Kenya Must Review its Political Values

Published on 25th October 2010

Youthful political leaders in Kenya risk sustaining the old order that Kenya’s new constitution kicked out. The old order was symbolized by “our man and tribe” and plundering the “national cake” mentality as well as total disregard for due process of law. The new constitutional dispensation offers Kenyans an opportunity to migrate from the culture of “our man” to that of “our values.”

The world’s top leading influential forces: Christianity, Islam, Confucianism and Buddhism (among others) gained immortality because their founders focused on values and power of ideas. “Our man” mentality breeds short term thinking and makes it easier for outsiders to plant despots on the continent, ignite conflicts and cheaply exploit resources. Without the “ideals culture,” Africans have a difficult time evolving own standards to measure good leadership.

Too much focus on “our man” partly explains the dearth of ideology driven political party culture with each election season surfacing different campaign vehicles. From the early 90s, Kenyans have been taken through a series of parties with NARC, PNU and ODM among others standing out as vehicles of convenience for “our men or women” to access power. In such a confused environment, who will protect Kenyans from well organized internal and external plundering forces? 

A peep into African history exposes the fact that the elevation of an individual’s attributes as opposed to “ideals” led to destruction of societies. Colonial forces simply beheaded these individuals and shipped their heads to their museums overseas. The “big man” syndrome dies off as did the countless kings and emperors of the world. Occupying forces replaced focus on kings with the power of values to subdue Africa. Colonists, who had abused indigenous peoples’ liberty and expropriated property, raised the banner of ideas of “liberty, self-government, right to private property and rule of law.”

Philosophy or values ought to be the ocean on which a people’s prosperity sails. Focus on individuals leaves our prosperity ship trapped on an island as other countries sail away. Ideals outlast individuals. Kenyans must be wary of those who are keen to resuscitate the old order. Let us transform the values we adopted from colonists (liberty, self-government, right to private property and rule of law) and make them work for us as opposed to perpetuating the culture of “our man” and plunder.

Kenya does not need a benevolent dictator; it needs leaders who comprehend global reality and prepare the citizenry to confront it. It will be most fulfilling for youthful political leaders to shun ego drives and transform the country into a hotbed of philosophies and strategies.  Let “our men and women” employ their egos in marketing values that will promote prosperity for all. This calls for high level of political organizational culture devoid of survivalist approaches. 

I can hear you give the usual Kenyan refrain “we cannot eat values.” We have an opportunity to retain the status quo where Kenya acts as a carcass to be devoured internally by corruption and political rot (as worms do to a carcass) or externally by developed and emerging economies (as hyenas and vultures do). We too can create and nurture values, put life in our country, fend off predators and evolve a model for Africa.

By James Shikwati.

The author [email protected]  is Director of  Inter Region Economic Network.


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