"In addition, the Government recognises your wise counsel and guidance which contribute to the public good in the course of nation building activities, besides playing hostess during national and other official public engagements," read the letter obtained by The Standard newspaper. "In view of the above, and in order to compensate for the above services," the letter said, the State had approved a monthly payment for her of Sh400,000 and allowances when she travels "within and outside the country on official engagements".Of course, if I was to be cynical, the whole thing may well have been a stunt to give the Railas an opportunity to refuse the money. But accusing politicans of politicking seems to miss the point. Stunt or not, this lays down a challenge to the whole of the Kenyan public sector and suggests Raila may be trying to deliver on his promise of a new way of doing things.
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Kenyan Political Family Refuses Cash Shock
6 Comments
I think it's a shrewd move on her part, and she didn't need it anyway, or ask for it.
Ngeny, I've seen plenty of Kenyan politicians happy to ignore public anger in the past few years.
Your last paragraph hits the nail on the head, for my mind. It's also important that you note Raila's position on Mugabe. Anyway, I hope you're right. Could be just what Kenyan politics needs.
My jury is still out. I think Raila will walk out in a couple of years time on some spurious, engineered policy grounds, and resume his campaign to become president. But in the meantime he's playing a pretty canny game. With Kibaki's "hands off" style of management (ie incapable of doing much) the coast is clear for Raila to shape the administration. It is Raila now that people go to with their problems, it was Raila pictured with Gordon Brown and it would be interesting to compare the number of times the PM has been on the front pages in the past 6 months with the number of times the head of state has made it on.
I'd certainly agree that he's likely to resume the presidential road at some point. If a few new ways of doing politics take hold in the meantime then all the better.
I think if it was not for the outcry around the money she would not decline. Maybe am wrong!