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Category: Diaspora News

Written by Kim

Call it an Arab revolution, Twitter or Facebook revolution one thing is for sure that something serious is brewing in the northern part of Africa and across the Arabian Peninsula which if left to take its course will leave the region unchanged for ever.This revolution is proving George W. Bush and his neoconservative bandits wrong who swore to use Iraq as an example of democracy across the Middle East but instead left Iraq more dangerous, polarized and a magnet of extremist terrorists.This revolution is proving not just the United States wrong but also extremist opportunists like Al Qaeda and Iran’s proxy Hezbollah that the people of Middle East left alone know the course they would want their countries to take.Am sure most Kenyans have looked at the Tunisian, Egyptian and now the Libyan revolutions in great admiration but some cloud of doubt is cast when they imagine how such a revolution would fare out in their own country. And I do not blame them for their state of mind, doubtfulness, overly pessimistic and hopeless.No one puts it better than the guys at www.kuweniserious.org. According to them most Kenyans live in their country as if they are tenants in their own country; as if their lease will expire and move to their real digs. And how do they acquire such a label?Lack of true patriotism and love of country, tribalism, selfishness and should I say day dreamers instead of dreamers of aspirations.

One way of looking at the meaning of patriotism is love for country, allegiance to the flag and some will say service to country.As Senator McCain would say during his duel with President Obama, Country First! Some would argue that Kenyans are patriotic and love their country, that it is their leaders who mess them up. I beg to differ for this is partly true. We as a people pay allegiance to our tribal leader instead of our country.And do you know what happens when you are patriotic and pay allegiance to an idea, individual or ideology? You will go to great strengths to defend it at all costs even if it means dying trying to defend it.How else do you comprehend when the youth who now want to take over leadership are at the fore front in demanding the release of the MP for Kamukunji from jail after he was indicted of being a fugitive and a thief?Their patriotism is to Hon. Mbuvi and not Kenya.This is just but a representation across the board of what happens in our country.Can someone please tell me then if a revolution were to take place in Kenya, would those demonstrating have in their mind our flag, our beautiful landscape and resources, national anthem and loyalty pledge or their tribal leader?How else do you explain the euphoria of 2003 when Kenyans came together and put to an end Kanu’s 40 year rule and 2 years later be polarized into Orange and Banana camps? I am of the opinion that we give too much credit to our leaders for the role they play in messing our country.Our leaders mess our country because we allow them.If you think I am kidding you Hon. Ruto will be in the 11^th parliament and so will Hon. Kiraitu Murungi and so will Hon. Raila.Why? Because where they come from they come FIRST and Kenya SECOND.

Another reason why a Mubarak may never succeed in Kenya is due to selfishness on our part and by this I mean we want change for our country but we think it is the other person’s responsibility to agitate for that change.You in the diaspora would rather scream at the top of your voice through Facebook and/or Twitter because you have “no time” or “have too much to lose”, so you leave it to that guy from Kibera or kwa Njenga to picket, demonstrate and do running battles with the cops. You know what I call selflessness, when Google executive Wael Ghonim left his job at the one of the biggest and best company to work for in the world to join his fellow country men and women in restoring honor to his country.He had more to lose than a lot of people in his country.If you are there saying I cannot afford to take time off work and picket outside CNN headquarters, Kenyan Embassy in DC and/or London or UN Headquarters for those that live in those countries and boroughs for this or that reason, I dare each of us to do a Ghonim.If it does not make a difference I say try again until we achieve a better society for our future generation.

Before I offer a solution to what needs to be done let me point out that as a country we suffer from forgetfulness disorder or should I call it naivety. Every election cycle we buy the lies that our politicians supply us with.We buy the lie that President Mwai Kibaki is serious in firing ministers indicted with corruption yet invite same crooks to serve in government. Does the Triton oil scandal ring a bell?Does the Ksh. 103 million fraud at the MOE refresh your memory.We also buy the lie that the PM gives to us that he is for reform and that it is PNU and the Mt. Kenya mafia who are defrauding the government.Through the Wikileaks cables we now know that Raila will defy even his closest ally, Hon James Orengo to protect his corrupt family members and allies and eventually put them back in government to continue looting while telling us it is Kibaki and his henchmen. Kenya, let’s wake up and end the naievity. That Hon. Ruto and Joshua arap Sang can assemble at Kipchoge Keino stadium to ‘seek divine intervention’ in front of the masses who fall for the prank that they are truly seeking the Lord, and we cheer them on really speaks volumes about our naievity. Do we realize what we do to each other? We all want the other tribe’s leader fired while we want to keep our MP because the other tribe’s MP is the ‘enemy’.How then can we change our country if we follow our MPs like cult leaders?

For us to change our country, we have to first transform ourselves and get a makeover for our mindset. We have to be able to allow the rational part of our brain appeal more us than the emotional part.I will end by quoting the Kuweni Serious people about what needs to be done. “We have to stop burying our heads in alcohol hoping the problems will disappear.We need to stop yearning for Green Cards instead of voter’s card. Be reminded that it is not Obama’s job to save our country and the government has shown it is not their job too”. Only when we as a people “get tired” of being poor then shall we be ripe for a real transformation or should I call it a Mubarak.