MOTOCHINI
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 20, 2014
- 27,778
- 30,749
Kila kukicha kenya inazidi kuzama kwenye lindi la ukabila,
Kuelekea uchaguzi wa 2017 hali inazidi kuwa mbaya.
Sasa naona baadhi ya wakenya wachache wameliona hili kuwa ni Tatizo sana
Japo hawana nguvu kwa wakenya walio wengi bao
Kwao ukabila upondani ya damu.
Naona watanzania tuwasaidie hata kwahili japo wanatuita ]Vilazza] Lakini kwahili wanapaswa watuige hata kama hawapendi.
Tanzania kabila kaziyake ni kutambikia tu hakuna lingine.
Wakenya wachache [wazalendo]
Wameleta hii
Beyond tribe: solution to Eradication of tribalism and prevention of PEV(post election violence) (2013 version)
Beyond tribe: solution to Eradication of tribalism and prevention of PEV(post election violence) (2013 version)
ABSTRACT
Singing the national anthem won’t help national integration, and neither will exhorting tribalists to end tribalism work. I’m still not convinced as to how old people will ever grow up to be non tribal, or professors get educated enough to stop being tribalists. Maybe our salvation lies in the children we are busy telling how Kikuyus,luos,kalenjins,kambas are evil in the name of democratically electing a president…
The solution to negative ethnicity/political tribalism will only be apparent when we realize where the problem lies and decide to deliberately deal with it. In my considered opinion the problem lies with our conceptualization and practice of democracy. To be sure,there is no one universal definition and practice of democracy. Indeed, Democracy as practiced by USA, Britain, India and all the other great democracies in the world differ a great deal.
However, there are two basic tenets upon which democracy hinges, viz:
1) That all the members of the society (citizens) have equal access to power.
2) That all citizens enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties
In a democracy, access to power is mainly through voting. Thus, ‘equal access to power’ implies an assumed equality, in numerical terms, among the various groups of members of the society competing for the same. Any numerical differences among the members of the society leads to feelings of marginalization of the smaller groups which may ultimately be exploited by some people to cause strife … the second principle will not be worth the paper it’s written on, the assumption being that once a group is denied ‘equal’ access to power their freedoms and liberties will be trampled on by the bigger group.
HERE IN LIES KENYA’S POLITICAL/ETHNIC PROBLEMS WHICH RAPIDLY MUTATE INTO SOCIAL PROBLEMS
First, the members of the society competing for power have numerical differences, such that there is this all pervasive notion that the political process is not fair; especially when it comes to the highest political office in the land, namely, the presidency. With the kikuyu at 22% of the Kenyan population and Turkana at about 1%, it’s understandable. This will always be used by politicians as an excuse to sow hatred amongst the various ‘marginalized’ groups, as it happened in 2007/2008.
Secondly, Most Kenyans equate power with the presidency. Full stop.
Thirdly, the curse (some might call it a blessing) of Kenya’s ethnic differences (cultural diversity) and its attendant numerical differences. However, one should be cognizant of the fact that homogeneity might not necessarily be a solution to Kenya’s political problems: A case in point being Somali, with citizens of same tribe and religion and endless political conflicts.
TRIBALISM
Belonging to a Tribe (ethnic group) is just one of the myriads of identities an individual has as a member of the society. It’s just like being a member of a family, a church, a university, social class etc. Belonging to a tribe is neither negative nor positive.
Identities usually turn negative only in cases of competition.
Let me give an example. If the identity called you and yours truly were in a competition, whom would you support? What of if our children were competing, would you really support mine rather than your son or daughter? Remember London Olympics 2012, which country did you support (especially in games where you had countrymen/women competing?)
Politics is essentially a competition for the power or authority to manage public resources. In a democracy, Politicians need the numbers to emerge winners. To get the numbers, a politician will appeal to members of his/her family, clan, tribe, religion etc depending on the position at stake, or the identity with the requisite numbers.
Most People always tend to support someone with whom they have a commonality, including sharing a
Kuelekea uchaguzi wa 2017 hali inazidi kuwa mbaya.
Sasa naona baadhi ya wakenya wachache wameliona hili kuwa ni Tatizo sana
Japo hawana nguvu kwa wakenya walio wengi bao
Kwao ukabila upondani ya damu.
Naona watanzania tuwasaidie hata kwahili japo wanatuita ]Vilazza] Lakini kwahili wanapaswa watuige hata kama hawapendi.
Tanzania kabila kaziyake ni kutambikia tu hakuna lingine.
Wakenya wachache [wazalendo]
Wameleta hii
Beyond tribe: solution to Eradication of tribalism and prevention of PEV(post election violence) (2013 version)
Beyond tribe: solution to Eradication of tribalism and prevention of PEV(post election violence) (2013 version)
ABSTRACT
Singing the national anthem won’t help national integration, and neither will exhorting tribalists to end tribalism work. I’m still not convinced as to how old people will ever grow up to be non tribal, or professors get educated enough to stop being tribalists. Maybe our salvation lies in the children we are busy telling how Kikuyus,luos,kalenjins,kambas are evil in the name of democratically electing a president…
The solution to negative ethnicity/political tribalism will only be apparent when we realize where the problem lies and decide to deliberately deal with it. In my considered opinion the problem lies with our conceptualization and practice of democracy. To be sure,there is no one universal definition and practice of democracy. Indeed, Democracy as practiced by USA, Britain, India and all the other great democracies in the world differ a great deal.
However, there are two basic tenets upon which democracy hinges, viz:
1) That all the members of the society (citizens) have equal access to power.
2) That all citizens enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties
In a democracy, access to power is mainly through voting. Thus, ‘equal access to power’ implies an assumed equality, in numerical terms, among the various groups of members of the society competing for the same. Any numerical differences among the members of the society leads to feelings of marginalization of the smaller groups which may ultimately be exploited by some people to cause strife … the second principle will not be worth the paper it’s written on, the assumption being that once a group is denied ‘equal’ access to power their freedoms and liberties will be trampled on by the bigger group.
HERE IN LIES KENYA’S POLITICAL/ETHNIC PROBLEMS WHICH RAPIDLY MUTATE INTO SOCIAL PROBLEMS
First, the members of the society competing for power have numerical differences, such that there is this all pervasive notion that the political process is not fair; especially when it comes to the highest political office in the land, namely, the presidency. With the kikuyu at 22% of the Kenyan population and Turkana at about 1%, it’s understandable. This will always be used by politicians as an excuse to sow hatred amongst the various ‘marginalized’ groups, as it happened in 2007/2008.
Secondly, Most Kenyans equate power with the presidency. Full stop.
Thirdly, the curse (some might call it a blessing) of Kenya’s ethnic differences (cultural diversity) and its attendant numerical differences. However, one should be cognizant of the fact that homogeneity might not necessarily be a solution to Kenya’s political problems: A case in point being Somali, with citizens of same tribe and religion and endless political conflicts.
TRIBALISM
Belonging to a Tribe (ethnic group) is just one of the myriads of identities an individual has as a member of the society. It’s just like being a member of a family, a church, a university, social class etc. Belonging to a tribe is neither negative nor positive.
Identities usually turn negative only in cases of competition.
Let me give an example. If the identity called you and yours truly were in a competition, whom would you support? What of if our children were competing, would you really support mine rather than your son or daughter? Remember London Olympics 2012, which country did you support (especially in games where you had countrymen/women competing?)
Politics is essentially a competition for the power or authority to manage public resources. In a democracy, Politicians need the numbers to emerge winners. To get the numbers, a politician will appeal to members of his/her family, clan, tribe, religion etc depending on the position at stake, or the identity with the requisite numbers.
Most People always tend to support someone with whom they have a commonality, including sharing a
