go through that rough scrum called elections, I think you lose respect for the masses. People vote for you because you paid them the most. People vote because you are the same clan. People vote because they saw your face often over the past 2-3 years. People like Jillo Falana, Joe Donde did a lot for Kenya yet they got chucked out (it also happened previously to Orengo and Anyang' Nyong'o).

Politics makes people very cynical, and also desperate for survival since yo never really know whether you're still popular or not. It's a huge gamble, every day is a gamble.

[Kabunja wa Gathuita]

Originally Posted by Type R

It is easy to be an opposition activist, it is easy to say what you don't want.

But articulating a progressive national policy is very boring tedious work.

Politics is rough and shady, all the people I know who participated in elections on Dec 27 did not get past party nomination. Once you go through that rough scrum called elections, I think you lose respect for the masses. People vote for you because you paid them the most. People vote because you are the same clan. People vote because they saw your face often over the past 2-3 years. People like Jillo Falana, Joe Donde did a lot for Kenya yet they got chucked out (it also happened previously to Orengo and Anyang' Nyong'o).

Politics makes people very cynical, and also desperate for survival since yo never really know whether you're still popular or not. It's a huge gamble, every day is a gamble.

I agree with you. The people who elect the MPs are the same people who at times drive to those cynical levels. But it shows many of them are not principled - for they should see when they start over stepping the limits.

[goigoi]

"People like Jillo Falana, Joe Donde did a lot for Kenya yet they got chucked out (it also happened previously to Orengo and Anyang' Nyong'o)."

I agree with you. If Donde Bill had been passed as he proposed, many Kenyans would be better off. What surprises me is that the same people who were opposed to the bill, curbing of the silly local borrowing and unlimited,unreasonable interest rates,have lived abroad and know that those same banks don't charge as much in their own countries. You you wonder whose interest they advance! Instead of Kenyan banks participating in otheractivities to generate money, they are bent on curving and trimming corners by finding ways of eating away deposits. Then we read that they are making billions of pre-tax profits even when the economy has a negative growth.

Then our leaders play to the gallery complaining about the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor? I know for a fact that if an activist moved to UK an d lobbied citing immoral profiteering, Standard Bank and Barclays would change. Imagine they charge Kenyans for withdrawing their own money???? Kenyans find that normal. They laughed Donde out of town as if he was mad!
I have always argued that if each one , especially those serving the public, did one remarkable thing, we can change Kenya.

Think about it.One MP introduced and pushed for the Sex O Bill, another brought the CDF, if Donde' was enacted as he said, and another 50 members of parliament managed to have their bills /or sessional papers/ or whatever they call them -all turned into law. In 5 years we would have meaningful change.

[goigoi]

People add your voice. We may have to produce a list through a Mashada poll.
Which Kenyan is not bent on enriching himself/herself even when the opportunity is there?
Roll the names!

[Kabunja wa Gathuita]

Think of Ngilu - she may be seen in many different lights by many. But she ahd this bill on affordable health. It was killed by the Private sector as it would have run some of them out of business. How good it would have been for the many poor families that can't afford health insurance.