Ignore naysayers, this year is set to reap the fruits of a tumultuous 2015

Let me begin by wishing fellow Kenyans a happy and prosperous new year.

This is even as I remain intrigued by recent commentary in the local media in the run up and cross over to the new year.

One would think that we have chosen to believe that happiness and prosperity are not our lot because of that accursed triad of corruption, tribalism and insecurity (including terrorism) that afflicts our nation.

One can understand why the pessimists are having a field day.

Last year saw headlines such as Mandera and Garissa massacres, NYS scandal, teachers strike, Imperial Bank closure, depreciating shilling and high interest rates, and inconsistencies in accounting for the Eurobond.

The conduct of the national and county executives and legislatures faced harsh reviews from the public, with reports of alleged corruption in terms of scale and scope.

Tribalism and exclusion, never far from our minds, are said to be at their worst.

No wonder fear mongering about 2016 and 2017 is taking hold in many corners of the commentaries. 

All of this goes to prove the human tendency toward having bad things etched more sharply and vividly in our mind’s eye as a survival mechanism for the future.

The bad events occupy a large space in our minds and personal and national conversations, and we go about thinking of the worst possible outcomes.

Slowly but surely, we could sink into despondency and despair if we don’t stop doing this.

We forget or minimise the good news from 2015, because good news struggles to find room in our minds.

And yet the reason we vividly remember bad things is for us to do the good ones.

2015 MILESTONES

For instance, because of the scale of corruption and misuse of public funds, the President has initiated the most comprehensive anti-graft measures Kenya has seen, covering the entire spectrum of public and private sectors.

In the fullness of time, these measures should deal a severe blow to these vices.

The conduct of national and county institutions has led to a growing public debate and initiatives to deal with what are emerging as legitimate questions about the cost of government, the usefulness and effectiveness of institutions created by the constitution, and the performance of both national and county governments.

This shows a people awakening and realising they must more soberly consider what lessons have been learned from the implementation of the new constitution’s implementation, and what corrective measures should be taken in the coming years. 

Religious and ethnic divides that were used to separate Muslims and non-Muslims in the Mandera and Garissa massacres by Al Shabaab terrorists suffered a civil blow inflicted by ordinary wananchi when Muslim Somalis in Mandera last month refused to be separated from non-Muslims, and dared the terrorists to kill them all.

The terrorists fled. That incident has helped restore relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in the face of terrorism.

The reorganisation of government towards the end of 2015 was another occasion to correct tribal and gender balances, but many walked away disappointed by the Cabinet.

Yet, had they lingered to also consider the 46 principal secretaries, they would have seen the inclusivity, competence, and integrity that will be visible in 2016 as the new team takes full control.

KENYA A SUCCESS

Taken together with Kenyans’ refusal to be divided on religious lines, 2016 may become the year when concerted efforts were made by all Kenyans to chip away at tribalism, and start to see things through national and inclusive lenses.

We may add that Kenya in 2015 became safe enough for the WTO Ministerial Meeting to take place with its thousands of delegates, for cruise ships to start calling at Mombasa, and for Pope Francis to hold many functions during his November visit.

We might also note that President Obama also visited as the first self-described Kenyan American President in July, preceded by the Italian Prime Minister.

Even CNN had to send one of it top managers to apologise to the country for calling it a hotbed of terrorism.

Other headlines that were great but ephemerally stored in our collective memory due to our built-in preference for bad news include the various accolades the country received in 2015, in terms of being one of the most attractive investment destinations, its long term economic and development potential.

When all is said and done, given the economic tempests that hit the country, we ended the year rather well, even if the bad things seem more vivid and memorable.

Sam Mwamburi Mwale is a public policy commentator with a public and private sector background.