Thu, 7 Feb 2008 12:39:25 -0800

  

I find it very irritating and ironic that some of us Kenyans are asking God to bless Kenya. Why should God bless Kenya, while we are preaching hate and inciting violence against one another. We are killing each other indiscrimately. We are raping girls and women. We are looting and destroying property.

It is a sad state of affairs. And honestly if you think about, the Kikuyus, Luo, Kalenjin, and all the other tribes in Kenya are all simply Kenyans who want a better life and better opportunities for themselves and their children.

So, why should God bless Kenya when we Kenyans are so brutal and quick to shed blood?

Why should God bless Kenya when injustice abounds? We have developed a national culture that preys on the weak and helpless in our society, for our pathetic personal gain and profit (kitu kidogo). We marginalise many and condemn them to live wretched lives in slums and in inhumane conditions. Meanwhile, the lucky and more fortunate middle class, and the few rich people go to bars during the week and then to church on sunday, where they lament and yap-yap about the growing insecurity. The elite shed crocodile tears and leave our poor folks to suffer and literally wallow in mud. The poor struggle to survive and live in abject poverty, at the mercy of ruthless and inhumane vigilante groups, private militia and inhumane urban landlords...

It is very unfortunate that some Kenyans, even those in the diaspora - be they Kikuyu, Kalenjin or Luo, are preaching more violence, than the people killing each other in the Rift Valley province. It looks like many of us are now worse and much more crude than the wild animals we have in the Kenyan game-parks. We are skinning each other alive, hurling insults left, right and center and spilling innocent blood of hard-working Kenyan men, women and children from various tribes.

So why should God bless Kenya when we are so brutal and quick to shed blood? Why should God bless Kenya when we kill, harass, rape, displace and burn the property of our own dear and innocent neigbours?

Why Should God listen to our prayers and bless Kenya? Especially when our most of our leaders, from various tribes are greedy and corrupt.

Why should God listen to our prayer to bless Kenya when and through the various rules of Kenyatta, Moi, and Kibaki people continue to suffer from poverty, disease, and mass ignorance?

Even if Raila Odinga became President or Prime Minister today, I hope things would improve, but there is little or no guarantee. We may end up with corrupt Luos, in addition to the many corrupt Kikuyus and the corrupt Kalenjins who are walking around, piously flaunting their ill-gotten wealth, while many Kenyans cannot afford the basic neccesities: food, healthcare and shelter.

Yes, based on the experience and the Kenyan leadership we have had in the past 40 years or so, after independence, I sure have reason to skeptical. Yet still, I have hope that governace could be and will become better in Kenya.

So why should God bless Kenya when we are so brutal and quick to the shed blood of our fellow Kenyan brothers and sisters, to render children orphans?

Let us visit state house for a moment and have a look at our sitting President. His dear wife is running amock. She is out of control. It is sad that we have a President whose election and swearing in is hotly disputed. It is also extremely sad that our President seems hen-pecked by Lucy. I know many women are very aggressive (some are leaders in buiness and very enterprising). But arrogance and physical assault of government officials, leaders and citizens by the First Lady is a disgrace to President and the nation of Kenya. Domestic differences are normal and common place, but public embarassment, with free and reckless reign, is simply wrong and tantamount to abuse.

Fellow Kenyan's what Kind of leadership is this? Why are we stooping so low? Is this the best Leadership that the Kikuyu, the Luo and all the other many tribes in Kenya have to offer? Is this the best among our eminent sons and daughters?

You tell me, why should God bless Kenya? Probably what we need more, especially at this moment, with the crisis in Kenya, is God's righteous anger, judgment and definitely a lot of His mercy.

        Kiprotich Arap-Ruto
        Canada