National dialogue may not be a bad idea if de-politicised

The recent spat on the national dialogue proposed by the CORD leadership has taken me back memory lane to the 80s.

As students at the University of Nairobi, we were sent home, not a few times, for demanding dialogue with the Government on issues we felt critical both to the student fraternity and to the nation at large. So relentless was our demand for dialogue that one key politician, not so acquainted with the English language, once remarked in anger, “Hawa watoto wanapewa chapatti na bado wanataka dialogue. Kwani hii dialogue ni chakula gani; si wapewe wakule!” (These students are fed on chapati and they still want dialogue. What kind of food is this dialogue? Can’t they be given to eat!) From that day, chapatis became known as dialogue at the university.

Like the students, the CORD leadership is certainly pressing for something more than chapatis. When Hon Raila Odinga, the CORD leader, first mooted the idea of a national dialogue, it sounded like a noble idea that had the interest of the nation at heart. Speaking soon after the vitriol laced speeches by his colleagues, his was the more sober voice that most certainly tempered the mood of the hitherto highly charged crowd. According to “Baba”, the national dialogue was to be an all-inclusive affair bringing together government, political, business, and religious leaders to deliberate on the critical issues affecting the nation. No wonder the President, with a greatly magnanimous and accommodating spirit, agreed to such a conversation. Unfortunately, that is as far as the matter went.

As is common with Kenyans, we are not used to any sober discourse. Perhaps having watched too much of WW wrestling, we love drama — flesh tearing and blood spilling! The whole national dialogue thing was quickly given a dramatic spin. The two leaders soon retreated to their respective red and blue corners ready for a fight, and with their supporters on the cheer. CORD is now talking revolution while Jubilee is offering a cup of tea! Battle lines have been drawn, with the CORD team breathing fire and the Jubilee brigade ready with the extinguishers! And it is Kenyans who are landed with yet another issue to add to the growing list of challenges confronting them. And like Leonard Mambo Mbotela, I am forced to ask our leaders: Je huu ni ungwana? Must we always carry the burden of your egos? And like our politician of yore would ask: Kwani hii dialogue ni nini?

Interestingly, national dialogue, if taken soberly, is an excellent tool for social intercourse in times of crisis or transition. It not only provides opportunity for harnessing citizens’ views on how to tackle critical issues, but can also act as a natural vent for pent up emotions — fear, anger, frustration, etc — that could easily undermine social cohesion.

Faced with an increasing frequency of natural and human-induced disasters, and the growing magnitude of their consequences, the USA commissioned a study on disaster resilience in America. Accordingly, the National Research Council’s 2012 report was used to formally launch a national conversation to address the importance of resilience, discuss different challenges and approaches for building resilience, and outline steps for implementing resilience efforts in communities and within government.

In Trinidad, this past April 2014, the Prime Minister launched a National Conversation to offer citizens a variety of forums to bring concerns and ideas to the State. According to the Prime Minister, “The National Conversation is based on the Government’s understanding that for it to succeed, the citizens must be able to speak their minds, share their thoughts on policies and day-to-day governance, and feel confident that their views are being heard.”

In Wales, the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty is reported to have recently commissioned a National Conversation on the ‘The Wales We Want’, with the aim of hearing from the people what they consider most important for them in improving their lives and those of their families and communities. This is to culminate in a proposed Future Generations (Wales) Bill expected to become law in spring 2015. Kenya has equally not been left out.

In February 2009, the government held a fairly successful National Dialogue on “The Kenya We Want” as part of the Vision 2030 initiative. A cross-section of leaders and ordinary Kenyans had opportunity to give their views on the future they desired.

Accordingly, there is little or nothing new about a national dialogue. Thus if we remove the political theatrics and shunt the partisan imbroglio being played out before us by our leaders, we can actually craft a great national conversation around key issues that trouble the hearts and minds of ordinary Kenyans – including disaster resilience.

But this will require that Kenyans rise up above the ethnic prism with which we tend to view every national drama brought to us by our political leaders. Otherwise with our lenses on, we cannot possibly enjoy a real good national chapati.