African Leaders Must Learn To Solve Their Own Problems, We Don't Have To Leave Kenya Alone

Since we choose the path of democracy, we have no justifiable reason to tread on that of lawlessness. This attempt to confuse our well defined governance system has the potential of ruining the sociopolitical and economic fortunes of the continent. It is incontestable that most African countries deliberately and in some rare cases unconsciously emulated democracy from the west. It was also apparent that these consummated democratic traits were/are virtually incongruous to the African customs and traditions. The adoption of democracy has proven not to be a curse at all because most African States are able to modify the system into an appreciably suitable convergence with long existing tradition and customs. As long as we practice democracy, we will continue to strengthen it by improving the identifiable weaknesses. That is how every system is developed. No matter how it is, we can no longer be thinking of the negatives in adamant aloofness.

As young as some of us are, we have heard, read and sometimes witnessed the strives being made by African leaders in having a well cherished democratic dispensation in an even expanded form as in the quest to having a United Africa. In which ever stage the struggle has reached, we must see ourselves as brothers and sisters with a common destiny. This is why I think the loud silence of continental leaders in the happening of Kenya is in bad faith.

Now let me succinctly and narrowly, if I may say, walk you through the ugly happenings in Kenya.

In August 2017, Uhuru Kenyatta won convincingly, the presidential elections fiercely contested with opposition leader Reila Odinga. The opposition challenged the election results basing their argument on electoral irregularities and malpractices. Indeed the court nullified the results and ordered the Electoral body to conduct fresh elections in November 2017.

Some of us thought that Odinga was going into the election strongly to get the mandate of the people, having proven that indeed he is the best alternative to the incumbent but something peculiar happened and I was extremely amused.

The opposition leader boycotted the electoral processes few days to the election day. When Reila Odinga pulled out of the race, some of us rightly speculated that he was having something diabolic. Many political pundits were in tenterhooks as tension continue to sour in the country and beyond. For whatever reason the opposition had, they could have still dealt with it legitimately without necessarily boycotting the elections, if indeed they were out for power following due process.

In my view, the boycott was a political blunder because such a "defeatist approach" only favours your political opponents. Kenyatta therefore won the election hands down without any legal objection. Odinga and his surrogates however took to the street, crying over spilt milk. That needles protest led to a dreadful clash with state security, leaving a many people dead and many others injured. The opposition led by Odinga boycotted the inauguration of Uhuru Kenyatta.

In the midst of all these needless lawlessness by desperate political actors, African Leaders sat aloof and did virtually nothing to call Odinga to order. Probably, some of the African leaders have some interest or may some alliance with the opposition in Kenya to breed turmoil in such an unpatriotic manner.

Or is it the case that everybody for himself, God for us all?

What astonished the whole world and made Africa a laughing stock was when Reila Odinga the one that boycotted national elections declared himself president. He went ahead and organized an inauguration ceremony where he was publicly sworn in. If this is not a jeopardy to societal progress and prosperity, what else could it be? Such wickedness, greed, parochial interest and incivility must not be tolerated. Such "second Gods" only take opportunity of the level of hypocrisy and self seeking attitude by majority of our African political actors. In recent past, we saw how African leaders approached Gambia political crisis with alacrity. They sent troops to ensure that Yahaya Jammeh was shown his smoothness level. Do you remember that incident? Why are we mute over this turmoil in Kenya today? What is our interest? Ideally, our interest must be that the people of Kenya live in harmony, peace and tranquility.

How can people gamble with the lives of a country just to satisfy their own political desperation? It pains that this is happening in Africa. Let's sit down, and let him destroy Kenya if that is what we want after all, similar acts benefitted him power sharing in the past!!!

Sometimes I wonder what our leaders discuss in AU summit. Don't you think that they only go there to waste our resources by dining, wining and coming home with nothing either than bloated stomachs stocked in by the toils of the ordinary citizen? Posterity awaits us.

I think that religious groups, civil society groups and all stakeholders must dialogue and salvage the situation in Kenya. Let's not allow too much partisanship, extreme self interest, cupidity and dangerous alliances to put the lives of our people in danger. That is not the essence of belongingness. Africa cannot develop should some of these barbaric happenings continue.

Raila Odinga must think of the general good of the people and not just himself and few surrogates.

SHALL BE BACK...........
A proud African.
Denis Andaban
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