Home » Media Centre » Blogs » Leadership is critical in making Kenya Safer
Napoleon Bonaparte famously defined a leader as a dealer in hope. Dealing in hope is no mean achievement to any who surmounts but which dictates character and commitment to a course of public interest. It must be evidenced in words and deeds. For instance, such a leader would not only call to order the men stripping women naked in public, but use lawful means to have them arrested and prosecuted for their backward behavior.
The rising insecurity calls for our President to give hope to Kenyans that the country will not perish at the hands of a few criminals. It also calls for all elected leaders in their wisdom and respect for public office, to rise against religious and ethnic bigotry to use Constitutional powers to reign in the situation.
Kenya is not a country where leaders resign from office due to failure of undertaking their responsibilities. This means that someone must induce a process based on incompetence, gross misconduct and corruption among other issues. It is clear that incompetence best describes how security has been handled since March 4, 2013.
Legislators yesterday rose above party affiliations to condemn the recent attack in Mandera in which 28 people were killed. While this is laudable and encouraged, they ought to move further beyond calling on the President to sack the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joe ole Lenku.
Article 152 (6) of the Constitution of Kenya, is elaborate on how an MP can initiate the process of removing a Cabinet Secretary and if he or she gets the threshold, a select committee is formed and if grounds are reached and the House passes that resolution, the President has no choice but to dismiss the Cabinet Secretary.
In addition Article 152 (5) (b) empowers the President to dismiss a Cabinet Secretary. The threshold an MP can initiate the removal may not have been reached but certainly the President can use his discretion.
Removing the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo requires someone to petition the National Assembly who will then discuss it, form a select committee to investigate and if findings are above board and if a majority agrees, ask the President to form a tribunal to remove him from office. This process may not be known by many but those who know should do something especially because the Inspector General has a four year non-renewable term which means he probably ‘lacks an incentive’ to deliver a safer republic.
Article 245 (d) cites incompetence as a ground for dismissal while (f) adds any other just cause as reason for the President to remove the Inspector General after the necessary procedures are followed.
The Constitution does not provide for sacred cows. If Kenya is a country guided by the rule of law, it must be seen that there are no sacred cows, without prejudice, as the lives of Kenyans are paramount.
Categories: No tags
You must login to comment
There are no comments.