Times such as Kenya has entered this week remind us of the keen need to distinguish delicately between the true leaders of the people and self-seeking counterfeits.

Lao-Tzu, the great thinker of the Sixth Century BC, often observed that people seldom recognise, or know, their true leaders. Because of this, humankind has over the ages blundered from one tragedy to the other and reposed in grief. They have paid dearly for gullibly following demagogues and sundry political frauds. We saw ours in 2005 and in 2007.

In 2008 our demagogues set our country on fire. They are about to begin again, in the wake of the publication of the Harmonised Draft Constitution. Even before the draft was out, they were already in the countryside, shouting about its merits and demerits.

Never mind that we had not even seen it, let alone read it. We had not even had the chance to weigh the draft on the scales of the country we would like to mould for future generations. Yet ethnic supremacists have already been at work, stoking and fanning the coals of doom, dismembering the country after their trademark ethnic driven fashion.

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The time was never ripe than it is, today, for Kenyans to wonder with Wayne Dyre, one of the best minds of our times, on the continental class of jingoists who pretend to be our leaders. For Wayne has confessed that he is frequently amazed how many contemporary politicians refer to themselves as ‘leaders’ by virtue of the fact that they hold public office.

Historically, such political office holders have rarely brought the change the people want. Wayne has wondered aloud: ‘Who were the leaders of the Renaissance? Were they the public office holders? Were the leaders the mayors, governors, and presidents of European capitals? No indeed.’

Instead, he asserts, ‘The leaders were the artists, writers and musicians who listened to their hearts and souls and expressed what they heard, leading others to discover a resonating voice within. Ultimately, the entire world listened with a new awareness that was responsible for the triumph of human dignity over tyranny.’

Kenyans must call a spade a spade, to save their country from the avarice of the political elite. The country stands, today, on the threshold of its Renaissance. Kenya will never be the same again after the debate on the Nzamba Kitonga Constitution Draft is done with.

No, never. We are going to emerge from this process ready to rise to majestic heights of thrift and freedom, or ready to burn ourselves beyond any hope for redemption. It depends on whether we will listen to our souls, or whether we will surrender to tribal jingoists and their gospels of blinding hate.

The nation has had several stillbirths before. In December 2002 Kenya underwent a rebirth, indeed a revolution. But the Narc midwives, led by President Mwai Kibaki and his political nemesis, Raila Odinga, suffocated and killed Baby Hope. They had promised the nation a new Constitution within 100 days. But all this was hot air. Power and privilege was all they ever wanted.

It has been one long nightmare that the two leaders and the ethnic driven throngs around them have subjected the nation to. It will be no exception this time round. In short order, the debate on the Constitution is going to start sounding like a beauty contest between Raila and Kibaki.

The intelligentsia of Kenya has let this country down before. Like everybody else, they have bowed before tribal dinosaurs. They have displayed the highest degree of intellectual dishonesty by supporting or opposing, simply because the tribal cohorts swayed that way.

The tribal chieftains see the Constitution only in the short term and from the platform of Executive Authority. Why anyone thinks that Kibaki will be president and Raila premier forever is worse than brainless.

The Constitution of Kenya is not about two individuals and their tribes.

It cannot be, it must never be. Nor can it be about one chapter of the Constitution. It is about Kenya and Kenyans. So Raila Odinga and his sycophants want him to be prime ministers for life? So Mwai Kibaki, his son Jimmy and their lackeys want to be presidents for life? But, pray, what do they want you to be?

The true leaders of the people must stand up to be counted at this delicate moment in the history of this country. The intelligentsia has sacrosanct duty to read the Kitonga document in its entirety and provide honest leadership. They are behooved to steer the country away from blinding greed for power among ethnic elites, regardless that they are from Emanyulia, Bondo or Othaya.

This debate belongs to Kenyans. Kenyans should read the draft and form an opinion. It should never be said that Timbuktu has read it we don’t need to read it. The political elite should shut up and listen to Kenyans for once.