Unpatriotic youth a threat to peace ahead of August elections

Unbelievably low level of patriotism among Kenyan youth is threatening the future of this nation in a big way. As Kenya heads to one of the most competitive General Election, the youth must be told in no uncertain terms that their conduct will impact heavily on the nation’s future. Using social media, dozens of young people are authoring and spreading hate messages ahead of the August 8 contest. Now, memories of young people burning Kenya from different angles during the 2007/2008 post-election violence are vivid to most of us ten years down the road. The cries and shouts of a country on fire are still as audible and agonising as they were then.

Why, I ask myself, did we burn Kenya and with extremely high levels of energy? Just why did we butcher our motherland to the scales that still baffle us? What wrong had this great country done to us to deserve the wrath of our youth?

Today, I opt not to open the scars but trigger a worthwhile conversation on and around our scars as a nation. Real events that have shaped our history have taught me the importance of not falling into the trap of the cliché “forget and move on.”

Protect the politicians

Here is my point. The Kenyan youth stand accused. My submission is that majority of those aged 28 and 45 should be guilty of having set our motherland on fire a decade ago. In fact if you belong in that age category, most likely you failed the nation.

My premise: If you are aged 28 today it means in 2007 you had just attained the voting age of 18. And if you are 45 today it means ten years ago you were 35. You are among those who burnt Kenya for your misdirected love for rogue politicians.

Simply put you failed Kenya. You exhibited the worst unpatriotic traits. Patriotism means caring about our country every moment of our lives and contributing towards its development. Patriotism does not mean love for one’s government or government-in-waiting. Just to quote legendary American writer Mark Twain ‘patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it’.

But the sad reality is that majority of Kenyan youth are agents of the political class and they work extra hard to please and protect the politicians. Youth have turned themselves into goons for hire against their country. Ahead of every election the goon price is at its highest.

Had the youth of this great country embraced patriotism, the evil that we complain about would not be there in the first place. Patriots get pained when they see evil sprouting in their country. Patriots hate corruption because corruption is not good for their country. Patriots embrace diversity of cultures but abhor tribalism.

Perform dismally

Patriotism prepares ground for discipline. Discipline allows patriots to transform their goals into accomplishments for the good of their beloved country. No meaningful development will ever be realised without discipline. No country can sustain discipline in the absence of patriotism. In the unlikely event that a country realises some development in the absence of patriotism that achievement is fragile as its sustainability and enhancement is not guaranteed. Such development can turn into ashes in a matter of days, as it happened to Kenya in 2007/2008.

Indeed, this is why every electioneering period a lot of businesses perform dismally. Where a sense of patriotism is not felt investors cannot make projections without factoring in the uncertainty associated with impending polls. Isn’t this where we are at today?

We threw patriotism out the window the minute the pre-independence patriots delivered our motherland to us from the colonialist. The corruption entrenched in every sector and in the midst of our tribal politics is the evidence that supports my assertion. For corruption thrives well in countries lacking in patriotism. But there is hope. That hope, lies with our youth. If you are above 35 years you may be too adulterated to be changed.

The best you can do is encourage your children to love their country more. It is time Kenyan youth entered ‘the situation room’ and focus on that which is good about their country and devise ways of safeguarding and promoting the same. That way, they will make the national government and the 47 county governments accountable. If this country burns again blame it not on the government or politicians, but the unpatriotic youth!

- The writer is a development communications expert.

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