Failure to fix our problems now will be an act of collective suicide

Hon Speakers, it is my pleasure to once again join you in the joint sitting of Parliament, especially this being the first State of the Nation address since re-election last October for my second and final term.

It is with a great sense of humility that I stand before you. Over the past few months, I have become conscious that the onerous responsibility bestowed upon me by the Kenyan people does not provide for vainglorious celebration but rather deep reflection.

That is why I reached out to my worthy opponent, my brother Raila Odinga. We agreed on the need for serious soul searching if we are to rescue our beloved country from the curse of divisive pursuit of power.

Hon Speakers, Hon Members, fellow Kenyans, we cannot afford to march to the brink of the precipice with every electoral cycle. If we do not fix our problems now, we will sooner or later hurtle over in what will be a mad act of collective suicide.

Before our March 9 public handshake on the steps of Harambee House, ‘Baba’ and I talked at length about the travails of our nation and people.

NATIONHOOD

We went back to the very early days of our nationhood, when our founding fathers, President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, went their separate ways. That fallout between erstwhile comrades of the freedom struggle sowed the seeds of division and conflict which afflict us to this day. That is why we said, “It stops with us.”

However, it is not just about Uhuru and Raila, or about the Kenyattas and Odingas. It is not a dynastic feud or our version of ‘Dallas’, the classic TV drama on the feud between the Ewing-Barnes families. It is not about our respective communities nor about our rival political formations.

Hon Members, it is about all of us, it is about our people and our country. It is about the urgent need for frank examination of the issues that turn brother against brother. It is only by diagnosing the disease that we can prescribe the right medicine.

CHALLENGES

Our discussions have already concurred on some of our major challenges — such as ethnic political competition, lack of inclusivity in national affairs, inequitable development, corruption and lack of a national ethos. We, however, do not presume a monopoly of wisdom and have proposed a team that will more clinically delve into the issues and lead the dialogue.

Only a few days ago, the team of 14 to spearhead to search for national healing and reconciliation under the joint secretariat was unveiled.

We have heard there is disquiet about that list. Some say it is an ‘Uhuru-Raila list’ that leaves out key stakeholders and incorporates individuals tainted by association with ethnic conflict and other ills.

I, therefore, beg to withdraw it pending broader consultation. In the meantime, I urge all of us to get actively involved in this great initiative.

Trade unions, civil society, the business community, religious organisations, youth groups, professional associations and all others are invited to offer suggestions on the shape and form of national dialogue they would like to see.

PUBLIC DEBATE

The robust public debate we are witnessing is particularly welcome but I would caution that there can be a thin line between healthy dialogue and destructive intrusions.

My fellow Kenyans, I beg, let us not allow pursuit of self-interest to derail us. We are looking for solutions to what ails Kenya, not to create political office for individuals. Talk of a referendum is completely out of order at this stage even before the dialogue team has got down to work.

Just as premature is early campaigning for the 2022 elections, which not only distracts us from the peace and reconciliation effort but also impedes Jubilee’s work on the Four Pillars of development.

We need to calm down and approach this issue with the seriousness it deserves. No honest leader should feel threatened by a noble initiative grounded on the national good concerns beyond base politics.

SABOTAGE

No one should plot to sabotage the quest for national unity or seek to exploit it for personal political gain.

Now is the time for all of us as citizens, irrespective of tribe, religion, political affiliation, economic status and occupation, to come together as one and actively participate in this great endeavour to create a new Kenya.

We cannot wait for tomorrow. We have barely survived ethnic-political conflicts and can no longer take the risk of doing nothing and hoping that by some miracle we will survive the fire next time.

Neither can we hope that friends and neighbours will pull us from the brink as they did in the past. We are in a mess of our own creation, and it is our responsibility to fix it — irregardless of all that divides us. 

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