Third liberation will usher in freedom from the tyranny of ethnic oligarchs

[Mekatilili]

That idea of bringing all presidential candidates to a stage to debate issues was powerful.

When you gather candidates in one place where they can shake hands, exchange pleasantries, reminisce about the old good days when they worked together as comrades, and refer to each other on national TV as “brother” – you lower the stakes and temperatures.

Watching Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta perform during the debates, they did not come through as ardent political enemies dying for an opportunity to grab each other’s throat.

If anything, it was clear from the debates that, in terms of policy orientation, the presidential candidates share positions on literally every issue. What I found most refreshing was the candour with which the moderators of the debate approached the discussion on tribalism.

The presidential candidates were invited to discuss how the oligarchs of ethnic politics have perfected the art of manipulating their tribal followers – blindingly herding them in out of political parties and coalitions at their whim and fancy.

It did not surprise me that the candidates were not as candid as the moderator on the matter. They were in denial.

Nor can I pinpoint any one candidate doing a good job at either presenting a clear diagnosis of the problem – putting it in a historical context, or suggesting how it can be overcome.

Clearly, the eight presidential candidates are part of the problem. Asking them for solutions was as futile as asking a poachers’ committee to give you recommendations on how to reduce the incidence of elephant poaching in the Tsavo.

When a problem cannot be addressed candidly, if it is not defined properly and explained as being a result of human agency, society tends to view it in a fatalistic manner. As for me, I refuse to accept that tribalism is in the DNA of Kenyans.

Accuse me of being an idealist, but I believe that this society is going through fundamental changes that will eventually free the ordinary citizen from the tyranny of these ethnic oligarchs.

I believe that the transition from a political culture of blind allegiance to ethnic chieftains will eventually give way to issue-based politics.

What is the basis of my optimism? Rapid urbanisation and immigration, the telecommunication revolution, the introduction of a devolved system of government, and a constitutional dispensation that has left the citizenry with an inflated sense of rights.

I believe that In future, it will be easier to rally and mobilise segments of society such as the middle class around broader issues – food prices, bad roads, escalating energy prices and poor health services.

The growth and increasing influence and stature of single-issue groups – resident associations, private sector lobby groups and policy think-tanks – is yet another sign of a society gradually reorganising to bring itself together around broader policy issues.

Every now and then, we are witnessing situations where even groups with no formal trade unions – nurses, clinical officers, and air traffic controllers – are organising to stage strikes and to institute cases in court against their employers.

I am not predicting that the era of tribal oligarchs will end in the near future. But I see mobile phone users coming together to agitate against high excise duties on M-Pesa services.

Mark you, the number of mobile phone users today stands at 30 million, more than twice the number of citizens the IEBC has registered as voters in the coming elections.

The estimated number of Internet users is 13.5 million. Whether Kenya is ripe for a Twitter revolution as happened in Egypt is debatable.

Like Karl Marx said, revolution comes like a thief in the night. The third liberation will be about freeing the citizen from manipulation by the oligarchs of ethnic politics.

Third liberation will usher in freedom from the tyranny of ethnic oligarchs - Blogs - elections.nation.co.ke

 

[mfianchi]

Karua amesema jamani msidanganyike sisi wanasiasa ni marafiki hata ukiona hapa tunaongea na kutaniana bila matatizo yoyote kwa hiyo nyie huko(walalahoi)msiumizane bure juu yetu.
Raila alionyesha uungwana kwa kuwasalilimia kwa kuwashika mikono wenzake wote lakini naona Mudavadi si muungwana hakusalimia hata mmoja ,aliwapita wenzake kama hawajui au ana chuki nao,sidhani kwa hilo alionyesha uungwana,kwa mtu kama Muite ambaye naye alipita tu sikumshangaa kwa kuwa hajui protocol,naamini tena kwa moyo mmoja kuwa hata Uhuru angepita angewasalimia wote kwa kuwashika mikono,pamoja na matatizo ambayo anayapata Uhuru kutokana na wapambe wake Uhuru ni mtu muungwana ,ni muungwana kuliko hata yule hustler mwenzake wa Eldoret

 

[Kabaridi]

Mutakapowacha kuwa vibaraka wa wakoloni mambo-leo ndio utagundua maana halisi ya liberation, kwa sasa msifikiri mafikira yakiegemea kwa mzungu na dola zake ndio liberation, you have to liberate yourselves kutoka utumwa ndio utaelewa maana ya neno liberation. fungukeni Aisee!

 

[mfianchi]

Mutakapowacha kuwa vibaraka wa wakoloni mambo-leo ndio utagundua maana halisi ya liberation, kwa sasa msifikiri mafikira yakiegemea kwa mzungu na dola zake ndio liberation, you have to liberate yourselves kutoka utumwa ndio utaelewa maana ya neno liberation. fungukeni Aisee!

Lakini kaka Kabaridi kuwa vibaraka wa wakoloni kumeanza tu pale UhuRuto wanapotakiwa kwenda Hague,mbona siku zote mimi naona kenya bado wapo chini ya wakoloni kwa jinsi nchi yenu inavyoendeshwa na influence ya hao wazungu,msiwe ndumila kuwila kuona leo eti ndio wazungu wanataka kuwatawala kisa Uhuru na Ruto huo ni unafiki,Kenya na nchi za kiafrika bado zina safari ndefu ya kujikomboa kutoka kwenye makucha ya nchi za Magharibi.Kelele zote hizo zimeaanza baada ya kesi za ICC.

 

[Kabaridi]

Mkuu hapa wakati Carson alitoa ilaani ya kutowachagua hawa uhururuto halafu kukawa na wenye kurecite na kutamka alivotamka, hiyo si utumwa? kwenye makao makuu ya hague hivi sasa kuna malalamishi kuwa vitu vimeshindikana kule. Kenya ina miaka hamsini sasa kutoka kupata uhuru wake, haijatawaliwa kamwe na mkuburu!