Kenya needs new political narrative or change will remain elusive

Forget what the politicians are saying; 2017 was a good year for democracy in Kenya. True, we were tried, we tittered then we triumphed.

However, as we enter 2018, nothing has changed politically and nothing is likely to change in the foreseeable future. Jubilee is in power, legitimately or illegitimately depending on who you ask. This is not new. It has been in power for the last five years legitimately or illegitimately depending on who you ask.

Nasa is in the opposition, as they have been for the last five years.  Both Jubilee and Nasa are trying to redefine their roles in the eyes of their supporters and detractors alike, and, as a result, two different dispensations have emerged.

Those in power are talking unity and development. Again, this is not anything new. In fact, it is the oldest Kanu song in town.

SECESSION

Moi’s and Kanu’s clarion call used to be umoja na maendeleo (unity and progress). It took us nowhere. Those in the opposition have a new clarion call, too; “resist”. They have called for “people’s assemblies” and secession. The bigger question however is, how do we the people fit in all this?

Comparing Jubilee’s and Nasa’s post-election dispensations, I am inclined to explore Nasa’s position for progressive possibilities, since honestly speaking, umoja na maendeleo is so old and tattered a clarion call, it tells me that Jubilee is seriously suffering from a dearth of new ideas. I particularly like the concept of the “peoples’ assembly”, but for different reasons from those proposed by Nasa.

Nothing is likely to change in Kenya unless we the people realise that electing politicians and releasing them to rule and steal from us for five years has not worked, is not working and is not likely to work for us. We must arise to the new reality that we must continuously and vigilantly be engaged in governance to hold those whom we have elected to account for the next five years.

SUBVERSION

We have to realise that Kenya has moved from the era of subversion and agitation to the era of participation and accountability.

My problem with the “people’s assembly” as conceived by Nasa is that the party bases it on the politics of subversion and agitation.

Do we need a people’s assembly? Yes. But its major purpose must be to enable people to participate in governance and to hold their elected leaders accountable.

The first business of the “peoples’ assembly” must be to give life to the constitutional provision for recall of politicians. As easily as they were elected, we the people must have the power to recall them if accountability demands we do.

MARGINALISED

And then there is the whole question of secession. If I lived in a country where I felt, rightly or wrongly, that my rights and opportunities were curtailed, I would want to have the right to explore other options, secession included.

I therefore see nothing wrong in whoever is talking secession. We must realise that all over the world, secession and talk of secession are legitimate avenues for those who feel marginalised in all sorts of ways.

Though it is a fairly new way of engaging in Kenya, it is common throughout the world from Uganda, Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, Libya, Spain, England, Eastern Europe, Russia, China, Papua New Guinea, Canada and the list goes on and on. I feel that those reacting negatively to the call are doing so more from fear of the unknown. After all, the call for unity is as democratic as the call for secession.  

Prof Wainaina contested for the presidency in the August and October elections. [email protected]