Chance to steer KK ship clear of iceberg is being wasted

The hubris on both sides of the Kenya Kwanza - Azimio political divide, even as civil unrest threatens the country, points to a people aboard a ship on a collision course with an iceberg. The Titanic tragedy of 1912 comes to mind.

The luxurious Titanic, the most iconic ship ever built at the time, was touted as unsinkable. Yet, on its maiden voyage, it sank in the North Atlantic Ocean when an iceberg that the captain and ship's crew saw a tad too late tore the hull and let in millions of gallons of water. Within two hours, the ship sank. The Kenya Kwanza (KK) liner, our supposedly 'invincible' political ship, is facing a similar predicament.

The difference is that the KK liner Captain has the chance to see the iceberg and space to steer clear but has chosen to stay on course and attempt to brush it aside in the belief his ship's hull is strong enough to withstand the impact. The tragedy aboard the KK liner is that the navigation officers, chief, second and third mates, deckhand and engineers have all assured the captain that the iceberg is harmless.

Kenya has had more than its fair share of political leaders who believe citizens do not have capacity to make their own decisions. Teresa Stover, a writer, succinctly captured this attitude when she argued that "the power structure believes that the only options available are those which they present to us (citizens); we know this is not true and therefore we must redefine the terrain of this conflict".

The conflict, in our case, is the standoff between the government, the opposition and citizens regarding the right to demonstrate against the high cost of living. Granted, Raila Odinga set the civil disobedience ball rolling for political expediency.

Somehow, however, what Raila started has taken on a new form of life that even he might be unable to control. It is no longer a matter of opening servers, or who won the last presidential election; it is a matter of survival for the most vulnerable in the animal kingdom, and they are willing to stake their lives trying to stay alive.

Seemingly, President Ruto, the KK liner captain, has allowed selfish hardliners aboard the ship to divert his attention, which could lead to a collision with the iceberg. In a bid to tarnish each others' image, Azimio and KK have subjected citizens to selective lies that ignore the real issues.

To that end, Turkish author Mehmet Murati Ildan warns that "Politicians will always try to encircle you with high walls of lies! You must know that the truth is beyond the walls and without meeting the truth, you cannot meet freedom".

This wisdom resonates with Philosopher Henry Thoreau's essay "Resistance to Civil Government (1849) urging citizens to take up arms against the government, which he branded 'agents of corruption and injustice'. Thoreau argued that individuals should never allow governments to atrophy their consciences".

Citizens have a moral duty to demand, 'by whatever means expedient, their rights whenever need presents itself'. Demonstrations accord them that right, do not try to take it away.

Mr Chagema is a sub-editor, The Standard