Prayer is not a substitute for unpreparedness
What you need to know:
- We have prayer rallies, billboards, marches, social media, drama, football, feasts and fasts, all for peace.
- Then we are admonished that peace begins with you and me.
- This sounds like a cop-out or a trap putting the burden of making and keeping the peace on Wanjiku and letting security agencies off the hook.
- St James tells us that faith without good deeds is dead.
- Raise the bar, fill the gaps and we will complement your efforts with our prayers.
Forgive me, but I am getting more and more irritated and suspicious of the incessant peace messaging. A visitor would think Kenya is heading for war rather than a General Election. We have prayer rallies, billboards, marches, social media, drama, football, feasts and fasts — all for peace. Then we are admonished that peace begins with you and me. That sounds like a cop-out or a trap putting the burden of making and keeping the peace on Wanjiku and letting security agencies off the hook.
Yes, everyone has a contribution to make towards cohesion and good neighbourliness but Kenyans pay taxes to authorise police and the Judiciary to maintain law and order and punish those who refuse to comply. During campaigns and elections, however, these agencies apply the law differently and indifferently and Kenyans know it. Put another way, the election period is synonymous with lawlessness and impunity so criminals get away with murder.
In 2008 we documented many cases of rape and robbery during the post-election period. Not a single prosecution emerged out of those investigations. In 2013 we had six monitors who recorded almost 2,000 campaign events. Out of this vast figure, there were three indisputable cases of hate speech that were shared with NCIC and CID. Those disks are still gathering dust in their respective offices.
DEEMED 'SIASA'
The police take their cue from the Executive so every reported crime from rape to assault, from hate speech to robbery is deemed ‘siasa’ and conveniently dismissed when ‘normal life’ resumes after the elections. This indifference in turn permits further criminal acts. Already we note that sexual based violence is on the rise since the party nominations began.
Meanwhile, drug barons, lords and ladies of corruption, Mungiki extortionists, police imposters, hate speech specialists and just about every imaginable criminal will be approved by the EACC, IEBC and the police and appear on the ballot sheet. Chapter Six has for all intents and purposes been removed from the Constitution. The absence of integrity is not a barrier to leadership; in fact a criminal history is probably an asset.
LATE RESORT
Anyhow, let us pray for peace. But prayer appears like a late, last resort. When all else fails then pray. Politics is dominated by a shady gang; the IEBC continuously gives the impression of unpreparedness and the police are indifferent and partisan. So are prayers seeking divine support or a miracle? Truth be told, both Jubilee and NASA have the capacity to steal the ballot. The incumbents have the advantage of being in power, but don’t dismiss the opposition’s competence either.
The intention here is not to create despondency or encourage cynicism. Rather, it is a stark warning that things are not quite right or ready for a smooth election. There is a genuine credibility gap with all the institutions entrusted with a free, credible, fair and peaceful election. The deficit in trust cannot be replaced by prayers or peace messaging. St James tells us that faith without good deeds is dead. The life and future of Kenya is at risk. Raise the bar, fill the gaps and we will complement your efforts with our prayers.
@GabrielDolan1
