Why The Double-standard? Tribalism Is Painfull To All

Story by PAUL MWANGI
Publication Date: 7/4/2007

I EMPATHISED WITH ODM Presidential aspirant Raila Odinga last week when I read how he came close to tears after one of his colleagues in ODM-K told him that he could not be elected president because he is a Luo.

I agree with Mr Odinga that such statements as the one that was directed at him are “primitive” and part of “old backward ideologies and biases”.

The statement was malicious and hurtful and Raila aptly described it as “a very painful slur”.

Tribalism, as he said later in an exclusive interview, is the work of a small elite interested in power “who categorise communities as this and that and look down upon cultural practices of others”.

Two things intrigued me about this unfortunate incident. Firstly, that other politicians who pretend to fight and campaign against tribalism did not condemn the statements made against Raila.

Because the statements impugn on Raila’s presidential candidacy, many politicians are glad to chuckle under the table and let him stew in the slur.

But this is not about Raila. Tribalism remains the curse of the African people and it prevents us from building modern societies in our nations. It is very myopic to let a tribal slur as the one made on Raila pass because it may be political advantageous.

There is a more grievous issue involved and it is a shame that no one, particularly those who keep preaching salvation and deliverance to us, has stood up to defend Raila on this matter.

A second matter that intrigues me is that Raila does feel pain when subjected to a tribal slur. I found that ironical because he is on record as having made similar tribal slurs against others.

On November 27, 2005, during the Orange victory party at Uhuru Park after the constitutional referendum, Raila was reported as having congratulated Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Joseph Kamotho as being “the only good ones from among the enemies’’.

The “enemies’’ were the people from Central Province who had voted overwhelmingly for the draft constitution proposed by the Government.

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Kamotho had stood out from the rest of the leaders and the people from the province in leading a campaign and voting against the draft constitution. Raila is quoted as having termed the referendum as “a victory over the enemy’’.

In support of his sentiments, Mr Charles Njonjo told the rally that he was embarrassed to have been born a Kikuyu. Raila did not castigate him for the slur on an entire community, and instead proceeded to embrace him in a political initiative to sell ODM to the people of Central Province.

SO, WHY DOES IT HURT RAILA TO be slurred on the basis of his tribe but he is content to slur others? Why does he not castigate those of his political friends who issue similar slurs like those that moved him to the point of tears?

In reference to the statement that he cannot be elected because he is a Luo, Raila asked how the Luo would feel if they were told that their lot is just to vote for others.
Well, Luos will feel the same thing that members of the Kikuyu community felt when they were told that they are the enemy and it is embarrassing to be a member of their community.

And the reason for that was captured poetically by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. To paraphrase the great poet, I wish to ask Mr Odinga:

“Hath not a Kikuyu eyes? Hath not a Kikuyu hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Luo is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?”

Every one deserves to be judged by their strengths and weaknesses and not by their tribe. What is bad for the Luo is also bad for the Kikuyu. A tribal slur that hurts Raila also hurts Kamotho.

Recently, Mr Joseph Kamotho was castigated for bending to the political winds in Central Province and declaring his support for President Kibaki. He was said to be a tribalist.

Before his opportunistic turn, Kamotho had been praised for standing up against the political winds in his home province. This praise, however, has never been extended to Minister Raphael Tuju, who is still liable to be stoned and jeered for standing up against the dominant political philosophy in Nyanza.

If Mr Tuju were to make an opportunistic turn like Mr Kamotho, would he be praised for “seeing the light” or castigated for being a tribalist?

My guess is that double standards would apply. And with due respect to Mr Raila Odinga, he is using double standards on the issue of tribalism.

He cannot condemn tribal discrimination against the Luo and condone tribal discrimination against the Kikuyu. Tribalism is bad always and it hurts us all equally. And for those condoning the tribal discrimination in the Luo, they should remember that yesterday, it was the Kikuyu, today it is the Luo, tomorrow it will be them.

Mr Mwangi is a lawyer practising in Nairobi

My Expression: Tribalism remains a thorny issue in our nation, what better way to deal with it than through intellect and respect to all. No to tribalism. Njoro.

The above article is lifted from the Nationmedia and posted by Njoro.