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Let us talk about what really
ails our country
Published on January 28, 2008, 12:00 am
By Nancy Mburu
Last week, I treaded where angels dread. I talked about what I
believe has plunged our beloved country into chaos.
I received overwhelming response. Readers concurred that we have
swept the ugly truth under the carpet for too long. That is why we
are consumed by passions we cannot control. I also stirred the
hornet’s nest, so the barbs came fast and furious.
I merely took up a challenge someone posed at a certain forum.
Just like Chinua Achebe, in The Trouble with Nigeria, identifies
what ails his country, we should ask why we are at a crossroads.
We have never been in such a situation. Our education, economy and
social fabric are threatened with collapse.
Nigeria is endowed with many resources and human talent. But
because of its troubles, it has failed to reach its economic
potential. Even when the state has enjoyed a modicum of stability,
it has been wracked by corruption, ethnic divisions and disorder.
In Nigeria, no political force is as important as ethnicity. The
country has about 400 ethnic groups, but politically, the largest
three matter most. The Hausa-Fulani, Ibo and Yoruba account for
about 65 per cent of the population. The three communities have
produced leading politicians, and served as the basis for
political parties.
But in the centre of the country lies the middle belt in which
there is no single dominant ethnic group or religion. Due to this,
the region has been spared some of the worst ethnic politics. It
has also produced some of the most nationally oriented leaders.
In Nigeria, ethnicity mainly structures where people live, what
they believe in, how they conduct their lives, how jobs are
allocated and whom they support politically.
And ethnicity has made a democratic government difficult and led
to coups, countless riots, and the civil war of 1967-1970.
Kenya, mercifully, has never plunged into civil war. But it is
evident that we are now sharply divided along ethnic blocs, which
is really sad.
The current crisis is said to be pegged on economic inequality and
historical injustices. But all these have metamorphosed into an
ethnic monster. We refuse to tackle tribalism head-on, but it is a
cancer eating us.
Nevertheless, I admire Kenyans’ resilience. The country hangs by
the thread but we have refused to let go. We, the ordinary Kenyans,
yearn to go back to our normal lives. There is nothing civil about
civil war. We, the ordinary people, stand to lose the most. That
is why close to 1,000 people who have died are nameless and
faceless. They are not as "important" as politicians.
We should say enough of the "honour deaths". Why should we risk
our lives for politicians? You and I know these people will be the
first to evacuate their loved ones to safety, leaving the country
burning.
Just like Achebe, we need to list the troubles with our country.
Ethnicity is a highly emotive issue. We are too willing to accuse
this or that tribe of real or imagined wrongs. Yet, from the good
book,
none of us can claim to be without blemish. Majority of us are
Christians. We have anchored our beliefs, moral values, wisdom and
hope on the good book. That is why we throng churches every
Sunday.
We all remember the ten commandments. "Thou shalt not kill," "Love
your neighbour as you love yourself" and so on.
And at professional team building sessions, we are made to recite:
"Change starts with me".
My observation is that Kenyans yearn for a public forum to
ventilate. Only by confronting the harsh truth can we start the
healing process. Let us talk about tribalism to be able to deal
with it.
We all need to come down from the high horse of tribal supremacy.
Continued bitterness and self-righteous indignation will sow more
hatred and destruction. I want to stand up and be counted as a
Kenyan. We need to practise healing and reconciliation as
individuals.
Nevertheless, politicians have messed up our lives. They have
caused us great misery and should lead the way. I wish to see Hon
Raila Odinga lead his Pentagon members in visiting not only
post-election violence victims in his Lang’ata constituency and
Kisumu, but also displaced people in the Rift Valley Province. I
wish to see President Kibaki not only visiting land clashes
victims in Rift Valley but other affected people in Kisumu,
Kakamega, Kibera and Mathare. Granted, the move would take great
courage from the two, but that is the true test of nationalism.
I do not believe the President’s heart does not go out to an
innocent child felled by a police bullet. I do not believe Raila
is not touched by the killing of an innocent peasant farmer in
Burnt Forest or Molo.
Compromise does not imply cowardice. It is a show of love for
one’s country. Justice and equality can be pursued through other
means, not senseless bloodletting.
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