Deep reflections from a Lake Victoria paradise

I'm in paradise on earth. It's somewhere in Garuga, Uganda.

As I prepare myself to reflect a little bit on life and society, I sit on a rock and dip my feet casually into the dark waters of Lake Victoria, just testing the waters.

The vast expanse of sweet water stretches in front of me to the horizon. The sun’s rays strike the lake and dance off in the style of the wavelets, creating a sort of glittering effect that is absolutely beautiful to behold.

The calmness is only interrupted by the sounds of fishermen struggling with their nets.

From my position, I can see one of the many green islands on the horizon. The lake is expansive, magnificent, and breathtaking, almost like the sea but for the sweet smell of its waters and the bountiful flora on its shores.

The lake view has a soothing effect. It swallows worries and concerns, problems and challenges. For a moment it is only you, your conscience and your God, if you believe in one; a fact hard to deny before such a scenic paradise.

Behind me everything is still a little rural – beautifully rural.

'AUCTIONED THE JUDICIARY'

As I sit here and the gentle ripples mess up my dry legs, a thought keeps on crossing my mind. One of the greatest problems of our generation is the lack of reflection. We have neither time nor the space to reflect.

We go from noisy houses to noisy streets. The world is moving fast and we do not listen to nature unless it calls us. We hardly listen to each other.

How often I have seen a man and a woman on a romantic date, sitting at a restaurant, yet both entangled in their mobiles? Yes, they are communicating but to the wrong person.

They communicate to the world, yet say nothing to the person in front. We spare no time to reflect on our actions or spot our mistakes. We have ignored the power of introspection.

We dive into statements and declare solutions, convict criminals and absolve victims, all without data, analysis or facts. We seem to be resolving our serious challenges at Njuguna's (may he rest in peace), Sana Sana, Max Land, Gauchos or wherever else, where our favourite sports become “skip, hop and jump to conclusions”.

We reflect too little and talk too much. We talk too much about money, politics and success. We subject everything to these goals. The shortfall is that we tend to discuss important issues and apply cheap solutions to them.

We discuss the courts and conclude that the Chief Justice has auctioned the Judiciary. We discuss the teachers’ strikes and conclude that they must go back to work, for our children are an idle nuisance at home. At this rate, our next gold medal will be in “discuss”.

'VIABLE AND REALISTIC'

Social problems will always be with us. After all, life is made up of problems, and we try to solve them one at a time. But when we give the wrong diagnosis and prescription to each of them, we put society on an explosive path.

In the next two weeks I will look at two key issues, their possible causes and solutions. These issues have been widely discussed in the last weeks.

One is the Judiciary's quest for justice. I was inspired to tackle this problem after a cordial meeting with the Chief Justice, Dr Willy Mutunga. I also met with Justice Visram at a breakfast sponsored by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). We chatted about access to justice and the dramatic impact the backlog of cases has caused.

After the Judiciary, I will address the plight of our dear teachers and their pay predicament. I would also like to invite readers' contributions on these matters, for my intention is to give an ear to all and try to reflect, with your help, on possible, viable and realistic solutions.

Certainly, I've come to Garuga for other reasons, for reflection does not require traveling long distances. Nevertheless, true reflection is a long and sometimes scary journey towards the inside – introspection!

Have a nice weekend!

Dr Franceschi is the dean of Strathmore Law School. [email protected], Twitter: @lgfranceschi