Fathers must take their parenting role seriously

It is one of the tragedies of our times that the drama of our politics, whether they be played out at the Judiciary, in the Pangani cells, or the lush surroundings on State House Road, tend to push even the most important non-political issues to the periphery. Consequently, Father’s Day passed without my comment. Yet I believe the role of fathers in our day has more to contribute to the social and economic prosperity of our nation than all our politics and politicians combined.

Today’s piece therefore diverts from the usual menu of politics and law to the more sublime issue of fathers. I write this piece to achieve two intentions. One is celebrate fathers, especially those, generally referred to as dads, who have been present in their children’s lives despite the numerous odds that push fathers away. Being a dad is tough. Right from the biology, that gives fathers a peripheral role in the whole gestation and birth process, to the physical dynamics of nurture that tend to distance the father from their infant child, to the demands of busy lives to provide for the family, any father who still demands and obtains a space in their infant child’s lives swims against a tough current and must be celebrated. As the Ibo would say, may your tribe increase.