Soon after the NARC Government came to power following the 2002 election, Kenya was voted the most optimistic nation on earth. But it did not take long for the country to sink to the depths of despair as the lofty promises of the rainbow dream team dissipated into a mere mirage and the political elite descended into the gutter of mudslinging and name calling in the wake of a dishonoured MoU. The only thing the new government seemed agreed upon was the urgent business of raising MPs salaries and processing their car allowances and tax-free mortgages. Corruption skyrocketed with the advent of Anglo Leasing hot on the heels of the yet to be resolved Goldenberg scandal. As usual, it was the ordinary citizen who bore the brunt of the failure of governance, struggling to eke out a living amidst skyrocketing inflation.Rather than merely join in the chorus of disapproval that was taking place in every bar, bedroom and boardroom, I decided to dramatize the outrage most people were feeling but did not know quite know how to express. In late November 2004, after taking two weeks to do a whistle stop tour of all the eight provinces speaking to ordinary people about the performance of their government to ensure that I was not alone in the despondency I felt towards the new government and its broken promises, I drafted a 10 point memorandum of protest addressed to Parliament and posted it on the main entrance of the National Assembly.
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November 27th, 2004
In the matter of the National Assembly of Kenya:
RETRENCHMENT, RECALL AND EVICTION NOTICE
To all Members of the Ninth Parliament, TAKE NOTICE:
We the people of Kenya hereby charge and convict you of the following high crimes and misdemeanours committed against the people of Kenya:
1.THAT in December 2002, you rode into power based on a collective lie, to wit, that you belonged to one political party and would work as one entity for the common good of our country. This has since been proved to have been a blatant fraud committed on the Kenyan people.
2.THAT you gave a series of undertakings and made solemn promises to the Kenyan people prior to the said election only one of which you have bothered to implement satisfactorily.
3.THAT you placed your own interests above the interests of fellow Kenyans, taking away necessities from the masses in order to give luxuries to the classes by, inter alia, awarding yourselves salary increments to the tune of KShs. 500,000/- and KShs.3.3 million for car purchase.
4.THAT the Opposition in Parliament has chosen to remain weak and ineffective, voting with the government, not on matters of national interest, but on those questions, such as salary increments, that benefit them personally. The Opposition cannot therefore provide any viable alternative to the government’s obvious poor performance.
5.THAT you have manifestly failed to deliver toKenya
6.THAT you have shown total disrespect to your employers by constantly fighting in public, blatantly lying to them and spending their hard earned money gallivanting all over the country in cheap popularity contests, instead of focusing on spearheading genuine efforts to revive the fortunes of our land.
7.THAT having totally lost direction on matters of governance, you have abdicated your leadership roles and are now busy cobbling up tribal alliances for the sole purpose of hoodwinking the Kenyan people into returning you to power in 2007.
8.THAT you have not taken your work seriously as demonstrated by the ubiquitous lack of quorum in the august House.
9.THAT you have failed to protect the people ofKenya
10.THAT you have been compromised by big business through improper and illegal entertainments and other undeclared consideration to unduly influence you to vote in their favour in total disregard of the public interest.
It is commonly assumed that you have until December 2007 to get your act together. This assumption is false. This country does not have three years to wait and see whether at some point you shall come to your senses. All indications so far are that you shall not.
The problems facing this country are many. Their name is Legion. And they cannot be resolved with a political leadership that, when not being wined and dined by Tobacco companies at the Coast, is content to stagger from pillar to post on almost all important issues of the day without proffering a coherent vision for the future of this great Republic.
This House of Parliament does not belong to you – the 222 members who currently occupy it. It belongs to the Kenyan people. They, in good faith, gave you temporary occupancy for a very specific purpose – to serve them in making laws “for the welfare of society and the just government of men and women.” In doing this, you have manifestly failed.
For these reasons, we the people ofKenya
Dated this 27th day of November 2004.
For and on behalf of
the people ofKenya
NJONJO MUE
In the matter of the National Assembly of Kenya:
RETRENCHMENT, RECALL AND EVICTION NOTICE
To all Members of the Ninth Parliament, TAKE NOTICE:
We the people of Kenya hereby charge and convict you of the following high crimes and misdemeanours committed against the people of Kenya:
1.THAT in December 2002, you rode into power based on a collective lie, to wit, that you belonged to one political party and would work as one entity for the common good of our country. This has since been proved to have been a blatant fraud committed on the Kenyan people.
2.THAT you gave a series of undertakings and made solemn promises to the Kenyan people prior to the said election only one of which you have bothered to implement satisfactorily.
3.THAT you placed your own interests above the interests of fellow Kenyans, taking away necessities from the masses in order to give luxuries to the classes by, inter alia, awarding yourselves salary increments to the tune of KShs. 500,000/- and KShs.3.3 million for car purchase.
4.THAT the Opposition in Parliament has chosen to remain weak and ineffective, voting with the government, not on matters of national interest, but on those questions, such as salary increments, that benefit them personally. The Opposition cannot therefore provide any viable alternative to the government’s obvious poor performance.
5.THAT you have manifestly failed to deliver to
6.THAT you have shown total disrespect to your employers by constantly fighting in public, blatantly lying to them and spending their hard earned money gallivanting all over the country in cheap popularity contests, instead of focusing on spearheading genuine efforts to revive the fortunes of our land.
7.THAT having totally lost direction on matters of governance, you have abdicated your leadership roles and are now busy cobbling up tribal alliances for the sole purpose of hoodwinking the Kenyan people into returning you to power in 2007.
8.THAT you have not taken your work seriously as demonstrated by the ubiquitous lack of quorum in the august House.
9.THAT you have failed to protect the people of
10.THAT you have been compromised by big business through improper and illegal entertainments and other undeclared consideration to unduly influence you to vote in their favour in total disregard of the public interest.
It is commonly assumed that you have until December 2007 to get your act together. This assumption is false. This country does not have three years to wait and see whether at some point you shall come to your senses. All indications so far are that you shall not.
The problems facing this country are many. Their name is Legion. And they cannot be resolved with a political leadership that, when not being wined and dined by Tobacco companies at the Coast, is content to stagger from pillar to post on almost all important issues of the day without proffering a coherent vision for the future of this great Republic.
This House of Parliament does not belong to you – the 222 members who currently occupy it. It belongs to the Kenyan people. They, in good faith, gave you temporary occupancy for a very specific purpose – to serve them in making laws “for the welfare of society and the just government of men and women.” In doing this, you have manifestly failed.
For these reasons, we the people of
Dated this 27th day of November 2004.
For and on behalf of
the people of
NJONJO MUE
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