Ashish Shah & John Githongo
As we hear stories and watch in disgust at the lengths to which Gaddafi is willing to oppress and violate his people, and destroy their nation with the sole pursuit of clinging to power, and Kenya gains a mention as being one of the nations where its mercenary ‘Dogs of War’ are fighting for Gaddafi, it is hard not to see the semblances of Gaddafi in our own political elite.
Our story is a story of increased divisionism and inequality, instrumental use of ethnicity by the political elite, growing cases of violence that culminated in the post-election tragedy, and a permanent state of internally displaced Kenyans being a stark reminder, and a precursor of how a nation can turn against its own people. Since our independence our political elite have learnt to treat and use Kenyans, like Gaddafi, as their mercenaries to help them retain, consolidate, gain or cling onto power.
Like Gaddafi, they care not for the welfare of the nation, and like Gaddafi they are willing and able to turn their people against each other.
We were reminded of this yet again, as the crisis on the nominations of the Chief Justice escalated, and both sides of the political elite retreated back to their grassroots, the language of hate and divisionism, the language of violence, the language and evil of Gaddafi permeated.
We fall prey to the machinations of our Gaddafi elite as we too propagate the rhetoric of divisionism, we too see power as something to cling on to or gain at all costs, regardless as to what happens to our neighbours.
It is the mercenary in us that allows us to carry on with our daily lives without batting an eyelid at the knowledge that internally displaced Kenyans continue to languish in appalling conditions.
THE MERCENARY IN US
It is the mercenary in us that is willing to mobilize and partake in physical, verbal and emotional violence against each other for our Gaddafis.
It is the mercenary in us that stops thinking about the public good and follows the dictates of our Gaddafi’s blindly. In Libya the real Gaddafi announced vague political reforms in an attempt to pacify the masses without any intention to change the practice of politics and power. In Kenya, the Gaddafi’s in our political elite have thought that the passage of the new constitution would pacify us as they continue with their divisive and corrupt practices unabated.
When Gaddafi asked his supporters and mercenaries to take back the streets from the ‘rats’ rebelling against him, there is no difference with when the Gaddafi’s in our political elite on both sides of the divide, incite fear, hatred and divisionism amongst their supporters. The Gaddafis in our political elite will keep using us as mercenaries, and destroy this Nation at all costs, until we have the courage of conviction to take charge and refuse to be used as mercenaries to divide and destroy our country. Until that day, we will continue to rapidly tear apart this nation if we behave as mercenaries for the Gaddafis in our political elite. As the 2012 elections approach, the Gaddafis in our political elite are stepping up their rhetoric and desperation to either retain or gain power.
The disgust of Libyan reality is much closer to home than we often tend to admit. I
t is time for us as Kenyans to stop being mercenaries for our political elite in our own country and build this country together. The costs otherwise will be too high.
ashish.shah@qeh.ox.ac.uk; johng@inukakenya.org
