“What is the single problem facing Kenya today?” Let me look
at the flipside of this question. “The single problem with Kenya is our
misguided approach in identifying our main problem.”
If I gave celebrated Nigerian author Chinua Achebe the same question, he would ask “When
did the rains start beating you?” I am sure Kenyans will not have an answer to
this question because no one saw the clouds gather and even if we saw, we must
have thought our houses will shield us from its effects. Yes, that is the
problem with Kenya.
The next three to four months will be hot in Kenya, hot
because like I have pointed we are trying to solve a problem we have not
identified. The probability of getting it wrong is so high that only heavens
can come to our rescue, and thank heavens it is the year of ‘jubilee’ (50th
year of independence)- things have to be sorted. I have identified two main
problems we need to look into, elections and our cowardice as a nation.
One, elections will never solve our problems. By waiting for
five years to settle social and political scores, we always walk to the edge of
the cliff and play poker. To add to that, we need to be courageous enough to
form a habit of discussing, agreeing to disagree over any issue before
elections. This is like school children waiting to settle grudges on closing
day. It has to start from home and at a very early age; that we can always sit
and discuss problems even if we don’t find a solution, we are halfway to it.
This will take away our obsession with politics and
politicians. Politicians will not take advantage of our fears and misguided
aspirations to rise into office. If we let elections solve our problems, we
raise the stakes and when the stakes go up the risk is also high. Any high risk
venture can go either way, very good or God forbid, very bad like id happened
in 2008. The next general elections in 2013 are gearing to becoming high risk
again, we are back in 2007.
Two, we need a leader who will clear the slate. The Kenyan
slate is full of baggage, real, imagined and fabricated. In my conversation
with the common man, I gathered some baggage that we have to clear. There is a
perception among Kikuyus that Luos are out to get the presidency from them yet
they don’t deserve it. To them, it is Kikuyus who fought for independence hence
entitled to the seat on the hill, the Luos want to ‘eat what they did not work
for.’
The last time I checked, Achieng’ Oneko was among the Kapenguria Six, Tom Mboya fought for
independence through the labour movement and Argwings Kodhek through his law
skills. I tend to think just because Luos did not go to the bush, like other
tribes in Kenya, does not mean they did not fight for independence. Such
misconceptions and entitlement are misplaced and should be cleared from the
slate.
The other misconception is that the Jomo Kenyatta stole land
meant for displaced common man so getting Uhuru Kenyatta into office is giving
him an opportunity to protect this land. There is also the perception that the
Kikuyu hoard resources among themselves. Yes, there are very rich Kikuyus but
the poorest people in Kenya are also found among them. This is just a product
of their proximity to the capital city which made their land prime and placed
them near a good market for their produce and rental houses. The same as the
old town Arabs in Mombasa, if they didn’t take advantage someone else would
have jumped into it.
The third misconception is that only the big tribes can
produce presidents. I don’t agree with this notion, the best president Kenya
will ever get will come from the minority tribes and you can take that to the
bank. This also comes with the misguided thinking that it is only some specific
families that can produce leaders. The very reason why James Orengo could not
stand up to Raila Odinga for long and why Peter Kenneth despite an illustrious
track record as a member of parliament is still supposed to face ‘Mt. Kenya and
say Uhuru Kenyatta for president.’
Historical injustices must be faced with a courage that
cannot bat an eyelid. A courage that can scare away fear, fear that the old ghosts
are better left to rest even if they come to haunt us every election year. This
does not mean we have to open up old wounds, but acknowledge that there was an
abuse of power by some people and people’s human rights were abused as a
result. Then restitution can be progressive, because most of the affected
people are long dead, so their children can be sorted going forward. Be it
land, massacres, assassinations, detentions and other past injustices, we can
face these demons courageously. I am tired of hearing about Wagalla massacre;
the government should clear such once and for all?
I repeat that our problem is our inability to delineate our
main problem. Our problem is not ethnicity, because there are countries with a
boiling pot of diversity that our forty something tribes is a drop in the ocean.
Our problem is negative ethnicity, and we fail to note that this is an industry
that is making the political class richer with the single aim of clinging to
power.
Going forward, I believe Kenyans need to do two things and
do them fast. This will address past injustices and reassure others that there
place in this country is secured. One, We must elect a Luo president and two we
must elect a president from the minority tribes like El Molo, Ilchamus or Sabaot.
The earlier we do these and not necessarily in that order, the better.
Why I will vote CORD;
I had started championing for a Peter Kenneth presidency but I feel he should vie for Nairobi governor and run for president in the next elections. He will get a chance to prove to all Kenyan societies represented in Nairobi what he is made of and so have an easy ascent to the presidency.
This is the part I fought so hard to write but like I said
above we need to stand up for what we believe in. I spent a few years trying to
fight the injustices of KANU and paid a small price for it. Looking at the two
major coalitions going for the polls next year, I see KANU in both but I see
more KANU in Jubilee than CORD.
The forces of Moi orphans have been skimmed from the pool into
the Jubilee coalition. I would rather make one step forward than go back a
decade. My vote goes to CORD and it is not because I expect a big leap in terms
of social development, but to safe guard the gains we have made. In the past
two years we have had the new constitution, the Jubilee side has made many
attempts to water it down and Isaac Ruto is the chief mutilator. I hope the
people of Chepalungu will save this country from this man.
If Jubilee wins,
every effort will be made to change any law that is ICC friendly, a push that
will be myopic because we don’t know if Kenya will have a Joseph Kony like
character in future.
With that I pen off, asking Kenyans to look deep and
identify our main problem, it is not ICC, neither is it Raila Odinga or Uhuru
Kenyatta. Our main problem is our inability to identify our main problem.
I take a Christmas break from blogging…..
