2020 should be year elusive reforms become reality

It is clear just from the last few months of 2019, that 2020 will be a crucial year for the Republic of Kenya. It will serve as a midpoint between the elections of late 2017 and the upcoming elections of 2022.

Thus, it should be a year when the negative reverberations of the tumultuous elections which saw President Uhuru Kenyatta defeat Opposition leader Raila Odinga long since pass into the annals of history.

In fact, the handshake, partnership and all that has resulted from it has meant those divisive elections are a thing of the past in a way rarely seen in our history.

While some politicians seem to be only thinking about the elections of 2022, there is still enough distance to them that it is hoped most politicians should be able to focus on their daily work on helping Kenya progress and develop as a nation.

The war on corruption has seen some tangible gains, especially at the highest levels and the people are starting to come around to the idea that this is the real deal after so many false starts over the years.

For a long time, ever since President Kenyatta launched this battle, many Kenyans were dubious and suspicious. Those numbers are certainly shrinking, and while corruption is by no means a thing of the past, most understand that we are certainly moving in the right direction.

The headlines of governors and cabinet secretaries being arrested and having their days in court should set at ease the minds of the biggest cynics and skeptics.

The Big Four agenda is certainly one of the most ambitious initiatives ever witnessed in our country, but we are already seeing green shoots across the board.

While many of these initiatives were launched prior to 2019, it was last year that they really came to the fore.

It takes a lot of courage to even enunciate such programmes, let alone create roadmaps and plans of action to their fruition.

We have heard the lofty ideas, and we are already beginning to witness the vision. The practical ramifications might not yet be felt by all, but the foundations are certainly being put into place.

This is evidenced by the fact that more and more people are buying in to these initiatives and jumping on the bandwagon.

We have rarely, if ever, seen such a diverse set of leaders from different parties and tribes all pushing in the same direction.

At the onset of the year, there is barely a national leader of note who is against the Building Bridges Initiative report and all of its various reforms and innovations that hope to end corruption, lack of a national ethos, divisive elections, and ethnic antagonism and competition, whilst bolstering safety and security, engendering responsibilities and rights, inclusivity, and shared prosperity.

Arguably, for the first time since Kenya’s official uhuru over five decades ago, there is a common sense of purpose coursing throughout the land.

Tribal politics and talk of succession are being drowned out by positive and forward-thinking ideas.

The BBI process, led by the people who developed its issues and ideas, has created an important platform for unity, harmony and accord. The people of Kenya feel that they have a stake in its success so will be expecting to see our politicians fulfill their promises.

They will be paying special attention to those who can actualise its potential to literally change the face of the nation.

If the promise is met, then it will mean freedom from insecurity, poverty, division and ethnic antagonism. These are the ills that have plagued our society for too long.

The BBI report can, and should, become a blueprint for a better tomorrow for Kenya and its people. Its authors, the people, expect their ideas to be taken seriously and not ignored.

The ball is now in the court of our leaders and especially President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has staked so much of his reputation and legacy on this initiative and its reforms.

His example must be matched by action across the board.

If these reforms are met and the lofty theory becomes a reality then it will certainly become a year of freedom, a year of Uhuru.