As much as the public appreciates the fact that the administration of a decennial National Population and Housing Census is an astronomical as well as a complex undertaking, the Government has an obligation to ensure that the census outcome is made public within a reasonable time frame. Already, the Government has postponed for the second time, in a week, the release of the 2009 population census amid growing speculation that the ethnic statistical data so generated may have been cooked. This is quite unfortunate considering the fact that ours is a country where tribal politicians advance their selfish interests by regarding their tribes as vehicles of symbolic expression.

Startling as this census information may be, it was not entirely unexpected. Just before the end of the 2009 census exercise, a senior Government official at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), exuded confidence over the reliability and validity of the statistical data that was to be generated. In his own words “the best scientific methods had been employed in the enumeration process” even though there was prima facie evidence that the whole exercise had become a cropper.

Now, reports emerging from sections of the mainstream media confirm that in spite of the serious consequence of a census on our country`s domestic policy planning, little if any, was done to insulate the exercise from all sorts of errors; deliberate or not.

Of much concern is the possibility of existence of vested interests at the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). I hear that this interest revolves around a community’s loins and coins. A community gets as much coins as is the activeness of its members` loins. But not to worry, if your loins cannot give you the coins you desire as a community, you can hire a technocrat at CBS to manipulate statistical data in your communities favor. This is because the more populous you are as a community the better your chances of electing one of your own to state house and so is your chance of “eating” the National cake enhanced.

Seriously, if this is true, then it portends gloom for this country. This must surely be the arithmetic of a cabal intent to hide behind ethnic numbers to engage in gerrymandering. It is part of wider, more elaborate and most odious scheme to create fiefdoms otherwise referred to as constituencies.

And that is not the only thing. I hear that the poverty indexes to have been tampered with as well if only to ensure more devolved funds flow into the said fiefdoms.

It is because of this reason that the allegations of “errors in content”, which ostensibly arose due to incorrect reporting or tabulation of information cannot be dismissed.

It is also doubtable at this point in time whether the Government can undo the numerous inadvertent errors in the census enumerations such as “errors in coverage”, where; a person or groups of persons may have not been counted at all or counted twice. Of much serious concern is the undercount which may have occurred in areas with nomadic lifestyles. Such undercounts are likely to greatly affect people’s abilities to be represented in Government`s affairs.

Considering the fact that the exercise was marred by widespread corruption in recruiting census enumerators; it is not surprising at all that it greatly suffered from the naivety of undeserving enumeration officers.. Majority of them could not fully comprehend the magnitude and complexity of such an extremely important decennial exercise.

Given the socio-economic and political importance of the exercise, it is understandable that the public exerts pressure on the Government to expedite the process. However, it must not be lost to all that such pressure may force the Government to wittingly release doctored census results if only to save face. We have to accept the fact that the “1999 decennial census error” is here with us again.

Kenya has 43 tribes and each tribe is very significant. Kikuyu factor in Kenya politics has played significantly both in pre-independence and post independent Kenya. Thus Kikuyu factor can never be ignored in the country’s future talk.

Kikuyu community is one amongst the most blessed communities in Kenya. Kikuyus are very hard working, honest, courageous and principled community. Kikuyus cherish freedom, peace and harmony amongst and within communities.

Since pre-independence, the Kikuyus have co-existed peacefully with many communities in many parts of the country. Unfortunately, Kikuyus are the least understood in the context of Kenyan politics.

Today, thanks to tribal politics, Kikuyus are viewed in the eyes of few hyenas and criminals that have vandalized the country in the name of the community. The 2007 post election violence put to the fore venom harboured by some communities against the Kikuyu community.

Some foolish leaders went even a step further of giving Lesotho and Swaziland analogies in reference of where Kikuyus in Living in Central Kenya should be put. In public Barazas it was common to hear some people casually say that Kikuyus in Rift Valley “wanauawa Kama majibwa”. Prior to 2007 during the skirmishes between the security forces and some vigilantes in Central Kenya, and between the vigilante and the community, it was common to hear some individuals saying “wacha wamalizane wenyewe”.

In 2007 ethnically targeted post election violence, so many Kikuyus lost their lives. So many lost their life times’ possessions. So many children lost their parents and their future. So many Kikuyus’ were incapacitated, disabled and reduced to beggers. So many were humiliated and condemned into the miserable lives of being IDPs. May their souls rest in eternal peace – those that were incinerated in that Kiambaa Church. This must and shall never be allowed to happen again.

Why did these have to die? Who in the Kenya today had a say on where to be born? What is so wrong being a Kikuyu? What is so special about Kikuyus that other communities hate, demonize and victimize them? Is it true the propaganda that Kikuyus are hated by other communities? And why? Should Kikuyus apologize for being Kikuyus?

The naked fact is that Kikuyus are in Kenya because God wanted them to be in Kenya. Kikuyus owes nobody apology for being Kikuyus.

Kikuyus dominate street families in all major towns of this country, no body raises their finger. Kikuyus dominate Commercial Sex Workers in pubs in many parts of this country, no one raises the finger. Kikuyus form a very significant population of all Kenyan jails, no body raises a finger. Kikuyus form the bulk of touts and “manambas” in this country, no body raises a finger. Kikuyus form the bulk of the hawking fraternity and jua - kali artisans. No body raises a finger.

Central Kenya like any other rural setup has many regions without water, electricity even mobile telephone network coverage. Central Kenya languishes from landlessness, falling academic standards, dilapidated infrastructure, insecurity, food shortages and drought just like anywhere else in the country. Central province just like other provinces suffers from environmental degradation, AIDS/HIV, falling health standards and lately even jiggers.

It is therefore not a secret that there is nothing special being from Central Kenya. If somebody is born a Kikuyu….so what?

In 2007, some six bearded individuals crafted some party electoral strategy that aimed at ganging all Kenyans against the Kikuyus. It was a party core campaign strategy. We saw these same individuals agitate for economic sabotage against kikuyu businesses. It could have been worse. It must never be allowed to happen again.

Kenyan must strive for a Kenya where every Kenyan cast their votes to whoever they want to lead them and their verdict respected.

Reality dictates that, what happened in 2007 can and indeed may happen again. Some Kenyans refused to think with their heads. These butchers, rapists, arsonists and murderers are still alive and free. It can and may happen again. That is the truth.

Unfortunately the current Kikuyu leadership is dreamland. They are so much interested in protecting what they have, maximizing on what they can possibly steal and in the process maligning the community – a real catalyst of tribal animosity against the Kikuyus.

The potential leadership is just stale and hypocritical rallying the community to vote for them just because their fathers were national leaders and/or because they are women or they were betrayed by the incumbent. In the current political pool, these pretenders to the throne are outmaneuvered in all by political novices. This clearly shows that the Kikuyu leadership is it currently exists are sterile and impotent and it would be, not only dangerous but extremely foolish for the community to bank on them for future leadership roles.

The Kikuyu community must wean itself of the “Mt Kenya Mafia” in the mainstream political leadership. The community must re-brand it self so that Kenyans shall no longer see the community in the eyes and actions of few criminals who criminals that conduct and engage ruthlessly in politics for private advantage.

In all these aspirations, the path must be that or respect of rule of law and respect other communities based on mutual inter community trust, respect and interests.

There can never be Kenya without the Kikuyus and there can never be Kikuyus without other communities in Kenya.

Kenya does not belong to anybody’s father, mother, grandfather or grand father.

Kenya belongs to all Kenyans and that cannot and will never change.

New Order Party of Kenya! A new Deal for Kenya!

By

Lawrence Kamau Macharia
Chairman
New Order Party of Kenya

So, we are seeing tribal leaders again. They voice tribal deprivation and tribal injustice in a flash. There is famine in the country and drought across the land. But all they shout about is that they are being painted as 'thieves'. In place of prayers for the national problem, they call prayers for the tribal grievance. In another flash, they give up being members of the National Assembly and become hardworking members of their self-summoned tribal assembly.

This is a return to the politics of the past. Those dark days proved to be so damaging to Kenya and all its peoples that we needed the world to sit us up again. The damage is visible also to the very peoples for whose benefit governments practised tribalism over the past 20 years. For tribalism is not bad when it is practised for the benefit of one tribe, and good when for another.

Tribal politics damage every part of the nation, no matter for whose apparent benefit they have been practised. We have seen that the tribal politics of Kenyatta, Moi and the first Kibaki government divided Kenyans, created the third most unequal country in the world, and unleashed oppression, corruption and illegalities that resulted in our election chaos of 2007. That is the experience we all know. We cannot stop such politicians. But there is something we can do.

We can reject them. And deny them respect, or vote. We have to heed that experience, so we have the strength to reject the tribal appeals and 'leadership' which we find so difficult to resist even while we know they are wrong.

The politics of tribalism is the use of money and coercion to hate others, so that a few individuals keep power and enlarge their wealth. No nation can be built on such sand.

To keep tribal politicking 'attractive', fresh branding campaigns are launched from time to time.

The latest repackaging has a very bright sticker on the product: "With New Youth(ful) Leaders". This is also being put on the shelves as the Politics of Youth, so youth can buy it directly also.

The political salesmen are 'youthful'. The political product is Methuselahan. Tribal politics is not the politics of youth. It is the politics of Moi, Kenyatta and the colonial British. That is why
when the going gets tough, the young tough get going to visit certain old men.

Youthful tribalists say they are the new model of youth leadership. We all still hold up Nelson Mandela as the model for ourselves and our Continent. I have not noticed lately that he is a youth. I thought the beliefs, consistency and actions of Mandela were a better test than age. So too, we must choose our youth leaders more carefully, and on their service and consistency. Youthful tribalists are not the future.

If we follow the youth who studied in YK92 and in late-Kanu, they can lead us in no other way. They do not know any way other than tribalism. Their 'leadership' is but old wine in new bottles. There is a further reason to reject such 'leaders'.

Tribalism is dysfunctional. Tribalists cannot implement a constitution of ideas. Nor can a mix of national welfare and tribalism bring us success. There is no such theory of constitution or good government premised on ethnic domination.

Tribal primacy cannot make Kenya a functioning nation. To make Kenya develop, we need functioning laws, commerce and social justice. We need them implemented and practiced all the time, to pull Kenya back from our retrograde past.

The oaths of office these 'leaders' take are to constitutional supremacy. Their actions are for the supremacy of their own tribe. This is a basic conflict.

When MPs swear loyalty to the Constitution, they are swearing loyalty to concepts of freedom, equity and law. But when (as they are doing) they transfer their loyalty from those concepts and donate it instead to a tribe, then intellectual schizophrenia sets in.

We cannot subscribe to national ideals and simultaneously to ethnic hegemony. They are incompatible. To do so brings the nation to a standstill. Exactly as happened in 2005 and 2007.

We must learn from our history or it will keep teaching us the same painful lesson of 2007. We have to deny support to leaders who offer the easy politics of ethnicity and give support to those who work at the more difficult politics of delivery, regardless of their ethnic group.

The writer is a lawyer based in Nairobi.