When former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio Leader Raila Odinga tried to impose the Building Bridges Initiative on Kenyans, some of us opposed it immediately.
We didn’t wait for the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to nullify it.
We didn’t wait for the media or public opinion to show us direction. We saw the gusto, the unbridled arrogance and opaqueness with which it was being pushed and we said no.
We understood that democracy demands that anything purportedly being done for the people must have them and their interests at conceptualisation and implementation.
If the purpose and mechanisms of implementation are noble, transparent and inclusive, the people will support it.
I told Raila so during the Mau Forest Water Tower conservation efforts but he refused to listen.
I reminded him of the same thing during the 2017/18 resistance but he was blinded and could not see the point. Until it was too late.
We told former President Mwai Kibaki the same thing when he tried to impose former Attorney General Amos Wako on Kenyans.
At each stage the lesson is this: If you are seeking power or trying to maintain it, listen to the people.
Never, ever, pretend that you are more knowledgeable or powerful than the people.
