The newly appointed Minister of Justice, Hon Eugine Wamalwa started off his duties by gracing a ‘Prayer Rally’ for a section of the PEV ICC suspects at Litein in Kericho on Saturday last week. In this rally he emphatically declared that “I don’t care what anyone has to say..!” in reference to his continued attendance of the said prayer meetings.
The Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs which he heads is supposed to spearhead cohesion including integrating the victims, perpetrators of law breakage and law abiding citizens. Pray, just how does Mr.Wamalwa intend to do this with the PEV victims and the only known PEV suspects when he declares that he will listen to NO ONE while attending the suspects’ political chest thumbing rallies!
That’s not all, his ministry is the lead agency in the appropriately named K-NICE (Kenya National Integrated Civic Education) Programme that among others will enhance citizens knowledge of the constitution, promote people participation in the constitutional implementation and help mid-wife a truly new Kenya! Just how will this happen when the titular head, the Minister himself has unequivocally declared that he will not listen to anyone? Why should others listen to him or worse listen to each other.
I expected that Hon. Wamalwa would take time to first articulate his vision and programme for the ministry during his term. This would have served as a pre-view to his Presidency and a chance to be taken seriously from the word go!
Mr. Wamalwa must give priority to the Judges and Magistrates Amendment Act, The County Government Bill, the Land Bills, the Leadership and Integrity Bill all due in Parliament before August this year. He should have used his honeymoon period- for lack of a better word, to court all sections of the Kenyan society to develop and nurture goodwill than be sectoral and confrontational.
The naivety of Hon Wamalwa is going to be the most costly mistake Kenya will incur in so far as reforms are concerned in this country only second to the Post Election Violence of 2007/8 unless the civil society, religious community, the private sector and the general population stamp their authority not to surrender the fate of this country to possible embryonic experimentation by an overzealous marionette.
