Patriotism is a national duty; let’s promote it

From an estimated population of 50 million Kenyans, 30 million are above 15 years.

How many of these can affirm love of their motherland? What number can confess patriotism as opposed to hatred of and indifference to their country?

When do we identify ourselves with Kenya? When our sports men and women emerge victorious in the international arena? Or when we live abroad and are separated from the country?

Perhaps when together we are seeking fundamental change, for example, during the pre-independence era, the 1990 struggles for multipartism and the 2010 Constitution or during major emergencies?

Samuel Johnson defines a patriot as “one whose ruling passion is the love for his (her) country”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes patriotism as “love for or devotion to one’s country”.

In countries where citizens embrace patriotism, there is a high sense of collegiality and belongingness to their country.

They endeavour to promote the common interest. When a group of citizens have a common bond, whether they are within or without boundaries of their country, they deeply care for one another.

In countries which manifest a high degree of patriotism, all adults are usually eligible for military service. Patriotism is starkly manifested if people can readily sacrifice for their country.

To the question would you die for your country, many Kenyans would answer in the negative.

Many of us will not even do volunteer service such as simple community clean-up exercises.

Certain communities in our country do share common bonds and exhibit a low level of “patriotism”.

For example, in our villages or sub locations, people who educate their children in a common school, do their commerce in a common market centre or within a market day, draw water from a common water point, attend a common health facility, belong to a funeral association, and a welfare group (kyama) have a real common bond.

They value and are committed to their village or sub-location which facilitates their common identity and living.

They have a reason to be patriotic in respect of their common social unit.

Therefore, the question must be asked, what would be the reason to love one’s country?

We love a mother because, among other things, she produces us, nurtures us and creates initial impetus for our own social reproduction.

Young people in Kenya and Africa in general are struggling to find a reason to fall in love with their countries. They have been relegated to the margins of society.

They have no job and self-employment opportunities. The general population lacks social services such as education, health, welfare and support for agriculture, marketing, investments and other wealth or income generation opportunities.

Many people cannot easily love a country which has impoverished them.

Majority of the people wonder who owns their country and feel it does not love them. They therefore ask themselves 'why love a country that does not reciprocate love'.

Akuamoah Ernest Mensah of Ghana writes: “If a leader wants us (the citizens) to be patriotic, they should give us something to pride ourselves with – ‘our plight is nothing to be proud of and we cannot be patriotic about nothing'".

Mensah’s argument is that political leaders must create the environment for their citizens to be patriotic.

A country is like a company where all shareholders know they are eligible for a dividend share.

It is not enough for leaders to ask their citizens to be patriotic, for us to sing the national anthem at every turn, to ask students to recite loyalty anthems, et cetera.

What are some of the consequences and effects of lack of patriotism? Young people and other Africans are increasingly seeking to immigrate abroad, a kind of divorce from their countries.

Other young people are easily recruited into terrorism and treason against their countries. Inter-tribal and class conflicts are becoming endemic.

State capture particularly, as exemplified by mega corruption, is the order of the day in Africa.

Theft by the elite from their country is the anti-thesis of patriotism; it is fratricide.

Patriotism deficit ultimately leads to extreme poverty and marginalisation of the majority.

Attempts to restore patriotism through philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, the harambee movement, diaspora engagement with mother country and some are positive.

However, more fundamental remedies to the loss of love by the majority towards our countries and the continent must be sought.

Countries such as the United Arab Emirates, South Korea and the Asian Tigers show the way.

Founding leaders religiously committed themselves to the common interest. For them, the essence of leadership was to evolve countries which cared for their entire population.

The leader’s self-interest was de-emphasised. The country was akin to a loving family. The people had no option but to love their country, to be patriotic.

It was their duty to protect their countries from external and internal threats.

Patriotism in those countries included constructive criticism of any deviations from promotion of the public interest.

In these successful countries, a common vision, national policies, institutions and culture were developed.

In Kenya’s independence, the germination of patriotism was evident. Ethnic division was a minor problem.

We looked forward to building a nation in which all Kenyans would find a home and equal accommodation. That prospect was dimmed with the rise of the one-party state and authoritarianism.

The ruling elite must help the country to identify the steps necessary to lead us into inclusivity and equal citizenship.

It is only within such an enabling environment that we shall find common reason to genuinely love our country. Then patriotism will begin to flower.

However, there exists the concept of unconditional love. We must still endeavour to love one another and our country unconditionally.

The way a parent often loves her/his child. That way the seed for patriotism will be planted to await growth when the continental leadership commits itself to promotion of pervasive public interest.

Prof Kibwana is Governor of Makueni County