Reform agenda has to be the top priority

This week’s informal resport card on the Grand Coalition, the result of a phone poll run by the Steadman Group, rates the year-old ‘shared’ Government very poorly.

Of note, however, is that a formal assessment by South Consulting for the National Dialogue and Reconciliation Committee is just as scathing, making disturbing observations on the leadership of President Kibaki and PM Raila Odinga since they agreed to share power. Their first year ends tomorrow with little sign reforms agreed as part of the power-sharing deal will be fast-tracked to prevent another election crisis.

Government’s reaction to the United Nations Special Rapporteur’s call for law and order sector reforms typifies the nature of the problem. The Public Communications Office, speaking for the Office of the President, rubbished the report. A day later, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister was pointing out some of the reforms Philip Alston suggested were committed to under the Waki Commission’s so-called Agenda Four items.

Post Mortem

As the next few days are devoted to post-mortems of the coalition’s performance and agenda-setting for its second year, we wish to remind the Government that its mandate was to deliver reforms. A new constitution, an electoral system that works, an accountable Executive, an end to corruption...the list is familiar.

Issues like the defence of national sovereignty and the right to self determination are always secondary to that mandate. Give us the change we asked for.