Let’s build on the ‘handshake’ to create a united country

A milestone in our history, today we celebrate Madaraka Day. And in so doing, let us reflect on what has transpired, particularly, in days after the August  2017 General Election. It has been a trying moment in which political differences threatened to tear the country apart. Indeed, immediately after the contested outcome of the election, quite a number of Kenyans lost their lives in the agitation that followed.

Clearly, this has not been in synch with the desire of Kenyans at independence, which was the acquisition of power to determine our destiny for the good of all Kenyans. Self-rule meant going beyond the mere change of guard. It was about decency and a better life, yet, on balance, that is yet to be realized decades later. In light of what has been happening since, many Kenyans, and rightly so, feel that despite self-governance, they are yet to get what they bargained for.

After months of acrimony, March 9 marked the turning point. It was on that day that President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga, having taken cognizance of the futility of political grandstanding, resolved to bury the hatchet, and did so with a handshake on the steps of the president’s Harambee House Office.

After the handshake, the turnaround in the social, political and economic circles was instantaneous. Palpable tension that had ruled our interactions disappeared miraculously. Indeed, there were many who later wondered what the months of tension had been all about.

Building Kenya, placing it on the pedestal we all desire it to be calls for joint effort away from political grandstanding. At the time we celebrated the first Madaraka Day, our founding fathers had a clear vision for the country.

They had identified three key areas that needed immediate attention to accord its citizens the respect they deserved after so many struggles against oppressive colonialism, namely, poverty, illiteracy and hunger.

This might still be a far cry, but in much the same way, President Uhuru Kenyatta has identified four key areas that his administration seeks to concentrate on to improve the lives of Kenyans; Housing, Manufacturing, Food Security and Healthcare. However, it would be injudicious to claim that the handshake has been embraced by all. There are those who saw the handshake in different light. It is up to Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga to bring those ones to the fold.

In truth, the handshake gave the country hope, an opportunity to heal the wounds. That healing should not be undermined.

Yesterday at the national prayer day meeting, Kenyans saw political protagonists jovially shake hands in the spirit of togetherness and brotherliness. While leaders hugged and sought each other’s forgiveness, it remains the hope of Kenyans that this camaraderie and warmth were genuine, and not for media cameras as has so often happened before. There are cases where daggers were drawn immediately after the photo opportunity.

In truth, the handshake has given the country an opportunity. We shouldn’t squander it through political bickering that is still evident. Our leaders must get the country moving again. The potential is there, all we need is political goodwill. This goodwill is also important in dealing with the menace of corruption.

The magnitude of corruption within government is astounding if the money said to have been lost through scams at the National Youth Service (Sh10 billion) and the National Cereals and Produce Board (Sh2 billion) is anything to go by. There are other probes going on in the ministry of Environment, at the Mombasa Port, Kenya Power Company and other government institutions whose magnitude is yet to be established.

In the spirit of the handshake; without the urge to "protect our own", the canker of corruption that is estimated to cost the country Sh350 billion annually, can and should be tackled conclusively.

To put it another way; left unchecked, corruption can severely undermine the Big Four agenda.