By Jacktone S. Ambuka
As we say goodbye to November and hello to December, our politicians are exhibiting signs of a disturbed lot. They are scampering for their political life in a rush to beat the deadline within which pre-election political alliances are supposed to be sealed and deposited at the office of registrar of political parties.
As Tuesday December 4th deadline approaches fast, the political turbulences are catching up with our politicians. Going by the bumpy political ride, most politicians will not survive the tide. However, in their characteristic style, our politicians are retreating into tribal cocoons in search of safety net-‘tribal alliances.’
Auctioning communities
Kenya is faced with a shameful situation where presidential candidates are auctioning their tribes’ men and women as a bargaining chip for forming tribal alliances. Instead of coalescing Kenyans around alliance of solving Kenyan political and economic issues, politicians are dividing Kenyans along tribal lines. And they have perfected the art of divisive politics. Like goods and commodities, Kenyans are being auctioned to the highest bidder. It is a situation that captures the tired drama that unveils the fallen state of the nation of Kenya.
However, we, the Kenyan people can and should refuse to be shepherded like sheep into these tribal alliances. We need to take a deep breath and ask ourselves difficult questions: ‘What is in these tribal alliances for us? How does a tribal alliance solve our economic and social problems?’ Unfortunately, we are the enablers of irresponsible habits of our politicians.
Save for presidential candidates Peter Kenneth and Martha Karua whose minimal attempt to infuse issue based political discourse into Kenyan political life, all presidential candidates are either dwelling on tribal arithmetic or mudslinging each other-all in the name of ‘remaining in the government’ or ‘capturing the state-house.’ No issue based campaign, no strategic plan to solve the most fundamental problems annihilating our society, no future for Kenya; at least it seems. Instead of blaming politicians, perhaps we need to sit in the quiet and do contemplative reflection that should inspire us to take charge of our destiny.
Bending our backs
We have bent our backs for far too long. We have permitted our politicians to ride on our backs as we reel from economic and social pains. American civil rights activist and preacher The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once elucidated: “A man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent.” Time is ripe for us to stand up, straighten our backs, wear big men and big women pants, roll-up our sleeves and look our politicians in the eye and tell them, ‘my back hurts, get lost.’
We are a nation of tribes. But out of many tribes we are one people called Kenyans. And yes, we are one nation united under one president. However, our unity has never been under threat like it is today. If we must survive as a united nation of tribes, the presidency of Kenya must reflect our tribal realities and orientations.
May be, just maybe we should amend the constitution to allow for one term (3years) rotational presidency along tribal lines. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. So is difficult conversation. It calls for difficult solutions. Kenya is desperate for difficult solutions to the grave situations that pose threats to our good old philosophy of peace, love and unity.
Jacktone S. Ambuka is a Kenyan citizen residing in Pennsylvania, United States of America.