ONE KENYA: SEASONAL UNITY

Kenya is one. The West-gate Mall tragedy tells it all. The Long queues in almost all counties in Kenya; as Kenyans from various tribes and races patiently waited in the slow moving queues for their turn to donate blood, a priceless commodity, to save lives of the victims of the tragedy; yet none of these well wishers cared about the ethnic alienation of the victims. In fact, no Luo cared if his blood would go to a Kikuyu; no mzungu cared if his blood would go to an African. Oh, excuse my ignorance, may be the injured victims of the attack chose the blood to be transfused in to their veins.  Doesn’t mzungu become black if he has a black man’s blood in his veins? Wouldn’t a Luo become a Kikuyu if he has Kikuyu blood? 

Kenya is one. The many millions of shillings contributed by Kenyan well-wishers to cater for the hospital bills and burial arrangements for West-gate Mall Tragedy victims, irrespective of their ethnicity, confirm it all. Kenyans in the country and the Diaspora joined hands for that noble cause. Kenya is with no doubt one. The many heroes who sacrificed their lives to save the innocent lives of victims held hostage by the terrorists, not forgetting the heroines who turned up at the scene of the tragedy with water, tea, porridge, and meals to feed the army, which had camped at West-gate for four days, in a bid to secure our country from terrorists. The unity of all Kenyans on social media platforms as they prayed for the security of our country, voiced their condolence messages to the bereaved families, and wished the survivors of the attack quick recovery.  The unity in condemning the heinous acts of the terrorists, yet none was biased along tribal and ethnic divisions; speak volumes about Kenya’s oneness. 

If Kenya is one, then, who separates us along ethnic and tribal lines? Why do we allow ourselves to be divided? If the unity portrayed during and after the West-gate mall siege is anything to go by, then Kenya is a united nation. Why do we hurl tribal insults at each other during elections? Politicians divide us during elections as we get emotional and take ethnic sides. However, they encourage us to be united during national crisis as witnessed during the West-gate incident. Can’t we say no to people who play with our emotions for their own self –gain? Kenya is one. Let us always be united regardless of the season!

By Gladys Muthara

Finance Major
University of Nairobi