Tribalism must be condemned in the strongest terms possible

It has been 56 years for Kenyans to fight the evils bedevilling the country; those left behind by the colonialists and, importantly, those that cropped up after independence in 1963.

Sadly, tribalism is still a thorn in our flesh and appears to get rooted deeply by the day.

But it seems the more the rehearsals in this endeavour to weed it out, the more the stagnation and, painfully, the more the vice gets ingrained in society.

From the recent actions by those in government, whether at the national or county level, it’s clear that we still have a long way to cover before we can properly deal with tribalism.

The penchant to reward those belonging to the same ethnic community as those in powerful positions is still evidently strong and may take a long time to extinguish.

Recently, uproar rightly met appointments by Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, who picked individuals who appeared to belong to a single community, at least going by their names, to be members of the board of a parastatal.

The matter has gone to court after a group of people sued the minister, who has preferred to keep mum and wait for his day in court despite social media bashing.

That was not the first time a top government official was facing condemnation for questionable appointments since the Jubilee regime came to power six years ago.

The advent of devolution has boosted tribalism in a way that should worry everyone.

Recent reports by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission indicate that county bosses have focused on illegally filling positions along tribal lines with abandon.

The County Government Act requires that at least 30 per cent of positions be occupied by individuals from outside the particular devolved unit in the spirit of discouraging tribalism, but the clause has often been ignored.

But as the NCIC, which is mandated to fight this malaise, struggles to stamp its authority; those in charge of key positions are perpetrating this retrogressive practice.

Tribalism is a disease. It requires the serious attention of a top surgeon and persistent treatment to rid the country of it.

It should not be viewed from the narrow perspective of the proponent and the beneficiary alone, but holistically interpreted.

When an individual enjoying the powers bequeathed to that office by the Constitution, or the law goes about rewarding only those who belong to their ethnic community, the impact is not only confined to that action but, when keenly considered, ripples through a larger ecosystem.

The most qualified people will, certainly, be denied a chance to serve the country, leading to poor service delivery that translates to frustration and lack of confidence in the government among the populace.

Often, tribalism bears mediocrity; from experience, it thrives where it is sown.

When tribalism is suppressed, there is a higher chance of better service delivery. Take, for instance, Gor Mahia, the local football champions whose exploits are there for all to see.

Although the club and most of its supporters are proud of their roots, the managers have not led that bog it down.

They have opened doors to all talented players within and without the country, who have played a great role in ensuring it retained the Kenya Premier League title many times.

Were the club’s managers to be driven by tribal tendencies, then such talented players would never have had a chance to shine and enable the team to bask in glory.

From the recent experience, social media anger is not adequate arsenal to fight tribalism.

It may present a good platform to expose the vice and others, but it will require more than that to exterminate it.

That the anger over alleged tribalism dissipated just as it began should be a strong indictment of the populace for laying its life in the fast perishable world of social media.

That the anger didn’t go beyond the keyboard and its related ‘likes’, thumbs-ups and -downs and some emojis is a clear indication that more is needed to battle tribalism. There must be deliberate action against it.

The approach shouldn’t be top-down as it is being done.

Children should be taught in schools early to embrace one another not based on ethnic roots, but on abilities and, above all, for being fellow countrymen and women.

People’s abilities should not, and cannot, be tied to their ethnicity. If they are exposed to the same education system and possess satisfactory qualifications and talents, where they come from shouldn’t be an issue unless it is about equity.

Equitable distribution of resources and government positions is what the Constitution espouses; that is why it has been praised far and wide.

Any attempt, then, at casting it aside when making official appointments deserves condemnation.