Kenya’s founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta said at independence: “I have no intention of retaliating or looking backwards. We are going to forget the past and look forward to the future.”
This is the point at which Kenya is today after the termination of International Criminal Court proceedings against all the six Kenyans who had been paraded before the The Hague-based court. Whether this was the right thing for the court to do or not has been debated extensively by Kenyans of all walks of life and so today I choose to not dwell on that.
The ICC cases have been a moment of trial for Kenya as the attention of Kenya’s top two leaders was distracted as they sought to clear their names. This distraction was also witnessed among Kenyans, who instead of focusing on how to develop the country were involved in a contest of pro-ICC vs anti-ICC sentiment. These sentiments went a long way in dividing Kenyans even further.
At the end of it all Kenya and Kenyans lost valuable time and resources that could have gone into building cohesion and the country. Public discourse should long ago have shifted from the ICC debate to how to make the country better.
With the end of the case against Deputy President William Ruto, Kenya and Kenyans can get back to the path of prosperity and building not only cohesion bridges but also working to grow the economy.
This is not to say that the 2007-08 post-election violence did not happen but a resolve to rise up beyond that particular challenge and, from the lessons learnt, build an even stronger nation.
And to this end, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s plan for restorative justice must be supported by all Kenyans who believe in this country and its future. We must also support the President and the Deputy President in their call to avoid inciting and dividing Kenyans, especially along tribal lines.
The end of the ICC cases should be a turning point for the country. A moment to sit back, evaluate our immediate needs and priorities and draw up a plan that has no ICC in it. Kenya needs development, and to create structures that will transform Kenya. The President and DP must now lead the country and work diligently without looking over their shoulders. We must unite and focus our energies on transforming Kenya to not only becoming an African giant but a key player in the global arena.
Our position as the economic giant in the East Africa region helps us attract foreign investors and even tourists. We cannot maintain this position and grow further if we keep looking back to where we have been.
Our focus must remain on the prize. And this happens to be a nation that can provide opportunities for its people so that they can build their lives and in essence help build the nation’s economy.
Over the last couple of years, Kenyans have witnessed immense growth in the economy and it is time that we see this growth trickle down to all sections of the Kenyan public. It would therefore not be in the best interest for the country to keep focusing on the wrongs of the past without putting in place the mechanisms to overcome these challenges.