The last few months have been quite surreal with the build up to one of the most historic days of our lives. No one can doubt the significance of Barrack Hussein Obama’s ascendancy to the highest office in America, and arguably, the world’s most anticipated and popular presidential fairytale.
Without detracting from the significance of the event and the expectations the world has of this 47 year old son of a Kenyan, the circus and madness that has accompanied his ascendancy into office needs to be addressed. It was necessary and acceptable to celebrate Obama’s victory and inauguration – but seriously, enough is enough and folks need to get a grip of themselves.
I’ll give you a couple of examples (and these are just a tip of the iceberg):
- This video of Obama victory celebrations in Kisumu illustrates euphoria getting the better of folk…(look out for the interviewee unleashing all the big words he can muster.
- The hullabaloo of Kenyan government officials clambering for a place in a dodgy delegation travelling to the US for the inauguration. Apart from Obama’s family from Kogello, no Kenyan government officials had a God given right to use tax payers money for an expedition to Washington DC. No heads of state or official foreign delegations are ever invited to presidential inaugurations, and this was no exception. Furthermore, Kenya has an official emissary whose job it is to represent the country at official functions, so it should have been left to the Kenyan Ambassador to the US to attend on our behalf – and if he needed moral support, he has a colleague working as the Kenyan Ambassador to the UN down the road in New York.
Enough has been said about the shenanigans of government officials in this drama of “a must attend bash in DC”, so I won’t say much on that, suffice to say that the above examples and many more that have been in the news illustrate the extent to which this issue has taken over people’s lives, particularly in Kenya.
My 2 cents in this matter:
- Yes, Obama is significantly more charismatic and inspirational than his predecessor, but this guy cannot walk on water.
- Obama’s priority is absolutely the domestic issues in the United States – not surprisingly because he is their elected leader (and not a Kenyan politician).
- Obama’s in-tray dictates that he has no time to focus on much outside domestic economic policy except to clean up the mess that is George Bush’s so called wars on terror and stop Israel bombing the hell out of Iran’s nuclear experiment.
- Without fixing the economic nightmares in the US, Obama is not even going to get anywhere, let alone a second term in office – the US economy is his make or break, it’s the albatross hanging around his neck.
- Obama clearly doesn’t feel as inclined to worship his Kenyan roots in comparison to Kenyans who are waxing lyrical about their son and that their son is their new saviour
People should therefore get a grip and come back down to reality. We have serious issues in Kenya that need serious leaders and serious solutions. The only expectation that Obama can realistically fulfil is to provide a tangible example of inspirational and effective leadership to other African leaders. He can provide a living example of what leaders can aspire to. He can provide a blue print to show how leaders can engage with their citizens, and all this because he has more of a moral authority and credibility to challenge our incompetent leaders.
Obama’s victory will not translate to food on our tables. Obama’s victory will not address the current famine affecting a third of Kenya’s population. Obama’s victory will not translate to a better sense of security where our citizens can freely walk the streets without fear of robbery or rape. Obama’s victory will not translate to the resettlement of the hundreds of thousands of internal refugees displaced after our post election violence. Obama’s victory will not translate to lower unemployment in Kenya and better economic opportunities for our citizens. Obama’s victory will not translate to tribal harmony and a national sense of citizenship and patriotism that shuns our shameful tribal politicking and tribal inequalities.
It’s time to get a grip of ourselves and get back to the reality of getting ourselves out of the quagmire that we’re collectively in as Kenyans. It’s not Obama’s job to sort our shit out.
