Post by Onyango Oloo on Sept 29, 2005 2:23:28 GMT 3
There's Time for The Faiths to Intervene
by GABRIEL DOLAN, Chairman of the Justice and Peace Commission, Kitale diocese
Publication Date: 9/29/2005 (Daily Nation)
There is nothing more depressing or ridiculous than the sight of the nation's politicians parading up and down the country dishing out oranges and bananas to impoverished citizens. What a pathetic end to a project that could have changed the nation!
It is a sad reflection of the failure of our current regime that thousands of the nation's youth are idle and free to attend these rallies even in mid-week.
At least, if the ECK had put symbols representing cows and sheep to represent the 'Yes' or 'No' votes, then the poor might have eaten meat when the campaign circus hit town. With the high price of meat everywhere, this might also have dampened the two camps' enthusiasm for campaigning.
Now, the two camps can save their millions for 2007, as they only have to dish out a few bags of fruit.
Where are we headed? Is there any way out of the polarisation and lies that have so far characterised the campaigns? Who can save us from imminent disaster?
If we closely examine the line-up in both the 'orange' and 'banana' camps, the most striking thing is that neither contains reformers. Neither camp convinces me that they care about the future of this nation.
Retaining or ascending to power
I cannot see more than a dozen of the current MPs who would have the energy or commitment to complete the legislative reform according to the Wako Draft schedules. This campaign is first and last about retaining or ascending to power.
On the one hand, we have the belligerence of the orange team. Opposing them is the intransigence of the bananas. They have shown us that the Constitutional referendum is just a dry run for 2007.
The political class have hijacked the process and it must be rescued if we are to avoid anarchy, disillusionment and, God forbid, the break up of the nation.
Constitution-making is about planting foundations for the next 100 years. Currently, campaigners cannot see beyond 2007. That is why we must snatch the process from the political class and give it back to the people. However, for that to happen, we need a team who can midwife it.
The churches have taken a neutral stand. They had little option given the fact that 20 years of constitution-making has been reduced to a very simplistic and unrealistic 'Yes' or 'No' question. That is no choice, as it neither safeguards the many progressive elements in the proposed Constitution, nor does it address the contentious issues. The churches were correct.
Their weakness was, however, that they didn't go far enough. They should have foreseen the vitriol, polarisation and division that have emerged and offered an alternative. A neutral stand by the churches has granted the two opposing camps a chance to fight it out to the bitter end.
The faith-based groups together with civil society disintegrated when Bomas began. The demise of Ufungamano was facilitated by the partisan and divisive role played by its chair, the Rev Mutava Musyimi.
One by one, the other faiths, Christian groups and civil society abandoned the one-man show. Regrettably, they were never to re-group.
However, it is not too late for the faiths to come together and salvage the process. Time is on our side. Ignore those who tell you otherwise.
Two months is a long time for those who have hope and can offer leadership. I am not proposing an IPPG repeat. The 1997 IPPG package was a political gimmick that excluded the masses and civil society.
What is needed is a solution that is both an escape and an attractive way forward. The political class will block and oppose anything that is not about their power struggles.
They should be side-lined or reduced to the role of minor players in this new initiative. They have put us in this mess and they cannot be the ones to get us out.
What must emerge is a coalition of faith-based organisations, together with the chief players from civil society offering, not a middle ground, but a vision that will capture the support of the whole country.
Should that happen, then be assured that the political camps will make a hasty retreat to their comforts in Nairobi. They will soon note that an alternative approach to the referendum will expose the hypocrisy of their games and silence them. Are the faith-based organisations up to it?
The country is in a turmoil
I am convinced that they have the capacity and respect to rescue the referendum from the political class. The country is in a turmoil and they cannot sit idly by. The hour is now. If they don't take it, they will be reduced to minor players in public life, and posterity will judge them harshly for their fence-sitting at a time of crisis.
Should they announce that they have no intervention strategy, then the last hope is to call for a team of international mediators, as Mr Maina Kiai has suggested, to assist.