Do we have Statesmen or mere Office Seekers?

Today, what was on the front page of the daily papers was nothing unusual; nothing to be surprised about; i submit,  it was sad but it should not have taken us by surprise. The headline on today's Standard newspaper: "Hunger crisis: thousands face starvation." Contrast that with what the Nairobi star displayed on its prominent page: "You won't get a cent from us, MP's tell K.R.A."
This certainly got people talking; they called in to the most popular radio breakfast shows to air their disgust. Kenyans' seemed to be aghast, once again, at the depths that our leadership had sunk to for allowing their fellow human beings to wallow in poverty and hunger while they were busy bargaining for increments in salary; even trying to negotiate their way out of paying taxes. Their argument...it is illegal and unconstitutional for K.R.A to demand additional taxes when transitional clauses in the constitution "preserves the current parliament, with all its privileges, as a whole."
They certainly do not seem to be bothered by what is happening to their constituents in Turkana and its surrounding areas.Drought and famine has tightened its choke-hold on many in these arid parts of the country. But even as this happened, we take a moment to thank those in the private sector and members of the civil society prescient and prudent enough to launch a rapid response initiative to feed the 3.5 million or so starving Kenyans. Christened Kenyans for Kenya, the funds drive aims to raise 500million shillings in four weeks.

But why should our members of parliament be bothered? Why should we, the ordinary Kenyans, act as if we are surprised every time our MP's take actions that are not only self-centered  but also expedient? Isn't that their character? In the words of scripture, can a poisonous tree bear good fruit?
We have seen them come together on more than one occasion only in the interest of passing bills that increase their salaries; we have seen them differ and dissent on every other issue that touches on the very fabric and interests of the ordinary mwananchi. This begs the question: Are our so-called leaders statesmen or mere office seekers? Statesmanship conveys a quality of leadership that progressively brings people together and of eldership, a spirit of caring for the others and for the whole. Have the members of the tenth parliament displayed such a spirit?; do they really care for their fellow countrymen?Should we refer to them statesmen or mere politicians?

I think the tenth parliament has fallen dismally short of any such respect in mention and is very well defined by the words of James Freeman Clarke, "A politician thinks about the next election-the statesman thinks about the next generation."

Our dear politicians, shame on you!

Beware the city's deadliest sins...

Sometime last week, i received a somewhat hilarious email titled "beware the city's deadliest sins"; apparently a mention of the 'petty offences' you had better keep away from lest you find yourself huddled at the back of a City council vehicle headed towards the cell. Besides being plain outrageous, this list of 'ten commandments' simply does not make any positive contribution to how we go about our business in the city.

Beware the city's deadliest sins (and thier criticisms)
1.Buying from hawkers
(Take to your heels right behind the hawkers once you spot the city askaris.Kindly don't leave any of your wares behind.Always carry a shuka with you)
2.Sitting on a flower pot in the CBD
(The flowers in the city are quite susceptible to any noxious fumes emanating from us humans.By the way, the flower pots are so much nicer and welcoming to our 'gluts')
3.Spitting on any footpath or blowing the nose aimlessly other than into a suitable cloth or tissue
(Who defines what a 'suitable' cloth is? If i use today's daily, will the askaris pounce on me?)
4.Taking or alighting from a matatu in a non-designated area
(Matatus only ply in non-designated areas; i guess this implies no taking or alighting from matatus)
5.Crossing the road while you are on the phone
(There's a reason why the chicken crossed the road)
6.Making any kind of noise on the streets
(I'm sorry all you Margaret Wanjiru wannabe's; you'll have to find another place to proclaim "The Glory is here!!")
7.Playing any game, riding or driving or propelling a footpath
(We are sometimes forced to play games when pacing up and down in search of affordable public transport.)
8.Graffiti
9.Owner of a burning building should pay for fire fighting services whether the owner requested for attendance or not
(I suppose it would be quite entertaining to stand and watch as your building and all the worldly possessions it contains are razed to the ground by the blitz.And by the way, why do we pay all these taxes? We should join our honourable members of parliament!!)
10.Loitering
(Careful...we'll all be fitted with GPS and Track 'em so that your loitering habits can be analyzed)
11.Having your car with a 'For Sale' sign and have not paid the council is also punishable
(The proceeds from this activity will help pay someone's alimony!!)

I'm sure you get the picture.These by-laws seem to have been drafted somewhere in the back of a club by people in different stages of inebriation.