Medics run the risk of losing support from Kenyans

Angolan political and military leader Jonas Savimbi

Why did the world not mourn the death of General Jonas Savimbi of Angola? When this great freedom fighter was killed in February 2002, one would have expected that the people of Angola, and in deed the whole world, should have mourned the death of a fallen hero. This highly gifted man had been fighting for freedom for almost all of his adult life. Right from the days of the colonial reign in Angola to the time of the formal election of the government of Dos Santos, Savimbi stood and fought against what he saw as the exploitation of his people.

Yet, unfortunately, the death of Savimbi elicited nothing but celebration almost across the entire globe. Nobody seems to have had anything positive to say about Savimbi and his fight for freedom. Media houses and world leaders, even here in Kenya, did not see any need whatsoever to send messages of condolence to the people of Angola on the loss of a great hero! To the contrary, many sent messages of goodwill to Dos Santos and his government and wished them peace on the departure of a man they considered an obstacle to peace and tranquillity in Angola.

What caused this great man to go down in such shame? It was partly the lack of discernment to know when his fight had reached the tipping point – the point at which aggression was no longer tenable. Accordingly, the sheer notion of the fight became a personal obsession, but of which people were already tired. It eventually cost him his life and robbed him of a place in the hall of fame.

I have followed the doctors’ strike and the intrigues around the negotiations and I fear that the Savimbi syndrome could overtake the union leaders.

There is no doubt that the doctors have a legitimate cause, and one on which I have pronounced myself before. It is clear that the inequity in the remuneration of government workers has become an iniquity. It is a sick situation, but one that is unlikely to be completely healed by the doctors. This one needs a referral.

In medicine, there is a practice known as euthanasia – the ending of a life prematurely in order to end pain and suffering. Also known as mercy killing, euthanasia falls into several categories.

One such a category is voluntary euthanasia, which is carried out with the permission of the person whose life is to be taken, or by the consent of his or her relatives. Though euthanasia is highly controversial, especially among the religious community, doctors often advise it when they consider the patient to be either brain dead or clinically dead but is sustained only by life support.

In the current stalemate, the patient is the 2013 CBA, which the doctors have been fighting hard to keep alive. Unfortunately, the three arms of government appear united in suffocating this patient to an eventual death. All indications are that it is already either brain dead – no new ideas to keep it alive, or clinically dead – with the passion around it slowly waning.

Therefore, though I am no advocate for mercy killing, this is the one occasion I would reluctantly advise voluntary euthanasia. In war, there is such a thing as a tactical retreat – a withdrawing of forces while maintaining contact with the enemy. Joshua was advised by God to use it after suffering a serious defeat at Ai – a very small city in Canaan. He then lured the enemy into an ambush and eventually conquered the city.

Therefore, to our doctors I would say, in the remaining few days before the next court session, you should get us much as you can out of the negotiations.

You should then retreat, regroup, and perhaps prepare for a future opportunity. Otherwise you are likely to lose the support of your greatest allies – the general public. And should that happen, like Savimbi, no one will mourn your sad demise.
In the meantime, the three arms of government should work in concert and support the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to rationalise the pay structure of public servants.

The main distorting culprits in this regard – the MCAs, MPs, senators, and governors – must have their packages trimmed during the transition to the next government. It is perhaps the only way to avert incessant strikes in the future.