Kenyatta expected to make major policy shifts to appease opponents

NAIROBI, Aug. 14– Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta would be
forced to focus his second term in office toward building a more inclusive
society while also reviewing the state investment spending toward social
welfare rather than an infrastructure-focused plan, analysts said Saturday.

Analysts told Xinhua in an interview that Kenyatta would be required to
extend a friendlier hand to political opponents by accepting some
concessions on the law-making front. These include allowing Members of
Parliament on the opposition side more room to pass through laws which
favor both sides, what is known as a bi-partisan legislative approach.
Kenyatta, who emerged as the winner of the disputed Kenyan elections
following his victory declaration by the Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman, Wafula Chebukati on Friday, pledged
to “extend a hand of friendship” to his political opponents. “I reach out
to you and your supporters and those on the opposition benches, that we
shall grow together, work together, prosper together,” Kenyatta said.
“There is no need for violence. Reach out to your neighbor.”

Political analyst, Gwada Ogot, said the president’s hands were now tied
after the outbreak of violent protests following his re-election
announcement. “Things have taken a natural course and there is very little
he can do. There is no doubt the credibility of the Kenyan elections have
been severely compromised by the atmosphere of fear which came after the
murder of a senior IT official, Chris Msando, of the electoral commission
and the alleged electronic rigging of the election results,” Ogot told
Xinhua.

While Kenyatta reached out for peace and reconciliation, analysts say
despite a great record in managing the country’s infrastructure expansion,
Kenyatta achieved little in terms of uniting Kenyans toward a national
course and running an inclusive society through state appointments. “The
main challenge facing Kenyatta is how to unite the country. He realizes
that 6.7 million people voted for Raila Odinga, the presidential candidate
of the National Super Alliance (NASA). The president has to pay close
attention to inclusivity,” Justus Nyang’aya, a prominent human rights
official, told Xinhua.Nyang’aya, who was one of the election observers,
said the starting point for the president is to help steer the nation ahead
after the end of the electoral period which caused deeper divisions. “The
president must pay attention to inclusivity. He has to help people
understand that it was a competitive election and it has ended and we need
to build trust as a country. Those who did not vote for him should not feel
they are isolated and punished for their vote,” Nyang’aya said.

Kenyatta received 8.2 million votes against 6.7 million votes for his
opponent Odinga, to claim the victory, which Odinga’s NASA coalition says
was stolen victory.The main opposition has vowed to continue its resistance
to the declaration of the presidential victory. NASA chief legal counsel,
James Orengo, said the results of the elections were declared before the
agents signed the declaration forms and only 29,000 out of 40,833 forms
containing the results were available before the results were declared. The
opposition says the elections body was under “Executive pressure” to
announce Kenyatta as the winner of the polls. “We would need to build the
confidence and trust on each other. This kind of approach to issues would
help to enhance the president’s legacy,” Nyang’aya said. “You might have
good roads and a lot of people look at the SGR project but when you do not
have access to basic needs like maize floor or bread, it creates a big
imbalance which must be addressed,” Nyang’aya said.

The president’s legacy has so far been in the building of the Standard
Gauge Railway (SGR) and key infrastructure. The analysts say while building
the infrastructure may be key, the country’s main problems were in
addressing poverty, inequality, housing and personal dignity, which include
the need to improve health care, education and creating a stable market
economy and enhancing the right to food.However, Ogot said the main issues
which require attention is social justice, ending corruption and improving
the governance. “They need to end corruption and state executions.”-XINHUA