Try persuasion; it always trumps coercion

The Jubilee Government has taken the unfortunate path of ramming through legislation, ignoring opposition from citizen groups and political parties just because of its numerical strength in Parliament.

While this may work in the short-term, it is likely to have negative consequences in the long run.

To be effective, legislation, in security or any other sector, ultimately requires the cooperation of all citizens. Therefore, popular support should as much as possible be garnered through broad consultation.

Granted, some initiatives may still attract strident opposition but efforts should be made to create goodwill. Riding roughshod over people’s feelings produces resentment and leads to lacklustre or false support for government programmes.

Steamrolling legislation through Parliament and in the same breath asking people to cooperate with the security agencies is ill-advised and unworkable.

We must have a system of participation and engagement. People must be heard even if their views do not eventually prevail. But if every measure becomes a stand-off between the government and other constituencies, with feelings spilling over to pandemonium in the streets and in the supposedly august House, Kenya will regress into the past instead of consolidating the gains of the new Constitution.

Politics is about horse-trading, making deals and compromises so that when you need the support of the opposition and civil society, you can reach out for it.

It sometimes appears as if the Jubilee Government is bent on burning bridges and only putting stock in its unassailable position in Parliament, forgetting that the nation is larger than the ruling coalition. While the opposition, Cord, has not behaved like angels either, the buck stops with the ruling coalition.

ONE PARTY MENTALITY

It is important to get rid of the one-party mentality that bedevils the current administration where every opposing view is interpreted as an affront to the government. Kenya is and must remain a democracy where divergent ideas are welcomed. In fact, having a diversity of views is a strength as it ultimately improves the quality of decision-making.

In a democratic society, one pushes through his or her agenda through persuasion, not force. Talking to people and their representatives, listening to their point of view, negotiating and agreeing and disagreeing is the nature of modern-day politics.

No one has a monopoly on ideas or patriotism. It is, therefore, imperative to respect other people’s views even as we seek to assert our own.

President Obama has lately taken to issuing executive orders as his term nears a close. It is only after trying over and over to work with Congress and being rebuffed that he decided it is time to act alone if critical issues such as immigration are to be addressed.

I do not believe that the door is closed to reaching out to critical constituencies such as the opposition in Kenya. Strength is exhibited through taking people with you rather than forcing them to bend to your will.

Our political leaders often say the terrorists are seeking to divide Kenyans along religious lines. What are they doing to promote national unity and, thereby, defeat the ploy of our enemies? They must ensure, by their words and deeds, that they are bringing people together to collectively achieve our national goals.

Dr Njoroge is a communication lecturer at USIU in Nairobi. ([email protected])