Towards cementing our unity

Last week I was reflecting on the effort of spreading the national unity discourse to the grassroots.

My argument is that there can never be true authentic national unity unless ordinary Kenyans from whichever corner of this country are given the model and facility to experience other Kenyans from other corners.

With such an experience, they will perhaps make more objective judgement when they hear politicians from their communities going on and on about other people who are different from themselves.

One of the major issues introduced into our socio-political and economic structure of governance by the 2010 constitution is devolution.

Many people have argued that in bringing about devolution of resources, we may also have unwittingly devolved other realities such as corruption and national disunity.

NATIONAL UNITY

Have we not heard politicians and other people in certain counties articulating the fact that only people from their own community can do certain jobs in institutions that are based in their county?

This argument is advanced notwithstanding the fact that some of those jobs are about services that were not devolved by the constitution.

I am sure if one were to go to all the county government headquarters around the country, they would find that among the employees, there are very few people from other communities.

This is quite unlike what obtained in older times when one would find representatives of all communities in any one provincial headquarters.

When we talk about national unity, it is important that we put all these matters into focus.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

There is a convention every year of all the governors in this country. This convention is usually also attended by national leaders such as the President and his Deputy.

Last year, it was somewhere in Kwale and this year it was in Kakamega. I am sure that in such a conference, they discuss many things about our national development.

One would want to know how much of their differences are articulated in such meetings.

Shouldn’t such a convention also be about mapping ways and means of attaining and sustaining national unity?

BUILDING BRIDGES

One hears that there is a bridge building team in place which has apparently given part or all of its report to some of the leaders. I imagine that their role is advisory and that they will not be the ones to make the final decision about what needs to be done.

If these things are discussed honestly and with an open mind about where we have come from, where we are and where we are going, then Kenya might attain a modicum of national unity.

The writer is dean of students and sociology lecturer at the University of Nairobi; [email protected]