Know your neighbour, commit to being your brother’s keeper

And the Lord said to Cain,

‘Where is Abel, your brother?’

And he said, ‘I know not. Am I

my brother’s keeper?’

Genesis 4:9

Donald B Kipkorir

We all remember the biblical story that Jesus gave to the righteous lawyer. Jesus was commissioning his 72 disciples. The lawyer wanted to be part of this glorious mission. And Jesus narrated to him his famous parable of the anonymous stranger who was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho and got attacked on the way. A priest and a Levite happened to pass by and ignored him. A Samaritan also walked on that road and rescued the stranger. As we enter our Jubilee Year, Kenya is still on its walk from Jerusalem to Jericho, at individual and national level.

In the time of Jesus, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was the most dangerous. There, were idlers, thieves, conmen and brigands. Opportunists took advantage of tired travellers to rob them. That road mirrors the journey we have taken since we were gifted our independence in 1963.

Fifty years ago, we stood equal to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea. Fifty years on, they have left us still stuck on our road to Jericho. Infrastructure alone will not bring us prosperity. Laying of railway lines and roads will not give us development. Lighting the whole country will not lead us out of our darkness.

What we need and what we sorely lack is a paradigm shift in our personal and national thinking. In the Failed States Index, 2013, we are ranked No. 17, between Nigeria and Niger. We are nearly a failed state for our own choosing. We can reverse our trend and be a successful state by looking out for our Samaritan.

When Al-Shabaab attacked us, we saw fleeting glimpses of that individual Samaritan. Civilians symbolised by Abdul Haji braved Al-Shabaab primitive gunfire and saved so many without regard to colour, creed and political leanings. It took a true Moslem to show us the false Moslems of Al-Shabaab. As we begin our Jubilee celebrations next week that will climax on December 12, we must all take our individual walk along the road to Jericho. From the President to a new born baby, a re-orientation has to begin. When we love Kenya more than we demand of it to love us, our true Jubilee walk would have begun.

In answering the lawyer, Jesus said that a neighour is not one you live next to, but he who protects you from harm. Lord Atkin [1867-1944], while sitting in the United Kingdom House of Lords, decided the case of Donoghue vs. Stevenson on principles of negligence in civil cases. In it, he used Jesus parable on who thy neighour is. Lord Atkin held that your neighour is one whom your actions or omissions will affect. 

Kenya also needs to stand up. States become failed for only four reasons: loss of control of territory to outlaws; erosion of legitimate authority; inability of government to provide public services; and being an international pariah state. All these four indices are caused by individuals failing to be a good neighour to one another. And the State failing to be a good neighour to other states. This duty demands of the individual and the state to comply with our Constitution, the Statutes and accepted international and local norms.

Once we love Kenya more than it loves us, we will complete our journey to Jericho without being waylaid. Prosperity will flow naturally. Jubilee year will be real. And we will join Robert Frost [1874-1963] that American Pulitzer Winner for Poetry in singing: Two roads diverged in a wood; and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Kenya has to find its own way. Kenya has to know its true neighours and the brigands, and we know them. Westgate tragedy separated our neighours from the brigands. We can only reach Jericho with support of true neighours. A true neighour is a brother’s keeper.

– The writer is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.