Kenya’s Kofi Annan led peace mediations have a leaf to borrow from the Australian parliament.

Australia has offered to give a formal apology to the country's 450 000 indigenous people. However, offering a mere ‘sorry’ without freeing them from the shackles of massive illiteracy, unemployment, poverty and ill health will be maintaining the status quo. Federal inhuman policies, for example, saw 100 000 mixed-blood Aboriginal children forcefully extricated from their families to ‘civilize’ and ‘save’ them from doom.

From the Australian example, Kenya ought to learn that historical injustices cannot be wished away. They are at the bedrock of Aborigine misery as well as the Kenyan post-election impasse. Resorting to a mere ‘sorry’ and ‘camera handshakes’ without addressing historical injustices, economic inequality, superior tribe mentality and ignoring cultural diversity will be postponing the explosion of a time bomb.

Kenyans, the AU and UN must prevail upon the  protagonists to forge an instrument that will outlive them and ensure that the current mayhem is never repeated.