When Right Becomes Wrong, Resistance Becomes Duty

 

‘When right becomes wrong, resistance becomes duty’.

 The world possesses a peculiar knack for revisiting history, and the
ticking clock ceaselessly advances to the sounds of time. We find ourselves
relearning, yet returning to our past failures, mourning over issues for which
we’ve already forged alternative paths. As a collective, it appears we grapple
with the challenge of learning from our history, leaving subsequent
generations adrift without a clear sense of direction or purpose.

One significant factor contributing to these generational gaps is our
deficient approach to information sharing. Previously, I attributed this to an
African context, mainly due to our education system emphasizing memorization
over critical thinking. However, a debate between Ben Shapiro and an Oxford
student highlighted the global nature of this issue, exposing gaps in passing
down historical knowledge. For instance, the student was unaware of the
British bombing of German civilians in Dresden during World War II, a critical
event leading to Germany’s surrender.

Reflecting on these information-sharing gaps, I observe our country navigating
a silent crisis. The unspoken truth is that individuals, businesses,
organizations, and companies teeter on the brink of collapse, grappling with
severe economic challenges. Amidst this, Safaricom recently announced a
remarkable 34 billion Kenyan Shillings in profit, yet skepticism that met the
announcemnt  due to economic uncertainties, has brought about suspicions
if they are really doing that well.

Our former president, His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki, left behind a
thriving country with substantial bank reserves for major state corporations.
However, the landscape shifted with the advent of the new Jubilee 
government, ushering in a penchant for loans and financial mismanagement.
President Uhuru Kenyatta  acknowledged a staggering daily loss of about 2
billion Kenyan Shillings to corruption during his term. His successor
President William Ruto has been reported showing reluctance to address the
issue by stating he’d have to dismiss everyone.

Turning our gaze to the global stage, let’s revisit post-American Afghanistan.
The haunting images of people clinging to plane wheels during the American
departure in 2020/2021 highlighted a decision already made. Questioning the
haste of the evacuation and the destruction that followed, a historical
pattern emerges. Throughout history, those attempting to control Afghanistan
faced challenges due to the region’s ominous atmosphere, shaped not only by
its terrain but also by the entrenched life and culture of the Taliban. From
Cyrus the great to the Americans that left in haste, points to the fact that
theirs is not just a war issue but a cultural issue that may have to be dealt
with before anything else can be done for the people of Afghanistan. See the
Documentary 

As I blame the U.S. for abandoning Afghanistan, we must also look beyond
the corruption that plagued the Afghans. Their new political class
pilfered the billions provided by the Americans. They also  failed to
stand on their own, falling into a comfort zone and resisting the
integration of urban and non-urban populations, inadvertently fostering
the acceptance of the Taliban within communities. A population entrenched
in battle-hardened experiences, viewing the world through a singular lens,
can only change with exposure to diverse perspectives. (A personal
confession: my perspective on public transport changed after a visit to
Dubai.)

Returning to our home crisis, are we confronting a similar situation in Kenya?
Is our populace inadequately informed, accepting mediocrity and lies from our
political class?

The truth is our country is undergoing severe economic turmoil, with a
palpable sense of unease and creeping hopelessness. Companies are shutting
down, workers face layoffs, months without pay, and pay cuts. Desperation in
the streets reveals alleged deals in golf clubs while a new class of
“sheriffs” thrives, leaving Nairobi’s upmarket slums  struggling with
reduced meals.

Much like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we find ourselves casualties of
political warfare, a blogger superiority complex, and a citizenry reluctant to
accept the truth.

What is the truth?

We failed to pass down our history, neglecting to teach the painful lessons of
past regimes, leading to lost generations. The country is sinking under the
weight of problems created by both past and present regimes. Leaders lack the
moral high ground to point fingers, and as we repay loans, we cannot ignore
the corruption issues of the present and past regimes. Our first leaders
failed to foster nationhood, securing prime projects for themselves and
relegating others to bread crumbs.

Afghans, refusing to fight for their nation, have fallen into despair The last
part of the documentary serves to teach us how we can all fall back to an ever
ending cycle of suffering. Nobody knows what many of the people will do, but
we all know what desperation can do to a population..

As Kenyans, we need to call back our country and move from our keyboards or
podcasts. We have to start integrating an all-inclusive society and curbing
corruption at its roots. Do you realize  that of late, there are a number
of comments on social telling those unfriendly bloggers that they need to be
careful or they will be found in the Tsavo? Are slowly sliding back on our
hard fought democratic space? 

Sitting with friends and colleagues, a sense of despair permeates, along with
a lost sense of patriotism. Many seek migration or dream of life-changing
tenders. Corporate ladders witness attempts to bring down rivals, even at the
cost of morality. We are in survival mode.

Acknowledging that evil thrives when we fail to stand up as a nation, the
decline of our country results from accepting shortcuts and corruption.

What can we do?

Our solution requires radical surgery and behavior change:

    • Define our values, cultural, and political structures promptly. What do we
      stand for as a nation? as a people? and as individuals? A talking to all
      our children and their friends and the need to participate in the
      leadership and political discourse is a key pointer to new generational
      leadership.
    • Don’t leave this to political leaders; hold them accountable and
      participate in developmental projects. Attend development planning
      meetings and make the new year about reclaiming our country.
    • Participate in a political movement beyond social media. If existing
      outfits don’t align with your standards, form your own. We have a freedom
      to meetups both online and at our different platforms.(Meet in person, it
      makes all the difference)
    • Reboot history in your homes. Share visits to the National Museum and
      National Archives with your children. These conversations about state and
      politics cannot be left solely to teachers.

Where can you  start?

Get to know your chief and assistant chief by name and make them aware of who
you are.

Attend development planning meetings and actively participate.

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