What is the PSCU doing?

There is an anti-Orengo screed, allegedly penned by "PSCU Senior Directors" which dares Senator James Orengo of Siaya to "do his worst" in relation to land-grabbing in Lamu, or the TJRC Report or the Ndung'u Commission Report - it is unclear which of the three issues Mr Orengo should "do his worst" on. The statement by the PSCU - the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit - senior directors seems of a piece with the Jubilee approach to governance of late - petty and vindictive for no discernible political gain.

Charity Ngilu, the Lands Cabinet Secretary, has done a pretty good job of converting what could have been a dry administrative position into a powerful political weapon against the opposition. She has been misled, once or twice, by the likes of the PSCU senior directors, but for the most part, by doing her job, she has made the political case for her brand of reforms in the land sector. She has managed to show up James Orengo and Kivutha Kibwana, seasoned lawyers both, for their failures on the land reforms agenda when they were in charge of the Lands docket. That they are both members of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, CORD, is something she can use to her advantage in the future. It is something Uhuru Kenyatta can use to his advantage.

There is a very strong suspicion abroad in the land that the PSCU is really a Political Strategy Communications Unit, and it has nothing to do with the dry-as-hell functions of the presidency. Even then the PSCU has proven woefully inept at its job. The manner in which it is communicating on behalf of the President requires the President either to double down on the message, which is frequently inane, or walk back the message in the hope that Kenyans' pigeon-like memories will have retained little. Sadly, the internet retains everything; every time the PSCU gets the President to say something inane, it is preserved and you can bet that just like the PSCU was very good at trawling James Orengo's record as Minister in relation to land reforms, the TJRC and the Ndung'u Commission, President Kenyatta's gaffes at the hands of the PSCU will be rehashed and broadcast for all to see when the time is right.

Part of the PSCU's problems lie in the fact that its senior directors are still campaigning against Raila Odinga. Mr Odinga lost the presidential election if not exactly fairly but, surely, squarely. Mr Odinga lost the presidential petition again if not exactly fairly but, surely, squarely. Mr Odinga is not a Member of Parliament. He holds no official position in the Government of Kenya. He wields a diminishing-in the political cold and a lot can change in that time, never mind the ass-kissing that he must endure. It is time the PSCU admitted that Uhuru Kenyatta won - and started to act like it.

So long as the PSCU senior directors keep the campaign fires burning theirs will be an exciting tenure in State House. The moment they start the job of communicating Uhuru Kenyatta's government's policies in soundbites that the people can understand and appreciate, theirs will be the dullest job in all of government. They will have to understand, for example, why the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development wants to digitize land records. Not just so the Thirteenth Floor at Ardhi House is finally shut down, but also so that every Kenyan can trade in real property without doubt as to the authenticity of the documentation, thereby promoting capital investment, credit-cost reduction, employment generation, and improved manufacturing statistics. It is eye-wateringly boring shit and explaining it to Wanjiku who most likely has a Form Four education, limited English-grammar skills and a short attention span will take the patience of Job, the determination of Daniel and the loyalty of St Peter. The senior directors of the PSCU lack all of these qualities. It is why Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election shall always be threatened by Raila Odinga's non-existent strengths.