If there’s anything Kenya’s good at is nothing but its unique nature of changing quickly. Dynamic as Kenya’s always been, sometimes does things that are only Kenyan. Out of the blue, evidencing President William Ruto extending an olive branch to his erstwhile foe, Raila Odinga, the Opposition leader and the contestant in the last year elections, is something for Kenya and the world to celebrate, hang onto, and vigorously, wholeheartedly support and welcome. We believe Ruto means serious business to which, Odinga will equally reciprocate.
After leading the demos in the demonstrations that split Kenya down the middle and thereby paralysed it, economically, politically, and socially, Odinga brought to the fore an underlying problem Kenya, as a nation and a people, have sat on and need to seriously address and arrest. Now, that Odinga’s accepted the olive branch, I’ve the following for the duo:
First, hold your horses and desist from fanaticism and issuing inflammatory messages or chest-thumping as you unswervingly ponder on how to go about and address the conflict. This is key. Squander this golden break, things might become worse than they’ve been. If this–––God forbid–––happens, all will become losers and Kenya, specifically will lose bigly.
Secondly, you must practically underscore and understand the fact that you’re Kenyans more than anything and all Kenyans’ and the world’s eyes are on you, and the burden is on your shoulders. Thus, what you’ve gotten into is not about you. It’s about Kenya of today, tomorrow and the future. In conflict studies we say that, sometimes, the conflict can become a chance to address long-drawn-out issues that must be turned into an opportunity but not a liability.
Thirdly, you must truly and unreservedly understand that Kenya’s bigger and more important than the parties to conflict, individual power and ends. Therefore, the rare maturity, patriotism, and love for Kenya that the intentions of you display happen once in a lift time. Thus, you must understand. If Kenya goes up in smokes, you’ll lose bigly, and all blames will be on your shoulders. Kenya can be destroyed or saved by Kenyans themselves.
After leading the demos in the demonstrations that split Kenya down the middle and thereby paralysed it, economically, politically, and socially, Odinga brought to the fore an underlying problem Kenya, as a nation and a people, have sat on and need to seriously address and arrest. Now, that Odinga’s accepted the olive branch, I’ve the following for the duo:
First, hold your horses and desist from fanaticism and issuing inflammatory messages or chest-thumping as you unswervingly ponder on how to go about and address the conflict. This is key. Squander this golden break, things might become worse than they’ve been. If this–––God forbid–––happens, all will become losers and Kenya, specifically will lose bigly.
Secondly, you must practically underscore and understand the fact that you’re Kenyans more than anything and all Kenyans’ and the world’s eyes are on you, and the burden is on your shoulders. Thus, what you’ve gotten into is not about you. It’s about Kenya of today, tomorrow and the future. In conflict studies we say that, sometimes, the conflict can become a chance to address long-drawn-out issues that must be turned into an opportunity but not a liability.
Thirdly, you must truly and unreservedly understand that Kenya’s bigger and more important than the parties to conflict, individual power and ends. Therefore, the rare maturity, patriotism, and love for Kenya that the intentions of you display happen once in a lift time. Thus, you must understand. If Kenya goes up in smokes, you’ll lose bigly, and all blames will be on your shoulders. Kenya can be destroyed or saved by Kenyans themselves.
There’s no uncle who’ll come to save Kenya but Kenyans themselves will. So, Kenya needs help badly from itself and from Kenyans to grab and exploit this opportunity to get down to brass tacks. It’s easy to know what’s in the cards, especially after the court made its mind, which didn’t resolve these looming quandaries that’ve been resurging every ten years. I, thus, strongly emphasise. Odinga and Ruto must seize this rare moment and prove their mellow leadership.
Fourthly, all lieutenants and sympathisers to the duo must avoid enkindling Kenya by letting their voices of reason work on the conflict. They must understand that shall Kenya go south, all Kenyans as well as the region will lose and suffer. Blocked-in countries, chiefly Uganda and South Sudan, which use Mombasa port to import and export their goods should brace themselves for preventable hardships shall the EAC step in quickly and timely.
Fifthly, you must avoid fanaticism and hooliganism and let reality apply in addressing the conflict that needs more of give and take, reasoning, and let go in some matters. We all evidenced Kenya sweltering. Demonstrations become a weekly ritual. President Ruto’s regime’s a tussle with Opposition Chief, Raila Odinga who’s pressing it to lessen sufferings Kenyans are now facing after Ruto scrapped subsides his predecessor’s regime introduced on petrol and unga to protect people from the rising cost of living. Apart from agitating for the resumption of subsides, Odinga seeks to compel Ruto to open the savers in order to audit last year Presidential results he claimed he won but the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) botched in favour of Ruto. Because of that Odinga’s declared biweekly demos every Monday and Thursday up until the government loops in.
Kenya history is strewed with violent ethnic conflict that’s been surfacing and resurfacing almost after every general election. Despite having one of progressive constitutions, it seems. The powers-that-be have horribly failed to apply it to resolve such looming dangers resulting from the allegation of vote rigging and stealing. On 27th March, 2023, demonstrations took a bad turn. The looters invaded former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s farm in Ruiru sub-county and made away with a couple sheep. Also, the looters set fire on bushes and trees.
Those who know Kenya’s precariousness still wonder how the unfolding situation will end. This speaks to the dangers of avowing to allow history, dirty history to define Kenya. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Who wants the repetition of dirty and sad history? Remember, in 2007’s elections, there occurred violent ethnic conflict that left over 1,000 Kenyans dead, and property worth millions of dollars vandalised. As if it wasn’t enough, ten years after in 2017, the same allegations resurfaced. This time around, the Supreme Court of Kenya prevailed by nullifying Kenyatta’s win setting a precedent in Kenya and Africa. Had it not been for the court to assuage the loser of the elections by ruling in his favour, things would have been different.
Come last year, the same revisited. Odinga claimed that his win was stolen for yet another time. He petitioned the court to intervene to no avail. The Supreme Court, this time, seemed to openly be partisan, which peeved Odinga to petition to the wananchi. Those who are conversant with law will agree with me that the language, logic, and reasons the court applied in delivering its verdict’s more political than bafflegab.
After being handed victory, Ruto and his lieutenants, mainly his Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua honed their clappers irresponsibly so as to start buying and falling into Odinga’s trap. For example, one of Ruto’s lieutenants, Kimani Ichungw’a tweeted before the vandalization of Kenyatta’s property that they’re coming for the chattels of the dynasties and before long, it came to pass. Thereafter, Kenyatta’s property was vandalized. Was this a coincidence or a plot? Such utterances must stop as the power of reason comes in to save Kenya from itself. Let the protagonist hire a Solomonic wisdom at least. Why didn’t Ichungwa underscore the weight his position as the Majority Leader carries? I’d argue Ichung’wa to recant his threats and apologise if he’s taken out of context. I know it’s tough to beat swords into ploughshare. Nonetheless, Gachagua and Ichung’wa must know point blank. They’re plotting to bring their boss down irresponsibly for the reckless volleys they’ve been repeating now and then for their perils? The duo must avoid giving their enemies ammos to finish them off easily. What do you expect when you threaten a former President with ransacking his property and it happens?
In sum, I beseech Ruto and his lieutenants to scratch their heads and adequately and competently address the problem instead of letting tongues wag. So, too, I applaud Odinga for seeing the light. Let Kenya and Kenyans talk about peace and avoid self-destruction, chaos, and violence. They must know. Shall they squander this golden opportunity, neither Kenyans nor the world will forgive them. For me, what’s in the offing’s another golden chance for Kenya to show the world how mature it has become. The conflicts in DRC, South Sudan, and the horn of Africa–––is enough. Odinga and Ruto must be supported in this rocky road to resolving the dangerously rolling conflict for Kenya and the region.
Source: Sunday Nation today.
Fourthly, all lieutenants and sympathisers to the duo must avoid enkindling Kenya by letting their voices of reason work on the conflict. They must understand that shall Kenya go south, all Kenyans as well as the region will lose and suffer. Blocked-in countries, chiefly Uganda and South Sudan, which use Mombasa port to import and export their goods should brace themselves for preventable hardships shall the EAC step in quickly and timely.
Fifthly, you must avoid fanaticism and hooliganism and let reality apply in addressing the conflict that needs more of give and take, reasoning, and let go in some matters. We all evidenced Kenya sweltering. Demonstrations become a weekly ritual. President Ruto’s regime’s a tussle with Opposition Chief, Raila Odinga who’s pressing it to lessen sufferings Kenyans are now facing after Ruto scrapped subsides his predecessor’s regime introduced on petrol and unga to protect people from the rising cost of living. Apart from agitating for the resumption of subsides, Odinga seeks to compel Ruto to open the savers in order to audit last year Presidential results he claimed he won but the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) botched in favour of Ruto. Because of that Odinga’s declared biweekly demos every Monday and Thursday up until the government loops in.
Kenya history is strewed with violent ethnic conflict that’s been surfacing and resurfacing almost after every general election. Despite having one of progressive constitutions, it seems. The powers-that-be have horribly failed to apply it to resolve such looming dangers resulting from the allegation of vote rigging and stealing. On 27th March, 2023, demonstrations took a bad turn. The looters invaded former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s farm in Ruiru sub-county and made away with a couple sheep. Also, the looters set fire on bushes and trees.
Those who know Kenya’s precariousness still wonder how the unfolding situation will end. This speaks to the dangers of avowing to allow history, dirty history to define Kenya. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Who wants the repetition of dirty and sad history? Remember, in 2007’s elections, there occurred violent ethnic conflict that left over 1,000 Kenyans dead, and property worth millions of dollars vandalised. As if it wasn’t enough, ten years after in 2017, the same allegations resurfaced. This time around, the Supreme Court of Kenya prevailed by nullifying Kenyatta’s win setting a precedent in Kenya and Africa. Had it not been for the court to assuage the loser of the elections by ruling in his favour, things would have been different.
Come last year, the same revisited. Odinga claimed that his win was stolen for yet another time. He petitioned the court to intervene to no avail. The Supreme Court, this time, seemed to openly be partisan, which peeved Odinga to petition to the wananchi. Those who are conversant with law will agree with me that the language, logic, and reasons the court applied in delivering its verdict’s more political than bafflegab.
After being handed victory, Ruto and his lieutenants, mainly his Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua honed their clappers irresponsibly so as to start buying and falling into Odinga’s trap. For example, one of Ruto’s lieutenants, Kimani Ichungw’a tweeted before the vandalization of Kenyatta’s property that they’re coming for the chattels of the dynasties and before long, it came to pass. Thereafter, Kenyatta’s property was vandalized. Was this a coincidence or a plot? Such utterances must stop as the power of reason comes in to save Kenya from itself. Let the protagonist hire a Solomonic wisdom at least. Why didn’t Ichungwa underscore the weight his position as the Majority Leader carries? I’d argue Ichung’wa to recant his threats and apologise if he’s taken out of context. I know it’s tough to beat swords into ploughshare. Nonetheless, Gachagua and Ichung’wa must know point blank. They’re plotting to bring their boss down irresponsibly for the reckless volleys they’ve been repeating now and then for their perils? The duo must avoid giving their enemies ammos to finish them off easily. What do you expect when you threaten a former President with ransacking his property and it happens?
In sum, I beseech Ruto and his lieutenants to scratch their heads and adequately and competently address the problem instead of letting tongues wag. So, too, I applaud Odinga for seeing the light. Let Kenya and Kenyans talk about peace and avoid self-destruction, chaos, and violence. They must know. Shall they squander this golden opportunity, neither Kenyans nor the world will forgive them. For me, what’s in the offing’s another golden chance for Kenya to show the world how mature it has become. The conflicts in DRC, South Sudan, and the horn of Africa–––is enough. Odinga and Ruto must be supported in this rocky road to resolving the dangerously rolling conflict for Kenya and the region.
Source: Sunday Nation today.
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