Ethnic ‘entitlement’ does not bode well for Kenya and its communities

There are laws that govern these matters. Why were they not used? Killing poor young Kikuyu men, illegally, does not solve the problem of Mungiki. It shows utter contempt for the poor. It shows us that although we are expected to “speak with one voice”, the Kikuyu community is certainly not one. There is the powerful class and the “other” Kikuyu.

We doubt that there has ever been such a large-scale state-sponsored killing of Kikuyu since the Emergency period or during the clashes in the ‘90s, yet none in the oligarchy has uttered a word in protest or shock. And consider this. When the post-election violence started in January 2008, these same Kikuyu men were in control of the security apparatus.

They decided it was better to deploy security to Uhuru Park, to prevent Raila Odinga and his supporters from gathering there, than to stop the killings of Kikuyus, mostly peasants, in the Rift Valley. The effect is that peaceful protests at Uhuru Park were prevented, and security forces concentrated on killing opposition demonstrators in western Kenya, at the cost of hundreds of lives in Rift Valley, and the destruction of property worth millions belonging to the poor.

Last but not least, listen carefully to the old guard, and some of their new recruits. They put the entire community at risk with reckless and derogatory comments that undermine national unity. Their comments are arrogant and demeaning to everyone, and exacerbate perceptions that the Kikuyu leadership feels superior, and needs to be taught a lesson.

Unfortunately, because this leadership is inaccessible and far removed, these lessons are “taught” to the ordinary Kikuyu who are more accessible.

Destructive views

We are all diminished by stereotypes and chauvinism. We would dismiss the attitudes of old men with humour, but for the fact that their destructive views translate directly into the significant State power they wield. Expecting us to speak with one voice does not protect our interests. It protects theirs.

Statements that assert, as minister John Michuki recently did, that the State has no obligation to explain why it conducted an illegal act in raiding the Standard Group, show a dangerous attitude. His mindset is essentially that if something is done by the State, it cannot be wrong. So if the State kills, say 2,000 people in the name of “State security”, we should not ask questions.

Now we have that old political class, dangerously entrenched by a sense of ethnic “entitlement”. Kikuyus should realise that this does not bode well for the nation, let alone their community. But this attitude is not just the prerogative of powerful politicians, it has also affected the middle class and ordinary Kikuyu.

There is a dangerous sense of victimhood and entitlement. The feeling of victimhood is now deeply entrenched in the community, and understandably so, given the colonial emergency, the clashes in the ‘90s, and the post-election violence in the Rift Valley, but it is coupled with a sense of entitlement and superiority over other communities, expressed in attitudes that the Kikuyu are somehow superior; that they work harder than other Kenyans; that they have more financial and entrepreneurial sense than others; and able to govern better than others.

It is also expressed in derogatory assumptions and stereotypes about other communities. This is foolhardy, a recipe for disaster and chaos. It has made our position precarious, and if we don’t start asking questions of this “leadership,” we will only have ourselves to blame if the current tensions explode.

This is the time to re-think and reject the old class, whose interest is now focused on ensuring that their sons take over from them as the “leaders” of the community. These “sons” have no skills or vision to lead, just a sense of entitlement. This is not just contemptuous of the ordinary Kikuyu, but also of the entire nation.

We should learn from the experiences in other countries. Look at the demons and forces unleashed in the Balkans by Serbian leaders who continuously highlighted what they described as the Serbs’ historical grievances, as well as their “specialness”, playing on that for their own political ends.

But even closer to home is Rwanda. Can any of us forget what happened there? By whipping up anger about historical injustices against the Hutu majority, and emphasizing the “right” of Hutus to rule, Hutu leaders facilitated the genocide. And as always, it is the ordinary Hutus who paid the price for not questioning the received “wisdom”.

This is a moment of truth for the Kikuyus as a whole. We recognise that much of what we have said may not be palatable to many. It will, in fact, be painful. But these are truths we cannot run away from. If there was ever a time for change and challenge, it is now.