- The current government was voted in by a majority, albeit a thin one, following the hustler narrative.
- Ironically, the Opposition is also using this narrative to appeal to the jobless youth, mama mboga and boda boda economies.
Image: KEITH MUSEKE
As expected Maandamano Wednesday started in an air of uncertainty that turned into full blown chaos in different parts of the country. As of 7 pm on Wednesday, six people had been declared dead and scores injured, which unfortunately included school-age children.
Billions have also been lost in revenue because of destroyed property. Years after Independence and multipartyism, peaceful protests seem to elude the Kenyan political scene.
A statement released by the Ministry of Interior titled ‘Day of Shame, Violence and Impunity’ launches into likening the events of Maandamano Wednesday to the 1982 attempted coup and the subsequent 2017 post-election violence. The statement is a feeble attempt to deflect from the ministry’s failure to perform its duties.
A tweet by Mwarimū Mūtemi wa Kīama shows a group of not less than seven fully armed police officers battering a young man who is already on the ground. They are insulting him as he takes the beating with no help in sight.
Will the Ministry of Interior address this kind of violence or stand by its deflection? In a different video on the same page, three civilians are seen rescuing a police officer from a bloodthirsty mob.
Another tweet by Eng Nyasikera on Twitter shows a young man in a white shirt comfortably walking past a group of 11 well-armed police. He seems to stop to answer questions from them then they all head their separate way. This is proof that police can restrain from attacking civilians even in a tension-filled environment.
This brand of political unrest has been months in the making. Most Kenyans are unhappy with the current state of the economy. The current government was voted in by a majority, albeit a thin one, following the hustler narrative. Ironically, the Opposition is also using this narrative to appeal to the jobless youth, mama mboga and boda boda economies.
And it is not by chance. Remember the difference between the winner and the loser in the last election was barely 200,000 votes. In a country of more than 50 million people, an edge of 200,000 just gives you half of the country. And many are having second thoughts given the rising cost of living. The common denominator throughout this and previous years being that the common mwananchi is the one who always ends up losing.
Mutahi Ngunyi recently advised the President in a tweet. “Dear Ruto: Kaa Ngumu. But remember, politics is about the Power of Context. And a powerful context leads to a Tipping Point (Malcom Gladwell). Kenyans from all the FOUR corners of our REPUBLIC are ANGRY about something. And you are their Object of AGGRESSION.”
We all recognise that we are angry in some way or form. Why won’t the President address this? Violence is just but a symptom of people who are feeling unheard. Escalation of these protests is not what is currently needed in this country.
The President displayed an empathetic face during the campaign period. It would do Kenyans good to see that it was not just a PR stunt. The country cannot afford to lose respect for the head of state at this juncture.
In line with the statement from the Ministry of Roads and Transport, we cannot normalise such acts of violence, lawlessness and vandalism committed on the pretext of exercising political rights. The call to the Director of Criminal Investigations through the Office of the Inspector General of Police to carry out thorough investigations and ensure the perpetrators of the heinous acts should go both ways. The government and the opposition should be held equally accountable.
Six lives are a lot to be senselessly lost. Properties worth billions have been destroyed in an economy that is barely able to lift its head as unpaid loans beckon. Young kids have been traumatised in a move straight from a banana republic handbook. Something has got to give.
Raila Odinga, Martha Karua and all their allies should get off their soap box and find ways to collaborate with their following to curb the looting of property. The criminals that are using protests to carry out their deeds might not belong to their camp.
However, seeing that they are the ones who have provided the platform and opportunity for criminals to thrive, their camp should be vigilant in their organisation in order to identify the bad seeds. It could be as easy as placing known loyalists in charge of their ground teams.
Kenya is bigger than one man or a singular political dream. This is a season, a day of shame by the political class. This class in whose hands, unfortunately, the fate of the whole country lies, must sit down and do the bare minimum- allow us to move on.
Political commentator