(Written on the 11th, the day before his inauguration on 12 March 2013)
Dear Mr. President,
As an outsider, but a keen observer of your politics, I
congratulate you on your win. I believe that you, along with the Hon. William
Ruto, do indeed have what it takes to lead Kenya into much more prosperous and
productive times. You are both young and educated, smart and articulate. You
represent a new generation of Kenyan leadership.
That said, there are a few issue I would like to raise with
you.
That you and William Ruto are facing charges at the International
Criminal Court (ICC) is simply unfortunate. I don’t believe the charges are
justified given that you were both lieutenants in a war commanded by generals. It
was only international diplomacy, ‘protocol’ if you like, and undue influence
in the halls of Kenyan justice, that kept the generals off the list of those
who have gone to The Hague. Let the generals face the court too. And, when the
time comes, if the ICC can’t take the generals to jail, they certainly can’t
take you two, the lieutenants. So I wouldn’t worry too much.
And by way of an aside, I hope it was a lesson to Kenyans
that the unfettered quest for power on the part of their political elite can easily
make for civil war. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It
mustn’t happen again. So, I’d implore you to leave your recently ‘reformed
judiciary’ to do its work without fear, and unfettered by political influence.
And if it so happens that the courts rule against you, Mr. President, as is
likely to happen at some point, you’ll need to accept that and not go sneaking around
so you can get your way.
And while we’re talking of generals and lieutenants, courts
and power, that you haven’t yet decried the actions of the outlawed Mungiki
‘sect’ worries me a bit. The recent threat made on the life of Chief Justice
Willy Mutunga was particularly scary and showed, again, the extent to which
Mungiki acts behind the scenes in promoting Kikuyu interests. In this case, it
was your interests, particularly, that they served. It really doesn’t look
good. And neither does what Bensouda calls “tireless attempts at contacting
witnesses”.
Mungiki is perceived as a private Kikuyu army and you really need to distance yourself from this renegade gang of extortionists and thugs. You need to act firmly and decisively against them even if they are a Kikuyu ‘institution’ in Kenya. Again, let the justice system do its work.
Mr. President, this brings me to the point of your society being
a deeply polarised one. There’s a split down the middle and it’s not about the
diversity of Kenya and its 42 tribes or even about the Kikuyu people competing
for power with the Luo. It’s really about the Kikuyu people versus the rest.
In the run-up to 4-3-13, I consistently heard “it’s 41
against 1”. Your victory has been universally seen in the country as a victory
for the Kikuyu people but not a promising prospect for the people of Kenya as a
whole. You can change this perception by your actions alone.
That the Kenyatta family has massive tracts of land in the
country is universally known in Kenya. Much of this land was supposedly acquired
by your dad, via means that would be termed ‘unconstitutional’ today. Given
this, I’d suggest you submit the family’s acquisition of land (and, obviously,
that of others too) to scrutiny by a credible land commission. This, so that
adequate land restitution can be effected. But, even though the land might not really belong to your
family, people say that you could never submit to a land commission. This, because
a Kikuyu will never relinquish
wealth. Is this true?
Of course, the few hundred thousand people who lost their
land in the 2007/2008 post election violence –the so-called Internally
Displaced People (IDP’s)- need to get land to live as well. It’s been over five
years now and it’s time the IDP’s got somewhere to stay that isn’t a plastic
tent.Few will argue with me when I say that these ‘historical
injustices’ on the ‘land issue’ have to be addressed before your society can
move on. It’s probably the biggest issue here in Kenya.
And, yes, offer your opposite number, Raila Odinga, a
meaningful place in government; an ‘olive branch’, as it were. If you do, I
personally think he should graciously decline because he’s too old. His voice
is faltering and he’s been looking very tired for a while. Perhaps it’s time
for him and all of his generation to retire from Kenyan politics.
Whatever his failings, the young Mike ‘Sonko’ is an
inspiration to Kenya’s youth, jaunty hat, studs in his ears, and all. I live
close to where he started and have seen some of what he’s done to help the
people of his prior constituency. Let there be more like him, Senators and
Governors, and less of the old guard that has only taken Kenya to ruin.
And on the issue of Kenya’s ‘internal security’, I would be
careful about acting too harshly against the Mombasa Republican Council and
making them the primary target in the quest. Muslim culture and Christianity
have co-existed peacefully in Kenya for a long time. In fact, I think that
Kenya has been a wonderful example of religious tolerance so far. Don’t spoil
that now and start a religious war in Kenya. There have been enough grenades thrown
in churches and public places already. Instead, bring the MRC into the mainstream
political arena. The Muslims at the coast also have some legitimate gripes, and
they need to be heard without going to the lengths of seeking radical
partition.
Lastly, and most importantly, while I don’t think that it’s
essential that you prosecute the ‘big fish’ of ‘grand corruption’ in the past,
you do need to make drastic changes
to the culture of thievery and impunity that has so depressed your people. Again,
let the justice system work freely, and unfettered by political influence. And
reform your police force quickly. Equip it with vehicles, and a little petrol,
at least.
That’s all I wanted to say, really. Thank you Mr. President.
I wish you a term in which Kenya shall flourish. It’s within your power to make
this happen. And Kenya is primed for it ...
May God bless Kenya.
Faithfully yours,
Brian Rath
ps please get a typist who doesn’t make multi-billion Shilling errors.
