The Kenyan Dream

After reading the famous 1963 speech on the one Martin Luther King Jr, I was left thinking seriously about our situation in Kenya. Martin mentions many things, but among them, the fact that even after America claims to be independent, there are still many injustices being done to the Negros. That Negros are poor and uneducated in a country that is nt devoid of wealth and education systems, especially for the whites.

We as Kenyans, 46 years after independence are as enslaved as never before. To some large extent, we are worse than in days yonder, before the Colonialists came over. We have not learned to live as brothers and sisters, we allow ourselves to fight our neighbors because he is not of my tribe; we allow some monastic and nonsensical politician to incite us against our own very friends. Why, because they are not like us, thus they are the cause of our problems. And stupidly enough, we follow.

I have a dream to see a Kenya where Luo and Kikuyu join hands to learn from each other, the Luo business sublime business skills from the Kikuyu, and the Kikuyu sheer genius in class like the Luo (I know, there's some stereotype there, but you get the point). The Kalenjin to embrace the Kamba, and Maasai to respect the Mijikenda, the Luhyia to take delight in the success of the Meru, and the Meru to rejoice when the Kisiiland blossoms in productivity. We need each other.

I have a dream that we shall use our diversity in culture as a strong point instead of using it to create crevices amongst ourselves. I have a dream that ideals will drive us to vote for our leaders, not the tribe he is from. I have a dream that we shall unite to shun evils like police harassment and bribe solicitation, political tribalism, brainwashing, poor payment, under-performing public laborers, exploitative employers, corrupt dealers, broken down administrative structures, ridiculously awkward policies. All with one voice, and only one voice can we defeat these. United we stand, divided, we must be ready to embrace many scores of misery. and not complain about it.

I have a dream that Kenya will be a grand land, because it is a land of grand people.