Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, alias KKY, formally resigned from the Sierra Leone People’s Party few weeks ago after years of intraparty gymnastic full of oral and physical abuses. KKY’s resignation came as no surprise to many after he suspended his campaign for the party’s flagbearer race two months earlier. What was a bit surprising however, is his quick declaration for the National Grand Coalition Movement (NGC), a new political party that is yet to be granted proper legitimacy by the Political Parties Registration Commission. Many sources had earlier speculated KKY’s alliance with exiled Vice President Sam Sumana in an unknown coalition, but what remained a fact until his official resignation, is that despite all the challenges he faced from the Paopa clan within the SLPP, he became an accepted member of the party after years of rejection. In his resignation speech, KKY categorically announced his readiness to join the NGC shortly after the occasion. He also disclosed that many prominent members of SLPP, including the erstwhile Vice President Albert Joe Demby, were ready to go with him. He then asked the entire membership of the KKY Movement to follow suit. Many political analysts believe that KKY had already joined the NGC before his official resignation from SLPP. Whatever the case might have been, we now know that the global KKY Movement is going to be metamorphosed into NGC.
The above plunges me into an endless political meditations in which I would like my readers to follow me:
What is the KKY Movement?
The idea of KKY movement evolved far back in the years 2012/2013 shortly after SLPP lost the last elections. It was brought about by SLPP supporters in the diaspora who fancied Dr. Yumkella as a better alternative to the likes of Maada Bio and others for the SLPP flag. The idea was based on their loyalty to SLPP, love for their county and hope for a better future based on their understanding of democracy in development context. KKY himself was still a plenipotentiary servant of United Nations at the time. As it’s always the case in Sierra Leonean politics, few others later joint the group because of their regional, tribal or family relationship to KKY. The man himself openly admitted his leadership of the KKY Movement after he gave up his job at United Nations in early March 2015. Thenceforth the battle for legitimacy in the SLPP began.
According to what I culled from the homepage www.kkymovement.org, “the KKY movement supports, advocates and campaigns for KKY because the vast majority of Sierra Leoneans believe that only a person with his experience, skills, knowledge, capacity and ability stands a chance of leading our Nation into a new era of Economic Transformation, Growth, Job Creation and Social Justice.
The movement will be engaging in fund raising, community engagement and awareness programs, campaigns and various developmental programs – all in the name of KKY and for the sole purpose of promoting and advocating his bid for the 2017/18 Presidential elections of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Key principles of KKY Movement
“1. Open, inclusive, accountable, transparent government and society that respects the rule of law, fundamental human rights and constitutional order.
The above can be simply understood as summery of KKY’s political manifestos. It’s a true political group with distinct dreams for a better future for our country. The only thing it lacks is political legitimacy because it’s not registered as a legal entity in Sierra Leone.
From development point of view, I would like to refer to the Movement as a social initiative that cannot be prosperous without answering the so-called five “W” and one “H” questions in its visions and objectives: What/who do we want? Why do we want it/him? What can we/he do to achieve our dreams? Where can he/we get the chances/resource to do it? When can we/he achieve it? Certainty, the Movement has provided answers to all the above questions except one: “H”, which means “How” can he/we do it? The “How” explains implementation strategy in project. This is what determines outcomes of polls in well developed and democratically civilized nations. The “how” must be conceivable, attainable and acceptable to the voters before going to the poll. Unfortunately the average Sierra Leonean voter does not ask any politician to explain the “How” of their promises.
Was there any Plan B?
When the Paopa predominated SLPP leadership began resisting KKY’s membership of SLPP – hence his participation in the flagbearer race, some people began looking at the KKY Movement from different perspectives. They began calling vociferously in the social media for the transformation of the Movement into an independent political party. Regardless KKY’s claim that he had a sentimental attachment to the party which is why he found it hard to let go, there were other fundamental factors which they (
The above plunges me into an endless political meditations in which I would like my readers to follow me:
What is the KKY Movement?
The idea of KKY movement evolved far back in the years 2012/2013 shortly after SLPP lost the last elections. It was brought about by SLPP supporters in the diaspora who fancied Dr. Yumkella as a better alternative to the likes of Maada Bio and others for the SLPP flag. The idea was based on their loyalty to SLPP, love for their county and hope for a better future based on their understanding of democracy in development context. KKY himself was still a plenipotentiary servant of United Nations at the time. As it’s always the case in Sierra Leonean politics, few others later joint the group because of their regional, tribal or family relationship to KKY. The man himself openly admitted his leadership of the KKY Movement after he gave up his job at United Nations in early March 2015. Thenceforth the battle for legitimacy in the SLPP began.
According to what I culled from the homepage www.kkymovement.org, “the KKY movement supports, advocates and campaigns for KKY because the vast majority of Sierra Leoneans believe that only a person with his experience, skills, knowledge, capacity and ability stands a chance of leading our Nation into a new era of Economic Transformation, Growth, Job Creation and Social Justice.
The movement will be engaging in fund raising, community engagement and awareness programs, campaigns and various developmental programs – all in the name of KKY and for the sole purpose of promoting and advocating his bid for the 2017/18 Presidential elections of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Key principles of KKY Movement
“1. Open, inclusive, accountable, transparent government and society that respects the rule of law, fundamental human rights and constitutional order.
The above can be simply understood as summery of KKY’s political manifestos. It’s a true political group with distinct dreams for a better future for our country. The only thing it lacks is political legitimacy because it’s not registered as a legal entity in Sierra Leone.
From development point of view, I would like to refer to the Movement as a social initiative that cannot be prosperous without answering the so-called five “W” and one “H” questions in its visions and objectives: What/who do we want? Why do we want it/him? What can we/he do to achieve our dreams? Where can he/we get the chances/resource to do it? When can we/he achieve it? Certainty, the Movement has provided answers to all the above questions except one: “H”, which means “How” can he/we do it? The “How” explains implementation strategy in project. This is what determines outcomes of polls in well developed and democratically civilized nations. The “how” must be conceivable, attainable and acceptable to the voters before going to the poll. Unfortunately the average Sierra Leonean voter does not ask any politician to explain the “How” of their promises.
Was there any Plan B?
When the Paopa predominated SLPP leadership began resisting KKY’s membership of SLPP – hence his participation in the flagbearer race, some people began looking at the KKY Movement from different perspectives. They began calling vociferously in the social media for the transformation of the Movement into an independent political party. Regardless KKY’s claim that he had a sentimental attachment to the party which is why he found it hard to let go, there were other fundamental factors which they (