The Challenge of our future is to Build solid social movement in Kenya , to
Breath life to the new constititution
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> There is great hope for many patriotic Kenyans who exercised their democratic and fundamental right to make appointment with great history , in giving birth to a new constitution, that will create new legal and political framework to anchor the struggle of social justice and new democratic state in Kenya .
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> But the national question for progressive forces after 21 gun salute on 27/08/2010 to promulgate the new constitution is on how to build strong social movement to breath life to the new constitutional text, As one note before and during this referendum campaign Kenyans were mobilized individually to come and participate in the referendum vote as it happen every time during the general election. It was only embryonic social movement like Warembo ni Yes, a young women alternative leadership platform created by Bunge La Mwananchi Women social movement that made critical effort to mobilize collective women voters constituency in the referendum. The history and limitation of individualized voter is inherent in representative liberal democracy , and the challenge of social justice activist and progressive political forces after coming of the new constitution is to move from this limitation of individualized voter and sham democracy to values of participatory democracy where the organized social forces of workers and peasants, and women social movement not only participate in referendum or in voting women's candidate for representation in bourgeoisie parliament as isolated single excises but move in to breathing life to the new constitution by collective mobilization and creating political consciousness to the mass organization , and social movement that will advance and anchor the social struggle political programs in demand of peoples livelihoods, accessing the right to food , right to quality education , shelter, quality healthcare and clean water for all , if the new constitution dispensation will have meaning for many poor Kenyans living in horrible conditions of neo-colonial poverty due to historical exploitation ,neo-liberal capitalism economic policies and corruption by the ruling political class.
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> Prof Yash Ghai has argued in another article posted on oxford journal on transitional justice (OTJR) debate on challenges of establishing constitutional order in Kenya that " The constitution cant achieve anything by itself: like Marx's commodities, it does not have arms and legs, it must be mobilized , acted upon and used" this political dictum confirm to us that we must construct organic social movement as political- social ,economic instrument to be the arms and legs to mobilize and organize the , exploited masses to act and use the new constitutional framework to bring fundamental social change in Kenya, it is good to note here also that the new constitution has not altered , the fundamentals of neo-colonial political economy that introduced Kenya society to inequality and extreme poverty , although it create the illusions of social democratic state with a progressive bill of rights and economic social rights anchored in the constitution, which is only token of legalism language, within liberal bourgeoisie democracy that cant solve the problem of historical exploitation, marginalization and social inequalities, that manifest in crime , homelessness , unemployment, environmental destruction and poverty linked disease that is killing our people, everywhere in our slums , estate and villages across the country.
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> The new ratified constitution indeed has a positive aspect of elite consensus, on structure of devolved political power in the 47 created county assemblies with 15 percent of the national budget allocated to all the 47 counties collectively as devolved fund, which has created a political space for the right to organize and democratize development in the local level, which the progressive forces can utilize to advance the cause of national democratic revolution, from below.
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> But the opened economic political space call for alternative political leadership and new strategy in grounding, the peoples struggle within the new political environment, that come with challenges of building new democratic institution, which to breath values to this institutions call for participation of social movements that will pressure and democratize the state and inject values of patriotisms and accountability in public service, while developing alliances in county assemblies between trade unions movement, women movement , small farmers and fishermen cooperative movement, as political social forces to revitalize popular resistance rooted in mass base movement to confront the inherently violent neo-liberal capitalism economy that is present phase of imperialism, in today Kenya economy , as Prof. Issa Shivji one of original thinkers, and organic intellectual in East Africa has argued in his recent book, Where is Uhuru, reflection on the struggle for democracy in Africa, and the pitfalls of liberal reforms (the third generation or right based constitutions) p.61 On the question of irreconcilable contradiction between the rhetoric of constitutionalism and human rights based constitutions with values of on a open , transparent , accountable government , responsible to provide basics needs to its people, that is contradicted by neo-liberal capitalism based on marketaization and privatization of basic needs and withdrawal of state from economic sphere, that undermine the role of developmental state.
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> The struggle to locate human rights and social justice activism in community grassroots movement will demand new passion ,ideas and alternative strategy in construction of organic community based political instrument that will come with new challenges and not attracting the usual donor funding from neo-liberal sources , because the independent strong social movement in grassroots, will educate the masses and organize community for popular struggles and livelihood which sharpen social contradiction that expose the masses to the exploitation of neo-liberal capitalism and the political character of donor agencies and non- governmental organization , that emphasizes on divisive project funding and donations to divide and undermine the organic social movement and pacify, masses for a limited time as happen in Latin America in past decades of neo-liberal reform era.
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> The experience in theory and practice of building social movement in Kenya has been tested by Bunge La Mwananchi social activists in community organizing on popular resistance , demand for social justice and respect for human rights, which invite progressive social forces, civil society intellectual and Bunge Mwananchi organic intellectual activist to study and have national debate on past political and environmentalist movement, example of this being December Twelve Movement,(DTM) Which was organized by progressive university intellectual , Mwakenya, from university intellectual, students , workers and peasants also on this line is Release Political Prisoners (RPP), Green belt Movement, February 18 (FERA) and Forum for Restoration Democracy (FORD), that championed restoration of neo-liberal multi-party politics in Kenya ,others forms of movements are Constitutional struggles as , National Executive Council (NCEC), which was vanguard and collective leadership of National constituency Assembly (NCA) the constitutional reform movement and many others that have shaped the terrain of political struggle in Kenya. The study of this movements and discussion, intellectual debate will help the emerging social movement in the new terrain to understand the political mistake that were made by the leadership of this past peoples movements, which can be used to improve theory and political practice and educate cadres of Bunge La Mwananchi social movement and help to clarify the contestation of the movement organizational leadership structure , the relation of leadership and masses, the question of movement in relation with political parties, civil society and reform versus revolution , and what is the true nature of peoples democracy ,this study also can help to expose the role of the ruling political class together with security agencies in Kenya in dogmatizing and corrupting the movements leadership and donor agencies interest that undermine the collective leadership of the social movement, and organic activities in grassroots, while supporting individualized leadership in form of false internet website human rights activism with very expensive report writing to donor agencies as political fog that obstruct and slow down the movement building in community based activities which demand discipline cadres of community organizers , extensive organized planning participation of grassroots members and skill in community organizing, which is shunned by most mainstream human rights organizations and most of their donors.
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> This is the challenge that Bunge la Mwananchi social movement has been struggling with and must confront with battle of ideas as it develop and ground strong community based social activist and basic movement social structures to anchor the movement democratic control from below and mitigate the influence of donors agencies and political class that want to create personality cult political leadership in the movement in resemblance with their political party leadership that is devoid of citizen participation democratic debate and discussion on many challenges facing the nation., as the implementation of the new constitution which will demand an intellectual discourse , debates and Mwananchi discussion to interpret the constitution to reflect the wishes many poor Kenyans who voted for the new constitution and this must be anchored on grassroots, social movement with organic intellectual, being integrated in militant political activism to advance struggle for social change, and build democratic institution with democratization of national resource for access to livelihoods for all.
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> Lastly the vision statement of 7th Pan -African congress in kampala in April 1994 remain again our fresh calling today as social movement in Kenya that we must " Dare to dream the same dream that has always filled the villages, ghettos, townships and slave quarters with hope, that has always animated the spirit of resistance, that has united the oppressed, the dispossessed, and the exploited masses of our people for genuine democracy. We the African people are our own liberators and thinkers whose task is to make a mighty stride towards genuine freedom by any means necessary. Our salvation is in our own hands. Don't Agonise, Organise"
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> End.
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> Article by, Gacheke Gachihi
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> Social justice Activist and Member of Bunge La Mwananchi Social Movement.
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ggacheke@gmail.com
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