NERIMA: We the people live our reality and the politicians in an Orwellian dystopia

Catchy names like Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), Punguza Mizigo, and whatever else Kenyan politicians come up with, have taken up our social and political space easily because of their accompanying mass hysteria and pomp that distracts from the things that matter. You know, the issues at hand.

Apparent solutions for the greater public must have the people’s concerns at heart. There is nothing that tires the human mind more than over thinking and paranoia.

And to avoid this, most Kenyans have put a shield around them when it comes to political machinations. They do not quite know what the real issues are, but they know that politicians are up to something, but choose to live in ignorance. This is what our politics does to us every day.

So what narrative are Kenyan politicians driving currently?

Perhaps the greater question should be; Was the Constitution written for a utopian society? The idea of Kenya rather than the real Kenya?

One of my favourite authors is George Orwell, the master of dystopia tales and I love his final book, 1984. His writing has influenced me to the point that I tend to have a pessimistic view of even the very existence of democracy. And of our law.

Chapter one of the Kenya Constitution states: ‘‘We the people...’’ but as the International Democracy day was being marked on September 15, I questioned its true meaning. What people? All people? Or some people?

Because democracy is about a majority, there is always a group feeling oppressed one way or another, because they don’t feel protected.

In Kenya, the wealthy few are politically aligned to the ruling elite, and make decisions for the multitude. As I pondered on the words, ‘‘we the people’’ I wondered since when did Kenya care about the people? Is it that we hope that one day we will?

We treat the Constitution as the Bible, we may know some verses, where they appear, when to quote them appropriately, but living life according to that law is a whole other duty.

The BBI task force has been collecting recommendations and views on national cohesion for the past year.

There was confusion as to where their office was based, they had no website to submit information online, not even a phone number for sharing opinions widely via SMS of other free messaging apps.

When it comes to building a country’s peace, measures to collect public opinion must be exhausted. It is a matter of great interest for all. But according to the BBI, that was not so important. They did host forums, but they were not as accessible as one would have thought.

For Punguza Mizigo, it is interesting that the individual behind it was also very involved in coming up with our current Constitution.

It is not bad to change one’s mind, but this is the difference between night and day.

The constitutionally provided spaces where people participate on issues is during public participation.

Currently there are counties that have no standard regulations as to how to implement them. They are haphazard and it is not due to lack of information, but what is worrying is the intentionality of how some are carried out.

There is no participation, a certain number of people are called upon to attend a meeting, they receive ‘‘participation payment’’—transport, lunch and the meeting is duly adjourned without their input since all ‘‘input’’ was pre-prepared and passed.

The people’s opinion is not a matter of concern. We have not reached the level of having town hall engagements where opinions count.

Apparently we believe that those who are learned know everything, which is a dreadful fallacy.

It is difficult watching politicians clamouring for change of this or that law in an apparent sake of the people when we hardly see them get together when there is such a need to address real matters affecting the people.

We the people might wonder how it is they benefit when they run around ignoring our real issues. But I suppose we will never know.

Nerima Wako-Ojiwa is executive director of Siasa Place. Twitter: @NerimaW