Full-page adverts by the government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua titled The Truth About Agenda 4 Reforms. What You Need To Know Today! have appeared in the national dailies.
Mutua should stop using taxpayers' money to hood-wink the public. He says the truth about the reforms will shock us and that we are being lied to by the agents of doom. He rates the government performance as 90 per cent and gives it A grade.
Mutua should be aware that the National Accord is a matter of life and death for millions of Kenyans and that the grand failure by the Grand Coalition Government to deliver the National Accord is a reality.
People of conscience cannot afford to remain silent on the flagrant abuse of power by so many of the members of the coalition government. We must exercise our democratic options to protest abuse of trust by the government of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. We must not fear to say the two do not possess the credentials to deliver on the National Accord.
On February 28 last year, Kibaki and Raila signed the National Accord because Kenya was on the brink of a precipice after the botched election of December 2007.
No one knows who won the election and therefore Kibaki and Odinga cannot claim a legitimate mandate based on votes.
Kenyans gave their consent for establishment, by constitutional amendment, of a Grand Coalition Government with the sole mandate of implementing the National Accord. The hybrid form of government was accepted because we feared for our lives but we have not abandoned our rights.
Among these rights is the implementation of the National Accord. The reforms will be implemented, whether the government likes it or not, because Kenyans are determined to reform their country.
The Accord was intended to facilitate an effective government to develop the country and conduct essential statutory and administrative reform of key institutions, even while reconciling Kenyans, tackling mass poverty and unemployment, addressing historical grievances, ending impunity and punishing post-election crimes.
The National Accord was meant to heal and reform the country to prevent violence from erupting again.
In the last 20 months, the government has dragged its feet on the implementation of the National Accord and has failed to provide money in the National Budget for its implementation. The Cabinet has failed to establish the tribunal to try the post-election violence perpetrators.
The Partnership for Change considers the coalition government to be ruling ultra vires. It cannot and is not capable of providing the enabling environment for change. Reforms require capable reformists; Kibaki and Raila have no reform credentials and have demonstrated none during the time the National Accord has been in place.
Agenda 1 of the National Accord deals with violation of the human rights of citizens.
On July 30 President Kibaki and the PM released a statement that revealed the desire by the government to retract its adoption of the Waki Report surreptitiously; to grant the guilty impunity and to deny victims their inalienable rights to truth and justice.
Kibaki and Raila appear to have no interest other than shielding alleged perpetrators named by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and "stopping accountability against persons bearing greatest responsibility for crimes, particularly crimes against humanity, relating to the 2007 General Elections in Kenya." Does Mutua still score 90 per cent on the special tribunal which he claims is not part of the National Accord reforms.
Agenda Two was to immediately resettle the IDPs and to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. The government needs to explain why it has been unable to plan for substantive resources for its resettlement programme. Does Mutua still score an A for this agenda?
Agenda Four concerns longterm issues. The Cabinet established after the Accord is the largest and most expensive in Kenya's history.
The national budgets for the years 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 did not provide resources for Agenda Four reforms. There is no money for reforms, there will be no reforms. A government that fails at the very minimum to plan cannot now be given the responsibility of implementing. We need as Kenyans to be candid and accept our fate.
The coalition government has reached its sell-by date.
Mwalimu Mati is the executive director of Mars Group.
Mutua should stop using taxpayers' money to hood-wink the public. He says the truth about the reforms will shock us and that we are being lied to by the agents of doom. He rates the government performance as 90 per cent and gives it A grade.
Mutua should be aware that the National Accord is a matter of life and death for millions of Kenyans and that the grand failure by the Grand Coalition Government to deliver the National Accord is a reality.
People of conscience cannot afford to remain silent on the flagrant abuse of power by so many of the members of the coalition government. We must exercise our democratic options to protest abuse of trust by the government of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. We must not fear to say the two do not possess the credentials to deliver on the National Accord.
On February 28 last year, Kibaki and Raila signed the National Accord because Kenya was on the brink of a precipice after the botched election of December 2007.
No one knows who won the election and therefore Kibaki and Odinga cannot claim a legitimate mandate based on votes.
Kenyans gave their consent for establishment, by constitutional amendment, of a Grand Coalition Government with the sole mandate of implementing the National Accord. The hybrid form of government was accepted because we feared for our lives but we have not abandoned our rights.
Among these rights is the implementation of the National Accord. The reforms will be implemented, whether the government likes it or not, because Kenyans are determined to reform their country.
The Accord was intended to facilitate an effective government to develop the country and conduct essential statutory and administrative reform of key institutions, even while reconciling Kenyans, tackling mass poverty and unemployment, addressing historical grievances, ending impunity and punishing post-election crimes.
The National Accord was meant to heal and reform the country to prevent violence from erupting again.
In the last 20 months, the government has dragged its feet on the implementation of the National Accord and has failed to provide money in the National Budget for its implementation. The Cabinet has failed to establish the tribunal to try the post-election violence perpetrators.
The Partnership for Change considers the coalition government to be ruling ultra vires. It cannot and is not capable of providing the enabling environment for change. Reforms require capable reformists; Kibaki and Raila have no reform credentials and have demonstrated none during the time the National Accord has been in place.
Agenda 1 of the National Accord deals with violation of the human rights of citizens.
On July 30 President Kibaki and the PM released a statement that revealed the desire by the government to retract its adoption of the Waki Report surreptitiously; to grant the guilty impunity and to deny victims their inalienable rights to truth and justice.
Kibaki and Raila appear to have no interest other than shielding alleged perpetrators named by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and "stopping accountability against persons bearing greatest responsibility for crimes, particularly crimes against humanity, relating to the 2007 General Elections in Kenya." Does Mutua still score 90 per cent on the special tribunal which he claims is not part of the National Accord reforms.
Agenda Two was to immediately resettle the IDPs and to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. The government needs to explain why it has been unable to plan for substantive resources for its resettlement programme. Does Mutua still score an A for this agenda?
Agenda Four concerns longterm issues. The Cabinet established after the Accord is the largest and most expensive in Kenya's history.
The national budgets for the years 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 did not provide resources for Agenda Four reforms. There is no money for reforms, there will be no reforms. A government that fails at the very minimum to plan cannot now be given the responsibility of implementing. We need as Kenyans to be candid and accept our fate.
The coalition government has reached its sell-by date.
Mwalimu Mati is the executive director of Mars Group.
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