@Nandwa. How can one be a reformer in an environment like ours? Picture this;

1.You introduce unga for the poor...business lobysts accuse you of being anti-market forces and sabotage the process

2.You try to move people out of Mau,you are accused of punishing a tribe!

3. You try to reign in a Rogue parliament that has cleary out stepped their mandate and you are accused of being a dictator

4. Push for implementation of report on police and judicial reforms. conservative elements, whom you work with in the same cabinet/govt sabotage the same

My take ....being a reformer is easier aid than done. Better to be a pragmatist like RAO and respond to issues as they come. Principles will bring you down in this politics our ours.

He never was.

Ukiona chui amevalia ngozi ya Kondoo......

he is a kenyan like you and me.

Leave Rao alöne.he's not the 1st nor last to be erratic.Back in 02, i believed Orengo was the best kenya can have.then the guy started making tribal slurs.In 07, he allowed himself to b rigd in the Odm primaries in ugenya by raila...some1 call me whn they find a real reformer!

@Mbalatya you exude RAO worship, but that is my opinion. Is he a reformer? That depends on our respective understanding of the word. So I looked it up and got interesting perspectives.

re•form•er : Pronunciation: \ri-ˈfȯr-mər\: Function: noun
1: one that works for or urges reform
2 capitalized: a leader of the Protestant Reformation
3: an apparatus for cracking oils or gases to form specialized products
http://www.merriam-webst...com/dictionary/Reformer

Reform means beneficial change, or sometimes, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state. Reform is generally distinguished from revolution. The latter means basic or radical change; whereas reform may be no more than fine tuning, or at most redressing serious wrongs without altering the fundamentals of the system. Reform seeks to improve the system as it stands, never to overthrow it wholesale.

During the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, for example, the New Jersey Plan would have reformed the existing constitution, the Articles of Confederation. By contrast, the Virginia Plan proposed to completely rewrite the nation's fundamental charter, and create a new constitution. Virginia's more revolutionary approach prevailed and resulted in the U.S. Constitution. http://www.merriam-webst...com/dictionary/Reformer


By the way, welcome to www.wazua.co.ke/

Thank you, Thank you ladies and gentlemen

Aemathenge and the Nandwas of this world...I do not hold brief for any politician, I do hav my ambitions as well, u see we must admit that one problem of this nation among many more is extremism, we have Railamanias on one side (u just fell shot of calling me one), and Railaphobics on the other side...its one of the reasons why we had such personalised heated and hatred-filled campaigns in the runup to 2007. Any defender of RAO,whether on principle or not is classified by kenyans like you as a RAOmania, and any critic as the opposite. Cud we just be honest enough to acknowledge the fact that independent minded kenyans, (I think I am one of them, I believe you r too) can also voice their views concerning some issues without ostensibly falling in either category.
I do like your definition of a reformer, especially the part of urging reform, that definition runs in tandem with the traits exhibited by the PM lately..tell me of a politician who has put his own political career, risked losing the bedrock of his support, all in the name of saving a nations livelihood!!, tell me just one. Taking back what was stolen, attempting to reverse the losses caused by poor and tribalistic governance. He certainly isnt an angel, he isnt perfect, bt he is trying given the circumstances

@Mbalatya, you actually worship RAO.

Nay. You are inclined to Railamania as you well put it. You are even willing to be nasty to the Mahegoats and the Nandwas of this world.

I do not take offense however. You bring vital passion to Wazua and I love that. Keep it up and we are going to have such fun together.

So. Is PM still a reformer?

@Mbalatya

You shift the issues I raise initially!

I enumerated a few in the main thread.
For your benefit, I put some here below:

-What is RAO’s current position on punishing PEV criminals?
-Didn’t he renege on his promise to support Imanyara motion which would have seen PEV culprits face the law?
-What was his role in the recent maize scandal?
-What became of the poor man’s Unga that he promised and now conveniently quiet about?
-What is he doing to check current and past corruption in Govt.
-Isn't he always in defence of Kibaki whenever an issue arises?
-Is it true as we learnt from the media that he was bonded not to talk ill of Govt as a precondition for his requests to be considered? This came after the Carpets saga in Mombasa.

The list is long, and that’s why I am left to wonder if PM is still a reformer.

Now, your introducing of such issues as Mau in an attempt to absolve him from any other blame doesn’t really wash.
By commuting ten wrongs and doing one right cannot make us give one a clean bill of health.
In any case I doubt RAO had any inkling that the Mau issue was going to turn out the way it did with respect to the Kalenjin support.
If he knew, I bet he would have re-thought his stance on it.

So tell me is PM still a reformer?

When you speak of reform in terms politico, it would be prudent to consider the most significant qualifier of reform is in simple terms change. This is a managed, sensible, well paced, agreed and above all beneficial change.

A reformer can not claim to be one by making a single grand change even though beneficial (A revolution), or, a few changes, which is ordinary every day reform, e.g. prison reform.

A reformer makes (or attempts to make) several positive changes, meaning a reformer is also one (and will only be one) who finds oneself in an atrocious political/organizational environment. Pursuit of reform and not the outcome, is the true indicator of a reformer, this is because a reformer, who finds himself in an enormously atrocious environment, is bound to fail despite his efforts. It is a step by step effort.

Any genuine Kenyan, if the author’s question “Is PM still a reformer?” is valid, should reflect on the following: - Is Kenya’s political situation degenerate or atrocious? Is therefore room for a reformer available? And most important, is there need for a reformer in Kenya or are we just fine? If yes, who?

So to answer the author’s question, I will ask, what is failing reform in Kenya? Who is blocking reform? Let’s engage in an argumentum a contrario and inquire, if not Raila:-

Who Then Is The Reformer In Kenya?

Is it Imperator Cowardice Kibaki, or is it Divi Filius Peter Kenneth, is it Kalanzo and the triple K? Please tell me who else is clearly engaging in reform? Remember the question of whether a reformer succeeds or fails (as with poor mans maize or shacks to Canaan) is not solely within ones power, the question is: - who is pursuing reform? If you need change, that is your reformer.

Alright. The Jury is out on whether PM is still a reformer.

Can I add a twist to the tale?

Hon John Njoroge Michuki has some very prominent changes to the better under his watch. As such I shall term him a successful reformer.

Is PM a successful reformer?