The recent protest letter by the Catholic Church to the government pointing out shortcomings was belated, even as the contents were appropriate and factual.
However, many Kenyans were left befuddled as to the intention as many expected the message to be stronger and to implicitly tell the government in no uncertain terms that tribalism and nepotism as practised in Kenya is akin to the apartheid policy as was practised by the Boers in South Africa.
The statement by the church fell short of expectations and was hard to accept as it was clumsily issued, which renders it not only disorderly but illogical altogether, not to mention that it had little impact on what it intended to achieve.
The statement also failed to match the usual oratorical edict the church is known for, making it tedious and overburdened with details already in the public domain.
Most Kenyans have observed with horror how employment into the civil service and parastatals is conducted. The system is flawed and partisan to the core, defying all aspects of fairness and falls below any minimum standards of professionalism. It also fails all basic canons of rationality.
It is regrettable that the church mentioned this point only as a fleeting comment. It should have come out forcefully to tell the government that tribalism and nepotism have no place in this modern world and that it is morally reprehensible, tactically counterproductive, strategically short-sighted and inconsistent with any basic fundamental value as enshrined in the Constitution.
This government has a history of conscious and deliberate desire to evade and circumvent constitutional requirements, not knowing doing so may allow the country to senselessly descend into anarchy.
Whoever devised this system either has bad advisers or does not listen to good advice and portrays a character with no positive inner vision for the country and with little idea of the limits of power.
His or her intention is to cause hatred and discord for the future where disharmony germinates into insecurity with no predictable stability. Glossing over an important issue like tribalism as the church's statement did is not helpful.
