Uhuru needs support for his unity bid to withstand strains

The great Indian anti-colonial activist, lawyer and politician Mahatma Gandhi faced great challenges as he led India’s struggle for independence. Apart from the obvious fact that the country was being controlled by a foreign colonial power, India was so divided across ethnic and linguistic lines that it made it very hard to come together as a single nation to cast off the yoke of British oppression.

The Indian constitution lists 22 languages, but many more are spoken, with hundreds of regional dialects. There are more than two thousand different ethnic groups in the country! The population has grown since independence at over 360 million to more than 1.3 billion people today.

When describing the real power of unity, Gandhi said that, “Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking.” All of the strains that India faced then - ethnic diversity, linguistic plenitude, multiple religions within a single territory - are still problems that face the country today.

Kenya is not dissimilar. Though we are much smaller, we are multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic, and adhere to several different religions. Though these characteristics can always pose a threat to stability and national harmony, they are also what make our countries so culturally rich. 

Today, more than seven decades since independence, India still faces some of the same challenges as in Gandhi’s time. The country is split between citizens who support or are against Narendra Modi’s nationalist policies, and disunity is rampant. But I have no doubt that India will withstand these trials, and will figure out the way forward as they continue to grow. 

It is our duty to support other historically persecuted people, especially within emerging nations, that face similar struggles. And as we observe the tension that our Indian friends are going through, we can reflect for a moment on similar issues that Kenya is experiencing and how we can learn from Gandhi.

The vicissitudes of our unity is one of the biggest issues in Kenya today, but despite it all, it has withheld the severest strain. Each time there is an election, we seem to become engulfed in post-election violence - taking the lives of far too many. This kind of chaos during each election cycle is simply not sustainable.

Thus, it was necessary for President Uhuru Kenyatta to extend his hand to ODM leader Raila Odinga as an overture for what could yet be done.

Following that handshake, the two historic rivals put their heads together and tried to come up with ways to unite the country, to improve the situation for all of us. But it was not enough for just the leaders to come up with solutions on their own.

The people needed to be consulted. Unity is not just a symbol of leadership, the act of two politicians shaking hands and putting differences behind them. Unity is a movement of the people that will only overcome all strains and challenges if the people are behind it.

That is why the Building Bridges Initiative task force was charged with uncovering the greatest issues facing Kenyans today. Some Kenyan politicians have historically been very out of touch with what citizens themselves actually want and need. That is a recipe for disaster.

How could a country as diverse as Kenya be unified if only some tribes and ethnic groups were being represented? How can we expect for the whole nation to surge towards economic prosperity if more attention was being paid to the urbanites than the country’s rural inhabitants. Though ethnically split, we are all unified not only in theory by a single national identity, but in practice by our economy.

The farmers in Western are tied to the merchants on the Coast who distribute the goods we produce and grow around the world. And much of it passes through Nairobi, where business people work to push the limits of innovation and make our prosperity grow. 

While turmoil rages around us, in East Africa and around the world, let us not be distracted by the problems of other countries. Let us not be divided by opposing opinions. Let us be constructive. We all seek the same things - prosperity and safety, peace and harmony, good education and healthcare for our children. 

Let us follow President Uhuru’s example and vow for unity to withstand even the greatest strains.