With one insult, Museveni unites Kenya

By Ibrahim Ndamwe

The 2002 elections were probably the last time Kenyans spoke with one voice about anything. Since then, the country has been part orange, part banana — split down the middle like Israel and Palestine.

The aftermath of the flawed 2007 elections only heightened this rift with each side celebrating jubilantly when violence and death rained down on ‘enemy’ territory. To date, long after the exit of Kofi Annan, the divide persists, with banana and orange glaring at each other from across a yawning canyon, massive knobkerries in hand, as politicians cheer and jeer.

Even on the simple matter of electing between a local tribunal and The Hague, we were hopelessly divided, viewing every petty quarrel in terms of ‘my’ community and ‘that other’ community.

Then came Migingo. Passions flared. Wrath boiled. Insults were spat across the border from every corner of this country. But this is nothing compared to the ire that President Museveni ignited when he said, "Those Wanjaruos — hao ambao wananyoa reri — are mad."

last man

Amazing, isn’t it, that with that one insult, Museveni has solidly unified Kenyans, firing them up with patriotic and nationalist fervour and a desire to fight and defend the great Republic to the last man. Rendiles, Kikuyus, Kalenjins, Indians and ‘Wanjaruos’ — in fact everyone — has suddenly rediscovered that they belong to a greater Kenya and not some tribal hamlet.

Incredibly, even some people who, in January last year, swore they didn’t give a hoot whether one part of Kenya seceded are now all Kenyan, all the time. "Migingo is not an insult against one community — it’s an insult against Kenya." Wow!

Maybe Museveni needs to teach Kibaki and Raila a few choice insults. In their quest to unite Kenyans, their ‘kubaff’ and ‘ngiri’ rebuffs have fallen far off the mark.