Kenya’s shot gun wedding: Self Destructing to Irretrievable Chaos
Today marks the first anniversary of the shot gun wedding that the Kenyan political establishment was dragged into, kicking and screaming. The choices following the chaos of the discredited 2007 general election ranked somewhere between impossible and improbable, and if only to stop the killing, violence and lawlessness, the two main protagonists had little choice but to commit to political matrimony.
If it wasn’t tragic enough, you could almost picture it:
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
To the left of the proverbial priest, a jaded and tired looking Emilio Mwana wa Kibaki, wearing the mystified face of a misguided, power-hungry incumbent – who’s eyes tell a tragic story of a shell shocked and politically disenfranchised character who stares blankly in wonderment about how things could have got so bad. If they could speak, Emilio’s eyes could have been heard constantly asking “They told me wananchi would complain for a few days then we’ll be back to Kazi iendelee. What the hell happened?”
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga
To the right, a bitter and frustrated Raila Odinga who feels that he’s been violently robbed of his date with destiny as the leader of a people. A man who has only to look in the mirror to recognize the contempt he holds for his partner in matrimony that lurks beneath the surface and is only held back by the desperation to salvage a justifiable sense of political restitution for an election he believes he has just won.
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Lurking in the shadows, the ever humble and diplomatic Kofi Annan, with the clear bulge of a heavy duty shot gun struggling to wrestle out of his immaculate suit. A man who’s biggest regret while Secretary General of the UN was that the Rwandan genocide took place on his watch and the UN apparatus was powerless to stop it or influence other players to stop the genocide. A man who’s face shows a steely determination of someone who has been given a second chance to redeem himself and will stop at nothing to ensure that what happened in Rwanda is not repeated in Kenya.
As Kibaki and Odinga take their vows, a representative congregation of an entire people of a nation watch with bated breath. They watch in anticipation hoping for an immediate cessation of violence. They watch and hope that the killing and mutilation will stop. They watch and hope that the gang rape and horrific violation of women and young girls will stop. They watch and hope that the country does not sink further into tribally fuelled anarchy.
Desperate father scrambling for safety with his 2 children through burning rubble during the post election violence on Jan 2nd 2008 in Mathare Slums.
One year on, has the marriage worked?
The blunt answer to that is Absolutely Not! The Kenyan leadership spearheaded by both Kibaki and Odinga has illustrated a spectacular level of incompetence that at best, is laughable, and at worst, tragic.
In fact, I’ll go as far as saying that the continued leadership of these two characters and their grand coalition government are a direct threat to the existence of the Kenyan society as we know it.
To illustrate my point, I’d like to take a step back and revisit some of the key issues that led us to where we are.
Many observers acknowledge that the discredited 2007 election was most certainly a trigger to the violence that was unleashed on Kenyans – where neighbours turned on each other, lawlessness became a cottage industry, over 1000 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were displaced from their homes.
However, before the 2007 election, all the ingredients of the dynamics of a classic civil war were already in place.
- The ethnic fragmentation caused by the 1992 and 1997 clashes in Rift Valley and the Coast province, as well as other pockets within the country.
- Long overdue constitutional reforms.
- Decades of flawed and failed policies that affected the livelihoods of huge sections of the population.
- Historical injustices and land grievances.
- Colonial legacies that encouraged and supported tribal politics in favour of nationalist politics as a divide and rule tactic.
- Wide spread poverty and economic inequalities
- Media hyperbole and irresponsible and unaccountable broadcasting.
- A betrayal of the hopes of the people by the NARC government elected in 2002 on a reform agenda.
Two things are quite disturbing at this point in time.
Firstly, none of the above historical and long term reforms have been addressed. The failed experiment of the grand coalition government has done nothing to give Kenyans any expectation that this lot of discredited leaders can run a bath or organize an empty drawer if their lives depended on it.
Secondly, despite the unanimous calls for change in leadership of a generational kind, there are few, if any, viable alternatives to the leaders in place at the moment.
On the first issue, it’s only a matter of time before another trigger unleashes the worst violence that Kenyans have ever seen. We console ourselves by rationalizing that we have learnt lessons from the violence of 2008, but clearly – the leadership have resorted to their own devices and are blissfully ignoring the ticking time bomb their sitting on and fuelling with their total disregard of the wishes of their electorate.
A brief lesson into the history and chronology of the Rwandan genocide will aptly illustrate how it’s possible for the seeds of a human catastrophe to be sown while we bury our heads in the sand and pretend that what happened in Rwanda will never happen to Kenya. The comparisons of the two scenarios are not far off by any measure.
On the second issue of lack of a viable leadership alternative – there is an unacceptable vacuum in leadership that exists because the next generation have not stepped up to the plate for whatever reason. A “every person for him/herself” unpatriotic attitude” – or the absolute fear of harm and retaliation, political assassinations and extra judicial killings unleashed by the old guard and the establishment on some younger upcoming leaders who have tried – may have put promising leaders off.
But leadership is not just needed in politics, it’s needed in enterprise, in public service administration, in health and social care, in development and in many other disciplines that are essential to keep the country ticking over day by day.
The revolution needed in Kenya to return the country back to the citizens who own it is made even more complicated by the fact that the old guard in power right now have blatantly illustrated the impunity by which they are going to cling to power by all means necessary – and if we want our country back, we’re going to have to take it back because the only exit strategy the old guard know is the kind that permanently relocates them 6 feet underground in a wooden box.
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Tags: Kenyan politics, Kenyan Post Election Violence 2008, Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga
April 14th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
This has been the most disappointing set of leadership we have had. I’m sorry to say, but these and the other fellows are the most hypocritical lot. Hard to imagine most of them were shouting top of their voices when they were in the opposition.
That said, we need to be careful because 2012 isn’t too far away.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:42 am
I go away for 2 minutes and need to apply for another visa to get into here. I went to your old house and was told the credit crunch had forced you out. How are you doing? I see alot to read, will be back.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:52 am
@Pink.
The problem with politics and democracy is that the loudest and not necessarily the sharpest or the most competent are the one’s who give themselves a fighting chance to be elected. Bullshitting is a prerequisite for the job.
The danger in 2012 is not that these punks are already aligning themselves ready to take on new faces and new colours and reinvent their trechary, the danger is that there will be no viable opposition alternatives that Kenyans can rely on.
@3 my dear. I told those guys at the other house I was moving and they promised to seemlessly redirect my people to my new home – but clearly, its easier to get an American green card than to organize a simple redirection. Personally, I think they’re pissed off and want to screw things up since I decided to move.
I’m doing good anyway – hope you had a great time and came back smiling like a nonsense.
April 15th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Darius……the new boma looks smashingly HOOOOOOOTTTTT! Thanks for the heads up, just been busy!
Now, when it comes to Kenyan politics, I will leave it to the likes of you to talk for the rest of us. I gave up on it when I was old enough to understand some of it, if not all. One thing is for sure though…..if we have an Obamalike saviour for dear Kenya, I will be voting that is for sure.
Until then……God help us!
April 15th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Hi Darius.
Can’t figure out why the problem over at my house, but thanks for visiting and leaving a note. I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed you all the way over here. Enjoy the blogging experience.
As for the shotgun wedding, me I’ve banned myself from saying anything right now because what I have to say shouldn’t cross a lady’s lips.
Take care.
April 15th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
@EK…how you doing dear…wacha kupotea hivyo.
If you keep waiting for Obama MK2 to take over the Kenyan leadership utangojea. Either visionary and charismatic young leaders don’t have the balls to risk their lives by having the audacity to suggest that there is an alternative to the leadership of the country, or the establishment will see to it that such a person is permanently relocated to the next world – whichever comes first.
@Rombo.
Glad you could join us. Perhaps I should pull my finger out and tell more folks about this blog….
As for holding on to your views, I’m sure that its totally forgivable on some special occasions for a lady to speak her mind without fear of being frowned upon because of some select words. The survival of our country I think could easily qualify as one of them occasions.
Thanks for stopping by.
April 17th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Kenya, like Nigeria and other countries, has me asking “What are we going to do?” Anyway, I enjoyed this post.
Take care.
NIGERIAN CURIOSITY
IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER WHEN I ONLY HAD ONE…
April 17th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Solomon…
Thanks for dropping by. Nigeria and Kenya are so alike in so many ways. It’s fine to have the thirst and desire for change – but it’s a non starter if we don’t have a viable alternative.
Glad you enjoyed the article.
April 18th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I think that we, whoever we are need to work out what we want for our countries, our homes.What is it that we want to see in our lifetimes? The leaders can not be people who hoped to see hydro-electricity being generated or primary education for “all”- those things have happened.And therefore having such a leader – one who still says things have gotten better from “back in the day” is crippling.You need one who wants to see more. One who wants to be a part of the changes that we want to see. A nearly 70-something old man cares very little whether tribes are united or not. He cares even less that there is running water to every home – his future is not so future (if you get what I mean). We can not wait or hope that there is an Obama somewhere who will sort this out(Obama himself is having not so smooth a ride) but each one of us can be the Obama in our bomas.And that is all it will take for one to care for the other.
Rwanda happened so fast because one tribe thought they were superior to the other and lo and behold neighbour turned onto neighbour and to this day yes, peace returned to Rwanda but there is so much tension.Phones are bugged, there is so much tension within the leaders because they know that IT could all happen again!
April 19th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
@3, one of the leaders I respect most is Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. Only history will judge this man for the good that he has done to Tanzania.
For now, there are still some observers who have the jury out on him – suggesting that his long term ujamaa/socialist policies catapulted Tanzania back to the stone age.
Granted, it may have in the short term, been a regressive policy in Tanzania that slowed development, but in the long term, Tanzanians have something Kenyans can only dream of. They have a togetherness that is solid and nationalistic. Everyone sees the other as a brother or a sister. There is that patriotic and nationalistic bond that is paramount in having a society that can live and work peacefully.
Development and enterprise is following slowly but surely, and the background in socialism that Nyerere promoted in Tanzania will act as a very stable platform for Tanzania in time, to become one of the most peaceful, stable and developed countries around the block.
Kenya on the other hand has a serious identity crisis with every one operating a solo mentality and being led by folks only interested in lining their own pockets. No one is to blame for this state of affairs apart from the electorate who keep voting in these punks time and time again. This is a responsibility we can’t shift to someone else hoping that the damage the thugs in leadership are causing will go away when we wake up tomorrow.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Hi Darius,
Great post. It’s just like hollywood marriages that seem doomed to failure, the Kibaki-Odinga union was over once they started bickering about who wears the trousers and who should be in the kitchen.
However, I don’t really agree that there is no viable leadership alternative. If you check out social movements such as the Partnership for Change, you will find that even the most hesitant politically immune sections of society – the middle class, are stepping up to the plate. Upcoming leadership is there, only that they don’t get press coverage in mainstream media.
But, as you say, leadership is needed across the board. It starts with you and me. If all Kenyans started at that point, even “Baba Annan” would see instant transformation.
Kudo’s. It’s my first visit here, but I shall definitely be back.
Fiona
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Fiona…Thanks for stopping by.
I’m more than happy to stand corrected on the issue of a viable leadership alternative. I’ll check out the Partnership for change for sure…
My sense is that much more is still needed – and it has to be of a revolutionary magnitude that will change the leadership paradigm. Even then, there is stilll so much for each individual to do in terms of taking responsibility to develop and nurture their part of the country and not to expect manna to fall from heaven.
The least a competent new government with a new generation of leaders can do is to create and support an environment for Kenyans to work better to resolve the issues that affect us collectively.