Let us celebrate Kenyans who have put us on the global map

Njoki Ndungu

Years ago, as a young human rights activist, I boarded a matatu from Kampala to Mbarara and was amazed the vehicle departed almost empty, with only three persons per row.

I enquired about this strange phenomenon from the passenger on my left. He looked at me bemused and said, "Oh, you must be from Kenya. In Uganda it can never happen!" Soon, everyone in the matatu joined in speaking of the horrors of the Kenyan public transport system where to ‘Kaa square’ meant passengers were literally sitting on top of each other and protection of the modesty of women was ignored to fit just one more commuter on board. The conclusion was Kenyans would do anything for money.

I was embarrassed to be a Kenyan at this stage. An elegantly clad woman on my right smiled and said that Kenya is where she brought her children to visit when they wanted to go shopping or travel abroad. "Bambi", she sighed, "You know Nairobi is just like London and Mombasa is like the Bahamas. You are lucky to be Kenyan. But the problem with Kenyans is that you appreciate so little of yourselves!"

Fast forward through democratising Kenya, rapid reconstruction and building of roads and infrastructure through devolved funds, the introduction of ‘Michuki Rules,’ an improved and moving economy and a pro-poor Constitution, yet few of us still appreciate where we have come from and where we are going.

In particular we do not laud many super achievements by individual Kenyans at home and abroad, save the occasional come together over sports.

Media houses and our political class must in particular be held to account on their lackluster or disinterest in celebrating Kenyans who have gone beyond our best expectations. For example, few were paying attention to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in October 2008, until others around the world started celebrating the first black African woman to receive the award — our very own Prof Wangari Maathai. Not many in Kenya understood the enormity of that recognition for months. When Tanzania’s Rosa Migiro was appointed United Nations secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s deputy and Anna Tibaijuka was appointed head of Habitat, both received front page and main story accolades in our print and electronic media.

In deep contrast was the appointment of Kenya’s Amina Mohammed as assistant secretary General of the United Nations and Deputy Head of Unep. The news was either reported as a page six or seven story with broadcast media hardly citing it.

One newspaper nonchalantly stated that she now becomes one of the most senior Kenyans in the United Nations. Really? I make the last statement with as much accompanying sarcasm as I can muster.

Let’s put the facts straight: With this appointment, and with the departure of Rosa Migiro at the end of her tenure, Ms Mohamed becomes the senior most African woman in the UN system. That she is the most senior Kenyan in the system is a given. Like Prof Maathai, she is now among the most influential women in the world. But more importantly, she wields curriculum vitae that could easily push her into the office of the secretary general, when it comes up for an African nomination.

I see no hearty congratulations coming from political leadership, civil society and other Kenyans. Too bad not one editorial has been dedicated to this achievement that puts Kenya firmly at the top of the global diplomatic map. Take heart, Amina. Hongera!

The writer is an advocate of the High Court.