Chief Justice Maraga is Right: Dissolve Parliament save 500 Million Kenya Shillings
If president Uhuru Kenyatta was looking for a way to change the country without fear of judicial roadblock, it is now. Chief Justice David Maraga advised the president to dissolve parliament because it has failed to live up to its constitutional mandate regarding the two-thirds gender rule and failing to obey court orders demanding that this constitutional requirement be met. Imagine what an opportunity this is for the president.
Given that parliament does nothing but talk and joke about nothing day after day, their absence will be missed by non. Imagine what the people could gain by having no parliament for several months. These characters get 550 million Kenya shillings a month for doing nothing. Therefore, if they go out for at least six months, the country will save about 6.25 billion shillings. If he and the deputy president would keep to their pledge of working together for the people, this would be a great opportunity for them to help the least of these. These are the widows, orphans, women who have to bring up their children in poverty, and women who have groups that support the community. The youth SACCOs would be financially assisted to start small businesses.
6.25 Billion shillings cannot only elevate these poor villagers from poverty, but it could be used to build manufacturing plants to supply half of the stuff that is imported from China. The idea that Kenya has to import 70% of consumer goods is disgraceful. The president should invest the money saved from dissolving parliament to build at least four major manufacturing plants. The goods manufactured would not only be sold in Kenya, cutting the dependency upon China’s crappy imports, but the president should make deals with east and central African countries so that goods manufactured in Kenya are sold in Africa. Many young Kenyans would get good paying jobs.
These are the ideas that deputy president has been pushing. He has been reminding Kenyans that no referendum should be entertained short of the responsibility of the government to serve its people. So far, this service is restricted by luck of money. This money is going to individuals who do not care about the plight of the poor. The president should take Chief Justice Maraga’s idea seriously, but implement it with the goal of directing the money saved to serve the poor in Kenya.
This money belongs to the people anyway and the president would not be violating any constitutional principle. If parliament can be dissolved and voting delayed until 2022, then the president and deputy president will have enough money to sponsor a constitutional referendum reducing elected offices in Kenya by half. This would also save the country enough money to transform Kenya into a democracy where the people are served by their government.
Also this would allow for the country to have a referendum that would eliminate the concept of gender within election, and instead create gender positions through Presidential nomination. In this, if by election the country does not reach two-third gender rule, the president can nominate women to fulfill the requirement. This however
should not increase the number of parliamentarians beyond the reduced number of 136 constituencies.
In doing this, President Uhuru Kenyatta would be acting, not only as a good leader, but would be storing for himself the blessing of God who calls those who are in leadership, and those who have more, to not forget the least of these. The Bible has a historical tradition of reminding humanity to operate from a perspective of serving and helping those who are poor. “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 24:19)
This is good governance that has an eternal promise.
Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD)
HTBluff Associates
Diaspora Messenger Senior Columnist
Chief Justice Maraga is Right: Dissolve Parliament save 500 Million Kenya Shillings
