Another lesson from Kenya…

Fedeli Jamma’

I was feeling rather joyful to read the messages I received this morning via social media, as Mr. Al-Khider Dalloum -the Director of a United Nations Relief Organization in the Horn of Africa- provided me with a video in which the young Kenyan President, William Ruto, addressing a press conference that there must be a concession and response to the desire of the people. Hence the reason he decided not to sign “the tax increase bill for the year 2024”, which was passed by the Kenyan Parliament.

For nearly a week, I have been following the huge demonstrations that took place in Kenyan cities, in protest against the Draft Law passed by the Kenyan Parliament, awaiting the President of the Republic’s signature to come into effect.

Because I was and still am sympathetic to the newly emerging democratic experiments in some countries of our African continent, I was very happy with the victory of the popular will that dictated to President Ruto not to sign the Draft Law!

Those who applaud the Military marches and support the Military Coups against Democratic Systems, considering that Military Rule to be “regulated and structured,” and that Civil Rule brings chaos, ignore or are ignorant of the fact that the Military “cap” stands like the sheikh’s donkey whenever it faces the extremely complex problems of our time, the most important of which is managing the country and economy.

They are also unaware that people’s awareness and acceptance of Democratic Systems won’t mature overnight. Spreading awareness requires the establishment of institutions that spread science and knowledge. This requires stability and healthy doses of freedom. The citizens of the countries in which Democratic Regimes were established suffered before democracy became a system of life at home, on the streets and at work.

While countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America sank into poverty, fear and prisons because an adventurous officer and a group of his colleagues thought that taking over the radio and television building and broadcasting a statement from it would be a lifeline for the people and the country.

This act is usually followed by efforts to silence voices and adopting one-way justification media. In such stifling atmosphere, the most vile elites of politicians and intellectuals are born, whose sole concern is to maintain silence regarding the crimes of the authority and to justify its acts of oppression and abuse against the public.

The democratic experiment in Kenya succeeded yesterday -despite the sabotage and robbery gangs that robbed shops and government offices during these demonstrations- which is to be expected in a country with a high poverty rate. However, with a quick follow-up to the International Monetary Fund’s report for the year 2023 stated that: (Access to basic services has improved. In regards to some services, the gap between the countryside and the city, as well as the gap between the poor and the rich, has narrowed. For example, the family’s share of potable water and desalinated water has increased. Means of obtaining electrical services have also improved, especially in cities, although they remain largely limited in rural areas.)

We stated that awareness is what supports and elevates democratic values and carries the experience forward from one generation to the next. The Kenyan newspaper “The Nation” shares on its website about the outcome of these violent demonstrations: (What happened should be a milestone for all political leaders that the power they enjoy belongs to their true master – the Kenyan voter) The (Nation – 27/6/2024))

In an article published a few years ago about the experience of governance in Kenya, the writer pointed out that Kenya and other countries on our African continent are moving confidently forward in establishing democracy and the rule of law.

That was when former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta appeared before the International Criminal Court “ICC” in The Hague on charges of committing an ethnic massacre in a previous election in Kenya.

At the time, I remember that President Uhuru delegated his authority to the Vice President in front of the Kenyan Parliament, and then took his private car to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in the capital, Nairobi. He completed the exit and boarding as an ordinary citizen.

At the Internacional Criminal Court in The Hague, he and his lawyers stood tall, refuting the charges against him. Everyone knows that the court didn’t have evidence against him, therefore he managed to return to his country’s capital in the same way – as an ordinary citizen on a Kenyan Airways plane. In an urgent call to the Kenyan Parliament, handover procedures took place before the representatives of the Kenyan people between the Interim President (Vice President) and the elected president, against whom the charges were dropped in the International Criminal Court.

I wrote at the time that Kenya was giving people a lesson in democratic practice. President Uhuru Kenyatta didn’t play the role of Hercules, the mighty Shamshon or Antarah ibn Shaddad al-Absi and shouted that America and the International Community were under his shoes. President Uhuru Kenyatta went to The Hague with all the dignity of a responsible citizen and returned from there to his country with his head held high, without filling the world with noise without a battle!

And the people of Kenya are back today to give us a lesson about the people’s right to refuse to pay the State’s debts with a law aimed at stealing from the pockets of the poor. The President of the Republic responds to the cries of millions, and refuses -according to the Constitution- to sign the 2024 bill to increase taxes.

In his speech to the people, he stated -after offering condolences for the martyrs of the demonstrations: “In response to the request of the Kenyan people, Iam refusing to sign the Draft Law that was passed by Parliament. But let’s think together about how we can pay off the debt and move forward.”

Thank you, grandchildren of the Mau Mau.. The cry of your brave fighters during the era of liberation and independence, led by the flaming spear of Jomo Kenyatta -your cry is still (Ahoro), meaning freedom- is still passed down to your children and grandchildren!

Thank you for the free lesson you gave us. We -the grandchildren of Baankhi, Mac Nimr, Al-Mahdi, Sultan Ajabna, and Sultan Taj Al-Din- still need such a lesson, to clear the dust of history from our memories!!