This Crisis Can Be Our Spring Board

Even as the mediation team led by Kofi Annan deliberates on how to solve the on-going crisis in Kenya, this might be the perfect opportunity to delve deeper and get to the bottom of the matter. It is no longer just about a disputed election. What might have begun as a mild ache has mutated into a full blown cancer! The question is, how are we going to treat the illness? Shall we use pain killers to dull the pain, or shall we be brave enough to own the situation and opt for chemotherapy?

That Kenyans have been thrown into very unfamiliar waters, is a gross understatement. What has happened in Kenya was the preserve of troubled nations like Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, and others that have dipped their feet into the lethal waters of civil wars. Statistics of our dead, displaced as well as losses in the economy, owing to the recent disputed General Elections 07, are now on everyone’s lips, young and old. With tribal tensions at an alarmingly high peak, Kenyans have never before, been so tuned to our pathetic circumstances!

Granted that majority of Kenyans are still divided in their loyalties to either President Kibaki or Raila Odinga, there is however a consensus from both sides of the divide, that a solution to the current crisis ought to be sought, and soon. But at this stage, we Kenyans should shift the focus of our debates from the suitability and authenticity of Mwai Kibaki versus Raila Odinga. It is not about ODM versus PNU anymore. The matter at hand is about the future of the Kenya as a Nation, the Kenyan people.  It is clear in everybody’s eyes, that it is the ordinary Kenyan that has borne the brunt of the ugly post-election violence.

One way or the other, the effect of the current crisis has also trickled down to be felt by all, including some of our neighboring countries, like Uganda, that is hosting Kenyan refugees. People have lost relatives or friends. Homes and properties have been reduced to ashes. Other people have had to accommodate displaced relatives in their homes, in very constrained conditions. Transportation across parts of the country is a problem.

Insecurity has gripped many parts of the country, with word on the street making mention of presence of tribal militia. Certain schools and universities, especially in the Rift Valley and parts of Western Kenya remain closed. All these have had a ripple effect on the Kenyan economy. Tourism was the first casualty as western countries issued travel advisories to their citizens against visiting Kenya. As a result, the hotel and airline industry have been forced to lay-off staff, if only to stay afloat. Worse still, is the threat of, a looming food shortage. If anyone thought the crisis would not affect them, they need to think again! Kenya’s future has never seemed so grim.

While not condoning the loss of life and destruction, it will be a profound waste, if after witnessing the near collapse of our country, we only come up with a patched up solution, tailor-made to appease the aggrieved party, ODM in this case. Such an eventuality will be unfortunate, as it will only last a short while before we find ourselves paying another visit to this very dark and cold corner that we are in. What excuse shall we give, for the close to a thousand Kenyans that have so far lost their lives? Will they remain mere statistics, casualties in a war they neither started, nor chose to participate in?

We have already travelled too far, onto a tumultuous journey we did not plan for. But now that we are here, let’s go the extra mile.  We have come too far, to leave empty-handed, or with a half baked solution. For the sake of Kenyan generations to come, and for the sake of those Kenyans that lost their lives, let us use this opportunity to overhaul everything that ails us. If need be, let us build Kenya afresh; a durable Kenya with a foundation firm enough to weather any other storms that may come our way.

The Constitution

This is the best time to address the amendment or re-writing of the Kenyan constitution. Our constitution has many weaknesses and loopholes that have been exploited, hence contributed to the current state of affairs. Colossal amounts of money, and time, were spent to review the Kenyan constitution. The time to implement a proper constitution is now!

The Ndung’u Land Report

Time and money was spent by the Ndung’u commission to investigate and come up with recommendations on how to address the land disputes in Kenya. These recommendations are yet to see the light of day, yet the issue that has reverberated over and over in the current crisis, has the unequal distribution of land. Again, it is about time that action was taken.

Separation of powers: Executive, Legislature and Judiciary

There is need to strengthen our systems in order to enforce the rule of law, as well to put in place checks and balances in the three arms of government. The Executive, which includes the armed forces, focuses on formulating national development programmes and implementation of laws. Parliament or Legislature is tasked with law-making, while the interpretation of the laws and arbitration of disputes is the responsibility of the Judiciary. There is need to give autonomy to these three arms of government so that they keep tabs on each other thereby preventing any excesses, and to maintain a balance of power.

Corruption Cases

All pending corruption cases should be addressed, such as the Goldenberg scandal and Anglo-Leasing. The culprits should be apprehended. The time is ripe to separate the wheat from the chaff. A purge is well in order so that genuine leaders can be identified.

Poverty

There is need to find ways to address the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. Many enterprises in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, and elsewhere in the country, are owned largely by Indians who grossly underpay Kenyans. In spite of the colossal amounts of money these firms make in profits, many of them are exempted from taxes. As if that were not bad enough, money out from those enterprises is in many instances banked in foreign banks, abroad. Other ways too, need to be sought to ensure decent living standards for the working Kenyans.

But there is hope

Previous attempts at fighting corruption were hindered by the fact that many of the people directly involved, have been tightly woven into the fabric that has been the government. But the 10th parliament has seen the entry a large number of new faces, who are not encumbered with any corruption deals. Time has never been ripe like it is now, to use these ‘new weapons’ to tackle the graft, and other ills, once and for all. This said, of course, with the assumption that the new entrants to Parliament mean well for Kenya.

It will take a long time to rebuild the country and steer it forward. Considerable efforts will need to be employed to simmer down the ongoing tribal hostilities, and to unite the people of Kenya.

Addressing such sensitive issues will require assembling an across- the- board- representation of Kenyans of goodwill, whose characters are above reproach, and people who hold no affiliations to the current crop of leaders, both in government as well as the opposition.

It is no small feat, but hey, we have the brains of an eminent team headed by none other but the one, Kofi Annan. Let us pick on his brain to get some headway in solving our problems, while he is still available for Kenya.