Is Kenya’s Political Handshake a Perfect Peace Modality for Conflict Resolution in South Sudan? (Part I)

By Aketch Peter Amet, Nairobi Kenya

Friday, December 27, 2019 (PW) — The people of the Republic of Kenya just as those of the Republic of South Sudan had suffered a lot and had gone through a long history of untold past with similar tribal conflicts. The origin of the Kenyans’ conflicts are dated back to the early time when Kenya gained her political Independence from her colonialists, the Great Britain in early 1960s.

Though these nationalities suffered from equal hatred, there are some distinct differences in the ways these conflicts were perpetuated in these two East African Countries. Unlike South Sudan’s conflicts, Kenya’s tribal conflict is traced back to the assassinations committed by the Leaders against each other and subsequent back to back revenge between the members of the independence movement, the Kenya Africa National Union.

KANU had enjoyed a solid and a united leadership with a unity of direction and command, just as the then Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) had. I don’t know what to call it today, “SSPLM or SPLM”, whatever you may correctly call it. That single command leadership style never lasted long before the KANU’s leaders would plan evils for each other.

There are also some comparable, closest and most similar events between the Kenya’s public hatred and that of South Sudan.  The timing in which the hatred and conflicts got planted and nursed carries very similar stages. Firstly; the South Sudan’s conflict started immediately after the gaining of her Independence and this applies to the Kenya’s. (2) Secondly; these two conflicts started in the disagreement of the one ruling party i.e. KANU leaders disagreed and assassinated themselves whereas SPLM leaders disagreed and fought over charting the way for the Country.

The bad politics or tribal politics plunged the country (Kenya) into series of crimes. Kenya experienced worse and deadly criminal robberies and attacks, Security organs used the time as an opportunity to grab properties and practice corruption, there was poor gun control, people could easily be killed and their properties taken just like what we are experiencing in Juba and across South Sudan.

I would not like to dwell on this history as my main point is to indicate how the modality Kenya have adopted recently to bring Kenyans together could be applied in the South Sudan scenario as well to bring South Sudanese together again like the pre-Independence period. I am meaning the period before we voted for them (Politicians) to come and ruin our bright future which we saw clearly and as prophesied by the world.

The only worry here is that, hand shake politics in Kenya was a heroic act by the Kenyan Leaders, it is a modality that is costly and full of compromises for personal interests and ambitions, but worth doing since it also pave way for the Country’s growth, unity and development.

This was not scary to the Former Prime Minister and the opposition leader, Hon. Raila Odinga who had to make a bravery and courageous decision to drop his interests and ambitions for the Country to go for an apology and reconciliation with his hottest rival, President Kenyatta.

Deciding to come forward for an all-out reconciliation and peace building process with President Kenyatta through utterance of an apologies between them was never a taking of water to quench thirst but a champion’s decision of extinguishing the burning fire which was likely consuming the future or either was jeopardizing the citizens unity and hence subsequent destruction of the social fabric among the next generation/posterity.

This National Prayer Breakfast has become a saviour programme for Kenya and for the Kenyans. National Prayer Breakfast is a day on which the antagonists (Odinga and Kenyatta) shook hands for the national reconciliation and which popularly came to be known as the “HAND SHAKE”. The hand shake politics have transformed and is transforming the Kenyan Politics and the spectacles Kenyans look at each other.  

The hand shake has taken Kenya to a different level as of now. Kenya has better developmental programmes, transparent, accountable and democratic governance and leadership to its people.  It has totally transformed Kenya. It gave birth to Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a programme which has now planned and delivering services for the Nation effectively and efficiently.

The questions are, how different are our leaders from the Kenyan’s? Can’t they observe and imitate how their counterparts are working together? How impossible is this modality for our conflict?

What I can vividly remember well from Odinga’s and Kenyatta’s reconciliations messages are dangers they have realized about the unending fight between their tribes (Odinga’s Luo and Kenyatta’s Kikuyu).

According to Odinga, “There will be no Kenyans dying because of post-elections violent”. He continued further to say, “on behave of my party and on my own, I tender my apology to my brother Kenyatta, I apologize”.

Kenyatta on his side said,” we campaigned against each other, we have said nasty things against each other and we called ourselves all sorts of ugly names, but today we have come together for the benefits of Kenyans, my brother please I apologize”.

As simple as that, but with a huge sacrifice from their hearts, Kenya today is enjoying a clean and hygienic politics with huge Country’s future. Kenya is building and constructing hundred high fly-overs over the Country.

The writer is a concerned and non-partisan citizen. He is reachable at aketchamet@yahoo.com/+254742880707/+211920070094

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