More lessons from the United States

The presidential system of government that we endorsed last August will be a challenge to implement, especially when we know that members of our legislature are some of the least-educated men and women in any legislature. Bar none. That is the impression that many commentators have created over the life of the Tenth Parliament. If this were true, we would be in graver danger than we are today. Some of our MPs such as former Nominated MP Njoki Ndung'u and Nakuru Town MP John Mututho have demonstrated that they have the interests of the people at heart. That their colleagues failed to support them in the implementation or management of the after-effects of the Sexual Offenses Act and the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act is more a testament of the short-termism of Kenyan politics than an appreciation of the importance of keen follow-up by Parliament.

Events in the United States demonstrate the challenges that come with the existence of a divided government. The United States government is in the middle of negotiating a settlement that will prevent the government from defaulting on its sovereign debt. Barack Obama, the Democratic President, is negotiating with a Republican-dominated House of Representatives, hence the divided-government description. The negotiations, which have been going on for months, have failed to arrive a compromise that both sides could sell to their party members. This is one of the challenges that the government of Kenya will face in the years to come. In the event that the President comes from one party and the National Assembly is dominated by members of another it will be necessary for the politicians on both sides to demonstrate maturity when making decisions that will affect the nation as a whole. The same level of maturity will be demanded if the situation also prevails with the Senate.

At this moment it is crucial that voters elect leaders who are capable of transcending party and ethnic loyalties. The country is primed for one of the most crucial general elections in a generation. We missed the opportunity to reform the country in 1992 when President Moi managed to divide, and conquer, the opposition forces that had massed behind the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy. We missed another opportunity by the Kiraitu Murungi-led government walk-out of the Bomas Conference in 2005. In 2012, we have the opportunity to turn back the clock and grab the brass ring. If we fall prey to the same ethnic-oriented atavistic and chauvinistic impulses that politicians have cultivated for 20 years, reform may never be achieved.