Good morning. The better part of last night i was reading Luc Huyses, All Things Pass, Except The Past, and this got me thinking about the current situation in our country. I personally do not think that this National Dialogue call warrants any of our time. Clearly the National Dialogue call is the basis of the opposition challenge to the ruling coalition. And as the opposition they have a right to that. And if the leadership blows hot and cold on this, you clearly will hand the opposition a baseline to torment you. Thats what real politics is about. In any case, as citizens we continue dialogue in our own ways; in matatus, coffee shops, bars, wherever you go in this country, you are bound to get into a conversation on the state of the nation with others. Whether rank and file or heavy hitters. So this is ongoing and its the basis of our democratic credentials and we in no way need any actor to structure it for us. But when it comes to those in leadership, your business is to put in place a mechanism for a Conversation with the nation. And this conversation from where i sit must look at key fundamentals; 1).Stagnating Economy and the High Wage Bill, 2). Huge Debt, 3). Foreign Policy, 4). Bureaucratic Inertia 5). Deliverables. That should be the basis of the leadershop engagement with the citizens. Now how do we do this? The leadership must get out and engage the public and do politics. Politics is the basis of how you communicate your plans, ideas, challenges, issues and plans. Politics is the vehicle through which you calm nerves, perceptions and hold sway with the people. And as the leadership you have the instruments and public support to do so and the nation is pregant with expectations and will not take a raw deal on this one. If anything, the two politicians in the Executive are HE the President and HE the Deputy President. So get out there and engage the people and do the real politics. Thats how the bar of your Duo Dynamism is set. its not how suave we look, but how well we bring that dynamism into a real connection with the peoples aspirations. That should be the basis of your Conversation with the Nation. Anything short of that is self inflicted parody. Remember, as the two leaders who hold the reins of power, and to paraphrase the Deputy President, when we have the National Dialogue in 2017, you will be judged on what you did on the basis of what you promised or how you charted a new path when challenges overwhelmed your projected trajectory. The opposition will purely be selling promises and worst of all, those will be buttered by your percieved failures. And that is the nature of how real liberal bourgeoisie democracy is crafted and made. So there is a greater urgency in rethinking the approach. You cannot afford to remain ensconced in the offices. Granted, we know there is loads of work ahead and you are doing your best and putting your best foot forward, as shown by the speeches at Madaraka day. But folks out here can only connect to this if you continuously make time to get out and engage them on this. This again is purely on the basis of how you built the rapport with the people in the run up to elections. There is an expectation that this is going to be a more communicative, reachable and accessible interaction. Maybe its a tall order, but this is what folks signed up for. So deal with their high expectations. Well, there is time to get this back on track but the earlier this is done, the best for the course of the agenda and aspirations of the Jubilee Government. Sends me back to none of the most interesting rallying calls i heard in the run up to the elections; I voted for Jubilee, in A Jubilee Year... You must make this ring true. How you get through the adversity, challenges and uncertain times is the hallmark of the gravitas of your leadership capacity. And while at it, you may as well throw in an ability to treat some things that get shoved your way with the contempt that they deserve. And often times, remember that silence is Golden. Maybe, just maybe, we should re read the Desiderata....
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 00:58:14 +0000
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