Leave Tanzania out of Kenya’s upcoming election

  

              Recent damning allegations made by Majority leader Aden Duale that the NASA has established a pony-trekking center in Tanzania are shocking. Up until now, I don’t know the rationale behind such jaw-dropping allegations; made without being substantiated. On 12^th March, 2017, the Daily Nation quoted Duale as saying that”it is outrageous that a top Cord leader, who has been at the forefront of claiming that Jubilee would rig the elections, is linked to repeated attempts to infiltrate the IEBC database through hacking.” Thereafter, on 7^th May was videotaped alleging that the center for hacking was established in Tanzania http://www.nation.co.ke/video/1951480-3917548-1gka5pz/index.html 

            Although such murky and toxic allegations were aired on a political rostrum, Jubilee needs to know the type of the country they are dealing with. We all know that the president of Tanzania, Dr. John Magufuli, is the personal friend to NASA’s flag bearer, Raila Odinga. However, personal friendship has nothing to do with national issues. Again, why did Duale make such damning and unsubstantiated allegations? What are likely to be the effects and consequences of such allegations? Why such careless allegations are made at this time the relationship between Kenya and Tanzania is a wee bit frosty? is there what's cooking many Kenyans do not know? Suppose Tanzania takes such allegations seriously?

            Swahili sage has it that “akumulikaye mchana, usiku hukuchoma” or he who shines lights on you during the day, torches you at night (my translation). I don’t want to believe that Jubilee is that desperate so as to smudge the image of the country resulting from its grudges and vendetta. Is there any bad blood between the Jubilee government and Tanzania? Is there any big bone to pick with Tanzania? Is such a move psychological preparations for unexpected come August? There are many more questions than answers so to speak.

            Now, what should be done? The NASA must ask Duale to substantiate his allegations before Tanzania does so. So, too, Duale should be squeezed to know if such allegations are personal or his party’s position vis-à-vis such criminality that aims at impairing democracy in Kenya which is not only treason but also espionage. It is not a small thing for a foreign country to abet with whoever that wants to superimpose the president to another country. currently, the US is at loggerheads with Russia after it came to light that Russia meddled with the 2016 US elections in which the person sought to be in cohort with Russia, president Donald Trump (Republican) defeated his challenger Hilary Clinton (Democrat).  Again, why will Tanzania need to superimpose its choice for president on Kenya in the first place?

            Knowing how a no-nonsense Magufuli is, I doubt, if something is not done, the relationship between Kenya and Tanzania is likely to take a hit. To avert such an enigma, president Uhuru Kenyatta and Jubilee need to tame its loose cannons. To dispel the ruckus Duale’s misguided allegations can cause, Kenya needs to come clean on them forcefully and timely. As a Tanzanian who believes in the oneness and the unity of Africa that unfortunately is amiss, I’d like to see Kenya and Tanzania coming together but not to be torn asunder. Again, with such patterns and practices Jubilee is applying without clearly considering the timing and reasoning are likely to affect not only Kenya and Tanzania but the entire region. If Duale has lost his marbles, he should not only be tamed but also openly reprimanded for attempting to poison the relationship between the duo pointlessly. I would argue that Duale needs to avoid the generalisation of the genre of politics in that the way it is conducted in Kenya it is completely different from how it is done in Tanzania.

            In a nutshell, Jubilee needs to understand that Kenya is bigger and more important than a mere political outfit. Healthy relationship between Kenya and Tanzania is more important than power Jubilee is seeking to retain. Therefore, instead of using smear campaigns and scare politics, Jubilee needs to put its house in order instead of looking for farfetched pretexts shall anything happen in the coming elections.

Source: The Citizen Wednesday today.