Ethnic Profiling Has No Place In A Democratic Kenya.

Like it or hate it, Kenya is a multi-ethnic nation. The word tribes is what we use for the over 42 ethnic groups that make the nation of Kenya. It is not unfortunate nor is it an accident that Kenya is made up that way. It should be a blessing.

To top it up we have Swahili as the amalgamating language.

But tribe has been abused time and time again, what we call tribalism, the negative employ of tribe against tribe is so deeply rooted in the WHOLE of Kenya that dealing with it has been the task of no achievement.

Nepotism through tribe is rampant in government, public and private business institutions. This has led to the believe that for any region or rather part of Kenya to develop, one of their/our own must ascend to power. And only then will they/we have our time to eat.

This is an attitude that promotes laziness for those still waiting for “their time” to come and a negative perception towards those who have had “their time” in power. Forgetting that those in power might have worked for the greater good of the whole country. Besides, how can a whole tribe be judged by the actions of one man or a group of men?

But so powerful is the said perception that some Kenyans believe that they have to abandon their tribes in order to be seen as Kenyans. How they come to such a silly conclusion is beyond my understanding. To deny yourself the right to belong to a certain tribe or ethnic group is just as much as denying your nationality.

Every Kenyan comes from a specific tribe; it’s not a choice or a condemnation neither is it a weakness. But nothing about that says that a particular tribe is superior to the others. Anyone who harbours such mentality is the mutual enemy of all tribes and the people of Kenya.

Your Tribe Is Like Your Colour.

Though decrying tribal outfits is a must in making Kenya a one peoples’ nation, traditionally or culturally appointed councils of elders does not necessarily amount to power thirst quenchers. Most of these are used to nurture the welfare of the tribes’ culturally within and outside their tribal boundaries.

The revival of GEMA caused ripples throughout Kenya and throughout the Kenyan media at home and abroad. This is common whenever kikuyus organise themselves into a mass. Though all other Kenya’s tribes have such tribal groupings, the screams that follows any attempt by kikuyus to unite is indeed scary!

GEMA is not a traditional council of elders and thus does not encompass all kikuyus. When its original plan was frustrated, it remained a business organisation with the richest individuals in Kenya as its members. These persons are not the kikuyu community. These were businessmen looking to expand their wealth. It has remained in that capacity since and for that dissertation, grouping up the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru as members of GEMA is wrong. We are not and we should not be classified as GEMA.

Every now and then I come across people bitter about belonging to a particular tribe to the extent that they right out would be willing to change that if they had the choice. Unluckily, your tribe is like your colour, you can never do away with it. Queerly it has only been kikuyus willing to denounce their nature.

Now, if you can not embrace your God given identity, is the only way left to trash, curse, abuse, deny and betray your tribe? Respectfully, shame on you!

The commencing of the way to rid Kenya off tribalism will not be through hate, renunciation and victimisation. It will be trough embracing, accepting and respecting each and every one of the petals that make the beautiful flower that Kenya is.

We have heard of groups such as Kikuyus for Change, Kikuyus for Raila etc, what you will find manifestly common and mutual with this groupings is their wish as exempted kikuyus to drive a way from what they perceive as a tribal base for the acceptance as the reborn kikuyus. The tribeless kikuyus? I find them more tribal in reverse tribalism than members of the opposite tribes.

They shamelessly title themselves kikuyus for that or this, selfishly aiming to differentiate themselves from the tribe that mothered them for opportunistic reasons. Otherwise why not broaden up and call themselves Kenyans for change or Kenyans for Raila etc? Why disparate the word and the kikuyu?

Accepting Each Person As An Individual.

It comes to be that the rest of the Kenyan tribes rarely feature as tribalists no matter how far they go in favouritism and attacks towards the kikuyu. And every time a kikuyu does something that pronounces his identity, satisfaction or pride as a kikuyu, an endless stream of accusations as a tribalist spouts forth. I can not, would not change the fact that I am a kikuyu just as I would not do so if I was born a luo.

The name calling only makes me stronger in the believe that one day I, a kikuyu, will be seen as a Kenyan equal to any other. Not a thief and incorruptible.

Must that day come with the appointment of a man or woman from another tribe as president? Were kikuyus more respected during the dictatorial rule of Moi? And is a leader more democratic through his mistrust, fear and thrive in creating a devilish kikuyu tribe? Does Kibaki’s work for a better Kenya amount to nothing because he is a kikuyu?  

In a democratic state, the qualifications to the leadership of the country does not exclude particular tribes no matter how long they have had their chance “to eat”. Everyone must have the right to seek any position they wish for as long as the land’s constitution allows them.

That a former president was a kikuyu should not be a reason to stop another kikuyu from seeking that same office. The ballot box, unbiased, should decide. That is democracy.

We must learn to preach equality and patriotism without sidelining or tribalization of some tribes. Accepting each person as an individual should be the easiest way of dealing with each other and our leaders without the rest of our tribe suffering the tribal tag.

I read an article from a blog not long ago and it struck me as odd that the word kikuyu was overly used. It was in almost every sentence that was written and the only word that stuck out though the writer was trying painfully to colour picture the kikuyus as tribalists.

The hate was self-evident where every kikuyu as a word was used.

But what churns me up is the ass lickers that gladly comment about hating themselves even more. These identity-less citizens of the earth should desist from including the whole kikuyu community as deserving such hate. To those lost kikuyus, next time you hate yourself as a kikuyu, limit your hate to only you because I have nothing to do with you as a kikuyu and I have nothing against being born a kikuyu.

It’s who I am as a Kenyan. 

Our abiding desire should be the unity of all Kenyans, the participation of all Kenyans, the electing by as many Kenyans as the constitutions deems enough of a president qualified to lead, unite and by his capacity uphold the constitution and protect all Kenyans from all ills that befall the nation of Kenya, disease, poverty, crime, discrimination, tribalism, ignorance or victimisation.

P Bryan Njoroge.