Ee Mungu nguvu
Ilete Baraka kwetu
Haki iwe ngao na mlinzi
Natukae na undugu
Amani na uhuru
Raha tupate na
ustawi........ goes
the first stanza of our national anthem. These are the sweet tunes that were
first sung when we attained independence in 1963, a song that the freedom
fighters of this nation proudly sang and walked every word. They dreamt of a
Kenya that will be a true manifestation of this anthem. These words of our
national anthem are supposed to rally the country for a common cause, sadly the
very opposite happens.
Sadly,
as we prepare to celebrate 50 years as a sovereign state in 2013, we are living
the exact opposite of our national anthem! Kenya has been plagued by a
pretentious political class coupled by an equally ostentatious electorate and a
religious class that has lost its original cause and consequent command of
God’s sheep!
Whenever
we flock Nyayo National stadium for national celebrations, waving miniature
flags and humming patriotic tunes, one gets the fallacy that Kenya is indeed a
great nation that is home to some of the best people on the planet. No, I beg
to differ with this. I have substantive reasons to back my stand.
Our
politics are dictated and played along ethnic contours, whereby tribal
power-brokers and chieftains determine who gets which post. Welcome to a country
whereby candidates with issues and policies but wanting on the tribal factor
never get the opportunity to ascend to positions of leadership. We do not see
rivals from other communities as Kenyan leaders; rather we view them through
the tribal and ethnic lens. The same old leaders are recycled back to power
every five years. The result is mega-corruption and scandals that shamelessly
loot from the public coffers. Integrity of these high offices is unheard off.
Looters of public money continue to hold offices yet petty-offenders like
chicken thieves and wallet- snatchers are ruthlessly dealt with!
We have created
so much fuss about the new constitutional dispensation and how it will change
our lives for the better, yet we are still holding strong to the impunity and
disregard of the law, that characterized the yester-years. New laws that
threaten the status quo are passionately fought by our politicians. Kenyans, in
their masses join in the bandwagon to fight the truly patriotic Kenyans. The
politicians hold hands together with Kenyans and merrily savor victory! The
ethnic factor has been successfully used by some politicians to mobilize
Kenyans in perpetuating corruption, incompetent leadership and abuse of office
that has brought unmatched pain to the tax-payer. Politicians, who try to
straighten the unfortunate bents of our history, are warded off by the negative
ethnicity that continues to dominate our politics. Perhaps this explains the
sad reality that the Peter Kenneth’s and Martha Karua’s of this nation may
never lead the country! Remember, the late Wangari Maathai, despite her
unmatched patriotism and work to the nation, just served a single term as a
legislator! These trends tell you that indeed, just as Jesus Christ; the Kenyan
prophet may never be recognized at home. Instead this is the responsibility of
the outside world!
Our
religious leaders have lost control of the very people that they are supposed
to lead. Whatever we are getting from this Holy profession is gospel
prosperity, whereby miracles have apparently replaced hard work as the key to
prosperity! Churches have popped up in every corner of the city. Apparently,
more and more Kenyans are embracing the teachings of the holy book. But
flashing back to the 2007-2008 bloodbath, you begin to see the religious
hoodwink that has become of Kenyans. The very Kenyans across the country who
flock churches and other places of worship are the same people who hacked each
other with machetes, swords and pangas. Others managed to use the deadly
arsenal such as bows and arrows and guns to destroy God-given lives in the name
of settling political scores! Religious hypocrisy is slowly but surely breaking
the Kenyan back.
Our
founding fathers envisaged the fight against ignorance, communicable diseases
and poverty as the pillars of building Kenya. However, 49 years down the line,
this endeavor has proved elusive. We are still far from achieving this. Huge
disparities in infrastructural development and access to health, education
among other fronts characterize Kenya today. The gods are not to blame for
this. As Kenyans, we have been the engineers and architects of the troubles
facing the country.
We must
act decisively and make the future brighter. Destiny is in our hands!
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