By Robert Ocholla
Is President Obama circumcised or not? Will his circumcision status make you vote for him or not?? If Mitt Romney had Political advisers from Kenya then he would have easily won the elections simply by making Obama’s circumcision status a key leadership capability issue. You see in Kenya that has been made a campaign issue targeting contenders from the Luo community, Obama’s ethnic group. That tribe does not practice circumcision.
The most democratic country in the free world, the United States of America goes to the polls. This election like the last one is very significant and not only to American but to the whole World. The significance comes in two ways:
1. The United States is the World’s sole superpower and the most powerful nation by far in almost everything more powerful than even the European Union. The decisions made by the US president have far reaching consequences across the globe. Health wise, when the American president catches cold, European leaders develop runny noses; Asian dictators contract the flu whilst African mis-leaders are diagnosed with drug resistant tuberculosis.
2. The World is keenly watching if the great Country that epitomizes democracy will give a black African, a Kenyan in fact the chance to lead and dictate to the World for the next four years.
Good old America days before the elections and already persons willing to vote early have even cast their votes. Oh!! Gosh!! When will that ever happen in Africa??
Africa epitomizes poor or non-existent leadership, dictatorship, clinging to power at all cost leaders and general anarchy and chaos before, during and after elections. Need I give examples Zimbabweans, Kenyans and Ivoirians???
Kenya has good relations and relatives with the US not to mention the great sweet talking President Barrack Obama whose whole clan is from the country. Relations aside, politically we are eons apart. Let’s first look at the process of choosing leaders, elections.
Kenya’s elections were originally scheduled for Dec 2012 now they have been pushed to March 2013, typical Kenyan leaders finding excuses to cling on to power even for just an extra day. Secondly we look at the presidential candidates.
America has six presidential candidates heading to the ballot with the traditional Democrats versus the Republicans battle taking center stage. All are candidates with respectable histories with the usual dark humane spots. Kenya on the other hand has Tens of candidates forming and changing parties everyday like underwear. Most of the candidates are of questionable character and have absolutely nothing to offer to Kenya and the World. Their histories are black with only a few good white spots. It’s only in Kenya also where you have International Crimes Courts suspects’ adamant on running for the top seat.
Third we look at Issues, Policies and Manifestoes. In the US, the candidates are challenging one another on serious National issues such as unemployment, healthcare, economy etc. President Obama said that in the past couple of months he managed to create 5.5 million jobs. His main challenger Mitt Romney countered that was short of what he had promised to deliver. Yeah!! Thus are good productive accusations and counter accusations.
In Kenya, issues revolve around pettiness with no serious articulation. It’s about he lied to our community, our community’s interest, he wants to finish me and our community, he will take over our businesses, I will take you to the moon blah blah blah… just selfish personal propaganda wars.
Last we look at the people surrounding the candidates. In America we have respected former Presidents and leaders endorsing and campaigning for their preferred candidates. The Democrats have Bill Clinton, respected and looked up by white business people in America and adored around the World especially Africa etc.
In Kenya, candidates are surrounded by scoundrels who have branded themselves tribal chiefs and claim to offer their whole ethnic group to their preferred candidate. Some are goons who are respected by only thieves and vagabonds. People like Ferdinand Waititu a legislator who ordered a certain community to vacate his constituency and we are yet to heal the 2007/08 post election violence that left more than a thousand dead, Mike ‘Sonkoh’ Mbuvi a populist Member of Parliament hell bent on portraying the Kenyan Youth as stupid, reckless, cannabis smoking idiots.
As Kenyans debate on whether to vote in an uncircumcised President, we can only offer them a word or advice, to have peaceful and fair elections. We would not want to see a situation where Obama clings on to power, Native Americans chasing everyone else out of the Country and Kenyans being transported in thousands to go fight to defend their brother’s seat.
