When
our freedom fathers fought gallantly for us, they did so with such valor and
hope for an independent self rule that they knew will bring people together and
build a better nation. Some will argue they would be proud of where we are as a
united nation and some of equal number will argue the opposite depending on
which side of the political divide you are in. Along the way, we forgot the
value of creating a “Kenyan people” but succeeded in ethnic identity for which
we are going to be punished very dearly.
Ethnicity and tribalism has over the years been gratified and
rewarded, politicians have destroyed the only fiber that glued us together as a
Kenyan people and replaced us with voting machines that rubber stamps the
winner takes all Kenyan leadership dispensation. Open disregard of the
constitution, extrajudicial killings becoming a new normal in silencing
critics, endemic institutionalized corruption and its gratification, impunity
and mutiny structurally engrained in political leadership, tyranny guised as
“ruling majority” ,rejection of reforms and democratic principles of governance
are pulling Kenya apart to the extreme. She will inevitable implode.
One Nigerian author wrote this on the imminent Nigeria break into
three states (Nigeria, Biafra and Oduduwa Republics) “Our history proves that
ethnic unity is more of a dusty artifact of an ancient political arrangement
than the outcome of genuine political incorporation or enhances cohesion among
the different ethnic groups. The fragile state of affairs has been held
together by a tsunami of lies and misrepresentations in whose wake the country
is reeling perpetually. Successive governments were dominated by evil and
murderous perpetrators of crimes. Ethnic fragmentation and persistent hotbeds
of political criminality were encouraged and sponsored by the rulers. As a
result, we were submerged in ethnic hatred and rabid nationalism that swept
throughout the nation like a disease”. I couldn’t have said it better for our
own Kenyan situation- quite parallels.
When the tenants of democracy such as unity, justice, equality,
fairness and patriotism are disregarded for manipulation, impunity and
tribalism in the institutions of governance, this only exacerbates a very bad
situation to worse. When the presidency and the legislature cohort to drive an
agenda contrary to the spirit of nationalism and cohesion, checks and balances
that are a part of a healthy democracy seize to exist, when the highest bidder
will have their way to have MPs support and loyalty- legislature loses its
morality, when judiciary is rampantly attacked and threatened by politicians,
it quickly becomes a derivative of the executive rather than being
independent. When rule of law is openly contravened and ignored by those
mandated to create laws, when political leaders clearly lack integrity
,leadership virtues and commitment to changing the socio-economic status of
their constituents. Tragically, they’re not fighters for a new life for our
people but figureheads of the status quo.
When the church drowns into a faint voice of reason, loses its
moral standing and respect as it chokes under deep seated tribalism and greed
for affirmation from the ruling elite then something is fundamentally wrong
with that social structure, Sadly the voices of fearless religious leaders such
as Rev Njoya, Bishop Gitari and Archbishop Nding’i Mwana Nzeki that gallantly
fought for freedoms we enjoy today are lost in their inept successors. Who will
morally check our journey?.
Our democracy have slid towards autocracy, maintaining the outward
appearance of democracy through disputed elections every five years, but
without respect to and adherence of electoral reforms, the rigors of an
impending volcano can be heard from a mile. Peace calls without justice
and fairness, blanket calls of “accept and move on” forced down the ‘losers”
conscience only ear buds one to the rigors.
Nations don’t break up overnight, years of budding our ears and
blinding our eyes to what is tearing us apart gradually leads to a divided
society, that which values the status quo and seem to think all is well and
another that feels oppressed, marginalized and colonized quests for freedom and
change. The identity politics played in Kenya for many years will be our
undoing, it creates two polarizing ideologies that do not meet, social
democrats and communists but we must start to confront our shortcomings as a
nation, correct past mistakes and dream again purposefully together towards one
unity…the fundamental question is “can it be done or its already too late?
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