The dragon of ethnicity nurtured by selfish politicians

By Machel Waikenda
twitter@MachelWaikenda

When Kenyans got together to celebrate the 50th year of independence on December 12 last year, it was evident that people did not look at what tribe they belonged to. Kenyans celebrated the jubilee fete without blowing the balloon that are the ethnic differences between them. The riot of colour, language, varied musical expression, and prayers from all religious groups spoke of a nation at peace with itself.

But alas, it is unfortunate when our tribal affiliation shows up when it comes to other issues and especially our politics. It is sad to see leaders running to their ethnic enclaves when they are disgruntled whether in or out of government. The usual mantra is “they are targeting our community for elimination”.

It is unfortunate that even when it comes to appointments to public office, we look at the regions where the appointees come from disregarding their qualifications and ability. We are too quick to check whether our region or tribe got a slot even though the said individual is supposed to serve all Kenyans.

Kenya is blessed with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds that have sadly been used to divide us politically. Tribe has become more of a liability than an asset for us even when we shun it for common interest.

When it comes to politics, we often seem to forget that regardless of our ethnic backgrounds and heritage, we all aspire for the same things. We forget that we face the same challenges and problems despite what tribal corner we run to when we feel we want a sense of belonging. Too often this personal animosity has been allowed to turn into ethnic rivalry with hate speech employed to rouse fear and despondency among different communities, all for transient political gain.

In much the same way a house is made up of the bricks, mortar, rafters, roof, cement, pillars/columns and fittings, Kenyans should be proud of their ethnic heritage, but above all, we are Kenyans first of all and are capable of banishing discrimination and hatred among our many communities.

Many of our communities have been troubled by violence and the resulting tension has been fuelled by a sense of exclusion. We have seen clans rise up against each other in Northern Kenya in an acceptable manner.

Government must continue using affirmative action to ensure under-represented and marginalised groups are properly represented in every respect. Such initiatives as Nyumba Kumi must be encouraged and embraced by all as they help us understand each other and kill stereotypes.

Our shared aim should be to univocally end ethnic tensions and rivalry and to unite all Kenyans. Every Kenyan from whatever part of the country is looking for opportunities to advance their lives.

And more importantly, every Kenyan wants to exploit these opportunities in a peaceful and secure environment.

When I look at how we have sacrificed Mother Kenya at the altar of tribe in this age of technology I am disheartened. And the biggest lie is that we need to be reminded of our own culture, jealously guard our ethnic corner/turf.

But truth be told, where we come from is so much a geographical and historical accident that none of us can lay claim to our superiority. To paraphrase Joe di Graft, languages grow and die like trees while Aristotle averred that language is the nemesis of culture. That is why we do not speak Latin and are alive to the fact that the accordion is not a traditional Gikuyu instrument. Let’s remain Kenyans.

It is unfortunate we always end up divided along tribal lines in any period preceding or following an election. Most of this division is mythically driven by selfish leaders who wish to make their supporters believe that there is an “Us-versus-Them” divide.

It needs the current generation, which is well-read and exposed, and united by languages such as Sheng; arts such as local music, to overcome tribal stereotypes.

We must as a people cultivate the one thing that unites us which is our “Kenyanness”. We must identify why we are one people facing the same challenges and work on it as a uniting factor.

The big question for all of us is what makes us proud to be Kenyan and how we can use this understanding to tackle the challenges facing us individually but are common to all.