TOP KENYAN LEADER STRUGGLES FOR PEACE AFTER BLOODY POLLS WAR

HE has now deviated to the noble task of enhancing peace and reconciliation among warring ethnic communities in Kenya, torn apart by the outcome of the controversial and disputed 2007 polls.

Moses Akaranga, the ex-Kenyan public Service minister and immediate former Sabatia Member of Parliament, has been stalking the violence-hit areas of this East African country like a colossus, spreading a message of peace and hope to the displaced victims, in his new posting as the vice-chairman of the Humanitarians Advisory Board.

"Over 90 percent of the displaced victims have already been re-settled. This is indeed a success story", Akaranga hastened to add during an interview with this journalist, his face breaking into a broad, sure smile that seemed to indicate that all is well that ends well.

A magnanimous, humble, vivacious and God-fearing personality, Akaranga has easily managed to combine his public relations skills with his naturally quick wit, intelligence and gift of the gab to spread a message of good hope among the ethnic communities,while working harmoniously with the entire Board team.

The group has left nothing to chance in its untiring task of uniting the ethnic groups.

And this has been a relief to the country that witnessed unfathomable bloodshed and turmoil ,immediately after president Mwai Kibaki was declared winner against his closest political rival – turned Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and sworn- in at the crack of dusk.

Over 1,600 people were killed, 350,000 displaced, hundreds maimed and property worth billions of shillings torched, in one of the most ugliest and inexplicably dark events of Independent Kenya´s political history.

Besides the nagging question of the disputed elections, there was the much-talked-about issue of the so-called historical injustices, as a contributory factor to the orgy of violence that rocked the country over a year ago.

Now, Akaranga, a former church administrator, is at the pinnacle of enthusiastic efforts by the Kenya government of ensuring there is harmonious co-existence between the warring ethnic tribes, that got divided by the outcome of the elections.

Akaranga is best remembered as the man who ousted the current Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi from the Sabatia parliamentary seat during the 2002 general elections.

The famous joke then in Sabatia constituency and the Luhya Diaspora in general, was that Akaranga had Karangad (fried) Mudavadi during the memorable polls.

Columns of laughter rolled out uncontrollably over the rib-tickling joke as celebrations among Akaranga´s supporters, took centerstage.

Before ousting Mudavadi who was then enjoying a sudden elevation to the vice-president´s perch in a desperate bid by retired President Moi to woo the luyha community back to Kanu,Akaranga had served as Senior Busines Manager, Barclays Bank of Kenya Ltd, West Kenya group of branches.

The luhya community is the second largest tribe in Kenya after the Kikuyu's.

The political battle between Akaranga and Mudavadi was widely perceived by pundits as a David- versus -Goliath biblical combat, in the face of the fact that Mudavadi was a vice-president, just a heart beat away from the coveted and highest seat in the land, with stupendous resources at his disposal.

But come the 2007 polls, the political tables turned, as Mudavadi, riding on the ODM wave that seemed unstoppable at the time, recaptured his Sabatia parliamentary seat. Sabatia is located in the Western part of Kenya. ODM is the political party through which Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga vied for the presidency in 2007.

Now, exit Akaranga from Sabatia and enters Mudavadi. How does Akaranga feel about it?

"I have steered clear off Sabatia constituency politics. I want to give Mudavadi room and space to operate. I do not want to be used as a scapegoat incase of any failures´´, Akaranga emphasizes in a matter- of- fact tone during the interview, raising his right hand in a gesture.

He told the press that he was currently savoring every moment of his performance as vice-chairman of the Humanitarian´s advisory Board, whose objective is to reconcile communities that went against each other hammer- and- tongs, after things fell apart during the 2007 bloody election.

Akaranga, who is still leaning towards the Mwai Kibaki- led administration, asserted that the board had successfully worked in cahoots with the Ministry of State in charge of Special programmes, to re-settle over 90 percent of the internally displaced persons.

The re-settlement exercise, Akaranga stressed, had been made possible through the available assistance given by the government and some foreign countries.

"Our Board has visited all the camps inhabited by the victims who have positively responded to the appeal to return to their homes since peace has been restored", the politician-cum-peace campaigner stated.

The board, Akaranga stressed, had seriously embarked on a campaign of preaching peace and harmony among the warring communities which had worked well, as the communities were now embracing a spirit of forgiveness, following differences precipitated by the outcome of the elections.

The former minister explained that among the victims who had been re-settled were those from the Kenyan parts of Central, Western, Coast and the expansive Rift Valley Province which was a hotbed of violent activities, and the worst- hit region in the country.

However, Akaranga regretted that out of the Kshs. 30 billion initially earmarked for the resettlement programme, only Kshs. 2 billion had been spent. He therefore appeals to the government to pull up it's socks in order for the Board to finalise the resettlement of the IDPS.

AKaranga stresed that just as the government had shown comittment in resetling people affected by the Mau evictions, it should resettle IDPS who have moved to their homes but are still living in tents.

On fundings, he lamented that there was lack of adequate assistance and donations were slow in coming. Akaranga indicated that various foreign nations were yet to honor their pledges of assisting the victims, since only China and Japan had offered assistance.

He commended the government for the assistance it had so far accorded to the victims, as well as China and Japan.

Akaranga exhorted other foreign nations to live up to their promise of extending assistance to the displaced persons.

He also commended ethnic communities divided by the disputed elections for establishing elder´s councils to enhance peace and harmony amongst themselves, which, he noted with appreciation, had provided a major breakthrough to the violence.

Akaranga lamented that the displaced victims who were still in camps were faced with problems ranging from hunger, lack of water, poor sanitation and housing.

"Killing a fellow human being and displacing him or her is morally wrong", charged Akaranga, tapping his right hand on the table to emphasize the all-important point.

A soothing,gentle breeze blew across his beautiful living room during the interview.

Exuding confidence, the former minister suggested that there should be a radical change in Kenya´s education system, so that relevant subjects on the need to observe ethics are introduced to educate the youth, as it had emerged that most of them participated in the violence during the elections.

"The land policy should also be formulated to squarely address the burning question of historical injustices which have been identified as one of the major causes of the violence", Akaranga further suggested.

He revealed that a good number of the people in the camps were hawker´s who viewed the displacement crisis as an opportunity to obtain land.

However, Akaranga commended the displaced persons who had made use of the little cash given to them by the state to buy land through a scheme formulated with their fellow victims.

Touching on the politics of the day, Akaranga predicted that the coalition government will survive as the current members of parliament were not ready to face the electorate too soon ,out of fear of losing their parliamentary seats.

However, the politician decried the irritating wrangling in the coalition and suggested that ministers who failed to measure up to expectations should be sacked.

Akaranga also emphasized that the country must overcome corruption and ethnicity to achieve progress.

"Ministers should exhibit a shining example while in leadership. They should not wash their dirty linen in public! Those who quarrel publicly should be fired", said he.

At the same time, the ex-minister indicated that even though Kenyans were yearning for the enactment of a new constitution,they should not be hoodwinked into believing that the document was a ready panacea to their myriad of problems.

"What really matters is for Kenyans to sit down together and come up with a constitution that suits them, for the good of our beloved country and posterity," he said with finality.