For me this book introduces Kiraitu Murungi as an easy going politician who had been misunderstood sometimes.
The interview-like book asks the politicians perspective from his times as a 5-year-old during independence, to date.
It also tackles hard subjects such as his relationship with fellow politicians such as President Mwai Kibaki and the 2007/2008 election and its aftermath.
Kiraitu gave the reasons why they chose to swear in Kibaki at night after the 2007 General Elections.
“I was with Kibaki at State House as the results were being tallied by the Electoral Commission of Kenya at KICC. We were following the proceedings on TV while Kibaki was in his room upstairs. He occasionally came downstairs to find out how the exercise was going on. As usual, looked very calm and composed. It was as if nothing major was happening. KICC was becoming chaotic. The opposition crowd at KICC was threatening to burn the country with mass action, Sierra Leone-style unless Raila Odinga was declared the winner. Had the Electoral Commission of Kenya not announced the winner by 6 pm, the country would have had no president or commander-in-chief, and it would be engulfed in flames,” Kiraitu revealed.
Being a Kibaki insider, it was quite disappointing for Kiraitu Murungi to describe him the way we do in the streets with words such as ‘very mature, a tolerant leader who exercised power by giving it to others’.
Ms. Rugene should’ve prodded more.
Kiraitu gives thumps up to coalition govts, he also jabs that ‘the classical Westminster democracy should have no place on Africa’.
‘Where a party wins with a narrow margin of 51 per cent, 49 per cent of the electorate are in a dictatorship because they are ruled by a government which they did not elect,’ Kiraitu says
The books cover Kiraitu’s thoughts on other subjects such as devolution, revenue allocation debate, Meru politics and campaign promises, BBI and more.
It is an interesting book on numerous topics especially national issues. Njeri Rugene is a top journalist and of course, she delivers the words in an easy to read way.
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