{UAH} #BabaIsNoLongerAway: Sense of a new beginning - Comment - www.theeastafrican.co.ke
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#BabaIsNoLongerAway: Sense of a new beginning - Comment
By L. Muthoni Wanyeki
Posted Saturday, June 7 2014 at 11:41
In Summary
Let the political opposition arise. Let the call for national dialogue be one about moving new ideas for change forward.
The rally on Raila Odinga's return to Kenya after a two-month absence was preceded by the Police Inspector-General David Kimaiyo's gaffe — first banning political rallies on grounds of security and then reversing the ban.
The amount of ridicule generated by that gaffe in social media, talk shows and the print media served only to promote the Orange Democratic Movement's rally.
The rally itself — brief but well attended — generated copious coverage too.
A sense of anticipation was in the air even though nothing we didn't already know was said: Exclusion is dangerous. We are insecure. Corruption is bad.
What was unexpected was the call for national dialogue — representing, like Raila Odinga's acceptance of the dubious Supreme Court decision a year ago, a move to the high moral ground.
Curiously, the Jubilants chose to interpret ODM's call for national dialogue as a call for power-sharing.
As the Party for National Unity repeatedly did during the national dialogue of 2008, the Jubilants insist the only doors open for national dialogue are parliament, the Senate and the Office of the President.
There is nothing new under the sun. The Jubilants' nervousness at something as innocuous as a rally.
Their intransigence about something as constructive as a request to talk. But history repeats itself. The moves on the chessboard have been seen before. Only the alliances and coalitions of players have shifted.
Why then the sense of anticipation in the air?
Because, without consciously realising it, we've been lacking a political opposition that seems aligned to the concerns and issues of the day. That speaks to those concerns and issues. That is on the offensive, not the defensive. That draws out the best and not the worst of us.
Looking back, our democratic trajectory has always been shaped by a small group of people. Those identified with the "progressive left" — to use an easy, catch-all and somewhat inaccurate phrase. Even in the dark days of Jomo Kenyatta and then Daniel arap Moi's one-party state.
The academics and intellectuals from the University of Nairobi and their students. Mwakenya. Then, when the monopoly of the Kenya African National Union ended and Mwakenya came out from underground, the human-rights and legal organisations behind the constitutional change movement. And so on.
But the ideas for change held by that small group of people have only gained public traction through take-up by the political opposition. The remnants of the Kenya People's Union. The "bearded sisters." The breakaways from Kanu. And the confused mess of political parties, alliances and coalitions we've seen ever since.
Still. Eyes wide open, we need today's small group of people. Ideas for change. A political opposition. Our depression, lack of morale, sense of being dragged farther and farther over the past year down the road of belligerence, intolerance and the undoing of all we've struggled for, has to end. We cannot go on like this.
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