WHY THE AUGUST 9TH OFFERS A CHANCE FOR A RAINBOW 🌈 NATION?

 Kenya became got its independence in 1963 and one year shy , it became a republic with Jomo Kenyatta becoming the President of Kenya. During that time , Kenya was made up of utmost 42 ethnic nations. During that period , it was very difficult to divorce Kenya's politics with ethnicity. It is imperative to note that , during the colonial period in Kenya , the British government used the divide and rule to rule over Kenyans. It bleeded both direct and indirect rule. By indirect rule , it singled out chiefs from various communities like the Kikuyus , Luhya , Masaai etc. Also , Africans were allowed to form welfare associations that were solely domiciled to address social welfare issues like housing , provision of clean water , de-stocking policies , return for their annexed land , poll and hut tax etc. What the colonial goverment banned them from is agitation for political independence.

This welfare associations were premised on ethnic alignments. In Nyanza , they were predominantly composed of Luos on one hand and the others by the Gusii community. In Rift Valley , they were ran by the Kalenjin sun tribes , that is , Nandi , Kipsigis etc. In Mt Kenya region , they were owned and ran by Kikuyus , Meru , Aembu/ Ambeere etc. In tht coastal and Eastern region , the same kind of composition took place. The akamba and giriama and Taitas formed their own welfare associations. It is this welfare associations that metamorphosed into political parties. At independence , Kenya Africa Union ( KAU) became KANU . It largely hosted the two large dominant ethnic nations of Kikuyu and Luos. The other minority tribes felt that , since a main river cannot join the tributaries and it is the tributaries that join the main river , the saw the need to form their own political party. That's how KADU was hatched. After the inception of multipartyism back in 1991 after the KANU regime led by President Moi repealed section 2A of the constitution , many political parties were born. The most hilarious thing is that , they hatched from tribal incubated eggs. All this political parties were led by political kingpins who got more support from their fellow kinsmen and women. That's one of the reasons President Moi gave to the donor community ( IMF and WB) and also bilateral and multilateral partners like US and the UK. He opined that , pluralism will breed tribalism that will later formernt into ethnic clashes in each and every election cycle.

Since independence , only two communities in Kenya which have produced Presidents. This are Kikuyu and Kalenjins. The former have produced President Jomo Kenyatta , Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta. The later have produced President Moi who ruled this Country using an iron fist for a total of 24 years. What is more interesting is , back in 2013 , GEMA and Kalenjin nations unionized their political marriage which started with bossom love and is now ending in a messy , noisy and bitter divorce. The questions Kenyans are asking themselves is , do Kenya belong to only two ethnic communities? Though power isn't given it is taken and taken not through a tip of a bullet but through the tip of a pen in a more fashionable way of Democracy. By this I mean , through an election which is almost 3 weeks shy. Kenya is made up of 50 ethnic nations who live together harmoniously though many say , this ethnic nations formed marriages of inconvenience. They live together by playing stick and carrot politics on each other. They kind forced themselves to live together in a Country called Kenya.

Today , in the Sunday Nation columnist section , one Mūrang'a County Senator Dr Kangata took swipe on. Kalonzo's decision to support Azimio la Umoja one Kenya Alliance coalition party to the detriment of Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance. In that article , Kangata is castigating Kalonzo , who is undisputed Ukambani region kingpin to be a political animal who is being taken for a ride by Raila Odinga. What he is forgetting is , the Kalonzo of 2022 isn't the Kalonzo of 2013 and 2017.  It is undisputed fact that Kalonzo is always very indecisive politically but I always resonate with him. He has been inflicted serious political injuries thrice and this time round , he couldn't have taken chances. If Azimio la Umoja wins , he will comfortably land the chief minister seat. The question am asking Dr Kangata is this , what had they promise Kalonzo if he would have joined Kenya Kwanza Alliance?

Re-Imaging the Nation

Kenya isn't a preserve of two ethnic communities just like I have opined up there. Presidency will this time round revolve to the other ethnic communities and Azimio la Umoja is offering that room. After Jubilee Alliance took over power back in 2013 , the government and State portfolios were shared amongst President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy President. Ruto shocked both Kenya , Africa and the rest of the World when he gave the ministrial slots to men and women drawn from his ethnic community. In the parastatal and ambassadorial slots , he followed the same script. In Ruto's mind , the presidential seat should go to his ethnic community and inorder to actualize it , he roped the Mt Kenya region residents. Will it work this time round? It won't.

Azimio wants to form a rainbow nation. It believes that , Kenya isn't made up of two ethnic communities. Azimio la Umoja is a conglomeration of many communities. So , when Kenya Kwanza Alliance is propagating the Kikuyu-Kalenjin axis , their opponents aren't preaching in the Azimio la Umoja are preaching of inclusivity of all Kenyans in the government. No Kenyan community want to be left out. We don't want another statement like , "tutakula nyama wale wengine wakitazama." That statement ment , the NASA brigade and their supporters who were drawn from Luo , Luhya, Mijikenda and Kamba communities were to sit on the periphery while the Kalenjin and GEMA nation enjoyed the State largesse and trappings of power and resource allocations that was to improve their regions while segragating other regions which didn't vote for them. 

In the nutshell , I believe Kenyans are eager to welcome a new Regime under Azimio la Umoja one Kenya Alliance coalition party led by Raila Odinga and Martha Karua SC. The Kikuyu- Kalenjin dominance will come to an end come August 9th. The 2002 is coming back that very day. In 2002 , a new Kenya which embraced all communities was born. The Kalenjin dominance for the last 24 years was nipped in the bud. KANU and its proteges were sent into political oblivion. Only a few like Ruto and UHURU survived. Majority don't even talk about politics. The destiny of this Country lies in the hands of 50 million citizens. If you want to return back to autocratic , kleptocratic , authoritarian and patron client politics in Kenya Kwanza Alliance , the choice is yours. If you want a Kenya which will decisively fight with corruption , embezzlement of public funds , unabated looting of public land  etc , Azimio la Umoja is waiting for you to board. The train is about to leave the station. Grab yourself a seat and enjoy the journey. A journey to prosperity. A journey to a new Kenya. The future is Luminous. Inawezekana!!?