Like Zambia, Kenya needs divine intervention

It is a tired call, but a call we must not be tired of —the call to prayer. While many may dismiss it as merely escapist, it is nonetheless an appreciation that there are things that only God can deal — issues that require divine intervention. That is why I was deeply impressed when Ambassador Brenda Muntemba, the Zambia High Commissioner to Kenya, came to our church last Sunday to enlist our support for a prayer initiative for her nation, as decreed by her president. In the written declaration, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has proclaimed Sunday, October 18, 2015 as the day of Repentance, Prayer and Fasting to be observed throughout Zambia.

Furthermore, all the diplomatic missions abroad have been directed to mobilise Zambians and friends of Zambia to join in the prayer day within their countries of residence.

In the proclamation, the President states that “the decision was inevitable in view of the many challenges that the country is faced with, among them: socio-economic; disrespect for elders, and a near absence of civility in discourse; high unemployment levels among the youth and high poverty levels; Kwacha depreciation; and load shedding due to the power deficit.” The Head of State has appealed to all the people of Zambia to assemble at their respective places of worship and spend time in prayer and fasting to seek the face of God to avert the challenges that confront the nation.

As I read this declaration and listened to the Ambassador explain it, I could not help but compare with our own state of the nation. Almost everything the Zambian President highlights as a key challenge to his nation has an equivalent in Kenya.

Over the last several years, Kenya has faced several negative factors that have worked in concert to drive this nation to the precipice. The decline in the social and economic spheres has been gradual but frighteningly steady. From a tightly knit civilised community, our bond of relationship has been seriously eroded by the cancer of tribalism.

Our public discourse is badly polluted by a serious lack of decorum and civility. Likewise, from a rapidly growing economy, we have witnessed a severe downturn in many fronts. Thus in the last few years, we have gone through perhaps some of the worst times in our independent history.

Whereas some of the contributing factors have been unforeseen and external, many others are of our own making. On the one hand, our endemic corruption is reported to be eating away almost 30 per cent of our national budget; making it virtually impossible for government to meet its set targets and fulfil its obligations. At the same time, we have created an over-politicised environment in which we view almost everything through political and ethnic prisms. This has meant that we play politics from election to election at the expense of productive work. As a people, we expend inordinate amounts of time, energy and resources on political discourse and intrigues — most of which is destructively negative.

Accordingly, there is endless social unrest and political uncertainty that undermines investment prospects. In fact, statistics indicate that our negative politicking has often resulted in an economic slow-down every one to one and half years prior to and after elections. This translates to about three years in every ten year election cycle, when the business community and potential investors go slow on economic activity as they monitor the political environment.

On the other hand, there are several external factors such as the global economic challenges that have trickled down to us; the insecurity unleashed upon us by Muslim extremists; and the unpredictable weather patterns. All these have seriously eroded our capacity for growth, and created a milieu that saps the juice out of even the best optimist. Yet this situation need not persist.

As observed by many before, there is every evidence that whenever Kenyans have turned to God in prayer, this nation has looked up. That is why my heart totally resonates with the step taken by President Edgar Lungu of Zambia in proclaiming a national day of repentance, prayer, and fasting. And the fact that he has also enjoined Zambians in the diaspora, means that this is not just a political good gesture to appease the religious, but a serious turning to God for divine intervention.

And so, as Zambians gather across the world for prayers next Sunday, may the God of heaven hear their cries and save their land. And Lord, while on others Thou art calling, do not pass us by.