We can’t change this country if we don’t change ourselves. Full of diseases but we don’t want to ask for help. Kenyan times got me thinking about the true meaning of freedom. Kenya the land of the free but it’s full of diseases; we seem to focus more on power rather than humanity. Some of us are woke, however, some are stuck, snoozed, still slaves on tribal beliefs. Fact is freedom has turned into an illusion. Political games are holding us hostage, corruption the game of each day followed by deaths. It seems money has more value compared to human life. We do anything just to pay these dues. We have forgotten that the political circus outside is making us sick.
Fact is if our ancestors woke up today they would be disappointed on who we have turned to be. We have slowly turned into monsters, killing our own people. We have turned information into a weapon of mass destruction. Others are pretending to preach peace but are the first to play tribal when politics is the topic.
Look outside everyone seems to be tripping over issues; everyone seems to be knowledgeable but as always knowledge is often misused. Look at health care, nurses have been on strike for as long as I can remember but no one cares, the common mwananchi who can’t afford the private health services is dying every single day, mothers are losing sons, wives are losing husbands, however we are clapping at rallies with the politician as the main attraction. They are busy flying abroad to seek medical attention as they squander our health care dry.
Look at police brutality; it has become child’s play. Fact is one tribe is being massacred but we don’t want to look into that because we are a selfish country, a selfish tribal oriented people, drunk with communal power. Our children are being teargassed all over, remember Kawangware and Kisumu, due to political woes between citizens and the security sector but we all want to play the ball in our political favor not rebuking it as patriotic citizens. The same kids are the ones waking up today to go do an exam.
Look at us. My pen can’t fully explain how much these lines are filled with pain and anger. Mothers and wives are crying because neighbors are quickly turning to enemies. I have friends of all tribal divide and every time we meet we are brothers bound by love. I have taken their mothers like my mother so why should I hate any of them due to a person I have never met or dined with. Sometimes I wonder is it for the love of the people or the love of power?
We were Kings we have now been turned into pawns in a game of political chess. They turn us into sycophants. Look at these goons on TV fighting every day and politicians on panels lying on our faces. They fixed us in a box, 45 million people still struggling to get out of this darkness. They have disorganized the country, made us kiss country love goodbye, it’s like we have no vision, the country stuck with no mission. We are at war but do not know what it is all about.
We can’t change this country if we don’t change ourselves. Some of us are woke. However, some are stuck, snoozed, still slaves on tribal beliefs.
The truth of the matter is that after the last election, most of us want a revolution but what is the cost of the revolution! We all know what power does to man and what is the guarantee that we will not drink from the same pot? We can all agree that these leaders are not capable of ruling this country. They have made us feel like they are black slave owners. All we want is to hustle get the game on but we have to wake up to political games each and every day. They fight in full glare of the cameras and we take it as soap-operas. Others are fighting returning officers but we are here praising them. With all these, I cannot blame a brother for stepping out to puff his emotions and frustrations out.
All we want is to be free, free from the golden chains of life. We are being used as they benefit they have managed to split the country and replace love with hate. Fact is out of all these so-called leaders, none is man enough or woman enough to take this country over.
Forty five million people have a voice and it’s high time we get out of these tribal cocoons and change our thinking. Most of us in Nairobi hold conferences, have talks but forget half of Kenya’s population lives in rural areas. What about them?
We need to start civic education by first accepting we have all made mistakes, we have passed the patriotism line, and we have championed violence in a way. We should start by changing our hearts then find the lost love. We should focus on good policies, strong independent institutions and what kind of projects will help the country at large move forward. We should change our focus.
This article was done by Morris Andati, a Student at The University of Nairobi who also works with National Youth drive for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The story is his contribution to the Emerging Voices Initiative, that seeks to nurture a formidable community of Organizers and Activists.
