By Jackson Omondi
In the wake of public outcry and angst occasioned by stratospheric costs of basic commodities, the Jubilee misleaders are passing the buck. The deputy President’s incredible political somersault on the issue of maize importation is classic Jubilee. Taking responsibility is strictly verboten.
An all-white division two American football college team was a having year like no other. They turned each opponent into minced meat as they steamrolled to the finals. Sporting a clean, undefeated record, they had the misfortune of facing a much more athletic, agile and stronger opponent in the finals. The opposing team comprised an all black roster with damn near professional comportment.
The game turned out to be a gigantic mismatch as the all-white team got it’s clock cleaned and the unbelievable season came to an unbelievable end. When it came time to address the media, the losing coach was blunt: I failed. Pressed by the sports journalists to layout more specifics, the clearly dejected coach said: ” we need to get the black athlete, they were stronger and faster.” “You can’t coach size and speed,” he continued.
Predictably, the coach’s comments drew the ire of minority and civil rights advocates who thought the comments had racial undertones. The coach later apologized for “offensive remarks,” but stood by his assertion that he failed as a leader.
Jubilee can learn a thing or two from the coach. When reality catches up with a make-believe Cinderella story like Jubilee’s PR- laden regime, its time to do some soul searching. Jubilee has been in power for over four years, meaning that they have been pushing the levers of power, making decisions on behalf of the Kenyan people and as a consequence, everything that’s happening now is a direct function of the misleaders’ policies.
The political pulse of the nation is clocking higher decibels because the people are angry, hungry, poorer, sicker, unemployed and frustrated because Jubilee has failed them. But if you listen to the bellicose duo running the country, you would think that somebody else is in charge of the country’s affairs.
If the President is not blaming global warming for his dwindling political fortunes, the DP is shifting the blame to the opposition! To these two misleaders, NASA leaders are not supposed to remind Kenyans that Unga prices are high. It’s a taboo. They have a problem with NASA’s message.
How about just owning up and taking responsibility for misleading the nation for close to five years? Admitting failure can be therapeutic and will go along way in humanizing these two soon-to-be former President and Deputy President. They will need a little bit of that in the impending NASA-induced retirement.