Pages

Thursday, December 5, 2013

DECEMBER EDITORIAL: AT 50 ARE WE REALLY FREE?

UP MAGAZINE EDITORIAL

In the 1950s, Kimathi, General China, the Mau Mau and like-minded Kenyans put their lives on the line to fight for freedom, justice and independence. 50 years later, Kimathi’s statue stands regal in Kenya’s capital but the battle is still on—only the characters and weapons have changed. From the forests it’s now the streets, the blogosphere, the wit, Parliament and petitions. The Wangari Maathais, the Boniface Mwangis, the Omtatas, the Davinder    Lambas and the masses, the civil societies and the media are all pressing for freedom—50 years on.
But who exactly are they up against? Poverty, the political class, the extended unofficial hereditary hegemony aided by condescending masses—masses contented with food and shelter for today, deaf to the cry for justice and numb to the feel of equality.It is a classic re-enactment of Orwell’s “Animal Farm”: lesser animals are quickly subscribing to the philosophy of other animals being more equal than others.
On 14 November 2013, IPSOS Synovate released the findings of a public opinion poll whose scope of survey encompassed security, crime, the Westgate Attack, Somalia security issues, Muslim clerics’ killings and the ICC process. 67% of the Kenyan population believes that the Westgate attack could have been prevented. An overwhelming majority feel the laxity of government apparatus allowed the Westgate attack to take place. In short, the average Mwananchi is aware of the turn of events in the country, but has given up trying to change anything. He has chosen the path of short memory or worse, apathy.
And for the leaders entrusted with defending the Constitution, it beats logic for one to send himself to trial. “The foreigners and ICC want to jail us,” they say. We say, “Come; let us gag the media and civil societies. Let us join the continental despots, turn East and save our skins.” Besides the two media bills meant to slash the beaks off the nosy media, civil societies and NGOs have the Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2013 aimed at limiting foreign funding to a maximum of 15 percent of their total budgets. Well, who provides supplementary public medical care in the ‘forgotten frontiers’ of Kenya? Who fights FGM in the arid lands? Unless those services are not too important, compared to politics of the day.

The Judiciary is not safe either. The principle of separation of powers matters no more. Recently, six members of the Judicial Service Commission were suspended and a tribunal set up to investigate them. The head of this tribunal, appointed by accident or design, happens to have an axe to grind with the JSC for not being shortlisted for a post he applied for back in 2011.
All the same, we, Wananchi, down here, the other 99 percent, are doing just fine. Never has there been more creativity in our ranks; never has there been more invention and entrepreneurial spirit, in spite of those who purport to lead us.
So, let’s celebrate the Jubilee, by all means. Freedom is ours, and it is what you make of it. As an African saying goes, ‘whoever thinks he is too small to make an impact has perhaps never spent a night in the company of a mosquito.’ That’s freedom.


No comments:

Post a Comment