The altercation at the Parliament media centre by Starehe MP Charles Kanyi (Jaguar) and Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has cast doubts on youth leadership in this country.
These are the youths who fought the phrase ‘vijana ndio viongozi wa kesho’ (Youths are the leaders of tomorrow) to achieve ‘vijana ni sasa’ (Youth’s time is now). But fellow youths are ashamed to associate themselves with such calibre of leaders. Leaders who fight for positions to go and exchange blows in the very legal alter where they should be mending laws! Its a shame.
According to Jaguar, he had a good reason to fight Babu Owino in the name of defending Uhuru Kenyatta after having referred to him as the ‘care taker president’. Jaguar demanded respect for the president. Babu Owino, on the other hand, let Jaguar know that Raila is the only president he knows.
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This is one of the most dishounarable things for the honorouble members. In bloggers language, it is bootlicking. Jaguar is not in Parliament for president Uhuru neither is Babu representing Hon Raila.
They are in Parliament on behalf of the Starehe and Embakasi East people respectively, whom they should defend. Even if it is in defense of their people, it should not get to a point of exchanging blows. This makes the whole incidence pointless.
The fight scene looked more like one you would see in reality shows such as the Real Housewives or Two Drunken Men fighting over a sports game. Their actions do not match the Honourable title they hold.
“Personally I don’t engage in physical fights but what happened today is a shame to this nation and we are showing a bad example to the youth of this nation and to our children and to me I can’t regret because I was defending myself. I will forgive them. You know the Bible says that you forgive your enemies,” stated Babu Owino after the fight.
They promise to work together with other leaders to ensure a better tomorrow for the region, but not to fight one another. The nation needs so much the input of the young leaders at such a time when political temperatures are heightening. They should be united more than before, irrespective of their political divide. Even as the two are now set to face disciplinary action before the Powers and Privileges Committee presided over by speaker Justin Muturi, the stain cannot be washed away.
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Earlier this year, former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and former Nyali MP Awiti Bolo exchanged blows in front their Party Leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, over the race to the gubernatorial seat. These are the leaders claiming to be as white as wool, but are they?
A couple of years ago, former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama was attacked in Parliament, not by bees but by the ‘honourable legislators’, and to make it worse they were discussing a security bill which is supposed to protect all Kenyans from any kind of insecurity, including such attacks.
Last year, the public witnessed the then Nyeri MCAs Peter Nyira and Johnson Njoroge getting into a fight over the proposal to oust Nyeri County Governor Nderitu Gachagwa. It got so heated up that one of the parties was left with a torn shirt, and a female journalist assaulted.
They should behave
When such things happen, both parties should exercise conflict resolution strategies. Instead of attacking, why not avoid, reconcile or even come to some type of understanding. Be the mediator and not the conflict. Leaders ought to put their energy in working together to develop the community in the social, economic and political battle field as promised rather than punching each other competitively. They should behave themselves accordingly and be responsible because they are representatives of their people.
To crown it all, elitists, as they refer themselves, should engage in intellectual battle, not physical fisticuffs. After all, what will the disciplined forces do?
