The irony and agony of second best winning the race

By Otuma Ongalo

In major sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Athletics Championship, we have often watched with pride as our athletes conquer the world and clinch gold medals.

It does not matter that virtually all the heroes and heroines are from the Kalenjin community. Onyangos, Wekesas, Adans, Wanjikus, Ashas, Kerubos, Makaus, and Mwitas all cheer the stars without caring about their tribes or regions.

The selection of the world-beaters is based on merit. Whoever wins in the trials gets the ticket and it doesn’t matter if the athletes come from a particular Kalenjin clan or village. They’re our national pride.

We would probably bid bye bye to athletics glory if, to ensure regional and tribal balancing, we send Otieno to represent us in marathon or Mwacharo to battle it out in steeplechase.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga should emulate the sporting world while appointing individuals to key positions.

People are appointed not to represent their tribes or regions but perform national duty.

And individuals who emerge top during interviews should not be sidelined on the account of their tribe, region or political affiliation.

When Chief Justice Willy Mutunga takes over the reins of the Judiciary, he does not do so on behalf of the Akamba people or Ukambani residents. Kenneth Marende is the Speaker of the National Assembly, not the people from ‘Ingo’ or Banyore.

Kibaki is the President of Kenya, not Kikuyu or central Kenya. They are in charge of the three arms of Government, not tribal or regional tentacles.

Okong’o Omogeni was the best during the interviews for anti-graft commission job but the two principals chose Mumo Matemu. I have never met Mr Omogeni or Mr Matemu. I don’t speak for Omogeni or hold anything against Matemu.

Omogeni may not be wailing publicly but which man or woman won’t feel the agony of enduring the rigours of job interview, beating the rest and then losing the job to one of the vanquished?

Even if Matemu is eventually cleared, he won’t escape the guilty conscience of getting a job that the whole world knows he was not the best bet. I doubt if a man who clearly emerges third in a marathon will gleefully stick out his neck to be awarded a gold medal.

I don’t know why the principals preferred Matemu over Omogeni, but I would not be surprised if some of their cronies feared Omogeni will take office with gusto and bring big fish to justice.

The status quo has often been cautious of strong willed individuals as anti-graft tsars.

We cannot realise Vision 2030 if we leave out the best and settle on second best simply because other individuals from the victor’s tribe or region have already taken key positions or because they are not ODM or PNU loyalists.

People should be assessed on personal merit, not where they come from or the language they speak. In fact, when merit prevails, it will unveil the diversity of Kenyan people in various sectors instead of the current situation where certain communities dominate various sectors.

If merit were the principle yardstick, security organs would not be dominated by individuals from one community. The new Constitution may have been well intentioned to address this imbalance but we now risk sacrificing merit at the altar of tribal appeasement.

We will be encouraging the culture of sycophancy if the greatest ticket to land a plum job is determined by how close one is to the two principals, their parties and cronies.

Instead of achieving Vision 2030 goals, we will be heading back to the primitive era if appointment to top jobs is a horse-trading business between Kibaki and Raila.

Even the race for the presidency should be determined on merit. If another Kikuyu or Kalenjin is the best man for the job, so be it. If there is a well deserving Njemps or Borana, he or she should be elected.

This may sound utopian in a nation with searing with flames of tribalism but can be a reality if we change our mindset and stop looking at people through tribal binoculars.

The writer is Senior Editor, Production and Quality, at The Standard

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