President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Nyanza last Friday for the funeral of former Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General David Okuta, was a bold move that took much political courage. There are those who may have felt that Uhuru shouldn’t have been too fast to visit a region that is the home turf of his erstwhile political opponent, the immediate former Prime Minister Raila Odinga before political tempers have cooled down.
But the fact that Uhuru decided to take make the bold move and visit Nyanza speaks volumes on the new President’s bid to unite the country, which is still divided down the middle, thanks to the hotly contested presidential race.
Efforts to heal the country and unite Kenyans are something we unreservedly laud and wish to encourage at all times. For, in the words of Raila, the country is larger than all of us and political contest need not make us enemies. To hear Raila and Uhuru referring to each other as brothers is something that sends the right peace message to their supporters. It indeed demonstrates a sense of great political maturity on the part of the two leaders to continue preaching peace among their supporters. This is a message other leaders too ought to take to heart.
The speeches of the two leaders were also apt and contained very positive remarks. That is as it ought to be, but as we have seen in the past, peace messages are not always what politicians talk about. So when that happens, it is something worth lauding.
It is positive to note that none of the leaders who spoke at Okuta’s funeral engaged in “Tunaomba Serikali” kind of talk. They all focused on issues, with unity of the country being paramount in their speeches. That is the way of the future. Indeed, it would appear that Kenyans and their leaders are beginning to appreciate that the “Tunaomba Serikali” mentality is retrogressive and will take us to nowhere.
In his inaugural speech, President Uhuru promised to do whatever it takes to unite Kenyans. He also promised to have a Government that reflects the face of Kenya and not just only those Kenyans who voted for him. The symbolism of the President’s trip to Nyanza is an indication that Uhuru desires to be seen as the President of the entire country, not just the President of Central and Rift Valley— the two regions that gave him the most votes.
While encouraging these positive moves, we also urge the President to indeed walk the talk when it comes to appointment of Cabinet Secretaries, Principle Secretaries, parastatal chiefs, ambassadors and all other positions in the public sector where vacancies may arise.
There are those who will be pushing President Uhuru and his Deputy William Ruto to reward only supporters and loyalists at the expense of other communities in the country. Mr President and Mr Deputy President, we dare say it to you loud and clear that anyone who pushes you towards having a Government that is mainly composed of ‘homeboys’ and ‘home-girls’ is not your friend. That person does not mean well for you and your legacy.
Though temptation will be there to reward cronies, friends and relatives, Mr President and your Deputy, please resist that temptation.
As a country, Kenya has many issues to deal with and making lopsided appointments, engaging in unnecessary political rhetoric and feuding cannot help us deal with the pressing and serious problems. It is for this reason that we wish to encourage more dialogue and constant engagement between those in power and those out of power. It is also for the same reason we keep revisiting the issue of equity, regional and gender balance in public sector appointments.
If the country is to achieve its economic dream of having double-digit economic growth, then our leaders ought to engage more in creating positive synergy that will create an enabling environment for growth.
We hope and pray that Members of the National Assembly and Senate will borrow a leaf from the rapprochement that is growing between the President and former Prime Minister so as to work for the good of the country without letting parochial political interests stand in the way of broader national interests.
