The author with an El Molo boy near Lake Turkana.

Kenyans often question why hordes of impoverished people rush to scoop fuel from an overturned truck despite the history of catastrophic fires associated with such a dangerous quest. Similar analysis should urgently address political elite enthusiasm in Kenya and by extension Africa, to shun a pluralistic approach to management of state affairs.  For it is clear that disenfranchised groups and those whose quality of life dwindle amidst plenty will resort to perish (suicidal) or seek autonomy (rebellious).  

Kenya is reaping the side effects of the politics of “state capture”: A husband butchers his family after a dispute over food; Residents in northern Kenya cannot name 4 towns on Kenya’s railway belt; Mombasa Republican Council (an outlawed group at the coast of Kenya) declares that Kenya’s Coastal region is not part of Kenya; Several bomb blasts rock the country; and the Post-Election Violence issues of 2007/08 hold the country hostage.

Powerful self-interest groups are controlling the Kenyan state to their own advantage and the disadvantage of the entire country. Kenya and by extension Africa have not unlearned the ethnic organizational interests that have slowed down progress on the continent since independence. These outfits are being used to the detriment of nation building.  The attitude to “capture the state” by a clan, tribe or ethnic group is exhibited right from the constituency level.

The German ambassador to Kenya, Mrs. Margit Hellwig-Botte points out that the last three years she has been in Kenya, she has observed that politicians not only use political parties as "vehicles” to  ascend to power and gain influence, but they also use their own ethnic communities for the same purpose. “This also works the other way,” she says. “An ethnic community puts pressure on “their” area MP to work for them but neglect the other communities in the constituency. Ironically, the expectation is that a leader has to represent the plurality of a constituency.” 

A recent “Lake Turkana Festival 2012” meant to promote harmonious co-existence of the nomadic El Molo, Rendille, Samburu, Turkana, Dassanach, Gabra, Borana, Konso, Wata and Burji exposed great inter-ethnic relation challenges that mirror the state of affairs in Kenya. Participating in the forum, Dr. Hassan Wario (Director Museums and Sites, National Museums of Kenya) argued that Kenyans not only fear focused and honest debate on issues, but they also run away from themselves.

In a panel discussion dubbed “Heritage and Sustainable Development in the Lake Turkana Basin,” Dr. Ekuru Aukot wondered why the Kenya government has shown a belated interest in the historically neglected northern region only after the oil and water find in Turkana. The north of Kenya has no road infrastructure. For example, Ms. Lokolio from Lodwar (a town that is 5 hours away from Loiyangalani across Lake Turkana by boat) spent 2 days to access the Lake Turkana Festivities via Kitale – Eldoret detour.  Nairobians keen to participate in the same festival spent a minimum of three days and had to be accorded armed security to navigate through difficult terrain!

The “State capture” culture does not tolerate discussion and debate on issues of national importance. Instead of progressive issues, citizens debate individual’s ability to hunt their way to capturing the state. When a pupil in a dingy El Molo firewood lit hut competes with colleagues in electricity lit homes in Nairobi; when Kenya’s northern region institutionalizes food aid as a drought coping mechanism; when Kenyans commit suicide or homicide in agriculturally productive regions due to lack of food: does this not raise an urgent concern on the country’s management of its food security and education system? When parts of the country start calling for autonomy for allegedly being marginalized from the center; does this not raise an urgent concern for need for pluralism in management of state affairs?

It is urgent that Kenya embraces realism and nurtures a culture where citizens discuss and debate issues of what affects them. It is through debates and discussions of national issues that Kenyans will be able to own the narrative of their predicament. The new constitutional dispensation that was designed to liberate Kenya from “state capture” will not of itself liberate Kenyans.  Each Kenyan must endeavor to steer the country away from personality worship and address the cause and effect relationship of the predicament facing the country and its citizenry.

By James Shikwati,
The author [email protected]  is Director of Inter Region Economic Network.