By Sospeter
There is something interesting towards, and during the Obama visit.
Washington has adopted the line called “LEGALLY ELECTED”, not “DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED”. The natural English thing is usually “DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED”.
(White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice used those words in a White House press briefing, and so did Obama while on the Kenyan soil. Remember Susan Rice explains or rather spins those things that are the toughest to explain to Washington media. She is an excellent statecraft PR icon). That she was entrusted to explain it, proves just how difficult it was to convince the journalists that Obama was using taxpayer money to visit a Kenyan government that is in office as a result of the “popular will of the Kenyan people”.
We all know that there are numerous things people can do within the law to secure a legal election. LEGALLY ELECTED is absent the DEMOCRATIC will of the KENYAN people. LEGALLY ELECTED means that legal technicalities and 2 week time constraints may have led the SC judges to rule against CORD. The word LEGALLY elected effectively removes the Will of the Kenyan people out of the picture.
Like for example Museveni is the legally elected president of Uganda, so is Nkurunziza and Sudan’s Omar El Bashir….nations that throw the opposition candidates into jail. Nairobi didnt do that but I just want you to see to what extent and breadth the words LEGALLY ELECTED could go and what the ramifications are. It means ANYTHING but a COUP. But also that it doesn’t have to be democratic.
The ends of the continuum are DEMOCRATIC on the good side, AND COUP on the bad end. We know it wasn’t a coup, but if it was democratic, believe you me, that’s what Washington would have used. And so Washington’s hesitation to use the word Democratic rules it out.
And so, in Washington’s semantics, Uhuru is in power through means that are neither a coup nor democratic. But can be anything in between, but which was made legal by a Supreme Court ruling. Remember the words, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT? That’s what CORD wasn’t able to do. And the burden of proof was on them, remember. And so in that case, a legal decision was reached in which the status quo prevailed.They fell short of declaring Uhuru democratically elected.
Washington is deliberately avoiding the word DEMOCRATIC with huge perception ramifications, and Nairobi would better demand the word LEGALLY be replaced by DEMOCRATIC to counter the widely accepted narrative that the 2013 election was flawed and undemocratic.
What Nkurunziza did recently was a LEGAL third term in which he is now LEGALLY in office, absent a democratic process. What Washington is implying is that Uhuru isn’t democratically in office, but rather Legally in office. Nairobi would rather demand they use “Constitutionally Elected”, which has more meat.
To the ignorant the words LEGALLY ELECTED is cause to celebrate, but to the keen eye, those words from a man with CIA, FBI, USAID, Pentagon and numerous foreign embassies’ briefing each morning across the world at his disposal is a cause for Jubilee spin-masters to get back to the drawing board. The issue is that the world has never believed that Jubilee won democratically, and with Washington’s hesitation to say Uhuru was DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED, deepens that perception.
What does Washington know about Uhuru’s legitimacy?
Sospeter Otieno is a National Security Analyst
Anonymous says
whether obama said it or not kenyatta is our loving president
Oti Nyakach says
Yawakera bure uhuru tosha
kenyan says
they r losers
Anzo says
Trying to twist words.the constitution is clear on how to declare one president of kenya.rao lost the elections and wanted to win thro the courts.he lost again.democracy exists in a constitutional and legal framework.
Bobby says
Reason why lawyers and their useless semantics are the less productive members of any society. So long as you control all the levers of power playing around means nothing. Zilch.
ndele says
keep on talk all sort of nonsenses,still uk wl win next election by far n his dp wl inherite te same 4 next 10yrs.prepare 2 write more n more.
Anonymous says
POTUS used the word legitimate NOT Legally..words do not lie. do your homework
Anonymous says
Legit means legal au!
otieno says
It might matter to you. But most of us all we care about is UK is the president and ruto deputy prezo. The rest in vitandawili.
Disgusted says
What type of paper is this? Terrible slanted article that do not help any Kenyans. It seems the only side of the Kenya government they see is negative and will twist anything POTUS said to further their agenda. This paper is the type of poison Kenyans should avoid!!
Anonymous says
I wonder why they have not passionately argued on what GES2015 is all about.
Wadawi David says
Democracy is all about complaining.
karis eldy says
jubilee mnanuka. tIL OBAMA REFUSE TO ENTER THERE MACHINE IN DA AIRPORT SHIT
Anonymous says
Bullshit
neuman says
There was dispute and the supreme court ruled,thats why LEGAL was used here.we respect the rule of law in our beloved land Mr
Evans says
Elections are about democratic processes. Legality questions won’t arise!
Anonymous says
What this man doesn’t know is that Uhuru is loved not only in Kenya but world wide..in fact even Americans wish that the son of Jomo was their POTUS
Anonymous says
You forever remain quiet and irrelevant come 2017.
Jip says
Whether legal or democratic, UK is Kenya’s president. For now.
mogi says
president my foot!
Kipsoroi. says
The two terms are funny. Jubilee is DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED according to the Isaak Hassan and company. The Court will preffer to use “LEGALLY ELECTED’ becouse its function was to determine the validity of the IIEC’s verdict. Depending on where you base your argument and whether you’ve trust in THE government you’re at liberty to subscribe to any of these words! Rice like using “legally”. A true revelation that US knows that the whole thing surrounding 2013 ballot was tainted, but suprisingly it needs to maintain economic contact with with embattled government.
cwm says
dwell on views bt that wont change the fact that potus wants to deal uk.Period.
Chris Gregory says
Thanks for that candid linguistic analysis of these simple yet so confusing public relations terminologies.
blue pen says
Please yourselves with lots of literature but remember uhuru is the president of kenya now and five years after 2017 election. No mindful kenyan can ellect a person of agwambos character. People who can never respect results of any election that he loses. If he became the CIC this country will be doomed for he will never accept defeat in subsequent elections.
njambi.'i D P' langas says
shapeless president.he dont even fit
John says
His presidency came from Supreme Court which had the final decision thats why he is LEGALLY there in the eyes of the law.
If the IEBC decision to declare him the President was not contested in a court of law then he will have been elected DEMOCRATICALLY.