‘H’ is for harmony, but could also mean hate and hubris

‘H’ is for harmony, but could also mean hate and hubris

Peace, love and unity was the clarion call by former President Moi, who held a club in his right hand that some mistook for an iron fist. He said he would walk in the steps of his predecessor, the good old Jomo, now departed from our midst for a generation. The two used a hybrid Constitution fusing Indian and British laws, and which has been reviewed to deliver something gaining currency as the "Harmonised" law.

That, too, is being called a hybrid something because it mixes the so-called parliamentary and presidential systems of governance.

We have three weeks to review the law. We are in the phase known as euphoria, hailing the historicity of the moment by generally sharing small talk on… nothing really. The idea of a piece of paper as "harmonised" implies there are contesting principles at play, hence the publicised ceasefire.

This may hold only so far as politicians allow it, which takes us to Kenyans’ mindset. Because of their disinterest in reading – unless it is for an exam – few are going to touch the wellpackaged katiba pullout stashed in newspapers this week.

Instead, they shall wait for their ‘leaders’ to read for them, and interpret it as well. This is the Hazardous Phase, when disinformation sets in. Why, politicians who lack the clarity of mind (largely from the exhaustion of living a lie at home and at work) will in turn depend on their assistants to pick what’s of interest to them. They shall then take a persuasive

line on the dangers of the law without specificity.

And to amplify the meaning of the expression that little knowledge is truly dangerous, the position taken shall be mplified without question, and quoted with confidence.

Hostility Phase

Then we shall lurch through the Hostility Phase, which means anyone with an opposing view to whatever interpretation, shall be declared enemy of the people, whichever way one defines "his people." At this stage, those commentators

who sleep in stations (due to the erratic bulletin hours, where they regurgitate prejudiced tosh) shall have grown shrill from exhaustion. The last week shall be dominated by big political rallies addressed by political big wigs (and the trips used to generate receipts to falsify mileage claims) galvanising "their people" for or against the constitutional draft.

Selectively, they shall pick aspects of the draft law that they don’t like, interpret them out of context to whip up emotions, rather than reason, and sound drums of war over anyone with a contrary view.

And Kenyans shall be subjected to what Kiraitu Murungi calls makerere ya saa yote (endless squabbles) as other politicians declare those not sympathetic to their stand be expelled from their midst. This might happen, unless the warmongers are whisked off to The Hague for past crimes, fast.

Something to bank on

I was nervous for a night this week after feeding more cash into an ATM than I indicated on the slip. You see, when one is making mental calculations about his or her financial needs for a year while the ATM is bleeping, mistakes are bound to happen. But I was reassured by a Standard Chartered staffer that the accurate amount in the transaction

would be entered during verification.

And it sure did, which offers a rare opportunity to thank the bank for reaffirming my trust.

Buoyed by this response, I decided to follow up on an advertisement in the Press regarding another bank that shall remain nameless for now.

"Let’s be the bank that answers your call and gives exemplary customer care to all," it declared. I chose to put that

declaration to test and called to make an enquiry.

By the third minute, I had repeated my narrative to third respondent, who was about to refer me to a fourth person. I

declined, so she promised to call back, which she did, to offer information that’s so basic it should available everywhere, at least on their website.

It’s hide and seek in the Mau

William Ruto has this unnerving fury that reminds me of his days at the helm of Youth for Kanu ’92 lobby, which the generation born that year needs to be reminded was as virulent as a virus.

The fury flashed on last Sunday when he was addressing ‘his’ people, whom he said had been pushed out of their habitat without explaining what had happened to their land.

I think I saw Linah Jebii, too. She became famous for that paka (cat) turned simba (lion) quip, in reference to Tinga, and she freely shed tears over the displacement of ‘her people.’

Then I heard scribes had gone there looking for families to film in the dark of night, but found no one because the displaced actually have places to sleep. They only converge in the open when instructed so. I do not believe that grown people can put up such acts, and even parade their children in the cold after having voluntarily left the warmth of their

beds. But then, anything is possible.