Justice and peace must embrace each other

Predicting the outcome of the Liverpool vs Manchester United game on Saturday would be a much easier task than having some message of hope to convey about the impasse in the local political scene.

When one speaks of peace, he is immediately labelled a Jubilee supporter and when justice is mentioned you are branded a Nasa diehard.

There is no middle ground, so one is better advised to just keep the conversations to football or the weather to avoid conflict.

Yet with the intransigence, bitterness and polarisation that dominate the political environment, any opportunity to salvage the country from imminent collapse must not be missed.

The Supreme Court Ruling of September 1 was monumental but after 48 hours, we discovered that the courts may give judgments and guidance but they cannot resolve deep seated disrespect for the Constitution nor the ethnic divisions that have dominated the nation’s politics for half a century.

LESSON

President Kenyatta dismissed the Supreme Court judges as ‘wakora’ and threatened to teach them a lesson.

Thereafter, he introduced election amendments to Parliament that the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said were not necessary and without any discussion with the Opposition as had happened in earlier legislation.

Jubilee has in recent weeks acquired financially and morally bankrupt politicians from the Opposition and unleashed the NGOs Coordination Board on the premier human rights organisations in the country. If Jubilee wins another term then we can expect more repression, denial of freedoms and persecution of every one that challenges its autocratic rule.

The manner in which Nasa has handled its displeasure with the preparedness for the rerun also leaves a lot to be desired.

DEMONSTRATING

They are indeed justified in demonstrating about the IEBC’s refusal to address the ‘illegalities and irregularities’ that occurred in the shambolic August ballot.

The right to demonstrate is guaranteed but it presumes the responsibility to steward the same protests. Nasa has consistently displayed an amateurish management of protests.

Their supporters are then viewed as a dangerous, violent mob. Peaceful, well-organised protests impact and also win over the public. But recognising the brutality of the police force, Nasa should consider many other legitimate methods of protest: fasting, sit-ins, occupying, prayer days and tax avoidance.

The decision by CS Matiang’i to ban protests in CBDs is a prelude for a dirty battle between State and non-State agents of violence.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Raila Odinga has made his decision not to participate in the presidential election. The IEBC is a disgraced outfit. Wafula Chebukati lacked the spunk to resign after failing to overhaul the commission. We may well have an election but Nasa should not interfere. History will forever regard it as a flawed process lacking legitimacy. There is no need to emphasise that by any means.

Mr Odinga has gone to London to seek the advice of the head of his church, Archbishop Welby. If Mr Kenyatta were to seek counsel from Pope Francis in Rome, surely both men would pull back from the brink and put Kenya before their  egos. Justice and Peace are the two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. As Psalm 85 says: ‘Justice and Peace must embrace’ Amen.  

Father Dolan is a Catholic priest based in Mombasa. [email protected] @GabrielDolan1