Mr President, drop the draconian and exclusivist path you’ve chosen

By Barrack Muluka

 Receive friendly greetings this festive season. With historical hindsight, allow me to reproduce a piece that I published in this column on March 16th.  I do so as I have heard President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto say that newspapers are useless. That they should be used to wrap meat – never mind that few people can afford meat, even at Christmas. And so the President has assented to draconian media laws, to put in check the “trouble makers.” 

As you read, ask yourself whether the things we said here have not come to pass.  When I wrote this, Raila Odinga’s petition against the election of President Kenyatta was before the Supreme Court.

And I wrote: “Receive greetings from the humble people of Emanyulia Village, Your Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, Fourth President Elect of the Republic of Kenya. The Oracle has said that whichever way it looks at it, you are destined to occupy the Big House on the Hill. You grew up here. In a sense, you are only going back home. Every one of us longs to return, someday. We terribly long to go back home. The thirst for return can be truly overmastering. Moreover, the separation makes you an alien everywhere else. And experts have told us that exile is agony. This is no matter how comfortable the trappings of separation may seem to be.

It is a changed world that you return to, however. You and I were teenagers when the good old man, Jomo Kenyatta, left us. But we recognise that we lived in a different world from what we know today. They had not invented notions like “glasnost” and “perestroika.” That would wait for another two decades. Then the wind of change started blowing. It blew first in Moscow. It went to Vladivostok. It blew all the way to little villages in Africa. Emanyulia. Yamasoukuro. It taught people new things.

Now people know how to say things like, “Haki zetu!” Then they only said, “Hail His Excellency the President.” They called people like your late Papa names like, “Farmer No. 1, Wiseman No. 1, Philosopher No. 1,” and that kind of cock and bull. It is going to be different, Sir. I sincerely trust you do not believe in that bosh of “Wiseman No. 1”? For if you do, then you are set for a very rough ride. People now know how to stand up for their rights. They will stand up to you. In very clear language, they will tell you, “No!” That is lesson number one.

Lesson number two is that we did not all vote for you, Your Excellency. You definitely know that I voted for your nemesis and lost with him. If only he could listen, this man also! I know that he is in Court over this matter. I must trade delicately. If he cared for my opinion, I would advise him to allow us to move on. This is not to say that I doubt his case. I neither doubt nor believe.

We say in Emanyulia that something is also wrong with you, if people keep on stealing your cattle. Kwani you don’t know how to look after your animals, also? Why should you keep on disturbing the peace when people want to enjoy their sleep at night with, “Oh, they have stolen my cows again!”? Secure your goats, also!

Anyway, as I was saying, some of us did not vote for you. I trust that you will not take it out on us, or will you? The way I understand it, you did not defeat us, we elected you. But if the thinking is that you “defeated us” then you should also let us know. This will help us to know what to make of your new tour of duty.  For now, congratulations. And there are some things we expect of you. First, is that you will not discriminate against us. But if you discriminate against us, we shall also discriminate against you. You have a tall one there. You have to make all of us feel like we belong to you and that you belong to us. If you do not, we shall say, “Their government. Their President.” I am sure you don’t want that.

You can begin winning us over by celebrating your forthcoming inauguration with a measure of humility, charity and restraint. Celebrate softly. Those who think, “We lost” are hurting. Some are even suspicious of you. Others are afraid of you. Win them over. For a start, you need an inclusive council. The present arrangement is depressing. Seven of the eight topmost chiefs organising your inauguration are from one ridge. Such things erode goodwill. They destroy trust, across the country. Mzee Jomo failed this test – badly kwanza.  Mzee Moi did not do well, either. As for Mzee Kibaki, the test of nationhood has been a total disaster. It derogates all the other good things that he did.

The Oracle expects that you will bring back the rule of law. You will not behave as if the law does not matter. You will also not recycle old stuff that we are fed up with. Some fellows quickly ensconced themselves around you so that you can remember them after they lose elections. Please, spare us. We are tired of these political dinosaurs. You lose nothing by giving them the cold shoulder.

Then there is the little matter of the kitchen Cabinet. It will do everything to isolate you from good people. Even Goodman Bill Ruto could be isolated from you. This will surely be the beginning of the end? But will you and Bill also know that Kenya is bigger than your two communities? Kenyans are watching you, Your Excellency. For me, I watch with my pen in my hand. Now, the little matter of The Hague. Everybody knows that that will soon sit besides Marco Polo’s visit to Africa and Vasco Da Gama’s search for a sea route to India. The Oracle therefore expects that you can sit in the seat of authority and do what is noble, what is fair, what is just.

Finally, Your Excellency, never forget that the destiny of this country has been placed in your hands. It is now within your ability to make or break this country. I trust that your proclivity will be towards making it. The choice is yours, Your Excellency. And so help you God. Do not fail to look at this page. The Oracle will keep you company, throughout.”

Evidently, President Kenyatta did not read this piece. From the election petition to democratic governance, Cabinet composition, relations with William Ruto, to The Hague and all that, the verdict is yours. By the same token that I said these things in March, I now look into the seeds of time. I see a most rocky road for President Kenyatta in 2014 if he does not drop the draconian and exclusivist path that his government has chosen. Do not even talk of 2015, or of “My ten years and Ruto’s ten years.” Merry Christmas.

 

The writer is a publishing editor, special consultant and advisor on public relations and media relations