Michael Mundia Kamau

Code 00500 Enterprise Road

P.O. Box 17510 Nairobi Kenya

16th August 2001

One Country, 42 Nations

In less than one week, Kenya marks the 23rd anniversary of the passing away of it's founding Father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, signifying a very momentous period in the history of this country. It is the time that one era passed on and another began, and it is indeed a time of reflection. This country is reeling heavily under an extreme and torturous state of socio-economic and political hardship and uncertainty. This is the dominating topic in Kenya today not necessarily by choice, but by harsh reality. This country has never been in as much need of reflection, insight and redeeming as it is now. Mzee Kenyatta still has a very revered standing in this country. The very mention of his name even to Kenyans born long after his death, evokes respectful attentiveness. His is still regarded as a long eventful and distinguished life of service to his country and to mankind, an edifice of repute. A study of Jomo Kenyatta is a study of contemporary Kenyan history, and any meaningful refection must include this period. Older Kenyans have fond memories of times gone by when the system appeared to work, be they rural or urban folk. The fond nostalgic tales are of the government providing for it's people, medical attention and medical supplies in health centres, teaching and teaching facilities in learning institutions. If it once worked, why can't it be brought about to work again ? What and why has it gone wrong ? Are we incorrigible and beyond salvage ? The people of this country also once appeared cohesive and focused on common goals. Around this time, television stations in Kenya air grainy black and white footage of the Kenyatta era as a tribute to the founding father and his legacy. There is one particularly inspiring clip which appears to be to have been shot in Nairobi's Kaloleni estate, African quarters in pre-independent Kenya. In the clip are young black men singing in kiswahili for the release of Kenyatta then incarcerated in Maralal. "Tuna mulilia Jomo, Jomo, Jomo, tuna mulilia Jomo, Jomo Kenyatta ", they sing in kiswahili, calling for his release. The singing done with deep conviction is not by Kenyatta's Kikuyu tribesmen, but by tribesmen from Western Kenya. It is a priceless clip and many wish for it to have been frozen in time because what we have today is One Country, 42 Nations. It reminds me of a friendship I had with a compatriot from Western Kenya a few years back, who is significantly older than me. The friendship developed on the late night bus home where we frequently met, and we got to like each other. The discussions we had centred around different topics, though we both had an interest in politics and as is common in Kenya today, relished pouring venom on the establishment. He left high school in 1968 and started working for the government in 1970 after a two year course. After many of such encounters, he took the initiative at formal introductions. This is the part I dreaded and had hoped not for. I gave him my first name, but you cannot get away with that in this country. I hesitated and then gave him my surname, and bang ! The look on his face shall remain implanted in my memory for as long as I live. It's describable as a mixture of shock, dismay, fear, horror, dejection, disbelief, regret and disappointment. The mere mention of a name altered the course of a relationship between two individuals, very unsettling. I don't blame him one bit though. As mentioned above, he started working in 1970 when the affairs of this country were dominated by a tiny clique of wealthy and and well connected Kikuyus. Underneath this was a supportive network whose allegiance and loyalty was to the said clique, and it is this world that my friend was initiated into. The look on his face when I mentioned my surname told of the experiences he underwent at the hands of what was perceived as a Kikuyu system, additionally given that Kikuyus can be very arrogant and contemptuous. I saw the condemnation of an entire community on my friend's face at the mention of my surname. Indeed, there are individuals who will never forgive Kikuyus because of the sins of a few, just like there are individuals who will never forgive Kalenjins. Need another community face a similar fate ? My friend is preparing for retirement and return to his rural home, though we still occasionally meet and talk. All Kenyans have had similar experiences, a good number of which are documented in brilliant works such as those of Professor Francis Imbuga, Professor Bethuell Ogot, Professor Ngugi wa Thiongo, and Professor Micere wa Mugo, capturing pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial times. This is a part of us that needs to be re-addressed, as it is here that solutions lie. Morale, self-esteem, and self-worth are so low in this country that people even call for us to be re-colonized by the White man. I smiled when a Kenya Bus Services conductor mentioned this to me last year, but he didn't smile back : he was dead serious. Mzee Kenyatta's commemoration and celebration of his legacy is incomplete without the mention of his loyal confidant, understudy, friend and compatriot, Daniel arap Moi, Kenya's current president. Indeed focus is on him, his regime, and a beckoning general election. Disechantment and moblie phones reign supreme in Kenya, and so does the grand old man of Kenyan politics, "Mukulu wa Bakulu" (Strongest of the Strong), "Mukonzi Munene" (The Leader). There are no clear indications as to the intentions of President Moi. No clear successor has been annointed as was the case with South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. Long before Thabo Mbeki was elected President of South Africa in 1999, Nelson Mandela publicly declared that he was the "de jure" president of South Africa, while Thabo Mbeki was the "de facto" president. This is not the case in Kenya so close to election time, where Daniel arap Moi is the "de jure" and "de facto" President of Kenya. He recently reorganized the top brass in the civil service and, and appointed as it's Head a long standing confidante and powerbroker of his government. Prior to this, top brass in the armed forces were also reshuffled and reorganized , and a new Chief of Staff appointed. Intermittenly, there continue to be frequent reshuffles of the country's powerful Provincial and District Heads, as well as key Heads in the Police Force. Very significantly, further, the opposition National Development Party (NDP), recently joined ranks with KANU, as a junior partner in government, in a dramatic cabinet reshuffle. Whatever conclusions one draws out of these maneouvres the outcome will be totally different, Moi's trademark. And really aiding him in his schemes is a self-righteous public. Several motorists studiously avoid a petrol station on Nairobi's Langata road known to belong to a leading personality in the KANU government, so much so that it looks headed for closure. On the other hand, Kenyans have flocked in big numbers to purchase greatly discounted moblie phones, a duopoly that is known to be backed by very powerful individuals in the regime. What emerges is a case of fighting the good fight only when our inflated egos and twisted attitudes, are not under threat. The solutions to this country's problems do not however lie here, they lie elsewhere. A number of years back, I watched a documentary on the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), which featured a water development project in Kenya's Luo Nyanza. The documentary covered the project's initiation, it's pricing, the funding, the involvement of the local community, and it's successful conclusion. The project was labour intensive and the community's involvement was very captivating. People sang and prayed as they worked. There was a need and a people centred approach and solution was adopted. The solution to this country's problems lie right here. We act and talk as if we need to land on the moon like tha Americans did, when the solutions are with us right here on the ground. They are staring us straight in the face as we look to the sky. Many recall the remarkable feat accomplised by Israel when she rescued her countrymen from captors at Uganda's Entebbe airport in 1976. It is one of mankind's greatest, boldest and most daring feats, and can be compared to Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, and Hannibal's crossing of the Alps. Interstingly, morale in Israel was very low at the time of the Entebbe raid, with soaring inflation, unemployment, and general economic hardship. Entebbe restored confidence and self-belief in a faltering Nation. Our Entebbe is to be the water projects or otherwise above. Our Entebbe is to salvage this country from the deep abyss of hopelessness that it now lies in. The Black Nation everywhere is in dire straits be it in Africa's numerous slums, America's inner cities or Jamaica's Trench Town. Poverty and discord reign supreme. This is not our time and we need to work towards making next time ours. In our despair inspiration is drawn from those at the top such as General Colin Powell, Nelson Mandela, Condoleezza Rice, Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Venus Williams and Tiger Woods. It would however be nice to start hearing of General Colin Obasanjo, Condoleezza Madikizela, Whitney Akinyi, Minister Louis Nkrumah, Reverend Jesse Nyerere, Martin Luther Rukanyangira, Denzel Cheruiyot, Eddie Machel and Oprah Wanjiru, more closely identifying with the continent of origin and giving renewed meaning and significance to organisations like The Nation of Islam (NOI), and occasions like the Kwanzaa Festival. It's nice to note that one of Quincy Jones' daughters is named Kenya. It's not only the Black Nation that is reeling but the entire world. The past three meets of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), have been characterised by strong public protests as was the case in 1999 in Seattle, 2000 in Melbourne and this year in France where one person unfortunately died. It is not just about a Nation in Distress, but about a Planet in Distress, and bearing this in mind, we must move fast to salvage ourselves with the resources at our disposal. "The Million Dollar Hotel" which recently showed in Kenya and which is a depiction of the downtrodden in America, also brings this out. There is a charged moment where Geronimo, played by Jimmy Smits, avers "Power to the People !" (I thought such phrases only existed in the Third World !). As indicated by Fredrick Engels and Karl Marx, it's a class struggle for the means of production and not a struggle between different races per se. It is worthy to note that the best acclaimed Film productions over the past fifteen years have been gallant stories about different Nations, their trials and tribulations. These include "Dances with Wolves", "Unforgiven", "The Colour Purple", "Out of Africa", "Schindler's list", "BraveHeart", "Apollo 13", "The Ghost and the Darkness", "Shakespeare in Love", "The English Patient", "Patriot", "Beloved", "Armistad", "Saving Private Ryan", "Empire of the Sun", "Devil in a Blue Dress", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Gladiator", and "Pearl Harbour". We must also feature in the list above and must work very hard towards it. We must build on the dreams of our forefathers including that of Koitalel arap Samoei and the Nandi Resistance. We must finish unfinished business. We must build Kenya. Michael Mundia Kamau