(TALKZIMBABWE) Kenya in a dangerous drift

Kenya in a dangerous drift
Editorial: The East African newspaper
Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:10:00 +0000

THE unprecedented violence that rocked Kenya at the beginning of the year was deeply traumatic for Kenyans.

The overwhelming majority could not believe that it was happening in their country, which had long been touted as an island of peace and prosperity. For all their horror, however, the post-election disturbances were cathartic.

While the loss of life — up to 1,500 people died — was inexcusable, the disturbances offered a deeply fractured society the first real impetus for deep introspection since Independence.

Ten months on, it is clear that that window of opportunity is being lost. Little in the form of constitutional, legal or social reform is happening or has happened. Today, Kenya is an extremely angry country with the same ethnic fault-lines that nearly drove it over the edge.

Stasis in the government bureaucracy is largely to blame for this state of affairs.

Programmes to reconcile the country have stalled, and the strident language that fuelled the post-election chaos is starting to re-emerge. Political competition continues to take dangerously familiar tribal overtones.

Despite the pledge early in the year to enact a new constitution within 12 months, only last week did parliament agree on the select committee to drive the process.

Elsewhere, with just days to go to the end of the year, thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) are still languishing in disease-ridden camps, bitter and disillusioned.

The situation is being exacerbated by deepening inequality. Rising food and fuel prices are hitting the majority poor disproportionately hard. Unchecked, the continued marginalisation of the poor could prove costly indeed.

What’s more, as the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2008 has shown, there seem to be efforts from some quarters to de-legitimise some institutions like the media that are key to a stable democratic order.

The foregoing points to one inescapable conclusion — Kenya is suffering a dangerous crisis of leadership.

The ship of state is drifting inexorably towards the cliffs of discontent and civil unrest, even as its captains pretend that everything is well. Those at the helm must wake up before we all flounder.

*Article first published as an editorial on Kenya's The East African newspaper's website. see here