Why we must start to tell our own stories of hope and success

When a white man shoots dead more than 50 people, he is called a lone gunman. When an African-American shoots dead ten people, it is called a gang-related crime; when a Muslim kills three people using a knife it is called radical Islamic terrorism. The fear of the knife-wielding radical Islamic terrorist is higher and more potent, so potent it is that citizens of some countries have been banned from going to the United States. Yet in the same breath, and the same mouth as the Apostle James would put it, the right for an American to bear arms is unquestionable and as basic a right as breathing. It is this doublespeak that taught me an early lesson in communication: Never let anyone else tell your story.

It is in this context that I write to our leaders in this great nation called Kenya. I saw, with great worry, as some envoys came to tell us what we should do about our elections. They, in usual diplomatic speak, balanced their tongue-lashing towards creation of chaos, which one would imagine was aimed at NASA, and the creation of new laws, which was aimed at Jubilee. They warned of vague sanctions against individuals and indeed travel bans for others. This is all fine and dandy, except when you consider that they have begun writing our story. They are telling us our tale, and that tells me we are beginning to lose the plot even before we have begun.

Leadership role

The importance of leadership is to create a future for the people. It is to raise the hopes and aspirations of a people to such a high standard that this hope literally fuels an economy. Ladies and gentlemen, it is hope that keeps you buying, it is hope that makes the entrepreneur start again, it is hope that allows you to give a debt to a friend and it is the same hope, for a better tomorrow, that takes you to a bank to take a loan. Therefore, hope is the real currency of a nation.

Hope is a derivative of a story we all believe in. This story is what a nation believes itself to be, Japan believes it is the hub for technological advancement, China believes it is the hub of manufacturing, the US believes it is the super power of all super powers and so on. Kenya in this particular season has no story and thus we have no hope. We are living in terror of October 26. Half of the country wondering whether the IEBC will be fair, and the other wondering what the other side will do if their side wins, and in the midst of all this we bear no hope for October 27 onwards.

Raising hopes

This hopelessness is what leads us to say things like; let us see how it goes after elections and I may give you a job; let us see how it goes after elections and I will pay you back your money. It is this same hopelessness, and the inability to see a bright hope after elections that led many of us to raid supermarkets days to the August 8 election to stock up. Hopelessness makes the human being irrational; it stagnates our economy and depresses our plans.

In a state such as ours we then no longer need more demonstrations.  Instead we need hope mongers. We need leaders who can say they see a brighter tomorrow; we need leaders who say they will give their blood, sweat and tears, win or lose, to deliver to us a nation we can be proud to call home. Leadership is the ability to breed love and faithfulness around you. Leadership is when your people can see a peaceful, amicable and practical path to personal and communal success.

We need leaders who envoys applaud, those who, when they sit with foreign dignitaries, the dignitaries leave their presence with tales of how beautiful Kenya is. Leadership is not winning the ballot; in fact to imagine that you become a leader only by election is proof positive that you are not a leader. Leadership is the ability to breed love and faithfulness around you.

Leadership is when your people can see a peaceful, amicable and practical path to personal and communal success. This is the story we need to tell. We need to tell our nation that we will rise to higher heights that no matter who wins, loses or doesn’t participate in the elections, we will all do what is right and best for our nation. We will pull together whether in office or out of office, to bring together a united and prosperous nation. Otherwise they will write our story for us, and say what a volatile nation we are and how we need their help, nearly 60 years after independence, to walk out of our bush and tribal mentality.

Therefore, I beg every leader, starting from every father and mother, every MCA, MP, Senator, governor and preacher, to say no to the narrative of fear, gloom and doom, and instead tell us the stories of hope, tell us how IEBC will get it right, tell us how you will ensure Kenya will be better whether you win or lose. Tell us how your love for this great nation, will force you to tell a different story.

Mr Bichachi is a communication strategist