Kenyans must be serious on national reconciliation

This weekend Christians celebrate Easter and depending on their denomination, perform the different rites of fasting, procession and meditation.

While Kenyans of other religions do not participate in Christian ceremonies, the message of Easter is one that extends beyond any one particular creed.

A soap opera-like narrative of deception, betrayal, cruelty and malevolent violence precedes the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth on Good Friday. Yet by the time the resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday, the lesson is that the worst characteristics of human nature can be overcome by mercy, forgiveness, and repentance.

This message is particularly important in Kenya today, as it speaks to the trauma experienced by our society in the aftermath of post-election violence of 2007-2008. It is clear that we seem so preoccupied with the ICC and its accompanying showbiz, that we have completely neglected healing, which will address the prejudices that created the violence in the first place.

How else do you explain the resistance of some Kenyans to the resettlement of other homeless citizens in their neighbourhood?

How do some Kenyans determine where others should live when they hold no legal title or can claim legitimate ownership of land, which is actually owned by Government, other than in spurious reference to ancestors? Such ancestors would actually weep if they were to witness the irrational and tribalistic inhospitable behaviour of their descendents.

The struggle for a new constitutional dispensation resulted in a document popularly endorsed in August last year; this contract between the governors of our nation and those governed and also between individual Kenyans and each other, binds all of us, commanding obedience to the supreme law of the land.

This includes the Bill of Rights, which states inter alia, "Every person is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law… Every person has the right to freedom of movement. Every citizen has the right to enter, remain in and reside anywhere in Kenya.’

The IDP saga shows clearly therefore that impunity is not restricted to the political class, as some would imagine.

What we have seen this week is that impunity is also practised and without apology by individual Kenyans, who insist on demanding their rights and asserting claims, while trampling on the rights of others. It is a terribly shameful situation.

Those engaging in this divisive and unwelcoming manner should stand forewarned.

The advent of the devolved government heralds potential for speedy economic growth in the counties and presumes that counties will work to attract investment to stimulate development and generate revenue through increased private sector development, service charge and property tax.

Kenyans who chase away other citizens or reject their settlement in areas considered as belonging only to specific communities, discourage investment and undermine and stagnate their own economic well being; the foolishness of balkanisation of certain areas of Kenya by some will end up as their own Achilles heel.

It is vitally important that the Kibunjia Commission ensures that Kenyans walk the talk of zero tolerance with regard to negative ethnicity and to create platforms for national reconciliation and healing.

As it appears now, we have barely moved an inch from the divisions that caused us to kill, maim and violate one another in January 2008.

The writer is an Advocate of the High Court.