Over 200 people have died in this year alone as a result of
violence between different ethnic communities in Kenya.
This includes in Tana River delta, Mandera, Borabu, Moyale
counties, etc. some of the reasons given by those in the know are the fight
over scarce resources, politics and spillage from neighbouring countries.
(Ethiopia). As usual, this has led to well-choreographed responses from Kenyans
and their government.
Shock. Anger. Sackings. And then the usual promises of
investigations. And then we move our shock to the next disaster. And everything
is forgotten.
But don’t we have a national cohesion and integration commission
(NCIC) meant to ensure that this very violence doesn’t occur? I asked myself.
Some little research afterwards, I have discovered that the NCIC actually has
even a well-researched and well written forty page policy on this very issue.
It is aptly named the Kenya Ethnic and Race Relations Policy, and it can be found
on their website.
So why are Kenyans still killing themselves, despite all the
peace meetings, government policies, education by NGOs, and experiences Kenya
has suffered since 1992, and most recently in 2008? It turns out, we are not
learning from the past, we are not implementing the Kenya ethnic and relations
policy, and we are not changing the same conditions that led to the
bloodletting of 2008. In short, we are being very stupid in how we are handling
this ethnic relations business.
The Kenya ethnic and race relations policy, is set on the
principle of ethnic and racial inclusion, that is, the idea and practice of
deliberately ensuring that people from all ethnic and racial groups resident in
the nation are represented in
- employment,
- governance structures,
- planning,
- development initiatives,
- public deliberations,
- democratic arrangements,
- and national educational institutions
I will leave you interpret how successful ethnic and racial
inclusion has been carried out in your county, and country.
The country remains deeply divided among ethnic lines. As
the respected British historian, Professor Niall Ferguson put it in his popular BBC
2012 Reith lectures; there are two types of countries: the inclusive, and
extractive. An extractive society is one in which, the government is used by
the ruling elite to grab the economic produce from the country and
proportionate it amongst themselves. Indeed, in an extractive society, the
government is a tick that feeds on the labour of the people. The society cannot
develop to its full potential unless people stop seeing control of the
government as essential for their employment prospects, economic wellbeing,
security and happiness.
There is little doubt in my mind that Kenya is an extractive
society. Many kikuyus believe that losing the control of the government and its
coercive arms such as police and military will be the beginning of their end,
economically and politically. Other tribes also believe that unless they can
ascend to the highest pinnacles of power in this country,the perceived poverty,
unemployment and insecurity they suffer in comparison to the tribes in power
will not be eased.
What does this have to do with tribally instigated violence
in Tana delta, I hear you ask. In my opinion, the new constitution has created
47 bastions that will be under the thumb of the majority tribe after the
general elections of 2013. 15% of government revenues will be distributed to
all counties, and this money will be under the control of whichever county
governments will be in place at the time.
It is this control of the county resources, and the
contracts, tenders, jobs and influence that is being fought over. Whichever
local elites control counties with the resources such as the richly endowed Tana
delta, Lake Victoria, oil resources in northern Kenya etc., will be in a prime
position to benefit economically beyond their wildest dreams.
Hence they are prepared to shed blood in their quest for
power and riches. In my humble opinion, devolved corruption, impunity, balkanization
of the country and power is part and parcel of the new dispensation, although
no one wants to talk about it.
Not much can be done to stop this, but the national
government has a responsibility to ensure that no Kenyan’s life is lost as
collateral damage of these power games. It is this wanton destruction of
property, and loss of life that must be stopped. Idealistic peace meetings and
other policies such as intermarriage, social contact between tribes and
national dress etc. will take time to make a dent and promote cohesion and
integration, if not complemented by other “realistic policies.” Power sharing
arrangements are another potential solution to violence in the counties. The
NCIC has advocated for power sharing in no less than 27 counties in next year’s
elections. Some of these counties include Nakuru and Lamu.
In the meantime, the national government should be prepared
to put out all stops to enforce security and peace by arresting all local
militias, those guilty of hate speech and murder and other crimes, and forcing
people to be peaceful in this election period. Unfortunately, one suspects that
the central government mandarins are more concerned in securing their immediate
and midterm political and economic futures to do much.
