Symbolic picture of the future displayed at Uhuru inauguration ceremony

President Uhuru Kenyatta shows off his certificate after his swearing in ceremony in Nairobi (Photo: Charles Kimani| DPPS)

On November 28, 2017, three events in Nairobi - one at Kasarani, one at State House and one in Embakasi - symbolised a bright future and a deplorable past. Kasarani and State House were the future in which, after prolonged struggle, Uhuru Kenyatta took his second presidential oath of office.

Embakasi was the disappearing past, portending disruption, and country fragmentation. It had people who need time to sober up. It was, however, Kasarani and State House that attracted attention for two reasons. First was the Pan-Africanist tone the President adopted and second was the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the special guest.

Uhuru’s Pan-Africanist tone appeared to be part of rumbling Third World revivalism. At Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, organiders hosted a TriContinental conference reminiscent of the 1966 TriContinental Conference in Havana, Cuba, where such “revolutionaries” as Fidel Castro, Salvador Allende, and Amilcar Cabral made their anti-imperialist credentials clear.

Suggested by Morocco’s Mehti Ben Barka in 1964 in Tanzania as a sequel to the 1955 Bandung Non-Alignment Conference, Algiers was initially to host it in 1965 but when Ben Barka “disappeared”, Havana took up the challenge. Yeditepe organisers dreamt of another “Havana” but did not quite make it.

Dilemma

Hosting the conference was indicative of Turkey’s determination to be a force at least in the Third World, partly because Western Europe snubs it. Probably still thinking of Turkey as “the sick man of Europe”, Western Europe repeatedly turns down Ankara overtures to enter the EU.

The snub hurts Turkey’s abrasive president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With his “New Turkey” concept, he seemingly competes with and would like to surpass Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey.

He ruffles international feathers and quarrels with his former political ally, Sufi Cleric Fethullah Gulen living in Pennsylvania. His thinking big is visible in the big Ankara Palace and the huge embassy structure in Mogadishu, reportedly the biggest embassy in the world.

He would like to make Turkey’s presence felt in Africa and it is felt through Ebro TV, Turkish Airlines, Light Academy schools, and LC Waikiki chain of stores. Since the European dream flopped, Turkey might as well be a Third World force.

Turkey thus tries to join countries asserting themselves in global realignment in Asia and Africa, mainly China and Kenya. China never tries to be European, always identifies with Mao’s “African brothers and sisters”, and has become the global economic engine.

It increasingly dominates the world political economy with Xi Jinping’s Socialism With Chinese Characteristics that sounds like Kenya’s 1965 Sessional Paper Number 10 on African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya. Expressed through Xi’s One Belt One Road and global Common Destiny strategies, China’s multiple world leadership is currently beyond questioning.

China has very close links with Kenya which is also asserting itself globally. Uhuru stressed the spirit of Pan-Africanism in his second inaugural address. He responded to regional parochialists by opening up his country to Africans and by encouraging East Africans to travel, work, do business, and find spouses in Kenya. Listening to him was Thabo Mbeki, former South African president renowned for intellectualism in pushing African Renaissance as the key to self-reliance in Africa.

Kind gesture

Uhuru’s previous Pan-Africanist gestures found few takers in Africa. He had offered one million US dollars for Africa to establish its own judicial system but hardly any other African country wanted to chip in. He suggested reciprocal visa arrangements for African countries to facilitate inter-African trade and dealings; he was virtually ignored.

Offering Kenya to other Africans without demanding reciprocity, therefore, was his way of pushing the Pan African agenda despite the understandable reservations, or nationalistic parochialism, from some of the rest. It raised Uhuru notches above many others.

Being above the others increases Kenya’s geopolitical magnetism. Israel, geographically located in Third World setting, is among the attracted.

It appeals sentimentally and spiritually, as the land of the Bible, to most religious Kenyans. Just before independence in December 1963, Israel quickly established diplomatic presence and offered training opportunities for Kenyans. In postcolonial times and in times of need, the two countries intensified mutual admiration.

Co-operation

In 1976 Kenya helped Israel with the Entebbe Raid and in 1998 Israel helped Kenya with the bomb blast.

A personal bond seemingly exists between Uhuru and Benjamin given that Jomo, Uhuru’s father, facilitated the Entebbe raid in which Netanyahu’s brother, Yonatan (Yoni), participated.

Besides bringing Jerusalem to Nairobi, Benjamin joked about Uhuru’s re-election and new granddaughter and offered Israeli expertise to Africa on almost everything.

Expressing interest in Uhuru’s Pan Africanism, Benjamin requested African leaders to consider granting Israel an AU observer status and then invited Nairobi to Jerusalem in 2018. Given Israel’s Third World geographical setting and the presence of several African leaders at State House, will the AU oblige Benjamin?

 Prof Munene teaches History and International Relations at the USIU- Africa