re: Kibaki will win this Year's Elections

Dear Brenda,

I don't quite agree that tribalism is bad. Tribalism is an identity paradigm. The whole idea revolves around the Hierarchy Theory. You start with individuals congregating around families, around clans, then tribes, then nations, then regions. The matter of tribalism is normally dictated by the external boundary and environment which could be a geographic boundary or a social boundary. Such boundaries create Energy neutral zones (low entropies) where all individual members feel comfortable, relaxed and at peace with each other. Culture, values, traditions and shared activities is one kind of a common denominator that removes the energy and creates common interest and low energy zones. When such a system is disrupted by an external force then chaos ensues because the disruptor conditions energy dissipation and disorder. A church, mosque, place of worship are perfect examples of energy-neutral zones. If disrupted then chaos ensue. Tribes and clans are the same.

So which way forward? May be one suggestion on the way forward would be that any leader or group of leaders study the Kenyan tribes and filter out issues that they share in common as Kenyans including their dislikes and preferences. Make these be the national values that each Kenyan must memorize and practice. Don't be selective on issues of resources sharing. Look at equity and opportunities for all. Don't marginalize so as to conquer and Lord over. Hire people on advertised basis and don't select based on obscure criteria. Learn from history and correct what went wrong. In this way you will create a transparent and low energy nation. These principles are the yardsticks that are being used to evaluate President Kibaki and other potential leaders. Are they able to study and understand the common interests of the Kenyan people and deliver these to them? If you have an answer to these questions then you can now revisit you submission here below and re-present the winning formula with examples.

I must admit that most of our leaders have not yet understood what most of our real needs as Kenyans are and which could be the high level interests. Education, security, opportunities for progress, settled minds, shelter for all; efficient infrastructure, good focus and better livelihoods could be some of the issues. I will be very proud to be a Kenyan when nationals of other countries look at me with admiration and envy for what we are as a nation. This will create a detribalized Kenya and nothing more. Not preaching about how bad tribes are without qualifying such statements with valid arguments. Macro-level economic gains by the Kibaki government are still not tangible benefits that are enjoyed by the common man on the streets. Mostly we get annual aggregated economic statistics to raise our egos and that it-period! Still there is no real economic proposal to make the common Kenyan person be healthy and wealthy. If I am wrong please kindly correct me. We still have hundreds and thousands of Kenyans who are immigrating and planning to do so. Let's check this and create that nation that we feel comfortable to be in.

Thanks!

Dr. Peter Okoth
Nairobi, Kenya