We must now topple the old order to deliver a new Kenya

By Hassan Omar Hassan

To borrow from the speech of Prince Escalus in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this goes out to all Kenyans who by classical definition of government are the "rebellious subjects, enemies to peace". Arise!

The progressive intelligentsia, the gallant warriors of the frontlines, the reformers, the revolutionaries, the nationalists, the young and "restless", the mothers and the women of our great nation, the Kenyans in the Diaspora and those within who toil to build this nation through whose blood and sweat rest the foundation of our development and nationhood. Your country needs you!

For a complete national rebirth, the old order must be toppled or annihilated through democratic means. You must rebel from this old order and disturb their "peace". Their continued hold on power and the absence of a credible, non-ethnic, non-polarised alternative leadership remains the greatest threat to our stability and posterity. It is time for the great generation of Kenyans to stand up and be counted.

The promulgation of the new Constitution has not ventured this nation into the new frontiers of good governance, accountability and democracy. The illusion and deception that the existing old order can deliver the promise for a new Kenya must be demystified and uncovered. Indeed the old order has awoken to the detrimental adverse effects of the constitution on their prevailing interests and the preservation of status quo. These men are massive investors and profiteers of ethnicity, corruption, violation of human rights and its resultant sum total of impunity.

They are facing an unusual experience of being held to account. Their unaccountable power is being challenged through increasingly assertive public and governance institutions propelled by a popular demand for reforms and accountability. The old order is regrouping to reinforce the high towers of absolute power and impunity. The recourse to ethnic chieftaincy driven by cahoots of myopic ethnic puppeteers is the apparent and real strategy.

It is now up to Kenyans to topple this state of affairs. We must imbibe the spirit and vision of our revolutionary independence struggle. Aware of the betrayal of this spirit and vision by the home guards and so-called founding fathers, we must now guard against the betrayal of the promise for a Second Republic delivered through the struggle for a new constitution.

We must find within ourselves or reincarnate the paradigms of justice and freedom as inspired by Dedan Kimathi, Pio Gama Pinto, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, JM Kariuki and the other heroes, heroines and martyrs of our struggle for independence and nationhood.

Arise, great Kenyans and re-inspire the quest for a just and equitable society! Willy Mutunga, Pheroze Nowrojee, Alamin Mazrui, Maina wa Kinyatti, Yash Ghai, Tirop Kitur, Khelef Khalifa, John Githongo, Maina Kiai and the many others. Look at what the old reckless order is doing to Kenya.

My friends and compatriots Cyprian Nyamwamu, Anne Njogu, Njeri Kabeberi, Kepta Ombati, Hussein Khalid, George Kegoro, Mwalimu Mati, Ndungu Wainaina, Haroun Ndubi, Farouq Machanje, Gladwell Otieno, Muthoni Wanyeki and an endless list of others. How can we watch them lead our nation to ruin and hopelessness?

The business community fed up with the corruption of an impervious political elite; the media who are the custodians of our national consciousness; the mothers who understand the pain of hopelessness, determined to secure a future of hope and opportunity; and the youth who must endeavour for a future of prosperity through a just and equitable order. We must now topple the old order to deliver a new Kenya. A happy and challenging 2011!