• We must be frank enough to say whatever is ailing us, however embarrassing
• From time immemorial, leaders have not needed change and very few have ever championed it to the benefit of lower classes
Every day Kenyans say there is an ill wind sweeping across country. Hence terrible news of murder, suicide, domestic violence, corruption, torture, unemployment, inefficiency and hunger dominate our radio and TV news. History is repeating itself at a national scale.
In 1952, Chief Waruhiu, who was a great supporter of British colonialism, when asked about the state of the country he said Kenya was swaying in the wind like a reed. Shortly after, he was shot dead and Mau Mau war broke out.
Kenya is again swaying in the wind like a reed.
We must be frank enough to say whatever is ailing us, however embarrassing. If we conceal our problems, neither we, nor anybody else will save us. However annoying what we say might be to those in power, we must frankly say what is ailing us is bad leadership and the cure lies in nothing else but its removal.
The truth is that “when the lead sheep limps, the flock does not reach the pastures” and “the fish starts to rot in the head.” Clearly, the health of the leader is necessary for his ability to govern to the benefit of the people.
Right now it is not just Kenyans who are seeking to change leadership. As we have seen in Sudan and Algeria, people in Africa are seeking better leadership that will pull them out of the hell they are in and lead them to heaven on earth.
But we have not heard bad leadership being removed by thieves and crooks. Bad leadership can only be removed by good people, who are available when people are tired of committing suicide.
As is proven by the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the main reason Kenya and Africa are poor and devastated is not lack of resources but bad leadership and theft of public resources.
As UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan said on February 3, 1960, a wind of change was sweeping through Africa, ushering in independence from British colonialism.
Today we can say the same: a wind of change is sweeping across Africa where unarmed masses are removing from power dictatorial presidents without firing a bullet.
Better, African masses are not only removing presidents from power, they are also demanding the eradication of political and economic systems that have assisted African presidents to oppress and impoverish them.
As the wind of change is cleaning up Algeria and Sudan, it is felt further down in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, where change might also happen.
As Kenyans feel the tremors and ripples of change, the people are getting readier to sacrifice and persuade African leaders to accept the peaceable change that Martin Luther Jr championed in the U.S and Mahatma Gandhi weaponised in India.
From time immemorial, leaders have not needed change and very few have ever championed it to the benefit of lower classes.
To bring about change in Kenya, we must redefine leadership, which today means the ultimate opportunity to steal and enrich oneself, instead of being an opportunity to serve the people. Because of this definition of leadership, our leaders are inherently corrupt and cannot be relied upon to fight and eradicate graft.
If we do not change corrupt leadership, meat eaters of the jungle will maul Kenya as we watch helplessly. Grass eaters will save themselves only by replacing leadership of meat eaters with that of grass eaters.