A SHIFT IN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: ARE KENYA’S MIGHTY FALLING?

The political landscape in Kenya seem to have taken a shift as the incumbent President Kibaki and up to 16 of his ministers are likely to be send packing in a heated Presidential and parliamentary elections. With up to 3/4 of the votes counted opposition leader Riley Odinka is said to have claimed victory and urged President Kibaki to concede. Mr Odinga is said to have 3,726,240 votes, to Mr Kibaki’s 3,416,139 - around 49.5% to the challenger and 45.3% to the president according to the British Broadcasting Cooperation.These aforementioned results raises the question: Are Kenya’s mighty falling?

In response to the above question, what is certain, is that, the euphoria for change has echoed and deeply rooted within communities across the east African nation. It is also an indication that the wind of change across the continent may place President Kibaki in the band - wagon of both the defeated ruling party in Sierra-Leone and that of the ANC leadership in South Africa.

Amidst accusations of rampant corruption, and with the most highly paid parliament in Africa, Kenyan citizens have taken the bulls by their horns, flagrantly denying the Kibaki camp an easy ride to a second term mandate. What has become evident is the fact that a good bye to old guard politics seem to have taken shape accross the country. Even the influence of Kenya’s retired President seem to be waning in the anals of the country’s political history. The defeat of the three sons of retired President Moi in their various constituences is a testament to that validity.

Thanks to a vibrant civil society that Kenya, like Sierra -Leone, Senegal, Mali, Mauretania and South Africa have set the stage for political descency in a continent marred by widespread political instability.

The shift in Kenya’s political landscape also raises the questions Will other African countries follow suit taking the bull by its horn? The answer to this question is yet to be known. However, what is certain, is that, there is a growing awareness across young dynamic Africans that most problems across the continent are as a result of poor governance. Events in Kenya are therefore a wakening call for Africans to boot leaders from political office after failing to do their respective homework right.