It was supposed to be a somber prayer and fund-raising occasion at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, yesterday, for the victims of the recent Nakumatt Downtown and Sachang'wan fire disasters. The guests of honour were Kenya's President and Prime Minister. There were prayers, indeed, and some Kshs. 80,000,000 (or just over US$1 million) was raised -- a near-record of sorts, I understand. There was much more, as the unexpected stole the show to drive home the public's outrage at rampant high-level stealing in public offices. The dailies reported the proceedings in detail.
In an obviously pre-meditated move, five of Kenya's leading clerics, under the umbrella of the Inter-Religious Forum, seized the opportunity of the nationally televised occassion to put a spotlight on the leaders' failure to lead, and their "beggar thy subject" governmentality. They touched on the problems of internally displaced persons, youth unemployment and extra-judicial killings, noting that no obvious or genuine effort was being made to solve any.
Archbishop Nzimbi, of the Anglican Church, led the charge against shameless plunder of public assets, and even threatened mass action. Prof. Abdulghafur El-Busaidy, of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, saw politicians as "the greatest threat to peace and prosperity," and forcefully accused them of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines, unilaterally increasing their own allowances and refusing to pay tax. Bishop Adoyo, of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, pointedly told the leaders, "You have been reluctant to punish some of your perceived friends who are corrupt and greedy...We urge you to take charge and restore equity, justice, unity and dignity of all Kenyans." The people, he noted, were "discouraged, ashamed, disillusioned and angry." The other men of the cloth were just as critical, emphasizing that Kibaki and Raila were presiding over grand corruption.
The two principals of the Grand Coalition government should be getting used to this sort of thing -- this public rebuke by people they cannot fire but might be tempted to "silence" -- as it will not cease while they continue to watch as their colleagues and appointees engage in a corrupt feeding-frenzy. Namwamba, of the stalled Grand Opposition, may have been incorporated into, or compromised by, a system which is bent on monopolizing all political power; but silencing Voice is a hard thing. It just keeps popping up. The thing is not to silence it, but to answer it -- and not with empty, faded, pathetic promises, or a plea for more time.
Just a week ago an Anglican cleric was reported by the media to have received an immediate tongue lashing from Raila in Bondo, during Jaramogi Odinga's anniversary services, for declaring that the Coalition Government had failed the people. Raila wanted the coalition, which had not even marked its first anniversary (which comes on February 28th), to be judged less harshly and, in particular, to be given more time to deliver on its promises. I see a connection between the harsh rebuke of the cleric in Bondo and the uncompromising stand taken by the clerics in Nairobi (where Raila opted for relative silence) and Kisumu a week later.
Kenyans are past being deceived with posturings and promises and words -- their own words regurgitated by luminaries bent on building political dynasties and family fortunes in the billions (of $s, Sterling, Euros, or whatever), even as they, the people, knowingly watch.
Deeds, man, deeds!
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