Let New Year wipe pains of 2022, bring hope

Tourists are entertained by Mombasa cultural dancers at the port of Mombasa. [Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Let New Year wipe away pains of 2022 and usher in restoration, hope

The dawn of 2023 is not just about a calendar turning over to a new date. It is more than fireworks, praying and partying as we 'cross over'.

But it is a time of transition, hope, limitless possibilities and opportunities. It is a time of revewal and restoration and a start of a new chapter. This year 2022, had it's own challenges be it economically, medical and socially.

On the political scene it was an election year and given the way we invest our passions, energies and resources in polls, many were left bruised. Those whose candidates lost have to deal with the pain and grief and have not fully recovered from the aftermath.

Negative feelings ran high and this can go on for months as many try to come to terms with the poll loss. Beyond the elections many are going through personal tragedies while on the national platform our fellow countrymen have to endure hunger as drought continues to ravage some parts of the country.

We have challenges all round. From matatu drivers, carpenters, shopkeepers, boda boda riders, the common mwananchi is feeling the heat from the heightened cost of living. To say it has not been easy is an under statement.

But we can look forward to the New Year with renewed hope. However, we cannot experience any 'newness' if we hold onto the failures and disappointments of 2022. We must adjust our mindset and embrace the spirit of hope and growth. The Almighty has put in us an unimaginable depth of greatness just waiting to come to the fore. We can release it in the coming year.

But it was not all doom and gloom. We can reflect with immense gratitude on the accomplishments and breakthroughs of the last 12 months. Contrary to many pessimists, we had a peaceful election and transition. This is something to be grateful.

Even in our individual lives we had moments of victories that we must not wish away. Let us, therefore, reflect on what worked, what did not, and what we can reimagine in the New Year.

Let us face the future with our eyes of faith irrespective of our religious leanings. The new year offers us a clean slate, a blank cheque for the next 365 days. We can write our own stories as individuals and even collectively as a nation. We can make sure that every day is better than the day before. It is an opportunity to bounce back and better.

As a nation we must deal with societal ills like corruption, insecurity and poverty. This is not the work of our security agencies alone but a collective effort.

Religious leaders and political leaders whether elected or not and Government officials must resolve to make a difference on matters of corruption. We must stop being observers in the accountability space and take our role in governance seriously.

Corruption goes against the creed of a democratic society as and must be fought both at the national and county government levels. Counties should agree to cooperate with one another in every aspect of the fight against graft, including prevention, investigation and the prosecution of offenders.

This is the only way we can achieve far and above what we achieved in 2022.

Finally I pray that the new year will make the words of our national anthem a reality. That it will be be a year where "...plenty will be found within our borders".

We can do these