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Minorities Left Out in Coalition Politics
The Nation (Nairobi)
December 23, 2006
Opinion Article By Ekitela Lokaale
As the year comes to an end and 2007 beckons, the issue top most in the minds of Kenyans is elections.
And the common talk is coalition. Thus, statements keep coming like, "no single party can go it alone" or the "election will be a two-horse race" or "we are the third force."
It is the obsession of carving out a stake with which to negotiate a coalition that seems to have motivated some of the recent coups and take-overs of Kanu and Ford Kenya.
One unaddressed question is: Who are forming these coalitions and what does this portend for the less dominant groups? More specifically, what is in this for smaller ethnic, religious or linguistic groups?
It is clear that the personalities behind the coalitions are driven by their ethnic numerical strength, whether ODM-K, Narc-Kenya or the Third Force-Kenya. In other words, critical membership of all the emerging coalitions depends invariably on how much of one's tribal or regional bloc one can donate.
While politics is a game of numbers, the current trend is worrying. First, it confirms that the already waning sentiment of nationhood and optimism, which the Rainbow revolution of 2002 so gracefully whipped up, has been lost and might not be recovered soon.
This fear results from the fact that the emerging coalitions are developing along the co-ordinates that were demarcated at last year's referendum.
By constructing the walls of the country's future along the cracks that were created by the acrimony of the referendum, the political class is endangering our children's future by herding us into a maternity ward built from a pack of cards.
Second, being a get-together of individuals each bringing voter numbers to the table, these coalitions have the potential to create different levels of responsibility upon the bloc that will form the next Government.
First a primary duty to the negotiators of the coalition and the undeclared interests that they represent and, then, a secondary duty to serve the general public good.
Simply put, this process will see a negotiation of more MoUs behind closed doors and, having not recovered from the headaches caused by a breach of the last such MoU, the negotiators will scrupulously seek to honour them.
Third, the unfolding coalition politics will worsen a problem that has continued unaddressed since independence: relegating or even ignoring altogether the voices of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. Indeed, the coalitions have no place for the Ogiek, the Ba'hai faithful or even the Pokot or Turkana pastoralists.
Perhaps, that is why we do not see any of their number dancing with the others on any of those podiums during political rallies. They will evolve to perpetuate what one author called the "dictatorship of the articulate"!
The danger in such a dictatorship is that the coalitions will entrench the hegemony of dominant ethnic, religious and linguistic groups whose cries are loud enough to be heard over the faint murmurs of the minorities.
They threaten to place parochial and selfish interests of the majorities over the greater interest of building a nation in which all citizens can live side-by-side in comfort.
Since they are predicated upon retaining power or taking power, remaining in State House or marching to State House, one or the other, the more substantive ends of justice such as protection of fundamental human rights, equal access to development, et al, will continue to remain a mirage for the pastoralists, hunter-gatherers and the women.
The only way out of the looming polarisation of the nation and potential annihilation of minorities is for these coalitions to be founded on principles and promises of a better future for all.
That way, all Kenyans will be guaranteed of better roads, schools and hospitals for all without having to belong to any particular group.
That way, a qualified Ilchamus woman will be assured of getting a Government appointment, not because of the size of the community, but because of her abilities. As things have unfolded so far, there is yet a lot of that to be seen.
The writer, an advocate, is a postgraduate student at Warwick Law School, Britain
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