Khalwale should give us substance, not empty chest thumping

Cheap Kenyan politics. That is what I would term the statement attributed to Ikolomani Member of Parliament, Bonny Khalwale, by media reports over the weekend. Khalwale was reported to have said that he was misguided to say that Eldoret North Member of Parliament, William Ruto, was behind the maize scam that happened while he was the minister for Agriculture. Khalwale asserted that since Ruto had supported him in the recent by-election in his constituency, he would try to find out who were behind the maize scam since he has discovered that Ruto is a ‘good’ man. Now, that is so cheap. In other words, Khalwale is saying that since Ruto supported him, he is a ‘saint’ and could not have been behind the maize scam. This kind of thinking is what affects the body politic of Kenya. Politicians are so bankrupt and they don’t seem to stand for anything. It is unbelievable that Khalwale, who was the chair of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC), would say in public that he would use his position in the committee to find the ‘real’ culprits in the maize scam just because the person he accused earlier had supported him in his campaigns. Khalwale failed to tell the crowds gathered in his homecoming party over the weekend who misled him and what he was told. This is one reason why Khalwale should not be allowed to go back to the PAC or become its chair again because he has already reached a decision on an issue that the committee may have to look at again in the future. Khalwale, who for sometime was the darling of those who follow parliamentary debates, has joined the group of members of parliament who are fixated with the 2012 elections and who are talking of doing everything within their means to derail Raila Odinga’s stab at the presidency. At each of their rallies, they don’t stop to castigate the prime minister. What these people should be telling the Kenyans is what they would do different from what the prime minister is doing (because that is the only person they seem to talk about). Khalwale and company should unveil to Kenyans their blue print for developing the country, rather than making statements that are only reactionary and show no difference from what we have seen from the politicians they are castigating. It is sad that Khalwale has allowed his recent victory to get into his head. He has forgotten that by-elections in Kenya normally have very unpredictable results. This is because there are always many factors at play in such by-elections. He just needs to humble himself and thank the people of Ikolomani who elected him again as their member of parliament. Let him give us substance rather than taking Kenyans for granted that they will always admire him for anything that he says. This time round, I think Khalwale has missed the mark.