Open Letter to President Kibaki

Why Kenya is Undergoing Exciting, Albeit Anxious Moment

What do you make of coalitions made up of arch foes brought together by a desire for find (self) relevance in an environment that is slowly edging old order away? Well, welcome to Kenya.

Residents and Diaspora of this east African powerhouse are undergoing exciting, albeit anxious, moment in the history of the Nation. Other important milestones have been the 1963 independence and the 2002 ‘felling of the great Mugumo tree.’

Unlike never before, the recently promulgated constitution has heralded, a new political dispensation that has, literally, shook the political landscape beyond the wildest fantasies.

Ten years ago this month, Kenyans went in to a frenzy. They had just managed the huge Mugumo tree using, as it were, razor blade. Yeah, a razor blade, Kenyans used a razor blade to cut the Oak tree.

It would be honest to say that prior to this great achievement by the Kenyans, the Oak tree had been growing inside the Kenyan bedroom since 1963. Indeed the tree had been nicknamed KANU.

Although trees are good for the environment, a tree growing in the wrong place can be impossible to relocate or cut using a razor, as Kenyans did ten years ago. Since then Kenyans have embarked on massive aforestation of the political kind.

The old political dispensation just woke up to a rude shock when it became evident that it will no more be possible to assemble a couple of rich dudes, and ‘dudetes’, buy some voters - live or dead - and viola you are the president.

The new requirements have, however, led to strange happenings. It would be equivalent of drowning arc foes who find a common pole to hold on to save their lives. You would wonder what happens, when and if, they manage to salvage themselves.

That is what Kenyans of goodwill are waiting come the new dispensation beginning March 2013. Will the (former) arch foes suddenly realize that they had no differences after all? Or has it been a case of: you have to elect me for you to live.

The incumbent, and outgoing, president Kibaki should provide a candid, non scripted interview to at least set the tone for smooth transition and provide public assurance of what intervention he has put in place to ensure Kenya’s prosperity beyond his rule.