Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, the country has to move on. We cannot continue being stymied forever by politics of what if, what is, what would, and what should have or should not have been. The country has to move forward. And moving forward we will.
As in every duel, there are winners and losers. But as a country we should take the Supreme Court ruling not on the basis of winners and losers. It is our considered opinion that there are no winners or losers in this contest.
The winner is the Republic of Kenya. And that is why we urge President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to start their five-year tenure on the premise of healing and uniting the country not on the basis of winners and losers, but on the basis of brothers and sisters.
While some will be wining, dinning and celebrating, they have an obligation – indeed a solemn duty– not just to spare a fleeting thought for those not feeling the same way, but indeed a divine responsibility to do all that they can to find ways and means to accommodate, assuage, and comfort those whom the Supreme Court ruling did not go their way. That is how you build a nation.
Our humble submission is that Kenya is far much larger, important and significant than the sum-total of all of us. The nation-State that is known as Kenya will still be in existence long after all of us have gone to meet our makers.
It is for this reason that we dare say that we all must put the nation ahead of our personal ambitions and interests. None of us, either individually or collectively, is more important than our country. It is that simple.
So, let us move forward as a united country and a unified people to meet the next challenges having learnt some useful lessons from the Supreme Court duel.
To President-elect Uhuru, soon to be Fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, while we congratulate you, we also take this opportunity to remind you and your deputy Ruto of the promises and pledges you made to Kenyans during and after the campaigns.
Promises and pledges are meant to be kept. We trust you will do everything in your power to ensure that you and your entire team keep its word.
You are inheriting a country that is divided down the middle as voting patterns clearly demonstrated. Half of the country voted for you, and the other half voted for your worthy opponent Raila Amolo Odinga.
As President, you shall not be President of those who voted Jubilee. You shall be the President of the Republic of Kenya. Period.
All Kenyans, those who voted for you and those who did not, shall look upon you to lead them into greater prosperity and peaceful co-existence with local and regional neighbours.
The biggest challenges facing the nation today are unemployment, insecurity, availability of food, and the beast of corruption. These are the challenges Kenyans shall be counting on you to help them overcome.
But as President, your biggest challenge will be bringing Kenyans together so that they can work with you in the noble task of nation building. Reaching out to communities that did not vote for you is one sure way of ensuring that they do not feel disenfranchised.
As such, it will be most critical when it comes to the appointment of Cabinet and Principle Secretaries for your government to ensure that the people you appoint represent the face of Kenya.
Much as you have pre-election agreements with various parties, you also have an agreement with the whole country. The covenant you have with Kenyans should over-ride any other prior agreements you may have had.
And the covenant with Kenyans means ensuring that all Kenyans irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, creed, colour, political persuasion or economic status get equal and fair treatment by the government and are exposed to equal rights and opportunities.
