Welcome to the land of Kenya, where people are happy and living in peace

On February 28, Kenya will mark the third anniversary of the signing of the peace accord between the Government/Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement.

Such has been the success of that peace deal that everything in the country has since changed. As a result, all the previously rigid party positions — from policy to power-sharing — have been breached in the past three years.

Today, it is not unusual for MPs from one party to craft political strategy for their erstwhile foes in the opposite party.

It is no longer extraordinary for one leader’s fiercest defenders to become his harshest critics in selfless displays of nationalism. The men and women who were reviled as villains during the drawn-out negotiations after the 2007 election dispute have emerged in new roles as champions of the people, rightfully feted for their courage and statesmanship.

Yesterday’s heroes have turned villains. They have become enemies of the people, rusticating farmers from forests and sending their friends — people who helped to win them millions of votes — into cold foreign climes in order to reduce political competition.

Yet, political leaders from the two main political parties have gelled remarkably, setting aside their partisan differences for the greater good. They have quickly closed ranks whenever confronted by a threat to the national interest, such as unfounded accusations of corruption or threats of criminal indictments at the International Criminal Court.

Since these malicious accusations have tended to tar leaders from both parties with equal effect, cooperation has become a necessity. MPs who were hostile to each other only months ago are working across parties.

Communities that had previously been pitted against each other in a deathly struggle for political control of Kenya have come round to not just making truce, but also crafting viable alliances to take power through peaceful means.

The few difficulties — over people who were displaced in the violence following the 2007 election — are being smoothed over. Land is being bought in far off unoccupied places to settle Internally Displaced Persons as a measure to prevent inter-community friction in the future.

Many others have given up capitalism and all its trappings such as land, choosing instead to live the hippy life, squatting in tents by roadsides to await their share of all those taxes they paid to the Government in their lifetime.

Youth who had constituted themselves into private armies during the post-election crisis have since lost the heart for violence. They now tap electricity and water from the main lines and sell them to grateful citizens, besides providing security for a fee. Some have even joined churches and are happy to find a new life.

The misunderstanding over the expectation that the police were supposed to use their firearms to cook ugali has since been resolved and the argument over shooting suspects in the back has been settled. Guns are made to shoot bullets; their issuance comes with an expectation of use.

With that small misunderstanding now cleared up, police are now empowered — as one minister told Parliament recently — to hunt thugs and kill them.

Such a professional police force does not need reform; it needs more bullets.

With everything so hanky-dory, investigations into the violence that followed the 2007 elections is such an extravagance, and the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission an unwarranted self-indulgence. All is forgotten, all forgiven.

Sharing power amicably has also necessitated a sharing of responsibility with regard to corruption. There might be a few hiccups in sharing public service jobs, but a half loaf is better than none.

Certainly when the next elections come, it would be useful to have some people inside the Government who can allow political parties to train their polling agents at the Administration Police College or such other high-grade facility.

The next elections will be nothing like the 2007 ones – thanks to all the reforms. Should anyone want to dispute the results, there is the judiciary to turn to.