There was no political signage or euphoria but rather silent reflection. Romney in a statement said “I stand before you today not as a man running for office, but as a father and a grandfather, a husband, an American”. President Obama on his part said, “ there are going to be other days for politics, this, I think is a day of prayer and reflection” The same united front has been evident whenever tragedy strikes in the U.S, be it a hurricane or a tornado, terrorist attack or killing of twenty helpless school children in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Kenya has had its share of tragedies too. But the one on the minds of many Kenyans is the tragic loss of 15 school children from the same county in a grisly road accident. This is a tragedy that hit at the heart of a nation. The frantic efforts by medical personnel to save lives, the airlifts of those critically injured and government waiver of hospital and funeral expenses as well as the outright concern from every corner of the country brings home the point that although tragedy may bring grief and even helplessness, there can be those who offer comfort to those who are suffering and mourn with those who mourn. Who better can comfort and rally a stunned nation than leaders from opposite political spectrum?
If the events at the mass funeral service for the 15 departed young children in Kisii are to go by, Kenyan leaders have once again failed to rise above political mediocrity in the wake of a national tragedy. A tragic event that called for reason from all leaders was lost inchaos of hysteria and opportunism as a solemn moment of reflection turned into divisive political platform. Cheered on by a frenzied almost fanatical crowd, those who project themselves as unbending fighters for progress scrambled for microphones to rip their political opponents.
The grief and sorrow notwithstanding, this tragedy exposes the ugly underbelly of politics in Kenya. The complete lack of civility and decency at this mass funeral service reflects the repulsive form of inter-party relations and regional politics. As the entire country was mourning over the tragic loss of young lives, the lack of decorum that has been rife in exchanges between CORD and the Jubilee government at national level was evident as people in Kisii came face to face with an abhorrent form of regionalism that poses a great danger to national unity. One wonders which one of this is a greater tragedy – It is the continued loss of lives of Kenyans or the lack of national unity and absence of civilized conduct among Kenyan politicians.
If the news reports are to go by, nothing seemed to have been said about uniting in tragedy by either the CORD leadership or Jubilee government. The CORD leadership which enjoys the goodwill of people in this area failed to defend the freedom of speech for the government officers send to deliver the president’s speech.One would have thought that the former Prime Minister, a crusader of the rights of the people, and a darling of crowd at hand would borrow from the famous quote by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who said in her biography on Voltaire that “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. Instead he sat in bemused silence while the government officials were humiliated and denied their right to speak.
The fact that the president’s speech was never delivered by extension denied the rights of those families that were grieving their fundamental right to public information. The government stood with these families throughout the tragedy. Personal intervention by the president through an executive order for airlifts, medical and funeral expenses showed a unity of purpose on the part of government.Therefore these grieving families had the right to know what the president had to say to them. Unfortunately, their rights to public information were denied in the presence of those who purport to be the custodians and champions of human rights.
Playing politics as the blood of innocent Kenyans flow on depleted roads is worse than pointing fingers at a corrupt traffic officer. Preaching vengeful and divisive politics where hearts are breaking with sadness of unspeakable tragedy is worse than skipping the event all together. This day was no longer about politics. This was a day to seize the opportunity and stand before the broken hearted not as Jubilee or CORD, but as parents, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. This was the day to offer comfort to those affected by this tragedy and mourn with those who are mourning.
Tsuma Clive Katiba PhD
cktsuma@yahoo.com
Faculty, Public Policy and International Relations
Research Fellow, International Center for Information Development (ICITD)
USA
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