As the president signs into law the new constitution of Kenya to usher in the birth of the second republic, I can't help thinking that this is the moment that Nandi 2.0 is also born alongside Kenya 2.0. Kenya 2.0 is the product of a negotiated constitution which pitted Kenyans saying YES against those saying NO. In a rare show of maturity, Kenyans cast their ballots and retreated to their homes to await the results of the plebiscite. Those of us, like me, who were outside Kenya at the time stayed glued to livestreaming TV and blogs to monitor the goings-on in Jamhuri. I was elated. Partly because I had pitched for a YES vote and said as much in several posts on this blog and on Kass FM. Partly because this vote was, for the first time as far as my memory could recollect, the most peaceful and possibly the only one whose result was accepted by both victor and loser.
Kenya has had her share of upheavals. From destruction of property and life, from bodily harm to those pluralism activists to deaths of hundreds as we fought to restore our dignity as a people, Kenya 1.0 is a stark reminder of an aborted dream. It is that missed journey that we hope will not recur again, ever. Kenya 1.0, the first republic, was characterised by anything bad about government. From excessive police force (used) against innocent Kenyans to the corruption pandemic to impunity. Kenya 1.0 is synonymous with death, corruption, hate, bitterness, nepotism, skewed resource allocation, favouritism, political marginalisation and failure. It is Misri to us. Not that Kenya 2.0 marks an abrupt departure from the sleaze of the past. No. The RED sea is crossed but we need time in the desert to allow the relics of Kenya 1.0 to die off before we reach Canaan lest they bring their bad into the promised land. Most of the purveyors of those vices associated with Kenya 1.0 are alive and they are positioning themselves to transcend the RED sea and stake a claim on the prominent roles which must re-engineer Kenya o be in sync with a new order.
Nandi County is born, welcome to Nandi 2.0. With this birth comes devolution, of resources and of corruption and vices that have been localised to Nairobi. Unless the new devolved units watch out, change the leaderships and elect responsible and responsive representatives, it shall be business as usual. What with our 'ngo samis muriat ko bo goot ne bo'. That bad and stinking rat knows what to do to evict you from your comfort. It just needs to stink, and off you bolt. Leaving behind the devolved largesse, on which fellow stinking mice will feast. It is real. Devolution of misrule, devolution of corruption or devolution to increase efficiency? We, members of Nandi Kaburwo County must choose to say NO to devolved ills and shades of misrule. Already, I hear whispers of 'he was with us, read RED' or 'he was not with us, read GREEN'. Now is the time for leadership, NOT activism.
Just the other day, someone told me. You'd make a great Senator for Nandi Kaburwo lakini you were GREEN. I considered it unwise. Kenya is ALL Green now, the new GREEN constitution is law and whether you were RED or GREEN doesn't matter no more. We are all in a GREEN Kenya 2.0. Nandi Kaburwo too is GREEN and the move to Nandi 2.0 MUST include ME. I stake claim to this new Nandi because I have been part and parcel of the struggle for fairness. Furthermore it is time to compete for office and the people of Nandi Kaburwo shall determine who stands to serve their interests. I want to be part of that team that shall usher Nandi to the new heights. I want to be part of the new Nandi 2.0, born on 27th Aug 2010. Arye we inyee! During the campaigns for or against this constitution, it was popular to say NO even if you did not know why. I refused to go the popular way. I still believe my choice of a YES campaign, which I explained in this blog, was right. I am proud to have been part of the team that was on the right side of history. That is courage. Safe politics is not necessarily right. By saying YES, I jeopardised my chances of being a prominent part of the Nandi 2.0, but that decision was borne out of the desire to see fairness in matters of squatter landrights. That is why I want to be part of the Nandi 2.0 team.
Make the wish of so many Nandi Kaburwo members come true. Support this transition to new leadership in Nandi. We cannot solve Nandi problems using the same people who created them. Nor can we be fooled any more with stories like "elect so and so because he/she is a friend of XYZ". Nandi Kaburwo must elect leaders with a clear mandate to LEAD Nandi Kaburwo FIRST. Nandi Kaburwo must believe in the abilities of her sons and daughters, the same people in whom you have invested enormous resources and time. This generation is alive to the heavy tasks ahead. But we are up to the task. We need new thinking, an assertive but dynamic leadership. Here we are.
3 comments:
Whoever is behind this publication need to re-examine his commitment to our people's cause instead of fighting an individual. You cannot litter the site with battles directed to an individual in the name of educating a community with whose larger part cannot even access this information. My question is, what have you personally done to these people that is enough to raise you to the platform of speaking on their behalf? You can only influence a people through what you can do, get up and peel a banana and stop littering everywhere with your own selfish versions of what should be from what should not, we have differences yes, but do we stand to gain anything through a self directed warfare? Fighting our own? Get up and do one two three for the community, they will hear you.
Stop this self directed warfare, it is outrages to believe that anything meaningful will be achieved by fighting an individual in the name of the community. Wake up, peel a banana, do something for the folks, they will hear you. A majority of them still can't access these information. Bing them together, if you are commited to a true cause. I wish to register my reservations for whoever is behind this blog.
Leaders are those who dare the troubled waters, you cannot be a beetle under a rock and when important decisions are made you take to the shadows. Anyway, there were traitors from the beginning, even our loss at Ketbarak was instigated by our own, its nothing new.
We respect the views of our sons and daughter's in diaspora, but being in the first world does not necessarily elevate you, or your ideals above those of us in Rift Valley. Lets embrace tolerance and consult. I have noted with great disappointment the condescending attitude with which you treat us at home, it is not just a tragedy, it is treason!
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